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.
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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.

Baby Stories

My first story begins with me. Unfortunately I don’t remember any of it. Which brings me to my first question: why doesn’t anyone ever remember anything about when they were born? This also brings me to my first interview. It occurred to me on the beach one day that my mother would be a perfect candidate to interview. For one thing, she is super easy to talk to. On top of that, she has multiple experiences, one of which being me. So without warning I drove right into the conversation asking what it was like having a baby? After 17 years my mom embraces my tendencies for randomness. "It was not fun" My mother replied. I appreciated her humor. She looked at me for further instructions. And that was when I explained the unit and explained my wandering thought process of questions. It was fairly easy talking to her about birth. It was fairly easy talking to her about anything. Although I still did what I could to steer the conversation away from the one of "Where babies come from?" Because that’s always an awkward conversation that mother try and jump into.

Skipping how and proceeding right to the after math, I learned more about me. (Ill did my best to find the truth in the story my mother gave me and in the story my father gave me.) I was told about a year after my parents were married they began to think about having a child. With no solid decision made, it just happened. My mothers began to feel different, her body ached and certain areas grew. This transformation lead to my discovery. I heard it was a good thing, perhaps unplanned but most defiantly celebrated. My parents read books together, attended class, changed both their diets. See my dad was the type to go along with the process, as ridiculous as it may seem for an outsiders view. 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." After some time they learned it/ me was in fact a girl. They had to real choice about to be happy with the gender. However over my 17 years I have learned about some people wishing I were a boy. Some offense taken. Then again I have brothers now, who seem to fill that disappointed by being the ones to carry out the family name. It was when the gender was revealed that my parents began to brainstorm possible names. I was a potential Amanda, Ashley. They liked “A” names for reasons unknown. Later being inspired by Shakespeare my parents ruled out Amanda, made my middle name Ashley and decided on Arden. The Arden that represents the magical forest of Arden, in the play "As you like it."

My due was date was April 22nd. But those are only ever estimations. The day it actually happened started April 10th. It started when the water broke just before going to bed. Clueless my mom called the doctor. Who advised her to sleep best she could, not eat anything and come to the hospital in the morning. So my parents full of only book knowledge grabbed the bag, the bag that was readily packed and listened to the doctor’s instructions.

At the hospital, my mother was put in a room shared with another women. Clean cut, uniformed look a-like doctors surrounded her. Was it weird having stranger after stranger in and out of the room? I asked my mother. I was curious if women get self-conscious being so exposed to so many different random people. " I thought I would be. But with the pain of the contractions, and the heavy doses of drugs that’s the last thing on your mind." What was on your mind? My mother, I would imagine like most women was afraid that something would go wrong, either with the baby or themselves. “You begin to doubt your body’s ability.” 24 hours after the water breaking, the doctor decided a sea section would be best. This is when I arrived: warm, small and silent. 24 hours late, 4 hours short of my grandma birthday, April 12^th. The doctor slapping me violently erupted the silence and I took my very important, first breaths of air.

What are the most important steps/procedures done by doctors during a birth?

Fairly shortly after my mother got pregnant again. Which brings me to my second story of a birth. A year and a half apart, I’m talking about my sister. Now at this time my family lived in France. Although so much in common currently our birth stories are also entirely different.

A sea section was scheduled for November 16^th. With preparations made prior to the date, and a past experience my mother “felt much more prepared.” Together my parents took the bus to the hospital. Where my mother was in her own room. The doctor unlike the one in my case was a woman who “wore purple velvet shoes” she was “humorous.” So when asked which one is preferred my mother answered without hesitation that France was a more accommodating place to give birth, “My preference without a doubt.”

How does the process of birth differ in other countries?

What are the pros and cons?

