Boy Meets World (Childbirth in the Media)
Summary
TLDRThe presentation explores the portrayal of birth in the media, focusing on 'Boy Meets World' Season 6, highlighting the show's depiction of gender roles, maternal health, and societal expectations during the late '90s. It discusses the contrast between the era's medical advancements and the persistence of racial and socioeconomic disparities in maternal and infant mortality. The analysis also touches on the media's evolving representation of pregnant bodies, from Demi Moore's iconic Vanity Fair cover to the unrealistic standards set for pregnant women, and the impact of these portrayals on public perception.
Takeaways
- 📺 The presentation focuses on 'Boy Meets World', a family comedy series that aired from 1993 to 2000, and specifically on season 6 episodes 16 and 17, which deal with the topic of birth.
- 🌎 The episodes were aired during a time when maternal and infant mortality rates were declining due to advances in medicine and healthcare accessibility, but disparities still existed based on race, geographic location, and socioeconomic status.
- 📉 The birth rate in 1999 was 14.2%, with 3.96 million births, and there was a significant drop in teen pregnancy and smoking among pregnant women, along with an improvement in prenatal care.
- 🔪 The rate of C-sections in 1999 was 22% and has been steadily increasing, reaching 32% by 2022, indicating a growing prevalence of this birth method.
- 🤱 Breastfeeding rates were reported to be 67.9% in 1999 and 2000, with a continuation rate of 13.1% after 12 months, despite public attitudes that did not fully support breastfeeding in public.
- 💥 The late 90s were marked by significant events for women's rights and feminism, including the third wave of feminism and the 'girl power' movement, yet gender inequality persisted, with women earning only 77% of men's wages in the U.S.
- 💰 Economic and political events of the 90s, such as technological advancements and welfare reform, influenced societal norms and attitudes, including those towards pregnancy and birth.
- 🎭 The portrayal of pregnant bodies in the media during the 90s was influenced by Demi Moore's 1991 Vanity Fair cover, which led to the sexualization and objectification of pregnant women.
- 👶 The episodes of 'Boy Meets World' covered in the presentation depict a baby shower, labor, C-section, and the birth of baby Joshua, reflecting the birth context of the late 90s.
- 🚫 The episodes reinforced gender roles and expectations, with a focus on the male gaze and the exclusion of the mother's perspective on her pregnancy and the birth of her child.
- 🤔 The presentation critiques the show's portrayal of pregnancy, body image, and gender roles, highlighting issues such as fat shaming, the dilution of strong female characters, and the lack of accurate representation of medical procedures like C-sections.
Q & A
What is the main focus of the presentation on 'Boy Meets World'?
-The presentation focuses on the portrayal of birth in the media, specifically in season 6 episodes 16 and 17 of 'Boy Meets World', and how it reflects the social context of the time.
What was the general trend of maternal mortality around the time 'Boy Meets World' episodes were aired?
-Maternal mortality was steady until 1999, after which there was a noted increase, likely due to changes in ICD-10 coding rather than an actual rise in deaths.
What factors contributed to the decline in infant mortality rates during the time period discussed?
-Advances in medicine, better accessibility to healthcare, and other factors contributed to the decline in infant mortality rates.
How did the risk associated with home births compare to hospital births during the 1990s?
-Interestingly, there were lower risks associated with home births compared to hospital births during the 1990s.
What was the birth rate in the United States in 1999?
-The birth rate in 1999 was 14.2%, which translates to 14.2 births per thousand people.
How did the portrayal of pregnant bodies in the media change in the 1990s?
-The 1990s saw an increase in the visibility and sexualization of pregnant bodies in the media, with Demi Moore's Vanity Fair cover in 1991 being a significant moment.
What was the attitude towards breastfeeding in public during the late 1990s?
-Public attitudes towards breastfeeding in public were not very supportive, with a common belief that formula was just as good as breast milk.
How did the portrayal of gender roles in 'Boy Meets World' episodes reflect societal expectations?
