HW 46 - Initial Thoughts on the Care of the Dead

It was hot. The hieroglyphics that resided on the wall were still intact as though they were carved and painted yesterday. I felt myself panting as I furthered my way down this tunnel. I entered a room, filled with huge images on all of the surrounding walls. All of the images were painted facing the direction of outwards, towards the light. Then right before my eyes rested the tombstone, in a room of its own. Hundreds and thousands of years later, still resting in exactly the same position that it was placed in. Although not every person from Ancient Egypt was given this amount of care after they died, it is unbelievable that so many were. For those that took on the position of being a Pharaoh, even after they were gone, their entire life was transferred into their pyramid, giving them the opportunity for eternal life.

It was cold and rainy, as I walked to the funeral home. The movies are accurate when it comes to the external image of death. A book sat on a stand for every person who payed their respects to sign. There was something so gloomy about the room, and then I saw her. Surrounded by flower after flower. Her casket was closed, an image of her from her twenties with my grandfather rested on top. I walked over slowly yet my heart was pounding. How could my grandmother be inside of that box? I waned to open it so badly; I didn’t believe that she was truly “resting” inside. I placed my hand on the mahogany and started to cry. One moment ago I was laughing and talking to her, and now she was still in the same room as I but neither of those actions were taking place.

Different cultures handle death differently, however I believe that no one ever wants to truly let someone go. Whether it’s in a pyramid where all of the person’s valuables still surround them, or if they are in the dirt below the grass of the ground. Of course people have to continue moving and continue going about their normal routines, however there are places that they can go to revisit these people who used to exist along side them. I don’t know if this is a good thing, or if it truly delays the process of grieving, and makes those who still breathe stuck in moment after moment, not having the ability to say goodbye. Something to consider though, is most of the rituals around death are prepared by the people who have died. As if to say that even though they may believe there really is something after this life, they don't want to let go of what they had, or whom they shared their life with. They don't want to be forgotten or become just a memory, and by creating this sense of eternal life it probably gives them courage that they will always remain apart of this world.

1. Why is religion practically always associated with death?

2. Why do wakes exist?

3. In the United States were most people always buried?

4. How do buddhists care for the dead?

5. When did cremation first start?

6. Why do people spend so much money on death?

HW 45

Megumi,

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog! I am glad that you found it clear and organized, I think when it comes to history that is a huge factor in truly understanding the concepts. I am happy that you appreciated the story of the woman who gave birth in both Central Africa and in the United States. I found the story to be a great example of a true contrast between how differently our country handles birth. I am also glad that you saw the connection between all of the events in the past one hundred years bringing us to the situation we found ourselves in now. If you have anymore questions or things you found confusing, please be sure to let me know!

Mom,

Thank you for your long and thoughtful comment. Although I was a c-section baby it must of been interesting for you to learn more about the history of why the norm has shifted into this procedure. I found it interesting though that even though you had a c-section you still felt joy after I was born, I think that many people probably assume there is a sense of emptiness or feeling robbed. I wonder though if the doctors really felt as though it was necessary or if they really just wanted you to move the process along. I am glad that you realized why my project is so important, I think more women my age and older need to be educated about the history behind birth before going through with pregnancy. Thanks for reading my blog.

Rebecca,

Thank you for reading my blog!! I am also was surprised with the information gathered from my interview. The class that I am taking (Normal is Weird) often focuses on a very one sided idea and yet this midwife seemed very in the middle. Although she is trained in a field that isn't the dominant discourse she still believes that sometimes it is truly necessary. I am glad that you found the information discussed in my post useful because you know now you want to be a mom someday. Thanks again!

Casey,

Thank you for reading my blog! I found your one sentence summary right on target with the point I was trying to make. As a woman I find it significantly important to be informed on a topic such as this. Although we are all more educated about the circumstances today, not all of us know too much about what has happened in the past. I agree with your point that birth in this country is treated like a medical procedure. After reading about the woman who gave birth on two different continents, I am very inclined to go to Central Africa when I have children! I am glad that you feel more informed because of my project and that you will use it in the future. Thanks again for reading my blog!

