Midwifery & Childbirth

[Guest guest]

Thanks, Lynda.

 

You took the words right out of my mouth, though I think you meant to place the

word " not " before " use, " otherwise your next sentence wouldn't make sense.

There's no question in my mind that midwifery is far safer & more natural than

birthing in a hospital. I highly recommend that everyone read John Robbins'

book, " Reclaiming Our Health. " Though not limited in scope to this crucial issue

alone, it has at least an entire chapter devoted exclusively to the history of

the ob/gyn profession with particular focus on the cultural transition from

childbirth perrformed via midwifery to the paradigm of childbirth as a disorder

to be managed by a hospital under a doctor's care. Robbins' unique writing style

does not place blame on anyone, but instead focuses on the context in which such

erroneous judgments developed, creating widespread popular misconceptions that

run against the grain of optimal natural health. The gist of his book in

myunderstanding is that patriarchy has laid the foundations for controlling

people's fate by profitting from illness instead of orienting oneself toward

bona fide health. Natural childbirth facilitated by a competent, compassionate,

well-trained midwife is far more natural (in squatting position) than laying

horizontally on a hospital bed, often or routinely given a garden variety of

drugs to numb the feelings involved in this natural process, potentially

endangering the physical and psychological health of both the mother & her

infant. This now begs the question, for example, of whether women suffering

post-partum depression, such as Brooke Shields, mightn't have experienced such

emotional turmoil if they'd relied on a midwife instead of an MD. I don't know

what route Brooke used in her case, but I think it's a critical consideration.

When the natural emotional bond between a mother & her newborn offspring is

allowed to flow freely from natural childbirth, as in the case of nonhuman

animals unadulterated by human interference, I trust that such depression would

rarely if ever become a problem, then drugs would become moot and Tom Cruise &

his ilk would have no basis for criticism. Midwifery has been trusted for

thousands of years, long before ob/gyn was a blink in Hippocrates' eye. Good

luck with your decision & childbirth.

 

Namaste,

david

 

Namaska7 wrote:

 

>Why use a mid wife.

> I can locate one in your area. I know several in the  Richmond area

>It would be best to avoid the hospital if you can. Or have  it arranged for a

>natural birth  in the hospital. .

>Love Lynda  

>

 

 

--

" Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the

president or any other public official save exactly to the degree in which he

himself stands by the country. It is patriotic to support him insofar as he

efficiently serves the country. It is unpatriotic not to oppose him to the exact

extent that by inefficiency or otherwise he fails in his duty to stand by the

country. "

--Pres. Theodore Roosevelt, 1908

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

i agree with most of what david said except that i have read that on day 4 after giving birth a woman goes through an exteme shift in hormones, which can trigger depression. anyone who has experienced pms (and i presume that david has not) can relate! i had a completely natural birth, not in a hospital, with a midwife etc etc and on day 4... BOOM! fortunately, it lasted only a couple of days. sometimes emotional states ARE just chemical! namaste, h. satvicvegan

[Guest guest]

Thank you, Helena.

 

I trust that you're also absolutely right about the hormonal shift that commonly

occurs soon after childbirth. I'm sure it comes with the territory. However,

this modern society's tendency to coerce or pressure women into going to a

hospital as soon as they're about to go into labor can only exascerbate the

stress they experience with which no patriarchal institution could ever begin to

empathize. Our Westernized society could learn volumes from our anthropological

cousins in other primate species, as well as indigenous women living in African

tribal cultures who traditionally rely on midwives. For better & for worse,

pregnancy & childbirth invariably put the greatest strain on a woman's personal

anatomy and bodily integrity that she's likely to experience, exclusive to women

alone, in her entire life. No, of course I've never experienced PMS, at least

not in this life, but FYI, I believe in reincarnation & if I ever did endure PMS

in a prior life as a woman, I don't remember it now. That's another story/issue

for another day.

 

Namaste,

David

 

helena <satvicvegan wrote:

 

>i agree with most of what david said except that i have read that on day 4

after giving birth a woman goes through an exteme shift in hormones, which can

trigger depression.  anyone who has experienced pms (and i presume that david

has not) can relate!  i had a completely natural birth, not in a hospital, with

a midwife etc etc and on day 4... BOOM!  fortunately, it lasted only a couple of

days.  sometimes emotional states ARE just chemical!  namaste, h.  

satvicvegan

>

 

 

--

" Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the

president or any other public official save exactly to the degree in which he

himself stands by the country. It is patriotic to support him insofar as he

efficiently serves the country. It is unpatriotic not to oppose him to the exact

extent that by inefficiency or otherwise he fails in his duty to stand by the

country. "

--Pres. Theodore Roosevelt, 1908

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

I had my son 11 years ago. I had nurse midwives, and had him in a hospital. Long story, but there were complications and it ended up being a 28 hour labor. I had an epidural. Blah, Blah, Blah.....

