Being a woman in the midst of her childbearing years, I am getting to follow a lot of friends and acquaintances through pregnancy via Facebook.
Usually, it's fun. Unfortunately, there are a lot of face-palm moments. Or head-to-keyboard-repeatedly moments. Can I get an amen on that?
Here is one that I saw recently (I'm paraphrasing from memory, this is not a direct quote):
"We just had our 34 week ultrasound, and our baby is really, really big! So our doctor is going to be doing a scheduled c-section at 38 weeks to avoid having a huge ten pound baby."
I could spend the rest of the night pointing out the medical and ethical violations of a situation like that. So very wrong on so many levels.
Let's try just a few:
- Primip with a nice, scarred uterus. For no reason.
- A baby who is denied 2-4 weeks body and brain development time. For no reason.
- A baby who is denied the benefits of birth, such as (1) respiratory benefits, (2) birth hormones, (3) vaginal flora colonization. And who will face the known statistically higher levels of health problems that cesarean babies face. For no reason.
- The fact that late-term ultrasounds are routinely inaccurate by up to two pounds.
- Not even bothering with an induction? Just skip the induction and go right to early section? Riiiggghhhht.
WHY? WHY? WHY?
I think I'll just continue banging my head against the keyboard. It does just as much good as anything.
Women, please do your reading. And take childbirth classes. And be informed. So that you are not at the mercy of medical advice like this which goes against all known medical evidence and every ethical constraint in the book. Please.
Yes, you're right, happens all the time. I've used the News Feed "hide" function on many people just to avoid the temptation of telling it like it is, when they're an acquaintance I hardly know and they really aren't interested in the truth. Other than induction myths, one of the most common ones I see is using cord wrapped around the neck as scapegoat for anything that went wrong with the birth.
ReplyDeleteI'd say tell them. Always tell them. If they don't want to know now, they might want to know later. And someone else reading might learn from what you say even if they don't.
ReplyDeleteSusan Peterson
I am so with Susan. I sent multiple emails to a girl who really was open to conversation about a scheduled c-section for breach at 38 weeks. I just was sending her links and info about babies born before 39 weeks etc. She was appreciative, but went along with her doctors advice. Baby was in NICU for 6 days and tiny. I was so mad at the doc. She later said she feels guilty for taking her so early because of all the problems she had. She will never do it again with other babies she might have. I say give the info in a loving way and hope for the best. Also, Susan made a good point, you never know who else is reading the info.
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ReplyDeleteWe are all hypnotically conditioned by our culture from the time we are born to look for authority in other people instead of within. Some, thankfully, will be shown from an inner light to look within. The rest will not. I don't know why - I don't make the rules but that's reality. That's the way it is.
ReplyDeleteThat said - it's good to speak up at times because none of us know who the light is shining in. I'm just gonna keep on sayin' what I'm moved to say. No one is obliged to pay any mind to me but someone may - now or someday.
This worries me, too. I'm not good at confronting people at all. But now, thankfully, I have my son's birth that I can remind people of and show one example of how a ceserean was definitely NOT necessary (he was born at home, I was complete 4 hours into the labor, but he didn't come out for another 6 hours. He may have been asynclyctic, but one thing we know for sure is he had a HUGE 15.5" head. He was "only" 9lbs 10oz, but his head was the kicker! I know for certain that had I been in a hospital they would have sectioned me, likely for failure to progress or probably giving me the "he won't fit" thing. Sigh...)
ReplyDeleteI have pissed off so many on facebook for the same reason - but when they are mad at the doctor later I want to say you deserve some of the blame too for not educating yourself.
ReplyDeleteIt's not your baby or body, if her doc suggested a c-section and she wants it then its not your place to say anything.
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