I love your sentiments.

I’ve been trying to wrap my head around why no one seems to give a rat’s ass about women’s rights in pregnancy and childbirth. We have almost zero birth options in my community, homebirth about to become illegal, one ob practice who are this close to banning VBAC’s and….and….and…

oh, we can barely get anyone to think this is a problem except for the pregnant women who are freaking out over lack of options.

I would love it if we as women banded together on these birth issues–demanding respect and integrity from the medical community and more than that–demanding respect and integrity for ourselves.
hillary´s last blog ..flowers13: @fremontmama tweetdeck

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YEAH! And… YEAH! And… RIGHT ON! Man, you hit the nail on the head here. I mean, I sort of felt bad for thinking this, but I felt like the hoopla surrounding that commercial did more for FOTF’s cause than the actual commercial did. Had I not heard the drama beforehand, I don’t think I would have even realized what it was about or taken notice. Not that I’m in agreement with the commercial or CBS’s new policy, but I feel like way too much focus was put on that. And the Today Show thing, well, I already told you. It pissed me right the hell off. Completely irresponsible reporting.
Jill @BabyRabies´s last blog ..Modern Bird Studios – custom art with soul

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The whole time I was reading this post, I was screaming YEEESSS!!!!! in my head the whole time.

It seems when it comes to the subject of birth, it just gets swept right under the reproductive right’s rug.

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Okay I both agree and disagree. I agree that there are so many other issues out there. I agree with the water birth vs hospital thing. I agree totally and completely about the hospitals and the money they make off of us doing what our bodies are meant to do. However, I am pro-life. Not by the way anti-choice. But I digress.

The thing about CBS not allowing and allowing it this year is unfair. I think both sides should be allowed to air. Or neither I really have no issue with it going either way. I think that the money to put an add reminding women that a baby they abort could turn out to be awesome is money well spent. It does remind them of what they are “choosing” not to have. I like the commercial they tried to air last year better. – http://www.ourlifeupstate.com/2009/02/honesty-imagine-potential.html – although that was NBC that rejected it not CBS. This year’s commercial itself I think was ridiculous. It did not go far enough. If I had not known all the hoopla I would not have even understood that it was a pro-life commercial. I think that the money was wasted because the message was lost.
Upstatemomof3´s last blog ..To The One That Challenges Me

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@Upstatemomof3 – Thanks for your comment. I do agree with you that it was much ado about nothing. I imagine those who are “pro-life” think that money could have been better spent.

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Just wanted to say it: you rock, Gina. Well said. I totally agree with you. Keep it up.

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So, first of all – great post. Thanks for speaking to feminists, as a feminist, and caring so deeply about connecting the dots between all of women’s reproductive and sexual health and rights issues.

I want to say that, as an editor of a publication that covered the Super Bowl ad in every way shape and form and as a part of the Women’s Media Center’s campaign, I agree that it seemed to be much ado over one ad – and an ad that, honestly, was not all that impressive in the end. But I want to also be clear that the anger over the ad was related to CBS’ hypocrisy over denying over and over and over again progressive organization’s advertising on the PUBLIC airwaves, choosing instead to actually work, for months, with FoF on an ad to craft a message that would be palatable to the masses but which, in the end, was nothing more than, essentially, a well-crafted marketing message using the barest of truth (Tebow’s story was actually riddled with inconsistencies and un-truths). So, this idea that in the end it was just Pam Tebow’s story about her own choice was PURELY a marketing message from FoF. Our exec editor went on a million and one radio shows to explicitly state that in fact it was because Pam Tebow had a choice that women’s rights advocates are speaking up. Pam Tebow had a choice that no one would want to take away from her – so why are orgs like FoF working to take that choice away from other women? This is the point – FoF is putting out an ad about choice when every single thing they do and lobby for is about nothing more than ripping away a woman’s right to make the choice she feels is best for her and her family.

All that said, I could not agree more or more strongly that there should be outrage about and heaps of attention paid to media farces like segments on The Today Show and Good Morning America that serve only to propagate bullshit and scare women. We need to speak up about what this idea of “choice” really means when women aren’t given all of the information or facts. When women aren’t able to “choose” a midwife because it’s essentially illegal in their state. When women aren’t able to birth at home because they can’t afford to. When women are told that they need a c-section because they are too far along or they are too small to birth naturally or a hospital refuses to do a VBAC. We should be fighting, as feminists, to counter all of these betrayals of women’s human rights and these ridiculous media portrayals. We should be calling bullshit on these things and I don’t think the feminist movement does so nearly enough.

