I must admit, I do follow your blog, because I find it comical and slightly amusing, but one question has really been plaguing me for a while now, and as I am sure you chronically google your own name on a daily basis I am sure you will eventually stumble upon this.
Your primary subject to post about is home birth and midwives, when there are so many more important issues taking place in the obstetric community, and the maternity care system in The United States today. As someone who previously practiced medicine in this system, I would assume you would have seen the serious flaws that we are facing in the hospital birth system which makes up for over 90% of the births that take place in our country.
First, the cesarean section numbers. The amount of women and babies that are being subjected to unnecessary cesarean sections, early cesarean sections, complications from cesarean sections in post partum periods, as well as in future pregnancies. Why not discuss all of this?
Or what about the premature birth rates which are being increased by not only cesarean sections before 40 weeks gestation, but the amount of labor inductions taking place also. Whether for medical or non medical reasons. Shouldn't there be stricter guidelines in these practices to help ensure lower premature babies, or lower neo natal death rates since our country is ranking horribly in that?
What about the amount of women who are dying through this current maternity care system. Not just the women who die from home birth, or unassisted births but the women who are dying in our hospitals, sometimes victim to the number of interventions women are being put through in the current drive-thru type birthing system we are currently seeing?
Why not address the real issues that are killing mothers and babies at higher rates than the hand full of home birth horrors? Is it a personal vendetta or is your only concern to try and slander home birth as much as possible since you can't practice medicine anymore anyways?
I am sure you will either call me out to a debate or simply ignore everything I have said, but I only hope I can plant a seed as to what the real problem in our country is.
Signed,
2 Time Cesarean Section Mother & Advocate
Showing posts with label home birth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label home birth. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
There is no debate
I continually am hearing the term "homebirth debate" but the term makes no sense what so ever. There is no such thing as a debate over home birth. It is a choice, you either choose it because it is right for you, or you do not choose it because it is not the right choice for you. Simple as that really.
There may be a debate over the safety of childbirth choices, but that is a whole different ballgame in itself.
It almost reminds me of the whole abortion debate. Its nonsense. Either the choice of abortion is right for you or it is not. Other people cannot make that decision for you, including lawmakers. The same should go for birth choices. The restrictions that are being placed on pregnant women are reminiscent of suffrage. If we take a step backwards and start to restrict the places, and ways that women are allowed to birth their babies, then what is next? Women can only see OB/GYN's for pre natal care and delivery? Freestanding birth centers will up and close? All male infants will be automatically circumcised? Women will not longer be able to make informed choices about their care?
Well I mean, we all know that "informed consent" in our country which is supposed to be LAW is nothing more than a joke, and anyone who has had a baby in a hospital recently can attest to this. Even the best of Doctors and Nurses are not always giving full information on the procedures or interventions.
Long story short, the system is a mess, that there is no debate over. The modern day maternity care system, which should be called the Obstetric care system is failing and that is proven in the numbers of maternal and infant deaths and injuries during births, as well as with the rising cesarean rate. There needs to be a huge change.
There may be a debate over the safety of childbirth choices, but that is a whole different ballgame in itself.
It almost reminds me of the whole abortion debate. Its nonsense. Either the choice of abortion is right for you or it is not. Other people cannot make that decision for you, including lawmakers. The same should go for birth choices. The restrictions that are being placed on pregnant women are reminiscent of suffrage. If we take a step backwards and start to restrict the places, and ways that women are allowed to birth their babies, then what is next? Women can only see OB/GYN's for pre natal care and delivery? Freestanding birth centers will up and close? All male infants will be automatically circumcised? Women will not longer be able to make informed choices about their care?
Well I mean, we all know that "informed consent" in our country which is supposed to be LAW is nothing more than a joke, and anyone who has had a baby in a hospital recently can attest to this. Even the best of Doctors and Nurses are not always giving full information on the procedures or interventions.
Long story short, the system is a mess, that there is no debate over. The modern day maternity care system, which should be called the Obstetric care system is failing and that is proven in the numbers of maternal and infant deaths and injuries during births, as well as with the rising cesarean rate. There needs to be a huge change.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Slightly Amusing
I found myself at The Department of Motor Vehicles late last week to re-new my drivers license. I was hesitant because I am 37 weeks pregnant and ready to pop, and you can see it! But I guess that beats driving illegally.
I sit down in a row, a couple people down from a pregnant woman who looks like she could be about 32 weeks pregnant. She moves her seat and comes over to talk. Which really surprised me because there really aren't too many friendly people left out there. So we strike up a conversation about what we clearly have in common. I asked her when she was due and she says "My due date is September something, but they are doing a scheduled C-Section on August 22nd at 38 weeks you?"
Stopped me right in my tracks! I proceeded to tell her that I am due in 3 weeks. So she asks what kind of birth I am having.
"Oh, I am having a planned home birth. I had a C-Section with my first and my second and third were born at home"
Her face looked like I just ran her puppy over. She almost looked speechless until she came out with one of the rudest, ignorant, and down right nasty thing's you could ever say.
"You should be in jail for trying to kill your babies"
WHAT?!
It is so sad that today people can still say things like that.
I sit down in a row, a couple people down from a pregnant woman who looks like she could be about 32 weeks pregnant. She moves her seat and comes over to talk. Which really surprised me because there really aren't too many friendly people left out there. So we strike up a conversation about what we clearly have in common. I asked her when she was due and she says "My due date is September something, but they are doing a scheduled C-Section on August 22nd at 38 weeks you?"
Stopped me right in my tracks! I proceeded to tell her that I am due in 3 weeks. So she asks what kind of birth I am having.
"Oh, I am having a planned home birth. I had a C-Section with my first and my second and third were born at home"
Her face looked like I just ran her puppy over. She almost looked speechless until she came out with one of the rudest, ignorant, and down right nasty thing's you could ever say.
"You should be in jail for trying to kill your babies"
WHAT?!
It is so sad that today people can still say things like that.
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