Aa
The US does NOT have one of the highest Maternal or Fetal Death rates.
I have read a post stateing that the US has one of the highest death rates for birth due to the way we deliver our babies....THIS IS NOT TRUE! In my opinion and experiance, natural birth is the BEST way to go. With that being said, there is nothing wrong with having a "medicated" birth in a hospital with an OBGYN there are millions of babies born with an epidural...it is a safe way to have a baby and the US is one of the safest places to have a child. With only 13.3 maternal deaths per 100,000, and these are more comonly due to hemorage...which can happen with or with out and epidural. Here are the statistics which show the US being on the lower, not the higher side.
http:// en.wikipedia. org/wiki/ Maternal_death
copy and past the link without spaces.
http:// en.wikipedia. org/wiki/ Maternal_death
copy and past the link without spaces.
We also have a disproportionately high number of obese mothers...this contribues to (in my opinion) the majority of c-sections AND maternal deaths from complications. Now I'm overweight, so I'm not throwing stones, but you have to be fit to be pregnant IMO...no matter what weight. I think that we have to take that into account when we're throwing these numbers around....America is also a very UNFIT country and an unfit woman trying to go through labor is like an unfit woman trying to run a marathon after sitting on the couch for months....it's going to cause dangers (heart problems, other risks) and if you add the risk of a c-section to that because of a "stalled" or "failed" labor (yes I realize not all c-sections are given for a good reason)...you have all the surgery risks as well.
We need to focus on maternal HEALTH before we can start bringing these numbers down! Both pregnancies I worked out like mad to get ready for the "marathon" at the end...and it paid off with two easy labors.
We need to focus on maternal HEALTH before we can start bringing these numbers down! Both pregnancies I worked out like mad to get ready for the "marathon" at the end...and it paid off with two easy labors.
I just looked through the March of Dimes reports and that is some scary stuff. I can't believe our cesarean rate is so freaking high!
I encourage everyone to see the film "The Business of Being Born". I think regardless of where the US lands in the mortality rate spectrum... there are a lot of issues with the clinical approach to birth that need to be addressed. We as Mothers need to educate ourselves because we need to understand the process of birth. It is a natural process and should not be treated as an illness. I am choosing a natural labor with a midwife because I feel that I am in great shape and my OB advised that I am having a normal pregnancy. I do not believe it is for every woman. There are some women that have high risk pregnancies and need more monitoring through pregnancy and birth. BUT...the MAJORITY of women do not fall into the high risk category. I don't know how many times I have said, "The odds are in my favor for a normal birth."
There is now ay that 30% of women should be having cesarean deliveries. That is out of control. I know this post was about Maternal and Fetal death rate but to me...it is all related.
With Respect,
Sarah
I encourage everyone to see the film "The Business of Being Born". I think regardless of where the US lands in the mortality rate spectrum... there are a lot of issues with the clinical approach to birth that need to be addressed. We as Mothers need to educate ourselves because we need to understand the process of birth. It is a natural process and should not be treated as an illness. I am choosing a natural labor with a midwife because I feel that I am in great shape and my OB advised that I am having a normal pregnancy. I do not believe it is for every woman. There are some women that have high risk pregnancies and need more monitoring through pregnancy and birth. BUT...the MAJORITY of women do not fall into the high risk category. I don't know how many times I have said, "The odds are in my favor for a normal birth."
There is now ay that 30% of women should be having cesarean deliveries. That is out of control. I know this post was about Maternal and Fetal death rate but to me...it is all related.
With Respect,
Sarah
I thought Gas and Air was avaliable everywhere??
I am only 17 and I will put my hands up about knowing NOTHING... But Personally I think its each to their own with the birth of their children... Like for some it may be safer for a C section... take my mum for example.. with my sister her and my sister nearly died due to placenta abruption, then my sisters pos blood got mixed with my mums neg blood and the same happened to my sister from my mums blood into hers. Therefore tehy both nearly died. 7 yrs later, she fell preg again, and was now at high risk, well her doc said... my brother mmight not make it full term... he is nearly 4. Her midwife also said C section was the best for her.. she didnt listen.. had a Vbac, the same happened again...
She was hooked up to all the machines in the world in labour... although she couldnt feel her contractions (they were OFF the scale) my step dad felt them instead.. she didnt have a clue... but everything was fine!
Personaly I think you should go with what you are comfortable with... I would NEVER have a Csection EVER unless I NEEDED one!!, but then again, think of all those people like I stated in 3rd world countries who have NO HELP AT ALL.