-The portrayal of gender roles in the episodes reinforced traditional stereotypes, with women expected to be natural caregivers and men often excluded from the birth process.
What was the significance of the 'don't ask, don't tell' policy in relation to LGBTQ rights during the Clinton Administration?
-The 'don't ask, don't tell' policy prevented military personnel from asking about homosexuality and banned homosexual activity in the military, reflecting a restrictive stance on LGBTQ rights.
How did the episodes of 'Boy Meets World' handle the topic of C-sections?
-The episodes portrayed C-sections as a common procedure, with 22% of babies being born via C-section in 1999, and this rate continued to increase in subsequent years.
What were some of the criticisms regarding the portrayal of pregnancy and body image in the episodes?
-Criticisms included the enforcement of gender roles, fat shaming of pregnant women, and the portrayal of pregnant women as insecure and desperate for validation.
How did the episodes compare to earlier portrayals of pregnancy in media, such as in 'Gone With the Wind'?
-The episodes of 'Boy Meets World' showed a significant shift from earlier portrayals where pregnancy was either hidden or not discussed, to a more visible but often negative portrayal of pregnant women.
What was the impact of the third wave of feminism and the 'girl power' movement on the representation of women in the media during the 1990s?
-The third wave of feminism and the 'girl power' movement in the mid-90s brought more attention to women's rights and gender inequality, influencing the representation of women in the media, although wage gaps and gender roles persisted.
How did the episodes of 'Boy Meets World' depict the involvement of fathers in the birth process?
-The episodes often showed fathers being separated from the birth process, with the narrative focusing on their reactions and emotions rather than their active participation.
What was the public perception of the C-section procedure in the media during the late 1990s?
-The public perception was that C-sections were becoming more common and were a standard procedure, as portrayed in 'Boy Meets World', despite the actual complexities and variations in individual experiences.
How did the episodes handle the topic of breastfeeding and public attitudes towards it?
-The episodes touched on the topic of breastfeeding, reflecting the public attitudes of the time which were not very supportive, and often pitted breastfeeding against formula feeding.
What were some of the social movements and economic and political events mentioned in the script that influenced the portrayal of birth and gender roles?
-Social movements like the 'back to sleep' campaign for SIDS reduction and the reproductive justice movement influenced perceptions. Economic and political events included technological advancements and welfare reform, with policies like the Defense of Marriage Act impacting LGBTQ rights.
Outlines
📺 Media Portrayal of Birth in '90s Sitcoms
The paragraph discusses the portrayal of birth in the media, specifically focusing on the TV show 'Boy Meets World' during the 1990s. It provides context on maternal and infant mortality rates, birth locations, and birth rates during the time the episodes aired. The script also touches on the increase in C-sections and the public's attitude towards breastfeeding. It sets the stage for a deeper dive into topics such as body image during pregnancy, gender roles, and societal views on pregnancy and birth as depicted in the show.
🌟 Celebrity Influence and Social Movements in Pregnancy Representation
This paragraph highlights the influence of celebrity culture on the portrayal of pregnancy, referencing Demi Moore's provocative Vanity Fair cover that contributed to the sexualization of pregnant bodies. It also covers social movements like the 'Back to Sleep' campaign and the reproductive justice movement, emphasizing their impact on society's understanding of pregnancy and birth. The paragraph further discusses the episodes of 'Boy Meets World' that delve into gender roles, body image, and the male perspective on pregnancy and birth, critiquing the show's reinforcement of traditional gender norms and the lack of accurate medical depictions.
🤰 The Male Gaze and Gender Roles in Pregnancy Narratives
The paragraph examines the concept of the 'male gaze' in media portrayals of pregnancy, focusing on how it shapes narratives around birth and maternity. It critiques the show 'Boy Meets World' for its reinforcement of gender stereotypes, such as the expectation for women to be natural caregivers and for men to be detached from the birthing process. The paragraph also discusses the character Topanga's portrayal as a duality between a gentle caretaker and a knowledgeable leader in birth, and how this perpetuates misogynistic messages about women's roles.
