37 - Womanhood: A Conversation with Milli Hill

The founder of the Positive Birth Movement speaks to us about the birthing process and women’s health. A common theme of self-assertion and empowering women to speak up has characterised Milli’s work over the last decade. There were attempts to silence Milli last year when she said that the word “woman” has significance in relation to childbirth. Milli, however, decided to assert her boundaries and speak her truth; in this episode she explains why.  

Links: 

Milli Hill:  

https://www.millihill.co.uk/ 

I will not be silenced: 

https://www.millihill.co.uk/2021/07/10/i-will-not-be-silenced/ 

The Positive Birth Book by Milli Hill https://www.amazon.co.uk/Positive-Birth-Book-Approach-Pregnancy/ 

Give Birth like a Feminist by Milli Hill https://www.amazon.co.uk/Give-Birth-Like-Feminist-Milli/  

Mumsnet: 

https://www.mumsnet.com/  

Birth: A History by Tina Cassidy  

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Birth-History-Tina-Cassidy/   

#BirthJustHappened: 

https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/birthjusthappened/?hl=en [Text Wrapping Break] 

The Business of Being Born: 

https://www.amazon.com/Business-Being-Born-Helen-Ayres/dp/B001IIHAGK[Text Wrapping Break] 

Jane Hardwick Collings & Female Rights of Passage: 

https://janehardwickecollings.com/[Text Wrapping Break] 

Birth & Sex (Book):  

https://www.amazon.com/Birth-Sex-Sheila-Kitzinger/dp/1780660502 

Project Netti: 

https://projectnettie.wordpress.com/  

Panics and Persecutions – Quillette book 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=panics+and+persecutions  

Extended Notes

• A little bit about Milli and why she decided to start the Positive Birth Movement.

• What were some common themes coming up for women who were about to give birth?

• The birth room was built with the needs of the midwife and doctor in mind, not for the women in mind.

• Sasha shares her experiences with an American hospital vs. an overseas one.

• So many mothers are not listened to when they’re at the hospital. Their wishes are ignored.

• Milli is passionate about everyone having a positive birth experience, no matter the context or environment they choose to be in.

• You don’t have to just “go with the flow” when it comes to giving birth. You have the right to choose.

• Meghan Markle got attacked when she wanted to give birth a certain way.

• Women are shamed when they have a birthing plan!

• What are women to do if they want to have a positive birth experience?

• A positive birth trickles down into so many areas of a woman's life. How she sees her body, her work life, and more!

• The current way of giving birth is so cold and farm-like. No one cares what the experience is like for you. Just give birth!

• Why is period blood so shameful?

• Milli wonders why so many messages try to suppress women’s natural power.

• Let’s talk about the “fragile sex” and how wrong that is.

• When someone else gives you a narrative, you don’t know all the other opportunities that you’ve missed.

• Milli was so worried about damaging her reputation by sharing what she really thought about certain things. However, she knew it’s important to speak her truth.

• There’s so much confusion and falsehoods about biology happening right now and it’s so frustrating to Milli.

• When you start putting language politics into medical training, that’s when things get risky.

• You know you’ll get in trouble the moment you try to hold a boundary. Women are subliminally taught to be nice over holding boundaries for themselves.

This podcast is partially sponsored by ReIME, Rethink Identity Medicine Ethics:

Rethinkime.org

Learn more about our show: Linktr.ee/WiderLensPod