 Re: Language in labour
Language of labour has just cropped up in 'birth stories' so I thought I would continue that discussion in here. It is so easy to slip into language like 'deliver' a baby instead of 'birth' a baby, or 'assisting' a woman etc. etc.., and I am sure that we all do it and none of us would mean any ill or wish to take anything away from the woman's achievement. But I have to say, that 99% of women won't even pick up on language like this, and sometimes I do feel that there is a lot of time spent umming and ahing of new, more friendly terminology, which probably goes unnoticed except by us. Having said that, I do understand that just because it goes by unnoticed, does not mean that there shouldn't be change, but I think that change is already occuring (we are living proof) but no effect will be immediate.
That aside, keeping a woman fully informed and not using jargon is a different matter and completely essential, in my opinion, and a different matter completely to the 'woman-centred'-holistic type of terminology above, about birthing your own baby etc.... But those doctors are a law unto themselves and I think getting them to change the way they speak to women will be nigh on impossible... but then that's where we come in as advocates I guess.
__________________  3rd year Student Midwife |