50

After a person dies there is a set way things are done to either preserve them or cremate them. The crematorium is set up as a theater, there is the stage, business is handled with the remaining family members, and this area is homey and is trying very hard to make the crematorium a comfortable place for living visitors. And then there is the back stage area, where the dead bodies are processed through the system. There are different stations that the dead person gets handed off too, such as the prepping room, the retort, the sorting table, the embalming room and the dressing room. Sex and death are two things that we can’t control, but the systems we put in place helps us to deny them. Jessica Mitford thought to follow through the system comes at a large and unnecessary price. Even families, such as the C family who are not engrained with the idea that we must spend enormous amounts of money to hide the symptoms of death still conform to our ways. For the people that work in the preserving and funeral businesses there are valued qualities that are considered wonderful for the dead to have, that being said the employees are not phased at all by the tasks they perform or even the way they “up sell” caskets.

Quote 1: “then it all goes into a sturdy blender, which turns everything to powder” pg 10

Quote 2: “Nat hoses him down, then soaps his head and encourages me to clean his finger nails with a file and a j cloth. The radio on the wall plays the Foo Fighters and she sings along.” Pg 52

Quote 3: “Neil told me to be patient, that my natural fear would evolve into something deeper: respect and awe for the body” 75

Analysis:  I think that the way Tom Jokinen started off his first chapter with reflection and questioning what we are doing when we have a funeral was a good way to bring the reader in and to have them start thinking on a deeper level. Tom Jokinen uses his experiences to not only give the reader a perspective into a day to day life as an undertaker trainee. It is important that Tom isn’t writing through the eyes of a professional 3^rd generation undertaker like his boss Neil because Tom is still very new to the system and will be less accepting of the rituals being preformed. There were some parts that I felt Tom was going off topic on such as his co-workers behaviors at lunch time, but after reading further I found that it is critical that he gives us information on what the people who perform the caring for the dead tasks do in their free time. I wonder if later in the book Tom is going to place blame on the funeral directors, undertakers, embalmers and casket salesmen, as he describes Jessica Mitford did in her book or if he is going to take the point of view that the customers “run” the system and employees enable it.

48

Due to my grandparent’s catholic upbringing and the amount of suffering in the world they both believe that there is a heaven and hell, and that cremation and burial are acceptable ways to dispose of a body. Due to an experience of a death of a close friend my grandma has distaste for cremations, she said “I felt as if I was jipped, and by choosing cremation they took away my chance to see her for one last time.” We also talked about how open caskets give the family and friends a chance to see the person at rest and no longer suffering or struggling with their illness or old age. The story of my great grandma’s death and funeral was spoken about and a strong thought was that she didn’t want to be underground, always on top, so even when my great grandpa died my grandma made the cemetery move my great grandmothers remains above my great grandfathers.

I don’t know exactly what the dominant social practices are of the care of the dead or that anything is actually nightmare-ish about them, shouldn’t people be at liberty to deal with death in their own ways, does judgment and analysis always need to be involved with every area of life?

46

What better way for a divorcing family to ease a 6 year olds mind then to buy them some gold fish? I was allowed to have two one was dark colored and probably wasn’t a gold fish, and then there was La La who was bright orange, with shiny scales. In my 6 year old mind they were both girls and were an exciting reason to leave the playground early. One particular day I came home to greet them and one was missing! At first I couldn’t imagine where it could be, and then my mom broke the news to me that she had to flush the dark one down the toilet because it died during the day. I was horrified that she didn’t keep it for me to attend to, I had been the one feeding it and cleaning the tank with assistance for its whole life, now all of a sudden I had no rights to caring for it?! Ludacris! Eventually I got over it and my mom got a new apartment on a new block surrounded by new places to get candy and ice cream, but La La came with me, even when my mom and I got our first cat and our second one…and when we moved to the 4^th LES apartment. It was clear that whenever La La would die it was going to be a big deal, not so much her death because by the time she was around 2 years old I just expected it, but what to do with her once she could no longer swim in circles in her little world. So once my cat no longer found interest in chasing La La around her bowl with its paw, out came the zip lock baggie. And soon enough space was made next to the frozen peas and left over Italian icy.

My mom let me deal with my fishes death my own way, she didn’t make me get over it or force a time line for how I should feel. Although I waited for it to die, I think it’s important that people are able to live in their own environment comfortably. I also think should be told that they will be taken care of the way they wish after they die, so they don’t have to worry about that while they are still living. I’m not sure the importance of fulfilling their wishes, how the person is dealt with after they die is not for the dead person it’s for their family. Death only affects those who are left behind, so they should have the right to do whatever makes it easier for them.


why is it illegal to spread ashes in most places?
what are lesser known ways of caring for the dead, why does no one know about them?
what forms peoples view points of what is best to do with the body of a dead person?

