Doula Activism & PoliticsThis forum is for activism efforts, networking and discussing political and social issues, such as circumcision, that impact doulas and their work.
As women, do we have the autonomy needed to make decisions about our healthcare?
Is childbirth a feminist issue?
I feel we do not have the autonomy needed as long as hospitals ban VBACs, women are unaware of midwives, or are unable to access them (due to state laws or insurance), and their 'model of care'.
YES, of course this is a feminist issue...it seems obvious to me.
I think if women do not have choices, or feel like they have no choices in say -having a VBAC- this becomes an issue of medical ethics, and our constitutional rights. If women are caught in a bind where their only choice is have another surgery, or have a UC.... where is the choice in that? Not everyone wants a UC, and not everyone is OK with being cut open.
As women we deserve to have an optimal birth experience...without the ties that bind. We the women giving birth need to be proactive in order to have an evidenced-based birth experience. IMO we should also have complete reproductive rights.
So what does that mean? How do we change the current system? As doulas how do we empower the individual pregnant women to choose more gentle choices? How do we educate women beyond just words, and statistics? Where do we start, and what measures can we take, beyond simply educating them on their options ,in that what they choose may or may not be respected or honored without a fight? Do we need to be more radical in our approach? Is reshaping the current birth culture/attitude too big a hurdle? How do we BE the CHANGE we wish to see in the world?
Sorry...I know this is a loaded post. I am thinking and writing, and just want to initiate feedback and ideas
I just feel that not enough women feel childbirth itself matters as much as the end result of baby....that I am just part of the 'birth junkie' minority.
__________________
__________________
This Member Says "Thanks!" to earthgirl For This Post:
Most likely the same way we got the right to vote, etc. Women have to be activists for themselves, first and foremost. Which means they have to give a shit (excuse my french) about their bodies, their babies and their births. And maybe it is just something that will come with time....
Quote:
As doulas how do we empower the individual pregnant women to choose more gentle choices? How do we educate women beyond just words, and statistics?
This is a hard one, because you can educate with words, but you cannot make them be empowered, they have to choose that path on their own. Maybe they have to have an experience that forces them to look it hard in the face and GET empowered. Or maybe it would be enough to see it happen to a friend or family member. But words and stats are a BIG part of that too.
I see this a lot in my other job, pet food. Most everyone is aware of the pet food recalls. Most people never read pet food labels or know what SHOULD be in pet food and what SHOULD NOT be in pet food. Most people don't know that they are killing their pets. Did the recall change that, yes and no. Not everyone will do the research. Maybe it takes someone asking them "what do you feed your dog?"...... I know this seems off topic, but ... I have a point. Most people when I start educating them, their jaw drops... does that mean that I don't get looks like "you are a crazy "green" person"?, NO, I do.
Maybe some research is in order...
__________________
Ashley Motzenbecker, CD (CBI), RP, PED
Certified Labor Doula, Certified Perinatal Educator, Level II Reiki Certified
Regional Coordinator and Volunteer Doula for Operation Special Delivery www.wiregrassdoulaservices.com
[quote=earthgirl;107313]If women are caught in a bind where their only choice is have another surgery, or have a UC.... where is the choice in that? Not everyone wants a UC, and not everyone is OK with being cut open.
Forgive me I don't know how to multiquote
But those aren't the only two choices. There's a third choice, stand up for what you really want and don't agree with the status quo.
As doulas how do we empower the individual pregnant women to choose more gentle choices?
We can't empower women. Empowerment comes from within. We can help a woman discover her power, but we can not "empower" them. We can give them information, we can help them identify ALL of their options. What they do with that information is up to them.
Do we need to be more radical in our approach? Is reshaping the current birth culture/attitude too big a hurdle? How do we BE the CHANGE we wish to see in the world?
What we can do is offer support, information and an understanding ear when things don't go as they planned.
Other than that we need to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. I also don't think the answer is opting out of the "system" entirely. While homebirth is a lovely option, there'll always be enough women to make that small population who opts out of the system inconsequential to the pockets of the hospitals.
www.doula2you.wordpress.com DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT support the opinions, beliefs, marketing efforts or skewed research/data presented by EmpowHER here or anywhere else.
This Member Says "Thanks!" to DoulaCBE For This Post:
I feel that birth is a core feminist issue and why I believe so strongly that if we are to involve ourselves in the lives of women as one of their care providers, we have an obligation to understand how women's choices and lives are shaped by their experiences as WOMEN in our world---IMO---I feel that change for women in birth is possible only when change in women status happends in general.
This is political---this is a feminist issue. You want change on how women give birth---get active in women's rights.
Cheers!
Jodi
__________________
Jodi Hinds, CD(DONA), Birth Counsellor for Women Survivors
As doulas how do we empower the individual pregnant women to choose more gentle choices?
We can't empower women. Empowerment comes from within. We can help a woman discover her power, but we can not "empower" them. We can give them information, we can help them identify ALL of their options. What they do with that information is up to them.
.
Totally agree.... women will only change when they are ready to change. It won't happen overnight, but I think it is happening, slowly.