HW 44 - Commenting on Other People's Projects

To Lina:

Your post focused on how if celebrities such as Angelina Jolie were to have home births, then more Americans would follow the trend.

I valued that you took a different approach to your exploration, by this I mean that most people focused on subjects that we already had quite a bit of information about.

This project matters to me because I think if celebrities were to use their ability to influence the nation in a positive way, it would take attention off of who is dating who, and who is wearing what.

I think you have great ideas and I want to hear more, next time try to go into more depth in regards to your topic. I was also a bit confused because your presentation and your blogpost were about different ideas, however I found this to be interesting, good job.

To Megumi:

Megumi,

You focused on c-sections in the United States, specifically how they have dominated the nations birthing process.

One aspect that I appreciated was how although you were revealing information that is not so great, you carried a very calm yet firm tone throughout your blog post. I found it interesting that you wove your own ideas into your piece while still incorporating the general statistics.

Your project matters to me because I was a c-section baby, and the more I hear about the procedure the more I question how I was brought into this world. While I also know at this point that some day I would like to have children and it is good to be informed of this information before you even have to think about a decision.

The only thing I would suggest working on is a better tie between each of your paragraphs. Although each paragraph was strong on it's own, there seemed to lack a strong connection between all of your points. However, I was very impressed with your blog post, keep up the good work!

To Beatrice:

Beatrice,

Your post focused on the importance of having Planned Parenthood and how people our own age can make a difference in their communities.

I absolutely positively loved your video. It really inspired me and made me realize how simple making a huge difference can be. Although your video was about birth & pregnancy it still posed as art with purpose.

Your project matters to me because before reading your blog post I didn't know very much about the situation involving Planned Parenthood. It is important to be informed especially with an issue that affects our generation specifically.

Overall I am so proud of you!! This was actually so so amazing and I think a passion has sparked because of this project. Congr@tS!

love slew

To Casey:

Your post took literally an inside, up close and personal look into hospital births.

Overall, I REALLY enjoyed your blog post and applaud you for being able to handle watching something so extreme, right before your eyes. I can't believe you got to help and participate in delivering babies, most 16/17/18 year olds cannot say that!

Your project matters to me because you made me realize how normal giving birth is. I really feel as though the media stresses and exaggerates tremendously on the scariness of the process, when in reality it is something quite beautiful. I think your post showed that this beauty really does exist and it also gives me comfort that there is no reason to be scared. Great work!!

________________________________________________________________

From Megumi:

Your post focuses on the history of birth and how things have drastically changed just within 100 years. Over time, birth has moved from home to hospital.

I really liked how organized and clear your post is, and your use of specific research to show the huge change in the history of birth. I especially enjoyed reading the story of the mother who gave birth in Central Africa and America and found it suprising how different it was.

This project matter to me because I have to agree that history helps us understand a topic a lot better. Reading this project has helped me give a better sense of how the history of birth has lead to this situation where most women in the U.S give birth in hospitals.

From Mom (mentor) :

"One must never forget, however, pregnancy and birth is always dangerous for women. Many things can go wrong. Just look in any old cemetery and see all the young women who died giving birth. The trick is knowing when you must intervene." (Sarah Lewis’s blog)

Commenting on this blog is a bit overwhelming since you are covering a huge topic which spans a very long period of time. In your blog you have made lots of sweeping statements and generalizations.

I found some of your assertions infuriating…mostly because I prepared myself very thoroughly for your birth. I was healthy (although considered at high risk because I was over 35), exercised regularly, kept a vegetarian diet, didn’t smoke or drink or use drugs. I also participated in a pre-natal exercise class, took Lamaze classes with Elisabeth Bing, who brought the Lamaze method to the USA.

