Since our day started much later than usual, we slept in until a daring 7 a.m.! Around 11, we set off for the Moriane Jyosanin. The train ride was quite long, but we thankfully all got seats. We took a short break afterwards and ate at Mister Donut and Bless Coffee. I had two amazing donuts and a glass of melon soda. Then-after a short taxi ride-we met Taguchi-sensei and toured her beautiful facilities. The rooms were paneled in wood, had large windows to let in natural light, and looked out over scenic views.
Any woman staying there would be happy, calm, and ready to give birth. I couldn’t believe how serene the atmosphere was compared to the hustle and bustle of a hospital. After the tour, she generously shared her delicious cookies and tea with us. Then we discussed the specifics of childbirth and the use of epidurals with her while comparing the views in the United States and Japan. During this fascinating discussion Kuriyama-sensei kindly undertook the exhausting task of translating for Taguchi-sensei. I greatly enjoyed my time there today because I gained extremely useful information about childbirth that I will definitely use in the future.
じゃあまた (See you later),
Amanda Rice
Yesterday while going on a walk, I noticed, something I find very interesting about restaurants here. While they can be open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, they are not open all day. They are only open for certain times for people to eat not the whole day like restaurants are in the United States. Also, in some of the restaurants, it is okay to smoke in them while eating. Today we went to see a midwife. It was intriguing to see how different some of the things are here as opposed to the United States. It is very rare for women to have a water birth here and they rarely use epidurals. After the birth, it is quite common for the father to leave and the mother and baby to have what some would refer to as a honeymoon. They also made dolls for different stages of the pregnancy. The dolls were weighted accurately depending on how many weeks old the fetus is. They sometimes use these dolls to explain to younger children about what is happening with their mother.
-Kristen
Hello everyone! Today we visited a midwife to learn about what she does (Ruth wants to be a midwife!). The “residence”(?) was absolutely stunning; it was decorated very simply but used fresh wood on the walls and ceilings of the recovery rooms in order to create and sense of peace and relaxation for the mother and baby. We also saw the birthing room, where our host was kind enough to use Bryce to demonstrate how women in Japan choose to give birth! (Bryce’s face was pretty hilarious the whole time.) Most women choose to lie on their sides, by the way! We learned from the midwife that she does not believe in epidurals or using very many drugs- she believes all natural childbirth is the best as long as the mother and baby are both healthy. I asked if the midwife performs circumcisions after the babies are born and at first she didn’t understand what I was asking because circumcision is not done in Japan (or really anywhere other than the U.S. quite frankly). One difference between Japanese culture and American culture is that after the baby is born in Japan, the father leaves to return home while the mother and baby bond and recover in the midwife’s residence for 5 days. He is present for labor and the birth but that is it. The midwife then prepares very healthy meals of brown rice, soup, and vegetables for the mother to eat after birth in order to help her body slowly recover. The midwife also noted that premature births rarely happen with the women she sees, and it is also rare for the mother to be well past her due date; for the most part the women give birth on time. She also offers pilates and yoga classes to help the mother tighten her abdomen and hips again after birth. The midwife described how she provides much education for the mothers after birth as well (how to bathe the baby, how to keep the uncircumcised penis clean, how to breastfeed, etc.). If I had to choose, I would say the midwife visit was my favorite part of the trip so far, with the family therapist guest speaker as a close second!
-Paige
Today, we had the opportunity to sleep in for the first time since arriving! It was wonderful to get a little more sleep since we had been running nonstop since we arrived last Monday. We left on the train to go see a Midwife who was located out of the Tokyo area. I honestly had never met a midwife and only knew that they delivered babies. But after today, I know so much more. Taguchi sensei had built her own clinic on a nice piece of property away from all the hustle and bustle of the city, and it was beautiful. All of the rooms had wood floors and natural materials used to construct them. There were several bedrooms where the mothers and babies could bond after birth, as well as monitoring/exam rooms, and the actual birthing room. So when we entered the birthing room, Taguchi sensei demonstrated some of the positions which she recommended for giving birth; afterwards she motioned for me to join her on the mat and I was so confused, thinking: ‘I’m never going to use these.’ She then had me show how the father would support the mother when she was giving birth. I think my face at that moment was pretty hilarious, but afterwards I felt accomplished, ready to face fatherhood…of course not today but a few years down the road.
Afterwards, her staff gave us cookies and tea that they had prepared, and it was all delicious. Taguchi sensei gave us her perspective on being a midwife and how there were differences between birthing at the clinic and birthing at a hospital. I found the whole afternoon so informative, and really enjoyed learning more about midwives; I find it a very interesting and holistic way of giving birth so there are fewer risks for complications than if medicine or anesthetic had been added.
-Bryce
Today we had the early morning free, so we went out for coffee. It still surprises me how much better coffee is here than in America. It was also nice because “cafe latte” is pretty universal, and it didn’t matter that the entire menu was in Japanese. In the afternoon, we visited the Moriane Jyosan birthing center and heard from Taguchi sensei, a midwife and the owner of the center. The building, which was kind of like a small hotel/house combination, was beautiful and extremely peaceful, especially in comparison to a hospital. We had a tour and a great discussion. I honestly wasn’t expecting to be that interested during this day, because I’m not very familiar with the field of obstetrics (and frankly I don’t like babies and I don’t plan on ever being a mother), but it was actually extremely insightful and engaging, and I’m glad that this was part of our schedule. As always, I was surprised and humbled by Japanese hospitality. We had tea and cookies that were sent home with us after the discussion (the first “doggy bag” we’ve gotten in Japan), and we each received multiple hand-illustrated good luck charms for ourselves and friends and family. After returning home, the only things left to do were stop by the store, have dinner, and rest up for our free day tomorrow!