My little self-aggrandizement: at RH Reality Check we work hard to make these links and connect these dots. As a repro and sexual health news publication it is a no-brainer for us to cover everything from unnecessary medical interventions in childbirth and the movement to license and ensure greater access to certified professional midwives to abortion access globally to sex-ed for young people. Unfortunately, we did not cover the Good Morning America or Today Show stories and I would have liked to. We certainly foster disagreement on these issues at times, even within the community, but it’s critical for us to show people that all of these issues are not just important but NECESSARY to women’s bodily autonomy, health and rights.

So, that said, thanks for the amazing post. Thanks for sharing. Thanks for recognizing that we still have a hell of a lot of work to do. But it’s because of women like you that we’ll definitely get there!!

Amie Newman
RH Reality Check

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@Amie – Brava! Very well said. Thank you for chiming in. And I love what RH Reality Check does. Thanks for fighting the good fight.
TheFeministBreeder´s last blog ..I’ve Been Annoyed with Feminists This Week

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Well said Gina. And that’s exactly why I started my new site, because I am sick of ‘mainstream feminism’ not giving a rat’s ass about mother’s issues or birth choices. I was glad to see Amie from RH Reality Check chime in and appreciate the work they do, though I too was disappointed that the stupid Super Bowl ad got everyone worked up so needlessly while other important issues were ignored. I even heard one feminist call Giselle Bundchen a liar and a bitch for saying her birth was painless and peaceful. What the hell kind of attitude is THAT?! It’s like if anyone says birth and motherhood are anything other than oppressive, painful and horrible, we’re completely discounted and ignored. *grumble grumble*
FertileFem´s last blog ..Mindful language: what does ‘mothering’ mean?

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What a powerful, and well written piece. I didn’t get caught up in all the hype surrounding the ad but after seeing the variety of superbowl ads that were so demeaning and misogynist, I am shocked just how much controversy there was.

I think your post hits it on the head. We are so splinted about causes today that so many women/men don’t even realize how quickly our “choice” is slipping away from us. Having a “natural” birth is almost obsolete and VBAC’s will be a distant memory soon.

Thank you for this post to recharge, refocus and re-motivate ME on a subject I care deeply about.

~ A fellow homebirth mama.

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Gina, I am so glad I wrote this before sitting down to write my thoughts about the current issues of feminism and birth related choices. Honestly, you rocked it so hard, I am not even sure I could really… clearly write mine now… THANKS! LOL

You hit the nail right on the head. I wrote my post about the Tebow ad nearly two weeks ago, and my focus was, the fact that they wasted the money on a Super Bowl Ad rather than actually helping families, which from the sounds of “Focus on the Family” seems like what they really should be doing.

And again like you pointed out, between the Today Show, and Good Morning America, MILLIONS of women, and mothers were given HORRIBLE information regarding this and in turn it is only going to help perpetuate the myths surrounding VBAC, cesareans, and natural birth. You saw that when you strolled over yesterday for my post on GMA and water birth.

I think my shift of focus really changed after I had my first cesarean which was unnecessary, it shifted from abortion rights, to birthing mother rights. The amount of rights being taken away from birthing and pregnant women today is nothing short of disgusting. But the feminist who do not choose pregnancy or want kids don’t care. It is not their issue. They only want to ensure the right to abort if they ever were to become pregnant and knew that is not the life they wanted.

That is an issue!
I am hoping through women like us, and the above women who did comment, we can help make a real change!
Danielle´s last blog ..Stolen Car Explodes

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Abortion is a splintering issue in feminism that has turned so many people away from women’s rights. By making it the forefront of the women’s movement for the past 50 years or so we have largely ignored motherhood and the injustice that occurs because of our responsibility as “child-bearers”.

The Today-Show live-cesarean was just sick. It shows the disconnect that is implied in cesarean birth. Would they have live action shots of a woman giving birth vaginally? I don’t think so. There should have been more people upset about this for so many reasons.

What upset me about the Superbowl ad is this: here we are being told by Focus on the Family to honor children and in extension the mothers that bring them into the world. Amid this message we still have the tits and ass and even a clip depicting a woman in labor (the Back -Up Plan ad) that makes a cartoonish mockery of childbirth.

We have just become so desensitized to the act of childbirth. It is now so commonplace to see real women giving birth on TV that many people don’t even think twice about it. This current media culture on top of the actual medical practices has made us fragmented and disconnected. What we have done in the process is desecrate a sacred human experience and forgotten the beauty of being alive.

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I don’t know if you’ve read this article about the Tebow ad, but it’s the best summary I’ve read about the issue thus far and can summarize what I have to say about it better than I can type in this tiny box.

