Birthing on Country
July 9, 2022 9:15 PM Subscribe
Women’s business -
Meet the Black matriarchs changing the narrative of First Nations births. (Australia)
By Carly Williams with ABC Regional Investigations’ Charlotte King for Background Briefing.
Some women want to birth closer to home, and don't want to go to a major medical centre to give birth. Some of that has to do with cultural and spiritual reasons, and some of that has to do with very real historical (and also much closer to present day) experiences with western health care, which have not inspired confidence in "the system". Unfortunately the more remote medical centres aren't set up for birthing. Some women are working to change this.
“The medical world feels threatened that we’re taking their role in birthing, but we’re trying to form partnerships with the medical world, because we need them. I think a lot of the mentality was ‘Who do they think they are to come in and take over our space and take our women?’ But it’s not their women. It’s not their space. It’s, ‘Your space is on our Country, and our women are our women from Country.’
It was taken away, so we’re taking it back. And this is what birthing on Country is … we’re taking back our birthrights, the rights of our women to birth in a space that they feel safe and comfortable in.” (Mel Briggs, Aboriginal Midwife)
By Carly Williams with ABC Regional Investigations’ Charlotte King for Background Briefing.
Some women want to birth closer to home, and don't want to go to a major medical centre to give birth. Some of that has to do with cultural and spiritual reasons, and some of that has to do with very real historical (and also much closer to present day) experiences with western health care, which have not inspired confidence in "the system". Unfortunately the more remote medical centres aren't set up for birthing. Some women are working to change this.
“The medical world feels threatened that we’re taking their role in birthing, but we’re trying to form partnerships with the medical world, because we need them. I think a lot of the mentality was ‘Who do they think they are to come in and take over our space and take our women?’ But it’s not their women. It’s not their space. It’s, ‘Your space is on our Country, and our women are our women from Country.’
It was taken away, so we’re taking it back. And this is what birthing on Country is … we’re taking back our birthrights, the rights of our women to birth in a space that they feel safe and comfortable in.” (Mel Briggs, Aboriginal Midwife)
So many nations, including the US, have terrible perinatal care, even when they have massive tech. This article opens so many doors. Thanks!
posted by allthinky at 4:22 AM on July 11, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by allthinky at 4:22 AM on July 11, 2022 [1 favorite]
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Sort your life out, Cairns!
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 1:23 PM on July 10, 2022 [2 favorites]