(http://www.ourbodiesourblog.org/blog/2009/04/lamaze-childbirth-preparation-method-elisabeth-bing)

Natural childbirth was my goal and my desire. However when one is about to deliver a child and there are complications I remembered my friend’s advice, who was a neonatal nurse… Get the baby out safely…that should be your only thought in the delivery room.

I didn’t want to die or lose you during delivery. I was disappointed when I had a C-section but that disappointment turned to joy when I held you. I did not feel empty.

This is a great topic to research and I hope you delve into it more deeply and really read lots more about it and perhaps even do a survey of women. Information is power. This project does matter...for all the young women who are about to embark on this journey.

We may think we know what we will do in any given situation but until we are faced with an actual choice (not a theoretical one) we will not know. Keeping an open mind is always a good idea.

xoxo, Mom

From Rebecca (Younger):

Your post was about the history of birth in the last 100 years.

I was surprised the midwife wasn't more pro-natural birth, it seemed as though from your interview she came off as sort of neutral.

Your project matters to me because I want to be a mom someday and I was unaware of all of this information. Good Job.

From Rebecca

From Casey:

Sarah,
You did a lovely job of summarizing the processes around childbirth over the past 100 years. You paused to analyze the practices in light of physiological inclings of women external effects of society on women.
I particularly valued your story of the woman who experienced birth in both Africa and the US, because it was a very relevant example of how the US treats birth like other countries don't: a medical procedure.
Your project matters to me because it provides a an explanation of the relationship between birth and society over the past century in a way that I have not yet seen. I can use your project as a frame of reference when writing about or analyzing birth over time.

HW 42

Looking Back on the Past One-Hundred Years of Childbirth

There are certainly many aspects of society which at first glance don't seem unusual. However, the closer one looks, the more they realize just how unusual most things are. Specifically, birth. In a world where everyone is constantly trying to stand out birth is the one thing where literally every person experienced some form more or less of a similar entrance. The only thing that separates people is exactly the technique that was used to bring them into this galaxy. Through this distinction one begins to realize how "normal" has shifted quite a bit, and through this discovery one begins to question what they consider to be normal.

The turn of the 20^th century brought on a tremendous change in the way the United States approached birth. Just six years before 1900 in 1894 the first cesarean section was performed in Boston. The change of birth seemed to be parallel to many industrial and transportation changes as well. Since cars and better roads were in progress it was much easier for people to get to the hospital. By 1900 physicians were participating in nearly half of the countries births, mainly women of middle and upper class. Surprisingly enough only five percent of women actually gave birth in a hospital, yet there was a huge pull for a hospital birth since the pain seemed to decrease in this environment verses having a home birth. For a women of lower class a midwife oversaw her birth instead of a doctor. It wasn’t until 1914 that twilight sleep was brought into hospitals in the United States, yet in just five years (1921) the rate of hospital births rose to thirty to fifty percent for the entire country. By 1938 the twilight sleep had taken over all of the deliveries and just one year later in 1939 nearly seventy-five percent of births occurred in hospitals. By the 1950’s eighty-eight percent of births occurred in the hospitals and ten years later in 1960, ninety-seven percent of births occurred in hospitals. By 2006 the cesarean section had become the most regularly performed surgery in the hospital. Today more than one in five births are induced and nearly 32% of births are cesarean sections. Shocking how in just a little over one hundred years so much “progress” could be made to a key component of life that was doing fine before all of the alterations. (Adapted from The History of Midwifery and Childbirth - A Time Line)

