Tonight's Show - A Spin on "Labour" Day

Labour Day is an annual holiday that resulted from the labour union movement that celebrates the economic and social achievements of workers. However, we decided to take a feminist spin on the word "labour" and do a show about birthing, labour and delivery.

Tonight, we'll discuss the history of birthing in Canada, with a particular focus on the role of the midwife. Prior to the 1920's, Canadians were born at home with the assistance of family members and a midwife. But changes in technology and a shift toward hospital births made the midwife almost obsolete. Today, there is a major comeback in the desire for midwifes, but there aren't enough midwives to meet the demand.

We will also discuss some of the drugs administered to women in labour. From epidurals (for pain relief in labour) to oxytocin (a hormone that can initiate or speed up labour) we'll look at various drugs commonly used in hospital births and the affects they may have on mother and child.

Tune in tonight from 8:30 to 9:00 pm on CJSW 90.9 fm. Remember, our show is now available as a podcast, so visit this page to dowloand or subscribe to our podcasts.

Websites & articles of interest:

1. History of midwifery in Canada - Histori.ca
2. Lower risk of problems in midwife-assisted home births, study finds - The Globe & Mail, August 31, 2009.