If you calculate the minimum amount of money necessary for a woman living in a rented apartment in brooklyn named Jill who has a girl who is 3 years old and has another baby on the way to survive you'll roughly find that she needs $29,436 a year. The official income of a family of two that is recognized as poor it $1400, if Jill earns less than this she can get help from the government. So it turns out to be that the actual poverty line is nearly two times less than necessary. At this point, Jill is "unworthy" of welfare. (A person worthy of welface is someone who is making an effort to support themselves but needs a hand up not out as long as they make below the poverty line). But Jill she can use the universal welfare such as public schools but she would not get targeted help from the government. If Jill were poor she could also recieve charity which is out of pitty or she can get help in solidarity, workin gotgether with those who are in the same situation where they share the same benefits.
No matter where Jill is living, needs to pay taxes. There's the flat tax, regressive tax, and progressive tax. The flat tax is where everyone pays the same percent where the poor pays more than the rich. The regressive tax is where the poor has a higher percentage of income tax while the rich has a lower percentage like a sales tax for example, favoring the top of the social ladder. Progressive is the opposite where the rich pay more than the poor. And finally, an effective tax includes all taxes once they are calculated.
contrasting with the danish welfare system, they have higher taxes but they have free health care and free day care. They also have unemployment beneits where if you are without a job, you get money from the government for four years, then a two year break where you are forced to look for a job, there are circumstances for each situation. Because of all these regulations for the majority of the time you are never without a job and it is very difficult to be poor. "Get poor or die trying" as a Danish student described it as.
I think that it might be a good idea for America to adopt the Danish model and become a Social Democracy because I would think that it would decrease the amount of poor people in America but I think it is too early to decide, I think it would be best to decide after seeing all of the pros and cons to a Social Democracy but as of right now, I think it would be a good idea.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
The Flawed American Way of Birth
In America the “normal” way of a woman giving birth is as shown in the media; the woman’s water breaks she rushes to the hospital, goes to the emergency room, gets an epidural so she doesn’t feel the pain, the baby is born and taken away for tests and such and once the baby is back it’s a happy ending. Another version of this story is that she gets an epidural, then some pitosin, the woman cannot give birth at this point, and the doctor saves the day by performing a c-section, and the mother and the baby make it through alive. These stories are flawed.
The film "Business of Being Born," is a very revealing one. It lets viewers in on the differences between home births and hospital births. In modern day America we have techniques and technologies to aid child birth unnecessarily such as machines, vacuums, forceps, epidurals, episiotomies, and of course, c-sections which make the OB's life less complicated whereas most people think the doctor cares about the patient because that's what they are supposed to do but the patients are seen more as victims than as patients. In Shira’s birth experience, she felt that her home birth was simple and she did not need to be taken care of by a doctor or the techniques or technologies they use.
Less than 8% of Americans give birth with a midwife while in Japan and Europe, 70% of the births are given with midwives(B of BB). In these countries it is normal for women to have midwives and in America the norm is to give birth at a hospital because it is “safer.” Although people feel this way, the death rate for women and children in Europe is much lower than America's because of the way American doctors operate, doctors are trained to find something wrong and fix it, so if there is something wrong even if it is supposed to go wrong during the process of birth, they consider it a problem and resort to c-section. So people say the doctor saved the day but they would not have to save the day if the modern techniques and technologies had a negative affect on the birth.
Most would think doctors are people patients can depend on but because they believe they are the authority figure during child birth, the one in control, they can do whatever they want even if it goes against what you want them to do. Because the doctor is getting paid to do what he/she is doing, they will plan to do it the way they want it. What they are doing is a form of commodity, they have to do what they have to do in a certain amount of time, and the doctors make sure the baby is born at a certain time by using techniques and technologies that are not necessarily good for the patient but efficient and convenient for the doctor. This means that if it is convenient for them to do a c-section, when it is not even completely necessary for them to, rather than risk something going wrong during child labor and being blamed for it, they’ll do it. (Rubin). When Melissa, a teacher who works at School of the Future shared her birth story she explained how she did not want an episiotomy but the doctor gave it to her anyway without consulting her. The “Normal” way of birth is in the hands of the doctor who would take advantage of that power if he wanted to speed up the process. Doctors are not as trustworthy as they seem in the ideal American way of birth.
In Ms. Plaza's birth experience, she proved that the doctor is not always going to make you feel safe and secure in a hospital because in her story she had to deal with the intern who made her feel like she didn't know what she was doing. And the doctor did not arrive until much later but just in time to deliver the baby, her experience was impersonal and she was irritated for part of the time because of the way she was being treated at the hospital.
