Quite a while ago I read The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding. It is basically the handbook of La Leche League International and had been recommended to me by multiple people, other books, and websites. I have been putting off writing about it because I wanted to attend a LLL meeting and write about them together. However, every time I plan on going, something else comes up. Since it has been a while, my review will be brief.
I loved it.
Okay, not that brief, but seriously, if you plan on breastfeeding, it is great! It made me feel completely empowered and welcoming of where ever the journey takes me. It is written in inclusive language and really focuses on finding the right breastfeeding relationship for you and your baby. Obviously is advocates exclusive and extended breastfeeding, but not in a way that made me feel like I would be a failure if our plans changed.
There were two things that really stuck with me for whatever reason. The first is that we need to switch our point of view away from all of the benefits of breastfeeding and towards the drawbacks of formula. If you think about it scientifically, the breastfed babies should be the control group because it is natural and formula is artificial. The other point that really stuck with me sort of goes against this first point, but oh well-- how ever much you breastfeed, your baby does benefit. If that means they get a little bit of colostrum when they are newborns, then you've helped their immune and digestive systems. It has examples like this for each major stage of development.
As much as I enjoyed the book, it was really hard to read from cover to cover. I find this true of a lot of baby and development books; it is always easier to read whatever stage applies to you, and usually things get a little repetitive to accommodate this. I felt this way about The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, however, it is divided into 3 sections and I you skip the middle one ("Ages and Stages") the rest is much easier to stay awake through.
Well, I guess that wasn't as brief as I expected, but here is another one anyways. The next book I read was Spiritual Midwifery by Ina May Gaskin. Again, it came highly recommended from various sources. We had already bought and read Ina May's Guide to Childbirth (my review) and I was concerned it would be a waste of time to read this, too. I mean, how much more could one woman write about giving birth?
In the end I did feel like it was a waste for me to read, but not for the reasons I had anticipated. I was amazed at how much the two books differed in approach, if not in content. Spiritual Midwifery has a much more... well, spiritual viewpoint. Go figure. A lot of the message was the same- women have great control over their bodies and they need to feel safe and relaxed to have the best birth experience. Most births are normal and don't need interventions, just support. All of those kinds of things. Unfortunately for me the way it was presented was much harder to relate to than in Ina May's Guide. Not only is it very faith based, but there was definitely a certain amount of the hippy-ish language that just made it hard for me to connect with. Not much is psychedelic or groovy anymore.
That was all in the inspirational birth stories part. The second part was more informative, including a lot more in depth information written for midwives, which was interesting. I think A enjoyed that part more than I did.
I have one more book that I wanted to read before our little girl arrives and I am almost done. Then I will read fiction. Lots of it. That isn't about babies. =)
Showing posts with label Ina May. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ina May. Show all posts
Friday, August 17, 2012
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Choices, part II
When I talk to people being pregnant, one of three questions usually comes up depending on their philosophy on childbirth.
1. What hospital are you going to?
2. Have you heard of the Birth Center?
3. You have to read Spiritual Midwifery.
Okay, the last one isn't really a question, but I'm keeping it in there anyways.
If someone asks the first question, my answer is "I'm not." Their jaws drop and the questions start. I explain that we are going through the midwives at the birth center and that we hope for a natural birth. By this point if they are still looking at me with confusion, I add that it is very close to TMC and that they would transfer me there if there are any complications. Usually this placates the questioner and we can move on.
The second question usually comes for people who have used the Birth Center themselves, so it leads to a discussion on their birth experience, the midwives, their Centering Classes, etc.
The last "question" is the funniest to me. Usually it comes from someone older than me, but is much better and welcomed advice than "You're going to NEED the epidural". As it turns out, I have not read Spiritual Midwifery. It is on my list to read, I just bought it on Amazon, in fact. However, since we found it first, A and I read Ina May's Guide to Childbirth. Ina May Gaskin wrote Spiritual Midwifery, so it is the same philosophy.
