In praise of the C-Section

[Inanna]

I think I get what you are saying Mumma... I also agree with your sentiment.
However, I think the two separate issues are overlapping & causing some confusion..

I believe our maternity services are medicalised & driven by fear - I believe that as mothers we will do anything to protect our babies - so when emotive language is used in the throes of labour this fear can propell a woman to make decisions for her body & her baby that she may not have otherwise made.

When I said the above quote I made a choice to have an epidural as I was being harassed to have a c/section - I was in quite horrendous pain. I made the choice to have an epidural that was fully informed (because I was educated in epidurals)

I cannot lay blame on my care provider for the outcome of my epidural as it was a risk I took, a fully informed one... Hoever, had the doctor not been so agressive & pushy about a c/section I would not have made that choice.... However, I am responsibile for my choice... Do you get me?
The system failed in that my wishes were not listened to. That is I will not have surgery unless my baby is showing signs of distress. I was hounded & harassed.

I too believe that as consumers we need to take more responsibility for our choices & our decisions.
I read and hear often about women having tests, interventions, c/sections, operations etc because it was deemed best. However, there seems to be a thread of handing over our power, choice to a those that are seen as in a position of 'authority"... We have a society that seeks to lay blame for any bad feeling that comes up for us. I feel bad because you said breast is best. I feel bad because you said medicalisation of birth takes away a sacred rite/right. I feel bad because you said..... Nothing is brought back to the I... I am feeling something - why would that be... I am responsibile for my feelings and thus my reactioms...

That doctors will "save us" from dealing with the hard stuff. There is a fear of the hard stuff. I challenge always that the hard stuff is our mettle. It forges us. We have a respomsibility to be informed - to seek our the information that will inform us. Not just say: "whatever you think is best"... Now, clearly one who has studied for countless years and worked in a field has more experience & knowledge - that's why we seek them out to care for us. BUT again there is a problem. Women hire doctors and midwives & systems of care that they have doubts about. They don't like his or her manner, or some of their views but he or she is the best or whatever reason they have. Women need to listen to their doubts and their concerns & seek out care and care providers that marry with their own ethos...

We cannot engage a high risk obstetrician for our birth in a private hospital and wonder why we got a c/section. For statistically that's what you'll likely get.

Just as you cannot engage a homebirth midwife to assist you to deliver a baby at 32 weeks at home. You will likely run into grave problems. (not that a homebirth midwife would do this but just to illustrate)

This handing over of power happens in all areas of health care.

Ill or injured clients defer to the knowledge of others without seeking out information, stats and experiences. It is this labile mind set that causes issues.

Whilst we continue to hand our health/maternity care over to others without owning responsibility for our decisions we will have unsatisfactory care.

I have not made a single decision withoit researching it first. So many occassions whilst Imogen was in NICU and special care. I was pressured to make decisions that my intuition screamed no at... I was steadfast. At times I was treated like a fool - but mostly I was treated with respect as I clearly knew what I was on about...

We all need to foster that sense of self responsibility for our care. It's like smoking and wondering WTH you get cancer or cardiac disease, then suing the company... It's not okay (IMO) You smoke you die and take those that passively smoke around you down with you...

You educate yourself and make a choice that doesn't pan out - you accept that you made an error in judgement. You can't then search for a scapegoat... Do you get my illustration?

Similarly with my first birth I had a midwife that didn't gel with my spirituality... She was a very openly evangelistical Christian. She also was not good at responsibility. She was one who blamed the system, delayed transfer etc etc. I overloked it all as she was the only homebirth midwife available to me at that time.

I know that I was unable to progress largely due to my discomfort with her... That's not her fault! She was who she was (beautiful and kind - just not on my wavelength) - I made a choice against my better judgement. I didn't listen to my inner voice... I set myself up for difficulty & I got them!

It's really about that - self responsibility for our choices and actions...