Survey for Cesarean Mothers

If you have had a cesarean section, could you please take a moment and fill this survey out, it would be a great help in a project Momotics & The Healthy Baby Network are working on.

The more women replying, the more accurate numbers they will get from all walks of life.

Post Cesarean Feelings

The Forgotten History of Hospital Birth

Taking a look back at the history of birth in hospitals, is not a pleasant picture for many, but it is something little people in our society know about today, because when looking for information, pictures, and research during this disgustingly abusive time in history, it seems as though most of it has been erased, hid, or destroyed. There are very few pictures of what was actually done to women from twilight sleep, to restraining women, all the way to the twilight sleep cribs that laboring mothers would be put in. I look back at his as a modern, empowered, mother and feminist, and I wonder how any women, especially the feminists of this time would allow these type of mistreatment of women. Many connected the pain of labor to the sins of Eve during this period of time, so many of the feminists basically said, anything that could take away the pain of birth is what I need, not knowing that the drugs that would be used would also take away their self control, and memory of the event.
While the births of my two children were not the most wonderful experiences, considering they were both major abdominal surgery I had no desire to have, I still as a mother want the memory of their joining out family.

I just cannot see how anyone in the medical community can look back at these pictures, and the way Obstetrics has practiced over the past century and say much positive about it. These pictures are a huge piece of evidence that there were mass amounts of not only abuse but misogynist activity taking place. But it is still happening today, just in a slightly more humane way. So we don't blindfold women, tie them to beds, or let them lay in their own poop and pee for long amounts of time, we just "treat" them with unnecessary medical intervention after medical intervention until all the interventions add up and they land in the operating room for the biggest medical intervention at all.
Choices in Childbirth released the cesarean section rates for some of the New York City hospitals recently, and MORE than a few have c-section rates that reach, and exceed 50%. When we know HALF of the 31.8% of cesarean section births taking place in our country are completely unnecessary.
I am sure there is a huge link between lack of access to VBAC in this area also, and the common misconceptions and flat out lies women are being told about VBAC which discourages them from even considering it as an option, when in reality it is the safest option.

I seem to have got a little off topic, but back to my point. How can we say that hospitals are these shining safe places which all women should be birthing in, when they have such a dark and abusive past?

Get On Track, With a Successful VBAC!

By VBAC Mom, Sally H.

Get On Track, With a Successful VBAC

When I was approached to write a blog about my experience with a VBAC, I have to admit that I was little reluctant. I mean who wants to hear another story about VBACs? But when I starting to tell other women about my VBAC experience they encouraged me to share my story. You see, like me they wanted to try to have one, but unlike me, they were told they couldn’t. I couldn’t believe this. Even though the success rate of having a VBAC is 75%, many women are denied this either because her doctor does not want to risk the liability or her doctor or even her spouse is afraid of the possibility of her uterus rupturing. Sure, there are many risks with pregnancies and many risks with birth. In fact, death is a risk for both mother and baby any time when giving birth. In fact, according to ICAN, “the risk of fetal death among the 13,115 women attempting VBAC was 0.038 percent (5/13,115). Thus the risk of a baby dying in association with VBAC was 12 times lower than the risk of a baby dying from non-rupture-related causes.” So how do we change the tide and encourage our doctors, spouses and even the hospitals that VBACs are safe and they are worth the attempt?

When I was pregnant with my second child in 2005 I knew that I wanted a VBAC. My first delivery was a nightmare and my doctor explained that the need for the ‘emergency C-section” was eminent. I did not want to go through with the pain of another C-section again. I certainly did not want to miss the opportunity of giving birth naturally. I had read enough to know that I was not in the high risk group, however my biggest obstacle was getting my doctor to be in agreement with me. More importantly, I had to get my husband to be in agreement as well. We barely fight, but we fought over this for weeks. This is a serious decision to make. If there is not the support from your doctor or midwife, nor your spouse, then I suggest you get them to agree with you or find another doctor or hospital. I guess you cannot go out and find another husband, but there is so much supported evidence as to why VBAC are safer than repeat C-sections that he may oblige.

VBACs are safer for both mother and baby. VBAC is not major surgery, repeat C-sections are and who wants more surgery?

