Precis: When bodies are donated to science, they may undergo many different purposes. For many, one of these purposes is to practice surgical procedures. However, these procedures can range from potentially life-saving if done on a living person to practice for nose jobs. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the practice of live dissections became popular. The reason for this is because the number of medical students was growing, while the amount of cadavers was more or less staying the same. Herophilus managed to dissect more than 600 live criminals. Today, there is only one field research facility in the world that serves the soul purpose of observing human decay. There are many signs that can be observed within the phases of human decay which can be used to help detectives in forensics.
"Cooper was an outspoken defender of human dissection. 'He must mangle the living if he has not operated on the dead.'" (Roach, 45)
"Enthusiasm got the better of compassion and common sense, and the man took to dissecting live criminals." (Roach, 40)
"The brain liquefies very quickly. It just pours out the ears and bubbles out the mouth." (Roach, 67)
The main thought that the book (especially chapter 2) has given me so far is disgust. I know that many of the units we have covered so far are intended to be topics that people do not really think about in depth very much, but this one is something that I haven't really thought about at all, not even bubbled. So when I read things that tell me that humans who have donated their bodies to science are having their heads cut off and surgeons practice nose jobs on them after they die, it is sickening. I am curious more about how bodies are dealt with in the present, although slightly afraid, compared to the 18th and 19th centuries.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
HW 48- Family Perspectives on Care of the Dead
Although this assignment was posted before Easter when I saw quite a few of my older family members, I did not feel comfortable asking them questions about death and dead bodies at the time, so I decided to just speak to my parents. I started off by asking my father what he thinks of when he hears the words "death" and "after death" and he told me he immediately thinks of his mother and sister, and then sometimes starts to think about his father, who passed away when my father was only two years old. He told me that he knew the most popular methods of handling the bodies of those who have died are burial and cremation, but then he asked to himself, "However I'm not sure what happens to bodies that have been mutilated to the point where they do not even resemble humans any more, or bodies that have been cut into many pieces." As disturbing of a thought this is, it is also a pretty interesting one. When asked which way he would prefer to have his death dealt with, he immediately responded with cremation. He did acknowledge the fact that it is a less "green" method of caring for the dead, but that it was important to him that his ashes be kept by either my mother or myself.
I talked to my mother the next day. When I asked my mother what she thought of when hearing the words "death" and "after death" she said, "I think mostly of (a good family friend who recently passed) and my father, but then I start to think about religion and God and those kind of things." My mother also said the same thing as my father when asked about the ways she was aware of when caring for the dead, so I decided to ask her if there were any alternatives she would prefer. "Well, off the top of my head, I guess not, but maybe if I thought about it for a while I would be able to think of something more pleasant than either rotting underground or burning to ashes." My next question was which way she would prefer to be cared for after she passes away, and her opinion did not come nearly as quickly or clearly as my fathers. "Well...I'm sort of torn on this one. In my religion (Greek Orthodox Christian) cremation is not supported, but my personal opinion right now is that I don't really want to be buried either. At this point, I really can't say for sure."
The first interesting thing I noticed about both my mother and my father's opinions after interviewing them both is that the first thing they both thought of when hearing the words "death" and "after death" was people that were close to them and have now passed away. If they did think of some higher place and purpose for peoples lives or the afterlife, it was not until after they had acknowledged their dead friends and family in their minds. I find the same thing to be true for myself a lot of the time, which leads me to wonder if there is something about our society and the way we care for the dead that causes people to worry more about their friends and family then the concept of death itself. I also noticed that both of my parents seem to want, or at least lean towards, cremation instead of burial for themselves. I can only wonder if that has influence my opinion that I probably want to be cremated as well.
I talked to my mother the next day. When I asked my mother what she thought of when hearing the words "death" and "after death" she said, "I think mostly of (a good family friend who recently passed) and my father, but then I start to think about religion and God and those kind of things." My mother also said the same thing as my father when asked about the ways she was aware of when caring for the dead, so I decided to ask her if there were any alternatives she would prefer. "Well, off the top of my head, I guess not, but maybe if I thought about it for a while I would be able to think of something more pleasant than either rotting underground or burning to ashes." My next question was which way she would prefer to be cared for after she passes away, and her opinion did not come nearly as quickly or clearly as my fathers. "Well...I'm sort of torn on this one. In my religion (Greek Orthodox Christian) cremation is not supported, but my personal opinion right now is that I don't really want to be buried either. At this point, I really can't say for sure."
