Research

Cassidy, Tina. Birth:The surprising history of how we are born. New York: Grove Press, 2006. Print.

• Tina presents a book that describes the evolution of birth in great detail. Women have been giving birth for such a long time yet every generation, every culture to have its own ideas about the best way to give birth. She addressed the difficulty giving birth, as well as where women deliver, and the perception of midwives.
• This is one of the more helpful resources. Due to the fact that this book not only covers each step of pregnancy and a birth but goes in depth of addressing each decision, tool, pain, etc.

"The BIRTHING PROCESS." ProfessionalPlanets. N.p., 1999. Web. 31 Mar 2011. .

• This site makes the process of birth very clear. It scratches the surface of what goes on during a birth. “The birthing process” is literally what it describes step by step and in the most basic form to understand.
• An article like this one provides a step-by-step method of giving birth. It is useful in creating a solid foundation to my project.

"Birth." 2011. Web. .http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birth>.

• Although not considered a fully reliable source. This page discusses the dominant misconceptions that people have about the process of birth. This page address many some what obvious points, as well as mostly bias ones.
• This piece will be helpful in illustrating the dominant view of our culture. This article will benefit in my project as a good source to make a counter argument too.

"Birth." Science Clarified. N.p., 2010. Web. 31 Mar 2011.

• Beginning with a list of definitions makes the article easy to understand. Different topics are labeled with headings. There are detailed diagrams that are thrown into the piece and explained further. The bottom of the page includes questions and comments from the public, which adds insight to the piece. Questions about our culture as humans are brought up: Is it only human females that give birth while lying on their back?
• I liked the comments at the end of this piece. People added some interesting insight and further thinking to what was written. With the comments and question I can see how people to response to that type of writing. This allows me to make changes to my piece and making it attractive to more than one type of audience member.

Book Part II

1. Cassidy, Tina. Birth:The surprising history of how we are born. New York: Grove Press, 2006. Print.

• The mighty epidural- used to speed up the process. Ultimately gets in the way of allowing our bodies to go through with our natural responses to birth.
• C-sections- a routines process to get the baby out of the mother without taking up to much time.
• 
  

2.

Cassidy addresses the various options a women is accessible to when giving birth. Her book Birth gives the readers insight explaining why our current methods are the way they are. She addresses these issues with tragic, gruesome stories, representing the past methods as tortures and the current one only as a little better. One chapter is dedicated to illustrating the history of the Cesarean section. A method that was not always common but is widely known and practiced now. Five hundred years ago, in a swiss town a women was in labor for days. in pain and no response to their request for help the women's husband performed the first recorded C-section. He retrieved the baby himself, resulting in a healthy mother and son. An emgencergy, nesscessary procedure transformed into a likely and considerably normal one. this was one of the topic that was heavily discussed within the next 100 pages. I think this is due to the fact that C-sections are a process that have made the biggest jump. I dont agree with using the word progression in this case, because the process does not seem to have become much better. Although C-sections that made it far, meaning the process has changed allot, it is one that has changed in a direction different than positive.

3.

"With Madonna, Elizabeth Hurley, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kate Hudson all having cesareans, the procedure seemed suddenly trendy among the skinner celebrity set." (124)

"...as rigid benchmarks for monitoring labor's progress, without considering how many women fall on ether side of his asymmetrical bell curve... there was no standard for normal."(158)

What is state of the art one year is out-molded and unfathomable the next, leaving us to laugh at the hocus pocus, marvel at how mothers are thrilled by some new "easy' way, or recoil in horror at the damage done." (161)

"Did nature intend for men to be present at birth? Does a fathers own worries add to the anxiety in the room? Does he offer a massage thats more annoying than comforting? Does he interrupt the women's concentration? Does he inhibit her? Who let the mean in to begin with?" (197)

