VOA标准英语2014--Los Angeles Midwives Promote Home Births 洛杉矶助产士促进产妇在家生产

 

Los Angeles Midwives Promote Home Births 洛杉矶助产士促进产妇在家生产

LOS ANGELES — Home births in the United States are increasing, although they still account for only one percent of overall deliveries. Los Angeles is one place where there is a rising interest in giving birth at home with the help of midwives. Some of those midwives are making an effort to reach out to minority women.

In 2012, Jasmine Lavender delivered her second child in a bathtub in south Los Angeles.

“It was an amazing experience. Very empowering. You know I encourage other moms to have a vaginal birth. It was life changing to be honest,” she said.

She chose to give birth in an informal setting because she feels the hospital performed an unnecessary and rushed surgical¹ procedure -- a Caesarean-section -- when she delivered her first child.

“I was on a time clock and my time was out,” she said.

The tub where Jasmine gave birth is located at The Community Birth Center. The women who work here specialize in maternity² care.

But founder³ Racha Lawler said they also offer some general health services.

“It’s seeing ourselves really truly as a clinician. Where, you know, as a midwife you can draw people’s blood and test people’s blood and test people for STDs. You can, you know, teach women about how their bodies work in regards to their ovulation and fertility," she said. "So why not make sure everyone in the community knows that?”

Lawler, a licensed⁴ midwife, also goes to the patient's home to help her give birth. And after the birth, she provide services to the mother and her newborn.

Midwife apprentice⁵ Tanya Smith-Johnson said the center believes in keeping the process as natural as possible.

“We do things to keep women from tearing. You know, Rub oil as opposed to, 'Ok You tore? We’re just going to suture you up. We’re going to cut you,' that kind of thing. We do all the things to make it as few interventions⁶ as possible,” she said.

When the center first opened, there were about 300 licensed midwives in the state of California. Most of them were white. But Lawler hopes to double the number of midwives of color through advocacy and free mentorship for apprentices⁷ like Tanya Smith-Johnson.

“The stats show women of color, we’re the ones who need maternity care. Our babies die at rates three or four times that of white women. And one of the solutions to that is having more women of color tend to women like themselves,” Smith-Johnson said.

 

With generous donations and flexible client rates, the grassroots birth center provides services to people who could otherwise not afford them.

1 surgical   

adj.外科的，外科医生的，手术上的

参考例句：

• He performs the surgical operations at the Red Cross Hospital.他在红十字会医院做外科手术。
• All surgical instruments must be sterilised before use.所有的外科手术器械在使用之前，必须消毒。

2 maternity   

n.母性，母道，妇产科病房；adj.孕妇的，母性的

参考例句：

• Women workers are entitled to maternity leave with full pay.女工产假期间工资照发。
• Trainee nurses have to work for some weeks in maternity.受训的护士必须在产科病房工作数周。

3 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

4 licensed   

adj.得到许可的v.许可，颁发执照(license的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The new drug has not yet been licensed in the US. 这种新药尚未在美国获得许可。
• Is that gun licensed? 那支枪有持枪执照吗？

5 apprentice   

n.学徒，徒弟

参考例句：

• My son is an apprentice in a furniture maker's workshop.我的儿子在一家家具厂做学徒。
• The apprentice is not yet out of his time.这徒工还没有出徒。

6 interventions   

n.介入，干涉，干预( intervention的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Economic analysis of government interventions deserves detailed discussion. 政府对经济的干预应该给予充分的论述。 来自辞典例句
• The judge's frequent interventions made a mockery of justice. 法官的屡屡干预是对正义的践踏。 来自互联网

7 apprentices   

学徒，徒弟( apprentice的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They were mere apprentices to piracy. 他们干海盗仅仅是嫩角儿。
• He has two good apprentices working with him. 他身边有两个好徒弟。