Re: [ozmidwifery] Reasons to avoid a "natural" birth

[Aviva Sheb'a]

I agree, Marilyn. I was thin as a child, so much so that people would tell my mother how kind she was taking in a little refugee child. How embarrassing was THAT! I've since made up for it.   The whole body image thing is huge and so detrimental. The info about gymnasts I referred to came from a keynote speech by Dr. Barbara Drinkwater (Research Physiologist in the Department of Medicine, Pacific Medical Centre, Seattle, Washington), at the 12 Congress of the International Association for Physical Education and Sport for Girls and Women, Melbourne, July, 1993. Her talk was hair-raising and backed up my experiences of working with women, with dance, Active Birthing, healing.   My daughter, Rosie, has just turned 15, and is very tiny still. Not an ounce of fat, but well muscled, extremely healthy, fit, strong in all respects, and cops flak periodically for being slender.   Alas, we have still a long way to go to stop the undermining of girls and women through body stature/image.   Aviva   ----- Original Message ----- From: Marilyn Kleidon To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, February 05, 2003 2:37 AM Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] Reasons to avoid a "natural" birth Just a little note of angst from me too. As there are many different kinds of women there are many different types of birthing bodies. I am certainly not sanctifying the obsession with extreme thinness that the advertising industry has imposed on people over the decades but I cringe when I read people making huge judgements about the state of osteoporosis in a model's body. Implied in that is her inability to birth naturally. As a person who once inhabited a very skinny body (I no longer do, the miracle of age) I know first hand the comments that fly your way, one is repeatedly told about your boyishness, how unlikely it is for a child to pass through your hips, how could you possibly have the endurance to mother etc.. How you must be malnourished. In short you are declared unwomanly at a young age and for as long as you remain thin. (I am always amazed that large people think they are the only ones who were made fun of, it's all of us a group inferiority comples??). Of course the media hype is also telling you your body is desirable. What a mind tweek. I am not denying that extreme dieting, extreme exercise and obsession with body image is not harmful, I am just saying that we shouldn't assume that thin, toned women (often called skinny) can't birth, they can and do everyday in many ways. I do think it is our mission as midwives to unveil their trust in their bodies so that they birth their babies in hope and trust. We must delete the subtext that seems to be saying big women birth beautifully and skinny women can't. Let's not make such invalid assumptions. marilyn   ---   Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.449 / Virus Database: 251 - Release Date: 27/01/03