Navelgazing

Lots of navelgazing lately about what I'm about regarding childbirth.

I would say right now I am mostly trying to hash out a spot somewhere between three angles on the topic:

One. The fact that many or even most aspects of modern American birth are not optimal for healthy mothers and babies, aka the public health angle.

Two. The severe lack of information, choice, and agency most women face in their childbirth experiences, aka the feminist angle.

Three. The devious little inner know-it-all birth nerd that thinks everyone should have a non-interventive birth and breastfeed as long as possible, aka the asshole angle.

Woops! I let that one come out of my virtual mouth. You know, I'm working on this, and I'll be frank and say that I haven't whooped it yet. I can talk big about how both One and Two are problems on a population/society level, not an individual level, but talk to me about a pregnant woman and the asshole wheels start spinning, true story.

In my head, this is wrapped up with a few other issues, which I hope to write about in the short term future:

A. The question of what actions my convictions about these issues compel me to.

B. Issues I seem to have with advocacy. And you know it's true because I once had to get told by a certain BU professor interested in childbirth that "Advocacy is real, you know." Doy!