Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Pity the Fool

It has been two weeks and my mind is filled with thoughts common to birthaholics and lactivists. I muse, ruminate, ponder, and get pissed. Then I write. The healthcare system is going to hell in a handbasket, infant and maternal mortality rates are actually rising (along with cesarean rates) and women really don't seem to have a clue and are lulled into a false sense of security that their doctors have their best interests at heart. Yet all of this doesn't make me despair. It makes me feel a sense of purpose. I feel more committed than ever to bringing my book to press. In last Wednesday's New York Times, there was a somewhat tepid review of Ricki Lake's film, "The Business of Being Born." Granted, homebirth is a hard sell in this day of insta-births. It boils down to a classic less is more argument. It will take real finesse to make this a palatable (or plausable) argument for those who think excessive use of technology in birth represents the best and the safest.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

For me it took a philosophical shift and an understanding of the differences between the medical model of treatment and the midwifery model of care. I did approach my daughter's birth with the goal of natural physiologic labor and delivery but ended up with a bunk CPD cesarean.

Oh, and you think the NYT review is "tepid" . . . search for the Dana Stevens' review in the Slate. I'm drafting a letter to the editor.

Best wishes,
Kimberly

LaborPayne said...

Kimberly,
I found and read Dana's review. Ouch. Thanks for the heads up. Love your site by the way. I'll address some of these issues in my next blog entry.
Sherry