45

Thanks for the comments guys,

Yeah i was particularly interested in prenatal care for pregnant teens because i can relate to it in the sense that i'm a teenage girl. i also think that its important that the girl continues getting support after she tells her loved ones that shes pregnant. i would have certainly enjoyed speaking with young women who had either experienced a teen pregnancy or were currently pregnant, but i was not fully educated about the background info. if i were to do a second stage of my research i would be interested in making a brochure/flyer/website and would also have discussions with teen moms. 

oh and yes Arden, that could certainly be useful when i outlined it and wrote it i was more focused on if each paragraph had a central idea and if they flowed more then having concrete arguments.

44 coments

to Ariel: In a subtle way you seem to focus on the differences between how midwives care for their patients and how doctors/hospitals care for their patients. The narrative you wrote about your mother was moving, it showed how birth and how birth is treated affects not only the mother and child but also the family.

i really valued that you wrote your mothers from an active point of view. for instance you added dialogue that i can imagine you would have used while you were at the hospital with your family.

i think this post would have been even more powerful if you had shared your mothers story and then revealed that despite her horrible experience she still wanted to have her next child in a hospital.

i enjoyed reading your post very much- amanda

 to sarah: hi sarah,

your post puts c-sections and VBACs in perspective for an audience who hasn't yet taken the course.

i thought your use of evidence was especially persuasive. i also think that presenting the risks of VBACs gives the reader a more full educated perspective.

i agree with abdullah that it was courageous to approach a controversial and "underground" topic. it would have been particularly interesting to me if you had possibility obtained an interview from a women or family that had undergone a VBAC.

it was a pleasure reading your post - amanda
______________________________________________________________
 From Arden:

Amanda,
Often times teens who are pregnant do not seek proper care. Potentially a result of being in denial or the lack of state programs provided for these women.

I enjoyed reading your piece. A topic that us very relevant to us and our lives. I appreciate you taking such a simple topic and researching it in more depth. A valuable aspect of your piece were the facts you used to support you claims. "The most recent recording of the teen pregnancy rate has shown a 3% increase which translates to: out of 1000 pregnancies 72 of them are young women (2006). Most teen pregnancies are unexpected and unwanted which has induced a 50% rise in abortion rates."


From Natalie:

You wrote about teen pregnancy and the lack of prenatal care that they receive.

I thought that the part about how teenagers struggle with eating disorders and do not necessarily understand the importance of giving up drugs and alcohol was very important. While older mothers have a lot on their hands, we must realize that teen mothers need a different kind of support, as they have so much social pressure upon them, especially for something they do not necessarily want to go through.
This matters to me because it is about people in my age group. Just to be aware of this is important. Everyone hears about how to not get pregnant, but not necessarily what to do once you're pregnant. I think you clearly demonstrated the importance of prenatal care for teens here.
Maybe next time you could find a couple examples of teens and their stories.

HW 42 - Pregnancy & birth culminating project:Prenatal Care For Teen Pregnancy

Prenatal Care For Teen Pregnancy

Despite the current health programs in schools and youth centers or lack thereof, teen girls will still become pregnant in the years to come. The most recent recording of the teen pregnancy rate has shown a 3% increase which translates to: out of 1000 pregnancies 72 of them are young women (2006). Most teen pregnancies are unexpected and unwanted which has induced a 50% rise in abortion rates. But for the number of teen pregnancies that go full term prenatal care is extremely important for the baby and the mother. 

In teen pregnancies denial and disbelief are common reasons that pregnant teens often don’t seek prenatal treatment until later in their pregnancy. “In its January 2010 report, the Guttmacher Institute notes that 7 percent of teen mothers receive either late or no prenatal care.” 7% is pretty low but for a women who’s younger than 20 delivering a baby can cause complications such as prematurity and low birth weights. 

Due to the fact that teen girls don’t have fully developed bone structure can make teen pregnancies more complex, this is largely a concern with younger girls, 13-15 years of age. Pregnant teens tend to need more nutritional support for herself and her developing baby. In fact nutritional counseling is a large part of prenatal care, during prenatal care visits topics of nutrition such as prenatal vitamins, folic acid, mineral supplements, and how to cope with food cravings among other things are all discussed. Diet and nutrition is especially important for unexpected teen pregnancies because “eating disorders are rampant among teens; this coupled with the embarrassment about the pregnancy, and its advertisement of her sexual activity, may compound her feelings about getting bigger.” Becoming pregnant also presents an immediate lifestyle change any old habits that include substance abuse need to end abruptly. Teens in particular may not grasp the importance of avoiding alcohol or drugs, which also means they are likely to not share that part of their life with their obstetrician or midwife.