The first interesting thing I noticed about both my mother and my father's opinions after interviewing them both is that the first thing they both thought of when hearing the words "death" and "after death" was people that were close to them and have now passed away. If they did think of some higher place and purpose for peoples lives or the afterlife, it was not until after they had acknowledged their dead friends and family in their minds. I find the same thing to be true for myself a lot of the time, which leads me to wonder if there is something about our society and the way we care for the dead that causes people to worry more about their friends and family then the concept of death itself. I also noticed that both of my parents seem to want, or at least lean towards, cremation instead of burial for themselves. I can only wonder if that has influence my opinion that I probably want to be cremated as well.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
HW 47- Peer Perspectives on Care of the Dead
In order to understand the perspectives of the people around me regarding the care of the dead, I figured it would be easiest to first interview a friend that I am very close to. (however our family backgrounds are radically different) The first question that I asked him was "what do you know about the way dead people are treated after they have passed away?" He responded by saying "I mean, when I think of people dying, the first things that pop into my head are a funeral and a will. Now that I think about it, considering how greedy people are in America, it is surprising that there is enough respect to allow people to give all there stuff to whoever they want even after they are dead, cause' they don't really have any control over who gets what after that." This was an interesting comment for me, because I had forgotten all about wills in my previous thoughts and responses. When I asked about his experience with the care of the dead, he said that he had been to 4 funerals in his life, but he was not really close to any of the people and therefore doesn't feel very sad or have any sentiments relating to the events. "Even though one of the people who died was my grandmother, she was on my moms side of the family, and I'm not close to them because...(I have been asked to not reveal this information)" Finally, I asked him about the different methods of dealing with bodies that he was aware of, and which way he would prefer for himself. "Umm, I guess only to be buried or to be burned, and at this point I have no idea what I would want."
The next person I spoke to was one of my cousin's, who I am not as close to as the friend I spoke to before. However, our experiences with the care of the dead are much more similar, having been to a funeral together. When I asked her what she has noticed about the care of the dead, she said, "Well, from what I've witnessed there is always a long church service intended to celebrate the life of the person who has passed. After that, the funeral takes place, but for Ma (our grandmother who was cremated) the cremation did not take place until at least a few weeks after the funeral, compared to burials which usually happen on the same day. Once all the tears are shed, there might be a sort of party with food and drinks to lighten the mood." This response was almost exactly what happened with my grandmothers funeral service. However, I did not attend the cremation (and never have) and my cousin did, so next I asked her about what she observed there. "It was very sad, even more so then the funeral, and it was also strange to watch a person being cremated. However, this ritual seemed slightly more appealing then being buried underground and rotting away forever. The whole process felt very...important." The last part of her comment was extremely thought provoking to me, so I asked how she felt about all this weight and importance being placed on the care of the dead. "I think that it is good to respect the dead. Even though I am not extremely religious, I still think it is good that people celebrate the lives of others after they have passed."
The last person that I decided to interview was one of my co-workers at my job. She is a few years older than me, and has a baby, so I thought her opinions would be interesting and different to hear about. After asking how she felt about the way the dead are cared for in America today, she responded, "I think its nice that almost everyone gets their own funeral and so many people attend out of respect, but I think that funerals have become looked at as such negative occasions, rather than focusing on celebrating the life of whoever it is that has died." The next question I had was, "I agree with you, but if your baby were to pass away right now God forbid, wouldn't you have a hard time keeping your head up?" "Now that you mention it, you're probably right. I would like to say that I would try to accept that she was in a better place with my father, but inside I know that it would tear me apart. I guess that explains why funerals are such sad occasions for most people." The last question I asked her was if she would prefer a cremation or a burial for herself. "At this point, I really don't know. I have never seen it happen before; my father was buried. I think I would want to learn more about it before making a decision, because the idea of my body rotting underground doesn't sound that appealing to me."
Each of the three people I chose to interview had both bubble responses as well as responses that required actual thought process. Many of these ideas went hand in hand with some of my own opinions, such as when my co-worker said that burial does not sound appealing but that she would want to learn more about the ways that the dead can be cared for before making a decision. I thought my first respondent's comment about the idea of wills was an interesting one and it was something I hadn't thought about before. Finally, I was surprised at how none of my respondents explicitly stated that they would want a burial, when it is definitely one of the most popular ways to deal with the dead.
