Get Your Hands Off That Knife and Step Away From My Abdomen


 I just heard today about another birth where a first time mom was cut open because she did not have her baby fast enough.

What is sad about this oft repeated story?  First, these c-sections are not really needed so often.  Second, we seem to forget that we are talking about women and infants.  We are literally damaging them, body and soul for no good reason.

Now PROOF that PATIENCE is an important part of labor and an often forgotten aspect of medical training.  


This recent study is a great example.  You can read an article about the study here

Some of my favorite quotes from the above mentioned article:

"...almost half of the cesareans that took place after labor had started were due to "failure to progress," and the study suggests that doctors aren't acknowledging that labor takes time and doesn't follow a predictable pattern in women, especially first-time mothers. A high proportion of these C-sections were performed before the women's cervix had dilated to six centimeters, which is still considered an early stage of labor, and among women who had been in active labor for only two or three hours."

 Yes- labor takes time.  And no, all women do not do it in the same way.


"...found C-section rates were twice as high after induction of labor compared with women undergoing spontaneous labor. Labor is often induced to speed up labor and delivery."

And yes, induction does increase c-sections.  But you have probably heard me talk about that before.   

When will this change?  What can we do to change it?  Maybe the first step is to

1)Simply enjoy your pregnancy.  If we like it (and yes I know it is uncomfortable)  and enjoy some of the special moments of pregnancy rather than just focusing on the negative, maybe we won't be so quick to jump at an induction. 

2)We can carefully choose our care providers. 

3)We can exercise and eat well to stay low risk and keep our blood pressure normal and all other signs good. 

4)And one important thing we can do, is to just not go to the hospital so early.  If we go and we are still in early labor, just go home.  Enjoy the beauty of labor on your own turf.  There is no pitocin at home. 

Birth DOES NOT have to look like this:
It can look like this:

Comments

Lady Dragon said…
This was a good blog. I hate HATE the epis I had, and have had issues with it ever since. I have learned so much (a day late) and would NEVER EVER have one again. No matter the pain, no matter anything. That pain does go away, and you need to be able to feel, so you can enjoy the new baby.
Amy said…
From someone who has been "cut" I have to say that I think people forget that women and babies use to die during birth all the time. I am really happy for every woman who can have a home birth without consequence or complication however, if I hadn't had my first in a hospital he wouldn't be here today. He had the cord wrapped around his neck twice and without a fetal monitor we wouldn't have had a clue. He was blue when he was born and was almost sent to the NICU because his oxygen sat was low. He was monitored for 8 hours before I could even see him. I think we tend to forget that giving birth is dangerous and the stakes are high. I didn't want a c-section and I too have scaring that I still feel 5 years later however, it doesn't compare to a crippled, brain damaged, or death of a baby. My husband is an ER doc and unfortunately has seen the consequences more than once of home births. I am not here to judge or even tell anyone that they should or shouldn't have their babies in the hospital. All I am saying is giving birth is not without complication and in this modern day where a Mom and/or a baby dies during birth is a very very rare thing due to modern medicine. If you have a home birth you are taking away all of the modern medicine and taking yourself back to the 1800's. Do some research and see how many Moms and babies died or were severally injured back then. I can live with my scars from a hospital birth, I couldn't have lived with what would have happened if I had tried a home birth. I would have never known anything was wrong.
Becci said…
Amy, sincere question, here. How long was it from the time the monitor registered fetal distress before you were actually in the OR?