This year, the start of National Midwifery Week (Oct. 4-10) has coincided with a particularly unflattering depiction of midwives and home births on The Today Show in which they compared home birth to, among other things, "a spa treatment." The report, which suggested that home birth is an option chosen by women who are merely imitating trendy celebrities, was a great example of shoddy and biased reporting, with a equal parts patriarchal patronizing and emotional exploitation.
At Choices in Childbirth, we believe that women should have all the necessary information to make their own choices about where, how and with whom they give birth. In response to the Today segment, CIC has put together a petition demanding accurate reporting on all birthing options, rather than fear-mongering and fact-free depictions of home birth and midwifery. If you would be interested in signing it, writing about it or passing it along to people in the feminist and birth communities who you know would be interested, I'd be most grateful.
Best regards,
Chloe Angyal
Administrative AssistantChoices in Childbirth
Choices in Childbirth
441 Lexington Ave. 19th Fl.
New York, NY 10017212.983.4122
New York, NY.
4 comments:
I would love to see accurate portrayals of home births and midwives!
It is an option that should be available to everyone, and the information should be accurate, so everyone can make an informed decision when it comes to their own birth choices.
Bravo!
Thank you! LoveXXOO Your Midwife.
LOL That was supposed to be Love, Your Midwife. Without the comma, it looked like a demand to "love your midwife". I know you do so that would have been dumb and silly ( long, long night; I'm so tired ) but you get the point! M.
I miss your blogging Mama! I hope you're well. :)
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