Ronald Regan made this comment in 1980 about demonstrators who were protesting his agenda in the race for the White House. How many times in history has this been the root cause of why things don't get done, why things don't change, why gridlock is maintained? How many times in our personal relationships is this the root cause of discord, arguments, resentment and eventually dissolution of those relationships?
It's not about democrat or republican, rich or poor, Christian or Muslim, it's about being human. Respecting others because we're human and giving each person a chance to make their statement, speak their voice, and give them credit for having the same faculties we are so sure that we possess. Of course, the instinct is to automatically defend your personal point of view, but what is the harm in listening, pondering, even considering that someone else may have a different point of view that, not only could be a valid option, but could be a better option?
I realize this is an idealistic point of view, perhaps in line with others who have believed that a utopian society can be obtained. I don't believe in a utopian society - that is what heaven will be; perfection - but I do believe in a better society. If we could look past ourselves, truly humble ourselves, then we could see that we are all humans with the same goals. Food, shelter, peace, safety, love and freedom. Are these ideals really too unobtainable? For all our advances, knowledge, history, and wisdom, we're still treating each other like 2 year olds who don't want to share a toy. "It's mine!" "No, it's mine!" "Give me that!" "MOM!!" Haven't we grown past that phase? Can't we move past that phase? Please?
Monday, November 8, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Feeling the pressure from the patriarical medical model
Today my midwifery partners and I were essentially told to stop practicing as midwives and adopt the medical model for managing obstetric patients, with no regard to their risk factors, history or desires. This goes fundamentally against everything I feel and strive to achieve in my career! I feel like I am in a bad dream that keeps getting worse every passing moment.
I've heard all my life about women's rights, the feminist movement, and the inequality between men and women, but I've never considered myself a feminist. I learned in school all about the medical model and how obstetricians, primarily males, have shaped the world of maternity care and have dramatically reduced women's options and voices in their own care. I never thought I'd one day work in an environment that would both fuel the fire of feminism inside me and also continuously try and restrict and remove the choices and rights of the women I am serving in my career. I honestly feel like we are going backward instead of forward in our care for women.
It seems that our physicians are moving more and more towards their comfort zone of intense medical managment when they say again and again how impressed they are with the outcomes we midwives have achieved with our patient population. Despite the fact that we work in a moderately high risk population, we consistantly have cesarean rates that are well below the national average, and almost always below the WHO recommendations. We strive daily to educate, empower and protect the women in our practice, and now we are being told to disregard all our instincts, all our education, training and philosophy of midwifery care to make our doctors happy. And why? Because they are afraid of lawsuits. That's what it ultimately boils down to, and they will admit that fact. But, they don't care, and they will also admit that.
One day, I will either work for a practice in which the physicians are 100% midwifery friendly and supportive, or I will work for a midwifery practice. I honestly can't wait!!
I've heard all my life about women's rights, the feminist movement, and the inequality between men and women, but I've never considered myself a feminist. I learned in school all about the medical model and how obstetricians, primarily males, have shaped the world of maternity care and have dramatically reduced women's options and voices in their own care. I never thought I'd one day work in an environment that would both fuel the fire of feminism inside me and also continuously try and restrict and remove the choices and rights of the women I am serving in my career. I honestly feel like we are going backward instead of forward in our care for women.
It seems that our physicians are moving more and more towards their comfort zone of intense medical managment when they say again and again how impressed they are with the outcomes we midwives have achieved with our patient population. Despite the fact that we work in a moderately high risk population, we consistantly have cesarean rates that are well below the national average, and almost always below the WHO recommendations. We strive daily to educate, empower and protect the women in our practice, and now we are being told to disregard all our instincts, all our education, training and philosophy of midwifery care to make our doctors happy. And why? Because they are afraid of lawsuits. That's what it ultimately boils down to, and they will admit that fact. But, they don't care, and they will also admit that.
One day, I will either work for a practice in which the physicians are 100% midwifery friendly and supportive, or I will work for a midwifery practice. I honestly can't wait!!
Saturday, September 11, 2010
What women want...
It seems that there is always a discussion revolving around natural childbirth vs medicated childbirth, hospital vs birthcenter vs homebirth, and the wants/desires of women in all this. I see a lot of blog posts, articles and webpages dedicated to those who want to bash the medical community and state that all women's bodies know how to birth and that birth should be in the home, etc.
I am very supportive of the women I see who want natural childbirth, and do everything I can to assist them in achieving this goal. But I also see a good number of women who WANT an epidural, who WANT induction (beg for it in fact at a shocking 30-32 weeks pregnant!), who couldn't imagine wanting to breastfeed, and who look at me like I'm crazy for encouraging them to drink water instead of carbonated drinks all day long. I know that these are also the women who would not consider and seek out birthcenters or home birth midwives for their delivery, but they are women who have voices and wants/desires surrounding their birth.
In my current job, I struggle more with trying to convince women that their pregnancy is not a disability or a disease, and believe they they do have the ability to birth their baby vaginally instead of electing to have a cesarean.
Thankfully, I do not work at a practice that offers elective primary cesareans, and that more information is coming out daily to support vaginal delivery and lowering c-section rates. Possibly, over the course of my career, this will become the prevalent thought process surrounding birth.
For the time being, I will continue to work daily to find out exactly what women want and do my best to support their decision.
I am very supportive of the women I see who want natural childbirth, and do everything I can to assist them in achieving this goal. But I also see a good number of women who WANT an epidural, who WANT induction (beg for it in fact at a shocking 30-32 weeks pregnant!), who couldn't imagine wanting to breastfeed, and who look at me like I'm crazy for encouraging them to drink water instead of carbonated drinks all day long. I know that these are also the women who would not consider and seek out birthcenters or home birth midwives for their delivery, but they are women who have voices and wants/desires surrounding their birth.
In my current job, I struggle more with trying to convince women that their pregnancy is not a disability or a disease, and believe they they do have the ability to birth their baby vaginally instead of electing to have a cesarean.
Thankfully, I do not work at a practice that offers elective primary cesareans, and that more information is coming out daily to support vaginal delivery and lowering c-section rates. Possibly, over the course of my career, this will become the prevalent thought process surrounding birth.
For the time being, I will continue to work daily to find out exactly what women want and do my best to support their decision.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Welcome to blogging...
I finally got around to reading my brother's blog today and decided to join the online world of blogging also. I have always been one for journaling, but never with the intent of anyone reading what I write. In fact, I write certain things in my journal with the freedom of believing that no one will read it. So, this will be a different entry in ways, because I expect someone (if only my hubby) will be reading this.
And what does one write in a blog? I know I've read a lot of entries of people I don't even know just because it strikes a cord with me in some way. I guess that's what most of us are looking for...connection to others. Will anyone who reads my entries feel this connection? Maybe. I guess this is a way of sending out feelers to the world and seeing if anyone shares your point of view.
And what does one write in a blog? I know I've read a lot of entries of people I don't even know just because it strikes a cord with me in some way. I guess that's what most of us are looking for...connection to others. Will anyone who reads my entries feel this connection? Maybe. I guess this is a way of sending out feelers to the world and seeing if anyone shares your point of view.
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