A perfect addition to an excellent series. One of the things I like and appreciate about your approach is that it, without fanfare, deals with the fundamentals of things. Regarding what the medical community has been doing for many many years, I recommend the book Witches, midwives, and nurses: A history of women healers by Barbara Ehrenreich and Deirdre English, which shows just how many years . Not only does it describe the development of the modern medical industry, but gives an insight into how the trajectory of modern society was affected via fundamental changes in birthing practice.
Had both my daughters at home. First time was with a midwife. Second time I skipped the midwife and my husband was there with me for the event.
With my first, the midwife insisted I lay on MY BACK to deliver, and she ALSO clamped the cord immediately. So no midwife for the second child. But both births were fine, swift, easy. I honestly believe that at least part of this, is that the mother is feeling SAFE in her own environment, nesting.
Better if there are ZERO strangers present for the event. MUCH better. Everyone wants to "do something." But the ONLY person who needs to do anything is ALREADY doing the only thing that needs to be done. And every single thing another person "does" during labor, delivery, and even immediately after delivery, can only put the mother and baby at HIGHER risk of problems, some of which can lead to devastating PROBLEMS that have a domino effect, even resulting in death.
Something as seemingly innocuous as checking for dilation can strip the membranes of the amniotic sack and cause it to rupture prematurely. I have an older sister who's perfectly healthy son was killed when they rushed the birth by popping the bag and CUTTING her up to clear the way, "cuz the cord is around his neck." So when they popped the bag, a portion of the cord came out BEFORE his head! And this "crimped" the cord when his head started popping out.
And before he came out, they also CLAPMED THE CORD - knowing full-well this was his ONLY source of oxygen! Because these ignorant SLAGS didn't know what they hell they were doing, they tended to the MASSIVE cut they'd made, and which was now causing my sister to hemorrhage, as she looked over at the table they'd roughly tossed her son onto to get him out of the way while they "saved" her from the damage they'd caused and cried out "Why is my baby BLUE? PLEASE save my baby!"
They ignored her cries, ignored her baby, and let him DIE there on that table. Going to a hospital to have a baby is no safer than giving birth in a WAR ZONE. I have no idea why anyone would go to such a place to give birth. If everything goes well and nobody is hurt, the hospital and doctors make very little $$$$. The ONLY way they make a ton of $$$ is if they INJURE the patients in some way.
You post so many things that I must be selective in what of yours I read, but this article beckoned to me and I read it all the way through, without hurrying. I was on the verge of tearing up at times.
I am a childless only child, with a body incapable of reproducing. I am not new to this particular subject, but the reason it affects me strongly is that it has so much to do with preventing the kinds of things that happened with me through the medical system as it was in 1949-50. And the situation is so much worse today.
Fantastic interview about an EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TOPIC. May your readers' eyes, minds, and hearts continue to open because of your empowering interviews.
A perfect addition to an excellent series. One of the things I like and appreciate about your approach is that it, without fanfare, deals with the fundamentals of things. Regarding what the medical community has been doing for many many years, I recommend the book Witches, midwives, and nurses: A history of women healers by Barbara Ehrenreich and Deirdre English, which shows just how many years . Not only does it describe the development of the modern medical industry, but gives an insight into how the trajectory of modern society was affected via fundamental changes in birthing practice.
Thank you!
That is a subject I am interested in so appreciate the book recommendation.
Don't be surprised to find it summarized one day :)
Savvy, well said!
Had both my daughters at home. First time was with a midwife. Second time I skipped the midwife and my husband was there with me for the event.
With my first, the midwife insisted I lay on MY BACK to deliver, and she ALSO clamped the cord immediately. So no midwife for the second child. But both births were fine, swift, easy. I honestly believe that at least part of this, is that the mother is feeling SAFE in her own environment, nesting.
Better if there are ZERO strangers present for the event. MUCH better. Everyone wants to "do something." But the ONLY person who needs to do anything is ALREADY doing the only thing that needs to be done. And every single thing another person "does" during labor, delivery, and even immediately after delivery, can only put the mother and baby at HIGHER risk of problems, some of which can lead to devastating PROBLEMS that have a domino effect, even resulting in death.
Something as seemingly innocuous as checking for dilation can strip the membranes of the amniotic sack and cause it to rupture prematurely. I have an older sister who's perfectly healthy son was killed when they rushed the birth by popping the bag and CUTTING her up to clear the way, "cuz the cord is around his neck." So when they popped the bag, a portion of the cord came out BEFORE his head! And this "crimped" the cord when his head started popping out.
And before he came out, they also CLAPMED THE CORD - knowing full-well this was his ONLY source of oxygen! Because these ignorant SLAGS didn't know what they hell they were doing, they tended to the MASSIVE cut they'd made, and which was now causing my sister to hemorrhage, as she looked over at the table they'd roughly tossed her son onto to get him out of the way while they "saved" her from the damage they'd caused and cried out "Why is my baby BLUE? PLEASE save my baby!"
They ignored her cries, ignored her baby, and let him DIE there on that table. Going to a hospital to have a baby is no safer than giving birth in a WAR ZONE. I have no idea why anyone would go to such a place to give birth. If everything goes well and nobody is hurt, the hospital and doctors make very little $$$$. The ONLY way they make a ton of $$$ is if they INJURE the patients in some way.
That is a horrific story. I am sorry for your sister's loss.
Thank you. She went on to have 5 more children, for a total of 8! And now she's got close to 30 grandchildren. Her cup runeth over;-)
She recovered well and was MUCH more careful about her birth plans after that loss;-)
Wonderful!
Thank you.
You post so many things that I must be selective in what of yours I read, but this article beckoned to me and I read it all the way through, without hurrying. I was on the verge of tearing up at times.
I am a childless only child, with a body incapable of reproducing. I am not new to this particular subject, but the reason it affects me strongly is that it has so much to do with preventing the kinds of things that happened with me through the medical system as it was in 1949-50. And the situation is so much worse today.
Thank you.
Feel the same & I'm a 62 yr old male.
Fantastic interview about an EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TOPIC. May your readers' eyes, minds, and hearts continue to open because of your empowering interviews.
Further to my first comment, a detailed overview of the book recommended can be found at https://libcom.org/article/witches-midwives-and-nurses-history-women-healers-barbara-ehrenreich-and-deirdre-english