BlogHer - MATERNAL HEALTH EDUCATION - Comments

Blog this today: How many

Gary138 — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:46:02 -0600

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Mothers Act

blocker771 — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 09:05:48 -0500

Mother’s Act advocates get very shrill and angry at anyone who questions their advocacy and especially they get very shrill, angry and THREATENING towards anyone who presents the truth of what this bill is really all about, which they refuse to look at or discuss. The most repugnant aspect of this bill is how psychiatric interests work so hard to smoothly misrepresent the unnatural (drugging of pregnant mothers) as natural or okay when prior to psychotropic drugs, mothers were always counselled by traditional Western medical authorities not to take any drugs or as little as possible. How the authority of traditional doctors was usurped by nonmedical quasi medical(?) authorities would make an interesting investigation. Also, Mother’s Bill advocates are strangely silent about the birth defects that have been linked to these drugs and existing litigation against drug companies for compensation for the death, damage and disability to newborns linked to these drugs. The other point about the Mother’s Bill is that it is ironically named for a psychiatric victim and the legislation provides for millions of pregnant women to be able receive without their informed consent the damaging treatment that the woman named for this bill unfortunately was victimized by receiving without her informed consent.

is giving birth the only aspect of child rearing with risk?

Icha — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 17:26:44 -0600

It seems strange to point this out, but does the argument against homebirth ever substitute other things for birthplace to test its logic? For example, has anyone ever thought about requiring all parents to buy volvos and prohibit them from buying, say, a mazda sports car because an infant (and its parents) would be far safer in a volvo if they are involved in a crash? Or how about the carseat itself? Not all carseats are equal, some are much safer than others. Should parents be required to buy only the absolute safest car seat? Of course not, no one ever even considers these things, even though car crash fatalities are a leading cause of death for children and adults. These are things we are allowed to decide for ourselves based on many factors, including basic freedoms of freedom from unwarrented government surveillance and interference.

I believe that homebirths are the safest option for some people, myself included. Safety statistics aside, does society apply the same readiness to legislate to behaviors that don't have to do with women's bodies and reproductive capacity? It doesn't...the minute a woman's reproductive capacity is concerned, we (this society) think we have the right to make all sorts of laws governing what she can and can't do. Most other behaviors are left up to choice. This is not about what option is safest. It's about who gets to make reproductive choices for women: professoinal organizations, the courts, the state, other interested parties, or the woman herself.

CDC data

MinorityView — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 20:51:13 -0600

Interesting analysis of the CDC data here:

http://womantowomancbe.wordpress.com/2008/09/18/excess-preventable-morta...

The point of the analysis is that the particular set which Dr. Amy Tuteur is using to claim that home birth with a direct entry midwife has a higher rate of mortality for the baby has an oddity. A number of the deaths are due to conditions which would have resulted in death EVEN if the baby had been born in the hospital. Most of the analysis has to do with possible reasons for the existence of the fatal conditions--which can be summed up as less amniocentesis leading to fewer abortions. This is the same reason that Ireland (fewer abortions) has more babies who die shortly after birth than France (more abortions). So these numbers don't actually support midwife error or place of birth dangers as causing at least some of the deaths.

Birth is Beautiful

amon4923 — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 16:20:15 -0600

I think that the most important concept to remember is that birth is beautiful. Whether you’re delivering in a hospital or in a hut, the result of an average of nine months of pregnancy and delivery is to be able to start your lifelong journey with your baby.

I also believe that all aspects, from conception to delivery, should be viewed as another element to the extraordinary process of childbirth. With that said, I feel that the idea of a natural delivery as not only entirely safe but also an empowering process, is masked in hospitals. From being thrown into a wheelchair to hooked up to IV’s and monitoring, birth is seen as nothing short of a medical affair. This idea leads women to see themselves as patients and often allows authoritarian doctors to guide their bodies through delivery for them. It’s discouraging to hear a doctor tell you you’re not progressing “quickly enough” (leading to drugs like pitocin or cervadil – which can lead to distress of the baby – which can lead to a c-section). When women don’t fit into the “typical” mold doctors are taught they should, they take matters into their own hands, showing women that their bodies are just not good enough. When in reality, all women are different, and if doctors were better trained in NATURAL childbirth, America wouldn’t be experiencing the spike in interventions, c-sections, and who knows what other consequences our babies are dealing with because of this.

I believe childbirth to be a time for families to welcome their newest addition, and what better place than at home? For millions of years our ancestors were delivering at home, devoid of electronic fetal monitoring and epidurals, and the proof of its success is in our mere existence.

The fact of the matter is...

Colormepink — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 09:23:20 -0600

Women have been having babies... well forever. I chose to have mine in a hospital setting, but if I had to do it over again, I think I would have chosen differently. I had a terrible experience, both times and I regret it. Instead of feeling powerful and satisfied, I was made to feel weak, the drs. were disrespectful of the process and I was miserable. I couldn't wait to get home, cut and torn as I was, so that I would be in charge of myself and my child.

The idea that we're too stupid to make our own decisions is becoming so prevelant, and it seems over and over that it's big business that is perpetuating this idea in order to save themselves. I think that society as a whole is starting to turn back toward a more holistic life, our food choices, medical treatment choices, and education choices to name a few.

Technology in our homes has given us so many more choices and so much more information that it surprisingly seems to be putting an end to a lot of the "big industry" that has ruled for so long. I think we're going to see more and more of this kind of attempt at control as these "industries" struggle to remain the big business that they have been.

