How does what we read influence the way we think and teach?

In my classes we often talk about images of birth or birth messages that we are exposed to via the media or even stories we hear from family and friends.  Though I do hand out a recommended reading list I can honestly say I don’t think I spend much time discussing the books they have read or plan to read.  Of course I suggest surrounding themselves with positive stories and images but I think I may have undervalued the power of the books they have read before they walked through my classroom doors or the books they will read once they have left.

I was recently flipping through an old issue of Birth: Issues in Perinatal Care when I stumbled upon an article that caught my interest.  The title was “Top-Selling Childbirth Advice Books: A Discourse Analysis.”  Apparently there have been few formal evaluations of childbirth advice books-despite their significant influence. One of these few studies found that most books could be categorized in one of two ways: one group portrays women at the center of the childbearing experience-asserts that childbirth is a normal, natural, and healthy event not to be feared.  The other group (I won’t mention any titles here) focused on the risks and inherent danger of pregnancy and childbirth-that it is a process that needs to be controlled, manipulated, and managed.  The study focused on the top ten best-selling books in the U.S.-some of my favorites made the list and at least one of the scariest books I have ever read appeared as well.   It is quite fascinating to step back for a moment and think about how much impact these books have and how they can help or hinder a woman’s preparation for and experience of pregnancy and birth. 

I think I have opened a can of worms.  I found the questions that were asked about each individual book quite valuable and I wonder how I can utilize something like this in my own practice-whether as a doula, childbirth educator, or in my personal life.  I encourage all of us to ask these questions of the books, blogs, and articles we read every day and think about how they not only influence our views about pregnancy and childbirth but those of our clients as well.  Is this something that could be addressed in a childbirth preparation class and if so how would you present it? Here are the questions-let me know what you think…

1.  General sense of book-what is in the foreground as most important?
2.  Women’s role and agency-what level of power is ascribed to the woman?
3.  Risk and Fear-is the language of the book more about risk and negative outcomes/fear or does it provide a sense that most outcomes are positive and              minimize scary language?
4.  Presentation of care providers-how are they presented?
5.  Presentation of labor and birth-how is it described in terms of health and physiology versus medical event?
6.  Presentation of birth settings-how are birth settings described?
7.  Coping strategies-how are methods of working with labor presented?
8.  Interventions-are interventions presented as individualized to the woman’s needs? Is there full disclosure?
9.  Navigating system and understanding rights (i.e. informed consent) how does it portray a women’s need to be a knowledgeable advocate for herself and          her baby.
10. Realistic expectations of hospitals and practitioners-does it discuss the fallibility of hospitals and practitioners and the need to avoid uncritical trust?

Resources:
Birth: Issues in Perinatal Care. Volume 36, Number 4, December 2009