Mainstream Birth Reporting

In the past two weeks, there have been a number of crappy mainstream morning shows reporting on childbirth. From water birth with Good Morning America and an ignorant Ob/GYN as their "expert" to an elective cesarean section for a "big baby" on the Today Show.

While watching both segments, I continued to get the though of how much bad, inaccurate, and biased reporting was taking place... 'I'm up to my eyeballs in bad information"
Then it struck me... a commercial I had seen in the past that I could compare it to...




But what is the point? People are going to believe exactly what these television "experts" have to say, despite the information to the contrary.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

After watching this video, there are some things that need to be cleared up.
First off, there should never be anything routine, or scheduled when it comes to a cesarean, especially one being aired on TV. They should ONLY be happening for real medical reasons.
Then the doctor, mid surgery starts discussing cesarean section rates, which she is grossly inaccurate on. She quotes that depending where you are 25-30% of babies are being delivered by cesarean section when the fact is, this hospital which this planned cesarean took place at has a surgical birth percent of well over 40% and the national average as of 2007 was 31.8%.
Then they tackle the reasons for cesarean section, starting with "baby too big"
Well who gets to decide if that baby is too big? Third trimester ultrasounds that are infamous for being inaccurate up to 2 full pounds? The Doctor who wants to be out on the golf course by noon? Come on! Women birth "big babies" daily!
Then another listed reason was a mother with a previous cesarean section, and this stigma is the reason out maternal mortality rates are climbing with the cesarean section rate, while the VBAC number is dropping. Having a previous cesarean section is NOT a reason to sign up for an elective cesarean in the vast majority of cases.

After weighing this little boy, 10 pounds even, everyone starts to exclaim how they chose the right way to deliver this baby! Oh and don't forget, Mom Kerry was PAST HER DUE DATE! OMG EMERGENCY!
HURL!
But wait! It gets worse.
Their "medical expert" Dr. Nancy chimes in that because of the history of big babies in both families (these were not petite parents by any means) and because she was past her due date, a cesarean section was the SAFEST option. Where did she get her medical degree from? A cracker Jacks box? Apparently they just had those out to anyone today. What a grossly INACCURATE and DANGEROUS piece of information to be giving out!!

The Today Show should be completely ASHAMED of themselves for giving this kind of dangerous information out, not only that but completely leaving out ALL the MAJOR medical risks of a cesarean section.

Morning Show Fail!

Why Cesarean Sections Should Not Be Elective Before 39 Weeks

In the year 2009 we are seeing an increasing rise in elective cesarean section births, and a concerning trend that is going along with these deliveries.
Late Pre Term Births.
The March of Dimes says

"With any cesarean, it's important that the surgery be done at 39 completed weeks of pregnancy or later, unless there's a medical reason for delivering earlier. C-sections may contribute to the growing number of babies who are born “late preterm,” between 34 and 36 weeks gestation. While babies born at this time are usually considered healthy, they are more likely to have medical problems than babies born a few weeks later at full term"

Problems that can go along with a late, pre term birth can be respiratory distress, problems eating, issues maintaining body temperature, and jaundice. Some can be minor, but others can result in a NICU stay for your baby that can become longer than your recovery in the hospital. Not too many mothers take this into consideration, or even want to leave the hospital without their baby.
The problem in many cases is the inaccuracy in due dates. Ovulation can vary in women, cycles can be different, ultrasounds cannot accurately measure a fetus to the date of conception in any woman, which can result in turn, in a pre term birth with elective cesarean section.
"I am due on December 8th, but I am going in for my Cesarean on November 24th" but what if your due date was truly December 21st? Or December 18th? That could mean a drastic difference in your baby's development.

Also if you are planning on having more than one of two children, a cesarean by request for no medical reason should not be considered. With each pregnancy, the risk of placenta previa, placenta accreta, hysterectomy, blood transfusion, uterine rupture during pregnancy, and adhesion's to other major organs such as the bladder or bowel occur.

Think twice, research, and become fully educated before you make the decision for an elective cesarean section. It can mean your health, as well as the health and life long well being of your child.

