I devoured this so quickly. Thank you, Robina. Tearing during birth comes up so frequently as a major fear for people giving birth in the medical industrial complex (…and of course is used as a justification for obstetric intervention/violence). I wonder whether the people who gave birth with these wise midwives would report that they had any tears, or fears of tearing beforehand.
I would imagine they wouldn't if the idea of tearing isn't even a possibility in the eyes of the midwives who serve them! From what I can tell from this book, which is of course not in and of itself a quantitative study nor a review of population data, the "outcomes" are really good in this community as well, so I don't get the sense people are regularly hemorrhaging from unsutured lacerations or having long term pelvic floor / genital tract injury.
I always wait to read your pieces till I can really settle in with them, Robina. And then I always end up coming back at least once or twice more and usually collecting quite a booklist along the way—thank you many times over for that!
I’m fascinated (in a rather queasy way) with the strong tendency even more holistic practices of midwifery have to lean into particulation of the body, as if a tweak here and a repair there through the entire process (and culminating with an obligatory tear and then a well-stitched perineum) can somehow optimize birth experiences beyond any healing nature might provide. This was such a wonderful glimpse into a different pace of perceiving what ought to be tended within the body.
(P.S. I had to put my paid subscription on pause, but am looking forward to returning to it in the new year!)
I devoured this so quickly. Thank you, Robina. Tearing during birth comes up so frequently as a major fear for people giving birth in the medical industrial complex (…and of course is used as a justification for obstetric intervention/violence). I wonder whether the people who gave birth with these wise midwives would report that they had any tears, or fears of tearing beforehand.
I'm so glad it was a satisfying read!
I would imagine they wouldn't if the idea of tearing isn't even a possibility in the eyes of the midwives who serve them! From what I can tell from this book, which is of course not in and of itself a quantitative study nor a review of population data, the "outcomes" are really good in this community as well, so I don't get the sense people are regularly hemorrhaging from unsutured lacerations or having long term pelvic floor / genital tract injury.
I always wait to read your pieces till I can really settle in with them, Robina. And then I always end up coming back at least once or twice more and usually collecting quite a booklist along the way—thank you many times over for that!
I’m fascinated (in a rather queasy way) with the strong tendency even more holistic practices of midwifery have to lean into particulation of the body, as if a tweak here and a repair there through the entire process (and culminating with an obligatory tear and then a well-stitched perineum) can somehow optimize birth experiences beyond any healing nature might provide. This was such a wonderful glimpse into a different pace of perceiving what ought to be tended within the body.
(P.S. I had to put my paid subscription on pause, but am looking forward to returning to it in the new year!)
I loved reading this. Thank you!