Saturday, June 27, 2009

If you are pregnant...

... and don't want a C-section, it is imperative that you inform yourself NOW, while you are still expecting. The sooner the better. Don't wait until the late stages of your pregnancy, when your doctor starts telling you that the baby is too big, your pelvis is too little, you are overdue, the baby is breech, there is too little amniotic fluid, you are developing pre-eclampsia, you are too fat, too old, or a number of other issues that are either fabricated or could have been avoided/dealt with naturally.


Please don't think it couldn't happen to you. C-sections rates across the nation's hospitals are at an all-time high of 34%, but are as high as 70% in some hospitals. Florida and New York must be about the worst places to have a baby from what I've heard. Rates are only expected to continue their sharp upward trend as VBACs become almost unattainable with many doctors and at most hospitals (thanks to the stipulations of their malpractice insurance underwriters).

Many women have been led to believe that having a Cesarean is not that big of a deal any more, and that it is perfectly safe. Please stop and take the time to read this article about a lady who had a cesarean due to her baby presenting breech. She almost died. I wonder how common it is for this to happen and we never hear about it. The nurse who is writing about it is new, so I'm guessing complications such as this occur frequently.

Did you read the article? No? Go read it right now, seriously.

But even if Cesareans were perfectly safe (which they are not), they could also limit how many children a woman would be able to have. The risks associated with this major surgery increase in number and severity with each additional C-section, and three is generally considered the max for any woman.

So back to what I was saying, if you are pregnant and planning on having a hospital birth, please do all you can to educate yourself now. Even if you are not wanting to have a home birth, you can read many pregnancy books written by midwives, glean from their childbearing wisdom, and take that knowledge to the hospital with you. Some suggestions of mine would be:

- Ina May's Guide to Childbirth
- The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth
- Silent Knife
- The Natural Pregnancy Book
- Heart and Hands
- The Complete Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth

and many others that you can find crossreferenced on Amazon. It is unlikely that you will find any of these books at your local bookstore. About the worst book to read during pregnancy is "What to Expect When You're Expecting", which must be why so many OBs give it out for free to their patients.

A lot of great information is also available online on websites such as Unnecesarean, ICAN, and My Best Birth.

I also liked a recent documentary, "The Business of Being Born". Because of a few brief but somewhat graphic scenes (given the nature of the subject), I would only recommend this to be viewed by other women.

Of course, the situation is much different with home births, which continue to maintain very low rates of hospital transfers leading to Cesareans. While hospital births and midwife-attended home births have about the same numbers for infant and maternal death (or in favor of home birth, depending on the study), home births have much, much lower rates of intervention. What that means is that home births achieve the same results without all the trauma, pain, blood, and gore.

Please do not wait until you are in labor and your doctor plays the "dead baby card" to educate yourself. It is YOUR responsibility and nobody else's to ensure the health and well-being of your child. If you suffer at the hands of an ignorant and conceded doctor, it is your own fault if you did not take the time to educate yourself first, but rather blindly followed "doctor's orders".

One great change that you can make today that helps prevent many pregnancy-related complications is to start following the Brewer Pregnancy Diet.

If you do plan on having your baby at a hospital, tour all the ones in your area that your insurance will cover, and pick the best one, then find out which of their (female) OBs is the best, i.e. has the lowest intervention rates. I would never recommend male OBs because aside from the fact that I think it is a perverted job for a man to have, they also know nothing about the female body. It's like having a mechanic doing your dental work. Getting all this info can be time consuming, but it is well worth your effort. You can call the maternity departments and ask them about their rates for C-sections and other interventions.

You should also definitely look into having a doula at your birth. A doula is not a midwife, but is a skilled birth attendant whose role it is to help and support the mother, and advocating for her safe and natural birth. She can help you decide if the doctor is just trying to pressure you into a C-section because he wants to get home in time for the ballgame, or if your baby really is in immediate danger. Going to the hospital without a doula is like going to court without an attorney.

The most common objection I hear against doulas is that it would hurt the feelings of the pregnant woman's husband, and as ridiculous as that may seem, I can see that being a real issue. While certainly most moms would prefer their husband to be at the birth for emotional support, that does not always translate into the ideal physical support. Because men are men, they may end up pushing on the wrong spot at the wrong time, or too hard. I remember during one of my labors I was in the late stages and very thirsty. Between contractions, I managed to ask my husband to bring me some ice water. By the time he got back, I was in the middle of a long and hard contraction that took all my strength and concentration. He didn't even notice, and proceded to try to force the drinking straw through my grit teeth. I snapped at him to get him to stop, and he was puzzled why I didn't drink the water I had just asked for. Practically speaking, you will get a lot more comfort from somebody who knows what you are going through.

