DOCSLIB.ORG

The United State of Birth: a Feminist Critique

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The United State of Birth: a Feminist Critique Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Graduate Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 2011 The nitU ed State of Birth: A Feminist Crique Amanda Hardy Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd Part of the Family, Life Course, and Society Commons Recommended Citation Hardy, Amanda, "The nitU ed State of Birth: A Feminist Crique" (2011). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 10252. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd/10252 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The united state of birth: A feminist critique by Amanda Hardy A dissertation submitted to the graduate faculty in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Major: Human Development and Family Studies Program of Study Committee: Sedahlia Jasper Crase, Co-major Professor Cathy Hockaday, Co-major Professor Susan Maude Dianne Draper Christine Cook Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 2011 Copyright © Amanda Hardy, 2011. All rights reserved. ii DEDICATION It is with great love, sincere respect and the deepest appreciation that I dedicate this project to my mother. If ever a day goes by that I do not say I love you, know that I always do. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION ii LIST OF FIGURES vii LIST OF TABLES viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ix ABSTRACT xii GLOSSARY xiii AUTHOR‟S STATEMENT xiv BACKGROUND INFORMATION xvii CHAPTER 1 1 Theoretical Perspective 4 Goals of Feminist Research 4 Assumptions of Feminist Research 6 CHAPTER 2 7 A Brief History of Childbirth in America 8 Birth in Colonial America 11 Maternity Hospitals 16 The Move From Home to Hospital 17 The Iatrogenic Condition of Birth 21 A Propaganda Campaign 24 The Birth of Surgical Birth 29 The Birth of Twilight Sleep 31 The Pregnancy Factory 33 The Rebirth of Nature 34 The Future of Birth 40 iv Modern Day Birth 43 Birth by the Numbers 43 Physiological Childbirth 46 The Effects of Childbirth 47 The Woman – The Mother 47 The Child 55 CHAPTER 3 60 Methodology and Theoretical Perspective 60 Participants 61 Procedures 65 Quality and Rigor 72 Challenges and Ethical Considerations 76 Presentation of Findings 78 CHAPTER 4 81 Part I 82 Eleanor‟s Story: The Bumper Sticker 82 Emma‟s Story: A Perfectly Healthy Little Girl 88 Isabella‟s Story: The Next Appointment 93 Judy‟s Story: A Real Mom 99 Layla‟s Story: The Power of a Positive Friend 103 Molly‟s Story: My Triathlon 107 Cassandra‟s Story: The First Moments 112 Lily‟s Story: Crunchy Granola 115 Dr. Steven Reid: My House and My Horse 119 Jessica‟s Story: This is Top Secret 125 Paige‟s Story: One Woman at a Time 136 Part II 141 Theme 1: I‟m a Person, Not a Chart 142 Theme 2: Risk and Liability 145 Theme 3: It Takes a Village 148 Theme 4: Who Is In Charge Here? Power, Control, and Informed Consent 151 Theme 5: Asking Questions and Self-Advocating 154 Theme 6: Fear 158 v Theme 7: The Power of Perception 161 Theme 8: Health Reports 168 The Baby: Un-finding 172 Summary of Part II 174 Results from Cohort Group 176 CHAPTER 5 179 Future Directions 181 Limitations 182 Final Thoughts 183 REFERENCES 186 APPENDIX A: RECRUITMENT FLYER 202 APPENDIX B: PROFESSIONAL RECRUITMENT LETTER 203 APPENDIX C: RESEARCH SUMMARY SHEET 204 APPENDIX D: INTERVIEW SUMMARY SHEET 206 APPENDIX E: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS 207 APPENDIX F: TRANSCRIPTION NOTES FORM 209 APPENDIX G: EXAMPLE OF USE OF TRANSCRIPTION NOTES FORM 210 APPENDIX H: EXCERPTS FROM TRANSCRIPTS 211 APPENDIX I: CODEBOOK 255 APPENDIX J: THIRTY-SEVEN INITIAL BROAD CATEGORIES 267 APPENDIX K: BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF EACH INITIAL CATEGORY 268 vi APPENDIX L: TALLY SHEET 279 APPENDIX M: TABLE REPRESENTING HOW CATEGORIES COMBINED 281 APPENDIX N: PRELIMINARY RESULTS DOCUMENT 282 APPENDIX O: INSTRUCTIONS AND FEEDBACK FORM FOR REVIEWERS 290 APPENDIX P: EMAIL TO PARTICIPANTS 292 APPENDIX Q: SELECTED EXCERPTS 293 APPENDIX R: APPROVED HUMAN SUBJECTS DOCUMENTS 296 vii List of Figures Figure 1: Timeline Representing Pivotal Moments in U.S. Childbirth History………... 10 Figure 2: Representation of the Circular Logic of the Use of Instruments in Birth…….. 15 Figure 3: Visual Representation of Data Analysis……………………………………… 68 Figure 4: Matrix Reflecting Original Research Questions with Corresponding Themes………………………………………………………………………………….. 174 Figure 5: Graphic Representation of Themes…………………………………………... 