by Kathleen Quiring on February 29, 2012
I recently read a thoughtful, thorough article comparing the different options of birth settings available to mothers: home, birthing center, and hospital.
The author concludes the article by explaining that she personally chose to give birth in a hospital because her husband felt uncomfortable with a home birth, and she wanted to be submissive to him in the matter. In fact, she admits that she didn’t even bother to give much thought to the question of a home birth after her husband’s initial response.
The comments to that article were filled with similar stories: women who may have wanted to give birth at home opted to birth in a hospital because their husbands were uncomfortable with the thought of a home birth.
When I mentioned this to a friend, she said, “Oh definitely. My husband doesn’t want me to have a home birth, either.”
Let me begin by saying that I understand that these husbands are objecting to home births primarily out of love and concern for their wives. They want their wives — and their babies — to be safe. They believe hospital births are the safer option. It’s wonderful that these men care so deeply about their wives’ well-being.
But these men’s objections to home birth are also rooted in ignorance, fear, and androcentrism (more on these in a moment), and that’s a problem. I don’t think, then, that the matter of childbirth is one in which female submission is entirely appropriate.*
Before I go any further, I also want to say that I’m deeply impressed by these http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifwomen’s lack of resentment or bitterness towards their husbands. That takes a level of maturity that I don’t entirely share.
To read the rest of this article click here.