Also, be very, very picky about whom you allow to attend your birth. Hospitals have gone from not even allowing the woman's husband to now having fullblown parties in the birthing suites while the laboring woman is hopped up on an epidural. If at all possible, I would recommend having only people who have had positive birth experiences themselves, and who do not work in the healthcare industry. People who had traumatic births themselves, and the ones who work to produce them, are filled with and lead by fear. Fear of the unknown and the unpredictable. The last thing a laboring woman needs is insane fabricated scenarios of what all could go wrong. Leave Eeyore at home and call after the baby is born. When it comes to birth attendants, less is definitely more.

Finally, think twice about whom to accept advice from. Decide what you want the outcome of your birth to be, find other women who have already successfully achieved what you want to achieve, and then do what they did. If you go to the hospital expecting a birth experience as peaceful and natural as somebody else had at home, you will be sorely disappointed.

Remember, it is your responsibility as a parent to act in the best interest of yourself and your child. You cannot rely on a doctor to do what is your job.

32 comments:

  1. I am planning a home birth. I have had two very successful and beautiful home births, one last year, and one the year before. I am a little worried this time though, as my baby is already low, I'm getting actual contractions, and I'm starting to present some symptoms of toxemia, which I've never had before even though I've been swelling. Hopefully the stuff my midwife has put me on will help, otherwise I hope that the baby, although maybe preemie, would still be born as naturally as possible.

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  2. Your midwife should be able to tell if you have toxemia by checking your urine for protein, as well as monitoring your blood pressure. I for one tend to have low BP, so even a consistent "normal" reading would be a warning sign for me.

    Preeclampsia (toxemia) is almost 100% avoidable and reversible through adequate protein intake. Most docs recommend 80g/day, but I have to have closer to 120 g/day because of the work involved in taking care of lots of little ones every day. The Brewer Diet is excellent at addressing toxemia, I have a blog post on that.

    Toxemia and the related complications are VERY, VERY serious. A friend of mine and her baby came within a hair of dying of HELPP syndrome because she had a completely ignorant midwife who kept assuring my friend all was fine when I kept telling her she needed to get checked out. Her swelling had reached her face, which is a late sign of toxemia.

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  3. posts like this make me mad. i think to truly state what is 'best' you should have had to experience all of what you are talking about. Your opinions and thoughts on c-setions are text book and based on the negative experiences of others. what about all the positive, life saving c-sections that have been performed?!

    you will now guess that i've had a c-section. i had 2 c-sections but they were very positive experiences. i could tell you they were due to medical reasons but you would say that is just rubbish.

    it's women like you who make women who have c-sections feel as if they have somehow failed in their role as a woman.

    having a c-section is nothing to be ashamed of. shame on you.

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  4. Yes my midwife has upped my protein intake, and I was already having MORE than 100 mg a day. But she said it's probably to do with the fact that I need more because my babies are so close (and notice she didn't think there was anything wrong with that, just that I needed even MORE protein to compensate). Thankfully I have been craving protein very, very badly, particularly meat and beans. She's also put me on liquid calcium/magnesium, and trace minerals.

    Last time my urine was good and my bp too, but I wasn't swollen in the hands and face last time she checked either, so she said she is probably going to come to the house in the next few days.

    Having all that protein is difficult because the food with protein usually costs a lot more.

    My midwife is great. She is TOTALLY committed to a home birth, BUT, if something bad happens like toxemia, she'd have me at the hospital in an instant. We just don't want to have to go there if we can help it because we don't want to be fighting the hospital over everything, including HepB shots. Why do they give little babies that are not sexually active HepB shots?

    By the way, I have a friend who tried natural birth from the start, and she did have bad complications and ended up with a c-section. She has had to have a c-section for 7 out of her 8 kids. Her doctor is great though and says that as long as her body looks good, he won't try to pressure her not to have more babies, and he'll deliver them for her. She has to have c-sections every time now.

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  5. Traditionally men have been doctors. So, I am seriously asking, if it's perverted, were the doctors of old all perverted since they would have treated every member of the family?