The next person I spoke to was one of my cousin's, who I am not as close to as the friend I spoke to before. However, our experiences with the care of the dead are much more similar, having been to a funeral together. When I asked her what she has noticed about the care of the dead, she said, "Well, from what I've witnessed there is always a long church service intended to celebrate the life of the person who has passed. After that, the funeral takes place, but for Ma (our grandmother who was cremated) the cremation did not take place until at least a few weeks after the funeral, compared to burials which usually happen on the same day. Once all the tears are shed, there might be a sort of party with food and drinks to lighten the mood." This response was almost exactly what happened with my grandmothers funeral service. However, I did not attend the cremation (and never have) and my cousin did, so next I asked her about what she observed there. "It was very sad, even more so then the funeral, and it was also strange to watch a person being cremated. However, this ritual seemed slightly more appealing then being buried underground and rotting away forever. The whole process felt very...important." The last part of her comment was extremely thought provoking to me, so I asked how she felt about all this weight and importance being placed on the care of the dead. "I think that it is good to respect the dead. Even though I am not extremely religious, I still think it is good that people celebrate the lives of others after they have passed."
The last person that I decided to interview was one of my co-workers at my job. She is a few years older than me, and has a baby, so I thought her opinions would be interesting and different to hear about. After asking how she felt about the way the dead are cared for in America today, she responded, "I think its nice that almost everyone gets their own funeral and so many people attend out of respect, but I think that funerals have become looked at as such negative occasions, rather than focusing on celebrating the life of whoever it is that has died." The next question I had was, "I agree with you, but if your baby were to pass away right now God forbid, wouldn't you have a hard time keeping your head up?" "Now that you mention it, you're probably right. I would like to say that I would try to accept that she was in a better place with my father, but inside I know that it would tear me apart. I guess that explains why funerals are such sad occasions for most people." The last question I asked her was if she would prefer a cremation or a burial for herself. "At this point, I really don't know. I have never seen it happen before; my father was buried. I think I would want to learn more about it before making a decision, because the idea of my body rotting underground doesn't sound that appealing to me."
Each of the three people I chose to interview had both bubble responses as well as responses that required actual thought process. Many of these ideas went hand in hand with some of my own opinions, such as when my co-worker said that burial does not sound appealing but that she would want to learn more about the ways that the dead can be cared for before making a decision. I thought my first respondent's comment about the idea of wills was an interesting one and it was something I hadn't thought about before. Finally, I was surprised at how none of my respondents explicitly stated that they would want a burial, when it is definitely one of the most popular ways to deal with the dead.
Monday, April 18, 2011
HW 46- Initial thoughts on care of the dead
So far, the experience that I have had with dominant social practices associated with care of the dead has been extremely simple. In other words, I haven't really put a lot of thought into the issue at all. I have only been to two funerals, and although I was pretty young, I was still able to make some basic observations. I noticed that almost all those who pass away choose to have funerals in honor of their death. The body in the casket is often dressed up in nice clothing as well as bathed, and the eyelids are always closed. Based on these simple observations, it seems like a typical practice of our society today is to respect the bodies of those who have deceased, possibly to ensure that they are not haunted by the souls of the dead.
Another thing that I have noticed is that even people who are religious, such as my family, are still often mourning the death of their loved ones despite the fact that their beliefs tell them that they have moved on to "a better place" now. It seems like this could be because of our natural selfishness and our desire to be with the people we love no matter what the cost. After all, if they are in a better place, why should we be sad unless we can't handle living without them? This leads me to another possible reason for some people, which is that their faith in their religion is not actually that strong, and therefore they remain uncomfortable with the deaths of their loved ones.
Some questions I have about the upcoming unit-
Why is it that people remain sad even though funerals are meant to be the celebrations of the dead's lives?
Why are bodies often dressed up and bathed before being buried or cremated?
What are the other dominant social discourses that are associated with care of the dead that are not as normal as they seem?
Another thing that I have noticed is that even people who are religious, such as my family, are still often mourning the death of their loved ones despite the fact that their beliefs tell them that they have moved on to "a better place" now. It seems like this could be because of our natural selfishness and our desire to be with the people we love no matter what the cost. After all, if they are in a better place, why should we be sad unless we can't handle living without them? This leads me to another possible reason for some people, which is that their faith in their religion is not actually that strong, and therefore they remain uncomfortable with the deaths of their loved ones.
