Typical Newborn Procedures in Hospital Birth

This video is typical of newborn procedures in the hospital. This is considered normal, and yet the newborn is separated from mom for several minutes while being poked and prodded by strangers. Keep in mind that this is a healthy baby, with no complications.

This is completely different from my home birth experience in which I held my baby from the moment he was born. He never left me, and the midwives gave us about an hour or so before doing any of the newborn exam. He didn't have anything put in his eyes or injected into him or hooked up to him other than my breast.

My baby didn't cry.

Baby Birds and Birth

I had a dream in which I had some eggs, and in one of them grew a baby bird. I noticed cracks in the egg and I helped the little bird by opening the cracks and getting it out of the shell. But, since I had opened the egg prematurely the baby bird was weak and unable to even stand on its own feet. It would have to live in captivity its whole life to be cared for. It was a beautiful bird with fluffy bright blue feathers. I wondered if it would ever be able to fly.

After I woke up I couldn't get the image of this helpless baby bird out of my mind. The dream was so vivid, that for hours after waking I could still see the blue baby bird and feel it's soft warm body in my hands. I couldn't help but think how it's the same with human babies.

In modern obstetrics, labor is often induced or augmented artificially, for many reasons. Sometimes the medical intervention is necessary, but many times it's simply for convenience to "help get this baby out" or for scheduling purposes for the parents and/or care givers.

I know first-hand how it feels to be 9 months pregnant and so ready to be done with pregnancy. So ready to get the baby out and be able to hold it in my arms. The longing for the discomfort and awkwardness of pregnancy to end, and to start the next chapter of life with my new little one. The feelings are real, and they help us to be ready for labor when it comes.

The danger comes when labor is forced or coerced before the baby is ready. Many times babies who are induced prior to 40 weeks, even if they're considered "full term" at 36 or 37 weeks will still need assistance with breathing, feeding and basic survival in the neonatal intensive care unit. Should our goal be to get the baby out and support it in the NICU to survive, or should we focus instead on letting the baby come when it's ready and able to breathe and feed successfully without medical support?

"In his classic book Husband-Coached Childbirth, Robert Bradley, MD, compares the arrival of human babies by nature's schedule to fruit ripening on a tree. Some apples ripen early, some late, but most show up right in season. Along with Grantley Dick-Read, the father of what we now call 'natural childbirth,' Bradley advocated relaxation, trusting nature, and allowing babies to show up when nature intended."

One hospital prohibited elective inductions prior to 38 weeks. As a result, there was a drop of over 40% in newborns being admitted to the NICU. There was also a drop in the number of c-sections being done.

The concept of nature knowing best also applies to c-sections. When a baby endures labor contractions, the compression from the contractions press on the baby's lungs, preparing them for breathing on its own. Newborns delivered by c-section are more likely to have respiratory problems and require breathing support and admission to the NICU. Babies born by elective c-section may also be at an increased risk for SIDS because of the associated problems with breathing and sleep apnea.

Elective inductions and scheduled cesarean sections have become commonplace in our modern society. This poses greater risk to both mothers and babies.

You would never break open a chick's egg to get it out faster knowing that as a result it would be too weak to survive. Why would you do the same thing to your own baby?

"Attending births is like growing roses. You have to marvel at the ones that just open up and bloom at the first kiss of the sun but you wouldn't dream of pulling open the petals of the tightly closed buds and forcing them to blossom to your time line."

- Gloria Lemay

Here are some other posts about labor induction:

Labor Induction Overused and Puts Mothers and Babies At Risk

New Moms at Risk: Maternal Death Rates Increasing

New Moms at Risk - Maternal Death Rates Increasing

Maternal death rates are on the rise, and it's getting some well-deserved attention. In our world of modern obstetrics with advanced technology, one would think that fewer mothers would be dying during or after childbirth, but the opposite is true.

It's Now More Dangerous to Give Birth in California Than it is in Kuwait or Bosnia

That article caught my attention. It was a bit shocking to see the statistics and realize the real impact this is having on real mothers and their families.

According to the statistics from California, the increase in mothers dying is the result of the overuse of interventions such as c-sections and medical induction.

C-section rates are higher than ever. The US has an overall c-section rate of about 33%, with hospitals in some areas boasting rates close to 50%. That means that in the United States, 1 out of every 3 babies is born by c-section. The World Health Organization recommends a safe c-section rate for developed countries (like the United States) is 10-15%. They also state that when the c-section rate is more than 15% the risks outweigh the benefits and more mothers and babies are at risk for complications. Complications that are completely avoidable.

Amnesty International is concerned and advocating for changes in maternal health care:

"According to Amnesty, which gathered data from many sources, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately half of the pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. are preventable, the result of systemic failures, including barriers to accessing care; inadequate, neglectful or discriminatory care; and overuse of risky interventions like inducing labor and delivering via cesarean section. 'Women are not dying from complex, mysterious causes that we don't know how to treat,' says Strauss. 'Women are dying because it's a fragmented system, and they are not getting the comprehensive services that they need.'"

"In the U.S., we spend more than any country on health care, yet American women are at greater risk of dying from pregnancy-related causes than in 40 other countries."

(Amnesty International Report on U.S. Maternal Health)

ABC has reported about the statistics in California and brought some much-needed attention to this problem. One thing they recommend in this video: avoid unnecessary interventions during pregnancy and birth. This means avoiding induction, scheduled c-sections and other interventions unless they are medically necessary.

What do you think? What else can women do to protect themselves from the dangers of overaggressive obstetrics?

Revealing the Real Risks: Obstetrical Interventions and Maternal Mortality

Dr. Marsden Wagner has written an excellent article about the risks of obstetrical interventions. It's long, but well worth the read. The information can be a bit shocking, but I feel the information he presents is extremely important and should be made known to everyone. You have no options if you don't know what your options are. Please educate yourself on the real risks of obstetrics so that you can make a real informed choice in your own care.

Motherhood: Revealing the Real Risks: Obstetrical Interventions and Maternal Mortality