-
Why Birth in the U.S. Sucks - A Short Rant
- Apr 30, 2009 at 1:38 PM
- By
- Comments (41) Total Views (1034) Everyone can see this journal post.
Note: not everything in this post applies to every woman or situation.
I believe in well-educated choices.
We spend over twice as much as any other country per birth. For that kind of money, no matter the population, we should have at least as good numbers. The current problem with birth in America is it has become a male-dominated business, starting with the Salem witch trials. We're the only country that when births when into the hospital, midwives did not go with them.
We have a very high cesarean rate (31% in 2006--over twice what's recommend by the World Health Organization), and in this country, it's usually more about doctors' schedules than women's choices. The male-dominated birth business has been spending their time convincing women they have no idea how to birth, and that's why they have to come to the hospital to get help, ignoring the fact if this was really true we would never have survived as a species.
They are also quick to point out how much labor hurts and how much drugs can help that, without explaining (or even knowing) that there are plenty of natural ways to reduce pain (water, massage, walking, changing positions) that don't interfere with the body making its own pain-relieiving endorphins, as it is interfered with when any drug is introduced in labor (especially pitocin and epidurals.) And most women also aren't told that these drugs can [not will] interfere with the breastfeeding and bonding process.
What using the drugs and ceseareans do is make birth more profitable. Medicare recently decided to only pay out one amount for every birth, regardless of interventions taken, since their patients had such a high intervention and cesarean section rate. And the last thing influencing it is liability: doctors have been convinced that the safest way to avoid being sued is to have labor on a timeline and do a cesarean at the soonest sign of a complication, despite there being no evidence that this is better for mothers or babies (and in fact, leads to higher morbidity and mortality rates.)
So women, how long will it be before we take births back into our own hands?
Comments:
Awesome post.
I hope it reaches someone. Birth is something really completely different than what mainstream america believes.
I agree. Birth is natural and it's time it was treated as such.
But like OMG
Me, and my baby, and my hubby, AND the mailman would have DIED if we werent in the hospital for my epidural!!!!
this is why doulas are becoming more popular. women are trying to reclaim birthing as a natural process, not a disease.
I get your point and do agree with the issues out there, I think it has way more to do with $$ and insurance than with men though.
My births were very easy drug free etc but the female nurses pushed the drugs more than anyone else.
I was never pushed for drugs but i DID chose to use an epidural & I don't regret for one second. I had an awesome birth experience EVEN WITH the epi & i do find it sad dso many women have bad ones. :(
I LOVE the fact that in the US, we have the capability of having a woman give birth at 24 weeks and that baby can actually survive. It's amazing what modern medicine can accomplish...
...when it's used correctly.
The intelligent doctor with the mother and baby's best interest in mind knows that his place in birth is only to do anything when things DON'T go normally. That means letting a woman labor for 36+ hours, move around, letting her water break naturally, letting her eat if she's hungry or sleep if she's tired, etc. The body knows how to give birth if we let it - it's when doctors interfere that problems happen the majority of the time, but on the RARE, RARE occasion that something naturally goes wrong, it's great to have the hospitals we do... if only they could keep the role of a laboring woman in perspective as a non-medical emergency and something to be monitored and not controlled.
Good post.
RanaAurora - EXACTLY!!! GREAT point!
OP - I love the post. It's just unfortunate that some women get defensive in the face of facts. No one tries to make them feel bad about their choices - we are trying to make the doctors feel bad for making the women feel like they had no choice. Anyway, awesome post and that is exactly why I will continue to birth at home.
My first baby was boen in an Air Force hospital and the nurses were mean. the doctor was on leave for 48 hours after I gave birth. I couldn't talk to him. The second was in a civilian hospital and it was wonderful--no drugs, just a breeze and my doctor respected me at all time. Third was great---in an Air Force hospital. In Germany. The only problem was that a woman from Germany who was a nurse...ha...dressed all the babies in long sleeved shirts and blankets when it was 92 degrees in a hospital with no air conditioning. Nice. The babies cried all day until shift change and the new nurse undressed the poor little overheated babies.I had no problems with doctors or deliveries but only with wierd nurses. (Women) But I do not think that your statement that birth sucks in the USA is correct. Sorry.
Already a member? Click here to log in
Meet Dodie702
This Nevada mom of two - who are just 18 months apart! - is married to her high school sweetheart and loves to craft in her free time.
great post!
- NoahsMomma418
Message Friend Invite