It appears as though the hospital is one big gimmick. When looking at different structures one often feels a certain emotion, looking at a restaurant makes one hungry, or looking at a funeral home makes one scared or sad but the sound of sirens or the structure of a hospital doesn’t normally make one feel robbed, nervous or angry. When most think of hospitals of course there is a sense of unknown but most of the time it is a sense of hope or relief that the people within this structure will do whatever it takes to keep a person alive and well. So it becomes quite complicated and even a bit confusing when a different side of the hospital is shown, a side that is not normally shown or even talked about because this sense of emotion isn’t wonderful or something to celebrate, it becomes a situation where the best thing to do is, “get the hell out of the hospital.” The problem with birth in the United States is that very few doctors have ever actually witnessed a “normal” birth, in their mind a “normal” birth probably involves some pitocin, an epidural and a cesarean section. It is safe to say that “normal” has shifted into something so unnatural and so meaningless. Strangely enough the United States has the second worst newborn rate in the WORLD. Sure the doctors are relieving the pain of the mothers for a moment or two but the pain of the unborn child is sacrificed, and “No pain-no game” is completely contradicted in the delivery room for the doctor ends up playing the game more so then the mother. Her moment of pure ecstasy is pushed right out of her as the drugs get pushed into her, and instead of “giving into the pain” she is forced to avoid it. The question of why this has to happen is then asked, is it because cesarean sections are doctor friendly, or because “…it’s done, it’s surgery… one, two, three.”? The strong sensations a woman feels while delivering don’t have to be interpreted as pain and this sense of fear is based truly around the fact that women are convinced they don’t know how to give birth. In consolation though these emotions are expected considering how birth has changed, the sense of beauty and sacredness is gone, and now all that is felt is emptiness. (The Business of Being Born)

Yet maybe women truly are in so much pain that they would rather get through it with the help of a needle or a knife, and could care less for the ecstasy…“As Dorothy Thomashower, a New Yorker who gave birth unnaturally in the early 1950s put it, “Practically all of us got some anesthesia. It depended on how hysterical you were. It was based on the personality of the woman. It wasn’t until women were burning their bras and letting their hair grow under their arms that they really all went for natural childbirth. Why? For one thing, anger is a powerful motivator. Women in the 1950s were not rebelling. If they wanted to tweak the medical routine-say, be coherent during delivery-they did so with their doctor’s blessing. That would all change in the 1970s, when their daughters were marching for civil rights, joining feminist rallies, and demanding a patients bill of rights.” (127-128) This however brings the question that even with all of the fighting against the system why the statistics of the birth world today are even higher than they were in 1950. One would think that this fight would lower them dramatically; curiosity of this sparks the idea that this group of fighters was too small to make a significant change yet amongst them though the change was large. “Birthing guru Dr. Grantly Dick-Read once effused: “Happy childbirth is the most vital factor for building a progressive, purposeful and considerate world. Let us help them to realize birth should be natural…and we will have healthier children with controlled nervous and mental function.”” (Page 111) It almost seems as though if the vast majority of society were to participate in a truly natural birth a world of utopia would be born as well. If babies are coming into the world on drugs and with the mindset of anxiety then that would explain the reasoning behind the amount of people who use drugs and are mentally unstable. (Get Me Out: a History of Childbirth from the Garden of Eden to the Sperm Bank)

It seems so bizarre that an act a woman’s body is made for is so questionable and worried about. When a woman has a successful natural birth she is praised for her efforts and individuality. When in reality most woman should and could have the same experience since all woman are made up of the same parts…

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

Even fifty years ago society was still in awe that someone could undergo this type of experience and come out alive. This state of awe has practically stayed at the same level today, a women who decides to participate in a natural birth without intervention of drugs is looked at as so unordinary when really she is just going by what nature expects. Nature has become something that humans are constantly trying to defy and go against because there is a sense that everything could be done better. It makes one wonder though about all of the other animals that also give birth successfully, how do they avoid the criticism of the rest of their tribe. Considering humans find themselves superior to all of the other species residing along side them maybe when it comes to birth humans are way behind every other creature that recreates… (Bornfree! Laura Shanley's Unassisted Childbirth Page)