So, you have to get them to be in agreement with you. I was fortunate that I had my doctor’s approval. There were other doctors in this practice who were not with me and my VBAC but I explained that this is what I really wanted. They all agreed for me to go into labor naturally and when the time came to be in a birthing room next to the ER, you know just in case. I had my plan and the hospital made me sign a consent form which basically said that I knew of my risks of attempting a VBAC, but I am willing to take it anyway. It is so funny how even at the last minute the head nurses and the hospital were still asking me if this is what I wanted. I remember looking at them and saying through my grunts of labor, “don’t you think this is what my baby wants?” My first one was poked in the eye in utero, was drugged from the anesthesia and I did not get to hold nor see her for three hours after birth. I was not going to go through this again. Again, I had the support of my doctor and my doula who helped me through the worst part of my second child’s labor. I had to push through the old scary memories of the first birthing process and move through the second, natural one. To have everyone in that birthing room to be in agreement with me and to be on the right track, was part of my success. It all came down to that moment when I pushed her out and heard her cry. To be able to be there for the whole process was surreal and beautiful. I encourage anyone who is thinking about VBAC to go for it, but please make sure everyone supports your decision. Now, if I can only encourage my husband to go for a third, but this story I will keep for another day.

Acupuncture May Help Prevent Cesarean Births

Taken from Exam Health...
http://www.emaxhealth.com/1275/84/34080/acupuncture-may-help-prevent-cesarean-births.html

Submitted by Deborah Mitchell on Oct 11th, 2009

Women who receive acupuncture during pregnancy are less likely to have a cesarean birth, according to several studies. A review of the research on the use of acupuncture during pregnancy and its impact on the rate of cesarean births, the need for epidurals, the number of inductions, and other factors are being presented at a workshop in Vancouver, Canada, on October 13 and 14.

In 1965, the rate of cesarean births in the United States was 4.5 percent. Yet in December 2007, the National Center for Health Statistics reported that the cesarean delivery rate in the United States for 2006 was 31.1 percent. This rate exceeds the rate in Canada, which reports that nearly 28 percent of the infants born in that country in 2007 and 2008 were by cesarean.

According to the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC), 20 percent fewer cesarean births would occur if doctors and hospitals followed guidelines designed to reduce unnecessary surgeries and if women had support during labor. Several studies show that acupuncture performed during pregnancy may help with this effort.

For example, in a randomized, controlled trial of acupuncture in first-time mothers, researchers evaluated 56 women who were randomly assigned to either a control group (no acupuncture) or three outpatient acupuncture treatments during pregnancy. Compared with the control group, women in the acupuncture group were more likely to labor spontaneously (70% vs 50%) and less likely to have a cesarean birth (39% vs 17%).

Cesarean births are associated with considerable morbidity in both women and their infants, as well as significant costs to the health care system. The most common complications after cesarean birth for women are infection, heavy blood loss, blood clots, nausea, vomiting, and severe headache. Maternal death, though rare, is three times more likely after cesarean births (18 per 100,000) than vaginal deliveries (6 per 100,000). Recovery time after cesarean delivery is 4 to 6 weeks compared with 1 to 2 weeks for vaginal delivery.)

Risks for infants after cesarean birth include injury during delivery, immature lung function (if the infant is delivered before 39 weeks of gestation, and need for special care in the neonatal intensive care unit. There is also some evidence that children born by cesarean section and whose parents have allergies are about twice as likely to develop allergies.

According to Debra Betts, an international expert on acupuncture and author of Essential Acupuncture for Pregnancy and Childbirth, acupuncture delivered during pregnancy can reduce nausea, high blood pressure, and back pain, and can naturally induce labor, thus reducing cesarean births. Betts is presenting the workshop on acupuncture and cesarean births and related information in Vancouver.

SOURCES:
Cunningham FG et al. “Cesarean delivery and peripartum hysterectomy. In Williams, Obstetrics 22nd ed. 2005
Harper TC et al. Journal of Maternal Fetal Neonatal Medicine 2006 Aug; 19(8): 465-70
Kolas T et al. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 2006; 195(6): 1538-43.
News-Medical.net October 9, 2009
Taffel SM et al. American Journal of Public Health 1987; 77:955-59

Violating Woman's Rights

Recently many internet bloggers have been going back and forth about the “Home Birth Debate”. I saw Jennifer Block post a great piece about home birth, which was immediately challenged by Dr. Amy Tuteur via her internet blog. Whether or not Jennifer Block agreed to a “debate” over the subject is completely irrelevant in what I have to say.

Whether or not home birth is safe, as safe as hospital births, or more dangerous than hospital births doesn't matter when it comes down to it. What does matter is that a woman should be able to legally choose where she wants to give birth, and with whom to managing her care, and deliver her baby.

What we should be debating about, or even merely discussing is what we can do as women, mothers, providers, and advocates to reduce the maternal and infant mortality rates in The United States, as well as make all birthing options available. The way that births are being over managed, and birthing options being restricted, such as Vaginal Birth after Cesarean better known as VBAC. Across the country women are being essentially forced to have repeat cesarean sections, with no medical reason, because the local hospital, or local OB/GYN's do not attend VBAC's or provide any kind of VBAC options. Leaving women with very few options regarding subsequent pregnancies if they do not wish to undergo surgical birth a second time.

