Reading Birth and Death: A History of Obstetric Thinking

by Jo Murphy-Lawless

Historical records and writings of Irish doctors and maternity hospitals reveal a central theme of women’s perceived incompetence in the birth process and trace how such a radically gendered account has been so detrimental to women.

352 pages, Library Binding

First published September 1, 1998

Reviews

[Betsy]

> "Obstetrics is not modest. Its lack of modesty is tied to the assertion it makes about its capacity to deliver the hard scientific facts. It argues that its account of birth is the most definitive and its route the most certain way to avoid death. One critical result of that assertion is the obstetric position that care of the emotions and spiritual matters during birth are not its remit. But most importantly, in enforcing its account obstetrics has usurped any sense of agency on the part of the birthing woamn. In effect the science tells woman, 'You can escape death if you follow us. But you must hand over to us your role as the central player in childbirth.'" < page 10

> "Death in birth, for women and for babies, can and does occur. Neither obstetrics, anxious to defend its reputation, nor women anxious to exercise control over their lives, can deny this reality. If there were instead an acknowledgment that death happens, that risk has to be negotiated, that the actions leading to and the limits of death are such as not to be absolutely knowable and quantifiable, there would ben need for the horror stories. But unless and until obstetrics can reconfigure its position on death, it needs these stories and it is out of these unresolved dilemmas about its relationship with death that they flourish." < page 243

[Jo Dagustun]

really great book so far ...