English to homebirth translation
If you were looking for more evidence that homebirth is a social movement rather than a medical phenomenon, you need look no further than the specific language used to describe homebirth. Like many social movements, homebirth has a preferred ("politically correct") way of speaking about and referring to various issues. The use of specific words and expressions serves the traditional functions of binding the group together and allowing them to recognize each other. What is especially interesting to me about the "code words" of the homebirth movement is the deliberate attempt to deny the pain of childbirth.Some English to homebirth translations:
give birth.......birth, as in I birthed my baby
contractions.....rushes, hugs
pain.............sensation
painful..........powerful, intense
screamed.........roared, vocalized
messy............juicy
deliver..........catch
mother...........mama
making choices...reclaiming birth
the birth........my homebirth
scary............raw
out of control...primal
If birth at home is so great, why must only euphemisms be used to describe it?
Labels: "natural" childbirth, feeling superior
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