in sanitation and hygiene. Nevertheless, despite these and other widely applauded achievements, women continued to be largely barred from medical schools.
|
To this day, while planned home births are increasing, there are only about 30 nurse-midwife programs in medical schools, and the medical establishment remains especially opposed to home-birth caremidwivesin spite of admirable records of benefits to newborns and mothers. This is also true of family birth centers, all of which have been brought into being and administered by women. Such centers frequently provide much needed related treatment and education for young people. Benevolence, it would seem, in a male-dominated world, emanates more spontaneously from women then from men. Another orthodox citadel of masculine infallibility is the view that babies should be born in a hospital, and that the whole process of pregnancy and birth should be in the hands of the obstetrician.
|
To this it should be said that birth is neither a disease nor a disorder, despite the mandate by the medical profession that women must have their babies in hospital. Prenatal check-ups of the pregnant mother should, of course, be the rule both for the welfare of the baby and the mother. As for "delivery," babies may be "delivered" in fairy tales, but in reality the birth of a baby is due to the combined work of baby and mother, while the father should be participating in the memorable event by providing the comfort that his helpmeet needs so much. The birth of a baby is the most dramatic and thrilling event a family can enjoy. It is not a medical emergency. Relating to all this should be the obstetrician, in the event that his or her expertise is needed. Understandably, it is asked by some women, "What if there is an emergency?" The answer is that preparation for such a contingency could be taken care of by regular check-ups during pregnancy, and that in a well-ordered society, most untoward developments during childbirth could be prevented at a cost considerably less than the cost of training a soldier for combat.
|
Now that medical schools have become trade schools, and medicine an industry, a complete reorganization of both medical education and the practice of medicine is imperative. What is needed are technologists with a heart, caregivers who care for the patient; lovers of humanity, of the person, able to love others more than one loves oneself. Then we shall have achieved genuine health.
|
|