176 Figure 6: 1970s Cohort Graphic………………………………………………………… 177 Figure 7: 1980s Cohort Graphic………………………………………………………… 178 Figure 8: 1990s Cohort Graphic………………………………………………………… 178 viii List of Tables Table 1: All Women Participants with Information Related to First Birth……………...... 63 Table 2: Professional Participants………………………………………………………… 65 ix ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I have to, first and foremost, offer praise and gratitude to God. I have often questioned the various puzzle pieces of my life – my journey – and how they all fit together, but in the past years I have felt a sincere sense of clarity and purpose like never before. I am truly grateful for God‟s provision and love for me and I trust that his plans are indeed great. I need to thank my family for the unwavering support and encouragement throughout this entire experience. To my husband, Keiser, who tolerated all the highs and lows with love, grace, and patience – thank you. To my mother, father, and sister who have always been my biggest cheerleaders. The three of you have also been the best childcare providers any mother could ever dream of, and as such, have offered my son some unbelievable and amazing childhood moments. To Jack, my son, because of our experience together during your birth my life has been changed. Those experiences were deeply empowering for me and I will treasure them for the rest of my life. However, Jack, I thank you most of all simply for being you -- thank you for being the amazing, wonderful, kind, patient, understanding, and sweet little boy that you are. I am so blessed by you! Sedahlia, I am so honored to call myself one of your students. Most of all, to know that I had the distinguished honor to be one of your post-retirement students is very special and for that I am forever grateful. I have struggled over recent days to articulate all the things you have “taught” me over the past few years. It turns out it is hard to measure such things! Being randomly assigned to you as a new student in the department was so very serendipitous and I am so appreciative of that fortunate accident. I cannot imagine my x experience at Iowa State, this research project, or my life without your involvement. Thank you for all that you have been and for all that I am sure you will continue to be. Cathy I have thoroughly enjoyed working with you on this research and having you be a part of my life. I have enjoyed getting to know you and the way in which you have guided and supported me during this entire process. I am grateful for your honesty and your humor and the way in which they both have offered me so much personally and professionally. I look forward to continued collaboration with you in the future. I am confident any chance I get to work with you will be fun-filled! Sedahlia and Cathy you have truly mothered me – nurtured and lovingly supported me – through this entire doctoral process. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart! To the members of my committee, Dianne Draper, Chris Cook, and Susan Maude I also feel honored and grateful to each of you for your various roles in my life over the past few years and specifically for your willingness to serve on my committee. I have had amazing opportunities to learn from each of you in the classroom, and in one capacity or another each served as a mentor to me in various contexts. For both of these roles I want to say I appreciate you and the way you have impacted my life and my academic experience – thank you. To my professional and academic colleagues: specifically, thanks to the members of my “nerd group,” Aryn, Jason, Nancy, and Jen for being by my side (and often holding my hand) throughout this process. Your wisdom, guidance, and friendship have made a tremendous impact on my life and on this project – thank you. Haley and Tara, you are both beloved friends and I am so very grateful to both of you for sharing your gifts, talents, and xi lives with me. You have each been wonderfully supportive of me, and this project, and I am so blessed to have had you both with me on this journey. More so, I am grateful for the roles you have played in my life, and the life of this project; I anticipate, with much joy, opportunities for future collaboration with you. Last, but most certainly not least, I offer my sincerest appreciation and gratitude to the women and men who shared their deeply personal life experiences with me as participants in this study. You have each taught me so much! Without your kindness and willingness to participate, this project would be nothing. My experiences with each of you have both shaped and changed this research project in ways I could have never imagined, but not insignificantly they have also shaped and changed me personally. It is the latter that will endure, and for this I am truly grateful. Thank you for sharing your stories with me, thank you for being part of this study, and most of all thank you for being a part of my life.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Impact of Whole Systems Traditional Chinese Medicine on in Vitro Fertilization Outcomes