👶 The Impact of Media on Perceptions of Pregnancy and Birth
This paragraph delves into the impact of media on societal perceptions of pregnancy and birth, particularly how shows like 'Boy Meets World' depict the experience. It criticizes the show for excluding the pregnant character, Amy, from decision-making about her newborn's healthcare, which reinforces stereotypes of women as passive and in need of male protection. The paragraph also compares the portrayal of C-sections in the show to real-life experiences, highlighting the inaccuracies and the lack of medical realism in the depiction.
🏥 Inaccurate Media Depictions of C-Sections and Post-Birth Care
The paragraph critiques the media's portrayal of C-sections and post-birth care, using the 'Boy Meets World' episodes as a case study. It points out the unrealistic representation of the C-section procedure, the lack of communication with the mother about her newborn's health, and the exclusion of the mother from her baby's care. The paragraph also contrasts this portrayal with other media representations and real-life accounts, such as Serena Williams' experience, to emphasize the inaccuracies and perpetuation of stereotypes.
👨👩👧👦 Diverse Perspectives on Media Portrayal of Birth
This paragraph presents diverse perspectives on the portrayal of birth in media, including personal interviews with a physician assistant and a mother. It discusses the perceived calmness of Amy's birth scene, the inaccuracy of the C-section portrayal, and the importance of patient communication in medical settings. The paragraph also reflects on the show's impact on viewers' understanding of birth and the need for more accurate and inclusive media representations.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Maternal Mortality
💡Infant Mortality
💡Home Births
💡Birth Rate
💡C-Section
💡Breastfeeding
💡Third Wave Feminism
💡Helicopter Parenting
💡Don't Ask, Don't Tell
💡Gender Roles
💡Fat Shaming
Highlights
The presentation focuses on 'Boy Meets World', specifically Season 6 episodes 16 and 17, to explore themes of birth and media representation.
Maternal mortality rates were steady until 1999, with disparities influenced by race, geographic location, and socioeconomic status.
Infant mortality rates declined due to advances in medicine and better healthcare access, but racial disparities persisted.
Home births were associated with lower risks compared to hospital births, a notable finding in birth location studies.
The birth rate in 1999 was 14.2%, with 3.96 million births, and a decline in teen pregnancy and smoking among pregnant women.
C-sections increased from 22% in 1999 to 32% in 2022, becoming a more common procedure.
67.9% of infants were breastfed in 1999, with a significant drop to 13.1% after 12 months.
Public attitudes toward breastfeeding in public were mixed, with a common belief that formula was as good as breast milk.
Abortion provider violence doubled between 1996 and 1997, reflecting a tense social climate around reproductive rights.
The late '90s marked the third wave of feminism and the 'girl power' movement, impacting gender dynamics and women's rights.
Gender inequality persisted in 1999, with women earning only 77% of men's wages in the United States.
The median age of marriage for women increased to 25 years old, and divorce rates slowed throughout the '90s.
Helicopter parenting emerged as the dominant parenting style, contrasting with previous approaches.
Policies under the Clinton Administration negatively affected LGBTQ rights, including the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy and the Defense of Marriage Act.
Media in the '90s showed a shift in the portrayal of pregnant bodies, with Demi Moore's Vanity Fair cover sexualizing pregnancy.
The episodes 'Baby B, Resurrection' delve into gender roles and the male gaze in the context of pregnancy and birth.
The portrayal of Amy's pregnancy included fat shaming and a focus on post-pregnancy body image, reinforcing unrealistic body standards.
Gender roles in the episodes were restrictive, with Topanga expected to be a natural caregiver and Corey separated from the birth process.
The representation of the C-section was inaccurate, lacking proper medical procedure and patient communication.
The show's portrayal of the NICU included diverse families, highlighting the universality of birth experiences.