This Member Says "Thanks!" to doula Michele For This Post:
I just feel that not enough women feel childbirth itself matters as much as the end result of baby....that I am just part of the 'birth junkie' minority.
I have the same feeling - that the birth doesn't matter to a lot of people. I had a client say "I just don't understand why everyone doesn't just get the epidural" and I was really at a loss as to what to say, b/c I just don't understand why people DO get it kwim? I had a much better experience without an epidural, even though it hurt more at the time. But when people ask me about my experience, I get the two head look lol. I figure it's a one person change at a time right now - like there are now a handful more people that know that homebirths are possible, still done, and safe now than there were last year at this time in my town, b/c I am very vocal about where Henry was born and why I chose that. I don't know if that all made any sense lol
Well I am sittinghere thinking about why some people do not care and some don't.
I can see why. Birth happens to be a passion for me. I love it. I was very involved in my own pregnany. I have friends who are just not passionate about it. Its something they have to do to get their kid. Thats it, no big deal.
My moms passion is books. She feels them, she loves them, she crys when she has to clean her bookshelf. She doesn't understand how I hate books, and will leave them outside in the rain.
My accountants passion is money. He does not understand why I just don't give a damn about tracking every penny. Its my money for goodness sakes. I should care where it goes. Truth is, I don't give a rats ass about investing.
So... I have to wonder, if birth were not my interest,my passion and my life would I even be remotly concerned about it. I can only imagine that is why birth does not take up every moment of say my friends life, my moms life and my accountants life?
We all have a passion.... some people work tirelessly for cancer research, and i put zero thought into it. Some peoples lives are devoted to saving starving children... there again I often just change the channel, and don't want to think about it.
So because this is our lives and our passion we just don't get why other people don't share it as wildly as we do.
I am not sure if this makes sense...in my head I totally know what I am trying to say.
These 7 Members Say "Thanks!" to doula Michele For This Post:
I understand, Michele. It raises some good points.
If all women have known is the epidural, the flat-on-your-back, and the episiotomy, it's the norm and why should they care? The birth isn't a life-changing experience for them. It's something painful and dreaded that must be done before they get the REAL life-changing experience: their child. In the mainstream, birth isn't seen as spiritual, special, worthy, or even important in some cases. The woman is the consumer, the baby is the product, and the birth is just a nasty little thing in-between.
That makes sense Michele. I'm probably like your accountant - Why DOESN'T she care?!?!? It's SO important kwim? While to others, they're like 'what's up with the crazy hippie chick Amy?!?!?' And I don't think that people realize that they don't HAVE to have the 'norm' experience like Kacy said. People get pregnant, they ask their friend who they should go see, the friend said "I used XYZ OBGYN group", they go to them, get the flat on the back/epi/episiotomy/cesarean treatment. Not saying that's how it always is, but it's that way more often than it should be, and I think that people don't realize that they have the option for it to be something different. Or, they might just not care.
Yes, I don't think they know their options at all. A man in my childbirth education class acted shocked and confused when the teacher suggested laboring in an upright position. To me, that's just common sense, but to him that was against everything he's ever known about birth.
This is political---this is a feminist issue. You want change on how women give birth---get active in women's rights.
Exactly. I see it as a completely feminist issue, not just an issue of choice or differing passions. Women are DENIED the care they deserve - how anti-woman is that? They are denied VBACs, are pressured into cesareans and other procedures, and their care providers aren't equipped to help them cope with their labor pain other than persuading them into having an epidural. Those all violate our rights as women.
We are treated as second class humans when we give birth. We are not given the best evidence-based quality of care, and I think it is just because we are women.
__________________
Jeanette
New doula and childbirth educator
These 2 Members Say "Thanks!" to Jeanette For This Post:
My MIL is a huge feminist, and she didn't get it at first - she thought that epidurals freed women from the suffering of birth. It wasn't until I pointed out to her that in order to get that "freedom" she had at her births, she had to completely turn over her body and her birth to a male anesthesiologist.
A light bulb went on.
This Member Says "Thanks!" to UtahDoula For This Post:
I would love to see the media really start to take birth as a Women's Rights issue! Marsden brings this point up in Born in the USA, Shelia bring it up in Birth Crisis, there are books out there that do this...but most women are not going to pick up these books unless they have the passion (great point Michele!). What we need is for the "fast food" media of newspapers and the evening news to start addressing it this way. Hit the sources that women go to for every day information. Then maybe they will see it enough to care about it.
I definitely see birth as a feminist issue. I. I see women and birth in the big context of women living in a dominator society where women's experiences and other marginalized communities experiences are not only discounted but framed in a social context to make us buy into the same oppressive views that keep us from holding true power.
For me birth won't change without the larger context of society transforming as well. Birth is feminist issue, a class issue, a racial issue, a sexual orientation issue etc. - none of these are seperate from one another. Real change in one area will only come with change in all areas.
__________________
Shawna Lewkowitz, M.Ed., CD (DONA), CPD(CAPPA), LCCE
and
very proud mama to 2 amazing little girls
These 4 Members Say "Thanks!" to syncreo For This Post:
Quote:
I don't know if that all made any sense lol