    HHS Public Access Author manuscript Author Manuscript Author ManuscriptReprod Author ManuscriptBiomed Online. Author Manuscript Author manuscript; available in PMC 2016 June 01. Published in final edited form as: Reprod Biomed Online. 2015 June ; 30(6): 602–612. doi:10.1016/j.rbmo.2015.02.005. Impact of Whole Systems Traditional Chinese Medicine on In Vitro Fertilization Outcomes Lee E. Hullender Rubina, Michael S. Opsahlb, Klaus Wiemerb, Scott D. Mistc, and Aaron B. Caugheyc aOregon College of Oriental Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, 75 NW Couch St, Portland Oregon, 97210, USA bNorthwest Center for Reproductive Sciences, Kirkland, Washington; Poma Fertility, Kirkland, Washingon, USA cOregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA Abstract Patients undergoing IVF patients may receive either acupuncture or whole-systems traditional Chinese medicine (WS-TCM) as an adjuvant IVF treatment. WS-TCM is a complex intervention that can include acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, dietary, lifestyle recommendations, or both. In this retrospective cohort study, 1231 IVF patient records were reviewed to assess the effect of adjuvant WS-TCM on IVF outcomes compared among three groups: IVF with no additional treatment; IVF and elective acupuncture on day of embryo transfer; or IVF and elective WS-TCM. The primary outcome was live birth. Of 1069 non-donor cycles, WS-TCM was associated with greater odds of live birth compared with IVF alone (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 2.09; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.36 to 3.21), or embryo transfer with acupuncture only (AOR 1.62; 95% CI 1.04 to 2.52). Of 162 donor cycles, WS-TCM was associated with increased live births compared with all groups (odds Ratio [OR] 3.72; 95% CI 1.05 to 13.24, unadjusted] or embryo transfer with acupuncture only (OR 4.09; 95% CI: 1.02 to 16.38, unadjusted).
    [Show full text]
  • Statement on Unassisted Birth Attended by a Doula
    Statement On Unassisted Birth Attended by a Doula _______________________________________________________ Definition Unassisted childbirth – the process of intentionally giving birth without the assistance of a medical or professional birth attendant – is a decision made by a very small percentage of parents. DONA International certified and member doulas provide physical, informational and emotional support. Any type of medical or clinical assistance is outside the scope of practice agreed upon by DONA International certified and member doulas. DONA International opines herein on the considerations a doula must make when accepting clients planning an unassisted birth. Introduction Unassisted childbirth (UC) refers to the process of intentionally giving birth without the assistance of a medical or professional birth attendant. UC is also sometimes referred to as free birth, DIY (do-it-yourself) birth, unhindered birth and couples birth. In response to the recent growth in interest over UC, several national medical societies, including the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canadai, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologistsii, and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologistsiii, have issued strongly worded public statements warning against the practice. Professional midwives' associations, including the Royal College of Midwivesiv and the American College of Nurse-Midwivesv also caution against UC. Those who promote UCvi claim the practice offers mothers-to-be a natural way of welcoming their child into the world, free from drugs, machinery and medical intervention. They also note that UC allows a woman to listen to her body's signals rather than coaching from an outsider. The women who are choosing UC may do so because they do not feel supported and respected in the obstetrical care facilities available in their areas, or they are unable to afford or obtain home midwifery or physician support, which is more in line with their philosophies.
