Just got back from my only day at the Midwifery Conference in Eugene, Oregon today. There were very bright and precious gems of insight I gained from being there, but I am left wondering where are the critical thinkers? Where are the midwives who are looking at what we are all doing and questioning the directions we are headed and the right steps?
I understand that midwives need to support each other and that, as a community, midwifery needs to insulate itself from the medical model of childbirth. I understand that some of us can be arrested in their state if they have to transport a mother to a hospital. And I understand that we need to celebrate what we do and how we do it. Cheerleading is great – at times.
But I left the conference only hearing one person, Michel Odent (who I am totally in love with), ask such questions. He proposed that men all together, male doctors, husbands and fathers should be banned from the birth room. This stems from the fact that Midwifery is woman’s work and men are under pressure in this situation and their stress hormones are contagious to the birthing mom (among other factors).
Interesting point he brings up. I would love to ask him if he could re frame that to try to educate men to understand the birth process and recreate a supportive environment for the mom? But I want to talk more about this later.
What I’m really feeling is this very uncomfortable notion that we, as a midwifery community, are living in a bit of a vacuum and only asking questions that are politically correct. Which is partially hilarious when you think about it considering Midwifery has been pushed to the fringes of all that is acceptable.
Michel Odent is holding a conference next year in the Canary Islands (I think) that is bringing people who normally wouldn’t interact with each other (you know, the guy who invented this really great way of doing a C-section and Ina May) to really question each other and talk about the things that no one seems to be talking about. That’s my kind of conference.
At any rate, I’m sure I’ll have more insights after I’m able to process it a bit more. What I do know is that being there today got me fired up to begin my studies and interview for apprenticeships. It also left me feeling very confident and comfortable about the path I’m choosing to pursue Midwifery…I know now, with out a doubt, that a traditional academic classroom is not for me. I need to be able to more freely challenge what I’m learning and have many different avenues of exploration.
Today also showed me that I have never been as passionate about anything in my life as I am about childbirth and for that I am so grateful.
Continue reading »
