C-Sections
I am shocked at the c-section rate in the US. Really, the latest report says 1/3 of women have them, regardless of whether they are more likely to have a healthy uncomplicated birth or not.
In my own personal research, I’ve found that c-sections seem to be a doctor’s last resort when labor takes longer than anticipated. When considering this logic, think about how hospitals make money… the more patients, the more $$$. If a mother takes too long in labor, the doctor can schedule a c-section in order to speed up the process (and insure a higher patient turnover rate). I FIND THIS ABSURD.
A c-section is major surgery. I do not understand a doctor telling a mother she needs this kind of surgery when she’s taken only 12 hours of labor. Mind you, that is half a day; that’s a long time to be in pain. However, that can be normal. Some women can take 2, 3, even 4 times longer in labor given Mother Nature the ability to perform to her own time frame. If the baby comes into trouble, of course I can see a c-section being necessary. For instance, my sister couldn’t be born normally because the umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck. Every time my mom had a contraction, my sister’s heart rate would go crazy. Of course this is an emergency! Forcing a mother to stick to a doctor’s schedule does not equal emergency.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/04/health/04infant.html