We must continue to stay informed and fight against this control over our choices. It is our choice and must remain so.

Christine
It's My World. Welcome To It.
Blog: http://www.colormepink.com
Homeschool Blog: http://web.mac.com/colormepink/
Jewelry Blog: http://www.starbrightjewels.com/blog

I was asked to move to a

mothercrone — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 20:56:06 -0500

I was asked to move to a changing room, asked to move to a bathroom, etcetera when I first had my son. And I always used the "big shirt flipover" method so nothing was ever showing thanks to my mother's expert teaching, and usually a really light blanket or something to attempt to cover the wiggly little man who was always ready for his dinner.

When did I stop just moving where I was asked? When, of all things, I was in a Wal-Mart. My son was about three months old. I had automatically gone to the bathroom to attempt to nurse, it was locked for cleaning, and so I was crunched down attempting to be out of the way under the water fountains. (This is probably the only time you'll hear me say anything good about a Wal-Mart, ever. I hate it but they've killed every other store in our ridiculous little town except the lumberyard and tractor supply. Prepared? 3...2....1.....) An older employee, probably one of the octegenarian door greeters, walked past. She stopped, walked back, and said "Honey, you can't do that there." I was almost ready to cry, figuring I'd have to leave the store and try to take a very fussy guy to a car that was probably heated up to well over a hundred degrees and started blathering about how I couldn't get into the bathroom and he was HUNGRY. She said "No, honey, I just mean you're gonna get a crick in your neck and be awfully uncomfortable. Your baby's hungry, of course he wants to eat and there's no reason you can't be comfortable too." Then she brought a chair out from the employee breakroom and set me up in a little corner next to the rugs. After that, I quit worrying about it, and just found quiet(ish) out-of-the way spots and ignored any snide comments folks made.

I just wonder how it became an issue at all, how modesty only applies to this and not to things like seeing bras through shirts or other "fashions" like that.

I was asked to move to a

mothercrone — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 20:56:01 -0500

I just wonder how it became an issue at all, how modesty only applies to this and not to things like seeing bras through shirts or other "fashions" like that.

Glad to live in Europe

AmiExpat — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 15:58:50 -0500

These stories always come out right before I'm due to fly to the US for a visit! I don't know what I'd do if anyone every said something to me. I mean really, they'd rather have a screaming kid to deal with???

Perhaps we should ban

nakedanarchists — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 14:36:11 -0500

Perhaps we should ban nursing in public places and treat the world to grumpy children on airplanes and in public places? I can't believe this happened to a nursing mother in this day and age.

On the other hand, I sure would have loved if my flight attendent recently from Las Vegas to Chicago had offered my seat mate a blanket. I was getting pretty sick of her exposed, oversized midriff with belly piercing and too small, too tight shirt. Much rather be seated next to a tranquil mother/baby moment.

http://nakedanarchists.wordpress.com

You can be funny, too! I love this post

Vered — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 14:11:07 -0500

I already chimed in on your own blog, but I'll say it again: I don't know what I would have done if a flight attendant did that to me when I was still nursing.

On your blog, you ask: how come these things still happen? It's a good question. The very idea that the act of nursing a baby is shameful, that it should be covered and hidden, that there is anything SEXUAL about it (because the only reason to cover it and hide it is because breasts are ALWAYS perceived as sexual and our society is uncomfortable, though preoccupied with, sex) is absolutely ridiculous.
---

I blog at MomGrind

I manage my kids' activities at UpToUs

The vaginal birth is the one

bobloblaw — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 15:49:45 -0500

If given birth normally, the kid might present complications with the cord around his neck.

what?! you must be a man. women have been giving birth vaginally for literally, thousands of years. NO woman would chose a c - section over a vaginal birth.

My best friend had her first 2 children in a hospital, drugged up, and was miserable. she felt like both the doctors, nurses and staff didnt really care about her or her baby. She felt disconnected qto her children b/c they were taken away.

Her third child (and last to date) was born at home with a midwife, and she LOVED the experience. even said it made giving birth fun.

I was born myself in a boothing center via midwife, but, alas - i do not remember much of it. lol.

-----
miami maritime lawyer

Ruchi - I agree!

TeacherCaryn — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 01:54:52 -0500

You said it best about how its the intimate act that bothers you. Plus, there are just way too many men out there who have disgusted me with their comments about how hot breastfeeding is, including a popular radio dj whom I at one time listened to faithfully. Would the baby's father be comfortable with some pervert thinking about performing something sexual to his wife's breast? Would the breast feeder herself be comfortable with the disgusting people who think the same way? Call me a prude, but sadly I'm not making this up.

This is not the first time

biggirlblue — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:17:45 -0500

This is not the first time I've past through a debate like this. I've wandered through many "child-free" forums and many of them seem to be vehemently against breast feeding in public. Which I think is kind of funny (not ha-ha) because they all want to be respected for their choice but don't give mums the respect of actually having the choice to feed in public. I think it is a huge landmark for women and should be celebrated by all women regardless of their own personal choices.

Moe
Big Girl Blue, M.E. Wood lens, Large and Lovely

"Women are going to form a chain, a greater sisterhood than the world has ever known." ~Nellie McClung, 1916

Fabulous

Amy Gates — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 11:38:55 -0500

Thank you for doing whatever you can to help spread the word, Kelly. :)

Amy
Crunchy Domestic Goddess
BlogHers Act contributing editor