Over at the Huffington Post there's a critique of the way medical professionals and caretakers dismiss the concerns of women. Joyce McFadden contends that while men's problems with docs tend to do more with men avoiding medical help, women are actually ignored or find their valid concerns are minimized. Women complain of pain and are told they aren't really experiencing it. She gives examples of this in childbirth, and here's where I was a little surprised: She calls out doulas as well.
I guess I didn't expect to see doulas included in the hot seat because part of the whole doula idea is that you want someone advocating for you when you are in labor and may not be able to look after your own interests in the most effective way. And there's an idea that doulas, who operate differently than the medical professionals, will be more responsive to women. But McFadden writes, "A woman says to her female doula, 'There's something wrong with the
labor, I need to go to the hospital right now.' The doula repeatedly
tells her she should just hang in there, it's not time yet, which
proves to be a bad error in judgment." It's a brief mention, but to be honest, I think it's probably reasonable to include it. I believe the majority of doulas are excellent, and often provide real help and comfort for laboring moms. But it's probably safe to say that McFadden is correct, there are a few doulas who are dismissive of women's concerns. I think the point is that we need to work to ensure women are heard and heeded by all those involved in the childbirth process, even in the throes of contractions.