But I completely agree with you about birth issues, which is why I never shut up about them. Trust me that you’re not the only feminist out there who is committed to this. I’m trying to decide how I can do more professionally to radicalize nursing theory in this direction; we still have a long way to go.

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Thanks for writing about all that’s been going on these past few weeks! It’s remarkable to me that “main stream” women in America do not see the need to fight for women’s rights. (I’ll admit that it often includes me). There is so much change that needs to come from FMLA work rights, breastfeeding protection, pro-choice, birth rights, and so on! Thank you to all you who are in the fore fronts fighting for those of us who might not know enough to know you are fighting on our behalf!
Life is not so black and white but, I still have friends, guys and gals, who question how you could be feminist and fight for birth rights. They have this strange misconception that you either believe women shouldn’t be having babies and thus be fighting only for abortion rights or that you are a stepford wife and think that women need to stay home, have babies, and fight for birth rights. Hopefully we can soon move past the jr. hi stage of thinking. It’s the healthy supported choice’s that will make differences.

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TFB- Have I told you lately that I love you?
A huge discussion went on on the VBAC support forum page on BabyCenter.com, we were all in an uproar about this. I was somewhat concerned about the sexist ads on the Superbowl, but it was nothing new. And even as a feminist, I don’t think they were that bad.
But the Today Show really ruffled my feathers. I couldn’t even watch the whole thing (but, that’s because I have PTSD from my c-section and have a physical reaction every time I see a c-section being performed. Oh, but wait….I’m sorry, they’re SAFE, right? Routine. Better for baby. Excuse me while I vomit.)
Thank you TFB. Thank you for speaking out. Someday I plan to write a book about female role models to look up to for my daughter and others girls. It sure won’t have Danika Patrick in it, but woman like you.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go burn my (nursing) bra
Andrea Owen´s last blog ..What being a girl means to me

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don’t know anything about super bowls, but that ad you describe seems awfully capitalist as well, ‘you may abort a baby that will be seen as an achiever in today’s society’, dunno, seems very weird to me.. very disturbing ad

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I’m back to mention that I was a big ooops to a mom who was super conservative and from a very pro-life family. She was planning on giving me up for adoption and she came back to get me from foster care.

Anyways, I grew up in a household that adored Focus on the Family and having a mom who actually went to Washington to prolife rallies and still can’t even have a conversation with a pro-choice supporter without getting super riled up.

She would say, “Look at you! If I wasn’t so clear about being prochoice you might not be here.” And I tell you that argument has never swayed me from believing that you cannot make a law telling a woman what she can or cannot do with her body. I love my life and think I’ve got it going on in many ways, but I’m not so egoic to be, “BUT look I’m here….shouldn’t that make everyone realize?” Realize what?

Think “it’s a wonderful a life”–if I wasn’t here dh would have never met me, we would’ve never had children, and all these other circumstances that now create the world I live in would be different. But that happens every day in every way in every choice I make. If my mom didn’t have me she might have had a different child who—whoah what if they went on the be the first woman president of the united states. Would we then have a commercial that says–it’s a good thing Mrs. X aborted that first baby b/c the next one who is only there due to the circumstances leading up to their existence has now become this amazing person.

But yeah-back to the regular scheduled discussion.

I’ve often wished feminism didn’t have to be so solidly built on pro-choice issues (though I am thankful for the people work to keep our rights available to us). Sometimes it makes it seem like we’re glorifying abortions, like it’s something women are happy to do and we miss the whole point.
hillary´s last blog ..flowers13: @fremontmama tweetdeck

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So, I’ve been following this conversation because I am like a deer in headlights and cannot turn away. I often find it unbelievable that the right to abort a baby is considered feminist. I suppose being pro-life makes me anti-feminist in some people’s eyes. I would not describe myself that way but I’ve learned that people see what they want to see. My point is I, respectfully, ask you and your readers why is being pro-life anti-feminist?

First I should say I did not see The Today Show in question – I do not have the tv on at that time of day so I am totally out of the loop. But I find it disgraceful. I find it distasteful. I find frustrating and annoying that the only time you ever see natural childbirth on tv it is done by eccentric crazy people. I had natural childbirth and if I ever get pregnant again I want a homebirth this time. Now, I suppose maybe being pro-life does make me eccentric and crazy but there are plenty of normal people who do it too.
Upstatemomof3´s last blog ..To The One That Challenges Me

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@upstatemomof3, What would be “pro female” about wanting to take away the reproductive rights of women?
Danielle´s last blog ..When Feminists Draw a Line…

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@UpstateMom – I would love for this comments section not to turn into an abortion debate, but I will answer your question why I believe that we cannot be anti-choice and feminist at the same time.

