Who has control over our bodies?

One thing that disturbs me about the current bills in parliament set to ban homebirth is the issue of control. Who has the right to make decisions about our bodies? Should my body = my choice? Under what, if any, circumstances should this right be taken away?

And what role does how informed a woman is (e.g. a woman who has a strong knowledge of birth physiology, risks and benefits versus a woman who has done no research and/or hands over all responsibility for knowledge to her care provider) play? And what about the baby- who has ultimate control over what happens to them?

Are the moves with this legislation a way to control women in particular? Or does it simply reflect a society that does not value freedom of choice?

Is the moves with legislation a way to control women in particular? Or does it simply reflect a society that does not value freedom of choice?

This legislation does hope to control womyn in particular, it's us who give birth not men, thus we are the ones who lose our liberties when this bill is passed. However I think that our society bandies around a whole lot of crap about freedom and choice, that is actually entirely fabricated by the powers that be in order to placate us and keep us from thinking beyond the square we're taught to think in.

I don't like to make estimations on when we draw the line over self power. although it's easy to sit in my white middle class home and decide that poor black womyn on drugs should have no bodily integrity when they're pregnant, I would not assume such righteousness. It serves neither the baby, nor the womyn or her community.

It's a really REALLY complex thing! I have opinions on it, but they're quickly washed away when you see how these opinions could apply to an individual iykwim.

I will say however, that it is the job of every womyn and family to inform themselves on pregnancy and birth. Those who do not, those who "trust" their dr, are fools, but I will not say that loudly because they think the same of me for informing myself and choosing homebirth!

I don't think there is freedom of choice in Australia. It looks like there is, but really what most people truly believe is that others should be allowed to choose whatever they want, as long as it lines up with their (the original people's) particular beliefs.

I have strong opinions on what women should choose with regards to their bodies, but I also believe that they should be the ones to make those decisions. To take over someone's decision making is to take responsibility for them. This means that I often disagree with women's choices, but I do try to respect their capability to choose their own path. I resent legislation which is designed to limit and control my ability to be responsible for myself and my children. At the end of the day, my body and mind are mine, and I'm the one who has to live with it for the rest of my life. My child is mine, born or unborn, and I have a responsibility to that child to protect his or her best interests. Again, I have to live with that for the rest of my life.

Unfortunately there are real life situations where people do not choose what's best for them or their children. And there does come a time when someone else needs to step in to prevent children from being abused. But how is it possible to draw that line on anything other than a case-by-case basis? Smacking is a prime example. Some people think it's child abuse to smack, others think it's abusive not to smack. Until society looks to a definitive higher moral standard to make its decisions issues like this can never be resolved, because everyone believes that they have the right answer, and can often even use the same source to justify their beliefs! I realise this is getting a little OT but the same reasoning can be applied to pregnant women; should they be 'allowed' VBAC according to surgeons' belief system, or according to their own?

This means that I often disagree with women's choices, but I do try to respect their capability to choose their own path

It's hard when you know that the womyn in question is getting all the information she bases that choice on from her obstetrician

Yes, it is. I'm in the uncomfortable position atm of witnessing a close relative attempting to make decisions about the birth of her next baby. I'm thankful she can't hire a private ob due to circumstances beyond her control. But while I'm trying to offer as much info as I can, I can't push it on her either or ultimately make up her mind. Culture, society, and upbringing have a large part to play in who women trust for their birth choices.

It;s not only birth though, it's baby feeding, parenting, and even schooling! All of it is "better in the hands of experts" and when you look at it as a whole picture, those experts have made one hell of a mess of society!

We're told we have a say in what goes on, and that we live in a democracy, but when there are only two legitimate choices at an election, and they're really not choices (they're the same bloke in different wolf suits) there's not much democracy going on. And yet we're constantly told how FREE we are. I'm so sick of the propaganda that keeps womyn enslaved in Australia, and allows our country to go to war, plus MANY more issues.

Yeah, but the parenting stuff begins with pregnancy. Once women are convinced they don't know anything about their own body it's much easier to convince them they know nothing about their baby. And really, all of us need support and maybe advice from time to time. It's pathetic that the people who are sold to us as knowing everything really know less than we do, if only we trusted ourselves.

(And no, I'm not discounting all the brainwashing that goes on from birth to when a woman conceives, just picking a starting point for this discussion)

Yeah, but the parenting stuff begins with pregnancy. Once women are convinced they don't know anything about their own body it's much easier to convince them they know nothing about their baby.

This is a really interesting (but sad) trend I see a lot in our society. We look outside of ourselves during pregnancy, to 'professionals', such as doctors and midwives, for reassurance. This is not always a bad thing, of course there are times that a birth professional's imput is valuable. However, I think we go outside our own intuition and wisdom too much, and bypass our circle of women (or men) friends and family that may be able to provide support.

Same with parenting. We've lost a lot of that connective community and intergenerational relations that other cultures have, and so, when we can't answer something for ourselves, we look for an "expert". And this word- "expert"- is powerful in itself, having connotations that would need a degree to be the best person to know our baby's needs and all the peripheral stuff that goes along with parenting.

Good point about it beginning at birth! ITA From the moment we're ond enough to see the midday movie we're bombarded with images of womyn screaming in childbirth, and calm experts in creepy get ups handling everything. Those images are very powerful in our psyches!

I've been on an interesting journey with this stuff. From my first pregnancy where I deferred to the experts, to my selcond where I hired a midwife, to enrolling my daughter in a school, to pulling her out, to now actually - for the most part - trusting that I know what's best for my kids! That's an 11 year journey!