| Naomi Wolf's newest book, Misconceptions, is a | | | | group and given the title, "The Patron Saint." It is |
| testament to her own experiences and prejudices | | | | obvious that Ms. Wolf is in awe of Gaskin, yet wasn't |
| about childbirth. Ms. Wolf shares her own | | | | converted by her to better educate herself and |
| culturally-learned fears about childbirth but fails to | | | | choose a less interventive childbirth. It is also |
| recognize that this is in response to 100 years of | | | | apparent that Ms. Wolf did not read the original |
| medical society propaganda. Although she has access | | | | Spiritual Midwifery book. If she had, she would have |
| to research and studies documenting the safety of | | | | learned that Ina May wasn't exactly "a self-taught, |
| homebirth and non-medical midwifery, she paints birth | | | | lay midwife" but that her earliest training had come |
| outside an institution as dangerous. She chose to give | | | | from an obstetrician (who also provided medication |
| birth with obstetricians in high risk hospitals and had | | | | and instruments) and a local physician who provided |
| cesareans both times. I think the book could have | | | | friendly back-up for years. She also would have |
| been more aptly titled, "(Misrepresentations) My Pain | | | | learned that the Farm clinic included a physician.It is |
| Phobia and Justification for My Cesareans."I heard | | | | curious that Ms. Wolf is intrigued by free-standing |
| about this book through discussions on the internet | | | | birth centers and offers them up as a perfect choice |
| which praised it for setting the record straight about | | | | for women. She is somehow under the impression |
| childbirth. After looking at the book myself, however, | | | | that pain-relieving drugs are readily available for those |
| I have come to an entirely different conclusion. It is | | | | who give birth at these centers, yet her depiction of |
| simply another book, written to justify the | | | | Elizabeth Seton indicates a transport to the hospital |
| unwarranted use of medical intervention and | | | | for those who wish an epidural. How this is an |
| sequelae, unnecessary cesareans, and excuse bad | | | | improvement over one's own home is a mystery to |
| maternity care decisions. Instead of accurately | | | | me. Perhaps it is her fascination with institutions? and |
| depicting birthing choices in America, Ms. Wolf used | | | | her phobia about pain?Complete Mother readers will |
| this book as a vehicle to promote her own opinions | | | | find her descriptions of breastfeeding revolting: |
| and discredit traditional midwives, homebirth, full-time | | | | "become someone's addiction." And quoting Sarah |
| motherhood and ecological breastfeeding.Ms. Wolf | | | | Hardy, "once nursing begins, bondage is a perfectly |
| places great importance on the book "What to | | | | good description for the ensuing chain of events |
| Expect When You're Expecting", as though this is | | | | (and) lives on a mammary leash." How sad she didn't |
| some highly regarded research book or the childbirth | | | | bother to go to a Le Leche League meeting or meet |
| Bible. Sadly this book is written to promote the | | | | someone who was content breastfeeding. We can |
| medical model of care and justify the many | | | | only guess that she probably was bottle fed, and |
| interventions foisted upon women who choose to | | | | lacking the nurturing of being breastfed herself, is |
| have hospital births. She carefully goes through the | | | | compensating by portraying breastfeeding in a dim |
| many routine hospital procedures and explains the | | | | light.Her social programs which would improve the |
| many risks and few benefits of each, yet she | | | | world basically abdicate parental responsibilities to the |
| apparently did not believe her own research.Those | | | | government. She wants paid extended maternity |
| who have fought for years to eradicate the | | | | leave, tax deductions and benefits to relatives who |
| meaningless term "lay midwife" will immediately | | | | come to help the new mothers, on-site day care and |
| recognize Ms. Wolf's superficial understanding of birth | | | | nurseries, lots of hospital support programs, hospital |
| attendants. Her repeated use of this term is a clear | | | | statistics disclosure, parentless playgrounds monitored |
| indicator of her lack of research and knowledge of | | | | by "young people" so "an active, thoughtful mother, |
| childbirth. I half expected to see the terms "redskin" | | | | father. (won't be) uncomfortable at the playground." |
| or "nigger" pop up during discussion about minority | | | | Basically she wants the government to act as nanny |
| statistics.She writes as a fact, "homebirth is now as | | | | so she can get her work done. "Work" being |
| safe as hospital birth." Now as safe? It has always | | | | something far more important than caring for her |
| been at least as safe! An entire book, The Five | | | | children herself.Save yourself a few hours of |
| Standards by David Stewart, gives thousands of | | | | frustration wading through this tripe. Instead, make a |
| studies and statistics which conclude that homebirth is | | | | pot of raspberry leaf tea, give the older kids a fun |
| safer than hospital birth.I took great offense at her | | | | project to do, put your feet up and put baby to |
| term, "Naturalists," (pages 182-186) to describe | | | | breast and read the books she ignored: The Five |
| anyone who would dare to promote or give birth | | | | Standards, Under the Apple Tree, The American |
| without high-technology. She explains that this option | | | | Way of Birth, Being Born, Birth at Home, Your Baby, |
| "has been presented as so rigid .with such extreme | | | | Your Way, Special Delivery, Labor Pains, Silent Knife, |
| requirements of courage and faith. It was for that | | | | Malpractice: How Doctors Manipulate Women, |
| reason that my husband and I would not consider it | | | | Obstetric Myths Versus Research Realities, Gentle |
| as an option." I wonder, what research led her to this | | | | Birth Choices and back-issues of The Compleat |
| conclusion? Judging from many comments which salt | | | | Mother Magazine.Rebecca Waters is the book |
| her book, it would seem she is her own source of | | | | reviewer for The Compleat Mother Magazine - |
| "factual" information.Anyone who promoted birth | | | | Rebecca is also a contributor to Nursing Programs |
| without drugs is included in this Naturalist group and | | | | Online at and to Go-Law-School at Rebecca is also a |
| portrayed as romanticizing the birthing event. Ina May | | | | mother of seven and the wife of an interesting dude. |
| Gaskin, however, is somehow exempt from this | | | | |