Hey, been a lurker here forever and had to chime in on this one...please bear with me, as I am not at all a good writer (thus the lack of posts on my part).

The c/section rate in the US is now over 1 in 4 births. Despite this, the rate of cerebral palsy and infant deaths has NOT gone down.
A C/section DOES NOT guarantee a good outcome. What it does do is "prove" that the medpros have done "everything possible" to save the baby, thus decreasing their chances of being successfully sued.

The majority of the time a c/section the result of cascading medical interventions, many unnecessary and some of which downright dangerous. Pregnant women are almost never informed of the risks involved in these "routine" practices and they are very often coerced into unnecessary c/sections in the confusion that ensues. They are NOT told that this major abdominal surgery is not just an alternative to vaginal birth but will greatly increase the baby's chances of ending up in the NICU, increase the risks to future pregnancies (infertility, miscarriage, placental problems, etc), affect any of their future births, and possibly compromise their future reproductive and general health (secondary complications come with ALL major surgery and c/section is no exception).

NOW......

Pregnant women all over the country are being denied the right to birth their babies vaginally AFTER a c/section. Vaginal birth after c/section is SAFER in MOST cases. This ban on VBAC (vag birth after c/s) is NOT based on scientific evidence, birth outcomes, etc but on liability issues and ONE very flawed study in hundreds to the contrary. The interests of pregnant women and their babies are most definitely NOT foremost here. More and more hospitals everyday are closing their doors to VBAC simply to avoid lawsuits. More and more pregnant women who simply want the safest birth are left with little choice but birth at home or submit to surgery.

This is not a small number of women being subjected to forced major abdominal surgery. The C/section rates are very high and increase every year, so naturally many many women are going to birth after a c/section. This is affecting so many women and babies and yet....
Have you heard about it? Or did you assume that the medical professionals look out for a mother and child's well being first and foremost?

The medpros are not god; medical advice is just that, ADVICE. More often than not an ob will recommend a Csection not in the interest of the mother or baby's well being but for liability purposes. Many OBs, when pressed, will admit this. Check out an OB discussion forum if you feel inclined.

Many OBs seek out even the most dubious reasons for imposing the decision for c/sec upon a mother especially one attempting vbac. As far as the safety of the fetus - of the many ways in which fetal viability is assessed, all are far from foolproof. The two most widely utilized instruments for diagnosing fetal distress are electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) and Ultrasound. Neither of which, with routine use, have provided a better overall outcome for babies. Both devices have wide margins of error and results are seemingly arbitrarily interpreted by each different doctor. Study after study has proven that each doctor or tech may have a different interpretation of the same exact information gained from these machines.

There are very good reasons for performing a c/s and I do not dispute that at all. I just want to point out that valid reasons are FAR MORE RARE than OBs would have us believe. And a c/section is not a cure; it is not a guarantee for a healthy baby.

None of us will ever know what the exact situation was with this woman in Utah, but regardless, it is incredibly frightening to think what could come of it...if I want to birth my next child the safest way possible but am denied that right at hospital after hospital, can I be charged with attempted murder for not following the doctors' advice (i.e.: establishment's best interest)?
How the heck can this be happening?

If you feel what I've said is false please research, read the studies, look at the forums, talk with a midwife...I'll be happy to talk about this further if anyone wants.

With much warm to all you mudcatters,

Jennifer Langan


ps. does anyone remember the monty python skit with the machine that goes ping?! Today's birth culture.

pps. that pelvis being too "small" or "angular" or whatever is pure HOOEY. Unless a woman was severely malnourished or had rickets, her pelvis will be fine for birth if she is given the opportunity to birth as her body dictates - not uphill backwards in the snow.