Have to go and teach
Take care everyone
Alphia
At 09:32 PM 14/03/2005, you wrote:
Dear Pinky I and many others on this list do not feel you are making tnuous links as we also make them.
there is a saying Peace at Birth
Pece on Earth and
I make that big leap every
If we can se our kids as som-one that we need to fear why should this not extend to others in our culture who make demands on us for understanding.
If we can put our children as babies away with strangers why not ignore or lock up other vulnerable demanding people particualary those who do not show deference to us & our values like those who live outiside our understanding, who break our rules and valuesoe even the mentally ill, refugees etc.........
Big picture leaper!!
Denise Hynd
"Let us support one another, not just in philosophy but in action, for the sake of freedom for all women to choose exactly how and by whom, if by anyone, our bodies will be handled."
— Linda Hes
- ----- Original Message -----
- From: Pinky McKay
- To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au
- Sent: Tuesday, March 15, 2005 8:29 AM
- Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] returning to list
- Alphia,
- Thanks,
selves be bullied by the kids -I wonder if this is a long term lack of confidence about doing the 'right' thing? Is this all tied together somehow? Maybe Im getting carried away, here , making tenuous links between my frustrations?
- I will look forward to seeing your article when it is published - I guess what Im talking about is this medical model/ handing over of power from pregnancy/ birth extending into the mothering experience making it all an unecessary struggle to do things the 'right' way (as the book/ Dr/ expert says), with so much fear attached, whether its birth, breastfeeding (I am seeing lots of stuffups here and lots of formula comps which seem to be related to a lack of trust in womans bodies), infant sleep/ "behaviour" issues and so it goes on -Having my 5th child becoming a teenager (the others are all adults), I am seeing increasing numbers of parents "scared" of their kids at this age - and letting them
- Pinky
- -----
- From: Alphia Possamai-Inesedy
- To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au
- Sent: Sunday, March 13, 2005 9:07 PM
- Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] returning to list
- Pinky,
- I know what you mean about that frustrated feeling. Although I have been coming at this from a different angle than many on the list. I am not a practicing midwife, I am just finishing my PhD in the area of sociology of health. I was trying to understand exactly what you are speaking about - yet in relation to an active engagement with the medical model during pregnancy and birth. I was questioning why so many women felt that they were doing the most responsible thing for their baby and themselves by employing the medical model - some not only employing but completely embracing. I did my field work with over 50 women from a range of backgrounds (all of my mothers are wonderful and all of their stories emotional - but I had some wonderful home birth stories). They too regarded pregnancy as a reading assignment and often discussed their pregnancy and birth in medical terms. I wont bore you with my theoretical approach - but I found - as you say, that there is so much there to undermine a woman and her trust in her body. That combining aspects such as the public surveillance of the pregnant woman, the medicalized discourse that surrounds pregnancy and birth in the media, the notion of the female faulty body which we are socialized into, the increase of technology etc. leads many women to think that this is one of the most risky passages of their lives. Which is a paradox of course! I am about to publish an article on my central ideas - I think the article will make a whole lot more sense than what I just said!
- Anyway, I wish all of the passionate women on this list all of the strength and energy that is needed to counteract this wave of disempowerment that so many women feel during this time of their life. (I have a habit of being corny!)
- Take care
- Alphia
- At 10:38 AM 15/03/2005, you wrote:
- Hi Alphia - if I could just work that out, maybe I wouldnt feel so frustrated. It doesn't take a whole lot of support/ feedback to help a new mother feel confident that she can handle her baby and her new life - her way! Yet there seems so much to undermine her
- and the tide againt trusting herself is very strong.
- For instance, I am constantly amazed at how much reading women do - I have had mothers quote verbatim from 'experts' -invariably men who dont experience hormones/ breasts/bellies or 24 hour care and responsibility no matter how wellmeant/ caring, their advice. It seems in many cases the reading cant be 'smoothed' to fit the woman and her baby, but rather she struggles to either make her baby "fit" the model, or strives herself to live up to unrealistic images of perfection.
- I feel sad that birthing/ mothering in so many cases is an academic exercise (head stuff), not a more relaxed, experiential sharing between women - mothers and midwives -from the heart.
