WWS 403 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Obstetrical Dilemma, Lithotomy Position, Bipedalism

• School: Princeton University
• Department: Woodrow Wilson School
• Course: WWS 403
• Professor: Elizabeth Armstrong

Document Summary

Birth is perceived as high-risk and, thus, should be medicalized and confined to a hospital. Culture decides where the birth takes place, with whom, etc. Human birth has evolved to take place in the company of others. Big brain (hard to fit large heads through narrow pelvises) Ba(cid:271)y (cid:271)or(cid:374) (cid:862)early(cid:863) (cid:271)e(cid:272)ause other(cid:449)ise they"d (cid:271)e too (cid:271)ig (cid:374)e(cid:449)(cid:271)or(cid:374)s = basically helpless. The (cid:862)t(cid:449)ist(cid:863) (cid:271)or(cid:374) fa(cid:272)i(cid:374)g a(cid:449)ay fro(cid:373) (cid:373)other. Women today give birth in the lithotomy position. Gives doctors easier access to the birth. One of the worst positions for the actual birth.