HW 38 - Insights from pregnancy & birth book - part 1

1) The book Birth by Tina Cassidy, is organized into nine chapters and an appendix with a list of about one hundred countries their maternal mortality rates. She discusses the negative aspects of typical birth in our country. The first few chapters focus on historical and evolutionary aspects of birth. It then, in chapter three, starts talking about the modern atrocities of birth.

2) The question Tina Cassidy answered is, How can I "figure out how to give birth in a way that is--simultaneously and consistently--safe, minimally painful, joyful, and close to nature's design?"
I like how she acknowledges that some sort of pain relief as a priority of many women. The movie we are watching does not do this. I think this is important because most american women expect pain relief as a part of a humane birth experience. Even if all evidence points to the contrary, it is important for the book to be relatable for women in our country.

3) The major insight the book tries to portray is that birth, a natural experience only for women, has been horridly taken over by male doctors. Tina Cassidy demonstrates a poor immigrant women named Mary Conner, being used as a guinea pig to test the new pain reducing techniques. As she was slipping in and out of consciousness the doctors were pre occupied and failed to notice that she had given birth. She also failed to notice until she regained conciseness and said she felt that she had delivered a stillborn. The doctor came to examine her.
"She stated she thought her child was born. I immediately examined and found the child beneath the hips of the mother, in a lifeless condition, and mutilated, apparently by rats. In the position ware the child was, life could have existed but a few moments." (p.55)

4) KEY POINTS:

Evolution Effecting birth:

One of the first points brought up in Birth is that human females have a smaller hip size to baby head size ratio then our monkey like ancestors. This ratio imbalance is caused by the two characteristics that make humans remarkably distinct from apes.The first being smaller hips due to the ability to stand upright. The second being huge baby heads to accommodate larger brains which make us more intelligent. These two traits are something people tend to be proud of. Why is it that we don't imbalance labor pains associated with this?

Creation of C-section: 

Something that most celebrates and rich women chose to do over natural birth, originally spread because people the catholic church valued the fetuses life more then the mothers. This was because the fetus was unbaptized and they believed if it died the baby would remain in purgatory for eternity. So it originated out of something that was expected to kill women.

Males role in birth:

Males have had a swaying role in the birthing process. Up until recently it was considered odd for men to join their partner in the birth process. I think it would be interesting to learn why men were all the sudden allowed to witness birth. This is discussed in a chapter that I have not gotten up to yet.

Disposal of afterbirth:

In many cultures women have been instructed to labor over hay in a barn. This practice includes, women of the southern USA and all over europe. This practice has only taken place by women who were poor. They do this out of disgust of the placenta.

5) The author offers statistical evidence to support ideas that require straightforward evidence. She also incorporates her personal experience to give examples of how she felt during birth. I would say that all and all she is good at balancing logical evidence and statistical evidence appropriately. Although sometimes she incorporates her personal opinion.