Tuesday, April 28, 2009
I'll be there this Saturday. I hope you are too.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
The Industrialization of Childbirth
Here is the link to the article: http://wiki.naissance.asso.fr/index.php/articles/2322
(Plante LA. Mommy, What Did You Do in the Industrial Revolution? Meditations on the Rising Cesarean Rate. The International Journal of Feminist Approaches to Bioethics. Spring 2009;2(1):140-147. DOI: 10.2979/FAB.2009.2.1.140http://afar.info/id=2322)
This is a phenomenal article that likens the industrialization and standardization of childbirth to the prevalence of CAFO's and factory production in our commercial and food sector today.
This quote will be on my mind all day....
>>>Industrial obstetrics strips the locus of power definitively away from women. The history of childbirth in America reflects a persistent trend of increased control by physicians and increased medicalization. Childbirth moves, first, out of the home, and now out of the vagina.>>>>
And this. Especially the reddened part.
>>>"The industrialization of food production is, perhaps, a harbinger of the industrialization of childbirth. Food production was once local, varied and small-scale, but farms have been taken over by huge conglomerates, and monoculture of a small number of genetically uniform crops has replaced variety. The disappearance of cultivars—that is, the loss of deviants—means that random natural events could wipe out large swaths of the food supply. To draw an even more pointed parallel, meat in America is cheap and widely available because of industrialized animal production. These animals lead narrowly confined lives from conception to death. Reliance on a small number of breeds, confined animal feeding operations, and the production line essentially turn animals into factory products. Industrial animal production has exacted a price in ways that until recently were invisible to the average consumer: the pollution of air and groundwater, the increasing potential for foodborne illness, the escalation of antibiotic resistance which begins in industrial herds but moves into human populations, even the quality of those animals’ lives. Clearly, industrialization has a downside, although we may not notice the drawbacks until all competing models have vanished. While some would object to drawing an analogy between industrial food production and industrial childbirth, I submit that in both cases we see a conversion of a living creature to a commodity, with an emphasis on the end product and a marked disinterest in the natural process over time. Women can be processed through the childbirth machine and handed a baby at the other end, stripping them of their central role at the heart of things, and turning them instead into objects that someone else operates upon.">>>
>>>>"As a reaction to industrial agriculture and food marketing, the Slow Food and locavore movements have recently been born. If de-escalation of our food production practices is healthier or more humane, why is intensification of our child production practices better than sustainable childbirth? I’m waiting for the birth of the revolution, or at least, the revolution of birth. Will women who are interested in Slow Food or cage-free eggs find their way to a Slow Childbirth movement? Imagine: educated upper-middle-class women who buy songbird-certified organic coffee and worry about their carbon footprint, just saying no to the quick-fix cesarean culture. If they’re not part of the problem, maybe they can be part of the solution. But the impetus must come from women themselves. Do we really believe that industrial obstetrics is the best model for ourselves and our children? We must clearly understand that real autonomy does not mean cesarean on request, but instead a spectrum of birth options that honor women’s authentic choices. Real autonomy also means, to borrow a sentiment from Gandhi, that women should bring forth the change they wish to see in the world.">>>>>>>>>
A great article that really ties it all together. Obviously we are seeing subsects of our sustainable living culture that are choosing sustainable childbirth options too. But not enough yet. Here's to the tipping point!
(Plante LA. Mommy, What Did You Do in the Industrial Revolution? Meditations on the Rising Cesarean Rate. The International Journal of Feminist Approaches to Bioethics. Spring 2009;2(1):140-147. DOI: 10.2979/FAB.2009.2.1.140http://afar.info/id=2322)
This is a phenomenal article that likens the industrialization and standardization of childbirth to the prevalence of CAFO's and factory production in our commercial and food sector today.
This quote will be on my mind all day....
>>>Industrial obstetrics strips the locus of power definitively away from women. The history of childbirth in America reflects a persistent trend of increased control by physicians and increased medicalization. Childbirth moves, first, out of the home, and now out of the vagina.>>>>
And this. Especially the reddened part.
