BlogHer - Maternal Mortality - Comments

is giving birth the only aspect of child rearing with risk?

Icha — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 17:26:44 -0600

It seems strange to point this out, but does the argument against homebirth ever substitute other things for birthplace to test its logic? For example, has anyone ever thought about requiring all parents to buy volvos and prohibit them from buying, say, a mazda sports car because an infant (and its parents) would be far safer in a volvo if they are involved in a crash? Or how about the carseat itself? Not all carseats are equal, some are much safer than others. Should parents be required to buy only the absolute safest car seat? Of course not, no one ever even considers these things, even though car crash fatalities are a leading cause of death for children and adults. These are things we are allowed to decide for ourselves based on many factors, including basic freedoms of freedom from unwarrented government surveillance and interference.

I believe that homebirths are the safest option for some people, myself included. Safety statistics aside, does society apply the same readiness to legislate to behaviors that don't have to do with women's bodies and reproductive capacity? It doesn't...the minute a woman's reproductive capacity is concerned, we (this society) think we have the right to make all sorts of laws governing what she can and can't do. Most other behaviors are left up to choice. This is not about what option is safest. It's about who gets to make reproductive choices for women: professoinal organizations, the courts, the state, other interested parties, or the woman herself.

CDC data

MinorityView — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 20:51:13 -0600

Interesting analysis of the CDC data here:

http://womantowomancbe.wordpress.com/2008/09/18/excess-preventable-morta...

The point of the analysis is that the particular set which Dr. Amy Tuteur is using to claim that home birth with a direct entry midwife has a higher rate of mortality for the baby has an oddity. A number of the deaths are due to conditions which would have resulted in death EVEN if the baby had been born in the hospital. Most of the analysis has to do with possible reasons for the existence of the fatal conditions--which can be summed up as less amniocentesis leading to fewer abortions. This is the same reason that Ireland (fewer abortions) has more babies who die shortly after birth than France (more abortions). So these numbers don't actually support midwife error or place of birth dangers as causing at least some of the deaths.

Birth is Beautiful

amon4923 — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 16:20:15 -0600

I think that the most important concept to remember is that birth is beautiful. Whether you’re delivering in a hospital or in a hut, the result of an average of nine months of pregnancy and delivery is to be able to start your lifelong journey with your baby.

I also believe that all aspects, from conception to delivery, should be viewed as another element to the extraordinary process of childbirth. With that said, I feel that the idea of a natural delivery as not only entirely safe but also an empowering process, is masked in hospitals. From being thrown into a wheelchair to hooked up to IV’s and monitoring, birth is seen as nothing short of a medical affair. This idea leads women to see themselves as patients and often allows authoritarian doctors to guide their bodies through delivery for them. It’s discouraging to hear a doctor tell you you’re not progressing “quickly enough” (leading to drugs like pitocin or cervadil – which can lead to distress of the baby – which can lead to a c-section). When women don’t fit into the “typical” mold doctors are taught they should, they take matters into their own hands, showing women that their bodies are just not good enough. When in reality, all women are different, and if doctors were better trained in NATURAL childbirth, America wouldn’t be experiencing the spike in interventions, c-sections, and who knows what other consequences our babies are dealing with because of this.

I believe childbirth to be a time for families to welcome their newest addition, and what better place than at home? For millions of years our ancestors were delivering at home, devoid of electronic fetal monitoring and epidurals, and the proof of its success is in our mere existence.

The fact of the matter is...

Colormepink — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 09:23:20 -0600

Women have been having babies... well forever. I chose to have mine in a hospital setting, but if I had to do it over again, I think I would have chosen differently. I had a terrible experience, both times and I regret it. Instead of feeling powerful and satisfied, I was made to feel weak, the drs. were disrespectful of the process and I was miserable. I couldn't wait to get home, cut and torn as I was, so that I would be in charge of myself and my child.

The idea that we're too stupid to make our own decisions is becoming so prevelant, and it seems over and over that it's big business that is perpetuating this idea in order to save themselves. I think that society as a whole is starting to turn back toward a more holistic life, our food choices, medical treatment choices, and education choices to name a few.

Technology in our homes has given us so many more choices and so much more information that it surprisingly seems to be putting an end to a lot of the "big industry" that has ruled for so long. I think we're going to see more and more of this kind of attempt at control as these "industries" struggle to remain the big business that they have been.

We must continue to stay informed and fight against this control over our choices. It is our choice and must remain so.

Christine
It's My World. Welcome To It.
Blog: http://www.colormepink.com
Homeschool Blog: http://web.mac.com/colormepink/
Jewelry Blog: http://www.starbrightjewels.com/blog

The vaginal birth is the one

bobloblaw — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 15:49:45 -0500

If given birth normally, the kid might present complications with the cord around his neck.

what?! you must be a man. women have been giving birth vaginally for literally, thousands of years. NO woman would chose a c - section over a vaginal birth.

My best friend had her first 2 children in a hospital, drugged up, and was miserable. she felt like both the doctors, nurses and staff didnt really care about her or her baby. She felt disconnected qto her children b/c they were taken away.

Her third child (and last to date) was born at home with a midwife, and she LOVED the experience. even said it made giving birth fun.

I was born myself in a boothing center via midwife, but, alas - i do not remember much of it. lol.

-----
miami maritime lawyer

Fabulous

Amy Gates — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 11:38:55 -0500

Thank you for doing whatever you can to help spread the word, Kelly. :)

Amy
Crunchy Domestic Goddess
BlogHers Act contributing editor

This is an excellent idea.

mamarussell — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 11:00:19 -0500

This is an excellent idea. I will be passing the word around.

