09 July 2008
This Week in Mamma Mia, That's a Lot of Babies
Yesterday in St. Paul, sixteen babies were born in seventeen hours The link has a video of the little ones, in case you're looking for, you know, an addiction.
This Week in Baby Addictions
According to a new study in the journal Pediatrics, babies' smiles make their mothers' brains fill with happy hormones. Specifically, seeing pictures of babies smiling, especially their own babies smiling, released a surge of the hormone dopamine, pretty much the same effect on the body as using drugs or alcohol.
While some of the conclusions drawn from the research reek of New Momism:
it does offer an interesting evolutionary perspective. I have often wondered why I tend to squeal with glee at the sight of a delighted baby.
Babies are, let's face it, kind of obnoxious sometimes. Getting you addicted to them might be their only chance at survival.
While some of the conclusions drawn from the research reek of New Momism:
"This is the mechanism by which you come to be consumed by your baby," Montague says. "All good mothers are addicted to their newborn babies. They will do things above and beyond the call of duty."
it does offer an interesting evolutionary perspective. I have often wondered why I tend to squeal with glee at the sight of a delighted baby.
Babies are, let's face it, kind of obnoxious sometimes. Getting you addicted to them might be their only chance at survival.
01 July 2008
This Week in Illegal Babies
Madeline Holler writes about her illegal home birth.
Home birth, as such, isn't actually illegal anywhere in the United States. No state (or district) prosecutes women who give birth outside the hospital, at home or any other place. Twelve states and the District of Columbia prohibit direct-entry midwifery (the kind of midwives who will deliver babies at home, as opposed to certified nurse midwives, the majority of whom deliver babies in hospitals).
Although the American Medical Association has passed a resolution condemning home birth as a practice. I'll spare you the history lesson, but a lot of maternal death (as well as the politicization of abortion) resulted from 19th century doctors thinking there was no way a WOMAN could know more than they did about birthing babies. So, really, nothing new.
But it still totally blows, to put it eloquently. Particularly because most studies in countries where many (or most, as in Denmark--80%!) women give birth at home show no difference in outcomes for women and their newborns.
Home birth, as such, isn't actually illegal anywhere in the United States. No state (or district) prosecutes women who give birth outside the hospital, at home or any other place. Twelve states and the District of Columbia prohibit direct-entry midwifery (the kind of midwives who will deliver babies at home, as opposed to certified nurse midwives, the majority of whom deliver babies in hospitals).
Although the American Medical Association has passed a resolution condemning home birth as a practice. I'll spare you the history lesson, but a lot of maternal death (as well as the politicization of abortion) resulted from 19th century doctors thinking there was no way a WOMAN could know more than they did about birthing babies. So, really, nothing new.
But it still totally blows, to put it eloquently. Particularly because most studies in countries where many (or most, as in Denmark--80%!) women give birth at home show no difference in outcomes for women and their newborns.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)