4. Starting with Victoria Beckham started the catch phrase "to posh to push". A phrases addressing without the book Birth and also one addresses in various magazine articles. It became a trend in 1999 when this celebrity via c-section. Other big named celebrities began to follow her example, causing so much attention. So while having a baby in hollywood has become a trend, having a baby via c-section is the way to go. celebrities like Christina Aguilera consider c-sections to avoid

"any surprises." she continues her thoughts in a interviews by saying, " Honestly, I didn't want any [vaginal] tearing. I had heard horror stories of women going in and having to have an emergency C-section." and once the decision of the birthing process was made. This almost mom faced a new challenge in her birthing process, " The hardest part was deciding on his birthday." Just in case, anything goes wrong there are of course ways to repair those battle wounds. Because alas there is the option of cosmetic surgery! the vaginal rejuvenation; becoming more and more popular over the years. This fantastic methods allows those to simply "freshen up her lady bits."

Hepp, Kyle . "Celebrity mothers are into c-sections."sytlelist Feb 16th 2008: n. pag. Web. 23 Mar 2011. .

"But there's a story behind everything. How a picture got on a wall. How a scar got on your face. Sometimes the stories are simple, and sometimes they are hard and heartbreaking. But behind all your stories is always your mother's story, because hers is where yours begin."

BOOK part I

Birth: the surprising history of how we are born

By Tina Cassidy

1. Cassidy begins by addressing the evolution of the female body. She then begins writing about the history of mid-wifely, along with the changing and adapting perceptive of society.

2. How has the process of birth evolved? Evolution has not made it any easier for humans to give birth. We have come from a time where our ancestors were able to give birth alone, with hassle, a simply step in the way of life. Today we choice to surround our self’s with mentors/viewers and get overwhelmed by the endless decisions that need to be made; hospitals, home, medicine, birthing in water, etc. What is the best way of giving birth? Different cultures all have their own traditions and theories on the best way to have a baby. Our ways are crazy to them, while theirs might seem crazy to us, but there is no one right way.

3. Doctors create a fast system most functional for them. They move the birthing process along medicating patients, often times performing C-sections or rupturing the amniotic sac, and overall disrupting the natural form of birth. "Such systems made maternity hospitals seems more like a factory." (61) However "Delivering at home, at least in many developed countries, had become impractical.” The fact was that “fewer midwifes were practicing, and doctors were mostly seeing women in Hospitals, which-after they instituted hand washing- portrayed themselves as the sterile alternative to a women's home.” Furthermore, “ new fangled pain relief options could receive them only in a maternity ward. For a fee." Which could classify as another “pro” point of birthing in a hospital.

4.

• From growing peculation of the safety of midwifes; the number of women giving birth in hospitals grew rapidly. In 1955, 99%women of women in the United States were giving birth in hospitals.
• Some cultures find indignity in the process of birth. Maori and Japanese banned labor from the house to avoid the mess and to keep out evil spirits.
• Birth is a personal, private event. But the after math of the process is a celebrated one: a social event.
• “We’re the only mammal species that needs assistance hen giving birth” while other mammals have a much easier experience because they are equipped with wider canals, making it so the whole process can last roughly 2 minutes.

Comments on Birth & Pregnancy Stories

Matt B. (B for Batson)

One of my favorite aspects of your writing is the style you chose to write in. Each interview was a very personal story. Writing in first person was both creative and interesting. The first women finding that through all her struggles having the girl was more than worth it. Your second interview had me wondering how much power the women has in decision making during the birth? is she considered to be in a good enough state to make decisions for herself?

While you adding on you personal thoughts i really liked the line: "The first women I interviewed even went as far to say "with this birth she was given purpose". Birth allowed her to understand her own personnel deep down feelings ,feelings that seemed both mysterious and frightening." There are so many changes a women's body experiences through pregnancy. Experiences that are not as comfortable, and changes that potential last. Giving birth is a complete invasion of a women's privacy, i think the women you describes here have learnt about themselves and are more comfortable as a result of their painful process.

