The Danish Visit

The U.S. Welfare System

I feel that the U.S welfare system is screwed up in some ways. I don't like how our government system is run by rich people to benefit rich people. Through all the different kinds of taxing systems, flat tax, regressive, progressive, in the end rich people benefit. It all may seem that it is geared towards making things fair but I don't feel so. It is made to seem as though everyone is paying the same amount of taxes for certain things. This may be true but while $5000 worth of taxes may be cheap for the upper class, it may take a large toll on the lower and working class.
When we called the agency that aided people in need, I was surprised that Andy was right about how if people were nice, we'd like them but they weren't necessarily the most informative. The two people we called were nice people but they didn't really provide us with as much information that we could have possibly gotten. From the information that we did find out, as Yazmin mentioned, it was strange that section 8 housing was not one of the first things offered. Jill has a 3 year old kid and shes pregnant and just got kicked out of her parents house, section 8 housing should have been the very first thing mentioned.

The Government System of Denmark

When we were taught about the Danish system, though I'm not sure how many people were actually listening to them talk instead of staring spacily into the Danish people's eyes, I was surprised at how their government system worked. I like it a lot. I liked how everything was pretty much free there. Free school (except private of course, I meant like "colleges" which were called universities when they moved into 10th grade and up), free health care, free hospital visits and all that good stuff. One of them, I think his name was Nick, said that it was hard to be poor in Denmark. That people would have to try hard to be poor since there was so much given stuff. Even if the highest bracket of taxes is 63%, it doesn't mean that everyone pays 63% of their income to taxes. That's the nominal tax. Their effective tax is closer to what our high brackets are. Since they are paying pretty much the same amount of taxes we are and they're getting free stuff while we have to pay for everything I cant see how some could possibly be poor in Denmark.

What Should We Do?

I think that we should adapt to the social government that Denmark has. I sounds pretty sweet. Think about it, people of the U.S would be paying the same taxes but we'd get free health care. Health care gets expensive. But of course that is just an opinion that will not be carried out because in the end, our government system is run by rich people to benefit rich people so they can get even richer.

Another AIM Convo

My friend and I had a mini debate about my exhibition and this is how it went:

