| Feminism, Humanism and Social Justice |
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Pregnancy and Parenting: Pregnancy
(go directly to resources) Further, during pregnancy women are encouraged to take a battery of tests that may be inappropriate for them. The encouragement comes by creating fear in women: the implication is that if you do not have these tests done you are potentially harming your baby and by extension, not a "good mother." During birth, women are immediately forced into a passive position. First, women are asked to lie down so that a fetal monitor can be strapped onto their bellies. Second, while women might be encouraged to walk through her contractions until pushing, they are often encouraged to expedite the labor process through some sort of induction. Induction comes in various forms (stripping of the membranes, gel on the cervix, breaking the water, pitocin drip, etc). Yet, the outcome is the same: A woman's pain is exponentially increased with induction. This inevitably leads to more intervention, in the form of an epidural, a c-section or something else. Once an intervention occurs, the odds that your doctor will force you to push while lying on your back is extremely high. Of course, you will be "strongly" encouraged to lie on your back anyway. Once again, the language used by practitioners embodies the idea that the doctor knows best and that it is your job to be a "good mother." (in other words, passive). Lying on your back is the WORST position for pushing! You are working against gravity and your coccyx! Why in the world would anyone think it practical to push what feels like a huge bowling ball while lying horizontally? You are placed on your back to quicken the pushing process. This way, the doctor can perform an episiotomy (cutting your perinium) easily and get the baby out quickly. Once the baby is born, there are still tests that are routinely done to the child. Not all of these tests are necessary! For instance, most children are given silver nitrate on their eyes directly after birth to protect them from veneral diseases, even if the mother does not have a veneral disease. Thus, you should read about each test and determine what you think is best for your child. Further, while breastfeeding is much more likely to be encouraged now, some hospitals AND women feel extremely uncomfortable with it. Breastfeeding is the healthiest thing you can do for a child, thus, you should educate yourself and make the best decision for you given your own circumstances. If you have any questions about breastfeeding, hospitals commonly have lactation consultants available. Further, there are professional lactional consultants and informal consultants available through the La Leche League (see breastfeeding link) If you are healthy and interested in remaining active during birth, the best thing to do is use a MIDWIFE. However, if you are set on a doctor than you should at least TALK to your doctor prior to your birth and ask her/him her philosophy. Remember, though, that the odds of having your doctor present at the birth is directly related to the number of doctors in the practice. So you must also determine the philosophy of all the doctors in the practice. Just because you've written a birth plan, does not mean the person facilitating the birth will read it! Make sure you bring someone with you who knows what you want and can act as your advocate. This person can either be your partner, friend or a DOULA. There are alternatives to the medical model, but precious few in the Edwardsville area. Here is some information that may help: Karen Baum, Nurse Midwife Phone: 618-452-3301 Karen is the only midwife presently in the area. She works out of Gateway Medical Center in Granite City. IL. She works closely with Dr. Dennis Hurford (288-9251), but is not partnered with him. Not all insurance companies cover Karen (although she's working on it), however, they will cover hospital costs (which are the most expensive part of birthing). Gateway Medical Center purchased a birthing tub -- one of the best methods of non-interventionist pain reduction. The midwife I used, Cathy Combs, was central in making available such a tub. Indeed, my second daughter was born at Gateway in the water! Cathy Combs works part-time with Karen. She is currently trying to find a doctor who will accept her in her/his practice. However, this is proving a daunting task. Want to know more about MIDWIVES? Also try this website for lots more resources! Of course, I advise surfing the net for your own information as well. There are non-certified midwives who perform home-births, however, because this is currently an underground operation I can't provide you any information about it. My guess, is that if you ask around, you will find someone who knows something about this network. Resources Sheila Kitzinger Ariel Gore Water Births Yoga during Birth
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