International Birth Story: a Swede in Costa Rica
This beautiful birth story was written by Karin Westin, who opens up and shares a very personal and touching glimpse into her birthing experience.
The Good News!
On March 2nd of 2020, on our wedding anniversary, I found out I was pregnant. As for most, it was a mix of feelings but I remember one of the biggest sensations was relief; my body was functioning!
I had been battling some hormonal issues for about two years and had started to feel a bit frustrated with the situation. Looking back now I can see that I had probably taken some good steps towards a better hormonal health (reducing stress, eating real food, reducing toxic chemicals all around me etc.) and I was so grateful to have a little seed growing inside.
A Simple Life
I am Swedish born and raised but started traveling to Costa Rica in 2014 and since about two years we live here for the most part of the year, my husband and I. In 2019 we got married and built our little house. Life here is simple; we surf, ride horses, work, eat and sleep. We live on the west coast, five minutes from the beach and about one hour from the nearest bigger town. The area where we live is rural but is growing every year. It is a big mix of local Costa Ricans, or ticos as they’re called, and expats from all over the world.
Covid-19 Hits at 8 Weeks Pregnant
When I was 8 weeks pregnant the Covid-19 pandemic hit and we found ourselves more or less locked in our house. Beaches closed, restaurants closed, most tourists left and all of a sudden, we were unemployed and a bit stressed about bringing a baby into this mess. On the other hand, I was grateful to be able to rest as much as possible without having to force myself to work when I was going through the roller coaster that is the 1st trimester.
At the time, the plan was to fly to Sweden in August to wait for the arrival of our baby there. My intuition had always said that I wanted to have my first baby in Sweden, one of the greatest countries across the world when it comes to maternity care. It is not perfect for sure, but I felt safe with the idea of having the baby in one of the hospitals around Stockholm.
However, we soon realized that the idea of traveling during these times was not realistic, and I agreed that the local hospital here in Nicoya would be fine. The maternity ward of our closest hospital was recently remodeled and I was practicing a lot of mindfulness and hypnobirthing which made me feel like anywhere would be ok, as long as I would be accompanied by my husband who would be my spokesperson, and I knew he would make sure that I was respected, safe and cared for.
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Medical Care in Costa Rica
The care of pregnant women here in Costa Rica is free in the public hospitals and a lot has happened in the past years to make the care better. A lot of new guidelines have been presented but not always implemented by the hospitals, and obstetric violence is still occurring to this day. When I was told that, due to the pandemic, I would not be able to have my husband with me in the public hospital during the whole labor I once again pushed hard to try to make it to Sweden.
Being left alone in a hospital here to birth my baby was the last thing I wanted. I instinctively knew that I needed to be accompanied by my husband. For me personally, I felt like this rule was wrong on so many levels and I went from grief to extreme anger and sadness thinking of all the women who were being forced to birth on their own without a partner, doula or close person with them.
Birth Plan
Once again, realizing that traveling is out of the question, I had to start figuring out what my birth plan would look like. Private hospital in the capital city was one idea. But the cesarean rates of the private hospitals here is between 80-90% and I wanted an unmedicated birth (if possible). The cost was another factor. I had an interest in having a home-birth, but had put that plan aside. With all the mess of covid though, I felt like maybe that idea wasn’t too bad after all.
So finally, I found a midwife that I just felt at home with. She spoke about birth in a way that made me feel calm, the kind of person I wanted to have around to support me for this event, and all my husband said was: “then she is the one” so we packed our bags and did a last check at week 37 to make sure baby was safe and good to go for a homebirth and traveled across the country, counting down the days.
Giving Birth
We had rented a house 15 minutes from the closest hospital and I was so ready. Excited yet calm, curious about labor and how it would feel. On October 22nd I got my answer! My contractions started at 2am and by 4am they were already 1 minute long and 3-4 minutes apart, and when the app that counted contractions said go to the hospital, we called the midwife.
I was thinking that maybe, since it was so intense, it wouldn’t take too long. I was wrong… 20 hours later I had been pushing for about 2 hours and it was like baby was stuck and the only option that felt safe now was to go to the hospital.
I was exhausted and the contractions started to wear off, but through it all baby was strong and healthy. I felt defeated, and scared that I would be left alone. However, as we got to the hospital, I had a hard time communicating with the staff and they let my husband in with me. He talked to the obstetrical nurse about what we wanted and she respected our wishes, something I am very grateful for as many stories I had heard were about negligent staff and outdated techniques being used on routine.
We said that please no episiotomy unless there was an emergency. I also did not want to birth laying down with my feet up (which is the standard here..) and they let me sit up, half squatting. After maybe 1 hour of IV-fluids and some Pitocin I felt baby was bearing down and I pushed with my all and a little more.
Let’s just say this was not the Hypnobirth I had envisioned of me breathing out my baby.
Let’s just say this was not the hypnobirth I had envisioned of me breathing out my baby. When she finally made her exit, she flew out like superman with her hand up by her cheek and we got the answer as to why she was so hard to get out.
Finally! She came straight up to my chest and in the bright light of the operating lamp I got to see my little daughter for the first time, what a feeling.
Another Woman Giving Birth Right Next to Me
All in all, the hospital staff was alright and I liked how much they supported breastfeeding. It is a small hospital and there were only 6 women in the maternity ward. In this hospital there is also only one birthing-room with two beds in it. One of the women came into the room at the same time as me, and I got to, while also giving birth, watch her son be born about 2 meters to my left.
Takeaways From This Experience
I guess, that in the end, things could have been very different if I would have been in Sweden. Maybe, I wouldn’t have had researched as much and gotten to know myself on the level that I do now, and I probably wouldn’t have seen another woman give birth next to me either!
I believe that we have great power over our bodies, but in the business of birth it is so easy to forget that there is a small but great participant setting a lot of rules; our babies. I had not taken into account that she would be affecting the outcome as well, and this is my greatest lesson from the experience.
I also realize what a privilege it is to be able to choose how to birth, and I hope for future generations that it will be the rule and not an exception; that all women will be supported in a way that feels good them during pregnancy and labor.
Education and Reconnection to the Feminine
So let’s continue to educate ourselves. I think sometimes we have to find our way back to our feminine nature – which I think we tend to lose in today’s society that is so often patriarchal and masculine. The act of giving birth is a highly feminine experience, and I think that when we learn to listen to our body we realize it is sometimes wiser than our brain!
Learn more about MAMASOL, an initiative focusing on protecting maternal rights in Costa Rica here.