Some questions I have about the upcoming unit-
Why is it that people remain sad even though funerals are meant to be the celebrations of the dead's lives?
Why are bodies often dressed up and bathed before being buried or cremated?
What are the other dominant social discourses that are associated with care of the dead that are not as normal as they seem?
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
HW 45- Comments on comments
At Lucas' comment- I agree with you when you said that I was could have structured the post slightly better after looking at it again. I was also glad to see that you had noticed the bias that lies in most of the American citizens' minds today against home birth, and hope that people will soon start to think a little more deeply about the issue. Thank you for both the constructive and appreciative feedback!
At Megumi's comment- I am very glad you appreciated the value of hearing from someone who had experienced both home and hospital births; I was very lucky to have found someone with so much personal experience! I also think it is good to recognize my mother's opinion because it seems to be such a perfect representation of how most people in America today feel about the topic. Thanks a lot for taking the time to read my post!
At Megumi's comment- I am very glad you appreciated the value of hearing from someone who had experienced both home and hospital births; I was very lucky to have found someone with so much personal experience! I also think it is good to recognize my mother's opinion because it seems to be such a perfect representation of how most people in America today feel about the topic. Thanks a lot for taking the time to read my post!
Monday, April 11, 2011
HW 44- Comments
- For your project, I believe that you intended to explore how much knowledge people had on the topic of hospital births and what their impressions were. You explored to different hospitals to see how they handled birth, as well as interviewing multiple students at Hunter College. This topic is extremely important to me, and it should be to everyone else as well. Understanding the procedures of hospitals is essential in the woman's decision to either have a hospital birth or go with a midwife instead. It is also important to be aware of the general public's understanding of a topic like this, so one can observe what knowledge people still need to acquire in order to take an educated stance on the matter. I think you guys did an amazing job making that video! The fact that you were able to get all those students to talk to you for such a long time is impressive in itself, but your choice of questions in the interview provided very informative answers. The effort you put into this project was clear, and it showed through the observations you made in the hospitals. It would have been nice if you had been able to get the necessary information out of the hospital staff, but nevertheless, great job!
- It seems clear that for your project you were focusing on the differences between home and hospital births. Using evidence such as financial reasons and the comfort of the women, you support home birth as a solid alternative to the mechanical process of hospital births. This topic matters to me because it is something that I intend to consider highly when having children of my own in the future. Although I am not the one who will ultimately be making the final decision, having this information is essential for women that are unsure of where to give birth. The conclusions made in your project are some that should be observed by all women today. I really liked the way you were able to connect your topic to your personal life by speaking to your mother. Her opinion demonstrates the ignorance (no offense to Sheline of course) that you depict in your project. One suggestion I would make would be to incorporate the opinions of any mothers who had experienced a home birth and observed how she felt about the debate. However, I understand that for some people this might be hard to come by. Overall, good job!
- Your choice to focus on the mistreatment of pregnant women in prison was a very interesting and unique one. This topic is important to observe primarily because of how many people do not even think about it, as you stated in your project. Although it is hard for me to personally relate to it, your project was still important to me because my eyes were opened to a completely different area of pregnancy and birth that I had never even thought about myself. I really liked the way you were able to include multiple real-world situations for a topic that was so specific and rarely spoken of. If you had been able to find more statistics, that would have made your point even more convincing. Good job!
- I think that what you were comparing in your project was the differences in home birth and hospital birth as far as the woman's comfort level is concerned. This topic is extremely important to me, because I am someone who had never even heard of a home birth before reading this. I thought that you had to give birth in the hospital because there was no other safe way. It is also important for women to know the information in your post so they will know that they have another option if they do not want to have their baby in the hospital. I really liked the way you were able to interview a woman who had experienced both a home and hospital birth...I feel like it made your point a lot more believable and strong. Overall, this was a pretty good post Ben.
- Jim Harker said...
