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2006 US Cesarean Rates
December 13th, 2007 by Debra
We are getting close to finishing Orgasmic Birth. It is an exciting time for us. We so appreciate all the emails asking when you can see our documentary. Please keep checking the web site as we hope to have information posted in 2008 as to where we will premiere, as well as how to host a screening in your community.
I was reading several articles today about the rising rates of interventions in birth. With our increasing use of technology and surgery in birth, it is important for women to carefully consider how and where they will give birth and all the possibilities that giving birth holds in our lives.
The recent press release (below) from Lamaze International about the rising cesarean section rates in the US is an important call to action for all pregnant women and their partners to ask their providers their rate of cesareans and other interventions. As a childbirth educator I find it interesting that when we buy technology, computers or cars, we ask information about the amount of memory, gas mileage etc... We would never consider buying an item we did not know the specifics for. When choosing a care provider why do we settle for anything less? Women need to ask questions about the care they will receive for themselves and their babies.
One of the quotes I like is "if you don't know your options your don't have any!" Learn about your choices so that you can make informed decision about your care during labor, birth and beyond.
I hope you will enjoy the article and visit www.lamaze.org for additional information about Lamaze’s new Care Practices.
Women Can Improve Childbirth Outcomes By Seeking Care Providers with Low Cesarean Section Rates
WASHINGTON (December 5, 2007)—Despite continued reports in the medical literature of harm caused by cesarean surgery, the U.S. cesarean section birth rate has increased to 31.1% for 2006, an historic high, according to a new report released by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Lamaze International is alarmed by this rate, which should be no higher than 15 percent, and encourages women to seek care providers and birth settings with low cesarean surgery rates in order to improve health outcomes for themselves and their babies.
http://www.lamaze.org/Default.aspx?tabid=627
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I'm probably preaching to
I'm probably preaching to the choir here, but everyone knows US Ceserean rates are way too high. Fear of lawsuits has many OBs cuting first and asking questions later... plus "elective CS" ... please!! In the future, as our maternal and infant mortality rises due to increased incidence of placenta previa, accreta, uterine rupture, and stillbirth, the lawyers will start suing you because you did that first, unnecessary CS... then what?? Thank the Jeffrey Phelans of the world for making VBAC unavailable to the vast majority of American women, and we have a recipe for disaster.
The best way to prevent a cesarean is to avoid the first one... for that, the midwifery model of birth care (95% of CNM deliveries are in hospitals) has been shown to be the answer. Educated women who actively participate in their labor and birth, with supportive birth partners (family, friends, doulas, etc) do much better in labor. They also tend to start from a healthier place because they've eaten well and avoid smoking and other harmful behaviors.
Cesarean is necessary in some cases, and thank God we have well trained surgeons (OB/GYNs) when this is needed. However, a rate over 15% or so is excessive and a waste of precious healthcare dollars. It is also riskier for Moms and babies, and that alone should cause us to reexamine practices that increase the likelihood of ceserean, such as non-medically indicated inductions, "failure to have patience", and elective CS.
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