I finished the book last night and decided I needed to write about it. Now that I'm trying to write, I wish I had taken notes! First of all, it was a great book. Everyone who is pregnant should read it, even if you are going to have a hospital birth. It had a good mix of her own experiences, statistics from the births that she has attended, and facts from studies. It solidified my views on childbirth as a natural event. It is about the power women have over their bodies, especially during labor.
Labor isn't something that happens to you, it is something you are doing. How you do it needs to be in your control. Recently I read a post on a pregnancy message board by a woman who wanted to talk to her OB about a birth plan. They told her no. She just needed to be more open minded and trust them. Our midwives have an entire appointment dedicated to going over our birth plan so they know what we want and need.
Many things in this book made me stop and interrupt whatever A was reading for me to tell her some fact (which she had already read a few months ago). Here are a few that stand out the most-
If nothing else, I leave you with this: Be informed and protect yourself. Our society has become so sue-happy that it gets in the way of natural childbirth; a doctor is much less likely to be sued for doing too much than not enough.
Well, I was supposed to leave for work 20 minutes ago and I still don't have shoes on. So I will get off my soapbox and head to work. I wonder what I'll eat for lunch...
1. What hospital are you going to?
2. Have you heard of the Birth Center?
3. You have to read Spiritual Midwifery.
Okay, the last one isn't really a question, but I'm keeping it in there anyways.
If someone asks the first question, my answer is "I'm not." Their jaws drop and the questions start. I explain that we are going through the midwives at the birth center and that we hope for a natural birth. By this point if they are still looking at me with confusion, I add that it is very close to TMC and that they would transfer me there if there are any complications. Usually this placates the questioner and we can move on.
The second question usually comes for people who have used the Birth Center themselves, so it leads to a discussion on their birth experience, the midwives, their Centering Classes, etc.
The last "question" is the funniest to me. Usually it comes from someone older than me, but is much better and welcomed advice than "You're going to NEED the epidural". As it turns out, I have not read Spiritual Midwifery. It is on my list to read, I just bought it on Amazon, in fact. However, since we found it first, A and I read Ina May's Guide to Childbirth. Ina May Gaskin wrote Spiritual Midwifery, so it is the same philosophy.
I finished the book last night and decided I needed to write about it. Now that I'm trying to write, I wish I had taken notes! First of all, it was a great book. Everyone who is pregnant should read it, even if you are going to have a hospital birth. It had a good mix of her own experiences, statistics from the births that she has attended, and facts from studies. It solidified my views on childbirth as a natural event. It is about the power women have over their bodies, especially during labor.
Labor isn't something that happens to you, it is something you are doing. How you do it needs to be in your control. Recently I read a post on a pregnancy message board by a woman who wanted to talk to her OB about a birth plan. They told her no. She just needed to be more open minded and trust them. Our midwives have an entire appointment dedicated to going over our birth plan so they know what we want and need.
Many things in this book made me stop and interrupt whatever A was reading for me to tell her some fact (which she had already read a few months ago). Here are a few that stand out the most-
- The US has a higher maternal mortality rate than most European and some Asian and Middle Eastern countries, according to a report by the UN in 2010
- Women are twice as likely to die from pregnancy or birth-related complications now than their mothers were.
- The CDC estimates that more than half of the maternal deaths that occur every year could have been prevented.
- Amniotic-fluid embolism, which is fatal about half of the time, used to only happen in one in every 50,000-80,000 births. It has become so much more common that a Phoenix hospital had a rate of one in 6,500 births in the 90's. It is now one of the most frequent killers of women in pregnancy and birth in the US. (Ina May attributes it to induced labors)
If nothing else, I leave you with this: Be informed and protect yourself. Our society has become so sue-happy that it gets in the way of natural childbirth; a doctor is much less likely to be sued for doing too much than not enough.
Well, I was supposed to leave for work 20 minutes ago and I still don't have shoes on. So I will get off my soapbox and head to work. I wonder what I'll eat for lunch...
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