>>>"The industrialization of food production is, perhaps, a harbinger of the industrialization of childbirth. Food production was once local, varied and small-scale, but farms have been taken over by huge conglomerates, and monoculture of a small number of genetically uniform crops has replaced variety. The disappearance of cultivars—that is, the loss of deviants—means that random natural events could wipe out large swaths of the food supply. To draw an even more pointed parallel, meat in America is cheap and widely available because of industrialized animal production. These animals lead narrowly confined lives from conception to death. Reliance on a small number of breeds, confined animal feeding operations, and the production line essentially turn animals into factory products. Industrial animal production has exacted a price in ways that until recently were invisible to the average consumer: the pollution of air and groundwater, the increasing potential for foodborne illness, the escalation of antibiotic resistance which begins in industrial herds but moves into human populations, even the quality of those animals’ lives. Clearly, industrialization has a downside, although we may not notice the drawbacks until all competing models have vanished. While some would object to drawing an analogy between industrial food production and industrial childbirth, I submit that in both cases we see a conversion of a living creature to a commodity, with an emphasis on the end product and a marked disinterest in the natural process over time. Women can be processed through the childbirth machine and handed a baby at the other end, stripping them of their central role at the heart of things, and turning them instead into objects that someone else operates upon.">>>
>>>>"As a reaction to industrial agriculture and food marketing, the Slow Food and locavore movements have recently been born. If de-escalation of our food production practices is healthier or more humane, why is intensification of our child production practices better than sustainable childbirth? I’m waiting for the birth of the revolution, or at least, the revolution of birth. Will women who are interested in Slow Food or cage-free eggs find their way to a Slow Childbirth movement? Imagine: educated upper-middle-class women who buy songbird-certified organic coffee and worry about their carbon footprint, just saying no to the quick-fix cesarean culture. If they’re not part of the problem, maybe they can be part of the solution. But the impetus must come from women themselves. Do we really believe that industrial obstetrics is the best model for ourselves and our children? We must clearly understand that real autonomy does not mean cesarean on request, but instead a spectrum of birth options that honor women’s authentic choices. Real autonomy also means, to borrow a sentiment from Gandhi, that women should bring forth the change they wish to see in the world.">>>>>>>>>
A great article that really ties it all together. Obviously we are seeing subsects of our sustainable living culture that are choosing sustainable childbirth options too. But not enough yet. Here's to the tipping point!
Monday, April 20, 2009
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Is it spring?
Playing tents in the living room with all the pillows, blankets, and dining room chairs. We had a long illness recently and it is so nice to have everyone back to normal. 
First "Spring Dinner." I realize it's been spring for almost a month, but it doesn't feel like it to me until we can have the windows open at least part of the time. But when I can have my front door and windows open it is so motivating for me. I feel like cleaning and cooking more. Which is why we got this dinner. Featuring roasted carrots and parsnips and sauteed asparagus. What a great way to transition between growing seasons.Friday, April 17, 2009
Beauty
YouTube is not allowing for embedding so you'll have to go to the link:
Simply beautiful. Beyond words. And the buzz on the internet is all about how NOT beautiful she is.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Oh no she didn't!!
Oh but I did. I dyed my Grandma's Sugar Cookie dough with Wilton's icing. This stuff is so nasty. I bought it to dye playsilks last year. To DYE THEM. Bright semi-permanent colors. What is this stuff doing to the inside of our colons??? I'm afraid to know. Here's a repeat of the recipe from last year:
Grandma B's Sugar Cookies
1 cup butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1.5 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups flour
Beat together first 5 ingredients. Mix dry ingredients and beat in. Chill dough and roll into small balls, dipping in sugar. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes.
1 cup butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1.5 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups flour
Beat together first 5 ingredients. Mix dry ingredients and beat in. Chill dough and roll into small balls, dipping in sugar. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes.
Oh look what was on top of the fridge! The unopened sprinkles I bought for Valentine's cookies. I figure while we're consuming lethal amounts of food coloring a little HFCS isn't going to do us any harm. Well, I suppose I better go make some broccoli for dinner....Sunday, April 5, 2009
Sunday Breakfast
Ahhh Sunday morning breakfast. After a long night up with yet another sick child; I made the garlic and bell pepper omelet with french bread toast, and my DH walked to Mars Cafe for my latte. I even opened up the last jar of my homemade peach preserves. Here's to better warmer days ahead.Wednesday, April 1, 2009
The Sock Basket
Two views, just so you can appreciate the depth and magnitude of the project at hand. This is The Sock Basket. In our house all mismatched socks that come out of a load of laundry get thrown in here. And then when everyone starts complaining that they have "NO SOCKS MOM!!!" and "WILL YOU GO BUY ME SOME NEW SOCKS?" then it's time to break down and sort the sock basket. Today is the day....
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