Making abortion illegal doesn’t prevent abortion, it just makes them more dangerous. Statistically speaking, there is no difference in the number of women seeking abortion in the countries were women have no legal access to them – women still get them anyway, but because they are not legal or regulated, they’re just lethal.

I loathe abortion. It breaks my heart when a friend shows up on my doorstep unexpectedly pregnant and talking about an abortion. And in recent cases, I’ve tried to talk them out of it (because I believe they came to me to hear that, knowing that I chose against abortion for myself.) I’ll happily be meeting a friend’s baby in three months because she chose to keep a very unexpected pregnancy after talking with me. However, it is a VERY personal choice, and it should be the woman’s right to make it. When we start forcing women to carry babies, men have far too much power and control over us. Historically speaking, keeping women pregnant has done horrifying things.

But I’m not pro-abortion. I’m pro-choice. I trust women to make these decisions for themselves with the right information and supportive counsel. I hope that answers your question.

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I’m a birthing rights and abortion rights feminist. And I’m with ya, so here’s my unedited rant ; )

I think we are loosing on birth rights because we never really won on abortion. Disrespect for women’s basic humanity causes trampling of their human rights to autonomy in medical decision making.

WOMEN ARE PEOPLE, regardless of pregnancy status. Women have the right to decide how pregnancy ends- in abortion or childbirth- with informed consent on the risks, benefits, and consequences of all options. If you read any of the comments to the recent Florida case where the woman was court-ordered to bedrest and cesarean or to the NBC segment, or to Giselle’s lovely birth (rhetorical, I know you read them) you’ll have noticed a whole lot of anti-woman comments. And somebody ALWAYS relates it to abortion rights.

To me feminism is a lens with which to see, to deconstruct and to rearrange power. I see abuse and stripping of women’s power when we can’t choose whether and when to give birth AND when we can’t choose where and how.
I’ll keep screaming with you about both.

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FINALLY, SOMEONE said it.
Azucar´s last blog ..The Finisher II and A Note to Ford

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I want to mention that I know lots of women who personally consider themselves prolife (as in they would not have an abortion and probably wouldn’t counsel someone to consider it), but they do support a women’s right to choose.
hillary´s last blog ..flowers13: @fremontmama tweetdeck

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There is more scientific evidence to support the safety of vaginal birth (at home or in the hospital) than there is to support slicing and dicing one-third of women.
It’s a disturbing trend that people defend a women’s right to have a c-section for no reason, yet condemn women who choose to deliver at home.
It’s a tragedy that the woman on the Today Show was applauded, yet negative comments abound regarding Gisele Bundchen and her choices.
Maybe I don’t know enough about feminism, because it seems to me that offering yourself up to be subjected to what goes on in modern obstetrics is the opposite of women should be fighting for.
Heather (qtberryhead)´s last blog ..Trying On The Big Girl Panties

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Just found you via twitter, love the post.
Interestingly in the UK, water birth is big business for hospitals, people demand it and all the best hospitals have birthing pools! If only we could get the same momentum here.

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Just wanted to say thanks for your answer. I won’t debate it with you because I respect it. I don’t agree but I don’t have to. I appreciate your answering my question.

We can still bond over natural childbirth and the like.
Upstatemomof3´s last blog ..To The One That Challenges Me

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Testify, woman. Masterfully put.
Dou-la-la´s last blog ..Reply turned post on "Why choose home birth?"

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I don’t know if you’ve seen it, but this article made me instantly think of your post. Not about the abortion issue, but still another classic example of modern feminism being on the wrong side of important issues.
Lisa´s last blog ..Snow days

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Wow! That is such a disappointing article. I could write a thesis pointing out the flaws of her stance. It’s old fashioned feminism at it’s best–denying the empowerment of a woman choosing #1 to do what she wants and #2 choosing to make the best choices (in her opinion) for her children.

Her version of feminism if feeding babies crappy jarred food filled with nasty additives?

I’d *love* to have a conversation with her.
hillary´s last blog ..flowers13: Okay-Twitter. I’m going to slam out some work. I’ll check-in in an hour. If you see me here before them please feel free to call me out

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great, great post!! I have to say that I am in the “anti-abortion” camp but I agree that making abortion illegal would not help anything and I was really glad to read your comment to that measure. Not to say that I wouldn’t still follow you if you felt otherwise because I am aligned with you on just about everything else!
But that’s NOT the point.
Thank you for the all call for feminists to come out of the woodwork about birthing rights. IMO, the feminist movement seems to be focused on gender-equality, pay equality and abortion issues but there is nothing about the birth rights. I don’t know if that is because of the hard line notion of us being “breeders” but all voices still need to be heard.