Interviews with a PA and a mother provided real-world perspectives on the show's accuracy and impact on perceptions of birth.
Transcripts
hi I'm
s hi I'm
Mara I'm
Andrea and I'm Janette and this is our
presentation on birth in the media
focusing on Boy Meets World specifically
season 6 episodes 16 and
17 so Boy Meets World was a family
comedy series and it ran for about seven
seasons from 1993 to 2000 and it
followed young boy Corey and his life
with his family friends and romantic
partner Tanga and just how they
navigated a multitude of topics such as
struggling with body image and faith and
navigating marriage and misogyny and
such all right so considering the birth
context around like maternal mortality
around this time that the episodes were
aired um maternal mortality the ratio um
was pretty steady and then after 1999
actually there was an heavily increased
rate of um deaths but that was probably
due to changes in the
icd10 um and there there were still
disparities due to factors like race
geographic location and socioeconomic
status for infant mortality um these
rates heavily declined um but things um
probably were in charge of that um and
caused that like um advances in medicine
better accessibility to healthare and
other things but of course there were
still racial disparities and then for
birth locations um it was very
interesting because there were actually
lower risks um Associated to home births
versus Hospital
births um so for birth context part two
let's discuss the birth rate which is
14.2% which just means 14.2 births per
thousand people in 1999 now there were
3.96 million births in 1999 which is the
year the episode aired overall teen
pregnancy fell to 2 to 6% and smoking in
pregnant women overall dropped and we
saw an overall Improvement in prenatal
care which continues now
C-sections are something uh that we are
going to discuss further because it is
discussed in our episodes and 22% of ver
were C-section babies in 1999 and it
continues to steadily increase
throughout the years becoming a more
common procedure as seen in 2022 where
the rate of C-sections is 32% going on
to birth context part three we see that
um breastfeeding according to the jamama
Pediatric article 67.9% of infants were
breastfed in 1999 and 2000 and it
continued to uh
13.1% after 12 months now public
attitudes toward breastfeeding in public
we're not very different as infants uh
formula is just as good as breadfast
milk was the common consensus now um we
see that like breastfeeding there were
some implications it they cared more
about the intentions just like why are
you uh like are you unintentionally
feeding formula or are you intentionally
beating formula if it's unintentional
there was more positive aspects abortion
during 1999 was a little jarring as
arson and bombings abortion providers
were doubled between the years of 1996
and 1997 and 80
862,5kg
context the late 90s were really
important for women's rights and
feminism the third wave of feminism and
girl power movement started around the
mid 90s and as for gender inequality in
1999 women still only made about 77% of
men's wages in the United States so
there was still a bit of a wage Gap as
for marriage and divorce the median age
of marriage for women did jump to 25
years old in 1997 and it historically in
previous decades was around 21 years old
and even divorce rates and marriage
rates did slow throughout the '9
as for custody cases the number of two
parent households from 1990 to 1995 did
jump drastically about a 700,000
household increase and the number of
joint legal custody that was granted to
divorced parents it doubled by the late
'90s and that led to also a decrease in
the amount of custody cases won by just
the mother around that time and as for
parenting Styles helicopter parenting
was the most common style so it was a
sort of complete 180 from what was
previously used for parenting and under
the Clinton Administration there were a
lot of new policies and laws put into
place that um took away from lgbtq
people's rights and um for the military
there was actually a phrase coined in
1993 known as don't ask don't tell that
that prevented military personnel from
asking applicants about homosexuality
but it also um banned homosexual
activity in the military and there was
also a Defense of Marriage Act enacted
in 1996 by Clinton and it ferally
defined marriage as the union of one man
to one woman and this also prevented
lgbtq marriages from being recognized in
States other than the one that they um
were married
in when we think about media in the
1990s um we can see the top movies and
top shows here on the left but something
I really want to highlight is pregnant
bodies in the media in the 9s uh big
representation was Demi Moore's Vanity
Fair cover where she posed nude
in
1991 this kind of spurred the
sexualization of pregnant
bodies and we start to see more pregnant
bodies shown in the media after that as
