Hw # 41 - Research

10. Ideal versus typical male roles during pregnancy & childbirth

A. Bibliography

1) Two to Tango: the father’s role in pregnancy by Pamela Wilson (http://health.ninemsn.com.au/pregnancy/planning/693682/two-to-tango-the-fathers-role-during-pregnancy)

This article suggests that father be included more from the beginning, from the minute the woman begins to get her regular checkups because if not many tend to be left out. It also suggests father must help her be stress free which might mean helping around the house, creating a relaxing environment and most of all keeping communication open. But it also says even today some men like to be in dark and let woman make all the choices because birth makes them uncomfortable. Two to Tango main point is to show what the ideal man is and how this has become “normal” no longer weird in the western world/culture. Where male participates and helps make their partner’s life much easier during this time. But at the same time it reminds us that there are still some of the typical men who would rather watch by on sidelines than be a part of pregnancy, because it is uncomfortable or have been taught or grown up seeing the typical role.

2) The History of Childbirth – Ouch! By James Martell (http://www.thehistoryof.net/history-of-childbirth.html)

History of Childbirth shows what the typical male role has been through the years and how it has evolved, due to development of society. During the 1880s, the man/partner was nowhere to be seen during the hospital birth not even if the father was a doctor. “It was not really until the 1970’s that fathers were allowed into birthing rooms, and at that time it was not so that they could help, they had to stand in the corner and just watch!” In hospital births today, 2011 the father or partner is still standing in corner watching while doctors and nurses are working. If man has enough courage and not feint at the sigh of blood, he stands by her and comforts her as much as he is allowed. This article also says that even midwives back then had a problem with men being same room during birth! “Midwives tried hard to discredit him; they also complained that it was unfavorable and distasteful to have males present during such an intimate female “process”.” The article is evidence that proves what the typical man has been through the years during childbirth, and how it has changed and is today. You can now have your husband attend, even a sister, friend, doula, midwife, family or all! But I recall sitting in waiting area with my older brother, sucking on lifesavers in the middle of night bored but excited for the arrival of our new sibling, but also upset because we weren’t allowed to be with my mother. And I asked why this was, my curious five year old self and my uncle who was watching us told me it was because we were “germy”(five year old vocab), the germs we carried would not be safe for baby or the birth. So I guess, even today you can’t really have everyone in the room but from what we’ve learned and read during home births it is ok.

3) Phone call to Uncle Francisco in Mexico – (Doctor)

I call my uncle and ask him what he has seen through the years during birth about the male role because he used to be a gynecologist but now has his own clinic as a regular doctor. He says that in Mexico when he was doing births, fathers were not allowed to be in the room during childbirth. Then when I later ask my mom whether my dad had been allowed to be there with her for support, and proved what my uncle has said – he was not allowed. I didn’t have time to ask because accidentally spent most minutes catching up with my grams. But I believe have my own explanation for this, the reason I think it is that the poverty in Mexico has not allowed for technology development or access in comparison to western world like US. Times I have gone, my cousins tell me that in the high schools there are no computers, that they must go to a cyber café instead which are like the Starbucks here, except they don’t own their laptop are simply renting it. Might be wrong or there is more to this but it shows how different typical male role is in US compared to those in other countries around the world.

4) Fathers and Homebirths (http://www.homebirth.org.uk/blokes.htm)

Fathers and Homebirths show what the ideal male role of a father is during a home birth and I saw great examples of this in the book I read Baby Catcher by Peggy Vincent. Like in the book, woman comment on how great it was to have their partner there during birth, participating and even helping process with out feeling conscious, as he would have in a delivery room. There are even those who are hands – on partners, from making tea, making sure blankets are warm and ready for baby, massaging/ comforting woman, and even will even want to catch the baby. This is the ideal male role during birth, because it allows the male to be part of it and not feel like awkward just watching not being able to do anything but watch their naked wife moan and scream, without being able to fully comfort her.

5) The seven secrets to being a home birth dad (http://www.homebirth.org.uk/blokesven.htm)

Seven Secrets to being a home birth dad is a perfect read for a future father, so an hear from experience of one who has already gone through this and understands what feelings he may be having. It enjoyable read and comical toward regular hospital birth, letting them know that here he will have so many little jobs to do he wanted be standing around to get fearful. It again shows what the ideal man is birth in general, like he says if I would rather to recognize my baby’s father then be unconscious and not have him by my side comforting me.