Once the child is born, as shown in the Monty Python youtube video, the child is taken away from the mother. Because the child is taken away from the mother right away, it takes away that mother vs. child connection that they have at child birth. For example with the dolphin giving birth, naturally, once the calf is born, the two swam together side by side. And the doctors take away that connection. Similar to a woman that I know gave birth twice, once in another country and once in America, in the other country, after giving birth she was able to hold her child and her experience of holding her baby just after her child was born was one she enjoyed. And unlike how the American way of birth is, she was able to take care of her child in the hospital with the child lying next to her. She did not get that experience with her second child, to whom she gave birth in America, because the doctors took away the child once they were born. Also in Shira's birth experience, she had a happy and natural birth experience, in her second birth, at home, after the birth she was able to connect with both of her kids just after the second child was born marked as one of the happiest moments of her life. The “normal” way of birth does not allow the mother to connect with her child the way they should immediately after the birth.
In the case of a natural child birth such as the dolphin's or giraffe's, no meds were necessary. Once the calf was born, they would learn to swim/stand up with their mother by their side. Contrasting with a normal child birth in America where the doctors are in control of the birth and does not allow the woman's body or the woman's baby to act as it naturally should. The doctors give the woman an episiotomy when, according to Gaskin, the cervix does not need to be mangled with because it acts as a sphincter, allowing to open and close as necessary. Gaskin also mentioned that sphincters are "shy" when the woman is disturbed during child birth the sphincter will close up. So when people are walking in and out of the room, and there are bright lights focusing on the woman, it is harder for the woman to feel comfortable pushing the baby out, which is where the meds come in. Controlling the sphincter is a mind-body connection where if the woman is relaxed, her sphincter is more likely to open up more easily whereas, if she's in a hospital where people are yelling at her to push, its less likely that she will feel comfortable and allow her sphincter to open up. The doctors make the experience for the woman artificial and it affects the woman's body. The ideal American way of birth gives the woman’s body stimulants that deprive the woman of empowerment from giving birth naturally.
As we see in the media in America today, most if not all births take place in a hospital where there is a doctor in charge delivering the birth. Based on youtube videos of a giraffe giving birth, a dolphin giving birth, Ina May Gaskin’s interview, video, and article, a Monty Python youtube video, an article about c-sections, and other birth stories, we can conclude that the typical American way of birth is highly flawed because it portrays doctors as trustworthy heroes and midwives as evil women, it takes away the woman’s empowerment, connection with her child, it takes away an experience that should be personal if she wants it to be, and it has bad after affects on the woman once she has given birth.
Continuing Thoughts:
For me the film was to raise awareness about the problems with hospital births and where it all began. I think this is an important film that Americans should watch so they understand the flaws behind those blue curtains and while halls. We've come to believe that doctors and hospitals are safe places for us citizens but now the way I see it, they are being paid to get me fixed so they will do it in the most convenient way possible for them even if it is inconvenient for the patient. I have been convinced by articles, guest speakers, and the film that midwives care much more for the patient than doctors and I personally would trust them more.
The film "Business of Being Born," is a very revealing one. It lets viewers in on the differences between home births and hospital births. In modern day America we have techniques and technologies to aid child birth unnecessarily such as machines, vacuums, forceps, epidurals, episiotomies, and of course, c-sections which make the OB's life less complicated whereas most people think the doctor cares about the patient because that's what they are supposed to do but the patients are seen more as victims than as patients. In Shira’s birth experience, she felt that her home birth was simple and she did not need to be taken care of by a doctor or the techniques or technologies they use.
Less than 8% of Americans give birth with a midwife while in Japan and Europe, 70% of the births are given with midwives(B of BB). In these countries it is normal for women to have midwives and in America the norm is to give birth at a hospital because it is “safer.” Although people feel this way, the death rate for women and children in Europe is much lower than America's because of the way American doctors operate, doctors are trained to find something wrong and fix it, so if there is something wrong even if it is supposed to go wrong during the process of birth, they consider it a problem and resort to c-section. So people say the doctor saved the day but they would not have to save the day if the modern techniques and technologies had a negative affect on the birth.
Most would think doctors are people patients can depend on but because they believe they are the authority figure during child birth, the one in control, they can do whatever they want even if it goes against what you want them to do. Because the doctor is getting paid to do what he/she is doing, they will plan to do it the way they want it. What they are doing is a form of commodity, they have to do what they have to do in a certain amount of time, and the doctors make sure the baby is born at a certain time by using techniques and technologies that are not necessarily good for the patient but efficient and convenient for the doctor. This means that if it is convenient for them to do a c-section, when it is not even completely necessary for them to, rather than risk something going wrong during child labor and being blamed for it, they’ll do it. (Rubin). When Melissa, a teacher who works at School of the Future shared her birth story she explained how she did not want an episiotomy but the doctor gave it to her anyway without consulting her. The “Normal” way of birth is in the hands of the doctor who would take advantage of that power if he wanted to speed up the process. Doctors are not as trustworthy as they seem in the ideal American way of birth.