far as social movements we see uh the
back to sleep campaign for SIDS which is
attributed to reducing um the incidence
of Sids and then we have the
reproductive Justice
movement um that was started by black
women in Chicago who really realized uh
that the current Reproductive Rights
Movement did was not inclusive inclusive
of black
women and then we see some other
economic and political events like
technological
advancements um and welfare reform the
Ada and hippo were also um signed in
1996 as for the actual episodes that we
covered we covered the episodes of baby
b
resurrection and they just deled into
the baby shower that Cory to for Mrs
Matthews and Valentine's Day and then
her going into labor and having a C
section and baby Joshua being born and
then being
in um it was my you can see the writers
directors and performers at the bottom
but these episodes were released in the
late 1990s so c section DRS had already
been rising quickly and including one in
the show wasn't viewed as usually
inappropriate or controversial for the
most part the episode was these episodes
were received very well at the time
however looking back now you can see
that there is a huge enforcement of
gender roles when it came to the
knowledge of pregnancy and labor as well
as some fat phobia surrounding pregnant
women as for our presentation we will be
delving into body image and pregnacy as
well as gender roles um and to how birth
was mainly seen through the male gaze
and how the mother's needs were excluded
during her conversations with her baby
despite it being the main point of this
of the episode we also will discuss a
little bit about um the C-section and
the time of baby Joshua and the niku
throughout
as far as how the show went about
portraying body image and pregnancy uh
the show had definitely progressed from
previous decades that weren't allowed to
even utter the word pregnant on screen
or on National Television or even show a
huge baby bump mostly um it was a very
small baby bump that was shown so they
did portray that well but however uh
they went about it in a way that kind of
brought the pregnant person down and
there was a lot of fat shaming going on
and um the pregnant person was Amy was
not viewed as a very confident or
someone that felt confident in her own
skin and beautiful and this was seen a
lot in a lot of the commentary that was
made for example to her husband Allan
she said don't look at me if I repulse
you and she would get called enormous
and there was a lot of fat shaming that
was done to um allow an audience to
laugh but it consequently made the
pregnant person get portrayed as someone
that's very
insecure and this was also seen as when
she's asking her husband if he still
loves her and it shows how she's sort of
desperate for her husband's love and
validation and she only feels beautiful
uh when or she only feels better when
someone's calling her beautiful such as
what was done after um an incident where
her husband had given a heart-shaped box
for Valentine's Day that wasn't filled
with chocolates but was filled with dry
fruit and there was a lot of fat shaming
from other people in the family as well
as in her ER like as Eric her oldest son
called her uh or told her she looks like
the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown and a
lot of comments such as that and it also
showed how she was just expected to
bounce back right after and that it sort
of portrayed it in a way as we know that
she isn't beautiful now because they
would even the gifts that they gave at a
baby shower that they threw for her was
lingerie and things like that and it
would talk about how she'll um wear this
afterwards and it's going to make her
look more beautiful after and she would
give comments as oh she don't she
doesn't think she'll ever fit into
something like that again and uh as for
the word pregnant being used on screen
an example of that is after she was
given the lingerie she said um or sorry
to pangas say to Amy you're going to be
so sexy Mr Matthews is going to get you
pregnant all over again so there's a lot
of emphasis on after pregnancy and how
she'll be beautiful afterwards and a lot
of fat
shaming when we compare this boy me's
World episode or these two episodes with
um Gone With the Wind which was a a film
made in 1939 during the production code
era where uh films were not even allowed
to say or use the word pregnancy or give
birth let alone show any portrayal of
pregnancy we see and Gone With the Wind
neither Scarlet or Melanie were
um uh shown with any visible uh evidence
of pregnancy they had no baby bumps and
then
um we also see the terminology a child
was born instead of preg uh pregnancy or
give birth um so when we compare these
uh we really
see the shift from not being able to
show any pregnancy changes
to um pregnancy being shown with a very
visible baby bump but there is this
negative portrayal of like the pregnant
