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Subject:
From:
Michael Reeder <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 31 May 1999 16:30:21 -0400
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Hi all, 
I have been thinking about the baby bath thread and also about the epidural
rates as well.  I keep wondering why they both bother me so much and why
they are both embraced by our many peoples current thoughts on birthing
experiences.  I think it is because our world in general is just too tidy
and packaged.  We don't ever have to deal with many of the "earthy" things
of life.  Not very many of us are mucking out stalls, cleaning the cat
litter is a pretty sterile thing now, even changing baby's diapers, with
the disposables and the nicely scented wipes is not as yukky as when we
were using cloth diapers.  
We expect to be comfortable and pain free.   We don't even expect to have
to exert ourselves too much, because we don't have too.  We tell our
children at the doctor's , 'it's okay, this won't hurt" and it usually
doesn't.  They come to expect that it won't hurt.  We have good medical
procedures that protect us from seeing too much blood, or other bodily
fluids.  (well, we see lots of blood on TV and movies, but that is another
post)  We package our meat in tidy little packages, sometimes even prepared
and frozen.  No cleaning the chickens or gutting the fish for us.  We even
package our breasts,  wonder bras for the sexy packaging, sports bras to
keep them out of the way.  Some women relate so poorly to thier breasts
that they call them their "chests".  
It is no wonder that when it comes to childbirth, which involves pain,
responding to your body in a very basic human way, and is pretty messy at
the end, women cannot deal with this.   It ties in with getting a clean and
good smelling little "package" after it is all over too (ie, the baby
bath).  It is probably too much to expect many of the women of this
generation to think like we do.  They have been programmed to think
differently by the world that they live in.  Many of us may see this as
sad, and that a great human experience is being missed because of it, but I
am not sure that as long as we live in this tidy little world, attitudes
will change too much.  Just my $.02.  (when did they take the cent key of
the computer keyboards???  I miss it.  ) 
Smiles, 
Merilee 
Basel, CH.   
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