Urban Midwifery

Visual ethnography exploring issues associated with out-of-hospital birth choices in the San Fransico Bay area. Director Laura Garland 2006 San Fransico State University.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Midwife
• midwives
• urban
• laura
• garland
• san
• fransico
• sage
• femme
• anthropology
• ethnography
• pregnancy
• health

[WeThePeopleRleaders]

my mom cant take pain and she ended up with an c-section, but i will accept it because it is part of life. I am not afraid of giving birth and I dont think the family needs to know about my choice either bc they are going to yell, kick and scream about me not being in a hospital.

[Happyone4]

It isn't by default that I believe that-it is due to my own two births that I believe that, along with the friends and family I have that were safe as well as the stats...but I understand what you are saying-if I had seen something of that nature, I would likely feel differently as well. Glad you aren't anti-midwife though, that's all I was trying to get at, that women shouldn't fear them and I agree they shouldn't get over confident-nor should a Dr. Take care. =)

[a1mint]

Fact is, I've seen a natural birth go near fatal.

You seem to think that "by default" women are always safe. This is not true. Mankind clearly have de-evolved to a point where they *need* help and intervention. I'm not saying that some intervention is warranted.

But again, I'm not anti midwife any longer.

[a1mint]

The meds midwives carry are limited. The hospital has a lot more means to stop bleeding.

I've seen a birth taking too long, then got transfered to hospital, then a close bleeding to death, which was addressed with method not available to the midwife in a home setting.

Look, I'm not anti midwife any longer, because I understand that they can (should) assess when to move to the hospital for help. Too slow progress is one of those reasons.

As long as midwifes don't get too overconfident...

[Happyone4]

And if you were talking about women in some other countries (as mentioned earlier) you are correct many have died from bleeding to death-this is due to the fact that those specific countries mistreat women in general and are poor countries where Midwives are sadly unable to afford the proper kits needed to treat the women in their care...but that is not the case in the USA or in many other countries where midwifery care actually out numbers OB style care. =)

[Happyone4]

Midwives carry the proper meds. needed to stop hemorrhage...it's a common misconception that a midwife simply comes to "catch the baby" "ill prepared"...when in reality they carry oxygen and even Pitocin...they basically come with everything a Neonatal ambulance carries just in case they need to use it. They simply are not surgeons-therefore IF a C-section ends up needing to be done the woman is transferred. Midwives can catch a problem in plenty of time to get a woman safely and quickly there.

[a1mint]

Infections aren't the only complications. Bleeding to death is another one.

[Happyone4]

It is never cut and dry in a hospital either.

[Happyone4]

Again, not true. Women died in the past due to complications due to infections-because so much science was lacking at the time about how to keep things sterile...not because they delivered naturally. Those women who die in "poor countries" is usually due to the fact they are high risk or do not eat properly while expecting due to a lack of healthy food, and prenatal care...again, not because they are giving birth through their vagina. For a low-risk, healthy woman natural birth is an option. =)

[Happyone4]

Not true-plenty of women are able to have a natural vaginal, drug-free birth. =)