woman being fat that or like
excess so um versus in uh the time of
Gone With the Wind it was not really
acceptable to discuss uh changes that
accompany pregnancy for fear it would
deter young women from having
children and then when we look at Demi
Moore's Vanity Fair cover which
was which occurred the '90s I think this
really set the scene for uh the
portrayal of pregnant women in the 9s in
the media and um it sparked the
beginning of the sexualization of
pregnant bodies we see in our momod
article that we read in class um Mo's
cover challenged the historical Norm of
hiding a woman's pregnant body and
instead objectified the pregnant female
body providing maternal image for public
consumption and
pleasure so there's this thought that
pregnant women are meant to have a big
cute baby bump but the rest of their
bodies are supposed to be small tone and
dainty and this sets up Social
expectations for a pregnant woman's body
um
to be just this big baby bump and the
rest of her body should still be small
and fit and so we
see the fat shaming of uh am in this
episode in this perpetuates this
unrealistic body standard for pregnant
women now both of these episodes of Boy
Meets World really dig into gender roles
both of women and men to start out with
how they talk about women for tapena
there's really a big battle between the
duality of character um for this idea of
the caretaker
either she can be this light-hearted
gentle consoling caretaker or this
leader that really takes charge and is
has this innate knowledge um of the
birth process the first one we see that
that's what Corey really wants her to be
the second one is what Alan Praises her
for um either way unfortunately both of
these roles are sending very
misogynistic messages um of a woman kind
of having this innate being of either
just a caretaker in a gentle way or a
caretaker still having this idea of
birth and this knowledge of birth even
if like toena she's never had a child in
her life um for Amy unfortunately I've
seen the show before I grew up with it
she's usually a very strong Confident
Woman um a very strong mother sending
great messages and she was extremely
diluted for this show um for this these
two episodes which is very sad cuz this
is her fourth child um and you would
think that they'd really grow and try
and bring more emphasis on that and the
strength that that would give her but
this storyline isn't even in her point
of view it really Strays more towards
the male gaze um and she's even left out
of the loop in terms of what's happening
with her baby at first seemingly unaware
of what he um like what his health
condition is that he can't even breathe
on his own and that he's in the NICU um
towards the end of the first episode
that we talk about she ends up she's
just laying in a bed and reading through
a baby name book and asks Alan well
where's the
baby now really honing in on what is
discussed for tapanga this reflects back
to what we had talked about for the
bellies That Go Bump in the night
article that was really owning in on
alien um unfortunately these two quotes
that I pulled still reain true um the
assumption is that women nurture and
care but um because they want to or not
because they want to but because they
can't help it and then essential
motherhood is a societal construct that
posits motherhood As Natural inevitable
and
instinctive um results of being a normal
woman this this again this shows tiena's
new personality rather than the quirky
girl that um Corey knew and fell in love
with when they were kids he has these
deep expectations of her being this
natural caregiver but in a gentle way
and he wants it his way um but Allan
then actually Praises her for this
instinctive maternal leadership um that
is Again The Duality between the two
ways that she's shown um so then looking
at the gender roles for men for Corey
thinking about tapanga again he is he's
demanding that she takes care of him but
in his specific way he doesn't want the
girl that's too pragmatic he wants the
one that's light-hearted um but then
it's hilarious because he doesn't even
know what he's talking about in the
terms of birth which is actually not
hilarious it's very sad because it's
almost as if the directors are really
trying to separate him and just men in
general General from this female realm
of birth cuz he doesn't even know what a
baby shower is it ends up even saying to
for Topanga's line that baby showers are
for women that men don't belong there um
and then Corey throws a basically a
bachelorette party CU he really does not
understand I mean he even invites a
stripper for his mother whereas Allan
this is his fourth child and he still
lacks the understanding of birth it
really it still is that separation of
men from that quote unquote female realm
he doesn't understand that um you
obviously can't put the water back in
once someone's water breaks and he
doesn't understand the idea of what's
