To change the world, we must first change the way the babies are being born.
Interpretation
To make a significant impact on society, we need to start from the very beginning, focusing on how new lives enter the world.
This quote by Michel Odent emphasizes the importance of prenatal care and the birthing process in shaping future generations. Odent suggests that if we desire to create a better world, we must prioritize and improve the way babies are born, as this foundational experience can influence their development and, consequently, societal change.
In practice
In a speech about maternal health policies.
If we want to find safe alternatives to obstetrics, we must rediscover midwifery. To rediscover midwifery is the same as giving back childbirth to women. And imagine the future if surgical teams were at the service of the midwives and the women instead of controlling them.
It seems that many health professionals involved in antenatal care have not realized that one of their role should be to protect the emotional state of pregnant women
According to traditional wisdom in rural France, a baby in the womb should be compared to fruit on the tree. Not all the fruit on the same tree is ripe at the same time...we must accept that some babies need a much longer time than others before they are ready to be born.
I usually claim that pregnant women should not read books about pregnancy and birth. Their time is too precious. They should, rather, watch the moon and sing to their baby in the womb.
When you are in hard labor, remember that the length of labor is usually proportional to the number of people around. Avoid the presence of anybody who might release adrenaline. The best situation I know for an easy birth is when there is nobody else around than an experienced, motherly and silent midwife who does not behave like a guide or an observer.
When you want to change things, you can't please everyone. If you do please everyone, you aren't making enough progress.
Sometimes I hear people saying, 'Nothing has changed.' Come and walk in my shoes.
When they told me that by the year 2100 women would rule the world, my reply was 'Still?'
For time and the world do not stand still. Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future.
Great cultural changes begin in affectation and end in routine.
It's impossible to change the social without changing the personal - you have to put your money where your mouth is. And if you're not making those challenges at home, it's unlikely you'll make them in a larger setting.
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