    [Show full text]
  • Birthing Outside the System: Trauma and Autonomy in Maternity Care
    PDF hosted at the Radboud Repository of the Radboud University Nijmegen The following full text is a publisher's version. For additional information about this publication click this link. http://hdl.handle.net/2066/201204 Please be advised that this information was generated on 2021-10-07 and may be subject to change. Birthing outside the system: system: the Birthing outside Uitnodiging voor het bijwonen van de openbare verdediging van mijn proefschrift Birthing outside the system: trauma and autonomy in maternity care op dinsdag 19 maart 2019 om 14:30 uur in de Aula van de Radboud Universiteit trauma and autonomy in maternity care in maternity autonomy and trauma Comeniuslaan 2, Nijmegen. U bent van harte welkom bij deze plechtigheid en de aansluitende receptie. Martine Hollander [email protected] | Martine Helene Hollander Martine Helene Birthing outside the system: trauma and autonomy in maternity care Paranimfen Lianne Holten [email protected] Martine Helene Hollander Claire Stramrood [email protected] Birthing outside the system: trauma and autonomy in maternity care Martine Helene Hollander 528107-L-sub01-bw-Hollander Processed on: 23-1-2019 PDF page: 1 ISBN 978-94-028-1373-9 Design/lay-out Promotie In Zicht, Arnhem Print Ipskamp Printing, Enschede © M.H. Hollander, 2019 All rights are reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior written permission of the author. 528107-L-sub01-bw-Hollander Processed on: 23-1-2019 PDF page: 2 Birthing outside the system: trauma and autonomy in maternity care Proefschrift ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor aan de Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen op gezag van de rector magnificus prof.
    [Show full text]
  • Twilight Sleep)
    r c E X LIBRIS - I :I a ML WOOD Property .F LIBRARY This Accession is part of the BOOK COLLECTION of The WOOD LIBRARY-MUSEUM OF ANESTHESIOLOGY, Inc. 195 Acknowledgment is made to donor Property of Accession ... .. ... .. ... .... SIr AMNESIA AID ANALGESIA IN PARTURITION (TWILIGHT SLEEP) AMNESIA AND ANALGESIA IN PARTURITION (TWILIGHT SLEEP) BY ALFRED M. HELLMAN, B.A., M.D., F.A.C.S. ADJUNCT ATTENDING GYNECOLOGIST AND OBSTETRICIAN LEBANON HOSPITAL, ATTENDING GYNECOLOGIST GERMAN HOSPITAL DISPENSARY, FELLOW NEW YORK ACADEMY OF MEDICINE, ETC., ETC. NEW YORK PAUL B. HOEBER 1915 WOOD LIBRAAY-MUSEUM Accession. o r. .......... Copyright, 1915, BY PAUL B. HOEBER Published July, 1915 Printed in the United States of America AUTHOR'S NOTE IT is a great pleasure to have this oppor- tunity to thank the German clinicians for their unfailing courtesy, and my attending physician, Dr. Gustav Seeligmann, for his kindness in allowing me to use the obstet- rical material at the Lebanon Hospital. I desire to express my appreciation to the authorities of that institution and to its house staff and nurses for their assistance. Special thanks are due to Mr. Paul B. Hoeber, at whose request this book was written, for his help and many suggestions. ALFRED M. HELLMAN. 2 WEST 86TH STREET, NEW YORK. June, 1915. INTRODUCTION Tins little monograph had its origin in the desire of many of the author's medical friends to obtain a clear conception of the much discussed "Twilight Sleep." They seem to require a presentation of all the facts in one small book, as they have not the time to delve into the more than one hundred volumes that contain information on the subject.