going on for a C-section he ends up
trying to immediately run at the feet to
watch the baby come out and it's like no
it's a C-section this is a whole
different
procedure now
delving into the idea that this is being
shown through the male male gaze um we
do we see this more through Allen's
point of view which is not uncommon from
what we've seen in other types of media
in this class in Gone With the Wind um
from what we quote unquote can see of
Scarlet's birth AKA nothing all we see
is actually Rhett's worrying about um
the birth and that he's mad that he
can't be in the birthing room his
conversations with mamy over how he's
excited and nervous about the baby
arriving and then even once we finally
do see the baby it is through his gaze
it's as if the audience is looking with
Rhett's own eyes and then with I Love
Lucy it is a similar concept as well
we're seeing everything through Ricky's
point of view Lucy is taken away really
quickly to once they get to the hospital
to a birthing room and we never see her
again we end up watching the entire rest
of the show through what we see from
Ricky he's ends up in the um father's
waiting room he's smoking a cigarette
he's fretting about his performance that
night and the fact that he's about to be
a father he talks to another father in
the waiting room who doesn't care cuz
it's his seventh child and he's
completely bored reading a book and
eating an apple and it's just it's
ridiculous because again the first time
the audience sees this baby through the
camera is actually supposed to be meant
to be through Ricky's eyes so again this
is separating the idea that there's that
connection between like mother father
and child or mother and child it is
really about what is the father's role
in this and it really hones in on the
father's connection to the baby in the
birth story it really separates the
mother from the actual Act of birth
so when we look at the exclusion of Amy
from her care or from the care of Joshua
we see that this portrayal really
diminishes Amy's power to make her
decisions her own decisions about the
health care of her newborn child and
this exclusion depicts her as weak and
helpless and in need of protection from
the stress of her son's condition
and she's not seen as being capable of
being actively involved in his care this
kind of reinforces the stereotypical
gender roles that men are supposed to
lead and women are supposed to follow
and I think it also perpetuates this
patriarchal power and balance between
both birthing people and their Partners
a and birthing people and their medical
providers and it kind of normalizes the
exclusion of mothers from the decision
making process in their own healthare
and the healthare of their
children and so we see a similar uh
story when we look at Serena Williams
story especially in the L article where
she opens up about um the fact that she
was not listened to and um she really
had to advocate for herself when it came
to her own health after um having her
C-section and even before her C-section
her husband and the doctors were having
conferences outside of the room and she
was not included in them um we get a
more watered down version of this when
we see being Serena they kind of gloss
over the fact that uh she really had to
advocate so hard for herself and they
don't really even mention the fact that
uh her husband was conferencing with
doctors in the hallway excluding
her some of the representation of the
C-section birth is in the episode is
that we see her husband uh Alan easily
passed through holding both of his hands
contaminating the air area with his mask
down and entering the surgical room
therefore like just reducing any cality
there was and then we see the him like
going around not understanding the
system at all and further contaminating
the C-section and the doctor herself was
not wearing the mask in the surgical
area it just was a very unrealistic
representation now we see that Amy goes
into her labor six weeks early but
they're not really giving us any
information about why she's having a
c-section why can't she have a vaginal
uh birth now um this like kind of really
normalized a C-sections happening early
in the birth as well as the fact that we
saw a really quick representation of the
baby coming out and her and the baby
being sick but not really explaining why
to the mother and kind of brushing past
both them now usually C sections take 30
to 60 minutes and in our in the scene it
doesn't show a Time flash it just shows
it being a one minute procedure and
quickly occurring and they really just
talk to Allan leaving Amy in the room by
herself with no nurses no one to tell
her how she was doing especially since
she literally had a surgical procedure
and no one really checks up on her and
we see her just looking through baby
names until her husband has to come in
and let her know what was going
on and then we can compare the csection
and War World to C sections in other