Some of these options include home births with Midwives, but some women cannot even have that options because home birth midwives, and home birth in general in their state, or area has been now become punishable by law. But I digress, VBAC access is a whole other tragic story in itself.

The real issue at hand is why we sit and argue over difference in opinion when it comes to other peoples birth choices, while American women are being denied the right to make their own medical decisions.

This is not a Natural Birth Advocate vs. The Medical Community. This is a simple womans rights issue. Women have fought for the past 100 years for all the amazing freedoms that we have today, and for doors to be closing left and right for choices women would like to make regarding their own medical care is downright frightening.

Why are so many options being taken off the table for pregnant women? Mainly for fear of litigation on the part of Obstetricians which have this little group standing behind them called The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Their name is very misleading. They are not a college, nor are they an institution of higher learning. They are basically a really big “union” for OB/GYN's. They issue statements, publications, and “guidelines” better known as their opinions. Many are unfounded medically or scientifically (which has been proven over and over again). They say that certain medical events, such as birth, which we all know isn't rocket science, should be handled in one specific way. But women know that every pregnancy, woman, and birth are different. You cannot compare the experiences of two women, or even two pregnancies in the same woman, but they continue to treat all pregnant and birthing women the same. They are being put on a conveyor belt of hospital interventions, which you have to fight tooth and nail to avoid. I don't know about you, but when I was in labor with either of my children, the last thing I wanted to be doing was battling with Nurses or even the OB/GYN I picked for my first birth. I was the portrait of a good patient my first time around. That landed me with a non medical induction and cesarean section for the oh so typical “failure to progress”.

Now I am a nobody. I do not have M.D. after my name, I do not have C.N.M. After my name. In fact, I do not have anything after my name. I am nothing more than a mother, of two children, both born by cesarean section. My first cesarean completely avoidable. My second, not so much, after 26 hours of labor attempting a VBAC. Now I find myself at a petrifying crossroad. I am literally scared to even think about having another child because I know in my area, there will be no OB/GYN or Midwife that will take me on for a vaginal birth after two cesarean sections, even though many women have successfully accomplished birthing a baby after one, two, or five cesarean sections. They simply do not want the liability, or work, and I simply do not want the repeat cesarean section.

Why are more people not speaking out about this huge womans rights violation?

Because it does not effect or impact them on a personal level?

Because they do not know about it?

Someone, anyone, everyone, needs to step up to the plate and help women have the right to have any birth she chooses. It is a human rights violation to dismiss her wishes.

Website Launched Finally!

I have been himming and hawing for a year now trying to get the cesarean epidemic website up and running. Well I got some fire in my pants recently and found a free server to build the website on and host it for the time being until there is good traffic and I can purchase the actual .com name.

Please join Cesarean Epidemic by clicking on the link.

Also, check out our yahoo group, and forum, which are both linked on the homepage.

Pass it along and let everyone know!

Tori Spelling

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kj_01uUs4Xg

I have to admit I am a total reality TV junkie, and I recently got hooked on Tori & Dean Home Sweet Hollywood, and this weeks episode (preview reel linked above) was so sad. She of course had a scheduled c-section which she was absolutely scared to death of. With her first child she had a failed 41 week induction, and from the looks of it, it doesn't seem like she was given a choice for the repeat c-section.

She looks literally terrified to death in the clip above, and she was hysterical during the episode.
I wish celebrities knew more!!!!

Why the rise?

Since 1996 cesarean births have risen 45%.

That is a pretty strong statistic.
45% is a lot.
45% is a high number.

In 2000, The American Academy of Gynecologists and Obstetricians, as well as The American Medical Association, and The US Department of Health and Human Services all released major reports about the cesarean rates and stressing that they need to come down a significant amount.

Here we are in 2008 and our cesarean birth rates have only grown over the past 8 years.

Did the ACOG, AMA and Department of Health and Human services simply forget about these major reports? Did they ever address what they need to do to help reduce our dangerous cesarean rate?

The World Health Organization continues to stay on top of this issue considering we are over double what they consider to be safe in The United States.

Why are more people not concerned?

What is Cesarean Epidemic?

There are blogs for everything today! Family blogs, Book Blogs, Craft Store Blogs, Midwife Blogs, Doula Blogs, Nurse Blogs.... You get the picture right?

This blog is to point a focus on the cesarean birth epidemic taking place in The United States, and other parts of the world. Posting facts, related news pieces, opinion blogs, and everything that goes hand and hand with the problem our country is facing today.

We also have a yahoo e-mail group, a cafe mom group, and a myspace group.
We are working on a full scale website also.

I hope you enjoy!