Guilt in Childbirth, and the need for Balance
A recent popular publication posted an interview with a retired doctor who believes that natural birth is evil, promotes guilt, and was invented by a doctor in the 1950”s. This woman tends to vehemently promote medicalized birth, and is presently selling a book she wrote. I don’t have a problem with promoting your work, but when you make statements like “Dr. Grantly Dick-Reed invented Natural Childbirth”, and that natural childbirth is a bad way to go, it borders on insanity. (I won’t reference this person’s name, or book, because it just feeds the troll, as the saying goes. But, if you...
Read MoreThere is a better way!
I recently read an incredibly sad story of a woman who was grieving her birth experience. Her gut told her that birth was a normal experience for the human body, and there should not be any reason to have to do much of anything to prepare for it. She didn’t necessarily desire a natural birth, and trusted her careprovider and hospital to do only what was medically necessary. And there in lies the rub. Birth in the US is not evidenced based. The ways in which laboring and birthing women are treated and cared for are not the ways that will produce the healthiest outcomes. We have been...
Read MoreThe Sociology of Birth
How our cultural socialization effects how we birth – Socialization about birth in the United States is a pervasive thing. We are, from the time we are born, receiving messages about our roles in life, and subsequently our ability to birth or be a parent. Both males and females go through this. How we are socialized by our culture and our families dictates our personal beliefs about ourselves and our respective roles. The United States is somewhat unique in this, as a great deal of disassociation from the body and cultural ritual has taken place. Mass consumerism and affluence have shifted...
Read MoreThe Importance of Childbirth Education
The Educated Parent: The Importance of Childbirth Education By Amy V. Haas, BCCE Congratulations! You and your partner are expecting a baby! What next? Well, if you have already chosen your care-provider, your next step will be to find a Childbirth Education class that fits your family’s needs. The best childbirth classes are going to ones that are the most thorough & comprehensive. Short hospital classes are offered in most communities, but remember, hospitals are in the business of making money. Hospital classes sell hospital services to the attendees of those classes. Add to that the...
Read MoreCultural Diversity in Childbirth Education
Cultural Diversity in Childbirth Education Amy V. Haas, BCCE I had just started a new class and as I looked around the room I wondered what surprises these families would hold for me. How could I best help them find what they need? Most important, what would I learn from them? As a childbirth educator (CBE) of 15 years I have learned to tailor my classes to accommodate the needs of different families. Just because I live in a suburb of a small city in upstate New York does not mean I will only have white, middle-class students. The area where I live is actually quite diverse, mimicking the...
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