how offensive is this tee-shirt?

[**guest**]

http://www.cafepress.com/buy/homebir...t_/fpt_/c_666/

[CityChic]

I would be slightly offended but I get the point...

I wanted to have a natural birth but after 30+ hours of labor (total labor was 41 hours) I needed some medical intervention...sometimes there isn't a lot of choice...

[alegna]

I think it's funny but I would never wear it.

(and of course there is a time and place for everything- even epidurals)

-Angela

[kathteach]

I think it's kind of mean, and I didn't even have an epidural or any pain meds.

[vloky]

Originally Posted by CityChic

I would be slightly offended but I get the point...

I wanted to have a natural birth but after 30+ hours of labor (total labor was 41 hours) I needed some medical intervention...sometimes there isn't a lot of choice...

About the same here, it took 26 hours (at hospital a bit longer at home)to get to 4cm and at that point I took the epidural and within half an hour I was at 10. I guess my family on my dads side has stubborn cervixes, my cousin even with the epidural never made it past I think 3. (after nearly 40 hours they did a c-section..)

[annettemarie]

I don't find it offensive so much as petty. With all the work to be done empowering women, why stoop to third-grade insults? Not to mention that whole "sissies" thing.

[courtenay_e]

Yes, I thought that, too. Aren't sissies supposed to be "girly"? And aren't girls strong and powerful? So... No, I wouldn't wear it, and I'm a huge natural birth advocate. I think that, the few of the births I attended where the reason for the epidural was maternal exhaustion...those mothers would be crushed to see a woman wearing that shirt.

[Da WIC Lady]

I don't understand. Why should it be that a natural physiological process should be painful outside of complications? I'm now firmly convinced that everyone should read the works of Dr. Grantly Dick-Read.

Anna

[alegna]

Originally Posted by annettemarie

I don't find it offensive so much as petty. With all the work to be done empowering women, why stoop to third-grade insults? Not to mention that whole "sissies" thing.

That's a good way to put it. It does seem petty. Perhaps childish.

I understand the frustration with mainstream culture that sparked it (and that's where I see the humor in it) but I don't see any purpose or progress with it.

-Angela

[annettemarie]

Originally Posted by Da WIC Lady

I don't understand. Why should it be that a natural physiological process should be painful outside of complications? I'm now firmly convinced that everyone should read the works of Dr. Grantly Dick-Read.

Anna

I read the works of Dr. Grantly Dick-Read and think that his works were a load of misogynistic hooey. I've had four births, all different, but all involved some degree of pain or another, with no major complications. It didn't seem prudent to listen to a man tell me how birth "should" be, seeing how he has never gone through it. Personally, I don't think telling women birth shouldn't be painful if they do it right is the path to more natural childbirths. This is probably for another thread though.

[CNutty]

There was one in mothering mag a few months back that said "epidural shmepadural" I liked that one a lot! Its empowering yourself, insted of what this one is doing...belittleing others

[sunnysideup]

I think it plays to to the mentality that women choose natural childbirth to prove something or win an award.

[gottaknit]

I think it's rude and petty and would never wear it. We can be pro-natural birth without putting down other women. Just like I would never wear an anti-formula feeding T-shirt, even though I breastfeed. Every woman's experience is different, and none can be summed up in a T-shirt.

[Ackray]

Originally Posted by sunnysideup

I think it plays to to the mentality that women choose natural childbirth to prove something or win an award.

I agree.

[SublimeBirthGirl]

I don't have strong feelings one way or another but I wouldn't wear it.

I haven't finished Childbirth Without Fear because I never have time to read. I do believe birth can be painless, since I know women who have experienced it that way. But my 2nd birth was just my husband and me, no fear, no discomfort (emotionally), etc. It still hurt like hell.

[stellimamo]

I think epidurals are scary personaly. A huge long needle into my spine... not for the faint of heart.

[meisterfrau]

I have to say, my first reaction was

I think epidurals are scary personaly. A huge long needle into my spine... not for the faint of heart.

Yeah. That. Having it placed was no picnic.

For me, epidural was the first step before unwanted major abdominal surgery. And since it didn't take all the way, I got to feel my innards being stitched back together. Definitely not for "sissies."

I agree with others who found it to be not offensive, exactly, but petty and childish...and IMO, pretty clueless too.

[texaspeach]

Originally Posted by alegna

I think it's funny but I would never wear it.

(and of course there is a time and place for everything- even epidurals)

-Angela

:

I generally don't like shirts with sayings on them. That shirt, and the ones that were at target that said something like sign me up for the epidural are both annoying

[wannabe]

I think it's very funny, but I don't think I'd wear it.

I had an epidural, because I'm a sissy.

I don't understand. Why should it be that a natural physiological process should be painful outside of complications? I'm now firmly convinced that everyone should read the works of Dr. Grantly Dick-Read.

Running a marathon hurts, too. Gas pain hurts, sometimes pooing hurts, vomiting hurts, breastfeeding while pregnant hurts. why should your pelvis coming apart to admit the passage of a skull not hurt?

[meisterfrau]

Originally Posted by texaspeach

I generally don't like shirts with sayings on them. That shirt, and the ones that were at target that said something like sign me up for the epidural are both annoying

Yeah, see, I think this is every bit as clueless. So I surely have no pro-medical-intervention-agenda. Maybe an anti-snappy-sayings-on-a-t-shirt-agenda.