United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Has anyone read Cradle or grave
Michele Pridmore-Brown? What did you think of the book?

No, I haven't read that book, but I'd LOVE to recommend a book that I recently read by Jodi Picoult. It's called "My Sister's Keeper." It's always told in first person from multiple character's point of view. It was one of the best books I've read in a long time, and an easy read as well. It gets your mind thinking about your own opinions on certain subject matters is all I'll say.

Highly recommended!

Tanya in NY
Amber's Mom, ROBPI 4 years old

Cradle or Grave

Cradle or Grave is a review by Michele Pridmore-Brown of three books on childbirth in the May 30, 2007 Times Literary Supplement. Looking at birthing through history and internationally, these books show "the extent to which birth is in fact not just some timeless event, but culture- and class-mediated," subject to religious manipulation, scientific vigilantism and expensive and often harmful fads. The review also focuses on the appallingly high rate of infant and maternal mortality in the US:

Proof that things are amiss in the US: it has the second worst newborn mortality figures in the industrialized world, despite having the most expensive maternity system. Women are 70 per cent more likely to die in childbirth in the US than in Europe.
In his book "Born in the USA" Marsden Wagner wonders how Americans continue to be duped by the obstetrical industry:

Obstreticians are still too much “like priests in white robes”, writes Wagner, practising in insular “cathedrals”; continuing the metaphor, pregnant women are then faithful parishioners when they should be sceptics. Wagner enjoins pregnant women to shun any birth book that advises “trusting your doctor” or “listening to your doctor”. Such phrases are red flags. Instead, they should trust the scientific evidence and “trust their bodies”. I am not sure what trusting one’s body means, given that interpreting bodily signs is itself a culturally mediated, indeed often faddish, affair – as Cassidy’s book makes abundantly clear. But, certainly, basing decisions on scientific evidence is sound advice – that is, assuming the evidence is robust. And Wagner does marshal plenty of evidence that midwives are the safest attendants for low-risk births – because they are trained to wait patiently for and facilitate birth, rather than to intervene in and/or hasten it. Evidence also suggests that when the C-section rate goes over 15 per cent, the maternal mortality rate increases. And evidence also shows that planned home births for low-risk patients are as safe as hospital births. But Wagner’s trump card when it comes to policy is probably the bottom line: acting on this evidence in the US would not only lower death rates but save vast sums of money.

Read the whole review, and support your local midwife.
HT Natalie at Philobiblon




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Feminism, Mothers

I haven't read the book, just have to respond to the comment of "support your midwife". Would that be the one that injured my child by refusing to call for the Dr. that was two doors down and actually on call? Sorry, no hard feelings meant, just wanted to point it out, not all Drs are bad and not all midwives are great.

thanks

Our son was also injured by a midwife. I know many others. I don't think they are *necessarily* any more prepared than doctors to handle shoulder dystocia although you'd think they would be!

Kate

Alannah was injured by a midwife, who ironically was my (I'm her grandma) next door neighbor. She had only been practicing for about 6-7 months max. Camille B.

Harper was also injured by my midwife.

Our daughter, Aria, was bilaterally injured by a midwife, who owns her own birthing center and has been in practice more than 30 years.

Also present in the room were two highly-trained midwife assistants and a second doula/midwife.