Comments on: On Birth and Fog http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2009/09/15/on-birth-and-fog/ In defense of the sanctimonious women's studies set. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:13:48 +0000 hourly 1 By: M http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2009/09/15/on-birth-and-fog/#comment-277529 M Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:27:05 +0000 http://www.feministe.us/blog/?p=16152#comment-277529 The key to me is that "we are so fortunate to have choices today and control over this important process of giving birth." And that includes having the choice to receive pain-killing medication and medical help during childbirth if you DO want it. The key to me is that “we are so fortunate to have choices today and control over this important process of giving birth.” And that includes having the choice to receive pain-killing medication and medical help during childbirth if you DO want it.

]]> By: Basket of Kisses | Mad Feminist News #3 http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2009/09/15/on-birth-and-fog/#comment-277447 Basket of Kisses | Mad Feminist News #3 Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:28:55 +0000 http://www.feministe.us/blog/?p=16152#comment-277447 [...] Feministe offers factual information about Twilight Sleep and giving birth in mid-century America. [...] [...] Feministe offers factual information about Twilight Sleep and giving birth in mid-century America. [...]

]]> By: Science & Sensibility » Mad Birth: Are Today’s Women Better off than Betty Draper? http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2009/09/15/on-birth-and-fog/#comment-276936 Science & Sensibility » Mad Birth: Are Today’s Women Better off than Betty Draper? Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:39:47 +0000 http://www.feministe.us/blog/?p=16152#comment-276936 [...] season, there are several feminist blogs keeping tabs on Mad Men and the various depictions of women’s rights and abuses [...] [...] season, there are several feminist blogs keeping tabs on Mad Men and the various depictions of women’s rights and abuses [...]

]]> By: DaisyDeadhead http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2009/09/15/on-birth-and-fog/#comment-276903 DaisyDeadhead Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:39:17 +0000 http://www.feministe.us/blog/?p=16152#comment-276903 Trackback-- <a href="http://daisysdeadair.blogspot.com/2009/09/how-weve-changed-continued.html" rel="nofollow">How we've changed, continued</a> Trackback–

How we’ve changed, continued

]]> By: Pencils http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2009/09/15/on-birth-and-fog/#comment-276512 Pencils Mon, 21 Sep 2009 03:26:25 +0000 http://www.feministe.us/blog/?p=16152#comment-276512 I knew about twilight sleep but this episode still freaked me out. My mom had five kids between 1963 and 1971, never with twilight sleep. but then her OB was a woman, so that might have been the difference. With one of us, she was in terrible pain, telling the people there that her babies came fast--her first was born while she still had sand from Rockaway Beach on her (she went into labor on the beach)--but no one was listening to her, and she felt such relief when she heard the fast tap-tap-tap of her approaching doctor's high heels on the tile floor. She only had epidurals, as far as I know, although a couple of births were too fast for anything. I had an epidural during my first birth a year ago, and, damn, I was READY and desperate for it! I thought I knew pain, as I have chronic pancreatic disease, but that was bad. Everyone's birth experience is different, and even each birth is different. Or, at least, every modern birth is different, the twilight sleep ones sound eerily the same in the women's' non-recollections. I knew about twilight sleep but this episode still freaked me out. My mom had five kids between 1963 and 1971, never with twilight sleep. but then her OB was a woman, so that might have been the difference. With one of us, she was in terrible pain, telling the people there that her babies came fast–her first was born while she still had sand from Rockaway Beach on her (she went into labor on the beach)–but no one was listening to her, and she felt such relief when she heard the fast tap-tap-tap of her approaching doctor’s high heels on the tile floor. She only had epidurals, as far as I know, although a couple of births were too fast for anything. I had an epidural during my first birth a year ago, and, damn, I was READY and desperate for it! I thought I knew pain, as I have chronic pancreatic disease, but that was bad. Everyone’s birth experience is different, and even each birth is different. Or, at least, every modern birth is different, the twilight sleep ones sound eerily the same in the women’s’ non-recollections.

]]> By: ‘mad men’ inspires blog on ‘twilight birth’ practice in the 50’s « Elan Doula http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2009/09/15/on-birth-and-fog/#comment-276505 ‘mad men’ inspires blog on ‘twilight birth’ practice in the 50’s « Elan Doula Mon, 21 Sep 2009 02:54:44 +0000 http://www.feministe.us/blog/?p=16152#comment-276505 [...] On Birth and Fog [...] [...] On Birth and Fog [...]

]]> By: mollyfye » interested “twilight birth” article inspired by ‘mad men’ http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2009/09/15/on-birth-and-fog/#comment-276504 mollyfye » interested “twilight birth” article inspired by ‘mad men’ Mon, 21 Sep 2009 02:51:46 +0000 http://www.feministe.us/blog/?p=16152#comment-276504 [...] On Birth and Fog [...] [...] On Birth and Fog [...]

