1. How is the book organized?
Tina Cassidy discusses how Birth has been dealt with and what certain developments and advances have been made during certain periods of time. She begins her book by explaining why the evolution of how our society deals with birth is important and the overall reason for her extensive interest in birth. Establishing the main idea from the very start of the book, Cassidy talks about the difficulties of child birthing that arise in our society and then goes into detail about the failures and successes of it's attempt to make Birth "in a way that is - simultaneously and consistently - safe, minimally painful, joyful, and close to nature's design"(Cassidy 8). Cassidy presents and explains a major problem first then proceeds to talk about what led to the problem before consequently explaining how the same problem leads to changes in how we decide who can be present at a birth, the methods used by midwives and doctors, and how such methods become acceptable in society.
2. a) What is the major question that the book tries to answer?
The author of Birth engages her readers into the history of childbirth. The major question that the book tries to answer is: How has birth changed over time in terms of culture, politics, religion, physical aspects, and anthropological aspects of birth? And how do these factors influence how women bring new life into the world?
b) What responses do you have to that question?
Having read the first few 100 pages, I can say that I have learned several things that will either influence me to become engrossed in the errors a birth is vulnerable to or benefit me in that I will not be ignorant of what embodies the responsibility of bringing new life into the world. Had I not read any of Birth, I would not have acknowledged the shocking deaths/murders midwives, otherwise known as "witches" in the Early 1500s across Europe, had experienced because of their "superstitious" usage of herbs and incantations. Today such methods would still be considered eccentric by the majority of society but, in any case, our lack of knowledge and belief in methods that are separate from those of a "sterile" hospital could never justify the death of a midwife. We must take into account that these methods were put to use in order to make the arrival of a healthy baby occur and if this purpose does not triumph over a people's biased fears of certain methods then its only logical to worry about what our society considers important.
3. a) What is the major insight that the book tries to communicate in the first 100 pages?
The major insights that the book tries to communicate in the first 100 pages is that the midwife's role in society has both dwindled and risen several times, different locations that women give birth at each have its advantages and disadvantages so, a middle ground between "the lack of a safety net at home and the dehumanizing hospital" (Cassidy 69) is needed, and women's fear of birth has driven women to resort to any means to avoid pain.
b) What is your response to these insights?
I'm not exactly sure why midwives have never had stable roles in society - they serve a great purpose which is to help the process of populating our species. To be frank, if such purpose is not important enough to appreciate the roles they play then what is? When it comes the time I give birth in the future, I want to be able to make the decision of where I will birth my child. Though I doubt it will be a easy decision to make, perhaps the factory-like environment of a hospital will be intimidating to the extent that I consider delivering my own child in the boundaries of my own home separate from the cliche white coats and sharp needles in a hospital. While the location of birth is important, the pain that comes along with birth cannot be unheeded, however, it would be preferable to not analyze the suffering because I am far from the day that I actually do give birth.
4. What are five interesting aspects of pregnancy and birth that you and the author agree deserve public attention?
- A mother's birth plans and preferences should be taken into account instead of being unheeded, thus decreasing the need for intervention by doctors. Often intervention tags along side with unnecessary pain, prolonged recovery, and overall discomfort.
- Because our consciousness has given us the ability to think and process thought, our prevalent fear of pain from birth has not wavered. Most women are, in fact, willing to do whatever it takes to "ease" the suffering.
- Our access to abundant amounts of food have led to abnormal diets for pregnant women. Although the food is also shared by the fetus and is helping develop its brain, the diet is not aiding in making women's pelvises any more larger to be able to push a baby's head out therefore, pregnant woman should keep a healthy balanced diet in favor of the fetus and the mother - in light of less pain relief drugs being used during the birth.
- Combining the amnesiac scopolamine could make a pregnant woman "fall into a semiconscious state and emerge hours later with a baby in her arms, remembering nothing that happened in between. In truth, she'd feel pain; she would just not remember it" (Cassidy 91). This deserves public attention because people often are mislead to believe that there is no pain involved and "twilight sleep" banishes the suffering of childbirth, which is incorrect.
- Epidurals have replaced chants, herbs, and breathing techniques. Epidurals have become the easy route to relief.
5. Think about the type of evidence, the source of the evidence, and the way the evidence got communicated. Does the text convince, do you find it honest and accurate?
The text does a great job convincing me. Having gotten through most of the book, I'm afraid that there is no simple way of giving birth - the modern antiseptics and methods that are used are surreal, simply horrifying. The picture of the epidural left enough time for me to cringe away from the book and attempt to forget what I had just seen. I liked the fact that the entire book began with somewhat of an anecdote - it helped me get to know the author better and what led her to her beliefs. The evidence she provides is remarkably statistical. Though, she does not make the statistics the focus of her writing and instead makes the historical accounts of birth compelling with the use of good organization and diction. By looking at the endnotes, it's obvious Cassidy did a prodigious amount of book reading and interviewing people, therefore, I trust that the majority of the statements she makes are backed up by evidence. Cassidy is truly honest - often she subtly places her own beliefs, opinions, and fears in her writing without completely digressing from the core information. If I hadn't looked at the endnotes, the quotes in her writing would be questionable. Although, if there had been a bounty full of citation marks in her actual writing, I probably would have been more reluctant to read the Birth.
Works Cited
- Cassidy, Tina. Birth: The Surprising History of How We Are Born. Grove Press. 2006
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