Category Archives: Violence Against Women

AAP suggests possibility of “ritual nick” in place of FGC

By The Midwife | Published: May 11, 2010

In a controversial new statement, the American Academy o f Pediatrics (AAP) published a new policy statement on female genital cutting which suggested the possibility of doctors being allowed to perform a small, pinprick “ritual nick” in place of the more severe forms of female genital cutting (FGC).  FGC is a fairly common practice among […]

Also posted in Politics | Leave a comment

Birth after trauma

By The Midwife | Published: March 5, 2008

Without getting into a huge amount of detail here…I had a new OB patient recently who came in for her initial visit and eventually told me that she wasn’t sure who the father of the baby was….becasue she had been raped by four men. She had gone to a different hospital immediately afterwards and had […]

Also posted in Labor and Birth, Pregnancy | 16 Comments

Female Genital Circumcision revisited

By The Midwife | Published: November 1, 2007

A few weeks ago, Dark Daughta over at One Tenacious Baby Mama asked me for a contribution to her new weekly series entitled Reloaded, which happens every Sunday and features old posts that are worth posting and reading a second time (oldies but goodies, as she calls them). She wanted posts that I was particularly […]

Also posted in Choice, Education, Feminism, Myth, Folklore and Ritual, Politics, Sex and Sexuality | Leave a comment

National Advocates for Pregnant Women

By The Midwife | Published: September 19, 2006

Today I missed one hell of an opportunity: I was invited, along with several other feminist bloggers and activists (and cheers to Melissa from A Womb of Her Own for asking them to extend the invitiation my way), to partipate in a conference call with Lynn Paltrow, the executive director of National Advocates for Pregnant […]

Also posted in Choice, Feminism, Politics, Pregnancy | Leave a comment

Around Town

By The Midwife | Published: June 16, 2006

If anyone is in New York in the next two weeks, be sure to check out Until the Violence Stops: NYC, a two week festival organized by playwright Eve Ensler to help educate and promote awareness about violence against women, with events and venues all over the 5 boroughs. Like V-Day, which uses creative events […]

Also posted in Birth Centers, Midwifery | Leave a comment

Speak out against rape today

By The Midwife | Published: April 21, 2006

Via Feministing, there’s a rally being held today by the New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault at Union Square, which started at noon today. While this notice is a bit late, there’s a 24-hour vigil and “Say-So” (Sexual Assault Yearly Speak Out) with continuous reading of survivor’s stories that will be going on all […]

Also posted in Feminism | Leave a comment

Further thoughts on FGM

By The Midwife | Published: April 19, 2006

The pendulum swings in one direction, and then it swings back again. Last night I was awash with guilt and worried that I hadn’t done the right thing. Today, as I continue to process and sift through my thoughts on this subject, I am beginning to change my mind on some of it. The circumcision […]

Also posted in Clinicals, Education, Feminism | 1 Comment

Circumcision or mutilation?

By The Midwife | Published: April 18, 2006

The exam today began like any other routine postpartum exam: we talked about her birth, cooed over her baby, was she having any problems? Breastfeeding was going well? Bleeding had stopped? Had she started having sex again? What was she planning on using for birth control? Then, after all the listening and talking and note […]

Also posted in Clinicals, Education, Feminism | 5 Comments