I was away, and missed the last language thread, which someone just wrote me
about.
It would be interesting for those who want Fio's correctly-worded French
sheet just to take the ones they already have at work, *invert them*, and
present them for discussion at the next staff meeting: why don't we say it
this way, what are we saying when we say it the way we do, shouldn't we be
heading in this new direction, what small steps can we take to begin doing
so, is there *any other health issue* we handle in such a bizarre,
back-handed way, and so on.
Just posing it as an interesting philosophical point would be valuable: are
breastfed kids *really* "smarter"? Smarter than what? Is there a
difference in meaning between average and normal? How would we describe the
risks of lung cancer to members of a US community where most adults smoke?
Should their cigarette packages read: "Surgeon General's Encouragement:
Not smoking during pregnancy may result in fetal health, term birth, and
average birth weight"?
Incidentally, I hand out the standard doula flyer in my prenatal packets,
but I've started adding a note. The figures in the flyer are taken from
Marshall Klaus's excellent research compilations and state that the presence
of a doula results in:
50% decrease in cesarean sections
25% decrease in length of labor
30% decrease in use of forceps
40% decrease in use of oxytocin
60% decrease in use of epidurals
30% decrease in use of pain medications
I now stick in a note that says, "'Advantages of Labor Support' is written
as if hospital births are the way birth has always been and doulas are a
wonderful new idea. But how would it be written if having a skilled woman
in attendance is the way birth has always been, and hospitals are the new
idea? Then it would read like this:
'Recent controlled trials involving over 1000 women demonstrate that a
hospital birth without a Labor Assistant results in:
100% increase in cesarean sections, or twice as many
33% increase in length of labor
43% increase in use of forceps
67% increase in use of oxytocin
150% increase in use of epidurals, or 2 1/2 times as many
43% increase in use of pain medications'
Why take unnecessary risks? Hire a doula!"
Diane Wiessinger, MS, IBCLC Ithaca, NY, who can't think of any finer legacy
than being remembered for "wiessingerizing" :-)
www.wiessinger.baka.com
(By the way, how many formula reps does it take to make popcorn? Five. One
to hold the pot and four to shake the stove...)
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