I read Jean Cotterman's post and all I could do was shake my head.  I, too,
see mothers whose birth experience has been stolen by institutional belief
systems.  The concept of "learned helplessness" is definately operational,
and it produces birth victims, not women who have an opportunity to
experience themselves as brave and capable.  Un-medicated birth does not
have to be torture.  With doula support, perineal massage, freedom of
movement during labor, no ritual starvation practices, etc, birth can be
exciting and powerful.  We have, indeed, seen a shameful counter-revolution
in birth. I had the great good fortune to hear Michel Odent speak during one
of my pregnancies.  He said something that I'll never forget:  "A woman only
gives birth a few times in her life.  It is a peak experience for her, and
it every care should be given to place it under her own control."  The
problem is, women don't have too many images, except for negative ones, of
what birth can be like.

I realize that by Odent's own reasoning, many women will still chose hospt.
births because that is what they need to feel safe, and there are high risk
pregnancies that make me grateful we have the technology to safely deliver
both baby and mother. But  for normal, uncomplicated birth, we have been
awfully silent about what has been lost in the take-over of childbirth ed.
by institutions, which is really all about psyching women for the birth
exper. they are going to get:  whether they want it or not.  Perhaps we
would do well to explore the ethics of having birth classes sponsored by
hospitals, much in the same way we are beginning to look at the ethics of
having doctors sell things.

I have some hope, which is based on the doula exper.  We do have Kennel and
Klaus's research indicating that just the presence of a doula will lessen
the need for pain relief and produce better birth outcomes.  We can all
advocate for that.

In general, history seems to bear out that women have the kind of birth,
breastfeeding, and child rearing experiences that the culture needs them to
have.  Right now, mothering is devalued in the US culture because women are
more needed in the work force.  Look at how funds are allocated to childrens
services (nutrition, education, child care, housing)  and to maternity
services (hospt. stays, what gets insur. coverage, etc) and you will see how
low maternal-child health issues are in terms of priority.  Kids are on
their own, and women are expected to pop them out and get back to work.  If
you want to know why our work with breastfeeding is so ridiculed and why the
natural childbirth movement was driven into the ground with deliberate
disdain, look at the economics.  What we are all trying to do is very
counter-culture -- a lot in part because natural birth and bfg. support are
time-intensive and hands-on.  Don't expect our job to be easy.

Barbara Wilson-Clay, BSEd, IBCLC
Austin Lactation Associates, Austin, Texas
http://www.jump.net/~bwc/lactnews.html

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