Some things are better: partners in the hospital, no twilight sleep, better surgical techniques. A lot of things are worse: unnecessary interventions, PND, PTSD, caesarean rates, stressful and unnecessary and inaccurate routine testing.I was so shocked by her stories. I never imagined it was so bad. It makes me wonder if the reason women in the western world just accept birth is going to be awful is because for several decades it really WAS awful. There is a long queue of women behind us with experiences like this.
So our maternal mortality rates are rising because of these dangerous practices. Your gran had a horrific experience and it's going to be really interesting in 30 or 40 years times when many of us are in her shoes and we're suffering from the birth abuse we endured. Each time a woman has a caesarean she not only risks the life of her baby but the loss of her uterus and the risks go up with each subsequent pregnancy. Of the 14 women who died in Australia 2000-2002 as a direct result of birth, 12 were having caesarean surgery as a result of complications from their previous caesareans. Just think about that, hey? Birth abuse is a common occurrence in our maternity system and way too many of us think that's normal and just what birth is.
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