Tag Archive for "Childbirth"

Posts Tagged Childbirth

Delivery deserts: a reproductive justice challenge beyond abortion access

Ed. note: This post was originally published on the Community site.

If I had gone into labor last summer in my tiny guest house on a Maine island, I would have had to drive an hour to reach the nearest hospital with a labor and delivery (L&D) ward.

Ed. note: This post was originally published on the Community site.

If I had gone into labor last summer in my tiny guest house on a Maine island, I would have had to drive an hour ...

By Vanessa • 12 years ago

Study: Abortion is safer than giving birth

A new study has revealed that abortion is a procedure that is not only safer than giving birth, but people are 14 times more likely to die during childbirth than during an abortion:

Dr. Elizabeth Raymond from Gynuity Health Projects in New York City and Dr. David Grimes of the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, found that between 1998 and 2005, one woman died during childbirth for every 11,000 or so babies born.

That compared to one woman of every 167,000 who died from a legal abortion.

The researchers also cited a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which found that, from 1998 to 2001, the most common ...

A new study has revealed that abortion is a procedure that is not only safer than giving birth, but people are 14 times more likely to die during childbirth than during an abortion:

Dr. Elizabeth Raymond ...

By Anna • 12 years ago

Ina May Gaskin on bodily autonomy and birth

In my interview last week with Ina May Gaskin, I couldn’t resist taking the opportunity to ask an extra question for our readers. I asked Ina May what could our readers do to learn more on the topic of bodily autonomy and birth, and she suggested watching the two videos after the jump, of an elephant and chimpanzee giving birth. Apparently we have a lot to learn from these animals!

She said:

We’re so affected by prudery and corporate media that you don’t get to see the reality of birth on television unless you go to YouTube. I’d say type in “The Dramatic Struggle for Life.” There, you’ll see an elephant give birth. Her baby doesn’t breathe spontaneously and she has ...

In my interview last week with Ina May Gaskin, I couldn’t resist taking the opportunity to ask an extra question for our readers. I asked Ina May what could our readers do to learn more on ...

By Anna • 12 years ago

The Feministing Five: Ina May Gaskin

As promised, this week’s Feministing Five is with the legendary Ina May Gaskin. Ina May is the famed “midwife of modern midwifery” and has revolutionized the way the world views this ancient practice since the emergence of her seminal book “Spiritual Midwifery.” This past month, Ina May was awarded the Alternative Nobel Peace Prize in Sweden called The Right Livelihood Award, which “honours and supports those offering practical and exemplary answers to the most urgent challenges facing us today.” And indeed, Ina May does. A pioneer in the natural birth movement, Ina May firmly places control back into women’s hands from what she calls “male-centered, misogynistic birthing processes” which views women’s bodies as defective designs and ...

By Jos Truitt • 12 years ago

Badass midwife wins 2011 CNN Hero Award

Midwife Robin Lim has won the 2011 CNN Hero Award, which comes with a $300,000 prize to help her cause. About Robin, from CNN:

Robin Lim, an American woman who has helped thousands of poor Indonesian women have a healthy pregnancy and birth, was named the 2011 CNN Hero of the Year on Sunday night.

Through her Yayasan Bumi Sehat health clinics, “Mother Robin,” or “Ibu Robin” as she is called by the locals, offers free prenatal care, birthing services and medical aid in Indonesia, where many families cannot afford care.

It’s great to see a midwife receive such mainstream recognition and support for her work.

You can read more about Robin’s clinic and see video of ...

Midwife Robin Lim has won the 2011 CNN Hero Award, which comes with a $300,000 prize to help her cause. About Robin, from CNN:

Robin Lim, an American woman who has helped thousands of poor Indonesian ...

By Miriam • 13 years ago

Not Oprah’s Book Club: Birth Matters

Ina May Gaskin is a legend in the birth activist community. A practicing midwife for decades as well as a respected author, Ina May has made an incredible impact on the rebirth of the US midwifery movement. Some call her the “mother” of the movement.

Birth Matters: A Midwife’s Manifesta, released this month by Seven Stories Press, is a good primer to understanding how birth happens in the US today, how we got here and what might improve our situation. Gaskin lays out the history of the medical establishment, it’s campaign to eradicate midwives at the beginning of the 20th century and what can be done to improve our own disappointing maternal mortality statistics.