Church influence birth procedure - Irish Times today - harrowing

[BeingFluffy]

Warning - article is harrowing. Describes an "alternative" to CS by widening the pelvis. I was in tears of rage reading of an now elderly woman's experience and suffering. I can't believe this was an authorised surgical procedure. Did it go in the UK as well?

www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0612/1224317753223.html

OMG, I am so sick of the power that the catholic church exercise especially in Ireland. Between selling babies abducted from their mums, sexual abuse and protecting pedophilles - it's all sick.I am a catholic and live in Northern Ireland, at the moment they are trying to wipe out all the grammar schools in collusion with Sinn Fein.
Seriously the so called leaders are creepy and many should do time.

Good grief, I have never heard of this before, it is appalling. Why were the church so in favour of it? It sounds medieval!

I sometimes need reminding why I don't like the Catholic church.

Yep, still don't like it.

It's incredible that this was still happening in the eighties. How on earth can this have been chosen over a cs?

Confirms me in my atheism.

Those poor women.

Apparently they were against cs as it was too easy for the woman and would encourage promiscuity

There's only one woman catholicism ever had any time for and she had to be reinvented as a virgin.... Says it all really.

Shocking isn't it but not surprising.

That's sickening. Awful.

Why am I still amazed everytime I hear about another way in which the world hates women?

I'd never heard of this before. The Wiki entry on it is quite interesting - it was invented in the 16th century and is still occasionally carried out in other parts of the world where caesarean section isn't an option:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphysiotomy

It does sound absolutely horrendous.

Ha! A CS was too easy? They should have one. Why do Catholics (some, sorry) hate women so much? Are we still supposed to carry Eve's guilt?

I remember women telling their stories on I think it was Joe Duffy or Gerry Ryan after that story broke. It's heartbreaking.

I remember that programme too, Snail.

wish i hadn't read this, oh this was just sick.

Horrific doesn't even cover it - let alone the consent issues, ongoing pain, mysogeny etc...

You can find anything online- I wanted to know what it was and found a step by step guide - www.primary-surgery.org/ps/vol1/html/sect0025.html

So many potential areas for it to go wrong.

Another example - warning graphic.

www.argus.ie/news/brave-woman-speaks-out-about-shocking-symphysiotomy-3064132.html

That is one of the vilest things I have ever heard of. It sounds like something you'd use to torture information out of someone, not deliver a baby into the world.

Anyone who says a CS is an easy option is a fucking moron, and that goes for this lot too. I assume the sadists who came up with this bright idea and encouraged it's usage are all male so have clue what childbirth is actually like. Never had a CS myself but did have to help my sister sit on the loo and get back off it when she had hers as she was terrified of busting her stitches the first few days.

And I thought it was ridiculous for an elderly virgin to advise the world on safe sex This is equally shocking.

I've just read grimbletart's link. I'm in floods of tears, how that poor woman suffered.

I don't think it was because cs were seen as 'easy'. My understanding was that the Catholic Church and Irish hospitals were against caesarians as you can't keep having them indefinitely so have to stop breeding at some point - against Church teaching. A symphysiotomy may cause a woman permanently physical damage, but she can still pop out a child every year.

Oh christ.. that's one of the most horrific things I've read grimbletart

Catkins is correct. Since a woman can only have 4 or so sections, it was seen as a form of birth control.

Oh god, grimble's link is horrible. It is very harrowing. :(

Also crying

Are you sure?
We were told my nan had 8 sections - in the fifties.
She's gone now (in her eighties) so can't confirm.