Elective Repeat Cesareans May Put Your Baby At Risk

According to a new study out by The University of Colorado Hospital, having a repeat cesarean section electively, may but your baby at an increased risk than having a VBAC (Vaginal Birth after Cesarean) would. For the full text of this article, visit this link.

The babies of women who have an elective repeat Cesarean delivery are twice as likely to be admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit than babies of women who have a vaginal birth after Cesarean (VBAC). That’s according to a new study from the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine.

The study shows babies born to women who have elective repeat Cesarean deliveries also continue to need oxygen in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Which in turn is creating a huge cost for not only the mother who had the elective surgery which often is twice the price of an actual VBAC, but then you are adding the NICU costs to the mix which can be absorbent.

Kamath and researchers from UC Denver, Colorado School of Public Health and The Children’s Hospital looked at the records of 672 women who gave birth at University of Colorado Hospital. Each of the women had one prior Cesarean delivery. Three-hundred-forty- three decided to have another Cesarean while 329 planned a vaginal birth.

Where does your state rate?

The CDC released the 2007 birth statistics on March 18th to the public finally.
These are the most recently released birth statistics in the US.

These are the percentage of cesarean births.
See where your state rates!Alabama - 33.8%
Alaska - 22.6%
Arizona - 26.2%
Arkansas - 34.8%
California - 32.1%
Colorado - 25.8%
Connecticut - 34.6%
Delaware - 32.1%
District of Columbia - 32.6%
Florida - 37.2%
Georgia - 32.0%
Hawaii - 26.4%
Idaho - 24.0%
Illinois - 30.3%
Indiana - 29.4%
Iowa - 29.4%
Kansas - 29.8%
Kentucky - 34.6%
Louisiana - 35.9%
Maine - 30.0%
Maryland - 33.1%
Massachusetts - 33.5%
Michigan - 30.4%
Minnesota - 26.2%
Mississippi - 36.2%
Missouri - 30.3%
Montana - 29.4%
Nebraska - 30.9%
Nevada - 33.1%
New Hampshire - 30.8%
New Jersey - 38.3%
New Mexico - 23.3%
New York - 33.7%
North Carolina - 30.7%
North Dakota - 28.4%
Ohio - 29.8%
Oklahoma - 33.6%
Oregon - 28.2%
Pennsylvania - 30.1%
Rhode Island - 32.2%
South Carolina - 33.4%
South Dakota - 26.6%
Tennessee - 33.3%
Texas - 33.7%
Utah - 22.2%
Vermont - 26.8%
Virginia - 33.5%
Washington - 29.0%
West Virginia - 35.2%
Wisconsin - 25.0%
Wyoming - 26.9%

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr57/nvsr57_12.pdf
All taken from the above CDC website.

The WHO says no industrialized nation, like The US should have a cesarean rate of over 10-15%.

If you want to help in lowering these rates, visit www.ican-online.org

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.

Chocolate or Vanilla?

I saw the debate between cesarean section, or vaginal birth put into a pretty cut and dry term today. Chocolate or Vanilla?
And it made me think...
In society today, many people do view birth this way. Many do not sit down and really look at the risks that come with the choice they make for an elective cesarean section.
Now when we use the term elective, we mean, non medically necessary. No medical reason for this choice. This includes elective repeat cesareans for NO medical reason, and having a previous cesarean section does not constitute as a medical reason for a cesarean section.

A couple medical reasons for having a cesarean section are....

• There are problems with the placenta. This is the organ that nourishes your baby in the womb. Placenta problems can cause dangerous bleeding during vaginal birth.
• Pregnancy with multiple babies.
• Placenta Accreta
  
• The baby's umbilical cord slips into the vagina, where it could be squeezed or flattened during vaginal delivery. This is called umbilical cord prolapse.
• Fetal Distress
• Birth defects.

Now, granted, there are medically necessary cesarean sections that take place, but many women do not know or understand the serious risk of an elective cesarean without a medical reason.

Some of the risks of a cesarean section include....

