"When it comes to war, I think it's the only thing that God would actually damn. I strongly believe that. To have a mother's sensibility you don't need to be female; you don't even have to have children. You just need to have a soul that cares about the future more than you care about yourself. That's what mothering is--laying down your life for the young so they can grow up into full people."
--Sally Fields
Monday, February 25, 2008
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Friday, February 8, 2008
a better acog rebutal
A well done, point by point rebutal of the ACOG press release on homebirth:
http://saffrondoula-coloradosprings.blogspot.com/
http://saffrondoula-coloradosprings.blogspot.com/
tangled up in blue
You like? It will look even better once I weave in the ends.Inspired by the Thrifty Knitter's Stash Shawl http://thriftyknitter.com/?p=135 and my ever increasing stash sprawl I decided to knit a blue shawl. Unfortunately, the process of following the pattern caused tangle upon tangle and so slow going.
Still it did a fine job eating some of my stash and I'm pleased with the results.
ACOG's witch hunt
First Ricky Lake made a movie, the Business of Being Born, inspired by her own homebirth and actor John C. McGinley (Scrubs) and his wife Nichole had a baby at home and People magazine wrote a nice blurb about it.
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20175819,00.html
Then ACOG (the American College of Obs and Gyns) felt so threatened they issued a press release reiterating their "long-standing opposition to home births" http://acog.org/from_home/publications/press_releases/nr02-06-08-2.cfm in which they state:
"Childbirth decisions should not be dictated or influenced by what's fashionable, trendy, or the latest cause célèbre. Despite the rosy picture painted by home birth advocates, a seemingly normal labor and delivery can quickly become life-threatening for both the mother and baby. "
Apparently childbirth decisions should only be influenced by celebrities choosing planned cesareans.
ICAN (International Cesarean Awareness Network) has published their response at http://www.ican-online.org/, in which they publicly condemn ACOG.
The Big Push for Midwives also responded calling ACOG out of touch with the needs of childbearing families and accusing them of trying to play the bad mother card. http://www.birthpolicy.org/pushnews.aspx
All of ACOG's press release is infuriating, but to me the low point is when they say in the last paragraph:
"Choosing to deliver a baby at home, however, is to place the process of giving birth over the goal of having a healthy baby."
Not only does this basically call any woman choosing a homebirth selfish, but it creates a false dichotomy by suggesting that choosing the best birth for her is somehow separate from what will create a healthy outcome for her baby. What is good for the mother is good for the baby, and what is good for the baby is good for the mother. It is outrageous to suggest that homebirth endangers babies, when homebirth promotes empowering births for women, without medication (which we know carries risks for babies), and with a much lower risk of cesarean outcomes (which also carries risks for babies). By guarding against the unnecessary separation of the mother/baby unit (which decreases the risk of postpartum depression and increases the colonization of the baby with healthy bacteria from the mother, among other benefits) and promoting breastfeeding, while protecting the mother/baby from the antibiotic resistant germs that are most commonly found in hospitals, homebirth does much to ensure the health of the baby.
ACOG propagates the myth that birth is likely to turn unpredictably dangerous at any moment to try to gain a monopoly over the business of providing care for birthing women. The Big Push is right on the money when they call ACOG "a trade union representing the financial and professional interests of obstetricians".
I previously blogged about midwifery in trouble in Iowa and Missouri. Here's what's happening in Pennsylvannia. http://forum.baby-gaga.com/about116222.html
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20175819,00.html
Then ACOG (the American College of Obs and Gyns) felt so threatened they issued a press release reiterating their "long-standing opposition to home births" http://acog.org/from_home/publications/press_releases/nr02-06-08-2.cfm in which they state:
"Childbirth decisions should not be dictated or influenced by what's fashionable, trendy, or the latest cause célèbre. Despite the rosy picture painted by home birth advocates, a seemingly normal labor and delivery can quickly become life-threatening for both the mother and baby. "
Apparently childbirth decisions should only be influenced by celebrities choosing planned cesareans.
ICAN (International Cesarean Awareness Network) has published their response at http://www.ican-online.org/, in which they publicly condemn ACOG.
The Big Push for Midwives also responded calling ACOG out of touch with the needs of childbearing families and accusing them of trying to play the bad mother card. http://www.birthpolicy.org/pushnews.aspx
All of ACOG's press release is infuriating, but to me the low point is when they say in the last paragraph:
"Choosing to deliver a baby at home, however, is to place the process of giving birth over the goal of having a healthy baby."
Not only does this basically call any woman choosing a homebirth selfish, but it creates a false dichotomy by suggesting that choosing the best birth for her is somehow separate from what will create a healthy outcome for her baby. What is good for the mother is good for the baby, and what is good for the baby is good for the mother. It is outrageous to suggest that homebirth endangers babies, when homebirth promotes empowering births for women, without medication (which we know carries risks for babies), and with a much lower risk of cesarean outcomes (which also carries risks for babies). By guarding against the unnecessary separation of the mother/baby unit (which decreases the risk of postpartum depression and increases the colonization of the baby with healthy bacteria from the mother, among other benefits) and promoting breastfeeding, while protecting the mother/baby from the antibiotic resistant germs that are most commonly found in hospitals, homebirth does much to ensure the health of the baby.
ACOG propagates the myth that birth is likely to turn unpredictably dangerous at any moment to try to gain a monopoly over the business of providing care for birthing women. The Big Push is right on the money when they call ACOG "a trade union representing the financial and professional interests of obstetricians".
I previously blogged about midwifery in trouble in Iowa and Missouri. Here's what's happening in Pennsylvannia. http://forum.baby-gaga.com/about116222.html
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