Before teen pregnancy was as widely accepted in American culture there were very little state programs available for young mothers, but fortunately today there are several that provide physiological support and financial support as well as prenatal care. The Federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program acts as temporary well fare for those who are experiencing significant difficulty making money or paying bills. Another federal program is called the Women, Infants and Children program this program aid mothers by supplying money for food, nutrition education and guidance for finding an appropriate health care provider. Along with federal programs individual states have their own assistance programs set up as well. The New York Civil Liberties Union supports teen mothers by making sure they know their rights, and their rights are protected. The New York State Office of Children and Family Services also supply a lot of information about options for teen moms and information on several state programs too.

Citations:

Frye, Anne. Holistic midwifery: a comprehensive textbook for midwives in homebirth practice. Care during pregnancy. 1. Labrys Pr, 1998. 931-933. Print.

Lewin, Tamar. "After Long Decline, Teenage Pregnancy Rate Rises." New York Times 1/26/10, Print.

Weiss, Robin. "Teen Pregnancy." (2009): n. pag. Web. 6 Apr 2011. <http://www.marchofdimes.com/medicalresources_teenpregnancy.html>.

Wessling, Susan. "Benefits for Teen Mothers." (2010): n. pag. Web. 6 Apr 2011. <http://www.livestrong.com/article/187518-benefits-for-teen-mothers/>.

http://www.guttmacher.org. GUTTMACHER INSTITUTE, 4/1/11. Web. 6 Apr 2011. <http://www.guttmacher.org/statecenter/spibs/spib_MAPC.pdf>.

HW 41 - Independent Research: Prenatal Care

1.  1.Mayo clinic staff. "Prenatal vitamins: Give your baby the best start." 2010. Web. <http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/prenatal-vitamins/PR00160/METHOD=print>.

The Mayo Clinical staff at the Mayo clinic supply information on what prenatal care is, this specific site discusses vitamins that women can take to help her and her baby. The authors also give information on the effects of the vitamins and how they help the women and her baby. For example the ingestion of iron helps develop blood and muscle cells, it also helps prevent anemia. The rest of the article describes where vitamins can be purchased if prescriptions are needed and how long they should be taken.

2.      2.  Schmitt, John. "Prenatal Care." 2009. Web. <http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/prenatal-care.cfm>.

John Schmitt answers frequently asked questions about prenatal care some of the questions and answers are very general such as, why prenatal care is important and specific questions to what is important to be exposed to or kept away from in a pregnant women’s environment.

3.       Planned Parenthood. "Prenatal Care." 2011. Web. <http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/pregnancy/prenatal-care-4255.htm>.

Planned Parenthood also shared info that ranged from being very general to being very specific. It seemed as if they were trying to convey the information in a very calming “everything’s going to be okay” manor. This expressed to me that their audience is looking to be comforted and supported by information not necessarily to be informed.

4.       NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH OFFICE OF MEDICAID MANAGEMEN. "PRENATAL CARE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM: MEDICAID POLICY GUIDELINES MANUAL." 1. 2007. Web. <http://www.emedny.org/ProviderManuals/Prenatal/PDFS/Prenatal-Policy_Section.pdf>.

This state provided file, gives women and families access to health insurance information regarding prenatal care. It outlines and describes in depth the prenatal care assistance program. This includes information on eligibility and the largest section is about billing. But there are no personal health suggestions or comforting. It is very cut and dry. This is certainly the paperwork aspect of prenatal care and giving birth.

5.       NYS Department of Health. "Early Prenatal Care - Percent of Live Births*." 2010. Web. <http://www.health.state.ny.us/statistics/chac/birth/pnce.htm>.

These are statistics concerning the birth rate of babies whose mothers received prenatal care early in pregnancy. They are organized by New York state region and contain data collected from 2006 to 2008.

These sources help give me a deeper understanding of the information that is easily accessible to the public. For my culminating project I plan on sitting in on a prenatal visit so by doing this research I was able to be more enlightened about prenatal care and the importance of it. These sites have also given me the vantage point to ask deeper questions to the midwife as well as the patient about prenatal care. I would also like to do a comparison of statistics about how the live birth rate of early prenatal care compared to the birth rate of late prenatal care. Another area of interest is how and why the live birth rate and prenatal care rate differs between regions of the state and if those differences are economically caused.