Hw 38 - Insights From Pregnancy & Birth book - Part 1

Baby Catcher
Peggy Vincent
Scribner
2002

Baby Catcher by Peggy Vincent, is organized in to separate "parts" in which are broken down further in to sub-sections. The individual sub-sections each explain further in to specific events that can be experienced during the pregnancy/birth process.

In my opinion, the primary question that this book asks, is how do experiences from a midwife's perspective differ from that of a doctor's? Based on what I've read so far, I feel that a midwife has more of a  personal attachment with the different events that occur during the pregnancy process, than that of a doctor. The doctor wants to be efficient for both the patient AND the hospital whereas a midwife has more of a personal attachment to the patient and can help both as an acquaintance/friend and also from an educated perspective.

The strongest insight that I've observed so far, is that each step throughout pregnancy should be broken down and handled sufficiently and patiently to ease the process. I feel that although this process sounds very organized and effective, at the same time it sounds unrealistic. Most pregnant women and their partners are going to do the medical solution for the phase of pregnancy they're in, there is no point of stopping to handle it, in my opinion, most soon-to-be mothers are going to follow doctors' orders ALL THE TIME.

- The decision between having a midwife or doctor during birth should be thought out and analyzed, because each person and their pregnancy will be different.

- Home births vs Hospital births. Similar to midwife vs doctor, however even with the decision for a midwife still comes the decision of a home birth or a hospital birth. This decision is detrimental for both the parents and the baby.

- Technological advances in hospitals does not make them the more suitable, wise choice. The traditional, planned out, organized, family/community oriented and intimate birth with a midwife can be more favorable for certain pregnancies.

- Hospitals are as much an organization/business as it a "safe haven" for sick people and pregnant women.

Peggy Vincent used a calm tone throughout the entire book. Since the story is told from a midwife's perspective, and midwifes are often associated with calm, cool and collective care takers, it makes sense that she would use this tone. What helped me come to this realization is a quote from page 73. "I sat hugging my knees as the scent of coffee, cinnamon, and burning logs filled the cozy room"