In Ms. Plaza's birth experience, she proved that the doctor is not always going to make you feel safe and secure in a hospital because in her story she had to deal with the intern who made her feel like she didn't know what she was doing. And the doctor did not arrive until much later but just in time to deliver the baby, her experience was impersonal and she was irritated for part of the time because of the way she was being treated at the hospital.
Once the child is born, as shown in the Monty Python youtube video, the child is taken away from the mother. Because the child is taken away from the mother right away, it takes away that mother vs. child connection that they have at child birth. For example with the dolphin giving birth, naturally, once the calf is born, the two swam together side by side. And the doctors take away that connection. Similar to a woman that I know gave birth twice, once in another country and once in America, in the other country, after giving birth she was able to hold her child and her experience of holding her baby just after her child was born was one she enjoyed. And unlike how the American way of birth is, she was able to take care of her child in the hospital with the child lying next to her. She did not get that experience with her second child, to whom she gave birth in America, because the doctors took away the child once they were born. Also in Shira's birth experience, she had a happy and natural birth experience, in her second birth, at home, after the birth she was able to connect with both of her kids just after the second child was born marked as one of the happiest moments of her life. The “normal” way of birth does not allow the mother to connect with her child the way they should immediately after the birth.
In the case of a natural child birth such as the dolphin's or giraffe's, no meds were necessary. Once the calf was born, they would learn to swim/stand up with their mother by their side. Contrasting with a normal child birth in America where the doctors are in control of the birth and does not allow the woman's body or the woman's baby to act as it naturally should. The doctors give the woman an episiotomy when, according to Gaskin, the cervix does not need to be mangled with because it acts as a sphincter, allowing to open and close as necessary. Gaskin also mentioned that sphincters are "shy" when the woman is disturbed during child birth the sphincter will close up. So when people are walking in and out of the room, and there are bright lights focusing on the woman, it is harder for the woman to feel comfortable pushing the baby out, which is where the meds come in. Controlling the sphincter is a mind-body connection where if the woman is relaxed, her sphincter is more likely to open up more easily whereas, if she's in a hospital where people are yelling at her to push, its less likely that she will feel comfortable and allow her sphincter to open up. The doctors make the experience for the woman artificial and it affects the woman's body. The ideal American way of birth gives the woman’s body stimulants that deprive the woman of empowerment from giving birth naturally.
As we see in the media in America today, most if not all births take place in a hospital where there is a doctor in charge delivering the birth. Based on youtube videos of a giraffe giving birth, a dolphin giving birth, Ina May Gaskin’s interview, video, and article, a Monty Python youtube video, an article about c-sections, and other birth stories, we can conclude that the typical American way of birth is highly flawed because it portrays doctors as trustworthy heroes and midwives as evil women, it takes away the woman’s empowerment, connection with her child, it takes away an experience that should be personal if she wants it to be, and it has bad after affects on the woman once she has given birth.
Continuing Thoughts:
For me the film was to raise awareness about the problems with hospital births and where it all began. I think this is an important film that Americans should watch so they understand the flaws behind those blue curtains and while halls. We've come to believe that doctors and hospitals are safe places for us citizens but now the way I see it, they are being paid to get me fixed so they will do it in the most convenient way possible for them even if it is inconvenient for the patient. I have been convinced by articles, guest speakers, and the film that midwives care much more for the patient than doctors and I personally would trust them more.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
American Way of Birth Essay draft 2
Natural vs. Normal birth, how most expectations of the "normal" way of birth are wrong:
The film "Business of Being Born," is a very revealing one. It lets viewers in on the differences between home births and hospital births. For me the film was to raise awareness about the problems with hospital births and where it all began. Going back to the bible where Eve bit the apple and that's why women suffer during birth. Because people believed this, feminists were against suffering during child birth which lead to upcoming techniques and technologies such as machines, vaccums, foreceps, epidurals, episiotomies, and of course, C-sections which many doctors turn to when faced any problem whether it is a serious one or not making the OB's life less complicated whereas most people think the doctor cares about the patient because that's what they are supposed to do but the patients are seen more as victims than as patients.
Then the uprising of the home births came back in the 70's when rebels and hippies were against everything that was going on in America at the time so they avoided hospital births and started getting midwives to give birth in their own home. A small percentage of people in America give birth at home whereas, in Europe and Japan it is normal for women to have midwives and their death rate for women and children is much lower than America's because of the way American doctors operate, because they are doctors, they are trained to find something wrong and fix it, so if there is something wrong even if it is supposed to go wrong during the process of birth, they consider it a problem and resort to c-section. I think this is an important film that Americans should watch so they understand the flaws behind those blue curtains and while halls. We've come up to believe that doctors and hospitals are safe places for us citizens but now the way I see it, they are being paid to get me fixed so they will do it in the most convenient way possible for them even if it is inconvenient for the patient. I have been convinced by this film that midwives care much more for the patient than doctors and I personally would trust them more.
