Pregnant inmates have always faced incredible challenges in the American prison system. Some women claim they were neglected or denied basic health care, let alone prenatal care. There is the constant danger of miscarriage, either from neglect or from abuse by other inmates. There are several cases of inmates even being ignored during labor, left to give birth alone in the cell. And, until October 2009, these women were shackled and restrained to the same degree as other inmates, even during labor. [1]

Neglect & Miscarriage

Michelle McCollum was in the first trimester of her pregnancy when she was jailed for drug possession charges. In August of 2005, she was attacked by two other inmates, who punched her in the stomach repeatedly. After the attack, McCollum and another inmate cried to guards for help, but they refused to bring her to the infirmary.

She bled for three days until officers finally agreed to take her to the hospital, where doctors declared she had miscarried. They ordered that she return to the hospital later for a followup, but jail personnel never took her back. On September 17, she began bleeding again uncontrollably.

An ambulance finally rushed McCollum back to the hospital, where she received a transfusion because the blood loss was so great. Doctors then performed a procedure called a D&C, which removed the remains of the pregnancy. [2]

Related Stories:
Arpaio’s Jail Staff Cost Ambrett Spencer Her Baby, and She’s Not the Only One
Clamor: Barriers to Basic Care
Teen Mother Says Prison Neglected Her
Police Finish Investigation in Miscarriage Case

Solitary Cell Birth

Melissa Woten, an inmate at the Racine County Jail in Wisconsin, went into labor 18 weeks early. In March of 2009, she awoke in the middle of the night to find herself bleeding. Her cell mate pushed an emergency button for help, which was only answered by an intercom.

The 20-year-old spent the next four hours in labor, giving birth in her cell toilet around 5:15 a.m. Only then did jail staff respond, reaching her a few minutes later and calling for an ambulance. Her daughter was born alive, but stopped breathing, and didn’t respond to CPR. They were rushed to the hospital at 5:23 a.m., and the baby was pronounced dead at 5:58 a.m.

Woten’s grandfather, Ronald Kerner, was not allowed to visit her in the hospital. He was very concerned about her well-being, and frustrated by how the jail handled the situation. “I know she’s been in trouble of her own making,” he said. “That doesn’t make it wrong for the little one. The baby’s not at fault for what the parents do.” [3]

Related Stories:
$1.5M Suit Filed Over Birth in Jail
Woman Gives Birth Alone in Taylor County Jail Cell
Dubuquer Gives Birth Alone in Jail Cell

Nelson v. Norris

Shawanna Nelson was pregnant when she was incarcerated in Arkansas for credit card fraud and bad checks. When she went into labor, a corrections officer shackled her ankles to opposite sides of the hospital bed, even though Nelson was nonviolent and not considered a flight risk. After filing a law suit against the Arkansas Department of Corrections, she “produced evidence that the shackling caused her extreme mental anguish and pain, permanent hip injury, torn stomach muscles, and an umbilical hernia requiring surgical repair.” She has since been advised by medical professionals to never bear another child. [4]

With assistance from the ACLU National Prison Project, National Advocates for Pregnant Women, and the National Economic and Social Rights Initiative, Nelson continued the legal battle even after a district court sided with the defendants. In a narrow six-to-five en banc decision in the appellate court, the Eighth Circuit held that shackling women while in labor was, in fact, a constitutional violation. [1]

While the court’s verdict is a great step in securing female prisoners’ rights, the fight continues. Visit the ACLU and NAPW for more information.

Sources:

[1] “‘How Does Somebody Have a Baby in Jail Without Anyone Noticing?’ The Awful Plight of Pregnant Prisoners” (Rachel Roth, The Nation). Alternet Reproductive Justice. December 14, 2009

[2] “Arpaio’s Jail Staff Cost Ambrett Spencer Her Baby, and She’s Not the Only One” (John Dickerson) Phoenix New Times. October 28, 2008

[3] “Baby Dies After Jail Birth”(Marci Laehr Tenuta) The Journal Times Online. April 1, 2009

[4] Nelson v. Norris: Opinion 10/02/09. United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth District. No. 07-2481

[5] “PREGNANT WOMEN INMATES: EVALUATING THEIR RIGHTS AND IDENTIFYING OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENTS IN THEIR TREATMENT.” (Kelly Parker). Cleveland Marshall College of Law

TIME Magazine’s October 26th issue featured a special report entitled “The State of the American Woman.” Their new poll suggests the gender gap is closing, especially in the workplace. “In the fallout of the Great Recession,” writes Nancy Gibbs, “what unites men and women matters more than what divides them, as old gender battles fade away.”

