This Friday, women's rights are in the spotlight. Wherever women's rights are celebrated, and wherever there is still a need to defend them, associations, celebrities and brands are uniting in a single message of defense and support. Once again, Élhée has chosen to spread this unique energy through a delicate subject: respect for women's rights, their bodies and childbirth. Because respecting women's rights starts with respecting their integrity, their wishes and their consent, right through to motherhood, here's an article to set the record straight.
CONTENTS :
- The fundamental rights of women and pregnant women
- The female body: sacred territory
- For a respected and positive birth: preparing for and living your birth plan
The fundamental rights of women and pregnant women
The right to clear and appropriate information and the right to free and informed consent are in addition to French legal texts such as the Hospitalized Person's Charter and the Public Health Code, to guarantee the peace of mind of expectant mothers in the delivery room. Thanks to them, you have the power to decide:
- the medical professional who is monitoring your pregnancy (gynecologist, obstetrician, midwife or general practitioner, in an office, clinic or hospital),
- your place of delivery (maternity hospital, clinic, birth center, technical center or at home),
- your delivery position: you have the right to refuse the gynecological position in favor of a more physiological one, and to move around during labor,
- to accept or refuse certain procedures during the birth of your child (vaginal touch, epidural insertion, induction, presence of interns or students, episiotomy, etc.).
- the best time to leave the maternity ward (if necessary, by signing a discharge)...
For a risk-free pregnancy and birth, even in an emergency, because you're the one giving birth and no one else, every effort must be made to respect your wishes. Because a birth that takes place according to your wishes gives you full control over your body, your decisions and your creative power. A unique, feminine vision of birth, one that inspires confidence and has the power to influence your life and your parenthood.
A survey carried out in 2022 by the Réseau Sécurité Naissance Pays de la Loire, shows that, of 311 women who gave birth using instruments (forceps, spatula, suction cup), 48.1% were not warned. Similarly, of 247 episiotomies performed, 153 women said they had not been consulted. Finally, of the 523 women whose delivery was induced, 507 (97.1%) said they had received information on the reasons and methods used, of which 438 (86.3%) found it sufficient, 55 (10.8%) incomplete and 14 (2.8%) did not fully understand it.
The female body: sacred territory
Respect for the female body is a fundamental principle ofequality and human dignity. It implies recognizingwomen's autonomy to make choices and decisions about their own bodies, including during pregnancy and childbirth, even when they wish to terminate a pregnancy or do not wish to have children.
The female body carries desires and expectations, it also carries life. In this sense, it is sacred. And because, from the earliest age, it is subjected to various pressures of images and behavior, nothing is more important than reminding us of its beauty, gentleness, grandeur and sovereignty, at every moment.
Body sovereignty, a concept to be reclaimed
Behind bodily sovereignty lies the principle that each individual has his or her own person and bodily integrity, which he or she alone can control. This individual sovereignty includes the right to consent to or refuse medical treatment, to choose contraception and to live one's sexuality freely.
While female consent is regularly invoked in the French press, it's essential to apply it to the maternity period too.
However, respect for the rights of women and pregnant women is not always guaranteed, even in France. This is why International Women's Rights Day is so important.
- Medical paternalism " still leads too many healthcare professionals to believe that a patient's wishes or choices should not be respected.
- Lack of awareness of their rights, on the part of women who are poorly or ill-informed, is another consequent obstacle to respect for their rights.
- Family and social pressure to live, behave or give birth in a certain way, or to make choices that don't correspond to their desires, is another.
There is no one more capable than the woman herself of making the right decisions for her life and health. Once you've been informed, take the time to reflect and formulate, and don't allow yourself to be influenced, or to be forced into choices or actions that don't suit you, or that cause you pain or discomfort. Instead, impose your own, or ask someone else.
For a respected and positive birth: preparing for and living your birth plan
At the heart of the (extra)ordinary path to motherhood, you, the main actress and guardian of your body, your inner strength and your wisdom, guide your choices for a respected and positive birth of your baby.
Knowing your rights, asserting your wishes and being surrounded by a caring team are the keys to a successful experience. Preparing yourself and visualizing your birth will enable you to feel more involved in your birth and more confident about welcoming your child into a serene and respectful environment.
Childbirth should never be an ordeal to be endured, but a miracle to be celebrated. Reconnecting with your maternal instinct and the power of your body enables every woman to experience this event to the full, bringing immense joy and a profound sense of accomplishment.
In addition, there are alternatives for a birth that suits you: at home, in a birthing center, in a maternity ward guided by a midwife, accompanied by a doula, in the presence of your partner, as unmedicated as possible, in water, in movement... The most important thing is to enjoy a birth that is conscious of and respectful of your choices.
The birth project
A bit like a roadmap addressed to all the people - medical and non-medical - present on the day of your birth, the birth plan is a document that brings together your preferences in terms of hospital environment, medical care and the care given to your newborn immediately after birth.
From your medical history and emergency contact details, to your setup throughout labor, your anesthesia or induction options and your wish tobreastfeed or bottle-feed your baby, everything is summarized, ready to be applied.
In short, the birth plan is there to communicate, to foresee and to prepare for the unexpected, to give directions and make decisions that we may not be able to give or make on the big day. Of course, you can draw up a birth plan whether you plan to give birth vaginally, by Caesarean section or for a vaginal birth after Caesarean section (VBAC).
Information, preparation and self-confidence are the pillars of a positive birth. Imagining, writing and living out a birth plan is a way for every woman to express her wishes, mark her limits, have her rights and choices respected, and invest her maternal potential to the full.
Les biberons Élhée accompagneront votre bébé de la naissance jusqu'à 24 mois et plus, pour lui permettre une parfaite autonomie, sans risque de casse.
Découvrir notre gamme
