How to Avoid Having a C-section
On the average, one third of women are now having c-sections in the US. In our local area, some hospitals are approaching a 50% rate. Research shows that a vaginal delivery is safer and healthier for mothers and babies and initiates very important developmental processes.
First time parents are especially vulnerable, as many don’t take the time to do their research. Learn the many things you can do to educate yourself as a consumer of health care.
Examine Your Beliefs About Birth
Birth is a natural physiological process. Women have been giving birth for centuries. Our culture has forgotten that the vast majority of the time, babies can be born without medical assistance. Cultural beliefs and the media play a significant role in forming our beliefs regarding the birth process. Both parents need to examine their beliefs and family history. Medications of any kind interfere and interrupt the birth process. Take time to think about whether you believe in your body’s ability to give birth. Know that the majority of the time, women can cope with the pain of labor with continuous labor support from a trained professional. In our country, that person is called a doula.
Educate Yourself and Make Informed Decisions
Start by developing a written list that you can work from. There are many groups and resources that are just waiting to assist you in having a happy and healthy birth. Take the time and make the effort to educate yourselves. I can’t tell you how many times I have heard, “I wish I had known what I know now!” Invest in your family’s health and well-being, use your own independent thinking, and have an open mind when making decisions. Understand how the laws of nature support the birth process.
Consider hiring your own labor support. Working with an independent doula will help you avoid unnecessary interventions. Doulas will provide emotional support, facilitate the role of the partner, provide advocacy, pain management and comfort measures. The money you pay them, usually out of pocket, will be well worth it. Having your own processional labor support person is key to increasing your chance of having an optimal birth. Some parents have also gotten insurance reimbursement for doula services, so be sure to check on this.
Know All Your Birth Options
There are many, many, decisions to be made regarding procedures during pregnancy, birth and the immediate postpartum period. You are parents the minute you decide to bring a child into this world. Find out what kind of practitioners can attend a birth, what their skills and philosophies are in general. Learn about the different locations, and in-hospital verses out-of-hospital birth. Rather then assuming that some choices would not work for you, fully research these options. The Internet is a great place to start. Once you have learned what is available in your local area, set up some interviews so you can evaluate individual practitioners. Compare risks vs. benefit with regard to all testing and treatment.
Midwives practice in-hospital and out-of-hospital. Learn about how they are different from doctors. Ask questions that will reveal how they will treat you during pregnancy and the birth process. Be clear about the difference between personality or bedside manor vs. skills and philosophies. Compare alternative birth centers to free standing birth centers. Even standard hospital labor and delivery facilities can vary a great deal in overall philosophies and atmosphere. Consider a possible home birth. Learn all you can about your state’s licensing and regulation of home birth midwives, as this can vary a great deal. It is a common myth that you need to be close to the facility you choose to give birth in.
Ask Questions Until You Are Confident
Ask a birthing professional their c-section rate. Then, find out the rate for the facility. Midwives should have a rate that is lower than 20%. The lower the better. Home birth practitioners should have a rate of less than 10%. Keep in mind that midwives specialize in normal, low risk pregnancy. There are protocols that will risk you out of a certain level of care. While this will influence the numbers, even OBs in the recent past have had numbers in the low twenties. How a practitioner is trained to view the birth process may be very different. OBs, in general, view birth as dangerous and needing to be managed. Midwives, in general, view birth as safe until proven otherwise. All medical intervention has its possible risks and benefits. If you find a practitioner you can trust, you will be able to relax and have less pain during birth.
Tap Into Local Resources
Who you choose as your primary care is critical. This will dictate where you can have your baby. Many parents assume that their insurance will not cover options like midwives, in-hospital or out. This is not true. While half of all parents who choose home birth pay out of pocket for the birth they want, many midwives work with insurance companies. Keep in mind that the average cost of a home birth, including prenatal care, is $3 - 4,000. The average birth in the hospital can cost $5-10,000. A c-section may be $10 - 20,000. It may not come out of your pocket but does increase premium rates.
Find a practitioner who will honor and celebrate your pregnancy and take time to educate you. This is key to having the latitude you need to give birth with greater comfort and confidence. What are the influencing factors? Protocols are set by the hospital but practitioners can bend the “rules” in your favor. How do you determine this? Ask as many people as you can for information. Independent midwives often have their own web sites. Try to find a local birth network. Talk to La Leche League leaders, independent birth educators and doulas. Talk to parents who have chosen a hospital-based midwife or have had a home birth. Remember that you don’t know all the facts regarding their actual experience. You are hearing their story about what happened. Consider this information and balance it with evidence-based medicine from reliable research. Most of all, use common sense.
If you are not feeling comfortable with the choice you have made, you can change your primary care at any time. It is your right. You also have the right to say “no” to any practice or procedure that you are offered. You have to pick and choose your battles, as there may be many. May you give birth with confidence, connection and joy.