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  6. If you end up at a hospital birthing center like I did, supportive staff is key. My water broke 36 hours before I ended up giving birth, yet I was still able to avoid IV antibiotics, pitocin, or any other interventions. I got to deliver my daughter myself in the water tub. I was also attended by a doula, my best friend, and husband, all who understood that I meant it when I said not to touch me during the worst stages. Had I been attended by an OB at a regular birth wing, I am pretty sure they would have tried to push me into a C-section because of the length of time that my water had been broken.
    My daughter is now 20 mo, extremely verbal, and very physically active. She was definitely not harmed by those extra few hours in the womb.

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  7. Great post Z! Thanks much. We are going to have children soon and hospital births scare us. In fact the medical industry as a whole here in America scares us. So much so, that my wife is seriously considering just going home to Ukraine to have our children.

    Costs are also a factor for us... even with PPO health insurance, my brother had to pay almost $8000 for a birth that went well! At that was 5 years ago. Do you know if birthing at home and having midwives is expensive? We want to avoid hospitals as much as possible. Thanks for any info.

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  8. 1916home, our home births cost $3,300 all up, that's prenatal care, postnatal care, and delivery. Our insurance covers about 80% of that. The beauty is that my midwife doesn't charge me more money if she has to give me some kind of medication etc (she's had to give me something both times for rapid loss of blood). It doesn't cost more the more equipment I use (I can use my birth pool - we own that, and I can use her birthing stool or birthing ball etc at no extra cost. I can use any, all, or none of those).

    So yes, for us it is cheaper to home birth, and from what I've heard others say they paid for their home birth, my midwife seems kind of expensive. But she's worth it. I love her.

    I hope that helps.

    To the angry anonymous above, I think Mrs Zsuzsanna would realize that there is occasionally a medical reason for a c-section. But there is NO WAY that 30% of births medically REQUIRE a c-section. It is the astronomical number of them that is wrong. Just because a woman has been in labour longer than the hospital would like, or because of their unnecessary interventions, is often the reason why women end up having c-sections.

    We thought my last home birth was going to end in a c-section after all. I was having contractions and the less experienced midwife though the baby was presenting transverse. You cannot naturally deliver a transverse baby.

    You can, however, naturally birth other kinds of breech (my midwife delivers them all the time), and twins, and other "high risk" pregnancies. Yet I now women that the doctors said they "medically required" a c-section ONLY because of breech presentation or twins. That's not true.

    So again, what is upsetting is the sheer amount of c-sections that are performed that are unnecessary, not the ones that are necessary.

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  9. 1916home, I'm planning a home birth and my midwife charges $1700 for the whole package (includes all prenatal appointments and she also has a birthing pool for me to borrow). From what I've heard, the going rate is as high as $3000 for some midwives, but that probably depends on where you live. I think the only way it could get expensive is if the mother has to be transported to a hospital (and my midwife has only had to do that with 2 women out of 300).


    Btw, good post Zsuzsanna! C-sections scare me, and have been scary to me since I found out about them a long time ago. The more I read about them, the more I'm against having a c-section unless it's absolutely necessary.

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  10. Ina May's Spiritual Midwifery is a great book to read with your husband because she guides men in that how to be terrific and involved birth partners. It will make you laugh some because Ina May Gaskin is a hippie but it's a great book.
    1916home, Home birth is far less expensive than a hospital birth. average hospital birth is about $12,000 average midwife home birth is around $3000 sometimes a little more sometimes less.

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  11. You are 100% correct. When my daughter was pregnant, I talked to her of the strong possibility of being forced into having a C-Section. She said, "Oh, no, my doctors say they only do C-Sections in a real emergency." I warned her that the first step of intervention almost always leads to them. And that's exactly what happened. She was 4 days overdue and having some pain, so they decided to induce. Of course, that led to an epidural because of the tremendously painful contractions brought on unnaturally. Then, due to "failure to progress" after many hours, a C-Section was scheduled. In order to justify the surgery, they told her and her husband all kinds of scary stories about what could happen if they didn't take the baby right away. After the C-Section was over, the doctor assured them it had been the right decision because the baby was in a difficult position and would have "never come down." (??) The poor baby, having been yanked from his home before he was ready, lay in a drugged stupor for the first two days and could not figure out how to nurse. It wasn't until a lactation consultant gave my daughter a few tips days later that he finally was able to latch on, but he still has trouble feeding 3 1/2 weeks later. I am very disturbed about the intervention rollercoaster that goes on in most hospitals, where one thing leads to another and the parents feel scared and helpless to fight what is happening.