As we see in the media in America today, most if not all births take place in a hospital where there is a doctor in charge delivering the birth. The question is, whether the doctor being in charge is a problem or not. Based on youtube vidoes of a giraffe giving birth, a dolphin giviing birth, Ina May Gaskin talking about birth, and an interview with Gaskin about being a mid-wife, a Monty Python youtube video, and an article about c-sections, we can conclude that the Doctor's being in charge during child birth is a problem affecting the woman's body and the child's first moments alive. Most would think doctors are people patients can depend on but because they believe they are the authority figure during child birth, the one in control, they can do whatever they want even if it goes against what you want them to do (Melissa's story)
And once the child is born, as shown in the Monty Python youtube video, he/she is taken away from the mother. Because the child is taken away from the mother right away, it takes away that mother vs. child connection that they have at child birth. For example with the dolphin giving birth, naturally, once the calf is born, the two swam together side by side. And the doctors take away that connection. Similar to a woman that I know gave birth twice, once in another country and once in America, in the other country, after giving birth she was able to hold her child and her experience of holding her baby just after her child was born was one she enjoyed. And unlike how the American way of birth is, she was able to take care of her child in the hospital with the child lying next to her. She did not get that experience with her second child, to whom she gave birth in America, because the doctors took away the child once they were born. Not only is the doctors being in charge during child birth a problem because it doesn't allow the woman to listen to her body and naturally give birth but it also takes away the experience for a mother to connect with her child. Technologies and techniques of giving birth in the hospital with an ob/gyn have altered the natural way of birth in a negative way.
Because the doctor is getting paid to do what he/she is doing, they will plan to do it the way they want it. What they are doing is a form of commodity, they have to do what they have to do in a certain amount of time, the doctors make sure the baby is born at a certain time by using techniques and technologies that are not necesarily good for the patient but efficient and convenient for the doctor. Which means that if it is convenient for them to do a c-section, when it is not even completely necessary for them to, rather than risk something going wrong during child labor and being blamed for it, they'll do it.(Rubin). When the doctor's in charge, it is a problem because most of the medical procedures performed are in favor of the doctor's comfort and convenience.
In the case of a natural child birth such as the dolphin's or giraffe's, no meds were necessary. Once the calf was born, they would learn to swim/stand up with their mother by their side. Contrasting with a normal child birth in America where the doctors are in control of the birth and does not allow the woman's body or the woman's baby to act as it naturally should. The doctors give the woman an episiotomy when, according to Gaskin, the cervix does not need to be mangled with because it acts as a spincter, allowing to open and close as necessary. Gaskin also mentioned that sphincters are "shy" when the woman is disturbed during child birth the sphincter will close up. So when people are walking in and out of the room, and there are bright lights focusing on the woman, it is harder for the woman to feel comfortable pushing the baby out, which is where the meds come in. The doctors make the experience for the woman artificial and it affects the woman's body.
With the doctor in charge, it is a problem because the doctor in control is the main difference between a natural and normal birth when contrasting the youtube videos of a giraffe's birth and a dolphin's, the interview and talk with Ina May gaskin with the youtube video of Monty Python's youtube video about birth and Rita Rubin's article about C-sections. Although Americans see birth at the hospital in the media, it is not always the best decision for the woman. The doctor being in charge is a problem when a woman is trying to give birth naturally.
Plaza's birth experience proved that the doctor is not always going to make you feel safe and secure in a hospital because in her case she had to deal with the intern who made her feel like she didn't know what she was doing. And the doctor did not arrive until much later but just in time to deliver the baby, her experience was impersonal and she was irritated for part of the time because of the way she was being treated at the hospital.
Shira's birth experience proves that you don't need a doctor to have a happy and natural birth, in her second birth, at home, she said that it was very simple and she didn't need to be taken care of by a doctor.
In Ina May Gaskin's article, "Sphincter Law," she explains how the sphincter cannot be opened on command, so when the doctor is forcing the woman to push when her body is not ready, they need to come in and do an episiotomy to be time efficient. Gaskin also explains how sphincers may suddenly close when their owner is startled, frightened, subconscious, on uncomforable, so if the doctor is making the woman uncomfortable or another aspect of the "normal" way of birth, the sphincter will want to close. Controlling the sphincter is a mind-body connection where if the woman is relaxed, her sphincter is more likely to open up more easily whereas, if she's in a hospital where people are yelling at her to push, its less likely that she will feel comforable and allow her sphincter to open up.
