Summary Of The Ritual Of American Hospital Birth

One of the things that stood out in the article titled The Rituals of American Hospital Birth by Robbie Davis-Floyd, is the introduction paragraph. He starts off with a question and this really got me thinking deeply about childbirth. He then answers the question in the follow sentence. He states, “No matter how long or short, how easy or hard their labors, the vast majority of American women are hooked up to an electronic fetal monitor and an IV, are encouraged to use pain-relieving drugs, receive an episiotomy, and are separated from their babies shortly after birth.” It just doesn’t matter in which conditions, these women they are in; they will be automatically placed under some types of medications. It also seems that there is he sense of “othering” and arrogance in these interactions as discussed in class. These “experts” believe they know what is best for these women, therefore, it is their duty to take over the situations. …show more content…
Additionally, there are multiple occasions in which babies are being switched at birth. So why continue these rituals? Then again, when you really think about the situation, it is all about the profit (money). Hospital intuitions are one of the money making machines in the United Stated. So it makes sense as to why even when certain ritual aren’t good for the society, it will continue to be practiced. Furthermore, Floyd discusses about how placing these women under these states are the main cause of some difficulties they face during child birth. He states, “countless mothers have found themselves thanking the obstetrician for saving their baby, when the danger to the baby came, in fact from the interventions doctor ordered” it is bothersome to see that the ways in which that these women gives birth is very dangerous to them, yet these rituals continued to