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"Misconceptions"
uncovers some of the realities of giving birth in America today for
middle class married women. Naomi Wolf explores, through her own
experiences and those of a variety of women, the mental, emotional,
psychological and physical changes that women experience in pregnancy,
childbirth and the postpartum period.
Starting from the
premise that women are kept in the dark about the realities of
pregnancy and childbirth, Wolf exposes the stages and emotions through
which many women progress during their pregnancies.
Wolf
raises issues about feminism; how modern women who work and have
equality in their marriages suddenly feel knocked off kilter when they
find themselves dependent on others for physical, emotional, and
financial support. She questions why, as educated, independent women,
she and her friends were not better informed about the realities of
this life changing event.
She describes the "rites of passage"
involved in pregnancy in this country, such as hospital tours and
childbirth preparation classes, which are funded by hospitals and
therefore follow the hospital's agenda to prepare women to be good
patients, not necessarily informed consumers.
Wolf shares her
experiences in labor, which led up to a Cesarean section, and her
subsequent anger, frustration and depression. And, she addresses the
realities of the postpartum period - the exhaustion, the challenges of
dealing with a new baby, and the conflicting feelings that arise from a
total shift in purpose and lifestyle.
Through extensive
research and interviews, the political, social, economic, psychological
and emotional landscapes of pregnancy and birth are laid bare. Wolf
does propose some solutions to the perceived problems. Her primary
suggestion is to create a Mothers' Lobby, comprised of women working
together to create change through governmental means and to draft
legislation that will force businesses and communities to be mother and
child friendly.
As I read this book, I wondered: "Well, what
did Naomi Wolf think was going to happen to her life? Of course,
things are going to change! Then I realized that my strong reaction is
precisely why the content of this book should be of interest to
mothers-to-be. Wolf is an educated feminist, able to engage the
political and social media machines in this country. She researched
and read and did everything that pregnant women are supposed to do in
our culture, yet she still didn't feel that she was able to uncover the
truth until she had been raked over the coals by the medical
establishment.
I believe this book will ultimately benefit the
women who read it. Wolf shares the vivid truth, in grinding terms,
about the realities of new motherhood - something that many rarely
share with anyone but their closest, most trusted confidantes. She
suggests that women follow the money trail to find out who benefits
most from standard medical practice - the mothers and babies, or the
doctors and hospitals. And, she offers suggestions on paths to
change. Though the suggestions are on a national level, many can be
scaled back to local applications. Women can work to create services
and support networks in their own communities to answer the needs of
families that live there. I believe that much progress can be made by
"tending one's own garden."
I recommend this book for all women
considering motherhood, as it contains important information that will
educate and prepare them with lessons that can help them to be
advocates for themselves in any healthcare situation.
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