Perhaps treating mothers as stupid during birth undermines
them so much that they become helpless afterwards.
If we tell a woman she doesn't know when she is REALLY in
labor or REALLY ready to push, it will have an effect.
For me, it made me angry enough to protect myself and baby,
to reclaim what I knew.
One first-time expectant mother was a Bradley-educated
speech maker at my LLL meetings prenatally.  Within 24
hours of birth, she needed a hospital visit from me to
reassure her that she DID know what she was doing.  Hers
had been an unmedicated, doula birth.  Her LLL-kid hubby
was unbeatable.  A day of hearing she was incompetant in
reading her body and baby made her crumble.
Pam Easterday  LLLL

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