yuukiwilkes123 (11:09:52 PM): Wat is yur about lolz
LaZI sH o r T iE (11:10:05 PM): its a history paper
LaZI sH o r T iE (11:10:24 PM): on the differences between the american way of birth and the natural way of birth
yuukiwilkes123 (11:12:30 PM): I don't get it
yuukiwilkes123 (11:12:35 PM): Lolz
LaZI sH o r T iE (11:12:36 PM): lol
LaZI sH o r T iE (11:13:37 PM): the american way of birth is a hospital birth with machines and and mean doctors adn stuff
yuukiwilkes123 (11:13:49 PM): Oh
LaZI sH o r T iE (11:13:55 PM): the natural way of birth is a birth with a midwife
yuukiwilkes123 (11:15:47 PM): Well wat is yur arugment
yuukiwilkes123 (11:15:52 PM): Wat do び think
LaZI sH o r T iE (11:16:01 PM): that the natural way of birth is better
LaZI sH o r T iE (11:17:23 PM): Women in the U.S. should resist continuing medicalization of birth and return to more natural methods. Resist authority, “stick it to the man”.
LaZI sH o r T iE (11:17:34 PM): thats my thesis
yuukiwilkes123 (11:17:55 PM): I think modren way is better
yuukiwilkes123 (11:18:00 PM): Lolz
yuukiwilkes123 (11:18:05 PM): Humans keep on changing so should the way we birth the baby
LaZI sH o r T iE (11:18:22 PM): o?
LaZI sH o r T iE (11:18:26 PM): but why?
LaZI sH o r T iE (11:18:31 PM): in the end we are still humans
LaZI sH o r T iE (11:18:35 PM): humans do not change
LaZI sH o r T iE (11:18:45 PM): the technology that we porduce changes
LaZI sH o r T iE (11:18:55 PM): produce*
yuukiwilkes123 (11:20:36 PM): That sounds soild
LaZI sH o r T iE (11:21:27 PM): lol
LaZI sH o r T iE (11:21:51 PM): you dont want argue your opinion?
yuukiwilkes123 (11:22:52 PM): Lolz
yuukiwilkes123 (11:23:05 PM): Bc there are more bactira in the air then b4
LaZI sH o r T iE (11:23:42 PM): you do realize that hospitals are the the homes and source of most bateria right?
LaZI sH o r T iE (11:24:05 PM): it is the place for sick people to go; it is where all bacteria reside
LaZI sH o r T iE (11:24:17 PM): where they all come together
yuukiwilkes123 (11:25:01 PM): Yea well び get 2 sue them if there is a infection of any sort
yuukiwilkes123 (11:25:06 PM): So I think they r careful
yuukiwilkes123 (11:25:11 PM): Lolz
LaZI sH o r T iE (11:25:14 PM): lol
yuukiwilkes123 (11:25:20 PM): And if that was the case then no one would go if thay truley knew that the risk is so high
LaZI sH o r T iE (11:26:04 PM): but thats the thing, people dont know
they believe that hospitals are great and clean and crap
yuukiwilkes123 (11:26:12 PM): And in natrual birth び still go the doctor at the end
yuukiwilkes123 (11:26:37 PM): They r
LaZI sH o r T iE (11:26:47 PM): when in reality the bacteria that you are exposed to on a daily basis is less ahrmful than the bacteria that you face for the first time at a hospital
yuukiwilkes123 (11:26:55 PM): But human error can happen in both types of births
LaZI sH o r T iE (11:27:31 PM): yes thats true but cesarean rates pose a higher maternity death rate
LaZI sH o r T iE (11:28:08 PM): natural births rarely end up at the hospital
LaZI sH o r T iE (11:29:00 PM): only if there is a life threatening emergency do they go
yuukiwilkes123 (11:29:56 PM): But び need 2 check if the ★BＡＢＹ☆ is healthy
LaZI sH o r T iE (11:30:17 PM): the midwife is trained to do that at home
yuukiwilkes123 (11:31:26 PM): Do び thing there is chance of び kno weather or not is the ★BＡＢＹ☆ is crying in pain or just of birth
LaZI sH o r T iE (11:32:44 PM): i wouldnt know but a midwife would
LaZI sH o r T iE (11:32:49 PM):
yuukiwilkes123 (11:33:14 PM): Lolz
LaZI sH o r T iE (11:34:15 PM): a midwife is trained just like an ob/gyn
LaZI sH o r T iE (11:34:23 PM): they know everything a doctor knows
LaZI sH o r T iE (11:34:41 PM): they just chose not to used the equipment and procedure of hospitals
yuukiwilkes123 (11:35:22 PM): There r 2 many things that could go wrong in my opinion
yuukiwilkes123 (11:35:27 PM): Lolz
LaZI sH o r T iE (11:35:59 PM): but what kind of things? we didnt have teh technology we have now way back in the day adn kids still came out fine
yuukiwilkes123 (11:40:24 PM): Well then y do start using hospitals then lolz
LaZI sH o r T iE (11:44:36 PM): because is a place for help for seriously injured or ill
yuukiwilkes123 (11:45:25 PM): Y did they start using hospitals lolz
LaZI sH o r T iE (11:45:36 PM): who the pregnant women?
yuukiwilkes123 (11:46:14 PM): Yes
LaZI sH o r T iE (11:47:02 PM): because doctors give off the impression of being better than midwives with their fancy smancy unneccessary machinery
yuukiwilkes123 (11:47:37 PM): Well it seems like び kno wat r yur talkin about
LaZI sH o r T iE (11:47:45 PM): lol
yuukiwilkes123 (11:47:53 PM): Lolz
yuukiwilkes123 (11:48:12 PM): Just being an advicate
yuukiwilkes123 (11:48:18 PM): Or however び spell it lolz
LaZI sH o r T iE (11:48:21 PM): lol
LaZI sH o r T iE (11:48:27 PM): i think its advocate
yuukiwilkes123 (11:48:41 PM): Yes lolz

I thought this was a pretty funny conversation to have with a friend especially outside of school. It was strange because i wouldnt expect to have a conversation about a class outside of class. I was also amazed by how we actually kept it going when he didnt even know anything about the class. I didnt expect him to come up with as many arguments as he did and he actually knew what a midiwfe was. This goes to show that not everyone is completely oblivious to the actions of the medical world. Some people do in fact have some knowledge and are able to argue their opinions up to a certain point. While my friend was educated about midwifery and such, on the otherhand my brother did not know what a midwife was, he guessed 4 times and didnt get it. On our way to visit my grandpa at the Maimonides Medical Center, i asked my brother if he knew what a midwife was and he didnt know. I then proceeded to tell him about what we were learning in class and after a little while he wasnt listening anymore and wanted me to stop talking. Some people are just not educated on important information like this but some just choose not to learn. People like my brother who just so happens to have a wife thats a little over 3 months pregant. They do not know what their plan is, they are just waiting and going with the flow. Im pretty sure that shes just going to go to a hospital to give birth. She wouldnt care by that time, shes going to want to baby out of her ASAP. Shes already getting tired of pregnancy.

