MOONDRAGON'S ARTICLES
THE TECHNOCRATIC & HOLISTIC MODELS OF BIRTH COMPARED
From Birth As An American Rite of Passage ©1992 by Robbie Davis-Floyd
Other excerpts from this book.
| THE TECHNOCRATIC (MEDICAL) MODEL OF BIRTH |
THE HOLISTIC (MIDWIFERY) MODEL OF BIRTH |
| Male Perspective | Female Perspective |
| Male-centered | Female-centered |
| Woman = Object | Woman = Subject |
| Male body = Norm | Female body = Norm |
| Female = Defective male | Female normal in own terms |
| Classifying, separating approach | Holistic, integrating approach |
| Mind is above, separate from body | Mind and body are one |
| Body = Machine | Body = Organism |
| Female Body = Defective Machine | Female Body = Healthy Organism |
| Female reproductive processes dysfunctional | Female reproductive processes normal, healthy |
| Pregnancy and birth inherently pathological | Pregnancy and birth inherently healthy |
| Doctor = Technician | Midwife = Nurturer |
| Hospital = Factory | Home = Nurturing Environment |
| Baby = Product | Mother/Baby = Inseparable Unit |
| Baby grows itself through mechanical process | Intimate connection between growth of baby and state of mother |
| Fetus is separate from mother | Baby and mother are one |
| Safety of fetus pitted against emotional needs of mother | Safety and emotional needs of mother and baby are the same |
| Best interests of mother and fetus antagonistic | Good For Mother = Good For Child |
| Supremacy of technology | Sufficiency of nature |
| Importance of science, things | Importance of people |
| Institution = Significant Social Unit | Family = Essential Social Unit |
| Action based on facts, measurements | Action based on body knowledge and intuition |
| Only technical knowledge is valued | Experiential and emotional knowledge valued as highly as or more than technical knowledge |
| Appropriate prenatal care is objective, scientific | Best prenatal care stresses subjective empathy, caring |
| Health of baby during pregnancy insured through drugs, tests, techniques | Health of baby insured through physical and emotional health of mother, attunement to baby |
| Labor = Mechanical Process | Labor = A Flow of Experience |
| Uterus = An Involuntary Muscle | Uterus = Responsive Part of Whole |
| Time is important; adherence to time charts during labor is essential for safety | Time is irrelevant; the flow of a woman's experience is important |
| Birth must happen within 26 hours | Labors can be short or can take several days |
| Once labor begins, it should progress steadily; if it does not, intervention necessary | Labor can stop and start, follow its own rhythms of speeding up and slowing down |
| Some medical intervention necessary in all births | Facilitation (proper food, effective positioning, support) is appropriate, medical intervention usually inappropriate |
| Environmental ambience is not relevant | Environmental ambience is the key to safe birth |
| Woman in bed hooked up to machines with frequent exams by staff is appropriate | Woman doing what she feels like - movement, sexual play, eating, sleeping - is appropriate |
| Labor pain is problematic, unacceptable | Labor pain is acceptable, normal |
| Analgesia and anesthesia for pain during labor | Mind/body integration, labor support for pain |
| Iatrogenic (doctor-caused) pain is acceptable | Practitioner must strive not to cause pain to the woman |
| Once a Cesarean, always a Cesarean for many women; VBAC high risk | Vaginal birth after Cesarean (VBAC) low risk, normal |
| Unusual presentations, such as breech, require severe intervention, usually Cesarean | Midwifery techniques for unusual presentations - e.g., external version or delivery on hands and knees for breech |
| Birth = A service medicine owns and supplies to society | Birth = An activity a woman does that brings new life |
| Obstetrician = Supervisor/Manager/Skilled Technician | Midwife = Skillful Guide |
| The doctor controls | The midwife supports, assists |
| Responsibility is the doctor's | Responsibility is the mother's |
| The doctor delivers the baby | The mother births her baby |
Gentle Birth Alternatives Home Page
RELATED LINKS
MoonDragon's Articles Index
MoonDragon's Pregnancy Information & Survival Tips
MoonDragon's Pregnancy & Birth Index
HELPFUL PRODUCTS & FURTHER EDUCATION
-- by Phyllis A. Balch, James F. Balch - 2nd Edition
-- by Phyllis A. Balch, James F. Balch - 4th Edition
-- by Phyllis A. Balch
If you see a suggested Amazon product "not there" as indicated by an orange box with the Amazon logo, this only means the specific product link has been changed by Amazon.com. Use the "click here" icon on the orange box and it will bring you to Amazon.com and you can do a search for a specific product using keywords and a new list of available products and prices will show. Their product and resource links are constantly changing and being upgraded. Many times there are more than one link to a specific product. Prices will vary between product distributors so it pays to shop around and do price comparisons.
Educational materials and health products are available through Amazon.com. Use the search box provided below to search for a particular item.
HERBS, OILS, & SUPPLIES
MoonDragon's Health & Wellness: Manufacturers & Distributors
Mountain Rose Aromatherapy Oils
 
Click Here To Visit Herbal Remedies Product Page |
A Source For Medicinal & Ritual Herbs & Supplies  |
MoonDragon's Nutrition Information Index
MoonDragon's Health & Wellness: Nutrition Basics Index
MoonDragon's Health & Wellness: Therapy Index
MoonDragon's Nutrition Therapy Index
MoonDragon's Alternative Health Information Index
MoonDragon's Aromatherapy Information Index
MoonDragon's Health & Wellness Index
MoonDragon's ObGyn Information Index by Subject Order
MoonDragon's ObGyn Information Index by Alphabetical Order
MoonDragon's Main Indexlisting
MoonDragon's Home Page