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]
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PhD. Candidate
School of Applied and Human Sciences
Bankstown Campus, University of Western Sydney
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