HW 38

So far Ina Mays Guide to childbirth has been an interesting book so far. The way it is set up is alright. It doesn't really have a strong introduction because it goes straight into birth stories. But in a way the birth stories set up the books own introduction in a unique way. Its not as much of Ina May talking at this point but as the table of contents says right now its all birth stories. This book doesn't as much ask a question but has you question yourself about what you know about birth. It makes you question stories or experiences that you have heard about or had. I think the most important point this book is trying to make is that everybody's birth experience is different. That there is no way to know what your experience will be like weather you go to the hospital or to "The Farm". It is also trying to prove that to significantly improve your birth experience a midwife may be your best choice. To prove her point Ina May gets many happy birth stories that try to empower woman to be positive when in labor. She tries to show that having a completely natural birth with a positive attitude can give you an amazing experience. I am very convinced by this because not only does she support her point with hundreds of stories as evidence but she is also "Simply put, midwife Ina May Gaskin is the most important person in maternity care in North America, bar none." As said by Marsden Wagner, M.D., M.S., former director of woman's and children's health, World Health Organization.

37, Comments on 26

Stephen- I think that it was very smart how you started by compairing people who had one kid to those who have given birth more then once. Its interesting how people shun the 17 year old was shuned. You would think that she would get more attention and help because shes so young. Its very nice to here about Brooks son. That is a huge choice to make and to know your baby might come out with problems may very well be a good reason to get an abortion, but since hes normal it shows that there is a chance and one may be depriving a perfectly fine baby of life. I would like to here more on how brook was scared she could die. Its a bit funny and typical for the guys to mention the mood swings. What did the guys have to say about the mood swings?

Beatrice-it seems that in our culture the immediate thought is to go to the hospital as if there were something wrong. did you think to ask the mother whether she ever considered a home birth, as it seems from your story that she was fairly relaxed about the procedure. i like the way you told the story in a nostalgic way, as its a more interesting format to read rather than just informing the reader. although obviously it is procedure and routine to take the baby away it seems strange that immediately after birth the baby gets taken off you. we recently read something in class that talked about the 'sewing up.' this is because they make an incision between the vagina and the anus so that its easier for the mother to give birth. also i think they have recently gotten rid of the stirrups but woman are still more likely to be in the laying down legs up position. also- a vaccum extractor?!!

Initial Thoughts on Birth

Birth is the start of a new story. The beginning of the most important thing to every person. Even though it is so important it is impossible for any person to remember this event. It isn't exactly the happiest thing while it is happening though, or for the nine months that the woman is pregnant. When the woman is pregnant they literally have a tiny person who feeds and lives inside of them. They have to give up their looks, youth, and energy just to carry another person to help keep human kind going. So I wouldn't be surprised that they would act unusually. Also giving birth is one of the most painful things a woman can go through so it is not exactly a sight to see. Yet still the man normally is in the room with the doctor when it is happening. It goes from possibly the most painful horrid things for a woman to what could be the happiest moment in a families life. 

Are there alternatives to where birth is given? I have never heard of a birth that hasn't been taken in a hospital, but I know that there must be some.

What is the most widely used form of giving birth? Natural, C section, ect.

What else goes on in the room when birth is given? 

How are the babies treated in those rooms at the hospital?

How did birth in hospitals become the social norm?

Extra Credit

Last summer I had volunteered at a veterans hospital on 23rd and 1st. I had never really noticed how big it was until I went in. When I first got there I noticed that there were a lot of lower class people outside. I was guessing that they were from somewhere in the cold war like Viet Nam. They were very loud and not exactly the type of people I would want to be around. There is a lot of security when you go inside so it is a protected place. Because it was a veterans hospital there were mostly old people. Not that many people looked like they were there because they had serious illnesses. For example only a few had on the mint robe that the patients wear. Also pretty much everything you need to live is there. There is a food court, bathrooms, a souvenir shop, even a place you could get a haircut. I remember it having about 9 floors or so.

Where I worked was in the senior club room and the computer room. It wasn't at all what I thought it would be. When the seniors came they were very happy and enjoyed there time but it was almost as if they were run on a schedule. They had people to come in to entertain them like artistes and musicians. They were all very nice people but many of them forgot my name a lot. The food in the club room though is not like cafeteria food like I expected it would be. It was home made food made by the volunteers and it was quite good. I didn't really talk to many of them directly because I would be busy doing work but I did over hear on a lot of conversations. Surprisingly they weren't uncomfortable talking about the war but it wasn't often brought up. I also realized that they talk about the same issues and have similar arguments that my friends and me have. Their poetry was very deep and somewhat dark. Yet their music was very happy. They are very lively people which contrasts to the movie we watched in class.

Connecting this experience that I had to illness and dying that I have been learning has had me realize that we should let the ill or dying person decide what happens to them. Everybody is their own person and be able to decide their fate. If not don't leave it in the hands of a doctor who may know best, but it isn't the doctors job to know what the patient wants. Let the patient even choose what is done. I have also noticed that the old people I came in contact weren't really very aware of their surroundings. They seemed very happy to be in a hospital, and to get all of these things served to them.