    Years ago, I had two C-Sections, but was thankfully able to deliver my last two children by VBAC. It made a world of difference.

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  12. I think one of the most important things is having a provider you trust. Being totally against a c-section could prove dangerous for mom and baby. So talking with your provider and having a plan for birth is important.

    The idea that male OBs are perverts in itself is rather a perverted. As a nurse, who cares for both male and female patients, I can tell you that having sexual thoughts about patients would be both disgusting and very, very wrong. It may be hard for a lay person to understand, but it really is just part of the job to sometimes deal with sensative areas.

    Nurse Bee

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  13. I believe that c-sections happen way too frequently and I've had three.
    My first, I was prodded by the doctor. I was 4 weeks early, had high blood pressure, and gestational diabetes. It was easy for me to trust what the doctor said because I panicked. My second, I was determined to have a VBAC, but my son stopped moving and almost died. This was a c-section that was truly medically warranted. After that, I couldn't find anyone who would try a VBA2C. I did find a midwife I talked to and she examined me and said she believed that I was one of the true rare women who are too narrow in the pelvis. Don't know for sure, but now, it is what it is.

    However, I was one of the lucky ones. I recovered nicely and very easily. But I still tell everyone I know to avoid a c-section if at all possible.
    It is outrageous that they are preformed so often. And I personally know a woman who made sure to find a doctor who would let her have one at 37 weeks, for convenience. That is truly sad.

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  14. I fully support a woman's choice to make up her own decision about how to proceed in her pregnancy. I would never advocate for taking that freedom away.

    However, I disagree with some of your angles. For instance, I have heard many times the statistic that home birth has the same mortality rate as hospital birth, so it's just as viable and safe. Does this take into account that only low-risk pregnancies are recommended for home birth, but yet the hospital takes on EVERY case from healthy pregnancies to drug addicted women to multiple births to abnormal babies to emergencies and so forth? If the hospital has the SAME mortality rate (dealing with ALL the complicated birth scenarios) as home birth (which only deals with healthy, normal pregnancies) then I would consider that a strong argument for the safety of hospitals and a damning statistic for home births. How many of those healthy pregnancies would have resulted in a living child if they would have been born in a hospital? The studies should compare only healthy, normal pregnancies to healthy, normal pregnancies to be accurate. Let's compare apples to apples, not apples to oranges.

    Also, and this doesn't really matter, but I find your advice to seek out a female OB hilarious. Just because I'm a woman doesn't mean I understand what's going on in another woman's body (let alone my own!).

    The clinic I visit for my prenatal exams has me rotate doctors at the end of my pregnancy to become acquainted with the other doctors who might be on call when I go into labor. There are seven female OBGYNs and one male. I have made the male doctor my primary OBGYN because he is the most gentle, non-evasive, cautious doctor of the bunch. While several of the female doctors were telling me that if I walked into the hospital while they were on call, they would induce me if I wanted that, the male doctor was extremely hesitant to intervene at all. I had to push HIM to induce me when I was well past my due date. I'm so glad I did (and I'm glad he was hesitant and careful) because my pregnancies came to an end without any trouble whatsoever. And when I say he is gentle, I mean it. I swear the female doctors were up to their elbows in my vagina just to check how many centimeters I was (they say I'm "posterior"). It was incredibly uncomfortable. I think my male doctor figured if he couldn't even REACH my cervix, there was no point in checking it, because I was obviously not ready. I really appreciated that. He also doesn't press so hard on my stomach with the doppler instrument like all the women do when we're listening for the heartbeat. I have had one other male OBGYN before the one I am seeing now, and he is so in-demand that he has a waiting list. He was wonderful, careful, and gentle, and it doesn't surprise me that so many women are lining up to be his patients. So my advice would be to find a good doctor/midwife, regardless of gender.

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  15. I think most c-sections happen because of impatient doctors. In reading other blogs of women who share their birth stories I noticed that many of them are given drugs to speed up the process. Then they usually have epidurals. More problems. Then when they hit the eight or nine hour mark the doctor starts getting impatient and talking c-section. Being drugged and very tired at that point most of them give in. As long as the baby's vitals are truly okay what is it going to hurt for the child to stay in the womb a little longer? Home birth stories on the other hand are very different. Many women are in labor longer and yet the babies are fine.