Something to consider is the constant need for the United States to be ahead of the game, the faster the babies get out the sooner they will be working and paying taxes to the government. Yet the side affects of this fast moving pace will most certainly have consequences and the ones paying the price are all of the Americans who choose to live by these standards. A woman who gave birth once in Malawai (Central Africa) and once in the United States had smooth pregnancies in both countries, however the way she was treated during and after was significantly different. “In 1969, I gave birth to my first baby in Malawi, Central Africa…My son was born without complication in a small hospital with very minimal intervention. My American doctor had told me to get help if I needed to use the toilet, and I ran for the nurse after a short while. When she arrived, she asked if I were okay, and then I said I was but that I was supposed to get assistance, she said, “All you did was have a baby.” Perhaps this sounds rude, but it was of course true…An hour later, my hospitals roommate’s family arrived with a big platter of hot curry, and I sat on her bed and shared it with her. The whole atmosphere was very joyous…we were both delighted with our achievements…Two years later, I was in New York State…I ended up in a Maternity Hospital, run by woman doctors. I had to do a bit of lying during my labor. I didn’t want my pubic hair shaved, so I told one nurse that the doctor said I didn’t have to, and I had to fight not to have an episiotomy…The relaxed attitude was gone; even in my case it was clearly a medical procedure, although nothing like what woman go through now in America.” (1-2) There is a change in her tone where she makes almost a complete turn into cruelty, it’s as if she is coming in to be beaten verses in Africa where she was coming into the hospital for a experience that she had control over. In Africa there was no sense of unequal power or fighting, just a simplistic day full of natural ways. (Childbirth across Cultures: Ideas and Practices of Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Postpartum)

In contrast however a midwife gave her ideas on the state the United States is in now, in terms of the birth world. “The hospital's view is that they want a healthy baby and mom emerging from the birth process. The hospital wants to avoid lawsuits as they are very expensive to settle or to take to court (which rarely occurs due to the vast expense)… As long as medical studies come out saying that outcomes are improved when labor follows a timely curve, I don't see practice in the hospital changing much. Most women, if left to their own devices can have a natural birth. However, we do live in a society where we expect easy, fast results. Labor hurts a lot and many women in today's world can't take the pain. They then get interventions such as early epidurals, etc. that immobilizes them into the bed, leading to other interventions that eventually can lead to having operative delivery. One must never forget, however, pregnancy and birth is always dangerous for women. Many things can go wrong. Just look in any old cemetery and see all the young women who died given birth. The trick is knowing when you must intervene. Frequently, they are the one's saying "Cut me!" At least in the population I serve--poor and working class immigrant women. Of course, I always reassure them that they can do it.” One would anticipate and expect her to be very anti-hospital considering the position she serves. However, she seemed very neutral and in no way had the urge to bash the hospital. She was honest that birth is going to be painful and some women can with stand the pain while others need the man made techniques of relief. Yet she is true to making sure that whatever the women truly needs she will get and she isn’t going to suggest anything unnecessary just to get things to move a bit faster.

As Foucault said, "I would like to write the history of this prison, with all the political investments of the body that it gathers together in its closed architecture. Why? Simply because I am interested in the past? No, if one means by that writing a history of the past in terms of the present. Yes, if one means writing the history of the present." History is crucial to a better understanding of a subject, if one takes information of the past it will allow them to make better choices for the future. By examining the many aspects of birth, as a country there is a better shot of changing the way birth is treated. Although not everyone will decide to throw the drugs away and be firm about saying NO to cesarean sections there is hope that some will, and with that hope comes the courage that the joy and the ecstasy will become a reality for the vast majority.

Citations:

1. Feldhusen, Adrian E. "The History of Midwifery and Childbirth - A Time Line."Midwifery Today - Pregnancy, Birth, Homebirth and Midwife Information. 2000. Web. 31 Mar. 2011.

2. The Business of Being Born. Dir. Abby Epstein. 2008. Film.

3. Epstein, Randi Hutter. Get Me Out: a History of Childbirth from the Garden of Eden to the Sperm Bank. New York: Norton, 2010. Print.

4. "Unassisted Childbirth in the 1950's." Bornfree! Laura Shanley's Unassisted Childbirth Page. Web. 31 Mar. 2011. .

Selin, Helaine, and Pamela Kendall. Stone. Childbirth across Cultures: Ideas and Practices of Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Postpartum. Dordrecht: Springer Verlag, 2009. Print.

