Spreading the Message

As I read our class blog many students have chosen the topic of midwifes, so I can’t help but jump on this interesting topic myself.  When reading, Exorcising the Midwives prior to class, I was disgusted in how they regarded the occupational position of a midwife. They described how a midwife is mainly used for the “rural poor and the immigrant working class in the cities” (page 77) and even used words such as dirty and incompetent. Being frustrated with this article was an understatement.  Not only does this put a bad name on this occupation but this also just puts more constrains on women in the workplace. By saying the women in the field of midwifery are incompetent we are once again turning the authority and power over to men who typically work in the hospital settings.

If the article was not enough already, after watching the documentary in class, The Business of Being Born, my eyes were even more open to the oppression of women. By seeing all of the complications that are needed to go into a “normal” hospital birth you can only wonder why so many Americans still go through with hospital births each year. I took all of my curiosity and newly found knowledge to discuss the subject of birth with my mother. I knew both of my mom’s births were in the hospitals but I was curious to her feelings on the hospital setting.  Being the biggest over thinker and over planner, my mother said she wanted things to be organized and run smoothly and she felt like she needed the hospital setting for support of her worries. My mother did stress the importance of the natural births that she had. She said it was the only way she ever considered giving birth.

By taking information from The Business of Being Born video and my mother’s personal experiences, my opinion on childbirth have changed. In my opinion I feel as if many people are unaware of midwifes and what they can do for their expecting mothers. It is important to share this information to get the message out.

-Bridget