    [Show full text]
  • Experiences of Women Who Have Planned Unassisted Home Births: a Systematic Review Protocol
    SYSTEMATIC REVIEW PROTOCOL Experiences of women who have planned unassisted home births: a systematic review protocol 1 1 2,3 Danielle Macdonald Josephine Etowa Melissa Helwig 1School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada, 2W.K. Kellogg Health Sciences Library, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada, and 3Aligning Health Needs and Evidence for Transformative Change (AH-NET-C): a Joanna Briggs Institute Centre of Excellence Review question/objective: The objective of this review is to identify, appraise and synthesize the qualitative evidence on the experiences of women in high resource countries who have planned unassisted home births. This qualitative review aims to answer the following question: what are the experiences of women who have planned unassisted home births? Keywords Freebirth; unassisted birth; unassisted home birth JBI Database System Rev Implement Rep 2019; 17(1):16–21. Introduction urging of physicians for reasons such as safety and 11 here are many decisions that women and family hygiene. This new, innovative medical model of birthing in hospitals slowly became normative after T members face as they prepare for the birth of a 12 new child. Place of birth and the type of healthcare World War II. As women and families came to provider for perinatal care are two common consid- associate hospital birth with safety, their interest and erations for women and families. For many women, trust in home births dwindled. In countries like a hospital is the preferred location for labor and Canada and the United States, in the 1970–80 s delivery, attended by a physician.1 Increasingly, in the home birth movement emerged in response to high resource countries,2,3 women and families are the misuse of obstetrical interventions, less than ideal birthing experiences and lack of choice for non- choosing to have midwifery care and home births 12 attended by midwives.4 normative ways of birthing.
    [Show full text]
  • Trends in Midwifery in the United States
    TRENDS IN MIDWIFERY !IN THE UNITED STATES ! ! By! ! ! Alexandra !P. Alvarez Advised! by Dr. Dawn! Neill ! ! ANT 461,! 462 Senior !Project Social Sciences! Department College of Liberal! Arts California Polytechnic! State University Winter,! 2014 ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Table of Contents Research Proposal…………………………………………………… P. i Annotated Bibliographies…………………………………………… P. ii Outline. ……………………………………………………………….P. xii Abstract……………………………………………………………… P. 1 Introduction………………………………………………………….. P. 2 A Brief History of Midwives in the United States…………………. P. 4 A Brief History of Medical Interventions…………………………. P. 7 Midwifery and Hospital Births Today in the United States……….P. 13 Conclusion..…………………………………………………………..P. 22 References……………………………………………………………P. 24 ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Alvarez i Research Proposal! ! Midwives are becoming more popular in recent years, and a rising percentage of women have been choosing midwives over doctors. Originally midwives were mostly used by minority women, but now more caucasian women are finding midwives to be a natural and preferable way to give birth. Due to this change in trend, midwives are becoming more accepted in society. The intent of this project is to research and define the reasons behind the changing trends of midwifery in the United States. Specifically, if this changing trend has to deal with interventions, such as pitocin or cesarean sections, by doctors to speed up the delivery process. This will be achieved through the review of the literature on midwives and hospital births, as well as viewing documentaries pertaining to home births and hospital births. I hope to find a pattern among my research that will bring to light the reasons for this changing trend in birth. ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Alvarez ii Annotated Bibliographies Rochman, B. (2012, June 25). Midwife mania? more u.s.
    [Show full text]
  • Home Birth in Saskatchewan
    Home Birth in Saskatchewan Childbirth is a life-changing experience. Many expectant parents may want to take some time to research, explore, and think about their choices for childbirth and the type of birth experience they want to have. There are personal, cultural, religious, medical, economic, and other reasons why some women may prefer one birth setting over another. Both home and hospital births are valid, well-researched options. When considering a home (out of hospital) birth, some women may consider an unassisted home delivery, also known as a “freebirth”. This is when women choose to birth at home without a licensed prenatal care provider (i.e., family physician, registered midwife, or obstetrician). Instead, they give birth by themselves or with other unlicensed birth attendants, such as doulas, friends, or their partners. All women want to have a positive birth experience and a healthy baby. It is possible for women to plan for the childbirth experience they want, while still working with a licensed prenatal care provider. It takes open and honest communication between women, partners, and healthcare providers. This resource is designed for pregnant women who are thinking about having a home delivery unassisted by a licensed prenatal care provider. It highlights the importance of having a licensed prenatal care provider present. This resource also outlines the potential risks of having an unassisted home delivery. Women can use this information to make informed decisions about their childbirth. It is important for women to know that if they birth at home without a licensed prenatal care provider, both they and their babies are at an increased risk of poor health outcomes.