New Outline for Paper

Its a bit late but at least its updated.

Introduction/ Thesis
Women in the U.S. should resist to continue medicalization of birth and return to more natural methods.

Argument #1 - Cesarean Sections

Argument #2 - Nightmare Experience vs Sacred

Argument #3 - Cost ^

Opposing View #1 - Safety of Hospitals

Opposing View #2 - Pain without Epidural

Connections -> How did midwives get pushed out? What will happen if women resist?

Significance/ Conclusion

Beginning of AWOB Paper/ Exhibition

INTRODUCTION
Pregnancy. Pregnancy is a very tangible subject that provokes many arguments from two main sides, the all natural way of birth as we did back in the day versus the “American” way of birth where extremities have been included to “better serve” the woman. Over the decades pregnancy has been viewed from several different perspectives. It was once a spiritual right of passage for a couple to start a family of their own but now, it is seen and treated as a disease in the general hospital. Many technologies have been developed that is strongly advertised by doctors towards pregnant women. Women are constantly encouraged to give birth within a hospital where there is immediately medical help if it is needed. Little do these women know that that are getting pulled into a trap that hospitals have set up to lure them into a higher rate of Cesarean sections, a nightmarish experience (in comparison to the sacred experience that a small minority of people still see birth as) which all leads to a high medical bill due to the usage of multiple machineries and the labor of experienced personnel. Yet these peculiar women completely overlook these facts and see hospitals as a completely safe environment where they will be well taken care of and cannot see past the foreshadowing faces of the hospital employees. Women in the U.S. should resist continuing medicalization of birth and return to more natural methods. Resist authority, “stick it to the man”.

ARGUMENT # 1: Cesarean Sections
Cesarean sections have been on a gradual rise since it was first used in the birth of Caesar. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that the rate of Caesarean sections should not exceed 15% in any country. In 2006, the rate of U.S. births by C-section was 31.1%. (Wikipedia) Women believe anything doctors say when they are in labor. When the doctor says its time for the baby to be born and that there can be serious medical complications, women do what the doctors say. If women continue to follow every suggestion that doctors come up with, cesarean rates will continue to rise until it is the only way of birth in America. Medical decisions at hospitals are made by monetary and legal decisions rather that what it best for the mother. Statistics show that the rate of maternal mortalities is higher when there is a cesarean birth. Most women do not look into statistics before they plan out their pregnancy therefore they are ignorant to the fact that doctors tend to take over and are pressured into doing what the doctors think is “best”. Women do not need all the medical advice given by doctors at hospitals, they need to trust their instincts and go with the more conventional method of natural birth where they can listen to the needs of their bodies instead of going at the schedule of doctors.

ARGUMENT # 2: Nightmare Experience vs. Sacred
When women enter a hospital to give birth, they are immediately started on the procedure of the hospital. If the woman has not dilated to an expected width in a certain amount of time set up by the hospital, they are given pitossin to speed up the labor. When given pitossin, the women are in extreme pain because the contractions are violent so they are then given an epidural. When given the epidural more pitossin is needed because the labor is slowed down by epidural. Women have to go through a continual cycle that medical personnel conduct. They no longer have control of their own labor when they are entered into this draining cycle. These women have the memory of a nightmare experience during labor. At a hospital they cannot do anything but lay in one stationary position hooked up to multiple machines while strangers walk in and out of the room in comparison to the comfort of a natural birth at either a birthing center or at home. When women have natural births, they are free to move around and do whatever they want to be comfortable. Women who chose the path of natural birth make their own decisions and the birth of their child is entirely dependant on the pace of their bodies and not the pace that the pitossin conducts. They have control of their labor. The birth is thought of as a sacred right of passage. It is seen as something that the women goes through in order to start a loving family of her own instead of something that she had to go through because she got knocked up. Women need to take charge and give birth according to the birthing plan that they dream about without the interference of unnecessary doctoral orders.

