I just found out, by reading The Week magazine, that last month a woman in Nashville was detained for being an illegal immigrant. She was 9 months pregnant and about to give birth, she was taken to a hospital where she was made to labor in shackles. Once she gave birth, the baby was immediately taken from her, so that she could not breastfeed him. A few hours later, while she was still recuperating, they shackled her again.
You can read more about this in this blog entry.
After you do, please call Sheriff Hall at (615) 862-8170 and complain about it. Also call your congressman and ask that they sponsor a bill (they’d have to write it) that would say that nobody detained by a federal agency, or any agency working in conjunction with the federal government, can be made to labor while restrained. And that no newborn or breastfeeding baby shall be taken away from a mother under those conditions.
Personally, I feel it’s beyond unconscionable to make a woman labor while shackled. And there is no reason, it’s not like you are going to escape between contractions.
Please, please, please call. Perhaps it’ll make them rethink their policy.