Kelly

Happy wife and contented mother

Wisdom Begun

I'm glad you will be taking

Amy Gates — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 15:42:34 -0500

I'm glad you will be taking it and hope you will pass it along to other women you know who've recently had kids. It certainly has the potential to be a great tool for so many. :)

Amy
Crunchy Domestic Goddess
BlogHers Act contributing editor

I tried to take the survey

amamasblog — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:28:21 -0500

I tried to take the survey but couldn't figure out how to get past a certain point- it kept kicking me out. Now that I know what the problem was (user error) I will be taking it soon. This will be a great resource.Heather* A Mama's Blog- A Mama's Blog

you are so twisted- DEM

rshannigan — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 18:39:11 -0500

you are so twisted- DEM stands for DIRECT ENTRY MIDWIFE, it has nothing to do with place of birth. in washington and in California, CNM's deliver at home and in hospitals, depending on what's best for the patiends. so the chart you showed isn't really saying what you're interpreting it to say.

I think you'd have a hard time finding a homebirth midwife willing to deliver a high-risk pregnancy at home. So naturally, the docs would be a little worse. However, you can't attribute the birth outcome solely to the location of the delivery any more than you can attribute it to the color of the woman's skin or anythign else.

It's not surprising that the AMA opposes homebirth. Homebirth with a homebirth midwife is cheap and safe; it trivializes the need for a medical institution that profits when people are sick and dying.

http://mrshannigan.blogspot.com

poor sweet mamas + babies

modmom — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:41:36 -0500

great post amy!

reminds me how lucky i am to survive cancer + enjoy mothering my daughter

Link Textmod*mom

modmom.blogspot.com

WOW! no words~I wish Matt

lilmommythatcould — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 06:55:31 -0500

WOW! no words~I wish Matt and his beautiful baby all the love in the world.

~Susan

http://lilmomthatcould.com/

" Through Pain Find Strength, Through Birth Find Healing."

Mama Sayana Doula support — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 09:25:34 -0500

I abosultely agree with you when you stated that "birth is meant to be a rite of passage for a woman into motherhood... she should be cared, supported and loved to arrive in motherhood in one piece-body, heart, mind and soul."

As a Labour and Postpartum Doula I ensure that new moms are equipped with the uncersored knowledge of pregnancy, childbirth and the initial postpartum period.

During my own childbirth experience, things didn't go as planned as I was in labour for 56 hours. In the end, I was left battling a mild case of PPD. With the right support I was able to bounce back and cope, and made a comforting transition into my new role as mom.

Many women are not aware of their options as birthing moms, and some are forced into making uninformed decisions at the cost of their dignity. Many women are left feeling robbed of such a special experience.

When they are fully informed they are empowered and equipped to enter this momentous experience, and are able to deal effectively with the unexpected.

In my line of work, I encourage new parents to replay their brithing expereince and come to terms with the realtiy of any trauma or mishaps that they had to face.

This gives them the opportunity to become aware of and work through their emotional shock following the traumatic event.

As it is written "Through pain find strength, through birth find healing."

---

Carla Parchment --- Labour, Postpartum & Hypno-Birthing Doula

mamasayanadoulasupport.blogspot.com/

What the study seems to fail

Jodi Cleghorn — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 22:53:46 -0500

What the study seems to fail to report is that it is not just painful birth (like most mothers I wont say that mine didn't hurt a bloody lot) and difficult births. It is also where women are left feeling disempowered, raped by the medical system, bullied, shut out and not listened to. Instances where they feel as though they did not give consent to procedures (such as episiotomies) or were threatened (for failure to progress we will take you in for a caesarean).

What can be done? Rather than trying to put women back together how about the medical professional take a good hard look at itself and reflect on what it is that is causing women to suffer trauma. Women who are given the opporuntunity to have empowered births - to feel as though they have an active and participatory role in their care, their birth choices and their birth outcomes .. women who experience this type of birth do not suffer from trauma.

And sadly more and more women are feeling traumatised from birth - which is meant to be a rite of passage for a woman into motherhood ... she should be cared, supported and loved to arrive in motherhood in one piece - body,heart, mind and soul.

Being hooked up to machines, forced onto your back, being denied love, support and privacy, being cut open to speed the process along; being 'bought on' because you're 'over due' or its more covenient for the doctor, being backed into corners, bullied and forced into having caesareans - none of this is the natural blueprint for birth.

I feel very blessed and very lucky to have been able to have a private midwife and to have birthed my son at home (not without complications!) Until we allow women to access whatever birthing option they want, and provide one-to-one midwifery care in whatever setting she wants ... things are going to get worse, rather than better.

You also make avery valid point about women laughing off their trauma. There are few opportunities for women, their partners and their families to debrief after a traumatic birth. Women carry it around with them, and are never given a chance to work their way through it. To find healing.

Jodi Cleghorn

Mother, writer, editor and activist

www.jodicleghorn.blogspot.com

Passion

mrodgers — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:49:48 -0500

I wrote a blog that I posted last week here on blogher about Women's Power and that it will be Women who "reclaim" the planet and overcome global devistation.

These are amazing times, and frightening times. The presidential election being the closest women have ever really gotton to achieving office, the momtrepenuer movement...Blogher, and women all over the world joining their voices in communities to educate and inspire each other. These Rwandan Women will forgive because they know inherently it's the only way to achieve real progress. Fear and Love being the most powerful oppossing emotions they must choose love to overcome, which only a group of such devistated women can do. It makes me tearful, fierce, proud.

You will get over your botched job I hope (I have no doubt, and I'm so sorry) because it's clear you speak the same language as these women, otherwise you would not have posted and inspired me to comment. Thanks for bringing their healing into my life. Congrats on the birth of your son

Monica Rodgers www.earthsavers.typepad.com or www.littlebits.com