REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE

MEDICALIZATION IN MATERNAL HEALTHCARE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABOUT THE SITE

There is a plethora of evidence regarding the harm caused by non-medically necessary interventions in pregnancy, yet they continue to be used and are actually increasing, causing harm and sometimes death to women and babies.  This site is designed to provide evidence to those working to change the maternal healthcare system globally.  It is an ongoing project and research is added as time allows.   If you know of current research that you feel is appropriate, please contact the site owner.

1,  CONTRIBUTORS TO THE SITE

• Contributors

2.  HISTORY OF MEDICALIZATION OF PREGNANCY AND BIRTH

• History of the medicalization of pregnancy and birth

3. MEDICALIZATION: GENERAL INFORMATION

• Medicalization (general resources

4.    BIRTH SITES (HOME, BIRTH CENTER, HOSPITAL)

• Birth sites (hospital, birth center, home birth,

• Water Birth

5.     ECONOMICS, PROFIT AND CONVENIENCE

• Economics of medicalization

• Rural Maternal Health and Maternal Health Deserts

6.   HUMAN RIGHTS, MISTREATMENT OF WOMEN, TRAUMA AND OBSTETRIC VIOLENCE

• Human rights,  mistreatment of women, trauma and obstetric violence

7.     INFORMED CONSENT

• Informed Consent and Birth Plans (Shared Decision Making)

8.     INTERVENTIONS

•   Interventions: General Information and miscellaneous intervention

• Interventions in pregnancy and birth: C-sections

• Interventions in pregnancy and birth: Induction of labor

• Continuous Electronic Fetal Heart Monitoring During Labor

• Infants at Birth (Effect of Interventions

9.   MATERNAL HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS

• Midwives, doulas, obstetricians

• Social Workers

10.   MATERNAL MORTALITY

• Maternal Mortality

11     RACE, INDIGENEITY AND SOCIOECONOMICS

• Race, indigeneity and socioeconomics

• Native America

12.    MATERNAL AND FAMILY MENTAL HEALTH

• Postpartum depression and PTSD

• Fathers, partners and children  

• Prenatal and perinatal pschology (memory, stress...

 13.   GLOBALIZATION BY CONTINENT

• Globalization

• Sacred wisdom and traditions meet science

• AFRICA

• EUROPE

• NORTH AMERICA (OTHER THAN THE U.S.)

• OCEANIA

• SOUTH AMERICA

14.    MEDIA AND FILMS

• Media (films, etc.)

15     RESOURCES IN THE U.S.

• Organizations

• Schools of traditional midwifery

• Qualified people who might be willing to speak to classes, groups, etc.

16.     MATERIALS FOR TEACHING

• Handouts

• Instructor ManuaL

• Lesson Plans

INTRODUCTION PAGE

Last updated June 2024