HW 36 - Pregnancy & Birth Stories

Interview 1

My first interviewee let me know that her first two births were "normal". Hearing from previous birth stories that she had heard herself and what she saw in the media surrounding birth she felt that was the only way. She said had an epidural and received a bunch of medication to hurry her contractions and hurry the process of her birth. I asked her, "how the birth would have went if a doctor assistance wasn’t involved?” she said she wouldnt know a better way of giving birth without a doctors asstistance. She said she focused on relaxation and all the instructions, still receiving a painful birth, which was what she expected.

This birth story i felt was one that is timeless. Many people in our society do not understand the culture that the American society and the hospitals have inflicted. The fact that she didn’t know an alternative to giving birth. So it was in the hospitals hands. She didn’t know that those drugs and instructions she was given was unnecessary but instead felt it was needed. It was what ALWAYS happens.

Interview 2

Unlike interviewee 1, interviewee 2 had a relatively easy birth. Even though she gave birth to her only child in a hospital in New York City. She said she wasn’t really a person who relied on other help with many things, so she wanted the same for her birth. She used the same usual meditation practices that she uses at home on a daily basis as in the hospital bed. She understood the effects of the drugs that doctors give patients and wanted to feel and know everything that was being done. She asked as much questions as possible, refused epidural and systematic medications. She felt overall proud of her experience because she felt it wasn’t fully natural but satisfying and more independent than others.

This interview stood out than the other because unlike many she felt the need to question what the doctor did. She came into the hospital where she knew it wouldn’t be the exact birth she would have hoped for, but the only thing she felt she had any knowledge on. But with that knowledge she obtained she knew how to make her birth process more hers, and more independent.

Interview 3

Just as the previous two interviewee's, interviewee # 3 had given birth in the hospital 3 times. This one apart from the other though was not surprising but very insightful and saddening. This is because she said her first birth was the worse of them all. She said she’d tried to refrain from getting an epidural to relieve her pain but shed given into it because of her doctor’s words. "It will really help". The doctor also told her that a spinal block would be the best thing to do as well because it would reduce pain rapidly and help epidural. She was conscious throughout her birth but she felt beat. The drugs had gotten to her but she didn’t care much about herself. More the baby. She wanted the baby to have the best birth possible.

Interviewee 3 gave the answers and point of view of the common American. Unlike the others she gave me much more of societal views on birth and major perspective that a women has when giving birth. Just like interviewee 3 she didn’t care about anything that was being done to her body, but more of the baby's successful birth. Like many people, the doctors words are what are followed because their kind state is impaired and their unconscious worries about their baby come into play was they lay in their hospital bed.

What are the worries before birth and during a birth in the hospital? How do they change, were they what that individual expected?

HW 35 - Other Peoples' Perspectives 1

“So what comes to mind when you think of birth"? This was the first and initial question I asked for every interview. It gave me the ability to feed off the interviewee and expand off their bubbles. no simple question that brought some sort of dry conversation what so ever The 3 people who I asked were all 17-19 years of age. One being a guy and 2 being a girl. The immediate response from the 18 year old girl was her thoughts on the grueling 9 month process of giving birth. "What happens in those 9 months?"  She said that during those 9 months it’s a must to follow instructions. Knowledge gained from family members being pregnant and knowing what the right thing to do is. “Are you up for the part? Are you ready for something like birth? To my surprise, this question needed to be asked and secondly it didn't have hesitant response. She simply said I'm not ready not, but when time comes. I will or will prepare myself to be.  "

 I wasn't startled from the rushed and "Americanized" thinking of my male interviewee’s answers. He was hesitant unlike the others and he was cluttered with bubbles. You could see this topic wasn’t he would regularly talk about.  He couldn't contemplate whether or not he can deal with the immediate maturity that comes with birth. I wondered why he seemed so afraid. "Why does maturity scare you"? He said he's not scared of maturity in general but another life, most of all a baby. Is hard "god dam' work.  It was the hard work that frightened him.                

When you stop and listen. And articulate whatever you’re told and taught about. You learn more, you’re engaged so you observe and admire. Through these interviews birth seemed as a natural thing in life that you must "put up and shut up" in the females eyes. But not the male. Male are usually references as the stronger ones in society but when it comes to birth. Something with a physiological and physical affect women have the upper hand. Which brings me to my last question. Who is stronger overall or when it comes to birth? Men or female.

HW 34 - Some Initial Thoughts On Birth

The idea of birth is seen as a beautiful and naturally occurring thing in the human life. Birth is the beginning of someones life story and death is the end of it. When you come to think about, is death the only moment in life that brings fear? As we seem to come up with things like the ipad to make "life easier", similar how we've been advancing with medication to refrain from birth and lessen its physical affect. So is birth so beautiful? I still believe it is, but we provide contraceptives like the morning after pill(e.c), the condom, the ring, the shot and more to sugar code and cover up birth. Makes me think of makeup and how  sometimes its used to bring  out the beautiful its also a way to hide.                                                    

 

Fear is something everyone faces in life. Birth and its process is scary by itself, but the pysological affect it has on an individual is scary. The way fear can grab a hold of someone who isn't ready for what comes before and after birth. Sad to say but its hard not to notices a number of single mothers walking down the street on a daily basis.  

Questions:

• u.s pregnancy rate vs. other countrys
• how does social class play a role in ones views on birth?
• why such a painful process?
•  what are the responsibilites of both genders before and after birth?
• why is it such a contraversial and sensitive topic?