Back in 1970, over 200 ‘visionary hippies’ led by philosopher Stephen Gaskin left San Francisco in a convoy of school buses in search of a new way of life. They stopped in the hills of southern Tennessee, calling their commune The Farm – a self-sufficient community that still flourishes today. One powerful element of their voyage of discovery was that the sanctity of birth should be returned to the family – in other words, a baby should be born in the home.
The Farm soon became the setting for the rebirth of midwifery in the United States, teaching people the methods of childbirth. One man who quickly devoured all these learnings was known simply as Ben, an individual on his way to Africa in search of a new life. Fate however had other ideas as weeks later he missed his connecting ship in Barcelona and jumped “on the next boat to anywhere” and ended up in Ibiza.
It was here he met Lara, a young girl fresh from her own life journey from her native Brazil. Ben would teach her the mastery of delivering babies and in doing so helped Lara lay the foundations of the Ibiza section of the Homebirth Association of Spain – a group that today includes 150 lay-midwifes spread across the country helping expectant mothers have their babies at home.
Since delivering her first baby in the hills of Siesta, Lara has helped deliver bring more than 400 babies into the world in Ibiza, granting the wishes of parents who quite simply, do not wish to give birth in a hospital – an option that is generally rejected by Spanish society and the medical community.
“Over half the world’s population of women give birth at home, many in mud huts and shacks” says Lara as we sit under the trees of Can Muson. “Being at home gives expectant mother some calm and serenity, unlike hospitals which are too clinical for many.”
The struggle for visibility and recognition for midwifes here in Spain is nothing new. With just 12.5 midwives for every 10,000 births in Spain, their situation is a precarious one. Indeed, jobs are so scarce that many of the midwives work as nurses for better conditions and stability, resulting in fewer midwives than what is recommended. Spain has a total of around 9.500 midwives – well below countries such as the UK which has around 40,000.
Back in Ibiza Lara and her fellow midwives continue quietly what they do best. “With every birth I learn something about myself” she smiles. “All our senses are totally switched on, especially our hearing. I listen intently to the mother as she gives birth, a midwife is not there to interfere or give out orders. We are letting you and the baby go free together…”.
