April 2018
Having recently read "Birthing Failure: Childbirth as a Female Fault Line”¹ and knowing that research shows that women remember their childbirth and lactation experiences for a lifetime, I began to think about the word "failure”. Webster defines failure as lacking success, falling short, or a state of inability to perform a normal function.² Many mothers describe their birthing or breastfeeding experiences as failures, as demonstrated in the Schneider research. Dr. Schneider reports, "Overwhelmingly attributing the failures to themselves... participants reported that they experienced failures of mind, body, action/inaction, representing 'what I feel', 'who I am', and 'what I did or didn't do',” (p 22). This stereotypical female trait to blame themselves for not being able to obtain the desired results is strongly shown in this article.
That gives me cause to stop and really look at the picture more closely. How much of the failure is truly caused by the mother, and how much is caused by the healthcare system in which she delivers? Part of the aim of becoming a Baby-Friendly Hospital is to promote, protect, and support breastfeeding, and the consequences of a birthing "failure” can be far-reaching and include breastfeeding initiation, exclusivity, and duration. "Although discussing and acknowledging distressful birth experiences helps women process their experiences, women may not feel comfortable voicing their distress out of fear that their concerns will not be taken seriously,” (Schneider, p 21). Several topics within this research caught my eye:
Given these issues, I'd ask you to consider several questions.
Think about these things and use them to initiate conversations among your birth facility staff. Determine if your answers might be used as a quality initiative project for the unit or to make policy/protocol changes that could improve birthing, breastfeeding, and patient care.
Kathy Parkes, MSN-Ed, BSPsy, RN, IBCLC, RLC, FILCA
Professional Development Educator
References:
1. Schneider, D.A. (2018). Birthing Failures: Childbirth as a Female Fault Line. The Journal of Perinatal Education 27(1); 20-31.
2. Webster's Online Dictionary. Downloaded 3/20/18 from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/failure.
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