The film "Business of Being Born," is a very revealing one. It lets viewers in on the differences between home births and hospital births. For me the film was to raise awareness about the problems with hospital births and where it all began. Going back to the bible where Eve bit the apple and that's why women suffer during birth. Because people believed this, feminists were against suffering during child birth which lead to upcoming techniques and technologies such as machines, vaccums, foreceps, epidurals, episiotomies, and of course, C-sections which many doctors turn to when faced any problem whether it is a serious one or not making the OB's life less complicated whereas most people think the doctor cares about the patient because that's what they are supposed to do but the patients are seen more as victims than as patients.
Then the uprising of the home births came back in the 70's when rebels and hippies were against everything that was going on in America at the time so they avoided hospital births and started getting midwives to give birth in their own home. A small percentage of people in America give birth at home whereas, in Europe and Japan it is normal for women to have midwives and their death rate for women and children is much lower than America's because of the way American doctors operate, because they are doctors, they are trained to find something wrong and fix it, so if there is something wrong even if it is supposed to go wrong during the process of birth, they consider it a problem and resort to c-section. I think this is an important film that Americans should watch so they understand the flaws behind those blue curtains and while halls. We've come up to believe that doctors and hospitals are safe places for us citizens but now the way I see it, they are being paid to get me fixed so they will do it in the most convenient way possible for them even if it is inconvenient for the patient. I have been convinced by this film that midwives care much more for the patient than doctors and I personally would trust them more.
As we see in the media in America today, most if not all births take place in a hospital where there is a doctor in charge delivering the birth. The question is, whether the doctor being in charge is a problem or not. Based on youtube vidoes of a giraffe giving birth, a dolphin giviing birth, Ina May Gaskin talking about birth, and an interview with Gaskin about being a mid-wife, a Monty Python youtube video, and an article about c-sections, we can conclude that the Doctor's being in charge during child birth is a problem affecting the woman's body and the child's first moments alive. Most would think doctors are people patients can depend on but because they believe they are the authority figure during child birth, the one in control, they can do whatever they want even if it goes against what you want them to do (Melissa's story)
And once the child is born, as shown in the Monty Python youtube video, he/she is taken away from the mother. Because the child is taken away from the mother right away, it takes away that mother vs. child connection that they have at child birth. For example with the dolphin giving birth, naturally, once the calf is born, the two swam together side by side. And the doctors take away that connection. Similar to a woman that I know gave birth twice, once in another country and once in America, in the other country, after giving birth she was able to hold her child and her experience of holding her baby just after her child was born was one she enjoyed. And unlike how the American way of birth is, she was able to take care of her child in the hospital with the child lying next to her. She did not get that experience with her second child, to whom she gave birth in America, because the doctors took away the child once they were born. Not only is the doctors being in charge during child birth a problem because it doesn't allow the woman to listen to her body and naturally give birth but it also takes away the experience for a mother to connect with her child. Technologies and techniques of giving birth in the hospital with an ob/gyn have altered the natural way of birth in a negative way.
Because the doctor is getting paid to do what he/she is doing, they will plan to do it the way they want it. What they are doing is a form of commodity, they have to do what they have to do in a certain amount of time, the doctors make sure the baby is born at a certain time by using techniques and technologies that are not necesarily good for the patient but efficient and convenient for the doctor. Which means that if it is convenient for them to do a c-section, when it is not even completely necessary for them to, rather than risk something going wrong during child labor and being blamed for it, they'll do it.(Rubin). When the doctor's in charge, it is a problem because most of the medical procedures performed are in favor of the doctor's comfort and convenience.
In the case of a natural child birth such as the dolphin's or giraffe's, no meds were necessary. Once the calf was born, they would learn to swim/stand up with their mother by their side. Contrasting with a normal child birth in America where the doctors are in control of the birth and does not allow the woman's body or the woman's baby to act as it naturally should. The doctors give the woman an episiotomy when, according to Gaskin, the cervix does not need to be mangled with because it acts as a spincter, allowing to open and close as necessary. Gaskin also mentioned that sphincters are "shy" when the woman is disturbed during child birth the sphincter will close up. So when people are walking in and out of the room, and there are bright lights focusing on the woman, it is harder for the woman to feel comfortable pushing the baby out, which is where the meds come in. The doctors make the experience for the woman artificial and it affects the woman's body.
With the doctor in charge, it is a problem because the doctor in control is the main difference between a natural and normal birth when contrasting the youtube videos of a giraffe's birth and a dolphin's, the interview and talk with Ina May gaskin with the youtube video of Monty Python's youtube video about birth and Rita Rubin's article about C-sections. Although Americans see birth at the hospital in the media, it is not always the best decision for the woman. The doctor being in charge is a problem when a woman is trying to give birth naturally.
Plaza's birth experience proved that the doctor is not always going to make you feel safe and secure in a hospital because in her case she had to deal with the intern who made her feel like she didn't know what she was doing. And the doctor did not arrive until much later but just in time to deliver the baby, her experience was impersonal and she was irritated for part of the time because of the way she was being treated at the hospital.
