Pregnancy, Parenthood & Playtime

“More than 9 out of 10 births following a C-section are now surgical deliveries,” a recent article in Time magazine, “The Trouble with repeat Cesareans,” reported. What’s more, the International Cesarean Awareness Network, recently called 2,850 hospitals that have labor and delivery wards and found that 28 percent of them don’t allow VBACs, up from 10 percent in its previous 2004 survey. The grass-roots group, which strives to reduce the number of unnecessary surgical deliveries, discovered that another 21 percent of hospitals have no formal policies against VBACs but no obstetricians on staff who will perform them.

My first Cesarean Section, delivering my son Camden

Lets evaluate this epidemic as a consumer. Because in reality our medical care is our choice, we are consumers, we pick and choose which doctors we will pay, or our insurance will pay right?
If I see another woman say “Well my doctor doesn’t do VBAC” or using something like that to schedule a repeat cesarean without evaluating the real risks, I am going to hurl.
OB/GYN’s and Midwives (especially CNM’s) are a DIME a DOZEN!
Why aren’t we interviewing these providers before blindly choosing them to care for us during one of the most emotionally vulnerable moments of our life?
People literally are researching CARS more than who is going to deliver your baby!!

Women are not getting accurate information about the risks of a cesarean section. They are not being told that with a cesarean or repeat cesarean section you have risk of uterine rupture at ANY time during subsequent pregnancies, not just during a VBAC or repeat cesarean.
They are ONLY being told about the risk of rupture in relation to VBAC. Nor are they being given ACCURATE statistics regarding rupture for VBAC and the LOW risk it holds.
You are more likely to get struck by lightening and die than have a uterine rupture during a VBAC.
You are actually more likely to have an IMPOSTER doctor (1 in 50) than suffer a uterine rupture!!!!
So let that sit and fester a little in your mind.
Women are not being told about the increased risk for infertility after a cesarean, risk of re-hospitalization, risks of infection, blood loss, blood transfusions, bladder damage, bowel damage, or even the risk of placental issues in future pregnancies.

Now, if someone told you all the facts would you choose all of the above for convenience or simply because Dr. Slice doesn’t “do” VBAC?
Or would you flip him the bird and go else where?
Lets compare…
You want to purchase a 2009 Mazda 5 in Black.
“Well we only offer the 2009 Mazda 3 in black here, so you can have that instead”

You would say no and go else where right?
Why not DEMAND the same from our doctors?
YOU ARE PAYING CUSTOMERS!

Lastly before I sign off of my rant today I will leave you with this.

1 out of every 10,000 women in America die from a vaginal delivery (including VBAC)
1 out of every 2,500 women in America die from a c-section. Primary or repeat.

Let’s start making demands for our health care, and make it actual HEALTH care, not sick care like we are used to in America.