• Infection. The uterus or nearby pelvic organs such as the bladder or kidneys can become infected.
• Increased blood loss. Blood loss on the average is about twice as much with cesarean birth as with vaginal birth. However, blood transfusions are rarely needed during a cesarean.
• Decreased bowel function. The bowel sometimes slows down for several days after surgery, resulting in distention, bloating and discomfort.
• Respiratory complications. General anesthesia can sometimes lead to pneumonia.
• Longer hospital stay and recovery time. Three to five days in the hospital is the common length of stay, whereas it is less than one to three days for a vaginal birth.
• Reactions to anesthesia. The mother's health could be endangered by unexpected responses (such as blood pressure that drops quickly) to anesthesia or other medications during the surgery.
• Risk of additional surgeries. For example, hysterectomy, bladder repair, etc.
• Premature birth. If the due date was not accurately calculated, the baby could be delivered too early.
• Breathing problems. Babies born by cesarean are more likely to develop breathing problems such as transient tachypnea (abnormally fast breathing during the first few days after birth).
• Low Apgar scores. Babies born by cesarean sometimes have low Apgar scores. The low score can be an effect of the anesthesia and cesarean birth, or the baby may have been in distress to begin with. Or perhaps the baby was not stimulated as he or she would have been by vaginal birth.
• Fetal injury. Although rare, the surgeon can accidentally nick the baby while making the uterine incision.

As a mother who has had a cesarean section before, there is nothing fun about it. I cannot wrap my head around why any woman would make the informed choice to have major abdominal surgery instead of actually doing what their body was built to do. Birth babies.

The fact that our society thinks so lightly of this surgery, that it can compare the choice to choosing a flavor of ice cream screams the real problem with not only the maternity care system in this country, but the irresponsibility and ignorance of the patients, as well as the scary irresponsibility on the part of Obstetricians for allowing this serious procedure to be elective.

Place the blame on TV also.
Everytime you turn on a soap opera or nighttime medical drama, they are always making birthing women look like they are on the verge of death, and like they are going to blow up right there on the spot. What kind of message does that send to the uneducated next generation of mothers? BIRTH IS SCARY!
Turn on Special Delivery, or Maternity Ward, or that crappy show Deliver Me... and you see pregnancy and birth being treated as extremely dangerous and high risk events.
Why? Because those are the cases that get the ratings.

Chose what you will for birth.
But anyone has to question a mother for her choice to choose a risky and dangerous medical procedure to deliver her child instead of letting nature take its course.

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!

Link between C-Sections/Diabetes?

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080826080810.htm

Caesarean Babies More Likely To Develop Diabetes

ScienceDaily (Aug. 27, 2008) — Babies delivered by Caesarean section have a 20 per cent higher risk than normal deliveries of developing the most common type of diabetes in childhood, according to a study led by Queen’s University Belfast.

The team, led by Dr Chris Cardwell and Dr Chris Patterson, examined 20 published studies from 16 countries including around 10,000 children with Type 1 diabetes and over a million control children.

They found a 20 per cent increase in the risk of children born by Caesarean section developing the disease. The increase could not be explained by factors such as birth weight, the age of the mother, order of birth, gestational diabetes and whether the baby was breast-fed or not, all factors associated with childhood diabetes in previous studies.

Dr Cardwell, from the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, said: "This study revealed a consistent 20 per cent increase in the risk of Type 1 diabetes. It is important to stress that the reason for this is still not understood. It is possible that children born by Caesarean section differ from other children with respect to some unknown characteristic which consequently increases their risk of diabetes, but it is also possible that Caesarean section itself is responsible.

“Type 1 diabetes occurs when the immune system destroys the insulin producing cells in the pancreas, and one theory suggests that being born by Caesarean section may affect the development of the immune system because babies are first exposed to bacteria originating from the hospital environment rather than to maternal bacteria.”

Dr Chris Patterson said: “The study findings are interesting, but unless a biological mechanism is established it would be unwise to read too much into this association between Caesarean section delivery and diabetes.

“Fortunately figures from the Northern Ireland Type 1 diabetes register indicate that only around two per 1,000 children will develop diabetes by their 15th birthday so a 20 per cent increase is on quite a low baseline risk.”