5. Foucault, Michel. Discipline & Punish - The Birth of the Prison. New York, 1979. Print.

A: The History of Birth, Understanding the point we find ourselves in now...

• Feldhusen, Adrian E. "The History of Midwifery and Childbirth - A Time Line." Midwifery Today - Pregnancy, Birth, Homebirth and Midwife Information. 2000. Web. 31 Mar. 2011.

A break down of birth from as early as 1660 to 1997. Gives both historical and statistical facts on everything that directly has a correlation to birth and everything that has had a significant effect on birth. Coherently makes a tie between how different points in history all have a connection to the state we find ourselves in now. While evaluating a topic presently being disputed about it is important to understand exactly how a situation came to be.

• The Business of Being Born. Dir. Abby Epstein. 2008. Film.

A insightful documentary that unveils the problems faced today in the birth world. In contrast however, looks back on more recent history to understand fully why pain is such an issue when it comes to labor. More specifically though shows a deep contrast between the options or lack of options women are given in the delivery room, truth that usually doesn't seem to arise in the surface.

• Epstein, Randi Hutter. Get Me Out: a History of Childbirth from the Garden of Eden to the Sperm Bank. New York: Norton, 2010. Print.

A book that looks back hundreds of years and in a five part structure ties all of what has happened up until this point together. Although Hutter discusses some eye opening information it is done in a very comical way, making it easy to processed and understand. This is quite relevant considering many people often give up if something isn't comprehensible.

• "Women and Medicine in the Middle Ages & Renaissance." Dave's Den. Web. 31 Mar. 2011. .

Although this article is general in the sense that it discusses more than just childbirth, it does hit upon interesting ideas around labor. There is a great amount of information discussing how women were positioned while giving birth and who was with them throughout the birth.

• "Unassisted Childbirth in the 1950's." Bornfree! Laura Shanley's Unassisted Childbirth Page. Web. 31 Mar. 2011. .

A blog type website which list birth stories, that literally made headlines in the 1950's. The whole natural birthing has been raising eyebrows for quite some time now, these newspaper clippings show how "normal" criticizes anything unordinary.

• Selin, Helaine, and Pamela Kendall. Stone. Childbirth across Cultures: Ideas and Practices of Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Postpartum. Dordrecht: Springer Verlag, 2009. Print.

A contrast of how different cultures approach childbirth and a look into how evolution has shaped this. A deeper understanding that regardless of where you are on this planet, birth is a universal ability and connection.

• "Mortality, Childbirth - World, Body, Life, History, Cause, Rate, Time, Human, Global Variation in Maternal Mortality, Causes of Maternal Mortality around the World."Encyclopedia of Death and Dying. Web. 31 Mar. 2011. .

Specific statistics and facts of how mortality in childbirth has changed over time. While also touching upon causes of death and the trends seen throughout different cultures.

• I will also be interviewing my friend Abby's mother who is a doula. She will be answering questions on why she believes we are in the state of today.

B:

After gathering all of my evidence I will turn it into a research based paper that discusses the many aspects around the history of childbirth. In order to move forward and make a change/difference in the world one needs to fully understand the history behind the specific subject. If I can take all of the information and find connections between different points in time it will bring me to a better understanding as to exactly how childbirth has turned into something cruel and unsatisfying. By enlightening myself and anyone who reads my essay, I will make a change because personally I know what is happening now isn't normal, and change can start with one person. Furthermore I want to see how "normal" has shifted or really just come in full circle when it comes to labor. By informing myself at a deeper level I will have the ability to be an expert and pass along this information to make a better choice.

HW 40 - Insights into Book Part Three

One night at a Cocktail party… Sarah runs into Jennifer Block…

"Hey - thanks for writing Pushed. Your emphasis on the importance of a woman’s right to choose really made me rethink about the way our country approaches pregnancy and birth.

