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The “me” in the title of Epstein’s book refers not only to the baby, but also to any mother who might want out of the medical way of giving birth prevalent in Western culture today.
After saying that the book’s guidance “should pique your curiosity to think about the medical maze in a different sort of way,” Epstein describes childbirth from the 1600s to the present, ultimately tackling how modern medicine influences the way women conceive and give birth.
Epstein, a medical journalist who is also trained as a physician, offers revealing and sometimes disturbing insight into the medicalization of childbirth: the suffering female slaves endured in the 1800s as unwitting test subjects for early gynecological devices; the business maneuvering and resulting financial success by the inventors of the forceps; and the financial posturing required before ultrasound replaced harmful X-rays in viewing fetuses during prenatal care. Such stories certainly need to be told.
Lessening the power of Epstein’s otherwise vivid narrative and authoritative tone are hints of opinions and judgments that are never clearly stated. In describing “freebirthers” — women who choose to give birth at home without a doctor or midwife — Epstein alludes to her personal view: “Seeing the videos and talking to women who have gone the unassisted route is so inspiring.”
But these missteps mar only slightly an otherwise fascinating and powerful recounting of conception and childbirth.
W.W. Norton & Co., 2010, 302 p., $24.95.
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"hints of opinions and judgments that are never clearly stated. In describing “freebirthers” — women who choose to give birth at home without a doctor or midwife — Epstein alludes to her personal view: “Seeing the videos and talking to women who have gone the unassisted route is so inspiring.”
But these "missteps"
Why is the mention of Freebirth a misstep? The implication is that we who have weaned from the medical and midwifery models of birth are somehow unworthy to have a chapter devoted to us in a book?
Or perhaps the influence that Ms. Epstein implies on her and her thinking as inspiring makes her less of a scientist or less of a researcher, writer, woman, or mother?
The misstep Kristina Bartlett Brody is in the assumption that Unassisted Childbirth is a nothing, or even less than a nothing. A danger, a fraud, something that is leading families down a path frought with death and disability.
The fact is that the medical model of birth is increasingly proving to be the danger in our society. We who have promoted UC Birth have done so with the clear understanding that Medical Birth is not for every family and we want to give parents a solid place to land when they bail from the inherent dangers to the mother, the baby, and the overall financial devastation for those who use it.
Families need to take a realistic look at where we are as a society with medical birth enshrined as the ideal for family life, and then decide for themselves if what is being offered is worth the time, money, and energy needed to use it.
When I chose to do my own prenatal care in 1996 it was the most empowering moment of my life. What surprised me the most during my year of taking personal responsibility for my childs gestation and birth was how seriously I took everything. I was not conciously aware of how much of my autonomy I had been placing in the hands of those professionals who were being paid to guarantee us with a healthy baby.
But when I chose to do the work to create my son without any of the bells and whistles of midwifery and medical prenatal care, I took that responsibility very seriously.
I was much more diligent about nutrition, exercise, getting enough rest, and preparing for birth. This unexpected outcome was something that has been a refrain from the many hundreds of mothers who also have taken on the task of Self Reliant Motherhood.
Jenny Hatch
The reviewer was using this as an example of a misstep by the author - hinting to the reader without explaining.
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