    [Show full text]
  • Birthing Outside the System: Trauma and Autonomy in Maternity Care
    Birthing outside the system: trauma and autonomy in maternity care Martine Helene Hollander Birthing outside the system: trauma and autonomy in maternity care Proefschrift ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor aan de Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen op gezag van de rector magnificus prof. dr. J.H.J.M. van Krieken, volgens besluit van het college van decanen in het openbaar te verdedigen op dinsdag 19 maart 2019 om 14.30 uur precies door ISBN 978-94-028-1373-9 Design/lay-out Martine Helene Hollander Promotie In Zicht, Arnhem geboren op 11 januari 1975 te Leiderdorp Print Ipskamp Printing, Enschede © M.H. Hollander, 2019 All rights are reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior written permission of the author. Promotoren Contents Prof. dr. F.P.H.A. Vandenbussche Prof. dr. J.A.M. van der Post (Amsterdam UMC) Chapter 1 General introduction 7 Copromotoren Chapter 2 Women refusing standard obstetric care: maternal-fetal conflict 19 Dr. J. van Dillen or doctor-patient conflict? Legal and ethical considerations Dr. E. de Miranda (Amsterdam UMC) Chapter 3 Women’s motivations for choosing a high risk birth setting 31 Manuscriptcommissie against medical advice in the Netherlands: a qualitative analysis Prof. dr. A.E.M. Speckens Chapter 4 Fulfilling a need. Holistic midwifery in the Netherlands: 59 Prof. dr. S.A. Scherjon (Universitair Medisch Centrum Groningen) a qualitative analysis Dr. A. de Jonge (Amsterdam UMC) Chapter 5 ‘She convinced me’- Partner involvement in choosing a high 91 risk birth setting against medical advice in the Netherlands: a qualitative analysis.
    [Show full text]
  • “TO GO on DOING BABBITTS”: RECONTEXTUALIZING TWILIGHT SLEEP AS LEWISIAN SATIRE by SARAH JEANNE SCHAITKIN a Thesis Submitted
    “TO GO ON DOING BABBITTS”: RECONTEXTUALIZING TWILIGHT SLEEP AS LEWISIAN SATIRE BY SARAH JEANNE SCHAITKIN A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS English December 2013 Winston Salem, North Carolina Approved By: Barry Maine, Ph.D., Advisor Erica Still, Ph.D., Chair Rian Bowie, Ph.D. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There are so many people to whom I owe my sincerest gratitude, for without their support I would not have been able to undertake this project and complete this degree. First and foremost, I would like to thank my dad for his constant support, encouragement, and love. Without his upbeat texts and calls I would long since have given up. Thank you to Tom Lambert, for loving me, believing in me, and taking a genuine interest in my work. Thank you to my advisor, Barry Maine, for giving me both constructive feedback and the space to work independently. Thank you to my friends and family for keeping me abreast of happenings outside my own work-bubble and for listening to me as I doubted myself and hit my limit. Thank you to Nicole Fitzpatrick for being my escape from work and for rarely saying no to takeout. A special thank you to my roommate and constant companion, Katie Williams, for being both my playmate and academic confidante. I shudder to think about what this process would have been like without you (and our signature snack—pizza rolls). ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT.
    [Show full text]
  • Freebirth, Unassisted Pregnancy and Unassisted Birth • Aims.Org.Uk
    Page 1 of 6 Freebirth, Unassisted Pregnancy and Unassisted Birth • aims.org.uk Freebirth, Unassisted Pregnancy and Unassisted Birth What are freebirth and unassisted childbirth? There is no specific definition of freebirth, but broadly speaking, a woman freebirths when she intentionally gives birth to her baby without a midwife or doctor present. Some women prefer to use the term ‘unassisted childbirth’ or UC to describe this. This is different from the situation where a mother births without medical support unintentionally, either because a midwife refuses to attend a homebirth or because she births before her midwife can get there. The latter is classed as Born Before Arrival (BBA). Freebirthing is an entirely legal thing to do, but freebirthers often report stigma and condemnation for giving birth this way. The legal position is explained in this factsheet from the charity Birthrights www.birthrights.org.uk/factsheets/unassisted-birth Freebirth is an umbrella term for a variety of pregnancy and birthing journeys. What is unassisted pregnancy? Freebirthers may choose to have some, all, or no antenatal care. ‘Unassisted pregnancy’ is the term most frequently used to describe the situation when a woman decides to have no antenatal care from a midwife or doctor at all. Women are not obliged to inform any health services about their pregnancies, as antenatal care is offered and not compulsory. Most freebirthing women do register their pregnancies with a midwife or GP. However, a small number of women will decide not to. An unassisted pregnancy is an active, legitimate and legal decision to not pursue antenatal care, and it should be respected as such.