- This post was focused on observing the aspects of home and hospital births that are typically not viewed even by those who are aware of the safety differences, such as comfort of the woman. You describe the woman's comfort as being influenced by financial needs, as well as physical surroundings and previous knowledge. As a father who's wife experienced a hospital birth, this post is important to me, but not as important as it would have been 17 years ago. Although I don't think I would have changed my mind about where you were going to be born because of all the things that went wrong in your birth, the information in this post would have certainly been helpful for Tia and myself just in case. There are also many women who could use knowledge like this to save money as well as stress and pain in some cases. I especially enjoyed the section where you provided the quote from your mother, because it seemed to do a good job of represented how most people today would respond when asked the same question. For some constructive criticism, I think that you could have gathered more information from women who gave birth at home on how the surroundings effected them online. Other than that, good job. I can see you put a lot of effort into this one.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
HW 42- Pregnancy and birth culminating project
The debate over hospital birth versus home birth is slowly increasing in popularity as midwives are beginning to gain more respect. Both sides seem to have made clear arguments for their case. The obstetricians and gynecologists that support hospital births would argue that superior technology and more available staff make the birthing process much more safe. On the other hand, those who support home births via midwives say that both women and babies are safer in a home birth, and most of the deaths that occur during childbirth are because of unnecessary OB/GYN intervention in the first place. However, there is no point in discussing the opinions of those who support either of these sides, the real question is how do certain factors that exist in both of these environments cause comfort and discomfort for the woman giving birth, for she is the one who will need to make the final decision on which type of birth to have. The most important aspect of giving birth is that both the woman and the child can be as safe as possible during labor and birth, but considering the fact that there is evidence that points to both the home and hospital birth sides of the debate, the second most important aspect should be considered highly. That aspect is the comfort of the woman in the environment that she chooses, which is what the remainder of this project will be exploring.
There is one huge factor that surprisingly seems to be more overlooked by most than expected which can cause a woman discomfort, and that is the issue of money. Our previous unit on illness and dying showed us that over 50 million people in America are currently not covered by health insurance, and sources suggest that, "For patients not covered by health insurance, the typical cost of a vaginal delivery without complications ranges from about $9,000 to $17,000 or more, depending on geographic location and whether there is a discount for uninsured patients." (Baby Delivery Cost) For an uninsured woman, knowing that there is a good possibility that you will need to pay thousands of dollars just to have a standard birth in a hospital would create a lot of discomfort and certainly be very stressful. Even patients with insurance are likely to pay somewhere between $500 and $3000 for their standard births. Cesarian sections cost even more for any patients without insurance, and can range from 14 to 25 thousand dollars. However, when considering all of the chemical and mechanical intervention that woman experience in hospital birth, it really is no surprise that they are able to charge so much money for the process. For some women, the much larger staff of trained professionals on scene while they are giving birth can provide a sense of safety and security, which are both factors that positively contribute to the mother's experience. To quote Dr. Moritz, "Obstetrics is 98% not exciting, and 2% sheer terror...but hospitals are good for when you have that terror." (Business of Being Born) The doctor seems to suggest that it is the emergency situations that hospitals are good at dealing with, which can be an attraction for women who are afraid that something will go wrong. However, if something only goes wrong two percent of the time, then why should obstetricians in hospitals be dealing with the other 98%? The film Business of Being Born also speaks about all the unnecessary treatment that women are given in hospitals, such as episiotomies without informed consent of the patient while they are paralyzed by an epidural.
In the year 1900, 95% of women were giving birth at home. Today, less than one percent of all women who give birth choose a home birth. (Business of Being Born) The reason for this is obviously that women of this generation are not necessarily comfortable giving birth at home, for various reasons that can range from safety to having to clean up the mess in their own home. However, the majority of sources that I have witnessed (including both Business of Being Born and Born in the USA by Marsden Wagner) have insisted that home birth offers much more choice for the women than hospital birth. "Final decisions about the place of birth can be left for the woman to make during labour, thereby ensuring that she keeps all her options open. Midwifery care will follow the woman regardless of whether she needs or wants to give birth in hospital." (Home Births Information) Not only are women given the ability to make their own decisions on the treatment they receive, it should be considered that hospitals are open 24 hours a day, and if something were to go wrong in a home birth, an ambulance could be called to take the mother to the hospital. Financially, to have a birth supervised by a midwife at a home birth is much cheaper than being at a hospital, although it will cost quite a bit of money either way. "Midwife fee which is usually between 1500-3000 dollars. This fee covers prenatal care, birth, postpartum check up, newborn check up and screening." (Home Birth Cost and How to Pay for it) Although this financial advantage over hospital births provides a comfort advantage for most women, there are certainly less people on staff in case of an emergency. Other than the attending midwife, typically the only other people the mother will have for support is the family, but this does mean that she has the option to pick and choose whoever she wants to be there. These two different perspectives of looking at the company that the woman chooses to have can be either comforting or discomforting, depending on the person.