B.

I could use this research to support my academic project, where I would explore it more in depth and possibly on what male role in general is in US compared to other countries OR interviewing several woman asking them what their child’s role was during birth and if they wished it was different or would have preferred.

Hw # 40 - Insights from the Book: Part 3

"Hi! – Thank you for writing Baby Catcher: Chronicles of a Modern Midwife.

Your book’s main idea made me rethink pregnancy and birth and taught me the image of being rushed to the hospital is not our only option.” But the author, surprised a teenager had read and seemed so enthusiastic about her book instead of the usual pregnant ladies, responded "Really, which parts were most effective or important for you?" I answered, "Well, in the last third of the book you focused on and supported your main idea by telling more birth stories and analyzing your many many years in midwifing. And telling us your tragic ending of having to return to the hospital after losing insurance because of a mishap in pregnancy you were not even in charge of. But to you it was more important to keep doing what you love doing… catching babies. The act of catching the baby covered in blood and white coating seem magical and life – changing to everyone from mother to the random strangers who happen to observe this.

Which further developed from the first 2/3 of the book, but specifically on page 306 “Rog and the kids knew how sad I was at the abrupt end of my dream occupation, and their compassion often brought tears to my life. In so many ways, our family life had revolved around my work, my crazy hours, the sometimes bizarre nature of our dinner table conversations.” While reading this it showed me how important this was for you and how still midwives were being treated unfairly. A story I thought was comic and first I’ve heard a woman say this after her birth on page 216, (Mark is the husband and Julie is the woman giving birth) “ Mark reached toward Julie and then paused, glancing at me. When I nodded, he touched her shoulder, a tentative touch, as if he were reaching across a vast space to connect with something bigger than he’d ever faced before. Gently he said, “Julie don’t be afraid.” She jerked her gaze from the ceiling light and stared at him like she’d never seen him before. Spewing spit with each word, she screamed, “ I’m not afraid! It’s just so…so…so INTERESTING!” I too, like you grinned at this comment that I had never heard from al stories I’ve heard about. Then toward the end of your career, you wrote on page 322 that it was heartwarming and reassuring to be able to pass on the torch to a new midwife who was going to take it to Yemen to make it available to Muslim women. “ Then I knew the source of my tears. I cried with pride as I looked into the face of a midwife from the next generation of baby catchers.”

"But what could I have done to make this a better book - that would more effectively fulfill its mission?" Ms. Vincent asks. " Your book sought to provide narratives from your own perspective for the book-reading-public to better understand pregnancy & birth in our culture. But I would have found hearing another’s perspective or more of your thoughts after retelling birth stories refreshing. Of course that would have made your already great book into fantastic one. I appreciate the immense amount of labor you dedicated to this important issue and particularly for sharing the birth stories you have witnessed & letting me discover that there is another choice for a woman giving birth that is just as safe as it would be in a hospital. In fact, I'm likely to do my own birth experience differently as a result of your book." The author replies, "Thanks! Talking to you gives me hope that one day midwifery will become a norm of society!"

Hw # 39

Vincent, Peggy. Baby Catcher: Chronicles of a Modern Midwife. New York: Scribner, 2002. Print.

1)

- detailed explanations of various complications that can occur during birth

- not every birth is the same: many stories to prove this

- gives women independence and in many mothers even thought they could do it on their own; which can be very dangerous

- extreme cases the baby can die; from her own to one of her patients

- the idea of a spirit baby

- teenagers tend to have difficult labors, but usually go very fast.

- Sometimes the women who come to midwifery aren't actually pregnant ( One case of a women stomach full of tumors not a baby:( )

2) Not much of a new major insight but again birth stories showing the reader that every pregnancy is not the same. The major insight in 2 of the chapters in the second 100 pages is letting readers & future mothers know that the death of baby can occur, not that it means one should expect for the worse but it can happen. That not even a midwife or hospital can help it. It also shows the hurt a mother goes through when losing baby, for example author tells of her loss but before she did, all she thought about was how could it have happen when she was too "old" to have a normal pregnancy. But the minute Peggy lost the baby she mourned child, wishing the baby had been born. For me, it showed me that the trauma a mother faces after losing baby can be very hard on them and tends to never go away no matter how years go by.