- Pinky
- ----- Original Message -----
- From: Alphia Possamai-Inesedy
- To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au
- Sent: Sunday, March 13, 2005 3:19 PM
- Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] returning to list
- Dear Pinky and Kerreen,
- Pinky, I totally agree with you - but shouldnt we be questioning then why so many mothers do this? What is at the base of it.
- By the way Kerreen - I have read your book and thoroughly enjoyed it - it is such a valuable piece of research that is providing to the public insight which would have otherwise been lost. I have enjoyed the voices of your respondents very much.
- The voices of your obstetricians provide us with a glimpse of the power relations that existed in the different time periods that you examined - and although many feel that we haven't come very far - your book demonstrates how far we have actually come (not that I want to gloss over the many problems that current maternity practices are facing).
- Take care everyone
- Alphia
- At 10:21 AM 12/03/2005, you wrote:
- Hello Kerreen,
- Re professional dominance of mothering - I absolutely agree - this isnt just about the baby, although that is bad enough, but when mothers surrender their power to professional domination, they are set back in so many ways - for the longer term- so that what should be an empowering and delightful experience is thwart with angst, fear and dissatisfaction.
- I am going to respond to this article.
- Pinky
- ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kerreen Reiger" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
- To: <ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au>
- Sent: Thursday, March 10, 2005 5:31 PM
- Subject: RE: [ozmidwifery] returning to list
- Hi all
- I am finally returning to the list after a long absence due to work commitments. Already I am glad to be back, eg in light of this discussion about babies' settling/crying. For those who don't already know me, I am a founder of Maternity Coalition and a social scientist/historian who's worked on maternity care issues for many years. I'm now studying working relationships in maternity care settings and a paper at ICM will be the first out on this research. Some details of my last book are below for those interested, including discount sales.
- I have both a longstanding professional and strong personal interest in relationships between professionals and mothers. What bothers me about return of emphasis on regimentation of babies is not only the neglect of bubs' variability but further professional dominance of mothering. We have two new babies in our family (my first g'children!) and within a few weeks I saw the impact of lousy professional advice on b'feeding and management, but also some excellent support that encouraged my daughter-in -law to feel that she was the 'expert' on her baby! How we ensure this across midwifery and maternal, child nursing remains the challenge it seems. Who is actually contesting this article in the MJA or the press? Thanks for drawing our attention to it.
- cheers
- Kerreen
- About Our Bodies Our Babies: the forgotten women's movement:
- In Our Bodies, Our Babies: the forgotten women's movement, Kerreen Reiger traces the struggle of Australian women and others to change approaches to childbirth, to claim their right to choices in childbirth, and to educate themselves about birth and breastfeeding. She explores a social movement which has radically changed our maternity care practices, allowing fathers to participate in the birth of their children and babies to 'room-in' with their mothers. It laid the foundation for new models of care such as birth centres. The book draws on interviews with mothers, midwives and doctors, and on archival material from women's organisations such as the Nursing Mothers' Association of Australia (NMAA) and the Childbirth Education Association. It discusses the relevance of the childbirth and the breastfeeding movements to feminism and women's rights, arguing that the needs of mothers as citizens need to be taken more seriously. Our Bodies, Our Babies is essential reading for all health professionals involved in maternity care
- Discounted copies now available at $15 (originally $38.95) plus postage: please contact me for an order form. Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
- ________________________________
- --
- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics.
- Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe.
- Alphia Possamai-Inesedy Ba (Hons.)
- PhD. Candidate
- School of Applied and Human Sciences
- Bankstown Campus, University of Western Sydney
- UWS Locked Bag 1797
- South Penrith Distribution Centre
- NSW 1797 Australia
- Phone: 02 97726628
- Fax: 02 97726584
Alphia Possamai-Inesedy Ba (Hons.)
PhD. Candidate
School of Applied and Human Sciences
Bankstown Campus, University of Western Sydney
UWS Locked Bag 1797
South Penrith Distribution Centre
NSW 1797 Australia
Phone: 02 97726628
Fax: 02 97726584
PhD. Candidate
School of Applied and Human Sciences
Bankstown Campus, University of Western Sydney
UWS Locked Bag 1797
South Penrith Distribution Centre
NSW 1797 Australia
Phone: 02 97726628
Fax: 02 97726584