America’s sharp economic downturn this year hit men harder than women, and “it’s expected that by the end of the year, for the first time in history, the majority of workers in the U.S. will be women.” TIME’s survey of roughly 3,500 adults (see poll details here) found that “men and women were in broad agreement about what matters most to them; gone is the notion that women’s rise comes at men’s expense.”

Below are some results from their latest poll, occasionally contrasted with data from the early 1970’s. The visual charts and graphs were assembled by Andrea Ford and Deirdre Van Dyk. (Click on images to see a larger view)

Accepting New Gender Roles

“Large majorities, across ages and incomes and ideologies, view women’s growing role in the work force as good for both the economy and society in general. … 84% [of those polled] affirm that husbands and wives negotiate the rules, relationships and responsibilities more than those of earlier generations.” Marriages and partnerships are predominately happy, which can likely be attributed to equality between partners.

Women in the Workplace, Government & Military

More Power Means More Stress

Marriage & Motherhood

Gaps Still Exist

Women might be working against themselves, perhaps prolonging the gender gap in some circumstances:

Why might women have more trouble working under female bosses than men do?

More women feel resented than men feel resentful. Do women feel insecure wielding power in the workplace?

Sharing the Fight for Equality

The commonalities between men and women vastly outweigh the differences, and it’s evident the women’s rights movement has accomplished a lot since the 1970’s. As Gibbs reports, “It’s as though sensible people are too busy to bother bickering about who takes out the garbage or who deserves the corner office; many of the deepest conflicts are now new ones that men and women share.”

Source:

Gibbs, Nancy, with Andrea Ford and Deirdre Van Dyk. “The State of the American Woman: What Women Want Now.” TIME Magazine. 26 October 2009: 25-33

TheShapeofaMother.com is an online community formed by mothers, for mothers, to help them cope with the changes in their bodies and the monumental shift from being a child, to being with child, and beyond.

Women can choose their level of anonymity, express themselves without censorship, and bare their bodies without judgment. They receive an outpouring of support, understanding, and acceptance from other women on the site. It’s also a great place for teen moms to find safe harbor without criticism.

The sentiments can range from surprised and excited,

EVE, age 27:

Having spent the last 14 years suffering from Anorexia Nervosa before becoming pregnant I worried about how my changing body may bring back the thoughts, feelings and negativity I had experienced for so long. … I have to say I have been happily surprised by my own reaction. I loved being pregnant, took to it like a duck to water. I enjoyed my ever blossoming bump and showed it off to the max. My worries stuck about how I would feel post-pregnancy, but here I am, 3 weeks after giving birth to my beautiful daughter and feeling (and looking!) fabulous! ” [2 NSFW]

To depressed and disgusted:

REVAE, age 22:

“When Im naked I feel disgusted with my appearance, My husband says he likes my new look and that he thinks that’s the way a mother is supposed to look. But I just feel so unsexy.” [3 NSFW]

Many often also discover how they re-contextualize their bodies, now that they’re no longer just for physical activity or sexual purposes, but for creating and sustaining life.

ANONYMOUS age 25:

“I am still breastfeeding my child and so I think of my breasts in a different light. After feeling they were there to attract, they’ve been drank out for nearly 2 years. At first it felt as if my body wasn’t mine at all, it was just performing all these things for my child. Today it feels like my breasts.” [4 NSFW]

Many frequently open up about other issues as well, such as sexual abuse, domestic violence, resentment toward children, temptations of infidelity, and more.

It’s a forum where any person, female or not, pregnant or not, can be impacted by the honesty and kindness between members. It’s rare to find an online forum with no negativity or judgment, where it’s solely a safe place to feel loved and supported in a time of need.

Thanks to BRITTANY in FLORIDA for this website suggestion!

Sources NSFW – there is nudity on this site.

[1] The Shape of a Mother

[2] “Starting to Bloom” – Eve, 27

[3] “Trying to Cope with My Shape as a New Mother” – Revae, 22

[4] “When did it ever feel like my Body?” Anonymous