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Oh, Gina. Thank you SO much. Thank you. I may have mentioned this to you, I don’t remember. This is the thing that pisses me off most about the pro-abortion movement. (I refuse to call them pro-choice until they get off their duffs about the OTHER reproductive choices that affect women.) I cannot believe that NOW members aren’t marching in the streets and picketing hospitals that ban VBAC. I know NARAL has a specific focus on abortion, but still, would it kill them to just make a statement or something? (Just so you know, I refuse to call the political movement anything except anti-abortion until they get off their duffs about the death penalty, and unjust war and any number of other things that are inimicable to life. Just thought I’d point out that I’m consistent, at least.)

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I was also very disappointed with feminists reaction to the commercial. There are so many other things we should be fighting about, like sexism in every single media outlet around us, and rape, and body image, and the ability to have access to safe abortions/medical care/home or hospital births… thanks!

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When I was in labour with my son at the hospital (my original plan was to birth at home, but my dumb ass was scared off by the claims of everyone around me that it was too dangerous/unsanitary/blah blah blah), I wasn’t “progressing enough” for the professionals’ liking and every nurse who came into my room badgered me to let them break my water to “speed things along.”
My stance was, He’ll come when he’s ready, and he’s obviously not ready.
“It’s risky,” they insisted. I had preeclampsia, the only “cure” for which is giving birth. Their logic was that the longer it took for me to deliver, the longer I’d have the condition and the more likely to experience the worst effects of it (coma, death, fun shit). What they weren’t taking into consideration was the fact that I was on medication to control my blood pressure and, therefore, the preeclampsia was under control. They also seemed to have forgotten that once the water is broken, the risk of infection rises; if it isn’t time for the baby to come out and the water is broken, you’ve just opened the door wide open for a totally preventable issue. My son had not been in any distress the entire time (in fact, the doctors told me that his stress tests were the best they’d seen in a long time), so there was no situation to remedy by breaking my water. After arguing with umpteen people about all this, the house obstetrician finally came in and, after truly looking at and listening to the facts, had no other choice but to agree that there was no need to break my water and that I could carry on as I intended.
Seems like a small victory, perhaps, but I was proud to stick by my convictions and not be pressured by others when I knew in my gut that I was making the right decision. Since then, I’m making sure that I continue to stay a strong feminist mom.

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Thank you! When I was pregnant the nurse, doctor, and receptionist went over the “dangers” of vaginal delivery with me and told me it would be safer for me and my baby to schedule a c-section. But not once did anyone mention the dangers of c-sections.

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Oh my gosh, thank you so much for this. You brought tears to my eyes. Right on, sister. Doing research during my pregnancy reignited all of my latent feminist fire and ire. It’s amazing to what we’ll turn a blind eye. Yours in knowledge and the good fight!

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Oh my – you feminists really do make NO sense at all. You claim to be “pro-woman” and “pro-family” with all this talk about rights of which manner to give birth, but yet you want to RESERVE the “right” to do the most “anti-woman,” “anti-family,” insane, illogical thing on this planet – and that is to KILL your own child, if you feel like it.

“Reproductive Rights” is the most ridiculous, oxymoronic, euphemism ever dreamed up. Have some GUTS and call it what is – murder. The murder of a CHILD, which I assure you NO ONE has the “right” to do. No one.

Would you all mind if a woman had the doc smother her baby after a c-section, because she didn’t really want it? No? That would be murder, you say? I see. But, you’re ok with that murder happening at 24 weeks? 22? 20? 17? 15? 12? 9? 6 weeks? That would be okay with you? Did the baby cease being human somewhere there along the way? Didn’t think so.

All you feminists who support organizations like Planned Parenthood and think they are “helping” women only show your total ignorance of WHO Margaret Sanger was and what she believed in and what she wanted for the world. A more despicable human being is hard to find. A lot of her eugenics beliefs came straight out of Nazi Germany. Read it for yourself.

@Rachel – yes, it’s amazing what you’ll turn a blind eye to: 1.5 MILLION babies killed in the womb per year in the USA. Not even ANIMALS abort their young.

Here’s an even better Super Bowl commercial, which of course, was also refused to air:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2CaBR3z85c&playnext_from=TL&videos=M_QOHGvuI6Q

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