Nice job :)

From Matt…

While I don't have the pleasure of writing this from a beach I enjoyed your post very much.I liked how you made it personnel, I feel some of the deepest insights we can get is from are own life's sometimes.For me I loved when you said "My mother guessed that "he was trying to prepare himself, cope with the changes that were going to happen in his life." or maybe "he was just trying to comfort me in the changes I was dealing with" I think you were getting at something that in the mist of the birth topic is sometimes sorely missed. That not only is their a baby on the way, but a relationship that has created this life. It appears to me that the birth of a first child can either make or break a relationship. It's a testing time where both people like you pointed out our changing but also trying to be their for one another. It's weird how almost everybody goes into marriage knowing most likely they'll eventually be having a child but then when that day comes their all of a sudden like "ooo shit where having a baby". I thought you brought up a real interesting point at the end as well when you said " A plan was devised for M to before more parent equipped and then claim her baby." Ive been struggling with this idea is it right to bring a baby in this world if your not equipped, even if you accuse is it was a accident ? In my belief its not. I think in fact the problem is that where not problematizing the fact that more and more people are having children and not ready. More than 4 million babies are born in the United States each year, this number is both shocking and disturbing to me because out of that number almost 750,000 U.S. women age 15–19 become pregnant every year.And most teens I know are barely mature or cable a nove to handle themselves how could they handle a baby. This is not to highlight just teens , their are equal amounts of adults who shouldn't be having children. That's why I think your choice of wording "equipped" is right on the money. When and what makes someone equipped a nove to have a child ? . Giving life is a great power that no one has given or taken any responsibility for.Plato said "For neither birth, nor wealth, nor honors, can awaken in the minds of men the principles which should guide those who from their youth aspire to an honorable and excellent life, as Love awakens them." I enjoyed that your voice didnt really get lost in your writing .You had a real great post. I cant wait to read more :)

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(mentor)

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First off, well written piece. I really like the topic. You made some really good points. I like this piece was factual, but at the same time pretty personal. I also like how you added questions in it, it made me answer them in my head and think more throughly of what you were talking about. I have to say that it was a bit confusing at times, but i think that could be easily fixed if you were to proof read! Overall great piece once again. I am eager to see what you write next!

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Sharif,

First off: THAK YOU for your post. second off: I think this was a very well written piece and i enjoyed reading it. I particular liked how compared both your mothers and fathers interpretations of your birth. Although i do not necessarily agree, i thought this line was an interesting idea, "I feel that birth is the closest thing that we experience to death in our lives. The barrier between the two is so thin that you could easily breakthrough to death while in birth." although birth and death seem to be total opposites i do they the two are related. Connected by ideas of religion in some cases, or better explain the dominate social practices in our culture. I agree with you that it would be an interesting idea to look into further. :)

The last interviews you conducted was very intense. I think There are alot of women who would have mutual feelings as your person. Id heard miscarriages described in the sense "it [the baby] was a dead part of me" It seems as though it is something that really takes a toll no people psychologically. but how does one become so attached with something they have never seen, held, talked to? A something that may or may not be even alive? this follows your thinking of the relationship between birth and death.

well done

From Sharif…

Arden i felt that this post was the best one yet. i could tell you put a lot of thought into it (and not just because it is so long). i felt your ideas were very developed and showed a deeper thought process that not a lot of people are capable of doing. My favorite line was "Turns out that those women who didn't know they were pregnant until labor described her perfectly. The signs were mostly all the same as she described to me, My periods were already irregular, I just didn't think about it much.There were not any out of the ordinary food cravings seen in other pregnancies. Then of course there is the baby's growth, normally noticeable. With no drastic changes M justified her weight gain to stress, lack of sleep." I felt like this line was particularly interesting because of the fact that it involves the both physical and mental change of women during pregnancy, but not only that you also explore women who are unaware they are pregnant and what the physical and mental change is like for them.