Every where is different, some people have different views on things, some people have different comfort zones, like some like me are more comfortable giving birth in a hosp than at home..
(I actually forgot my point of what im trying to say)
But I don't think its the Docs and Midwifes fault of the Fetal death rates.. I think its complications that occur... Such as Placenta Abruption, or a very big baby can get stuck therefore better option would be a Csection to save the pain of natural birth and stuff. But then again this is MY opinion and as I stated I know NOTHING AT ALL about birth and stuff, I am crapping myself about labour. But Personally I think they wouldnt have this stuff if it was dangerous. it's also depending what the staff are like. My local hosp which I aint going too... because of them being crap! Someone 2 weeks over due... tried to send her home... but she refused.... started an Induction.. 6 hrs later, forgot to carry it on, had to wait 24hrs... they forgot another 24hrs passed, they told her to go home, she said no! She went into labour naturally and they said she cant have pain relief at all... So it depends the hospital and staff... they are not all like that..
I think its more complications in the pregnancy than the actual staff and or docs!!
I am not trying to argue, I am just stating my opinion! But I havent given birth yet. I am scared about it.... but I duno! I'm only 17! LOL
x
I am only 17 and I will put my hands up about knowing NOTHING... But Personally I think its each to their own with the birth of their children... Like for some it may be safer for a C section... take my mum for example.. with my sister her and my sister nearly died due to placenta abruption, then my sisters pos blood got mixed with my mums neg blood and the same happened to my sister from my mums blood into hers. Therefore tehy both nearly died. 7 yrs later, she fell preg again, and was now at high risk, well her doc said... my brother mmight not make it full term... he is nearly 4. Her midwife also said C section was the best for her.. she didnt listen.. had a Vbac, the same happened again...
She was hooked up to all the machines in the world in labour... although she couldnt feel her contractions (they were OFF the scale) my step dad felt them instead.. she didnt have a clue... but everything was fine!
Personaly I think you should go with what you are comfortable with... I would NEVER have a Csection EVER unless I NEEDED one!!, but then again, think of all those people like I stated in 3rd world countries who have NO HELP AT ALL.
Every where is different, some people have different views on things, some people have different comfort zones, like some like me are more comfortable giving birth in a hosp than at home..
(I actually forgot my point of what im trying to say)
But I don't think its the Docs and Midwifes fault of the Fetal death rates.. I think its complications that occur... Such as Placenta Abruption, or a very big baby can get stuck therefore better option would be a Csection to save the pain of natural birth and stuff. But then again this is MY opinion and as I stated I know NOTHING AT ALL about birth and stuff, I am crapping myself about labour. But Personally I think they wouldnt have this stuff if it was dangerous. it's also depending what the staff are like. My local hosp which I aint going too... because of them being crap! Someone 2 weeks over due... tried to send her home... but she refused.... started an Induction.. 6 hrs later, forgot to carry it on, had to wait 24hrs... they forgot another 24hrs passed, they told her to go home, she said no! She went into labour naturally and they said she cant have pain relief at all... So it depends the hospital and staff... they are not all like that..
I think its more complications in the pregnancy than the actual staff and or docs!!
I am not trying to argue, I am just stating my opinion! But I havent given birth yet. I am scared about it.... but I duno! I'm only 17! LOL
x
OK now I am the one you are talking about! The US got a D on thier report card from the march of dimes, no state got an A and I THink Vermont was the only one with a C.
FAct remains is that more and more drs are turning to c-sections and interventions for sake of their own time and insurance. This is effecting maternal and fetal death rates! It is affecting rates of premature babies. Dr's are doing more routin C-sections as apposed to VBACS. The maternal death rates lowered in the 90's when they did more VBACS now has gotten higher again. It is the same since the 70's! Now with all the 'New technoligy" as dr's put it we should be better but we are not.
Birth is a natural thing and to intervine when unnesisary makes for complications! You have nurses relying on machines instead of using fatal dopplars like midwifes do which maes for problems, you have dr's wanting to go home and say "your not progressing or the baby will not fit" just to get a c-section to not ruin their weekend. You have mothers who would rather have a c-section then go through the birth process dispite it is major surgery and VBAC is safer for both mom and baby. You have Insurance and hospital administrators saying they do not want to do VBAC's even though they are safer and tell teh dr what to do. You have dr's performing C-sections scheulded before 39 weeks and delivering babies that are not ready and end up with complications.
Now this is not to offend anyone! including talk down about the few good OB's or birth friendly/mother friendly hospitals!!
As far as the last poster, you said you live in England you have the best drug available and safest! "Gas". THere are risks to mother and especially baby with epidurals. It takes a womans natural pain relief away and also inhibits the baby. Not always will there be a problem but it is an intervention. OB
s and nurses are not taugt ways to help with pain relief as they can not stay with the mom. Midwifes and doulas are trained.
Midwifes used to deliver all babies until medical dr's came into the picture, then more woman in higher class society went to the dr's while others still had midwifes. Midwifes still had the lower feath rates and complications then dr's. Yes, there are things that go wrong that no one knew would happen in a natural and intervention birth. OB's are like I said surgeons and are good for problems that arise! NOthing can compare to a dr who cuts a would be dying baby out to save both mom and baby! I had an emergency c-section with my third. I was hoocked up to fetal monitoring and still the nurses refusd to check her and said she was fine. I knew she was not! She stopped moving! I had to call my OB's office and he was thankfully at the hospital and had her out in 26 min from when I told the nurse. SHe was blue when she came out but made it thank God. SO fetal monitoring and interventions are not nessisarily safer and better by any means!
Look up March of Dimes to view the report card, Look up ICAN.org \
Sorry but listening to wikipedia is not the best thing to do. It is just someone who has wrote out their findings and lots of information and publications and reports come out after that is wrote. NOrway, UK, and other countires do in fact have lower maternal and fetal death rates! They have banned lots of drugs that the US still uses which they know are unsafe. And there is no mandatory reporting of maternal and infant deaths due to birth/birth process/labor in the US. THere are many trying to get enough signatures to go to congress about that now as we speak. Other countries ahve mandatory reporting, and actually publish it in a book for anyone to view.
FAct remains is that more and more drs are turning to c-sections and interventions for sake of their own time and insurance. This is effecting maternal and fetal death rates! It is affecting rates of premature babies. Dr's are doing more routin C-sections as apposed to VBACS. The maternal death rates lowered in the 90's when they did more VBACS now has gotten higher again. It is the same since the 70's! Now with all the 'New technoligy" as dr's put it we should be better but we are not.
Birth is a natural thing and to intervine when unnesisary makes for complications! You have nurses relying on machines instead of using fatal dopplars like midwifes do which maes for problems, you have dr's wanting to go home and say "your not progressing or the baby will not fit" just to get a c-section to not ruin their weekend. You have mothers who would rather have a c-section then go through the birth process dispite it is major surgery and VBAC is safer for both mom and baby. You have Insurance and hospital administrators saying they do not want to do VBAC's even though they are safer and tell teh dr what to do. You have dr's performing C-sections scheulded before 39 weeks and delivering babies that are not ready and end up with complications.
Now this is not to offend anyone! including talk down about the few good OB's or birth friendly/mother friendly hospitals!!
As far as the last poster, you said you live in England you have the best drug available and safest! "Gas". THere are risks to mother and especially baby with epidurals. It takes a womans natural pain relief away and also inhibits the baby. Not always will there be a problem but it is an intervention. OB
s and nurses are not taugt ways to help with pain relief as they can not stay with the mom. Midwifes and doulas are trained.
Midwifes used to deliver all babies until medical dr's came into the picture, then more woman in higher class society went to the dr's while others still had midwifes. Midwifes still had the lower feath rates and complications then dr's. Yes, there are things that go wrong that no one knew would happen in a natural and intervention birth. OB's are like I said surgeons and are good for problems that arise! NOthing can compare to a dr who cuts a would be dying baby out to save both mom and baby! I had an emergency c-section with my third. I was hoocked up to fetal monitoring and still the nurses refusd to check her and said she was fine. I knew she was not! She stopped moving! I had to call my OB's office and he was thankfully at the hospital and had her out in 26 min from when I told the nurse. SHe was blue when she came out but made it thank God. SO fetal monitoring and interventions are not nessisarily safer and better by any means!
Look up March of Dimes to view the report card, Look up ICAN.org \
Sorry but listening to wikipedia is not the best thing to do. It is just someone who has wrote out their findings and lots of information and publications and reports come out after that is wrote. NOrway, UK, and other countires do in fact have lower maternal and fetal death rates! They have banned lots of drugs that the US still uses which they know are unsafe. And there is no mandatory reporting of maternal and infant deaths due to birth/birth process/labor in the US. THere are many trying to get enough signatures to go to congress about that now as we speak. Other countries ahve mandatory reporting, and actually publish it in a book for anyone to view.
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