Shira's birth experience proves that you don't need a doctor to have a happy and natural birth, in her second birth, at home, she said that it was very simple and she didn't need to be taken care of by a doctor.
In Ina May Gaskin's article, "Sphincter Law," she explains how the sphincter cannot be opened on command, so when the doctor is forcing the woman to push when her body is not ready, they need to come in and do an episiotomy to be time efficient. Gaskin also explains how sphincers may suddenly close when their owner is startled, frightened, subconscious, on uncomforable, so if the doctor is making the woman uncomfortable or another aspect of the "normal" way of birth, the sphincter will want to close. Controlling the sphincter is a mind-body connection where if the woman is relaxed, her sphincter is more likely to open up more easily whereas, if she's in a hospital where people are yelling at her to push, its less likely that she will feel comforable and allow her sphincter to open up.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Thesis: Natural vs. Normal birth, how most expectations of the "normal" way of birth are wrong
Examples: BOBB, youtube videos, "Sphincter Law," "C-section rate rises" article, Shira's birth experience, and Plaza's birth experience.
The film "Business of Being Born," is a very revealing one. It lets viewers in on the differences between home births and hospital births. For me the film was to raise awareness about the problems with hospital births and where it all began. Going back to the bible where Eve bit the apple and that's why women suffer during birth. Because people believed this, feminists were against suffering during child birth which lead to upcoming techniques and technologies such as machines, vaccums, foreceps, epidurals, episiotomies, and of course, C-sections which many doctors turn to when faced any problem whether it is a serious one or not making the OB's life less complicated.
Then the uprising of the home births came back in the 70's when rebels and hippies were against everything that was going on in America at the time so they avoided hospital births and started getting midwives to give birth in their own home. A small percentage of people in America give birth at home whereas, in Europe and Japan it is normal for women to have midwives and their death rate for women and children is much lower than America's because of the way American doctors operate, because they are doctors, they are trained to find something wrong and fix it, so if there is something wrong even if it is supposed to go wrong during the process of birth, they consider it a problem and resort to c-section. I think this is an important film that Americans should watch so they understand the flaws behind those blue curtains and while halls. We've come up to believe that doctors and hospitals are safe places for us citizens but now the way I see it, they are being paid to get me fixed so they will do it in the most convenient way possible for them even if it is inconvenient for the patient. I have been convinced by this film that midwives care much more for the patient than doctors and I personally would trust them more.
As we see in the media in America today, most if not all births take place in a hospital where there is a doctor in charge delivering the birth. The question is, whether the doctor being in charge is a problem or not. Based on youtube vidoes of a giraffe giving birth, a dolphin giviing birth, Ina May Gaskin talking about birth, and an interview with Gaskin about being a mid-wife, a Monty Python youtube video, and an article about c-sections, we can conclude that the Doctor's being in charge during child birth is a problem affecting the woman's body and the child's first moments alive.
In the case of a natural child birth such as the dolphin's or giraffe's, no meds were necessary. Once the calf was born, they would learn to swim/stand up with their mother by their side. Contrasting with a normal child birth in America where the doctors are in control of the birth and does not allow the woman's body or the woman's baby to act as it naturally should. The doctors give the woman an episiotomy when, according to Gaskin, the cervix does not need to be mangled with because it acts as a spincter, allowing to open and close as necessary. Gaskin also mentioned that sphincters are "shy" when the woman is disturbed during child birth the sphincter will close up. So when people are walking in and out of the room, and there are bright lights focusing on the woman, it is harder for the woman to feel comfortable pushing the baby out, which is where the meds come in. The doctors make the experience for the woman artificial and it affects the woman's body.
And once the child is born, as shown in the Monty Python youtube video, he/she is taken away from the mother. Because the child is taken away from the mother right away, it takes away that mother vs. child connection that they have at child birth. For example with the dolphin giving birth, naturally, once the calf is born, the two swam together side by side. And the doctors take away that connection. Similar to a woman that I know gave birth twice, once in another country and once in America, in the other country, after giving birth she was able to hold her child and her experience of holding her baby just after her child was born was one she enjoyed. And unlike how the American way of birth is, she was able to take care of her child in the hospital with the child lying next to her. She did not get that experience with her second child, to whom she gave birth in America, because the doctors took away the child once they were born. Not only is the doctors being in charge during child birth a problem because it doesn't allow the woman to listen to her body and naturally give birth but it also takes away the experience for a mother to connect with her child.
Finally, because the doctor is getting paid to do what he/she is doing, they will plan to do it the way they want it. What they are doing is a form of commodity, they have to do what they have to do in a certain amount of time, the doctors make sure the baby is born at a certain time by using techniques and technologies that are not necesarily good for the patient but efficient and convenient for the doctor. Which means that if it is convenient for them to do a c-section, when it is not even completely necessary for them to, rather than risk something going wrong during child labor and being blamed for it, they'll do it.(Rubin). When the doctor's in charge, it is a problem because most of the medical procedures performed are in favor of the doctor's comfort and convenience.
