Why Are There So Many C-Sections?
You probably know a few women who have had c-section births and may wonder “Will I have to have one too?” The answer may lie in the type of prenatal care provider you choose and how much personal responsibility you take for the birth of your child. Recent studies put the c-section rate in the U.S. at over 30% and show it trending upward still. Because health care typically pays doctors and hospitals more for a quick c-section than it does for long, drawn-out vaginal births, there is more incentive to perform surgery and get patients in and out quickly. It’s safe to say that the health care system is providing incentives for c-sections and if you put your birth in the hands of a doctor or hospital who is paid by the insurance providers you likely have a 30% chance of having a c-section yourself—unless, of course, you have carefully selected a provider with a low c-section rate, educated yourself about the birth process and are willing to advocate for what’s in the best interest of your health and that of your unborn baby. [...]
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Take Action on MomsRising
If I had a “Site of the Month” on Bloom (which perhaps I should), I would make MomsRising.org the first featured website. I hear from working mothers all the time about the difficulties they encounter trying to get paid maternity leave, taking time off of work to care for sick children, lack of good health care and how they wish employers would provide flexible work hours or career options that would allow parents to meet their families needs. I think a lot of moms would take more time off of work after having a baby if they could afford to do so and if their jobs were guaranteed to be waiting for them upon their return. [...]
Every Woman Should See This!
If you are pregnant or even planning to have a baby, I highly recommend watching this documentary. It will strip away any illusions you may have about the experience of giving birth in a hospital or at home.
After having her first child, actress Ricki Lake (of talk show fame) decided to explore and question the way most American women are having babies. “The Business of Being Born” is a controversial documentary that will open your eyes about the shocking state of our current maternity care system in the U.S. It presents intimate birth stories, juxtaposing standard hospital deliveries against the growing movement of women who are choosing to have natural births at home. [...]
Is Natural Birth Right for You?
There is probably no topic more hotly debated amongst mothers and healthcare professionals than the one of using pain medication versus natural childbirth. How a woman and her partner plan for the birth of their child is an extremely personal decision-making process. Every expectant mother has heard birth stories, whether positive or negative, which influence her thinking about labor and birth. Her hopes and expectations have been shaped by her own family history, television shows, pregnancy books and her friends’ birth experiences. [...]