HW 31 Comments

Evan-
I really liked your idea Evan. It was very well thought out and interesting to hear about somebody who deals with illness everyday's point of view. I think that the way the doctor is portrayed is all depending on the point of view. Of course a doctor wont think that they give false hope but somebody who criticizes doctors might. Theres usual bias behind everything. In a way I noticed that she doesn't lie or give false hope but doesn't exactly tell the whole truth which i found interesting.
Max-
I really enjoyed reading your piece. It's joyful to hear that you cousin is still living his life even with this horrible disease. I had no idea that the life expectancy was as short as it was. I agree with when you said "When you get a exact knowledge of how long you have to live, it affects the way that you can spend that time." This is very true in my opinion and reminds me of that question, if you had a day to live what would you do.
Harry-
Your topic related perfectly back to the unit. Also while I was reading it I learned some new things that interested me. Particularly about the girl who didn't get the liver transplant. I've had numbers of discussions and arguments about this with some friends and I agree that this is wrong. If that man who denied her health care sold his soul then, I'm sure he has done it hundreds of thousands of times more.
Matt B.-
I thought that this was a very nice story you told. "Life is a series of moments flashing bye but before you know it those memories fade and stories come to a close." I have thought that over so many times and it scares me a little every time I think about it. It kind of actually gives me a bit of relief to know somebody thinks the same way. I can relate to this post a lot and I really enjoyed reading it.

HW 30

I have been struggling on a topic to choose for project until the other day when I was on my way home from New Jersey. I was in the car on the way to this store to drop somebody off and we saw this girl who was running without a coat on. I thought this was a bit weird but didn't think twice about it. When I got to the train station I saw the girl again. She was tall very young asian girl; definitely still in high school. I once again didn't think why this girl may have been without a jacket. So I waited for the train and I look down the track. My eyes aren't the best so I couldn't get the best view but I saw something go into the tracks. I figured it was nothing and went on walking until i saw the train stop midway. I still didn't think twice and just thought it was stopping earlier. Then there was a scream. At that point I figured out what was going on. The girl in just the t-shirt had walked into the train as it was coming in the station. I went closer to check out what happened and I saw her laid out under the train but she was still breathing. Somebody called 911 but I noticed it took a while for an ambulance to get to the station. Nobody really knew what to do. They told all of the people waiting to go to there cars but thats why we were waiting for the train. I talked to this woman who had seen the girl up close and said the girl was crying and slowly walked into the train. Her body was pushed and then over run by the train; no blood, but it was still a gruesome site. I later found out that this girl was a sophomore in high school, and that she got in a fight with her step dad about what she wanted to do in life. It shows how such small things can cause such a big thing to happen. This moment has influenced me to write about problem that isn't easy to deal with which is suicide.
I've never seen or encountered death as close as I did that day and it scared me. To see something I can connect with better then anything else, which is another human, dying like that makes my stomach turn. It is not something I want to see again. If there was blood I probably would have been traumatized. But this made me think back to what we have been learning and left me with a question. Is suicide an illness? How can the mental part of you want to die but the physical part of you want to keep going? I know that the girls body wanted to live because she was still breathing after she was hit by the train. But what was going through her head? Could she have been relieved or realized the worst mistake she could make. Well with some research, I found no evidence that states that suicide is a mental illness but I did find out that 90% of people who kill themselves have some sort of mental disorder. Also if an illness is something that hurts the body doesn't that make suicidal intentions and suicide an illness considering it hurts the mind and at a point the body. Most people see suicide as a person who just hates life. A person who has been pushed to far to a point where it destroys them from the inside out. To the most part that isn't wrong. I thought the same way and I still have the same ideas but now since I've seen it up close I feel differently about it.
This site has very interesting facts about suicide that will be included in my presentation.
http://www.healthyplace.com/depression/suicide/suicide-facts-suicide-statistics/menu-id-68/
I've put a lot of thought into it and I have realized that there is no cure for suicide and you can't really stop it. You can only look out for the symptoms and try to help the person out before its too late. Putting a suicidal person in a hospital is not going to work because it will only make them hate the world and life more. More expensive bills to pay, death all around you, that distinct hospital smell. Nobody wants to be in a hospital, especially if they are thinking of taking there life. A better idea would be to suggest a suicide hotline or a psychiatrist. But in the end it is all up to the person.
http://www.stopasuicide.org/suicide.aspx

HW 27 Comments

Evan- I think that a great sentence was, "My father and I get her grocery every week because she is scared she will forget where she is going and have no one to help her get home. She is somewhat almost not able to go out side unless a family member of hers comes and walks with her." I think that this is a great thing that you and your father do for this woman. I can't even think about the possibility of being scared to leave my apartment. Try to work on making your sentences more beautiful.
Max- I think that the most beautiful sentence in your post was, "This surprised him and he told me that while in these situation you have to make the best out of it or else your waisting valuable time in your life." I think that this is a great way to look at this situation. It is very brave and hard to deal with and I would have responded the exact same way as you Max. Time is probably the most valuable thing that we have so it should never be wasted.