With the doctor in charge, it is a problem because the doctor in control is the main difference between a natural and normal birth when contrasting the youtube videos of a giraffe's birth and a dolphin's, the interview and talk with Ina May gaskin with the youtube video of Monty Python's youtube video about birth and Rita Rubin's article about C-sections. Although Americans see birth at the hospital in the media, it is not always the best decision for the woman. The doctor being in charge is a problem when a woman is trying to give birth naturally.
Notes From 3/3-3/6/09:
Plaza's birth experience proved that the doctor is not always going to make you feel safe and secure in a hospital because in her case she had to deal with the intern who made her feel like she didn't know what she was doing. And the doctor did not arrive until much later but just in time to deliver the baby, her experience was impersonal and she was irritated for part of the time because of the way she was being treated at the hospital.
Shira's birth experience proves that you don't need a doctor to have a happy and natural birth, in her second birth, at home, she said that it was very simple and she didn't need to be taken care of by a doctor.
In Ina May Gaskin's article, "Sphincter Law," she explains how the sphincter cannot be opened on command, so when the doctor is forcing the woman to push when her body is not ready, they need to come in and do an episiotomy to be time efficient. Gaskin also explains how sphincers may suddenly close when their owner is startled, frightened, subconscious, on uncomforable, so if the doctor is making the woman uncomfortable or another aspect of the "normal" way of birth, the sphincter will want to close. Controlling the sphincter is a mind-body connection where if the woman is relaxed, her sphincter is more likely to open up more easily whereas, if she's in a hospital where people are yelling at her to push, its less likely that she will feel comforable and allow her sphincter to open up.
Examples: BOBB, youtube videos, "Sphincter Law," "C-section rate rises" article, Shira's birth experience, and Plaza's birth experience.
The film "Business of Being Born," is a very revealing one. It lets viewers in on the differences between home births and hospital births. For me the film was to raise awareness about the problems with hospital births and where it all began. Going back to the bible where Eve bit the apple and that's why women suffer during birth. Because people believed this, feminists were against suffering during child birth which lead to upcoming techniques and technologies such as machines, vaccums, foreceps, epidurals, episiotomies, and of course, C-sections which many doctors turn to when faced any problem whether it is a serious one or not making the OB's life less complicated.
Then the uprising of the home births came back in the 70's when rebels and hippies were against everything that was going on in America at the time so they avoided hospital births and started getting midwives to give birth in their own home. A small percentage of people in America give birth at home whereas, in Europe and Japan it is normal for women to have midwives and their death rate for women and children is much lower than America's because of the way American doctors operate, because they are doctors, they are trained to find something wrong and fix it, so if there is something wrong even if it is supposed to go wrong during the process of birth, they consider it a problem and resort to c-section. I think this is an important film that Americans should watch so they understand the flaws behind those blue curtains and while halls. We've come up to believe that doctors and hospitals are safe places for us citizens but now the way I see it, they are being paid to get me fixed so they will do it in the most convenient way possible for them even if it is inconvenient for the patient. I have been convinced by this film that midwives care much more for the patient than doctors and I personally would trust them more.
As we see in the media in America today, most if not all births take place in a hospital where there is a doctor in charge delivering the birth. The question is, whether the doctor being in charge is a problem or not. Based on youtube vidoes of a giraffe giving birth, a dolphin giviing birth, Ina May Gaskin talking about birth, and an interview with Gaskin about being a mid-wife, a Monty Python youtube video, and an article about c-sections, we can conclude that the Doctor's being in charge during child birth is a problem affecting the woman's body and the child's first moments alive.
In the case of a natural child birth such as the dolphin's or giraffe's, no meds were necessary. Once the calf was born, they would learn to swim/stand up with their mother by their side. Contrasting with a normal child birth in America where the doctors are in control of the birth and does not allow the woman's body or the woman's baby to act as it naturally should. The doctors give the woman an episiotomy when, according to Gaskin, the cervix does not need to be mangled with because it acts as a spincter, allowing to open and close as necessary. Gaskin also mentioned that sphincters are "shy" when the woman is disturbed during child birth the sphincter will close up. So when people are walking in and out of the room, and there are bright lights focusing on the woman, it is harder for the woman to feel comfortable pushing the baby out, which is where the meds come in. The doctors make the experience for the woman artificial and it affects the woman's body.