forms of media such as a baby story
which was released just a couple years
after the csection for trade and the
episode that we watched was actually
planned so it was a lot different from
the SE section World um Joanne the
mother in this episode was only able to
come in contact with the baby for a
minute
um and she just pissed his pissed him on
the cheek before he was R away there
were no visal sign of struggle for Chan
which was interesting but it can also
make sense when considering that um the
csection was very planned and she was
less frightened and more excited to meet
her
baby um and then we can also look at
being
Serena which covered the C-section of
Serena Williams it's a lot more said and
Serena is pictured visibly struggling
throughout the entire uh throughout the
episode has sweating or her facial
expression she is also very exhausted
throughout the birth her deection was
very
unplanned just like Amy um and it was
actually very it was described as very
low on her Eng wish list but due to her
history of blood CS um it was a lot more
of a concern Serena though is able to
cradle baby Olympia to her bear chest
right after the birth while still laying
on the operating table which um was a
little bit different as
well some representation of the niku is
we see the skin- to- skin contact we
were really shocked the fact that both
the Mr Matthews and Mrs Matthews were
able to touch their baby as we thought
it could cause issues with like uh
sterility or cause of harm to the baby
but turns out there's this uh skin-to
skinin contact or otherwise known as
kangaroo care that can actually help
improve the a lot of aspects such as
improved immunity reduced stress and
more stabled breathing and Par infant
attachment which we seen at examples of
the kangaro Care in a gry's Anatomy
episode but it wasn't something I
remembered until later down the line now
some ambiguous time frame was like we
didn't really understand how long Amy
was in the niku with her baby how long
she was in the hospital it we couldn't
really tell if it was hours or if it was
weeks well or it was days because it was
understandable that she would stay at
the hospital due to her having a
surgical procedure and staying there for
days but also it was hard to tell as the
husband and family were in the waiting
room in un like with not really a stated
amount of time now we see nearing the
end near the end where um the husband
was taking Joshua and their family out
of the Nik we see a young couple as well
as a bunch of diverse around diverse
amount of peoples we see a a a Jewish
person uh reading the reading a book
reading reading um praying over the
children I'm sorry that was weird but he
was praying over the children and we
could see Allan praying asking for
prayers and he says we're praying for
all of them we see a black couple we see
a lot of diversity in the NICU say as a
way of saying it's not only them it
could be it could happen to anyone and
there are so many people it
affects and then relating this back to
our birth interviews just with in my
interview with Patty Jackson who is a PA
she was surprised by how calm the scene
of Amy's birth was considering that she
was delivering 6 weeks early and she
also mentioned that she had never seen a
portrait of a C-section in the media
prior to watching these Boy Meets World
episodes um and she felt that uh the
standard or the preferred method of um
birth in the media is natural vaginal
deliveries where natural um to her here
was uh without pain intervention and
then she also stressed the importance of
communication with patients and felt
that the scene of Amy not knowing what
was going on with her baby was
problematic
and then from my interview with my mom
actually Barbara wakeford she's a mother
of three um she's only had vaginal birs
but she did end up saying that the
portrayal of pregnancy kind of annoyed
her in Boy Meets World that they really
honed in on how hungry she was when my
mom hadn't really felt where she wanted
to eat everything um so she thought that
they really overdid that aspect um she
also said because again she never had a
C-section she wasn't sure actually
before watching this whether or not the
father would be allowed in the O during
the procedure but once we had talked
further about it we did agree that the
representation was very inaccurate
because Allan again shows up in the O
without any guide he wasn't properly
wearing his PPE and ended up trying to
stand by Amy's feet as if it were a
vaginal
birth and these are just some of our
overall thoughts on the show it was very
interesting to see how a show in the
late '90s compares to how gender roles
and uh pregnancy is portrayed
now um we just wanted to say that this
is some of our overall thoughts and
comments but I will leave you to look at
it we want to look at through our work s
sited since we might be over time
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