 

Since then, I have come to a few realizations and, as it seems with everything else in my life, will never be going mainstream again (i.e. hospital childbirth).

 

I caught the end of a talk radio show with one of the most famous nurse midwives in the US. She has a farm somewhere in the south (Kentucky, Virgninia....I don't remember). She has personally helped to deliver well over 2000 babies in her career. Anyway, she was talking about belief systems, and it really resonated with me. Perhaps, as she said, we believe that childbirth is dangerous and needs to be directly supervised by a medical professionaly in a sterile hospital becuase that's what we are told. That is the consciousness of our society. The conscousiousness that most of our peers buy into because they know nothing else. This midwife (I wish I could remember her name) has seen women have ecstatic birthing experiences. Orgasms instead of labor pain. Tears of overwhelming joy instead

of excruciating pain. Beautiful, Beautitul, Beautiful births. .

 

I believe it's possible, and for me, it will be reality (if the day should come again that I can bring another angel into the world). My two cents.....

 

Paula

When it is dark enough you can see the stars

Start your day with - make it your home page

[Guest guest]

thanks for the words of enpowerment. i have a few friends who may benefit from your words.

peace,

mark Paula Wood <wolfmother1 Sent: Thu, 1 Sep 2005 19:47:22 -0700 (PDT)Re: Midwifery & Childbirth

 

I had my son 11 years ago. I had nurse midwives, and had him in a hospital. Long story, but there were complications and it ended up being a 28 hour labor. I had an epidural. Blah, Blah, Blah.....

 

Since then, I have come to a few realizations and, as it seems with everything else in my life, will never be going mainstream again (i.e. hospital childbirth).

 

I caught the end of a talk radio show with one of the most famous nurse midwives in the US. She has a farm somewhere in the south (Kentucky, Virgninia....I don't remember). She has personally helped to deliver well over 2000 babies in her career. Anyway, she was talking about belief systems, and it really resonated with me. Perhaps, as she said, we believe that childbirth is dangerous and needs to be directly supervised by a medical professionaly in a sterile hospital becuase that's what we are told. That is the consciousness of our society. The conscousiousness that most of our peers buy into because they know nothing else. This midwife (I wish I could remember her name) has seen women have ecstatic birthing experiences. Orgasms instead of labor pain. Tears of overwhelming joy instead of excruciating pain. Beautiful, Beautitul, Beautiful births. .

 

I believe it's possible, and for me, it will be reality (if the day should come again that I can bring another angel into the world). My two cents.....

 

Paula

When it is dark enough you can see the stars

 

Start your day with - make it your home page

 

[Guest guest]

RE: I caught the end of a talk radio show with one of the most famous nurse midwives in the US. She has a farm somewhere in the south (Kentucky, Virgninia....I don't remember).

 

HELENA REPLIES: She's Ina May Gaskin from a community called THE FARM in Summertown, Tennessee. The old hippies (like me) remember her :-) Helenablakenson wrote:

 

 

 

thanks for the words of enpowerment. i have a few friends who may benefit from your words.

peace,

mark 

[Guest guest]

I think you may be referring to Ina Mae Gaskin, a midwife at The Farm

Community in Tennesse. Either way, her book Spiritual Midwifery has

lots of inspirational and joyful stories of childbirth. Another book

I am finding useful, I am due the end of October, is Birthing from

Within, that suggests birth art as ways to explore feelings and

expectations surrounding pregnancy and birth.

Thanks for all the sharing in all areas in this group

Megan

[Guest guest]

Yes, YES!! That is her!! Oh, I am so glad someone knew whom I was speaking of!!

lala

imanisheba <hopewood wrote:

I think you may be referring to Ina Mae Gaskin, a midwife at The Farm Community in Tennesse. Either way, her book Spiritual Midwifery has lots of inspirational and joyful stories of childbirth. Another book I am finding useful, I am due the end of October, is Birthing from Within, that suggests birth art as ways to explore feelings and expectations surrounding pregnancy and birth. Thanks for all the sharing in all areas in this groupMeganWhen it is dark enough you can see the stars

Start your day with - make it your home page

[Guest guest]

congrats meagan!!!!!! imanisheba <hopewood Sent: Fri, 02 Sep 2005 20:54:55 -0000 Re: Midwifery & Childbirth

I think you may be referring to Ina Mae Gaskin, a midwife at The Farm Community in Tennesse. Either way, her book Spiritual Midwifery has lots of inspirational and joyful stories of childbirth. Another book I am finding useful, I am due the end of October, is Birthing from Within, that suggests birth art as ways to explore feelings and expectations surrounding pregnancy and birth. Thanks for all the sharing in all areas in this group

Megan