Tammi,

I hadn't read that article until you posted it. I don't know if the
quote was taken out of context, but it does sound uncharacteristic of
the articles I've read that Cassidy has authored herself. I thought
her most recent op-ed "Cut and Run" in the NY Times was quite good.
(read it on her blog at http://tinacassidy.blogspot.com/)

With all of her writing - article in Boston Magazine, articles for
Boston Globe, NY Times and even in her book - my feeling is that
she's getting the message out that there's something out of kilter in
our maternity system to women who might not otherwise be getting that
message until it's too late.

I have seen her speak in person twice - once at a workshop and once
on her book tour, and for full disclosure here...I'm in Boston &
organizer for BOLD in Boston (application sent in the other
day...yeah!) and I invited Tina Cassidy to be on our talk-back panel
and she accepted.

Full disclosure over, I really did like her book. I found it to be a
facinating read. I agree with you Karen, women might not exactly be
pumped up for giving birth after reading it, but maybe hopefully it
will make them question and research for themselves the options out
there.

I do think there's a lot of value to knowing the history of how we
got to hospital births & OB's being the "norm", and all the ways
women have been seriously violated in the name of "progress".

I definitely considered the place she was in when writing the book
when I was reading it. As she writes about in the book, she began
writing the book shortly after her own unexpected c/s with her son.

Ok, back to our reguarly scheduled programming - Born in the USA :-)

Cathleen


--- In BOLDBookClub@yahoogroups.com, "karen Brody" <karenbold@...>
wrote:
>
> Well...I think Tina Cassidy's book is a strong contribution to
birth, but I
> definitely see Tammi's point. I almost put the book down after the
chapter
> where Cassidy talks about some women being too tiny to push out a
baby. I
> did my shouting at the book routine...
>
> Yet...she also points out that midwives and doulas are a strong
antedote for
> women to deal with the "not so perfect for pushing a baby out"
bodies that
> they may have.
>
> It felt like Cassidy approached her book, and birth, like a
journalist,
> looking for answers through facts rather than reaching into her gut.
>
> But, having said that, it's an interesting book on the history of
birth. I
> don't think it's an inspiring book for the average woman to read
and when
> she's finished she won't necessarily feel pumped up to give birth.
>
> My two cents!
>
> Karen
>
> PS: I LOVED Sheila Kitzinger's book, Birth Crisis, and I will give
you all a
> little heads-up that this is most likely our next book! Jillian is
> contacting Sheila Kitzinger about having a teleconference with us
at the end
> of April! It's shocking and honestly I don't know if it's for
consumers, but
> it's essential reading for anyone who is a maternity care provider
and
> perhaps a healing book for women who have had a traumatic birth.
>
>
> On 2/7/07, Tammi <tammi@...> wrote:
> >
> > Hi all J
> >
> >
> >
> > I don't know if you've seen Cassidy quoted, and even if it was
taken out
> > of context, you will not hear her words come from my mouth – if a
mom wants
> > to push for 12 hours and she and baby are ok, then good for that
momma.
> > It's her journey – no one else's. I'm a bit turned off that she
is included
> > in the BIRTH audio documentary. I guess I need to hear it and
what she has
> > to say, but the clips I've seen her quoted have been anything but
empowering
> > for women, including this doozy, perpetuating the myth that small
women
> > cannot birth healthy normal weight (8# is quite normal) babies:
> >
> >
> >
http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/local/states/californ
ia/15929243.htm
> >
> > The best I've heard yet was from a woman who pushed for 12
hours," she
> > says.
> >
> > It was a home birth, in which the expectant mother was hoping for
a
> > vaginal birth after cesarean.
> >
> > "Twelve hours, no epidural, nothing," Cassidy recalls. "She was a
tiny
> > person -- under 5 feet tall, with a pre-pregnancy weight of 88
pounds -- and
> > she had an 8 pound baby."
> >
> > Cassidy shakes her head in disbelief. "She's telling me and I'm
thinking,
> > 'Why would you do that to yourself? It's just not going to work
for you.
> > It's OK, you're tiny.'"
> >
> >
> >
> > I would never recommend her book if quotes like this are in it.
Now Born
> > in the USA – I'm trying to get all the local doulas to make it
required
> > reading of their doula clients. Especially since they are
serving the moms
> > choosing hospital brith. If someone has read her book and there
are no
> > disempowering words of wisdom from Cassidy in it like the above,
please let
> > me know. I'm so turned off from her and her book right now.
> >
> >
> >
> > And so TURNED ON to Born in the USA! J Tammi
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>