Out of Touch with Childbirth and Women
Posted by realityrounds on November 18, 2009
While I was at the grocery store stocking up for the Thanksgiving dinner I will be hosting Saturday (yes, I said Saturday. I like to eat and hate conflicts, so I host early Thanksgiving for my large immediate family-seven siblings- on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, and everyone can do whatever they want on the “real” Thanksgiving. Saves on in-law fights), I came across the cover of this tabloid with the two pregnant turkeys women preening on the cover. Yes I know this is a rag-mag, but the cover irritated me on so many levels. Here’s why:
Fearing Childbirth: “Give me as many drugs as possible!” Those who read this blog regularly know I am not anti-epidural or pain medication during labor. So there. However, this cover statement has an astonishingly negative view of childbirth. It certainly is OK to be apprehensive and scared as a primip, but come on! These two cover models, Kendra and Kourtney, are women, adults, and pregnant. Was there any sort of childbirth education undertaken? Drugs do not cure fear. Being ignorant on childbirth and just relying on an epidural is a dangerous game to play, as I have written about before. I have no clue as to waht the demographics are of the people who read In Touch Weekly. If the demographic is young women, (my guess is this is the demographic), what kind of message does this send? Birth is something to fear and multiple drugs will solve all. YUCK! For two women who became famous for nothing (OK, sleeping with Hugh Hefner and being rich), they lost a great opportunity to educate young women on pregnancy and childbirth. Rikki Lake they aint!
After Four Years of Humiliation: Jen Finally Get’s Even! This reeks of sexism. If a successful woman gets divorced from a successful man, SHE is to be pitied as a pathetic loser. The “other woman”, also a successful woman, is portrayed as a man-stealing, family destroying harpie. Get over it already!
My Battle with Bulimia Well, could the issue of bulimia and body image problems in women be due to the fact of media showing unrealistic images of perfect feminine bodies (as the picture of the bulimic housewife displays?). Puh-leeze!
Robot Wife No More Oh My. A picture of a pathetic and plain-looking wife of a former A-lister. A dead-behind-the-eyes wife, a Robot Wife. (A Stepford wife?). Again, a young successful woman in her own right, degraded to a Robot Wife to big powerful Top-Gun man. What message does this send.
So now I have Gastro-Esophageal Reflux to deal with before my big (28 people) Thanksgiving dinner party. Thanks In Touch Weekly. I guess I should shop only at Whole (Pay Check) Foods from now on, so the only magazines I encounter are, “The Atlantic”, “Real Simple”, “Men’s Health”, and “Architectural Digest.” If only I could afford it.
RR
Jill said
Repulsive.
Kim said
Hey! I saw that one too…I thought it was ironic to call the moms-to-be “excited” yet only highlighting the unpleasant side of things…
Jill said
THis is why I don’t read pop culture magazines anymore, it’s all just glossed-up garbage. Not worth my money.
I got a chuckle out of “Whole (Paycheck) Foods” though.
pinky said
ahhhhh. I look at Katie and I see a strong woman. She never appeared to be a robot. Perhaps she has just outgrown Mr. Cruise. ANyhow, I am writing a paper on pain. And guess what, the literature tells me that anxiety will increase pain. Go figure? The literature also says prenatal yoga decreased pain. So maybe we are looking in the wrong direction with anesthetic? Some do need it. But normal, straight forward births really don’t, Think of this: I call anesthesia to put in epidural. He comes and puts one it. I give 1000 cc of fluid in the woman’s veins so her bp won’t plummet. This does stress her cardiac system. OK for the 18 year old a little concerning for 40 year old. Epidural is placed and the veins and arteries in her legs just open wide. So her blood pressure plummets. I give her more fluid. I squeeze the bag with my hands to get it in. Why? Cause I am not thrilled with ephedrine. Mostly these interventions are manageable but it would be easier if you just took yoga! For every action there is a reaction. The epidural is not the silver bullet.
I was told, when I was in labor 24 years ago to just go with the pain. It will take you and don’t fight it. And it worked for me. I delivered her in 3 hours after I hit the hospital. And I felt really good about it. Too bad these folks who have plenty of money have not hired doulas to help them. The doula studies I have looked at are off the charts. Why don’t we hire doulas in the hosital? They are cheaper than an epidural…..Ok. Now I am done. I will step off my soap box. Very sorry to get rowdy.
Aron said
I totally agree, Pinky. Wasn’t it Marsden Wagner (former head of the UN WHO) who remarked something along the lines that if the magic in a doula’s hands and heart could be bottled and marketted by the medical industry then epidurals would be obsolete? Something like that. Of cour$e that doe$ bring up certain an$wer$ a$ to why our medical indu$try $ee$ no benefit in promoting the u$e of doula$….$$$.
R. May said
I agree with you – kind of. But by saying really only some women need the drugs you are missing the point! It’s as bad as people who push drugs as the way. It is a choice, and it is the woman’s choice.
I wanted an epidural and I got it. I was not interested in yoga, or water birth or anything else. I was not afraid of the pain, but I sure wasn’t enjoying it. My birth was not a sad failure because I wanted drugs.
We as women need to stop fighting each other on these issues and trying to prove who is right. There are a multitude of ways to deal with the pain of childbirth and as long as the woman having the kid is happy that is the point.
Aron said
It’s not about fighting with women or calling them failures for wanting an epidural. It’s about getting medical professionals to stop saboutaging those who don’t. Women who want to have normal unmedicated births have to put up with everything from their OB’s snide remarks like “you won’t get a medal for that, you know,” to outright lies such as “you need to stay in bed with pitocin and let me break your water now or your baby will DIE.” It’s about women being supported in their own choices with the truth, knowing they have options and having the power to make use of them, regardless of whether the woman in the next bed would make the same choice.
midwest woman said
remember the cover of Esquire that caused quite the ruckus…a nude pregnant Demi Moore? I always thought it was a beautiful pix.
My dirty little secret is I speed read the National Enquirer while I stand in line at the grocery store.
More seriously, it does seem it’s a fad to be pregnant and have babies except unlike some other fads like teacup dogs and pot bellied Vietnamese pigs, these babies will turn into destructive toddlers and rebellious teens. Whatever is going to happen to these children when the fad is over?