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From: joan@ISM780.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.kids
Subject: Learning about Life
Message-ID: <29700001@ISM780.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 6-Sep-85 11:01:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: ISM780.29700001
Posted: Fri Sep  6 11:01:00 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 11-Sep-85 05:16:21 EDT
Lines: 48
Nf-ID: #N:ISM780:29700001:000:1955
Nf-From: ISM780!joan    Sep  6 11:01:00 1985


  :-(

     I've been reading about pregnancy and childbirth for several
  months.  I have a fair amount of book-knowledge now, but no
  people-knowledge.  I decided recently that I would like to get
  into some kind of a childbirth class (or even beter, an
  ongoing discussion group) where I could talk to experienced
  people and ask questions.

     I've been calling around trying to find such a class.  So
  far I haven't found anyone who accepts non-pregnant people.
  Some of the people I've talked to have been very nice but seem
  slightly confused at my request.  Others seem to be annoyed,
  the implication being that I have no business wanting to study
  about childbirth without being pregnant myself.

     <sigh> Yet another example of how our society tries to
  separate the experience of childbirth from "normal everyday"
  life.  This attitude does little to remove the ignorance and
  fear of childbirth that many people have.

     So, there are two things that I'm after:

        1) I want to know where a person who is NOT pregnant can
           go to learn about childbirth and discuss it with other
           people.  Either general suggestions or specific names
	   and places in the Los Angeles area will be greatly
           appreciated.

        2) I want to know how all of you feel about the way we
           treat childbirth in America.  Is it good that most of
           us have never seen a woman go through labor?  Is it
           good that most of us have never touched a just-born
           baby?

******************************************************************************

		      Joan "the VMS group is moving mountains" Alexander
		      Interactive Systems,
		      Santa Monica, CA

		      cca!ima!ism780!alexander
		      decvax!vortex!ism780!alexander

     "Opinions expressed herein were not mine originally, but
      were forced on me at gunpoint by the Interactive Systems
      Corporation"