Birth by Tina Cassidy

Birth

Tina Cassidy

One of the classes I am currently active in is Childbirth & Fetal Abnormalities. The professor, a Professor Emeritus from Davidson College, is extremely passionate on this subject; he teared up the first day of class while talking about empowered women. My kind of guy -- a male feminist! After hearing of my interests in midwifery, he suggested I read this book. Inscribed with this: "To Dear Kat, Please don't stop your loving labors for birthing mothers. If I could do it, I would want you with me, Lyl, Grandaddy"  (from my professor to his granddaughter), I knew I really liked this guy.

Cassidy examines the history of birthing practices by looking at her own birthing experience in comparison to her mother's and grandmother's. It was fascinating to see how much the practice has changed over the course of time, based upon the socio-political culture at the time. Women have certainly been put through the ringer!

I learned that lying flat on your back to deliver began with King Louis XIV's fetish towards watching his wives deliver! He needed to see better, so instead of squatting or on her knees (as was customary at the time), women were flipped on to their backs! I also learned about the myriad of different birthing customs across the world: babies kept with the men instead of the women the first month of birth; using dogs to drink the initial milk produced (colostrum) because it was considered unclean; and standing on the belly to express the placenta because of the fear the uterus was about to clamp shut!

The book gave a good comprehensive look at birth throughout the ages -- water, natural and hospital -- with all points considered. Very informative. I highly recommend this book. The prose is extremely readable, as well as clear and well thought out. The book reminded my a lot of This Common Secret, another book I highly recommend. I realized that I'm clearly interested in this thing called 'birth', and am moving more and more towards making it part of my bag 'o tricks. By the mere fact that I couldn't put this book down, I learned I should honor this growing interest inside of me...next: midwifery application.