After doing research online about the factors that women consider to be comforting and discomforting, I figured it was time to talk to someone that had been through both the home and hospital birth experiences. Fortunately, a friend of mine's mother happens to be a woman who gave birth in both situations. She has asked for her name to be kept anonymous, but she is the mother of three. Her first child (who was born in 1993) was born in the hospital, but both of her daughters (born 1996 and 1999) were born in her own apartment. When I asked about how her experience was in the hospital, she responded by saying, "Well, medically everything went well, but everything felt very mechanical and not personal. In the beginning, having all the nurses and doctors around me was actually more intimidating for me than reassuring, and none of them really seemed like they cared about how I was feeling in the moment. I did eventually get used to it, though, and once I held my son for the first time, nothing that had happened before mattered." Her description of what I had researched to be a typical, healthy hospital birth inspired me to ask why she had chosen to embark on the home birth journey for her last two children. "Hmm...I guess it was because I felt like there was an emotional part of the experience that was missing," she said. "It's like I felt like I was not involved enough in the experience, as strange as that may sound. But when I had [first daughter] and [second daughter] they felt even more like...they were all mine. Honestly, I was pretty paranoid that something would go wrong and we wouldn't be able to make it to the hospital in time at first for my first daughter, but for my last child everything went smoothly, medically and emotionally for me."
Ultimately, only the woman who is preparing to give birth will be able to determine which situation is best for her, because both hospital births and home births have different appealing aspects that might attract different types of people. However, the conclusion I have made about the reasons why less than 1% of woman do not feel comfortable having a home birth is that they are either because they are ignorant or afraid. When I asked my mother why she did not have a home birth, she said, “Home birth? Why would I have? I wanted to have a natural birth, but I’m not that radical, and thank God I didn’t, because everything seemed to be going wrong when I gave birth.” My mother, along with millions of other women, seem to have chosen a hospital birth mainly because they are worried about (as Dr. Moritz describes) the two percent chance that a situation will turn into sheer terror. My mother also asked why she would have even considered a home birth, as if it was a completely foreign concept to her. This represents the extremely limited amount of knowledge that most people today have about home births, and therefore they often don't even consider them as an option.
Citations
(All citations from homework 41 post were included as well)
There is one huge factor that surprisingly seems to be more overlooked by most than expected which can cause a woman discomfort, and that is the issue of money. Our previous unit on illness and dying showed us that over 50 million people in America are currently not covered by health insurance, and sources suggest that, "For patients not covered by health insurance, the typical cost of a vaginal delivery without complications ranges from about $9,000 to $17,000 or more, depending on geographic location and whether there is a discount for uninsured patients." (Baby Delivery Cost) For an uninsured woman, knowing that there is a good possibility that you will need to pay thousands of dollars just to have a standard birth in a hospital would create a lot of discomfort and certainly be very stressful. Even patients with insurance are likely to pay somewhere between $500 and $3000 for their standard births. Cesarian sections cost even more for any patients without insurance, and can range from 14 to 25 thousand dollars. However, when considering all of the chemical and mechanical intervention that woman experience in hospital birth, it really is no surprise that they are able to charge so much money for the process. For some women, the much larger staff of trained professionals on scene while they are giving birth can provide a sense of safety and security, which are both factors that positively contribute to the mother's experience. To quote Dr. Moritz, "Obstetrics is 98% not exciting, and 2% sheer terror...but hospitals are good for when you have that terror." (Business of Being Born) The doctor seems to suggest that it is the emergency situations that hospitals are good at dealing with, which can be an attraction for women who are afraid that something will go wrong. However, if something only goes wrong two percent of the time, then why should obstetricians in hospitals be dealing with the other 98%? The film Business of Being Born also speaks about all the unnecessary treatment that women are given in hospitals, such as episiotomies without informed consent of the patient while they are paralyzed by an epidural.
