Hey Original Anonymous,
I found this great essay that makes a wonderful follow up to what has been written lately (by me and others). Check out the birth activist entry titled, "Women Need to Educate Themselves." The writer makes some great points. After reading this, I thought I should clarify my previous entry by saying that women have power, en masse. All alone they are kinda screwed. This is a long entry but well worth the read.
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Holy Cow that's exactly how I feel. I just didn't know how to express it rightly. I blamed myself so much for what happened at my Jillian's birth. But I had gone to the hospital before and it never happened that way. I had nurses before, and they let me be...and I had great births. I know my body and know birth. I read, I learned. I just didn't take the risk and do it at home. Sadly, running away from the very people who earn the most money in birthing seems to be the answer for most...
Dawn
If I am the original anon, then yes, I have been saying for days, weeks, months, even years, it is the system that is broken. I agree, women do educate themselves, but they don't really get told the truth. A CNM telling women that she will absolutely be at the birth when she is the only CNM at the hospital? Really, you work 24/7? How many times are her clients going to be disappointed and then feel like it is their own fault? But, they are prevented by their own husbands, who are scared, to see that they need better care, personal attention, that I as a home birth midwife can provide. yes, even if we do end up in the hospital, I can help smooth the way a little bit. Of course, women don't know what they don't know. It is deeper than education. It is the system and the fear that drives it that is important. Just wait until the consequences of the techno births are revealed. Start looking at the studies coming out today and you will see that there are severe consequences of the increasing cesarean rate.
sorry for the ramble, and thanks for what you do. Keep on going.
EXACTLY! FINALLY, SOMEONE GETS IT. WE ARE TRYING. WE ARE ALL TRYING VERY HARD. MOTHERS ARE IN A TERRIBLE POSITION. IT SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE TO TRUST ANYONE FOR HONEST CARE. HOW CAN WE BE EDUCATED WHEN ALL THE INFORMATION IS HIDDEN FROM US?
You know you are right, women really don't have all the information they need to make informed decisions. But something else is missing as well. During the childbirth movement of the 70s women really believed they could birth their babies- it was practically in the air. Now women seem to have almost no confidence in their bodie's ability to birth- no matter how much information they have.
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