I came across this video on Facebook recently. It really shows the stark difference for moms, dads, and babies when comparing cesareans to vaginal births. The mother in this video has two cesareans, then a homebirth. The video is very emotional to watch. It’s amazing to see the differences in her experiences, and also her husband’s reactions during her natural birth.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recently released a new statement about VBAC, which you can read here. If you’ve had a previous cesarean section, that doesn’t mean you’re automatically forced to have cesareans for future births as well. If you’d like to learn more about VBAC, contact us, and join our local ICAN message board.
Baby Steps offers natural and prepared childbirth classes, breastfeeding classes and support, and doula services in the metro Atlanta area. Current locations include East Point, Douglasville, Marietta, Kennesaw, Buckhead, Sandy Springs, Lawrenceville, and Decatur. If these locations are not convenient for you we also offer private, in-home classes on your schedule. Contact us for more information. babysteps@babystepsonline.net
Cesarean surgery can be life-saving for both mothers and babies. C-sections are not bad things, in and of themselves. But in the United States almost one third of babies are born by cesarean, mostly unnecessarily. These excess surgeries, above and beyond those which are truly necessary, put moms and babies at unnecessary risk for all kinds of complications that they would not face during a normal vaginal birth. This article summarizes a study which found that babies born by cesarean are more vulnerable to certain infections and allergies than babies born vaginally. This includes bacteria linked to food poisoning, and MRSA.
All expectant mothers face the risk of a cesarean, and unless you prepare to avoid one, you may find yourself on the receiving end of an unnecessary surgery. There are things you can do to avoid an unnecessary c-section:
Hire a birth attendant with a low c-section rate. 10-15% is the maximum, including high-risk women. If your practice’s rate is higher than this, or if they won’t or say they “cant” disclose their rate, find a better practice.
Avoid induction unless absolutely necessary. Be sure to research what are true valid reasons for induction; most women who are induced were not induced for medical reasons and induction doubles your risk of ending up with a c-section.
Hire a doula. Women with doulas are half as likely to end up in surgery.
Take a comprehensive childbirth class that teaches you not only how to handle labor, but how to be a smart consumer when it comes to your health.
Eat well, making sure you get a wide variety of foods and 75+ grams of protein per day during pregnancy.
Stay active during your pregnancy, exercising at least 30 minutes per day, 5 days per week.
April is Cesarean Awareness month, and I think there’s a lot of confusion about what that means. The Georgia Birth Network and ICAN of Atlanta put together a rally this weekend outside Piedmont Hospital. We received a lot of encouraging honks and waves and thumbs-up, but also a few negative comments and angry reactions. Whenever the subject of birth comes up, it seems to bring about strong, even defensive reactions. I think it would help for more women to understand why those of us who are passionate about natural birth and cesarean awareness feel the way we do.
ICAN is not an anti-cesarean organization. Women who advocate for cesarean awareness are not opposed to c-sections. Cesarean awareness is about making more women (and their partners) aware of the fact that most cesareans done in the United States are not necessary, and that c-sections carry greater risks than vaginal births. The c-section rate in the United States in 2008 was 32.3%. Georgia’s rate is even higher, and we rank last for maternal mortality in the U.S. There is a small percentage of women who choose elective c-section, and a small percentage of c-sections that are necessary for medical reasons. But most c-sections are not medically necessary, even when women are lead to believe that they are.
Women who advocate for natural birth and/or cesarean awareness don’t do it because we look down on other women’s choices. What we want is for all women to be allowed to make their own informed decisions. We want doctors to explain the true risks of cesarean surgery to their patients before cutting them. We have to speak up for natural birth so loudly because the hospitals don’t support it in a way that makes it possible for most women who would prefer it. We have no desire to force other women to have natural births; we only want to be able to choose hospital birth if we’re so inclined without having our own natural birth choices sabotaged by the system.
So when you see all of our Facebook and blog posts about birth-related topics, keep in mind that what we’re about is education. We want women to be informed, and we want them to be in control of how and where they give birth. If you’re someone who gave birth by cesarean and you’re pleased with your experience, then we’re pleased too. But there are many, many women who are not pleased, who feel they were cut unnecessarily, even deceived by the practice they trusted to help them with the births of their babies. Cesarean awareness is about educating the public, and supporting all women in making their own informed decisions about their births.