In the year 1900, 95% of women were giving birth at home. Today, less than one percent of all women who give birth choose a home birth. (Business of Being Born) The reason for this is obviously that women of this generation are not necessarily comfortable giving birth at home, for various reasons that can range from safety to having to clean up the mess in their own home. However, the majority of sources that I have witnessed (including both Business of Being Born and Born in the USA by Marsden Wagner) have insisted that home birth offers much more choice for the women than hospital birth. "Final decisions about the place of birth can be left for the woman to make during labour, thereby ensuring that she keeps all her options open. Midwifery care will follow the woman regardless of whether she needs or wants to give birth in hospital." (Home Births Information) Not only are women given the ability to make their own decisions on the treatment they receive, it should be considered that hospitals are open 24 hours a day, and if something were to go wrong in a home birth, an ambulance could be called to take the mother to the hospital. Financially, to have a birth supervised by a midwife at a home birth is much cheaper than being at a hospital, although it will cost quite a bit of money either way. "Midwife fee which is usually between 1500-3000 dollars. This fee covers prenatal care, birth, postpartum check up, newborn check up and screening." (Home Birth Cost and How to Pay for it) Although this financial advantage over hospital births provides a comfort advantage for most women, there are certainly less people on staff in case of an emergency. Other than the attending midwife, typically the only other people the mother will have for support is the family, but this does mean that she has the option to pick and choose whoever she wants to be there. These two different perspectives of looking at the company that the woman chooses to have can be either comforting or discomforting, depending on the person.
After doing research online about the factors that women consider to be comforting and discomforting, I figured it was time to talk to someone that had been through both the home and hospital birth experiences. Fortunately, a friend of mine's mother happens to be a woman who gave birth in both situations. She has asked for her name to be kept anonymous, but she is the mother of three. Her first child (who was born in 1993) was born in the hospital, but both of her daughters (born 1996 and 1999) were born in her own apartment. When I asked about how her experience was in the hospital, she responded by saying, "Well, medically everything went well, but everything felt very mechanical and not personal. In the beginning, having all the nurses and doctors around me was actually more intimidating for me than reassuring, and none of them really seemed like they cared about how I was feeling in the moment. I did eventually get used to it, though, and once I held my son for the first time, nothing that had happened before mattered." Her description of what I had researched to be a typical, healthy hospital birth inspired me to ask why she had chosen to embark on the home birth journey for her last two children. "Hmm...I guess it was because I felt like there was an emotional part of the experience that was missing," she said. "It's like I felt like I was not involved enough in the experience, as strange as that may sound. But when I had [first daughter] and [second daughter] they felt even more like...they were all mine. Honestly, I was pretty paranoid that something would go wrong and we wouldn't be able to make it to the hospital in time at first for my first daughter, but for my last child everything went smoothly, medically and emotionally for me."
Ultimately, only the woman who is preparing to give birth will be able to determine which situation is best for her, because both hospital births and home births have different appealing aspects that might attract different types of people. However, the conclusion I have made about the reasons why less than 1% of woman do not feel comfortable having a home birth is that they are either because they are ignorant or afraid. When I asked my mother why she did not have a home birth, she said, “Home birth? Why would I have? I wanted to have a natural birth, but I’m not that radical, and thank God I didn’t, because everything seemed to be going wrong when I gave birth.” My mother, along with millions of other women, seem to have chosen a hospital birth mainly because they are worried about (as Dr. Moritz describes) the two percent chance that a situation will turn into sheer terror. My mother also asked why she would have even considered a home birth, as if it was a completely foreign concept to her. This represents the extremely limited amount of knowledge that most people today have about home births, and therefore they often don't even consider them as an option.
Citations
(All citations from homework 41 post were included as well)
"Baby Delivery Cost." CostHelper. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Apr 2011. <http://www.costhelper.com/cost/child/baby-delivery.html>.
"Home Births Information." Birthjourney.com. N.p., 2010. Web. 5 Apr 2011. <http://www.birthjourney.com/homebirth.php>.
"Home Birth Cost and How to Pay for it." Home Birth Guide. N.p., 2009. Web. 5 Apr 2011. <http://www.home-birth-guide.com/homebirth-cost.html>.
Wagner, Marsden. Born in the USA. 1st. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 2006. Print.
Lake, Ricki, Prod. Business of Being Born. Perf. Dr. Moritz, Julia Barnett Tracy. 2008, Film.
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