3) First aspect that should be addressed is the agony of mother has when losing her baby and how this even occurs. Which author explains using her own experience to using one of her patients. Her twelve year old son helped her in a way that made it seem losing a baby was magical, "Don't you know about Spirit Babies?..... Well Mom, here's how it is. See I was one myself, so that must be how I know. Anyway, every woman has a circle of babies that goes around and around above her head, and those are all the possible babies she could have in her whole life.Every month one of those babies is first in line. If she gets pregnant, ten that's the baby that;s born... now listen, Mom because here's the really cool part. It goes back into the circle, but it becomes a spirit baby, and all the other babies give it cuts. Each month it's always first in line. Isn't that great?" - pg. 126

4)http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/medicalresources_teenpregnancy.html

"A teenage mother is at greater risk than women over age 20 for pregnancy complications, such as premature labor, anemia and high blood pressure (7). These risks are even greater for teens who are under 15 years old (7)." This proves true what this midwife says about teenage mothers; they give birth more quickly but most have difficult labors due to them having more risks. She retells a couple of teen pregnancies and even mothers who are still children when giving birth. Her evidence I believe is factual because one can't make up such a story and make it seem so realistic.

Hw #38

" But the next moment an army of nurses and doctors pushed past the curtain, propelling a stretcher ahead of them. Zelda's cries and grunts had been heard, and within half a minute they wrestled her onto the stretcher and whisked her toward the delivery room. She screamed and kicked and begged to leave her alone, but there were too many of them. I followed them. I followed like lifeline, a way out, a piece of floating debris on a stormy ocean." - pg. 22

Baby Catcher

By Peggy Vincent

This book is organized in the author telling her life story from starting as a nurse to a midwife and the pregnancies she saw along the way and new things she learned about them every new time. The major question this book is trying to answer along the way so far is her figuring what is better hospital birth or home birth and she seems to see home birth in simple words more “natural” unless serious complications come up.

The major insight the book wants the author to take away so far is how different home birth and hospital birth are and so specifically that during her retelling of several of her pregnancy stories I feel like I’m there when mother is in labor, can only imagine the pain the woman feels, the terror she feels when doctor’s and assistants disrupt her instinctive feelings to instead be laid flat and drugged up and even the moment Peggy catches the newborn baby seems like most beautiful thing to her, when before reading this book believed it was a simple no thought process.

Interesting aspect of pregnancy and birth that I believe deserves public attention is that from all the pregnancy she talks about every single one is different. One person had baby on stairs while one in bathtub and another on all fours. This is important aspect because sometimes soon to be moms listen to the stories of friends and mother but it does not mean her pregnancy or giving birth will be the same, so future moms do NOT freak out. I of course after this unit am definitely scared of this whole process before all I thought was “yep I will one day have kids, no stress… yea right!” but has helped me become more informed about this whole process and hopefully help me make me the right decisions when I in the far future will want children.

Her evidence is her personal experience to support her arguments and is reliable I believe because I’d think I’d be pretty hard to make up the whole process of so many women first hand. The evidence sometimes does stall the book a bit but it also helps reader see many different births.

Hw # 37

Stephanie

I liked that most of the questions you asked were new and have not been discussed in class, so it'd be interesting to hear what our classmates view on them would be. The line I found was the best was where you went deeper into the baby story by asking questions than just making bubbles, "What about the babies position made the umbilical cord choke the baby? How could this have been prevented? and Was it the mother's fault or the babies fault?" What would have made your post even better was if you questioned these people you interviewed to go deeper into the bigger picture.But besides that, Good Job!

Evan D

I found that after every story you would say what you had learned, what you found interesting and what questions each of their stories had provoked you to have. For example after first story you wrote, "She also loved the fact that she was fat and could eat whatever she wanted because in our society women want to be skinny so people will accept them and look at them as pretty. " You went deeper into the simplicity of how ahppy she was to jusrt eat and not worry about getting fat. To perfect your post I believe you should have questioned some of what they said after their retelling of their birth story. Other than that good job!

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COMMENTS LEFT FOR ME:

MENTOR:

The most important line/response to me was " I recall the pain and being scared during labor but also remember having a sense of relief and happiness to have finally given birth to a healthy and whole baby," It impacted me a lot because I an married and would like to have children in the future, but my wife is scared of the whole child birth process. No matter how hard, difficult or painful it will be at times at the end of the day the important thing is that the baby is healthy and the happiness a baby brings to the family. A question I have is how being pregnant affected her job/economic status? As I know it affects some families dramatically.