And once the child is born, as shown in the Monty Python youtube video, he/she is taken away from the mother. Because the child is taken away from the mother right away, it takes away that mother vs. child connection that they have at child birth. For example with the dolphin giving birth, naturally, once the calf is born, the two swam together side by side. And the doctors take away that connection. Similar to a woman that I know gave birth twice, once in another country and once in America, in the other country, after giving birth she was able to hold her child and her experience of holding her baby just after her child was born was one she enjoyed. And unlike how the American way of birth is, she was able to take care of her child in the hospital with the child lying next to her. She did not get that experience with her second child, to whom she gave birth in America, because the doctors took away the child once they were born. Not only is the doctors being in charge during child birth a problem because it doesn't allow the woman to listen to her body and naturally give birth but it also takes away the experience for a mother to connect with her child.
Finally, because the doctor is getting paid to do what he/she is doing, they will plan to do it the way they want it. What they are doing is a form of commodity, they have to do what they have to do in a certain amount of time, the doctors make sure the baby is born at a certain time by using techniques and technologies that are not necesarily good for the patient but efficient and convenient for the doctor. Which means that if it is convenient for them to do a c-section, when it is not even completely necessary for them to, rather than risk something going wrong during child labor and being blamed for it, they'll do it.(Rubin). When the doctor's in charge, it is a problem because most of the medical procedures performed are in favor of the doctor's comfort and convenience.
With the doctor in charge, it is a problem because the doctor in control is the main difference between a natural and normal birth when contrasting the youtube videos of a giraffe's birth and a dolphin's, the interview and talk with Ina May gaskin with the youtube video of Monty Python's youtube video about birth and Rita Rubin's article about C-sections. Although Americans see birth at the hospital in the media, it is not always the best decision for the woman. The doctor being in charge is a problem when a woman is trying to give birth naturally.
Notes From 3/3-3/6/09:
Plaza's birth experience proved that the doctor is not always going to make you feel safe and secure in a hospital because in her case she had to deal with the intern who made her feel like she didn't know what she was doing. And the doctor did not arrive until much later but just in time to deliver the baby, her experience was impersonal and she was irritated for part of the time because of the way she was being treated at the hospital.
Shira's birth experience proves that you don't need a doctor to have a happy and natural birth, in her second birth, at home, she said that it was very simple and she didn't need to be taken care of by a doctor.
In Ina May Gaskin's article, "Sphincter Law," she explains how the sphincter cannot be opened on command, so when the doctor is forcing the woman to push when her body is not ready, they need to come in and do an episiotomy to be time efficient. Gaskin also explains how sphincers may suddenly close when their owner is startled, frightened, subconscious, on uncomforable, so if the doctor is making the woman uncomfortable or another aspect of the "normal" way of birth, the sphincter will want to close. Controlling the sphincter is a mind-body connection where if the woman is relaxed, her sphincter is more likely to open up more easily whereas, if she's in a hospital where people are yelling at her to push, its less likely that she will feel comforable and allow her sphincter to open up.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
"Business of Being Born" Film Response
The film "Business of Being Born," is a very revealing one. It lets viewers in on the differences between home births and hospital births. For me the film was to raise awareness about the problems with hospital births and where it all began. Going back to the bible where Eve bit the apple and that's why women suffer during birth. Because people believed this, feminists were against suffering during child birth which lead to upcoming techniques and technologies such as machines, vaccums, foreceps, epidurals, episiotomies, and of course, C-sections which many doctors turn to when faced any problem whether it is a serious one or not making the OB's life less complicated.
Then the uprising of the home births came back in the 70's when rebels and hippies were against everything that was going on in America at the time so they avoided hospital births and started getting midwives to give birth in their own home. A small percentage of people in America give birth at home whereas, in Europe and Japan it is normal for women to have midwives and their death rate for women and children is much lower than America's because of the way American doctors operate, because they are doctors, they are trained to find something wrong and fix it, so if there is something wrong even if it is supposed to go wrong during the process of birth, they consider it a problem and resort to c-section. I think this is an important film that Americans should watch so they understand the flaws behind those blue curtains and while halls. We've come up to believe that doctors and hospitals are safe places for us citizens but now the way I see it, they are being paid to get me fixed so they will do it in the most convenient way possible for them even if it is inconvenient for the patient. I have been convinced by this film that midwives care much more for the patient than doctors and I personally would trust them more.
Then the uprising of the home births came back in the 70's when rebels and hippies were against everything that was going on in America at the time so they avoided hospital births and started getting midwives to give birth in their own home. A small percentage of people in America give birth at home whereas, in Europe and Japan it is normal for women to have midwives and their death rate for women and children is much lower than America's because of the way American doctors operate, because they are doctors, they are trained to find something wrong and fix it, so if there is something wrong even if it is supposed to go wrong during the process of birth, they consider it a problem and resort to c-section. I think this is an important film that Americans should watch so they understand the flaws behind those blue curtains and while halls. We've come up to believe that doctors and hospitals are safe places for us citizens but now the way I see it, they are being paid to get me fixed so they will do it in the most convenient way possible for them even if it is inconvenient for the patient. I have been convinced by this film that midwives care much more for the patient than doctors and I personally would trust them more.
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