]]> By: cocoschomoco http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2009/09/15/on-birth-and-fog/#comment-276501 cocoschomoco Mon, 21 Sep 2009 02:44:14 +0000 http://www.feministe.us/blog/?p=16152#comment-276501 emjaybee had it right, Azalea, in that pain doesn't kill women, labor complications do. It's a little known fact in our fear-filled culture that childbirth isn't actually something to fear (though you could argue that childbirth <i>in a hospital</i> is something to fear...). The saddest part about twilight sleep is that this shit is still happening to women these days - episiotomies are still routine with some doctors - I know of many women my age (I'm in my early thirties), who were cut without consent. VBACs (vaginal birth after cesarean) are banned from many hospitals in this country, despite proof that they are safer than repeat c-sections - women aren't informed or even given the option of attemping one in many cases - they are denied, misinformed or flat-out lied to into repeat c-sections. Routine obstetric practices in the US are still figuratively tying women down in labor (and literally - something like 80% of all women are induced, which means being hooked up to many, many machines to track labor progress). Two really good books about the history and current state of maternity care are " Birth: The Surprising History of How We Are Born" by Tina Cassidy and "Pushed" by Jennifer Block. As for past labor practices, my mom (as an unwed teenage mother) was induced with Pitocin and then strapped down and left to labor on her own for hours in the late 60s. Guess she didn't qualify for the twilight sleep... emjaybee had it right, Azalea, in that pain doesn’t kill women, labor complications do. It’s a little known fact in our fear-filled culture that childbirth isn’t actually something to fear (though you could argue that childbirth in a hospital is something to fear…).

The saddest part about twilight sleep is that this shit is still happening to women these days – episiotomies are still routine with some doctors – I know of many women my age (I’m in my early thirties), who were cut without consent. VBACs (vaginal birth after cesarean) are banned from many hospitals in this country, despite proof that they are safer than repeat c-sections – women aren’t informed or even given the option of attemping one in many cases – they are denied, misinformed or flat-out lied to into repeat c-sections.

Routine obstetric practices in the US are still figuratively tying women down in labor (and literally – something like 80% of all women are induced, which means being hooked up to many, many machines to track labor progress). Two really good books about the history and current state of maternity care are ” Birth: The Surprising History of How We Are Born” by Tina Cassidy and “Pushed” by Jennifer Block.

As for past labor practices, my mom (as an unwed teenage mother) was induced with Pitocin and then strapped down and left to labor on her own for hours in the late 60s. Guess she didn’t qualify for the twilight sleep…

]]> By: HelluvaTime http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2009/09/15/on-birth-and-fog/#comment-276379 HelluvaTime Sun, 20 Sep 2009 19:41:08 +0000 http://www.feministe.us/blog/?p=16152#comment-276379 My mother had had 7 pregnancies thru the fifties & early sixties and had talked to me in detail over the years of her experiences and of all the various "pain control" methods that were used. She never had "natural" - scopalamine, twilight sleep, epidurals gone wrong, demerol...I heard it all from her. I delivered my child via natural childbirth in the mid-1980's. That was a time when we women were aware & educated about how far we had come...and that we COULD advocate for ourselves throughout the pregnancy & childbirth process. I had a wonderful labor & delivery experience...yes, childbirth is painful and I had a an "easy" eight hour labor...but we are so fortunate to have choices today and control over this important process of giving birth. And to have family with us to advocate for us if needed. In the aftermath of the Madmen epi, it's been eye-opening for me to see that women (and men ) today are so shocked to see Betty's childbirth experience!~ It's wonderful in a sense that today's younger people are unaware of how it was for most women...but it's also very important to NOT forget history - DO NOT take for granted how far we we have come, as women, as families, as people. My mother had had 7 pregnancies thru the fifties & early sixties and had talked to me in detail over the years of her experiences and of all the various “pain control” methods that were used. She never had “natural” – scopalamine, twilight sleep, epidurals gone wrong, demerol…I heard it all from her.

I delivered my child via natural childbirth in the mid-1980′s. That was a time when we women were aware & educated about how far we had come…and that we COULD advocate for ourselves throughout the pregnancy & childbirth process. I had a wonderful labor & delivery experience…yes, childbirth is painful and I had a an “easy” eight hour labor…but we are so fortunate to have choices today and control over this important process of giving birth. And to have family with us to advocate for us if needed.

In the aftermath of the Madmen epi, it’s been eye-opening for me to see that women (and men ) today are so shocked to see Betty’s childbirth experience!~ It’s wonderful in a sense that today’s younger people are unaware of how it was for most women…but it’s also very important to NOT forget history – DO NOT take for granted how far we we have come, as women, as families, as people.

]]> By: The Discreet Charm of the Link Roundup (15th September, 2009) | Geek Feminism Blog http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2009/09/15/on-birth-and-fog/#comment-276253 The Discreet Charm of the Link Roundup (15th September, 2009) | Geek Feminism Blog Sun, 20 Sep 2009 03:42:47 +0000 http://www.feministe.us/blog/?p=16152#comment-276253 [...] giving birth shackled and drugged so you would forget the trauma. Mad Men reminds us yet again to thank our second-wave feminist [...] [...] giving birth shackled and drugged so you would forget the trauma. Mad Men reminds us yet again to thank our second-wave feminist [...]

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