Comments on: Men, Women and Risk

By: Boganette

Boganette — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 00:01:03 +0000

Great post.

It annoys me when people state the low percentage of women who choose to homebirth in NZ and Australia as an argument (“it seems a bit rich to pander to .22% of our population.”). It’s not an argument.

There would be more home births if women were able to have home births. If the resources were there and help was given women would be able to choose. Likewise if people stopped jumping down the throats of women who choose to have home births. It’s about women having the right to choose.

By: Down Under Feminists’ Carnival: I learned the truth at 17, that love was a patriarchal construct keeping me down « Ideologically Impure

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 06:12:58 +0000

[...] Blogger on the Cast Iron Balcony draws a fantastic comparison between men’s and women’s “risky” behaviour. [...]

By: Shelley

Shelley — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 12:29:55 +0000

My brother and his wife had two lovely homebirths in Canada while I had two highly-interventionist ‘emegency’ c-sections in QLd where the rate of interventionist deliveries is I believe the highest in Australia. I’m not even sure we should be talking about homebirth as a risk although you are so right for pointing out the risks that go on all around us unnoticed. It’s not like women homebirth for a buzz, adrenaline rush or to show how big their whatevers are like the colonizing urge that motivates some who have to go where no man has gone before. Childbearing is a risky business full stop but not something women do to put another notch on their belt, and, as you point out, properly supported with the best of western medicine to back it up, homebirths are not only equally safe (or risky) but have much better long-term health outcomes for women and their children. Unfortunately in Australia there still is such an unworkable ideological divide and unwillingness to bring the best of both models of maternal care together to support women in their choices that homebirthing is made intolerably risky …

By: Helen

Helen — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 08:23:53 +0000

Hi Michelle. sorry to hear your story.
But we are talking about statistical risk for a well-run Western world system of homebirth versus the hospital system. Surprisingly, to me, the well-run home birth system compares very well. If no babies died in hospital, I’d probably agree with you, but they do, unfortunately.

To the young-man-with-an-agenda who tried to use this thread to opine that it’s fine for women to choose home birth but not choose whether they give birth, nice try, feel free to air your opinions on your own blog.

…Which I checked out. I sympathised with the blogger you quoted with the story about working in the cubicle farm. Try to imagine that the boss came to you and told you that you were compulsorily required to stay in the cubicle farm for the next 18 years, minimum, possibly more, with a possibility of promotion (not guaranteed) but no variation allowed. That might give you an idea of what it’s like to be a pregnant woman who’s denied a choice of whether to remain pregnant or not. And yes, it’s not a direct equivalent, it’s a metaphor innit.

(Sorry for the derail, everyone!)

By: seepi

seepi — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 03:09:52 +0000

the other astounding thing about these two issues is the level of media coverage.

the homebirth rally in Canberra on Monday had thousands of women and babies chanting up at parlt hse is the freezing rain.

yet – Nothing – on the tv news. Not a thing – with all those news gallery journalists right there.

And there wasn’t much on the news either – some AFL thing led, which is wierd for a start in ACT / NSW, so slow news day.

I could only conclude is was sidelined as a ‘women’s issue’ even though it was big in general conversation with both men and women, in the lead up – after all, huge numbers of couples have had babies and have a general interest in birth issues.

depressing.se

By: michelle

michelle — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 23:51:34 +0000

I dont agree with homebirth after having my daughter in hospital born dead and having to be resusitated. I can not say that having a home birth could be safe when your child is born from your body limp and lifeless you need all the intervention that hospital gives look at the death rates of babys born in other countries where mums dont have the luxury of a hospital. not saying that they compare to the wonderful midwifes we have in australia but a midwife would have had to of carried a heart defibrilator and a intubation pack to resusitate my daugter.

By: What do home birthers and mountaineers have in common? « blue milk

What do home birthers and mountaineers have in common? « blue milk — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:04:35 +0000

[...] September 9, 2009 by blue milk Blogger on the Cast Iron Balconey has a ripper post up. [...]

By: blue milk

blue milk — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:56:00 +0000

So so so so so so spot on. Fantastic, thank you.

By: Perceptions of medical risk « Wallaby

Perceptions of medical risk « Wallaby — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 23:36:34 +0000

[...] ETA: Of course, I posted and THEN I saw Helen’s excellent and related post, looking at the perspective of risk in a different way. Which possibly ties in with my comment about control, the one I didn’t elaborate on. [...]

By: Spilt Milk

Spilt Milk — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 10:36:11 +0000

Fantastic. Love it.
And I’d totally like to give birth on Mount Feathertop if I could be bothered doing any of that hiking type guff.