Heather Cushman-Dowdy, the gifted cartoonist who has given us “Hathor the CowGoddess”, has really nailed the tactics of so called “Prenatal Care” that many now call “Prenatal Scare”. It’s a prep time for what’s coming at the birth. Woman beware.
Heather Cushman-Dowdy, the gifted cartoonist who has given us “Hathor the CowGoddess”, has really nailed the tactics of so called “Prenatal Care” that many now call “Prenatal Scare”. It’s a prep time for what’s coming at the birth. Woman beware.
….choke….that made me sad. I dont know how I escaped a cesarean with my first birth. Im the one that got away.
that would’ve been funny if i felt i could truly laugh at experiences that i know women are having daily. great creation though.
Maternity care workers are human. Therefore, they avoid being wrong at all costs. If you say positive things to women, sometimes things will go wrong unexpectedly and then YOU ARE WRONG. So, in order to be “right” all the time, you say negative things and, then, if it all turns out all right, YOU’RE NOT WRONG, you were just being cautious or concerned (afraid). The human mind poisons maternity care.
🙁 It would be funny if it weren’t so true.
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I THINK I’M GOING TO BE SICK!!
Oh I just love the trouble you love to make apparent Gloria. Absolutely mind-bending little piece of comedy/sic/reality. Thanks -as always-for your endless recovery of the socially real.
They should include this with that printed tripe “What to Expect when you’re expecting” too.
I just accompanied a mother to the hospital and this was the experience to the T. Despite us both knowing that, and advocating for her choices, it is literally impossible to stop the train once its in motion… So sad!
This was me to a BIG FAT T! It’s all just super unfair. I still mourn my lost birthing experiences. My second even had to go to the NICU because of the c section. It was all a nightmare.
My first doctor’s appointment mirrored the slide at 3 minutes. So thankful having a midwife decreased my interactions with the medical field. I was an extremely calm pregnant mama and my doctor made me cry telling me that I was doing things wrong (I wasn’t) and my baby was too big (he wasn’t). Perfectly nice doctor and I know he meant well, but so misguided about health and pregnancy! It’s not a disease or illness, it’s a healthy natural state!
There are ways to avoid this horrendous scenario: within the limitations of choice of birthplace where you live, shop around and choose the one with the best options; go to a good quality childbirth preparation course – not quickie marathons in health centres but courses that facilitate discussion on all your options; make a realistic birth plan for an empowering healthy experience but leave room for flexibility and do not allow the word failure to appear anywhere in your own expectations or medical notes.
Taking pain relief if that is your informed choice is not failure; obstetric interventions if done for good medical reasons at the appropriate time is not failure. Informed choice based on correct information is your mantra.
Learn the language of the labour ward so that you can work as a team with your caregivers. Don`t go to hospital too early unless you are concerned. Get a doula who is on the same wavelength as yourself but not who will interfere or tell you what to do. Print notices to stick on the baby`s crib, your medical notes and even on your hospital gown if you do go to surgery: “No bottles for this baby.” Make sure your partner/doula/other support person accompanies baby to neonatal nursery for the first “prodding and poking” in order to reduce trauma to baby of said p&p and to make sure no bottles are given and that baby is returned to mum as soon as possible.
Better still, if possible, choose a birth-place that doesn`t have a separate neonatal nursery – except for babies in special care – and don`t let baby out of your sight until he starts kindergarten or play-dates.
Make sure your childbirth preparation course includes in-depth preparation for breastfeeding and postpartum and if your course tutor is not a lactation counsellor, have one on standby for those first days/weeks/months.