Birth, The American Way

36 years in Respiratory Therapy, just retired, saw and encouraged the incoming of Lamaze programs, have noticed and spoken of the increase in c-sections over the last decade and a half. Natural birth has become a liability, and as Yabroff puts it, "Non-profitable". I'm not against C-sections, I have been to many and seen many mothers and premature babies saved by this technique, surgery should always be a last option due to its risks and complications. By the way, I was born naturally, feet first, umbilical cord wrapped around my throat three times, "Breach" in 1950. Thankyou, Mom! Thankyou Dr Simpson for "being there".
Jack S.

The US has more c-sections - and more infant mortality -...What an irresponsible statement. What a disgusting, judgemental and ridiculous "article". I agree with the comments about the "baby bullies". When I told my doctor, who was also pregnant when she delivered my daughter, that I was having a baby because I wanted to experience the work and joy of raising a child, not because I wanted to have my experience of a specific kind of birth, she practically applauded. Sadly, I've known women who got all caught up in the politically correct ways of "natural birth", and then seemed to lose interest when it came to actual parenting. Giving birth is the work of minutes or hours and women have been doing it all over the world as long as humans have existed. The real test of mothering occurs over the span of THE REST OF YOUR LIFE ladies, so maybe lets just save our energy for that and start supporting each other in actually raising our beautiful children.

It seems to me that some women who have given birth by C-Section get defensive when someone suggests that a natural, vaginal birth is a safer and better choice. It is not an issue of "being judged" as much as it is of being educated. My wife gave birth to our fist son by C-Section. It was medically necessary and that was our only choice. There is nothing wrong with that. He is healthy today. However, why get so defensive about the delivery process? She wanted to have all subsequent babies naturally. We understood that this was better for her health and the babies health. The next two were born vaginally in a hospital. The next one was born naturally by a midwife. The next one was born vaginally in a hospital. And, the current one will be born in our home (really naturally) with good ole dad (me) being the attendant (no midwife)--just me and my wife. That's six children. We have had them every way imaginable. With a subjective opinion, we both agree that homes are better than hospitals, less hands are better than more hands, vaginas are better than C-cuts and open minds to the natural are better than being easily offended.

I had 1 c-section and 3 VBACs with no interventiona or drugs. The c-section was due to breech position. I believe that women need to stop being so selfish. God created the body to carry and delivery a baby and it's been doing an amazing job for thousands of years. That being said I know women die in childbirth and intervention is necessary and an amazing gift, however women need to realize that just becuase they are sick of being pregnant and want to "schedule the bith" isn't the safest or best option. Studies have over and over again proved that inductions and planned c-sections increase the risk of mortality and complications. Women listen to whatever their providers say without taking any personal responsibility and researching the subjects on their own. For reasons I have yet to understand doctors are not giving women the entire truth. Maybe its convenience maybe its money, but they are simply not sharing the simple fact that 90% of the time your body will go into labor naturally without any medical interventions and 90% of the time women can deliver without any medical interventions. Pitocin and epididural have been proven to slow down labors and cause complications...if I women would like to choose this option I believe that's their choice, however they need to be given the honest facts.

I've had two homebirths with a midwife. With the first, I was in hard labor 36 hours, the baby's heart rate dropped at the end and I did some major pushing, the cord was wrapped and I bled way too much. But, my midwife knew exactly what to do in every situation and my 9 lb. 23 inch son (who spoke sentences at 10 months) and I (who only had a slight tear that didn't even burn) were both perfectly fine. My daughter's birth was complication-free. Hospitals are great in real emergencies and I love my doctor, but birth is a natural process and having a midwife there who is trained to spot and deal with problems (including a transfer to a hospital if necessary) is the best choice.

Its so sad that people see birth as a medical condition... another disease that needs curing...

Such "articles" do nothing to the problem but scare women into making the "right" decision. My water broke with my son. I did not go into labor so they used pitocin, and epidural. Am I supposed to feel bad that my son's birth was not "natural"? I'm now pregnant with triplets. I asked my doctor if I can give birth naturally and his response was "Not in this country." I am disappointed that I have to go through a C-section, and articles like this do nothing but to increase a mother's anxiety, compound her disappointment, and make her further guilty. If they really mean well, they should write a more balanced article, not use scare-tactics.

I completely agree with the comments from AlabamaBirth. We have choices, we should be grateful. Have the birth you choose, if you medically can....it's your body and your baby.

It is so sad to me that people think of birth as a medical condition... another disease we need to cure.

Maybe some of you should just deliver without a doctor, since you were treated so horribly by physicians whose only motivation was money and getting onto the golf course. I'm sure you know far better when to chose a c-section over vaginal delivery than a physician. Speaking as an educated person, a lot of these comments sound really ignorant.

vote ron paul he is for health freedom unlike any other republican; watch this ;it s from yesterday nbc debate

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYaBt5vhjX0

vote ron paul he is for health freedom unlike any other republican; watch this ;it s from yesterday nbc debate

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYaBt5vhjX0

Perhaps the reason that the US has a higher rate of infant mortality than other developed nations is the fact that many of our fellow citizens do not have access to adequate health care, NOT the fact that we have so many c-section births. It's amazing how statistics can be skewed in order to push one side of the issue's view. Does anyone even remember that before modern medicine, thousands of women DIED in childbirth?

Some of the comments I am reading are very disheartening to me. This is not a case of physicians doing c-sections just to make a profit. Being the wife of an ob/gyn and mother of four, I know this from first hand experience. I have been with my husband through medical school, two residencies, and a fellowship. A total of 12 years of school and training (not even counting his undergraduate years). While doing his residency training, he had to work 2 jobs, in addtion to his regular residency training, totaling about 90-120 hours a week, just to support his family. It has been his life dream to be a physician and be able to help people. He has had to make many sacrifices and work very hard to become a doctor. My husband cares tremendously about his patients and only wants what is best for them. However, beacuse of America's tort system, many physicans opt to do c-sections to prevent being sued by their own patients. You see if they don't elect to do a c-section and something does go wrong with the baby, then many patients will hire a litigation attorney and sue their ob/gyn. This is why the US now faces a shortage of OB/Gyn physicians in many areas of the country. They can no longer afford to pay the high malpractice insurance that has resulted from so many lawsuits. This is a big reason for why America's c-section rate is so much higher that other countries, not because of greedy doctors or hospitals trying to make a profit.