"I apologize for that, I wasn't watching where I was walking."
She shook her head, "Not your fault its okay."
"I'm so sorry...You know, you look really familiar." I said. "Is your name Patty?"
"No, I'm sorry, I think you've confused me with someone else? Have a good night."
As she walked away, I began to mumble, "No! Not Patty.... Peg, umm, Peggy?" She turned her head toward me indicating that I had the right name. "Peggy! Wow! Sorry, my name is Naima, I'm a high school senior and in my social studies class we just finished our unit on birth! I'm on my spring break now... wait, your name is Peggy Vincent?" She nodded, overwhelmed with the rush of words flowing through my mouth. "Yeah! I just finished reading your book umm... Baby Catcher!"
"And you said you're a senior, in high school?" I nodded my head quickly, excitement bubbling over. "I didn't know they provided my book to readers that young.." She mumbled. "What did you think?"
Wow, where to begin! I thought. "Well, umm, I really think that your book was special, and I appreciate you writing Baby Catcher. The stories you told of the women and their births really impressed upon me the need for women to take control of the birthing process. The idea of empowering women so that they are not passive during birth was so compelling to me, even though I've never had a child of my own.
"Really, which parts were most effective or important for you?"
"Well, in the last third of the book you focused on how your midwifery experiences led you to feel empowered and how you treasured each experience with your patients. I was so moved by the tragedy that occurred with your patient whose baby struggled during labor to the point that when it was born with a prolapsed umbilical cord it became clear that he was badly damaged - deaf, blind and paralyzed. This traumatic incident resulted in you being sued, even though it wasn't your fault, and you were held liable. I felt horrible when you lost your insurance because I understood that being a midwife was your passion. I also knew that when you were forced to return to the hospital practices that you knew that it wasn't the way women should be treated. You made the analogy that it was like working on an assembly line, and I thought how inhumane! Women shouldn't be treated that way. In this placement back under the supervision of doctors, your writing reflected your feelings of being dis-empowered. This part of your experience further developed the main idea of your story - the importance of allowing women to take control during the birthing process. You were able to contrast how doctors in the hospital often felt entitled and took control while women had little ability to exert their opinions (including midwives).
She blinked twice as I spoke. "Wow, I'm surprised that you actually enjoyed my book. You're in high school?" I nodded. "And you haven't given birth?" She asked. I shook my head no. "Please, tell me more about what you took from the book."
"Should I be more specific?" She tilted her head as if to say 'Sure'. I took a deep breath and continued, "Well, I noticed that you often brought up the principle that motivated your work - 'Childbirth is normal until proven otherwise' (page 327). You contrasted your perspective to that taken by most doctors ideology who held the view that 'Normal birth is a retrospective diagnosis. All births are complicated until proven otherwise'(page 311). This struck me as so important because we live in a society where people view doctors as masters of health and we give up our freedom when we turn ourselves over to their care.
You also stated that many doctors (most that you've encountered, with few exceptions) approach childbirth by thinking about whats in their best interest rather than the woman. (page 327) This is really an extension of the previous point but its important to me because it further illustrates how women become dis-empowered. When doctors decide how to handle a birth, they are more likely to call for a cesarian, to use pain killers and other invasive procedures, and to treat the woman having the child as if she was incidental to the process. This seems so unjust and inhumane to me."
Peggy smiled at me with a look of simple wisdom and recognition. "I can see that you got a lot out of my book. That makes me proud".
But I blurted out more. " I was struck by what you said about the diversity of births you participated in. You wrote 'Women react with perfect freedom in the comfort of their own homes, and I learned long ago not to try predicting who would be quiet or noisy, stoical or dramatic.' (page 315) You also described so many different ways in which women and their families went through the birthing process, ways that reflected their particular needs, desires and culture. This struck me as the way it should be."
I paused, waiting for a response, "I really appreciate everything that you've taken into consideration." She smiled, "Honestly, what could I have done to improve this book or? Or to more effectively fulfill its purpose?"
I took my time in responding to this question because I knew that I couldn't keep her any longer. This was, after all, a cocktail party and not a lecture, "'Baby Catcher' sought to provide intimate narratives form the perspectives of a midwife to allow people to better understand pregnancy and birth in our culture. Given that aim, and your book, the best advice I have to offer would be to provide a more honest and humbling perspective of the women who decide (or think of as their only option) to go to a hospital for birth."
Peggy's eyebrows lifted, and she looked worried. I put my hand across my chest, "Please don't feel as though I'm criticizing! I appreciate the work that you've devoted to this important issue and for making me think about the birthing process and my future in terms of pregnancy and birth. You made being a midwife a desirable career for me! I always knew that I would have a home birth, but now I've thought more critically as to why I would chose that path" I said.
"Thanks! Talking to you was wonderful. I really appreciate everything you've said." Peggy said.
I smiled awkwardly, thanked her and stood up. Looking around the room, I couldn't find my brother. I looked down at my phone to five unread messages, all from Antonio. I finally spotted him, alone and asleep, with his mouth wide open.
"Have a good night, Peggy. Its been amazing speaking with you.
(On a side note, I've never been happier to finish a book...)
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