The balance between education and respect - Page 8

[LiamnEmma]

Our health fair is in late August. For school districts, they'll be held in the last few days before school starts. Other companies have open enrollment periods...you'd have to call them up to find out. But lots of large companies (including my school district) have various health days all the time...my district conducts free screenings all the time for the employees.

[3_opihi]

Since the belief that she failed to protect herself is one of the greatest harms a victim might suffer, when a victim tells her story and people respond with You-should-have-this or You-should-never-have-that, they are often adding to the victimization. (Italics mine) Never be concerned that a victim of violence or domination didn't learn a lesson--she did. What victims need to recover is the belief that they are competent to protect themselves."Since the belief that she failed to protect herself is one of the greatest harms a victim might suffer, when a victim tells her story and people respond with You-should-have-this or You-should-never-have-that, they are often adding to the victimization. (Italics mine) Never be concerned that a victim of violence or domination didn't learn a lesson--she did. What victims need to recover is the belief that they are competent to protect themselves."

Yes. Thanks elionwy. That about sums up what I was trying to say in my post. I think another thing that kind of irks me is the whole feeling that mothers who didn't have a natural birth needed to be 'educated'. But thats already been said.

Try to look at it from this point of view. What if someone who had had five c/s, or epidurals, or whatever, jumped into every homebirth thread with a bunch of info about what its like to give birth at home, and a bunch of info and statistics about homebirth, natural birth, etc... (And I'm sure its been done, but thats not the point) The point is, it would ruffle your feathers because there would be this person giving you a bunch of advice about something *they* had never experienced, but you had.

I believe we should ALL be advocating to the system. Even moms who want c/s or epidurals can be advocating. For instance, like allowing a third person to be in the delivery rooms with mom, so that she's not alone while Dad goes to the delivery room with the baby. There is always something that can be improved. In fact, I would go so far as to say that these are the things that need to be advocated for most of all. Better treatment of women forgoing non-natural labors.

Sometimes it seems to me that labor is viewed as some sort of challenge or something. Its not about whether or not you have an epidural, or a c/s, or how many interventions you had. Its about whether or not the family is supported, physically and emotionally. And whether they feel strong and secure in their birth choices. Yes, that includes education. And it also includes support.

That's what we need to be advocating for. And it needs to happen on *all* ends. Families, physicians, doulas, and yes advocates. Right now, I don't see this happening, and it makes me sad.

I agree with the idea of large groups. Health fairs, companies, even college campuses. Heck what better of a place to make a change than with nursing students. Of course, your not going to convince everybody. If that were the case, nothing would ever get done---anywhere.

Ok, gotta go--- kids pulling each other's hair!!!!

[IdentityCrisisMama]

I have one thing to add concerning speaking to groups about intervention rates. I took a class from an excellent childhood development professor and she covered from preconception up to parenting adults including birth. Her lecture on interventions was very inclusive (IMO) and included the message that birth ideally should have as few interventions as possible. She opened my mind about “interventions” by including common practices such as having a care provider or fetal monitor and that he vast majority of women (including us homebirthers – or, in my case attempted homebirthers) have some form of intervention during pregnancy, labor and birth.

My child development prof. educated about all the interventions available to women in birth with limited bias. Following this she discussed the risks and complications of interventions but she ALSO included a wise statement, which added to her being perceived by me as rather unbiased and inclusive, that nearly ALL interventions (when used well) are wonderful medical technology that contribute to birth and can even save lives of women and babies.

This small statement was important to me to have included in a discussion mostly “against” interventions because I think it helped include women who either choose interventions and/or women who end up having unplanned interventions.

My thought is that you may want to include the benefits of interventions in a discussion about all the other stats about them, kwim? It may also be helpful to broaden what you refer to as interventions to help women see how very common they are, which I think might take some of the pressure off of women for having chosen to have some.

I have some more thoughts about what people have already said but I feel like most of what I think has been said by wise women.

[member234098]

I have not read all eight pages of this thread, but I just wanted to say that as a veteran homebirther, I have felt a coward when I have read about unassisted childbirth experiences.

I felt as if since I had to have a midwife help me, I am a coward.

However, I am just glad my children are healthy and I am whole.