ARGUMENT # 3: Cost ^
Cost is a very considerable aspect in pregnancy. When it comes to cost, some may think that a hospital birth is better because the birth will be covered by insurance but what others may not know is that if people were to have natural births, the price of insurance will go down. The average cost of a normal vaginal birth in the US is around $8,800 according to recent research, while the average cost of a cesarean birth is around $11,000. Costs can run up to $24,000, with fees like $6,500 for services from a Birth Center, $9,800 for 2 nights stay at Neonatal Intensive Care, and $4,100 for 2 nights stay at the Maternity Ward for the mother. While insurance will cover the cost of the procedure for many in the US, for those who find themselves unexpectedly pregnant, many insurance companies will refuse new service. (Bangkok Hospital) Assuming an uncomplicated pregnancy ending in a vaginal birth, patients would pay between $1,455 and $7,884 out-of-pocket for a midwife. (Todd Zwillich, WebMD Health News) There is a large difference in numbers between a hospital birth and a birth with a midwife. When paying a midwife, a couple’s insurance will go down because they do not have to pay off what the insurance would have covered in a hospital birth. Considering this fact about money, women should do their research and see that hiring a midwife is inexpensive in comparison to the cost of showing up at a hospital to give birth.

OPPOSING VIEW # 1: Safety of Hospitals

OPPOSING VIEW # 2: Pain without Epidural

CONNECTIONS -> How did midwives get pushed out? What will happen if women resisted?

SIGNIFICANCE

Works Cited
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesarean_section
Business of Being Born
http://www.prlog.org/10139941-bangkok-hospital-reduces-up-to-90-of-cost-of-giving-birth-for-us-patients.html
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=81760

Outline for Paper on Birth Unit

Essential Question
What are the pros and cons of the Natural Way of Birth in comparison to the American Way of Birth?
Thesis
The Natural Way of Birth has many pros and cons on comparison to the American Way of Birth when it boils down the the experience and cost of each.
Argument #1
Pros of the NWOB
-more comfortable for the woman
-no drugs needed
-go at the woman's pace
-less hectic, a calmer environment based on the love of the people around the woman. The woman can choose her environment(the people, the place, etc.)
Argument #2
Pros of the AWOB
-insurance covers the hospital birth
-the woman is already in the hospital if any complications occur during labor.
-If the woman does not want to continue her labor anymore, she can choose to have a Cesarean section.
-A woman had more options in a hospital )epidural, pitossin, c-section, circumcision, etc.)
Argument #3
Cons of the NWOB
-insurance does not cover the cost of a home birth.
-If medical attention is needed from the hospital, there may be unexpected problems.
-Tremendous pain
-The woman had to endure her labor as long as long as she can without pitossin or an epidural.
Argument #4
Cons of the AWOB
-hectic scenery at the hospital. many people shouting and going in and out of the room, non of which is the woman's doctor until active labor starts.
-the nurses and doctors choose the pace of the woman's labor by controlling it with pitossin.
-the doctor decides if a c-section is needed based on how long you have been in labor already, not based on any complications of the woman.
-the woman is kept in one stationary position so the doctors can have more "control" while the woman would have an easier time giving birth if she was in a position she was comfortable in.
Conclusion
Sums up all the arguments and how the NWOB is overall better than the AWOB.

Business of Being Born

I liked the movie. I thought it was very informational on the topic of birth. There was a distinct contrast between natural births and hospital births. Though there was a distinct contrast between the two ways of birth, I felt that the video was biased. I felt that it made all hospital births look bad and that every expecting woman should have a natural birth wither at home or at a birthing center. Even though I believe that natural births are better, I can’t deny the fact that not all hospital births are that bad. The hospital is indeed the doctors’ home and they expect things to go their way but the woman also plays a major role in decision making. If a woman kept her cool (I know it’ll be hard when in labor, but “if”) then the woman would be able to have more judgment on the outcome of her baby’s birth.
I understand that the statistics state that a U.S hospital is probably one of the worst places to have a child since the death rates of both mother and child are at an unusual high. But those are only the result of rising cesarean sections. And the rise in cesarean sections is a result of doctors scaring pregnant women while they are in labor. I’m just saying that woman can have more of the decision making process if they just stood up to doctors. Women look at doctors as if they were high and mighty and that everything they say if right. Women should stand their ground and choose how they want to give birth to their babies. I see doctors as only people who are there of assistance to anyone who needs medical attention. “ASSISTANCE” meaning they are there to help patients do what they want. Of course the doctors have the medical knowledge and it will play a major role but the patient is the one who should choose how they want to be treated. In my opinion pregnant women are different from a sick patient. Pregnancy is natural, they do not necessarily need medical attention, the women only goes to the doctor to seek their medical knowledge of how the birth is going and if they baby has any complications. Doctors do not get to choose the speed and style of a child’s birth, the mother should go at the pace that her body wants to go.