Mary,
I have read Gloria's remark in the past and I must
say that I do not agree. My observation is purely anecdotal and not at all
scientific, but from what I have observed, women end up with a high rate of
intervention because they are told they need it.
When I was younger and poorer and myself and my
friends did not have private health insurance, we went to the public hospital to
have our babies. We went through the midwives clinic and most of us had
straightforward births. Very few c-secs, epidurals and
dramas.
I now have a uni degree and a job that goes along
with it. My colleagues have private health insurance and nearly every one
of them - several women at my work have had babies in the last two years - has
had a c-sec. The *one* who had a vaginal birth had a long labour with
epidural and instrumental delivery, lots of stitches, a full term baby who ended
up in NICU for a week due to epidural fever which *could have* meant an
infection, prophylactic abx, breastfeeding issues, etc. This woman is so
traumatised by her experience that she insists she will never have another baby
unless it is by c-sec. Those that DID have c-secs had them because they
were told they were necessary. Every one of those women planned a
"natural" birth and enrolled in birth classes with this in mind.
The reasons they were given for *needing* a
c-sec? One was 7 days past EDD ("very dangerous" said Dr) so she was
sectioned - not even induced! One was told that her baby was way too big
to be born vaginally - bubs turned out to be the same size as the woman's first
baby! Another was a failed induction, she was 7 days past EDD and was
told this is "very dangerous". Her doctor also told her he had never, in
his decades of practice, seen an induction that didn't work. Another was
diagnosed with GD and told baby was too big and due to the GD the birth could be
complicated. Another had pre-eclampsia and the babies (twins) were
delivered via c-sec at 28 weeks (she was told vaginal birth is too risky for
premmies). Another was told she had to have a c-sec because she was
"high-risk" due to an incident of spotting in her tenth week of pregnancy and
the RSI in her wrists. Another was sectioned because the baby would be too
big - bubs was 5lb 11oz.
Incidentally, all but two of these women were in
their 20s when they had their babies. Also, most of them were told after
the sugery that it was a good thing the c-sec had been done because the baby was
facing the wrong way and had the cord around its neck so it could not have been
born vaginally (or would have been stillborn).
There are three women currently pregnant at my work, including
myself. The other two are seeing private OBs and planning "natural" births
in the private hospital. One has already been told that she may have
problems as she had such severe morning sickness it could mean something is
wrong. The other is due around the same time as me (October) and told me
recently that she believes a doctor's advice NOT to read or research during
pregnancy is a good thing. We talked about prenatal testing and she feels
that it is important to have all the tests (becuase her doctor siad to)
and that she will trust him to act appropriately on the results. She will
not do any research into any of this herself but trust him to do his job.
In my last pregnancy (my daughter is 21 months old) I had the scans and
tests I was told to have (until I changed my caregiver halfway through the
pregnancy). Early bloods revealed high AFP levels which meant my baby
*could* have a neural tube defect. The 18 week scan revealed my baby's
kidneys *may* be a bit on the small side which *could* mean a problem.
Also I had a low-lying placenta which *could* mean dramas at the birth.
Turned out bubs was normal, her kidneys are fine and the placenta was closer to
my ribs than my cervix by the time I was full term. But what an emotional
roller coaster! When I told my doctor halfway through the pregnancy that I
was changing my care option and planning a homebirth she lectured me on pain
relief; how would I possibly cope if there were none availble?? According
to her I wouldn't be able to relax without pain relief and the labour could
be complicated.
I do see and hear women being overly dramatic about
their pregnancies and births... but because they were led to believe - by their
care providers - that it was a dangerous situation! I have been told over
and over again that the doctor said if the c-sec hadn't been done the baby, and
possibly the mother, would have died. I think these women all think I am
some sort of freak of nature as I have had three striaghtforward - in fact
beautiful! - vaginal births, the last a planned homebirth. Nary a
complication or obstetrician in sight at any of my births.
I have read, on this list, of a midwife who tells
her patients that if she doesn't hop up on the bed for examinations and delivery
the baby will die. So how many women have been traumatised by this
midwife? We have people like David Molloy spreading the word, through the
media, that a woman attempting a vaginal birth after 2 c-secs has a 5-20% chance
of uterine rupture! Who is being dramatic?! I read an article in the
Australian this year in which this obstetrician talked about evolution and
nature being a "bitch" and how intervention is necessary to save women from
being phased out of the human race due to inadequate pelvi. According to
this doctor, birth is very dangerous. He speaks on behalf of the AMA, and
I think most people would take what he says to be accurate. Is it any
wonder that women believe they would have died and their baby would have died if
not for the doctor's life saving skill!
Another friend recently had her second miscarriage
in a year. She has a healthy four year old who was conceived and carried
to term without difficulty. When my friend had her second miscarriage her
Gyn insisted she and her husband may have some sort of genetic abnormality and
may have to rely on IVF or adoption if they want another child. He has
sent the couple for genetic testing at a cost of thousands of dollars. He
has not mentioned her general health (she is very overweight with high blood
pressure and the start of diabetes) but has gone straight to the high-tech
"solution" to their problem. While I do not deny that two pregnancy losses
would be devastating, it seems a bit dramatic to be discussing genetic
abnormalities when the couple have had a healthy child. This couple was
told that this was the appropriate way to go and they have not questioned the
doctor's advice. Is it any wonder these two talk - rather dramatically -
about their possble chromosome issues?
I realise the above is anecdotal but it is a
pattern I notice consistently and while I DO hear women talking about how
dramatic their births were and how it was life and death, it is because they
were told that by someone they trusted as an "expert".
Rachele
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