But Jennifer was surprised to be talking to someone who instead of sharing their own birth story actually rephrased the main idea of the text she had spent months giving birth to and asked, "Really, which parts were most effective or important for you?"

"Well, in the last third of the book you focused on the struggle of woman and how they are intertwined within the institutions which further developed the first 2/3rds of Pushed. But let me be more specific."

“You discussed the amount of tension between the hospitals, the midwives and the mothers. The power struggle between whose voice is the most important in the time of birth. I happen to have my copy of Pushed with me, on page 212 you quoted mid-wife Betty-Anne Daviss, “That’s the way medicine works. That is the way midwives and physicians work all around the world, and very well together… The trouble and the increased risk to mothers and babies, come in states where medical and state authority don’t recognize midwives’ role in maternity care and react with hostility. “And that is a problem,” says Daviss, “because what it means is that they’re not willing to recognize the woman’s choice in that community.” Before reading your book I was very unaware of the lack of voice the mother has within a hospital. When the media portrays pregnancy they make it out to be a quick, loud and painful experience. There is no mention of the induced c-sections and the forced drugs, it almost makes it seem as though the media purposely hides the truth because our society doesn’t want women using a different method, or shifting the “normal”.”

“I was speechless at the beginning of Chapter Eight, entitled ‘Rights’, You begin with mentioning that Laura Pemberton had been, “forced out my home by armed men,” as she tells it, while attempting birth (249), you continue on page 251 by saying, “A judge had issued a court order, and he had no choice but to take me in.” First of all, at this point in time I cannot imagine giving birth but let alone being disrupted by literally complete strangers who were there to ruin a moment that is irreplaceable… It seems as though people are constantly trying to take away the natural and bring in the forcefulness.”

“Lastly, when you go into the sub-chapter of A Scattered Minority on page 262, I was fascinated by your simple yet complex questions… “Who owns birth? Women or doctors? A perinatologist who experienced the births of his children at home explains to me why the hospital is a strange place for a normal birth. “If you’re a first time mom, you’re strong, and you’re scared to death. And when you’re strong and scared to death, you can’t relax and let the baby fall in your pelvis… nobody’s helping you to relax.” It’s almost to say that hospitals are intentionally set up to turn on your headlights. When I think of hospitals I think of death and sick people, someone who is at the end, who has little or no hope and are simply quite unsure about what comes next. Birth on the other hand is the complete opposite it is the beginning of something new but I think most people know to a certain extent what they are getting into. So it seems kind of ironic that these two events would take place under the same roof, and so I agree with the perinatologist, women are under a state of fear and with that comes the inability to use her body in the way it can work naturally.”

At this point, Jennifer realized she was having a unique conversation with a serious reader of her book, and asked me - "But what could I have done to make this a better book - that would more effectively fulfill its mission?"

"Well, let's be clear – Pushed sought to provide narratives, historical analysis, journalistic analysis, policy analysis from the perspective of a someone who understood their field, for the book-reading-public to better understand pregnancy & birth in our culture. Given that aim, and your book, the best advice I would give for a 2nd edition of the text would include even more personal stories of women and less concrete numbers, percentages etc. Although those are important I felt as though I wasn’t retaining the number of c-sections conducted in 1992 to the number happening today. But I don't want you to feel like I'm criticizing. I appreciate the immense amount of labor you dedicated to this important issue and particularly for making me think about how our normal is weird and how as a woman I think it is extremely important for all women to understand how complex pregnancy and birth truly is. Since reading your book I have decided to have a natural birth when the day comes and if in the near future I have friends who are contemplating their destination route, I will recommend reading this text.

Jennifer then said, "Thanks! Talking to you gives me hope about our future as a society!"

HW 39 - Insights from Book - Part Two

Block, Jennifer. Pushed: The Painful Truth about Childbirth and Modern Maternity Care. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Lifelong, 2007. Print.

