> some kind of obscure TV station (maybe "Discovery"?)has a show
>that consists of the pregnancy and birth stories of different couples - I
>was really shocked at how what I would think of as highly medicalized births
>were shown as normal, over and over again.

This is "The Baby Story" from The Learning Channel.  They do occasionally
show a home birth, a water birth, a natural birth, but the vast majority are
medicalized to the absolute max and presented as perfectly normal.  This is
one way culture gets transmitted -- all those young girls watching "The Baby
Story."  One mother says "I wouldn't get my teeth drilled without an
anesthetic, I wouldn't get my appendix removed without an anesthetic, and
I'm not having a baby with my epidural."  Also lots and lots of doctors
telling women when they are "allowed" to push, and for how long (to the
nurses' count of ten).  Lots of immediate rushing of baby away for vigorous
suctioning, lots of "baby burrito" activity.  Occasional breastfeeding, but
rarely.

Kathy Dettwyler

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