I have a long history of always being involved in some sort of cause. Before I had kids, I spent a lot of time in pet rescue. Though I’ve moved on as far as where I spend the majority of my time, I still feel passionately about animal welfare and responsible pet ownership. What I focus on now is supporting the International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN) in preventing unnecessary cesareans and supporting VBAC, promoting breastfeeding, and opposing routine infant circumcision.
What are you passionate about? What causes do you support? Please post a blurb about your favorite cause in the comments. Include a link if you have one. Please read everyone else’s comments, and let’s use this post to spread awareness.
Almost one woman in three in the United States will have her baby surgically, by c-section. Many women would prefer to avoid surgery, but what if you’ve already had one cesarean? Is it really safe to have a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean)? The science says yes! The main risk involved with VBAC is that of having a uterine rupture, but the risk of that happening is extremely low, occurring in fewer than 1% of women. When deciding whether to have a VBAC or a repeat cesarean, be sure to also consider the risks of a c-section. Take into account that the risk of some things increases with each addition c-section.
A new study found women having a vaginal birth after three cesareans have the same odds of a successful VBAC and the same level of risk as women planning a vaginal birth after just one cesarean. Even if you’ve had more than one cesarean, you aren’t forced to continue to have c-sections. http://www3.interscience. wiley.com/ journal/12326660 8/abstract? CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0
If you think you’d like to have a VBAC, here are some tips:
Find a supportive caregiver. This is often the most challenging part of planning a VBAC! But truly supportive midwives and obstetricians do exist.
A great source of information regarding cesarean sections and VBAC is the International Cesarean Awareness Network. The national group is here, and our local Atlanta chapter is here. The Atlanta group includes a message board where you can find reviews of care providers.
Take a good childbirth class. Even if you plan to get an epidural, a natural birth class tends to be much more thorough than a prepared birth class. You want to get as much consumer information as possible when planning your birth. Baby Steps offers classes, and there are many other organizations that have good classes as well.
Hire a doula. Having a doula reduces the c-section rate by half, in addition to making your labor more comfortable.
This week, the “Today” show showed a live cesarean birth on their program touting the benefits of the surgery and glossing over the serious risks involved in the surgery.
These numbers are calculated from information at www.gahospitalpricecheck.org. Unfortunately, they no longer have Northside or Northside Cherokee listed, so those two hospitals’ numbers are through September of 2008.
The majority of American women choose to have an epidural during labor and birth. Like most interventions, an epidural can be an important tool when used judiciously. Occasionally, it can help prevent other complications. However, an epidural has its own risks, and women should be aware of these risks to themselves and their babies well before labor begins. These risks include:
Alteration of labor hormones and the entire course of a natural labor, often necessitating other interventions, like Pitocin to speed labor up, which have their own risks
Sudden drop in blood pressure
A need for catheterization
Itching
Nausea and vomiting
Breathing difficulties
Increased risk of postpartum hemorrhage
Severe headache
Rare, life-threatening complications for the mother
Changes in the baby’s heart rate, sometimes making a c-section necessary
Maternal fever, which can cause low Apgar scores in the baby, poor muscle tone, and in increased need for resuscitation, as well as prolonged hospital stays.
There are no long-term studies of the neurological effects of epidurals on infants. Links have been found between epidurals and neurological issues and breastfeeding problems. This article by Sarah J. Buckley has a thorough discussion of the risks of epidurals, complete with citations.
Some women choose to get an epidural because of fear of labor pain. This is a normal response in our culture, which does not place value on experiencing labor. Hospitals are often set up in a way that makes labor uncomfortable for women who are not medicated. But there are many things you can do to have a comfortable, safe birth without medication:
Hire a doula! Doulas have proven statistical benefits.
Choose your birth attendant very carefully. Your birth attendant should be comfortable attending natural births, and 100% supportive of natural birth.
Avoid induction without medical cause, which makes labor more painful and increases the risk to your baby.
Consider having a homebirth, which has been proven to be just as safe as hospital birth, with lower intervention rates and higher maternal satisfaction.