In a country where freedom of speech is strongly recognized, one would think that this act would apply to all elements of someone’s life. The one place where a woman should have complete control of both her body and her ideas is taken away from her so quickly that she doesn’t even realize what is going on. After continuing my reading of Pushed and furthering my watching of “Business of Being Born”, I can confidently say that the delivery room should be put under investigation for going directly against what our country was founded on. Although the “Business of Being Born” focuses a tremendous amount on midwives they don’t really touch upon Doulas, Pushed however goes into great depth as to their purpose in the delivery room and how much they guard over the woman in labor. The Doula becomes the voice and the brain of the woman in labor while she undergoes an out of this world experience, making sure the woman knows exactly what is going on before a needle, scissor or a drug enters her body. The Doula treats her as a person not an object, the Doula gives the constant comfort to another human being, encouraging them throughout the process of labor and reassuring the them that amidst all of the pain she is doing a great job. The “Business of Being Born” certainly focuses on the difference between a stressful, loud, fast moving and chaotic birth verses a natural, personal and beautiful birth but in Pushed the reader really hears the perspectives of women who all felt as though this magical and beautiful part of their existence was stolen from them.

The song Neopolitan Dreams by Lisa Mitchell has a couple of lines that I believe are completely parallel with Pushed… “It sure takes its precious time, but it’s got rights and so have I…I turn my head up to the sky I focus one thought at a time I do not let the little thieves under my tightly buttoned sleeves… I don’t think you’re ever A hundred percent in the room.” Essentially I think Jennifer Block is trying to make the point that giving birth can’t be compared to anything else in this world and to speed it up is taking away its beauty, women should have the right to say what is done to their body and what cannot be done. They should be able to walk, to stretch, to sing, to scream and to feel everything that is happening from moment to moment, doctors should not be able to take advantage of women because when it comes down to it they are only briefly in the room with the mother and give her no real support.

I couldn’t help myself from smiling on page 100 when Goorchenko finished giving birth to her twins in her home, without the assistance of a midwife, just the fact that she knew her body so well and was confident that it knew what it was doing and didn’t feel fear without the drugs and the “experts.” I think that the term maternal instinct doesn’t just play into a woman’s life after the baby is born but while the baby is making its way into the world, women are made for this, and for hundreds of thousands of years female species have been giving successful births without the intervention of man made discoveries, so why now there is such a demand for it puzzles me. Carol Sakala has studied the cesarean section and concluded that there is no need for intervention or assistance in the room unless it is crucially necessary, for mothers and babies are in a safer condition without these medical procedures (126). Hearing more about Oxytocin was quite interesting; it made me realize that without this hormone setting off a woman may have a hard time embracing her newborn child, and if labors are induced how can this hormone do its job? (135) Furthermore if inducing labors are happening then babies are coming out before they are truly ready and if babies are manually taken out then their lungs are not truly cleared of fluid, making it harder for the babies to breathe. Is the doctor’s time really worth the risk of a baby who could be under developed and unable to breathe on its own? (140) Lastly, I was in shock when reading about the comparison between rape and abusive childbirth. Something that should be one of the most amazing moments in ones life is turned into a moment that is haunted and feared. (146)

Considering Pushed focuses a lot on the comparison between vaginal births and cesarean sections I decided to investigate the direct comparison between the two. On the American Pregnancy Association website there were ten risks for the mother and four risks for the baby. The ones that stood out to me the most were risk of additional surgery (Mom), Infections (Mom), Average recovery time six months (Mom), Fetal Injury (Baby) and breathing problems (Baby). While looking over the midwife section there were hardly any risks in comparison to cesarean sections, the only one that I found to be a bit freighting was that 20 to 40 percent of pregnancies could have complications, so this method of birthing is really only ideal for low risk pregnancies. (http://www.americanpregnancy.org/) However, over the past couple of weeks I have come to realize that it doesn’t make sense why society has altered a perfectly “normal” way of giving birth, it’s funny that although we live longer today we try to squeeze in as much as possible in the time we have and instead of taking our time and appreciating the moment we try to make sure that moment is condensed for convenience.