"I thought I just had to poop" I’ve heard of women being unaware of their pregnancy before. Apparently there is a whole show about it, for all those non-believers. And I have always wondered why/how that could happen? It may seem more plausible and unnoticeable in a heavier person, but that’s not always the case. I held my third interview out for this particular person. Ill respects her request to not use her name so I will call her M. A 19 year old, standing at 5' 6" and an average weight of 130 pounds who happens to be one of those cases. M had been sexually active for about three years and "started using birth control pills since 17." She described no dramatic changes with her body, "with my busy schedule I didn't think much of the little changes." M started out one of those non-believers, it didn't happened, and couldn’t happen to her. 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." Cramps always came with her period, and once again were never thought of as anything more than just cramps. When that day came, "I thought I had to poop." M did what any human would do and went to work out her "busy." But was surprised when a baby started to come. Out of shock and disbelief she called desperately for her boyfriend. Who in panic ran to the downstairs apartment of a nurse? Together they managed to get the baby and cut the umbilical cord. M and her baby went to the hospital and were both fine.

And this is where I come in. Unprepared, M at this point had no idea what to do with the baby. She was currently enrolled in college, and "hadn’t even considered life with a baby." So her called my step mom who works with an adoption agency. It was my step mom’s job lay out all of her options. The baby: a healthy unnamed newborn was in the care of the agency. "I couldn’t commit to adoption" and unable to care for the baby then. A plan was devised for M to before more parent equipped and then claim her baby.

How do our bodies change/adapt to being pregnant?

Other people on Birth (-or+ 5 years)

With no prior knowledge of the stances of the people I interviewed I approached the conversation very causally. I have found that a more conversation-based word exchange is better than just shooting out questions. When talking about controversial issues I try to avoid “attacking” or offending the person at all costs. Therefore I started saying what their beliefs were on birth. Simply that so there was no wrong answer and I would have more of a foundation of their thoughts to work with. I respect the request to kept names unsaid, and so I apologize for using mostly he/she’s.

Marriage=babies?

I was pleased to find that one of the first people I started talking to about birth was comfortable talking to me (practically a stranger) about it. I felt that the frame of her plan was very similar to the dominant one of our society. Initially we discussed the factor of age. What age is too early to be thinking about having children? Personally she thought it all depended on age, “It is a matter of maturity, 17 or 27.” We continued our talk, making it more personally. She talked about how she “wasn’t ready to have a child now” nor did she want one right now, but when she finds the right person that’s when she would consider children. I think its strange how people go on a search for the right one and only then do they consider children. It seems like an important step in our society of the American dream. This was a common thought with the second person I interviewed. He thought it was better to have children when two people were married, “its better for the child physiologically to have parents that are closer together.” Theoretically he thinks that a marriage makes parents look “established” and stronger. This justifies why marriage is better for the child. While the parents are in a bond hard to get out of it forces the family together. But above all “Parenting together would just makes everything easier.”

Celebration

If you did not already hear the term baby shower what would you have thought? Person number 3 described an experience going to a baby shower, “It was all her girl friend celebrating her baby.” A baby shower is simply a way to welcome the baby and congratulate the mom to be. Who came up with that? We discussed the topic further, although she didn’t seem very interested. She did not see what I personally found so strange with the process of a baby shower. Although I have no first hand experience, I’m not one to judge. She discussed with me what she knew. That baby showers are usually only held for the first child. But gave no reasoning, if its purpose is to congratulate the mom to be then a baby shower for your first born signifies your role forever as a mother?

BIRTH.

My initial thought process was sparked by memories. I began to recall the times I have experienced events related to birth. I remember a family member getting pregnant with her boyfriend. That hadn't been together for that long, which was why it came as a shock when they announced their engagement. They said they were getting married because they loved each other. Sure they, no one doubted that. But everyone seemed to question other factors that might have pushed them to the decision. The pregnancy was kept a secret. Only till after the wedding was it made more public for celebration. Why is it frowned upon to have a baby with someone and not be married? Its a situation more common than just within my family. It seems as though magazines and support groups are focused on the couple. There is an entirely new magazine or group for women without a partner. So Maybe for some it has to do with religion, or family tradition.

In the right circumstances the process of pregnancy is celebrated. However I disagree with everyone who thinks that Birth is a beautiful thing. Its not. Its only the idea of birth that flatters people. Its only the whole idea of one human bringing another one into the world that is beautiful. Is that why we congrat people on being pregnant? What exactly are are we congratulating them on? Taking on the long process and painful finish of birth?