    [Show full text]
  • View / Open Adkins Carrie Pauline Ma2010sp
    MORE PERFECT WOMEN, MORE PERFECT MEDICINE: WOMEN AND THE EVOLUTION OF OBSTETRICS AND GThTECOLOGY, 1880-1920 by CARRIE PAULThTE ADKINS A THESIS Presented to the Department ofHistory and the Graduate School ofthe University of Oregon in partial fulfillment ofthe requirements for the degree of Master ofArts June 2010 11 "More Perfect Women, More Perfect Medicine: Women and the Evolution ofObstetrics and Gynecology, 1880-1920," a thesis prepared by Carrie Pauline Adkins in partial fulfillment ofthe requirements for the Master ofArts degree in the Department of History. This thesis has been approved and accepted by: Dr. Ellen Hermin, Chair ofthe Examining Committee Committee in Charge: Dr. Ellen Herman, Chair Dr. James Mohr Dr. Peggy Pascoe Accepted by: Dean ofthe Graduate School III © 2010 Carrie Pauline Adkins IV An Abstract ofthe Thesis of Carrie Pauline Adkins for the degree of Master ofArts in the Department ofHistory to be taken June 2010 Title: MORE PERFECT WOMEN, MORE PERFECT MEDICINE: WOMEN AND THE EVOLUTION OF OBSTETRICS AND GY1\fECOLOGY, 1880-1920 Approved: _d Dr. Ellen Herman This thesis argues that women were instrumental in creating the period of transformation that took place in American obstetrics and gynecology during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Historians have emphasized the ways that male physicians victimized female patients, but in the academic, professional, and public worlds, women directly influenced these specialties. As intellectuals and educators, women challenged existing ideas about their presence in academia and shaped evolving medical school curricula. As specialists, they debated the ethics ofoperative gynecology and participated in the medical construction ofthe female body.
    [Show full text]
  • Unassisted Birth Among the Piro of Amazonian Peru
    JASO 3111 (2000): 31-43 WOMEN'S STRENGTH: UNASSISTED BIRTH AMONG THE PIRO OF AMAZONIAN PERU LUISA EL VI RA BELAUNDE OF all the exploits attributed to indigenous women by colonists in the Amazon, the alleged ability to give birth unaided might be closer to reality than fantasy. Amongst several indigenous groups, women do give birth unassisted or with very little help, in spite of growing pressure from medical institutions to introduce mod­ em midwifery ~n the area. The widespread practice of unassisted birth, however, has largely escaped social analysis and is usually mentioned solely as a matter of factual description. For instance, in his ethnography of the Colombian Cubeo, Goldman (1963: 167) states: 'I have seen a pregnant woman leave for her manioc garden and return later in the afternoon with a new-born baby'. A similar account is found in Cardenas's study of the Peruvian Shipibo: 'When the moment of the delivery approaches, the woman looks for an isolated spot-generally she goes into the forest-and she gives birth without help or witnesses. This form of self­ reliant delivery is a sign of feminine pride and decorum' (1989: 215, my transla­ tion). Both ethnographic studies report that assistance for the delivery is provided in advance only in the case of first-time mothers or if complications are expected at birth following a difficult pregnancy. We are told that women usually prefer to I am particularly grateful to the people of Diamante for their hospitality and help. A pre­ vious version of this paper was presented at the University of F1orianapolis, Brazil, and the University of Manchester, UK.
    [Show full text]