PROTEGE:

HW # 36

ME:1) How did pregnancy affect you physically, emotionally, or in other ways?

PERSON 1: Physically the first three months I felt weak, dizzy and emotional - cried for anything. When pregnant you need to pee more constantly and start to walk differently and more slowly. And regular routines like walking up stairs take longer and more effort. I couldn't bend over to pick up something or tie shoes after six months. I began to hate my once favorite foods, for example meat would give me nausea during my pregnancy. Had to wear looser clothes because the more into one is in the 9 months, the bigger your stomach gets and breasts as well. After 6 months or 7 months of preganacy, it is not easy to sleep, because you need to move constantly so you can in a postion that doesn't hurt the baby or make he/she uncomfortable. ( His/her way of letting you know this is by kicking, which most other people find cute but can be painful). Prganancy makes you get hungry more constantly. I personaly began to crave sour and spicy food, having to squeeze a lemon on all the food especially on cucumbers.

PERSON 2:

PERSON 3:

ME: 2) What did you do, while pregnant, to prepare for giving birth?

PERSON 1: Began to buy things for baby, from their cradle to its clothes, especially for their first day out of hospital outfit! I would take long walks because it was healthy for me to get some exercise and the sooner the date of birth would be. Took respiratory classes in hospital to learn to relax when the time of birth came and a class of what food to give to 6 month baby and the position to feed baby newborn baby, allowing it to breathe while breast feeding and not choke. Whenever I had a question about my pregnancy would call my mother and ask her being that she had gone through 9 births. I also read a book of how baby grows in the womb and how must take of care of baby during and after birth.

PERSON 2:

PERSON 3:

ME: 3) What actions and attitudes by specific other people made your pregnancy and birth more joyous? More challenging?

PERSON 1: The advice from my mother who told me it was all going to be alright and would be over soon made my pregnancy more joyous. When giving birth to first child the doctor gave them the wrong birth date leading to have a C - section to give birth to the baby, was what made birth more challenging.

PERSON 2:

PERSON 3:

ME: 4) What thoughts and feelings influenced your choice to make a baby?

PERSON 1: I had planned to have a baby that as soon as was married a year into marriage would began my family.

PERSON 2:

PERSON 3:

ME: 5) What feelings come back to you when you remember labor and giving birth?

PERSON 1: I recall the pain and being scared during the labor but also remember having a sense of relief and happiness to have finally given birth a healthy and whole baby.

PERSON 2:

PERSON 3:

The stories of these women ties into our unit because it provided the point of view of mother and let me know a lot more about pregnancy that I would have never dared to ask unless i knew wanted start a family or pregnant. Found out things like there is certain way to sleep and that there is pain which i known of a pregnancy but that it can be surpassed for the happiness of giving life:-)

What are important things mothers should know while pregnant to be ready to take care of the baby to come? (From breast feeding to sleeping)

Not Done!!

Hw # 34 - Birth #1

Technology/discoveries have made a great change toward the process of birth, now one may choose to have the child or not, to select the child’s traits, to have child with the same sex by having people donate their sperm or egg to make this happen. I wonder when these discoveries were made? And how much it impacted that certain time period? Then it came to my mind of how much this will affect me when I decide to have a child, I can have my child have blue eyes instead of my dark brown ones. I don’t know what this process requires wonder how this is possible? I personally wouldn’t do this when having a baby because I would feel like I was messing with the nature of birth. And I’d also want my child to have a part of me, like my hair or nose and of my spouse’s.

Home birth I have seen in a movie, it seemed very spiritual and comforting for the mother but also kind of hilarious because she was having it in a inflatable pool. Surrounded by friends and family banging mini congas n pans. I would want to know what the main differences between hospital birth and home birth besides fact in different places? Which would be less painful? The mother has so many decisions to make surrounding her baby’s birth, how much do these decisions affect the birth? Will it make it less painful or more? Does it make the possibility of having healthy baby a higher chance?

• Difference between natural birth and a C – section? Which is healthier for child? Less painful?
• How is it possible to choose baby’s traits? Isn’t it supernatural like creating a robot?
• What drugs do they give you to lessen the pain? Or for any other reason?
• What food is recommended during pregnancy? Rigorous diet?
• What are main differences between a home birth and hospital birth? What are the less obvious?
• What tests do they make before, during and after birth?
• How much does drinking alcohol or taking drugs or smoking cigarettes affect the baby’s health?
• How does the mother’s previous or current health conditions affect the child?