    Midwives are practically non-exstient here in Kentucky and some sites say they are illegal. So I have no choice but to go to a hospital. I am very mad about this. That combined with with very expensive deductables on our insurance which has forced us to apply for Medicaid. Something I'm not proud of. It's almost like the goverment wants you to feel bad for having a baby.

    I read the What to Expect When Your Expecting book. The only thing good about that book is that does list some of the less talked about pregnancy symtoms .

    Brittany

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  16. For those wishing to find a pregnancy/birth movie they can watch WITH their husband - check out "Pregnant in America". Covers all the same general material that is in "The Business of Being Born", with no exposed body parts or fluids or anything gross. It's a VERY good movie and decent enough for anyone.

    I would echo the comment above responding to the "angry anonymous". Yes, sometimes c-sections are necessary, just as sometimes inductions are necessary (pre-E, toxemia). In those truely necessary cases, thank GOD we have the medical technology and personel available to do so. But THIRTY PERCENT of ALL hospital births being c-sections??? NOT necessary. The World Health Organization has stated that the "normal" baseline level of truly necessary c-sections for the life of mother and/or baby is around 7%. That's what the c-section rate was in this country in the 1970s. The WHO recommends that countries not exceed 15% of births being c-sections (allowing wiggle room "just to be safe"). Why on earth is our c-section rate TWICE what the WHO recommends, and climbing every year? If "angry anonymous" truly needed a c-section, thank God she was able to get one. But 30% truly needing c-sections??? Yea right...

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  17. My first baby was born vaginally and it was a perfectly routine delivery. My second was breech and therefore by C-section. It was terrifying, the worst thing I've ever been through. I said I'd never do it again. No one seemed to understand why I felt this way! Other women said it was fine for them. It's the way to go! (trendy).

    So when the 3rd pregnancy came around I spoke with OBs before making the first appointment until I found one who would do a VBAC. I told him from the start that I did not want a C.

    At 39 weeks gestation, I went in for my weekly appointment and the nurse bragged about how great my BP was. Well, when the doctor came in, he was all grave and said my BP was extremely high and so was my protein levels. I was confused, but said nothing. I had a C-section the next morning. It was so disappointing. Although it was a better experience than the last one.

    For my next pregnancy, I WILL be using a midwife. I've learned my lesson! The OB was just playing me along until he could come up with a good story and have "no choice".

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  18. Regarding Brittany's comment about midwives being illegal: that probably refers to direct-entry midwives (midwives with no medical training). There may be certified nurse midwives (midwives who are registered nurses) in her state.

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  19. I absolutely agree that all soon to be mothers (and fathers) should educate themselves regarding c-sections and home versus hospital births and I love that you bring such a topic to the spot light however I very much disagree with and find it troubling what was said regarding male doctors. I have had experiences with both female and male OBGYN's and I vehemently disagree with the idea that a male OBGYN is perverted.

    The first OBGYN I ever saw was female. It was a terrible experience wrought with physical pain, lack of compassion, and complete emotional discomfort. In fact I would have to honestly say that I felt a perversion with my legs in the stirrups while at the hands of this woman's care then I have ever felt at any male doctor's care.

    It was several years later when pregnant with my first child that I dared see another OBGYN. This time I was referred to a male. Dr. Rappleye (SLC, Utah) came with high recommendations from countless sources and proved to be the very best doctor I have ever been seen by. He was simply amazing and took great care in attending to me and the two children he helped and coached my husband to help deliver. He listened to both my husband and myself regarding my health and our baby's, he followed our birth plan perfectly and was my strong advocate in the hospital where I delivered. He listened to me and trusted me to know and understand my own body and allowed me to guide myself and him in the labor and deliver process. I had two amazing, wonderful pregnancy, labor and birth experiences. In no way shape or form was this man ill educated on the female body nor was he perverted.

    I believe it is ignorant and ill educated to suggest that all male OBGYN's are perverted and lack knowledge of the female body.