Diabetes is a serious condition that, if not managed, can lead to fatal complications including heart disease, stroke, kidney failure and amputations. There are 2.3 million people in the UK diagnosed with diabetes and 250,000 with Type 1 diabetes. In Northern Ireland over 62,000 people have diabetes, 6,000 of them with Type 1 diabetes.

Around one in four babies in Northern Ireland are delivered by Caesarean section, which is significantly higher that the World Health Organisation’s recommended rate of 15 per cent.

Iain Foster, Director of Diabetes UK Northern Ireland, said: "Not all women have the choice of whether to have a Caesarean section or not, but those who do may wish to take this risk into consideration before choosing to give birth this way.

"We already know that genetics and childhood infections play a vital role in the development of Type 1 diabetes in children, but the findings of this study indicate that the way a baby is delivered could affect how likely it is to develop this condition later in life. Diabetes UK Northern Ireland would welcome more research in this area."

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!!!!

Thank you March Of Dimes

For a long time we all knew that there was a serious link between the dangerously high number of cesarean births and the amount of babies being born prematurely in our country.

• Women who schedule their Cesarean around their work and vacation schedule.
• Well I think my last period was April 7th, but hey, that could be 2 weeks off.
• I had a c-section with my first 3 kids and it was just sooooo easy, so pump in those pain meds and lets get that baby out!
• I don't want to stretch out my vagina!
• I am scared of child birth!
• Once a Cesarean always a Cesarean right?
• OMG my risk of uterine rupture from VBAC is just scary!

Thankfully an amazing and reputable organization in the medical community has stepped forward to shed some light on this major issue.

Thank you to The March of Dimes!
The following is a release from them.

C- Sections a Critical Factor in Preterm Birth Increase

Some C-Sections May Not Be Medically Necessary, March of Dimes Says

WHITE PLAINS, NY, MAY 28, 2008, – Cesarean sections account for nearly all of the increase in U.S. singleton preterm births, according to an analysis of nine years of national birth data.

Between 1996 and 2004 there was an increase of nearly 60,000 singleton preterm births and 92 percent of those infants were delivered by a cesarean section, (c-section), according to research by investigators from the March of Dimes and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that will be published in the June issue of Clinics in Perinatology. While singleton preterm births increased by about 10 percent during this time, the c-section rate for this group increased by 36 percent.

Preterm birth is a serious and costly health concern and is the leading cause of death in the first month of life. More than 520,000 babies – one out of every eight – are born too soon each year in the United States.

Late preterm babies, those born 34-36 weeks gestation, account for most of the increase in the US singleton preterm birth rate. These infants have a greater risk of breathing problems, feeding difficulties, temperature instability (hypothermia), jaundice, delayed brain development and death than babies born at term. This new analysis shows that that these late preterm infants had the largest increase in c-section deliveries.

“While maternal and fetal complications during pregnancy may result in the need for a c-section, we’re concerned that some early c-section deliveries may be occurring for non-medically indicated reasons,” said Alan R. Fleischman, M.D., the March of Dimes medical director and senior vice president. “We need research to determine how many c-sections that result in preterm babies are not medically indicated and may place both mother and baby at risk for little or no medical benefit. ”

C-sections are the most common major surgical procedure for women. More than 30 percent of the 4.1 million U.S. live births are delivered via c-section and the rate has increased dramatically since 1996. A c-section delivery can be lifesaving when there are complications during pregnancy, but it is a major operation with potential risks to the mother from the surgery and anesthesia and to the baby, if the delivery occurs too soon. The March of Dimes is concerned that some early deliveries may occur without good medical justification and may be done at the request of the mother or based on an inappropriate recommendation from the doctor.

“The Relationship Between Cesarean Delivery and Gestational Age Among US Singleton Births,” by Bettegowda VR. et al. will be published in Clinics in Perinatology, Vol. 35.

The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. With chapters nationwide and its premier event, March for Babies^SM, the March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.com or nacersano.org. For detailed national, state and local perinatal statistics, visit PeriStats at www.marchofdimes.com/peristats

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!