I was surfing the net and found this article on ThinkGirl. I love how Strachan compares our perception of childbirth with a child's depiction of sexual intercourse. And, I believe she's right. Childbirth, as it is portrayed in the media and unfortunately shared from woman to woman, is all about the gore, the pain, and the physical changes. And, that story has grown and spread like a wildfire. On the one hand it's an eye-opener to women's unfortunate childbirth experiences. Yet, on the other hand, it's the same story I've heard over and over again, told by so many women that it has become "just another story", the norm. After reading, yet again, about a woman who wished her labor had gone differently and recognized the flaws in today's maternal care it makes me wonder if it will ever end. And, ifthere something we can do to stop the cycle, what is the solution?
Recently I've been reading about the history of midwifery. I've learned about my ancestors who gathered around women with herbs and bibles providing tender care while patiently waiting as a miracle took place right before their eyes. It goes without saying that we have gotten away from this type of patient-friendly care; however, I cannot slight obstetricians because they are very much needed. I think the problem lies within the division. Some women want any preventions that will help them to have a painless labor where they participate as little as possible. And then, there are women who give birth at home, completely unassisted, because they despise medical practice when it comes to childbirth. I rarely hear of the woman in the middle who feels safer at a hospital yet doesn't want any medical assistance from her attending nurses and doctors Or, the woman who wants to give birth at home that isn't growing medicinal herbs and vegetables outside her front door and doesn't immunize her children. To me, this is problematic. I believe finding this woman and learning more about her and her childbirth decisions will help to bridge this ever-widening gap. I also believe that educating the nurses and doctors on why women choose a non-medical birth is essential as I've heard nurses ask, "Why wouldn't you take medication to help you with this pain?" as if they've never heard anything dumber. Education, an open-mind, and respect for other's opinions is always key. Please share your thoughts with TBBC.
WELCOME!!
Hello ladies! First I want to thank you for visiting The Belly Button Connection (TBBC). TBBC was originally created as a forum for mothers: aspiring, expecting, and veteran. The name was derived from the baby’s connection to the mother: physically, mentally, and emotionally. I wanted TBBC to be a place where women received both accurate and positive feedback about pregnancy. Since creating TBBC I’ve learned that our thoughts about pregnancy, motherhood, and womanhood start long before the onset of puberty. In fact, it starts with our relationships with our own mothers, aunts, sisters, and peers. Our hardships are not our own. They are passed down from generation to generation, friend to friend, spouse to spouse, parent to child. This doesn’t have to be the case. Leo Buscaglia said it best when he said, “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”
TBBC is that touch, smile, kind word, listening ear, honest compliment, and smallest act of caring. My mission is to keep you abreast on events, programs, and seminars that will be beneficial to you as well as partner with organizations that will improve your confidence, increase your self-esteem, and help you become the woman you strive to be for yourself, your family, and generations to follow.
TBBC is that touch, smile, kind word, listening ear, honest compliment, and smallest act of caring. My mission is to keep you abreast on events, programs, and seminars that will be beneficial to you as well as partner with organizations that will improve your confidence, increase your self-esteem, and help you become the woman you strive to be for yourself, your family, and generations to follow.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment