America, founded by its rich white men. Ever since then, women have been taken advantage of. Now something as simple and as personal as birth has become a topic of great argument. Doctors are people that we put a great deal of trust in everything to the flu to heart transplants. Doctors seem to think that now all of a sudden women need to have their kids in hospitals instead of home births. Women have been having kids for centuries; they should be able to have their kids where they want. Doctors are tainting the natural act of childbirth.
Argument 1 - Rising C-Section
Its 2009, it’s no secret that new technology is being developed everyday. Advances are constantly being made in music, movies, TV and in medicine. Everything else seems to be going so well for Apple and Toshiba so why not new medicine and ways of giving birth? Doctors are already so trusted among the sick and the pregnant; it seems so easy to push on to willing patients the new ways of technology. “In 2006, 31.1% of U.S. births were by C-section, a 50% increase over the previous decade” (Rubin 1). Women, when they arrive to the delivery room are sucked up into a whirl of emotions. So in comes the ‘trustworthy’ doctor pumping women full of drugs to the point where she and the baby can no longer take it and then they slide the woman in to the surgery room. Its quick and painless, so mothers think it’s the best thing since sliced bread. What they don’t know that they could be in more danger than they bargain for. These women don’t know that everyday a doctor is slicing a perfectly health woman open for no reason at all. Doctors just want to get in, get out and get that paycheck. So they elect these women for surgery that they do not need. They [women] don’t understand that doctors are taking away a wonderful experience. Doctors want to be in control so they push on the opportunity to try something new, quick and painless and at the same time they are robbing these women of a lifetime experience.
Doctors knowingly insist this major surgery on women. What is ridiculous is that they know what the risk is and these women probably do not. “Cesarean section is major surgery and increases the likelihood of many short- and longer-term adverse effects for mothers and babies” ("Childbirth Connection"). Women go in to the delivery room alone and they are sliced open sometimes ripped open and their babies are snatched out of them and are almost immediately taken away. C-sections cost money and the more people that do it the more money doctors earn. By doing this doctors rob women of their natural right to have children unaccompanied by machinery.
Argument 2 -- Slandering of Midwives and Homebirths
Midwifes, a term that for some women would cause a sigh of relief and for other women a groan of disgust. Doctors would side with the women who would sooner give themselves a C-section than dare to dream of a vaginal birth. Midwives have been known to advocate home births in a safer more comfortable environment. Doctors insist that homebirths do not need to be exercised in any way, shape or form. “…but ACOG does not support programs that advocate for, or individuals who provide, home births.” ("ACOG News Release"). Doctors seem to somehow only tilt the table in their favor. Hospitals aren’t as clean as doctors would want their patients to think. Hundreds of sickly people come through the hospital monthly. That doesn’t sound too sterile. As opposed to your home where you have undoubtedly been exposed to all of the germs there already. Doctors will jump through so many hoops just to get their tainted point across.
Homebirth scares doctors for 1 reason. If this started a trend hospitals and doctors would loose millions of dollars and patients. They put up arguments like ‘problems can arise’ or ‘private homes aren’t sterile’ as a cover from what they are all thinking:
“ACOG claims to be an advocate of women’s health and choice, but when it comes to the right to choose to deliver your baby in the privacy of your own home with a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) who is specifically trained to provide the safest care possible, ACOG’s paternalistic colors bleed through,” said Susan M. Jenkins, Legal Counsel for the Big Push for Midwives Campaign. “It is astonishing that an organization that purports to be a champion of women’s healthcare would put a petty turf battle that affects less than one percent of the nation’s childbearing women ahead of pressing issues that have an impact on nearly every woman in this country. If this is not dereliction of duty, I can’t imagine what is.” ("Tribe").
The only reason doctors would put so much energy into this argument is because of power and money. They would much rather turn a culture 100% into the technology age at any cost. Doctors don’t care that they are ruining something that was supposed to be sacred and beautiful just to make money.
Argument 3 -- Media influencing women
Media. Something that we are fed 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Pregnant stars that look like whales one day and 24 year olds the next. ‘Ordinary’ women read magazines or turn on the TV and see all these rich and beautiful women and they think one thing. ‘How can I be like them?” Stars no doubt have hospitals on speed dial. With plastic surgery, and tummy tucks and C-sections its hard for women who aren’t famous to want all those things as well. People see celebrities running to the hospital for all their pregnancies and it makes them want to do the same. Only some women recognize that not everyone can be like the stars “Okay, so go ahead and have a baby at 44. Only know that you are not going to come out looking like the stars.” (Lederman Mandell). If you are fed garbage about how stars get their bodies back in less than a week from having twins or something like that, most likely you’re going to want to run out and get the same thing done. Doctors smile upon that fact because they are reaping the rewards and not giving a damn about the consequences. Rubin, Rita. "Answers prove elusive as C-Section rate rises." (2008): 4.
Sources
"Cesarean Section." Childbirth Connection. 3 July 2008. Childbirth Connection. 22 Mar 2009
"ACOG News Release." ACOG Statement on Home Births. 6 Feb 2008. ACOG. 22 Mar 2009
"Glances into my Mind." Tribe. 2 Sept 2008. Tribe. 22 Mar 2009
Lederman Mandell, Sherri. "Babies for the Stars ." Whole Family. 11 Dec 2006. Whole Family . 22 Mar 2009
No comments:
Post a Comment