-Kami
One day that I had been particularly looking forward to was this one: I hope to become a midwife after college, so learning about how midwife practise is the same and how it’s different in Japan was definitely of interest!
We started off the morning by travelling an hour by train: I definitely felt sorry to my other group members for making them go so far! Everyone was so enthusiastic when we arrived, though: it made me feel better.
Moriane Jysosan-in was down a quiet country road, past a greenhouse and across the street from a kindergarten. I was a quiet, pleasant setting and the house itself is a nice red building. On entering, we were immediately impressed by how peaceful it seemed. That peace is deliberate, as it turns out: Taguchi-sensei tries to keep her patients from being overstimulated during their stay.
She led us on a tour of the building: each room that she showed us was different. One had a cedar floor and wall and smelled amazing! Each room had at least one wall that was constructed out of seaweed to bring more natural materials into the rooms. Almost everything in the building, from the beds to the benches to the cupboards to the tables is hand-built out of natural materials. The whole place smelled lovely. Each room also looks out on a view of the play area and fields beyond to bring nature in that way, as well.
Taguchi-sensei, after showing us the room where the mothers can stay, also showed us some rooms that are dedicated to birthing. She showed us the tub for water births and then another room that is specifically used for births: that was the only one where there was visible medical equipment, and that was only a monitor! For the most part, the rooms were as “un-medical” a setting as you could imagine. I asked her about that later, she explained that she has the equipment, but that she likes to keep it hidden unless necessary. She said that it helps the mothers feel more relaxed.
After the tour, we sat down and had tea and cookies: while eating the cookies, she told us that all of the food that they prepare is made without any of the major allergens -buckwheat, dairy, soy, or eggs. The cookies were amazingly delicious! She also showed us the tea she used; I’ve never seen tea like it before, and I wish I had taken a picture. As we ate, she talked to us more about what she does at her clinic and her philosophy. She is an advocate of natural childbirth, and she works closely with doctors at a local hospital to ensure the safety of her patients. As she usually sees low-risk patients, she doesn’t usually need to intervene much medically, but she is able to if necessary.
Honestly, I could go on forever about how wonderful an experience this was, but I fear that I may be taking up too much space in this entry! I’ll end it here by just saying that in the end, I was so thankful for the time that we spent there and would love to visit again in the future.
-Ruth
Today we traveled to the country side to visit Moriane Jyosan-in. The facilities there provided a nice calming and relaxed environment which I think is essential in such stressful yet fulfilling event. The floors of all the rooms were all natural wood (cedar, oak, etc.) and the walls were seaweed. This amazed me by how thoughtful they were made in order for a new life coming. There was a delivery room that mothers could choose to give birth in (either on the futon or a water birth). We were told that there was medical equipment in each room but they were hidden as to not stress and scare the expecting mothers. This again added to how much they all thought about the expecting mothers and the newborns first. It is evident not only in their actions and words but also by the facility itself.
Taguchi-sensei was very nice and kind. She thoroughly explained everything and even would demonstrate some things for us. I learned a lot about being a midwife and the birthing process. I forgot how the Japanese prefer a more natural way to some medical things (ie. Chinese medicine). Therefore, when Taguchi-sensei explained her beliefs about the birthing process it made a lot of sense. They try not to use medicine unless in emergencies. They didn’t like to use epidurals and instead prefer the body to naturally release the hormones needed to accommodate the pain. This discussion of how childbirth in Japan and America taught me a lot.
This learning experience really made me think about my future and if I were to have kids, I would want to give birth in a facility like this and with such amazing staff. It was all relaxing and very, very beautiful.
This trip has really taught me a lot and has opened my eyes to a wider and more beautiful world. I can’t wait to see what lies for us next!
-Jena
As an engineering student I certainly do not have an extensive knowledge of midwifery, especially in the type that Taguchi-sensei practices. I really only know the basics of hospital midwife practice in the U.S. Because of this I was very interested to learn about her field. We had to take a long ride on the Tokyo Metro to get to the part of the city that Taguchi-sensei’s business was in. It is amazing how large the city is.
Taguchi-sensei’s birthing center was an incredibly beautiful and new facility. Each room was pristine and in great condition. You can tell the workers there take pride in their facilities. I was especially interested to hear that the walls were constructed using seaweed. After the tour, we sat with Taguchi-sensei and discussed midwifery. I was very interested to hear the two types of midwives: clinical and private. As a private midwife, Taguchi-sensei is free to birth babies in the way she deems best. She stresses a very natural approach to childbirth and does not believe in excessive pain relief such as epidurals. I was very glad I was able to meet such a great teacher and professional as well as learn so much about the field of midwifery.
-Ethan
Japan Health Care Professions 2015 IUPUI 