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  20. Good post. I agree. The midwives that are talked of in the Bible are a good example to keep in our minds, they know that womens bodies need to birth the way they need to birth, at least most midwives- not the hospital ones. I also agree with the FACT that male gynocologists are pervs and anyone who thinks differently is ignorant and thinking foolishly. Well theres my 2 cents. Hope you are all well in hot AZ.
    Jessica

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  21. It is very sad to think that Dr.'s are pushing for c-sections when they are not needed. I say that knowing that I myself have had three c-sections. I can honestly say that I was un-educated about c-sections. I went through the classes and was really hoping to have the baby natural without any drugs. However, I cannot say for sure whether the dr's pushed for my first c-section unnecessarily or not. I can only tell you the circumstances and let you draw your own conclusions...
    My first child was 10 lbs and 9 oz. His head size was literally about half his weight. My water had broken and he was still not dropped into position due to his head size. I had him by c-section through the prodding of the dr who assured me that it was the best for the baby and for me because I could go through 30 hours of labor and still have to have a c-section. Four years later I was pregnant with my second child and very much wanted to have my daughter vbac. However, early in the pregnancy I was told my a midwife that my pelvis was too small to pass more than a 5-6 pound baby (don't know how she knew that, but that is what she said). Also, I want to note here that my incision from my first c-section was rubbing my pelvis during the last four months of this pregnancy and it was very painful every time I walked! Even with this knowledge, I was hoping for a smaller baby and a natural birth. However, in the ninth month it was estimated by ultrasound that she was going to be over 9 pounds (she was 8 lbs 15 oz), so we opted for the c-section because she had also not dropped into position at all. I was very discouraged because I knew that I wanted lots of children and the c-sections would limit me, the chances of finding a dr. to do a vbac after two c-sections were slim. I resigned myself to the fact that I would have to be happy with whatever the Lord blessed me with, even if it was only the three max for c-sections. When I became pregnant the third time I knew that it was going to be another c-section, because that is all the dr. would consider. I developed a severe respiratory infection during the last four months of this pregnancy and, because of my two previous c-sections, one of my incisions broke open and became a hernia that plagued me during my entire pregnancy. It was a excruciatingly painful and it lasted until 7 months AFTER the pregnancy when it was finally diagnosed correctly. By this time, the hernia had grown to a whopping 7 inches wide! I will not tell everyone here the long road to recovery and the multiple surgeries and infections that I had during this time. But I will tell you that my third child was in NICU for a while and the first three days the dr's did not think he would survive at all. The dr. scheduled his c-section too early and he had undeveloped lungs(which could have also been caused by my respiratory problems during pregnancy). Of course the dr. used his size to determine gestational age, which was wrong. Even though he was a month early he was 8 lbs 9oz. Also he was the only one of my children that dropped into position (way early too, in the fifth month!) Becuase he had dropped into my pelvis so early in the pregnancy the dr's had a very hard time getting him out. He had become stuck in my pelvis area and they almost had to break my pelvis to get him out! I was bruised from their efforts to get him out from my neck to my thighs for weeks-no kidding! After he was born, my husband thought it best that I get a tubal ligation due to the complications from the c-sections and the difficult pregnancies that I have. He was very worried about losing me, and thought that it was the best decision to make. I followed his leading but this was, and still is a tremendous burden to me, I truly wanted and still want more children. Obviously, c-sections DO have complications! I am living proof of them. Not only physical ones, but emotional ones as well. If you are reading this post, please take Z's advice and get completely educated on what your choices are.

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  22. Hi Zsuzsanna.

    I agree that women need to listen to doctor's advice with a critical ear. Here is my experience with VBAC.
    I had a C-section for medical reasons and then a VBAC, with the same doctor. I believe she made the right call for C-section the first time. The second time, she encouraged me to go for VBAC and pointed out to me that it would be important if I wanted more children. There are some technical aspects that will tip you out if your doctor is in principle opposed to VBAC. If she schedules a C-section to be had BEFORE or right on your due date, chances are you'll never get to try a VBAC. I would change doctor. If she schedules a C-section one or two weeks AFTER the due date, and shows that she is flexible about it, she is serious about letting you go for a natural birth after C-section.
    I can compare C-section and vaginal birth by first experience. There is no doubt in my mind that a natural birth is best, I can't explain it other than by saying that it feels just right, the way things should be and it is a wonderful experience.
    My doctor is a woman, because I feel more comfortable with a woman OB. However, I have to point out that there is a flaw in the reasoning that the main place for a woman is at home and the fact that women should see only women doctors/nurses. If most women actually chose to be homemakers and not pursue a career, there would not be enough women doctors to ensure proper health care for women.Best,

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  23. Oh, one more comment about male OBGYNs being perverts. It seems like almost every time I see my doctor, there is this ancient, crooked, frail lady coming to see him, too. She's so old that other people have to accompany her to help her walk. And I would imagine that since she's seeing a gynecologist, it's for reasons concerning the nether region. It occurred to me then that this man who sees this poor old woman so frequently is not a pervert. He's a saint!

