Misconceptions- Naomi Wolf

[houseelf]

This book offers a scathing critique of American pregnancy and early motherhood. It is necessary to warn other would-be readers that out of all the femenist literature that I have read recently, Ms. Wolf seems the angriest, unfortunately this characteristic which turns off some of us who find seeds of truth in her writing.

Essentially Ms. Wolf argues that the clinical detached management of pregnancy by society, business, government, and health care workers harm women by creating higher rates of interventional/high tech birthing experiences, post partum depression, marital conflict, and marginalization of women's rights. Again, while there are kernels of truth in her theories, her scathing indictment offers little to suggest how to make the system better until the very last chapter of her book. In my mind, why turn people away from the cause rather then enlist them with realistic solutions.

Still, it is a well researched and interesting read, if you can get past some of the more offending remarks.

Kelly

[Auspicious]

One of my close friends is currently trying to conceive and is very interested in these issues, so when I read Kelly's review I asked my friend if she'd read Misconceptions and she said "YES! I'm reading it right now and you have to read it so I have someone to discuss it with!"

So, I just finished reading it and I'm really glad I did. Like so many feminist tomes there was tons in here with which I disagreed (it's way too OB=bad, midwife=good) and some VERY good points (society does too often say "go away and come back when you don't have that infant attached to you anymore.")

I didn't find the tone of the book angry so much as incredibly SAD. I think her point is that the rosy side of childbearing is already so talked about and in fact pushed on women, that a book was needed that was devoted entirely to the hard side of the process and disabusing all those gently glowing myths. However, the focus of this book is so exclusively on the down side that she borders on making the childbirth experience seem almost life-ruining. She puts it all in perspective in the Epilogue, but by then I was about ready to go out and get sterilized (just kidding).

As my friend said, though, "Even if I never have a child, I'm so glad I read this book because it shed a lot of light on the changes all my friends have gone through when having babies and I have so much more respect for all that now."

I agree that if you can just "forgive" the tone of the book, it's a must-read--full of lots of things that at least deserve consideration on an individual level, family level, medical level, and societal level.

[PrincessFiona]

Kelly, I think you are our offical feminist


kris

[houseelf]

Kris,

I know, I know. DH calls me the "unintended feminist" because I have arrived at many of these conclusions in my post-academia entry into the workworld and mommyhood. Part of me blanches at the label of "feminist " because the term conjures such pejorative undertones. While I am incredibly interested in both female and parenting issues, I **hope** that I always keep in mind the humanitarian issues first. I hope to God that I never become one of those weird strident feminists. I love dh and my little boy too much to forget the issues we all grapple with first.

Regarding the themes of this book, I DO agree that society's views on mommyhood, pregnancy, and birth needs to upgrade to the reality of modern times. For example, three months unpaid maternity leave and few part-time options are the norm? You must be kidding me!

On the other hand, as the spouse of a physician, I couldn't believe how harsh the author indicted of the specialty of obstetrics. I felt this at the time I read this book and especially now in light of my recent experiences. I thank God for modern medicine and the help that they offered my family during such a trying time. Our friend in an ObGyn residency at U. of Colorado recently told us that at the turn of the century 1 in 8 women died in pregnancy, childbirth, or early post partum! While the author's call for a return to midwifery and honoring the pregnant is lofty, nothing can obscure the staggering fact that women and children survive because of Westernized medicine.

I love these books because they always challenge my thoughts.

Kelly