Birth- a history

Have been reading this book and was surprised to see what they did in history I expected they would do things naturally and breastfeed but instead reading things like women's being knocked out with drugs so they wouldn't complain or make noise and Abused unnecessarily ,cut during labour and then I though well surely things improved after only to read that they had a mortality rate of 99% of babies because mothers didn't breastfeed for religious and superstitious reasons .
I read about drs overtaking midwives because they needed more work so put out advertising campaigns against them and made it illegal for doulas to practice.

My mother in law talks of how she was given an enema and the child want kept in the same room

Sure makes things now seem a lot nicer

What things do you think we will look back in the future to now and think of as unnecessary and silly or even barbaric?
I'm curious to see how the future if birthing and baby care changes I hope it is for the better

As much as I don't think it will happen, I hope that one day we can look back and look at our rediculous c/s rate and be ashamed.

I hope one day we can look back & realise it's a woman's right to choose how she births (natural, c/s, homebirth, hospital) and that allowing politicians & power hungry OB's to make the rules is not on.

I'd also love for women to stop judging each other over the choices we make as parents, our journey is just that, OUR OWN and whilst we don't always agree we don't have to be rude about others choices.

I hope one day my daughter will be appalled at the history of episiotomies being routinely done.
And of women being told where they can and can't birth.
Of midwives being restricted in where they can practice.
And of skilled surgeons attending births with no risk factors because that was the only option for a birth in a private hospital.
Of syntometrine being used routinely for 3rd stage.
And of inductions for any reason other than the health and wellbeing of mother and/or baby.

i hope we get to a point where it seems abhorrent that the need for truly informed consent was ever questioned or bypassed.

I hope that one day we will look back and not judge people for the way they birthed. The choice is personal, and the rights of the mother and child are paramount.

I hope that one day women will support each other unconditionally in their choices for feeding their newborn, ( regardless of what we know is best - we all need support).

I hope that one day my babies will know how much I love them and that the choices I made were for them, and their future.

Xoxo

I live in hope that Stormageddon will not need to be a freebirth out of necessity. Because Liebling's birth was one of brutilising, unnecessary things being done against my wishes and abuse. I don't think things have improved at all: in fact, knowing that things are bad makes it worse as the bullying increases so you don't get any of your "rights" whilst being "cared" for.

I would love for Liebs and Stormy be able to have babies in a world where the mother was listened to, supported and cared for to get the best possible outcome. Big culture shift needs to happen before I believe that even stands a chance of occurring.