A package arrived yesterday from ICAN Int'l Bookstore guru Debby Crail. It contained several C/SEC newsletters from days past and I have been pouring over them... as I always do when it is something to read and about birth. These newsletters are from the late 80's and it is truly amazing how relevant their information is today as it was then. I am treasuring the wisdom of these women who were doing the same work we are doing today in lowering unnecessary cesarean rates, equipping women for the reality of hospital birth experiences and reducing the rampant trampling of women's rights and emotions by physicians. I would like to share some of that wisdom with you now...
VBAC pioneer Justine Clegg wrote, "The birthing women of the '80s seem to be committed primarily to succeeding in the business world, largely on men's terms. They seem quite willing to allow professional men to define for them the optimum way to birth. Perhaps it is because they buy into high technology in business, or their primary goal is to have a perfect product. These women seem to put their trust in high-tech birthing with medical experts. "
Hmm, I would extend that to the 90's and beyond because I too see the fixation on technology as the optimum choice, even in childbirth.
Valerie Franklin pointed out the obvious, "With a cesarean, if it's scheduled there's no pain beforehand. However, the pain after surgery can be excruciating. With a vaginal birth the pain is excruciating beforehand but the instant the baby is born the pain is totally gone. All in all, any kind of birth is difficult, painful, and at times traumatic."
The new "trend" of elective cesareans the doctors are blaming the increasing cesarean rates on are all about avoiding the pain of childbirth. Well avoid the pain by adoption! But back to the point, the reality is very few women are choosing elective cesareans and those who want one are fearful of the loss of empowerment and pain that is widely portrayed on current television series showing highly medically managed birth as the norm. Once they are counseled about the reality of normal birth, their options and the truth of cesarean risk, very few do ultimately choose surgery.
"Although at times before our daughter's birth I teased my wife about being obsessed with the idea of a VBAC. I am glad we were able to experience our daughter's birth the way we did, instead of living through a repeat cesarean. It gave me an opportunity not just to see my daughter born, but also the chance to share this incredible event with a partner able to be alert and elated as I." These were the wise words shared by Michael Moran, father of both a cesarean and VBAC borne.
Another father, Roland Janbergs writes after his wife's second cesarean, "I still think modern medicine could be improved in one very important aspect. For some reason, physicians keep people in their care in the dark as long as possible. Then they ask for a decision in no time, usually with incomplete information. This is not really fair." Fair, interesting wording. How about ethical? Primary caregivers are chosen because of their knowledge and expertise, theoretically to provide us with our options where needed during the time we have retained them, and paid them well for that expertise I might add. Would we appreciate our accountant or landscape designer to withhold important information that may impact our lives? Indeed not, so why do we allow physicians to do so during the most vulnerable time of our lives?
There are many, many experiences and knowledge shared but I will leave you with Valerie Franklin's voice of pain, "Barely a day has gone by that I have not cried for the precious first hours of our baby's life that were stolen from my husband and myself, for the pain and scars, both physical and psychological, inflicted upon me, and for the lack of compassion and understanding we received." These emotions are a common echo among women who have experienced a surgical delivery of their precious baby, whether life-saving or not.
No comments:
Post a Comment