Maternal Materialism
What is happening in society when it comes to marketing pregnancy and maternity is a dependence on gadgets and concepts are based on capitalism. Maternity is a billion dollar business.
The prospective mother is given the opportunity to shop with a ‘gun’ pointing to items she desires as part of her baby registry. I’ve witnessed prospective moms have baby registries over 100 pages long. What is happening to women and pregnancy when it comes to materialism and capitalism?
This buying frenzy is the result of apprehension, anxiety and uncertainty. If the mother-to- be is provided with the proper human-to-human support, she will learn to trust herself that she is capable of taking care of her baby as well as have autonomy in her maternal experience.
Many women utilize baby registries once they find out they’re pregnant. It is implied by society: the more material gadgets a pregnant woman possesses, the better mother she should be. Many mothers-to-be pick out their breast pump before the baby is born, before she learns about breast-feeding or hand expressing. It is often a misconception: having a breast pump ensures breast-feeding success. What is not mentioned are numerous women experiencing trauma using breast pumps as a result of rushed pumping, not using a good match of pump or being poorly fitted.
Baby registries include gadgets that are supposed to help the mother recover and recuperate: get her back to work within the six weeks of her standard maternity benefit. The market targets faster, better, easier with less thinking about what’s in front of the mother (her baby) and more on how efficient she is.
Another newfangled must-have: a ‘Boppy’ pillow. New mothers swear by these to help them breast-feed their babies. I have witnessed mothers have a meltdown if she forgets her Boppy pillow at home. These pillows are often brought to the birth. I’ve witnessed the same with mothers who forget breast pump attachments at home; they are at work getting ready pump and they can’t. There isn’t any thought of hand expressing; no thought of holding the baby with her own two arms. I have observed more challenges of mothers attempting to breast-feed using the ‘Boppy’ pillow. The ‘Boppy’ makes moms sloppy = the mother’s posture curls around the baby and the pillow placing mother and baby in misalignment; setting them up for breast-feeding failure and trauma.
Items that are supposed to enhance mothers care of her newborn baby actuality diminishes her ability of her using her critical thinking as well as the use of her
natural instinct. When a mother is so occupied making sure she has all the gadgets and gizmos, resulting in her baby registry being over 100 pages long; she is distracted from her body, her pregnancy and her baby; her natural ability as a mother is devalued. Not to mention the disposable debt incurred, resulting in the ‘birth’ of a new business: maternity consignment shops.
A mother-to-be does not need a product gun and a hundred-page baby registry to be a successful mother; she needs human-to-human support in the form of childbirth education, lactation education, pregnancy and birth options, a birth doula and a postpartum doula. She needs a provider and facility that will support her birthing goals.
It is the woman who possesses consumer power in America. A pregnant woman who is soon to be a mother does not need a ‘reward’; she requires representation, support, empowerment and simplicity. Maternal materialism is not to substitute childbirth education, doulas, lactation support and prenatal care.
Blog written by, National Black Doulas Association member Denise Bolds, MSW, CD of Bold Doula Services based in New York, NY. You can also listen to her podcast here.
