In regards to birthing, from my educational standpoint, medicine has played an important role. However, this week's readings have shown me a different side to women's reproduction and birthing rights. One specific idea stuck out to me from Professor Clancy's article: Occupy Uterus.
The use of medicinal intervention in births was something I thought was completely normal until now. After reading the article, I changed my mind. I think the natural interventions that can be performed by women during birth are more empowering and give more confidence in a process that has been performed for ages. I also believe that this confidence gives feelings of power back to women who are often made to feel submissive under a doctor's care.
I would not advocate that women completely ignore a doctor's care, but naturalistic approaches should not be entirely discounted. Medicinal interventions are a major advancement and could help truly distressed patients. However, the natural process has been taken for granted and could potentially lower mother and infant mortality rates.
We are often blinded by new technologies and acquiring the next best thing. In this era of change and shiny new toys, we often forget about the original and dependable things that get us through the day. Therefore, midwives could be the old, reliable tool that we have left behind for bigger, brighter things. And education on natural births and the potential benefits would, of course, be positive to women everywhere.
I also thought that medicinal interventions in birthing were completely normal. I had no idea that the caesarian rates were so high. When I think of hospitals and doctors I would hope that they want what is best for the patient. Unfortunately because of the large number of mothers giving birth, I feel like they just treat all births the same. Most people see these hospital interventions as a necessity either because it is the norm, or because they are told so. When the baby’s health is involved, mothers only care about that. Most of these mothers were very against these interventions in the first place. They end up having almost no say in how there birthing takes place. When I thought of home births, I mostly thought of it as people not having time to make it to the hospital. I imagined it as being very stressful for everyone. For most people it can actually be the exact opposite. It can be relaxing and empowering for the mother. It can also be less stressful on the baby without all the medicines forcing the baby to come out. I found it interesting that it is actually the baby who decides when they want to come out, not the mother.
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