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  24. Hi Zsuzsanna, my mom is a midwife, and I was wondering if I could forward her this blog? She is very anti-cesarean (except for when it is ACTUALLY needed) and I am sure she would love to read it. Thanks so much!

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  25. This is a terrific post! I am so excited because I believe that I am listening to your husband's sermon on sermon audio, regarding birth control. What a blessing to hear. I definitely want to pass it along! Many blessings!

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  26. Maybe I'm just old-fashioned, but I don't see how any woman could feel comfortable with a male doctor touching her in places that only belong to her husband (I'm sure we all know what an OB/GYN or midwife has to do). Even my husband is uncomfortable with the idea of another man seeing/touching me there.

    To whoever posted that comment about women staying at home being inconsistent with only wanting a woman doctor: Midwives can be stay-at-home wives/mothers while still doing their job. Of course it requires training and going out of the house to help a woman in labor, but it is much different from a Monday-Friday 9-5 job. Besides, midwifery is Biblical.

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  27. Maybe I'm just old-fashioned, but I don't see how any woman could feel comfortable with a male doctor touching her in places that only belong to her husband (I'm sure we all know what an OB/GYN or midwife has to do). Even my husband is uncomfortable with the idea of another man seeing/touching me there.

    I don't follow the logic of this argument. Surely if another man touching you in places belonging to your husbad is wrong, then a woman touching you in those places would be doubly wrong. The apparent logic is that the doctor touching you is akin to a sexual act. A woman touching another woman would be an act of homosexuality, and certainly more wrong.

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  28. I actually recently read an article in a magazine about male OBGYN, and all the women said they'd never use one again because of all the nasty sexual comments they got from the doctor. Men are always telling us how sight oriented they are and how stuff is a temptation to them, blah blah blah, and then want us to believe that they can be an OB doctor without temptation. Yeah, right.

    I mean, why do men even want to be OB doctors in the first place?

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  29. New reader here. Very interesting topis you pick to discuss. =) I am a KJV independent fundamental Baptist as well, so I have had fun reading your posts. I don't agree with everything, and I think that you can come off as very harsh sometimes, but I still enjoy reading most of it. I wanted to comment on this post, however, because I was one of the 'lucky ones' who had a breech baby naturally- no c-section. My doctor was a die-hard-old-fashioned 80 year old physician who had delivered many breech babies. Worst delivery I ever had, but Thank God no c-section! If I had had a modern doctor they would have rushed me into surgery right away. I came out all right, and baby girl came out all right, but it was pretty scary.(and she's been my biggest baby at birth- at almost nine pounds!) I think I read that out of the 5% breech births that happen, only .1% deliver naturally? (and I also delievered her without drugs- something I tend to brag about.=) I do agree that C-sections are used too often, but I also think they should be used in emergency situations.

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  30. Okay, I was typing while juggling a two year old and keeping tabs on the other three children, (7 and under) so I misspelled quite a bit. (which I just now noticed) I actually am literate. = ) Also, I forgot to mention that I am wife to the assistant pastor at our independent fundamental Baptist church. So we are in the ministry, also, which is another thing we have in common. Better go before I make any more typos. = )

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  31. "hopped up on epidurals...?" lol. Epidurals are not mind altering and do not get a person high like narcotics do.

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  32. The subject of this post is something I've struggled with personally.
    I consider myself a "mainstream" Christian, which means that I'm probably a typical American, so just use that as a frame of reference.

    I think there are far too many c-sections, and that hospitals are part of the cause, and so are doctors who need things to be quick for their own reasons (mainly insurance and amount of patients.).

    That being said, a c-section used properly CAN AND DOES save lives. There's nothing wrong with them inherently, only when they are used frivolously and not frugally. Many women are pushed into them out of their own ignorance as well, so being well-educated on the subject DOES also make a difference in whether or not you might end up with an unnecessary surgery.

    On the subject of male OBs. There are male OBs in third world countries as well. It's not a matter of a man being a pervert, many become such out of necessity, or feeling like it's one of the few places they could make a positive difference. My OB is a lovely man who is adamantly pro-life, and in spite of my first child being an unnecessary c-section, he made every effort to help me have my second child by VBAC--and it was a success. (and he didn't even do the delivery--it was a woman OB)

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Your KINDLY WORDED, constructive comments are welcome, whether or not they express a differing opinion. All others will be deleted without second thought.