As a voracious reader, I sometimes come across passages or events in fictional literature that have clearly not been researched, or researched poorly. Sometimes this has to do with culture. Other times this is found in events such as a murder scene. However, given my previous work in maternity care, the biggest faux pas for me is the constant risk/threat of normal childbirth. To create drama, women in literature are often subjected to cesarean surgery to save either a mother or her unborn child. I have read many books, which I loved, only to end up disliking them when the death card is thrown on the table during a woman's labour as reason to surgically remove a baby from her womb. Having lived that, suffered the trauma of that experience, and helped many women overcome their own trauma surrounding their birth experiences, this appals me.
Enter the book Fifty Shades Freed, the third in a triology by E L James. Erika is an enchanting author. I love how she describes the main character's subconscious and her inner goddess. Such a unique and magical writing style. Her research is meticulous throughout, inspiring for the rest of us authors. This kilters drastically in the epilogue when Ana is in labour. Her esteemed obstetrician, Dr. Greene, declaires, "Mrs. Grey, you've been in labor for fifteen hours now. Your contractions have slowed in spite of the Pitocin. We need to do a C-section - the baby is in distress." Groan. I know I'm not the only one who sees the cascade to iatrogenic surgery here. Mom takes longer than the good doctors patience to labour, most likely without support and in fear of the unknown, an epidural is offered and accepted to help with the pain/fear, labour slows as a natural consequence. She is artificially augmented (Pitocin) without success. Now often a baby will distress given the above circumstances, but alas, this is not the case. Let me continue...
Suddenly, there's a piercing angry cry.
"You have a boy, Mrs. Grey. Check his Apgar."
"Apgar is nine."
There it is... no baby who is even remotely in distress will have an Apgar that high. Most healthy babies born do not have an Apgar that high. Six to eight is normal, given the parameters of the scoring system used for Apgar measurements. I understand this is a side note in the epilogue, and yet it sadly is replayed countless times in L&D rooms across this continent. Dr. Greene, tired of labour sitting, declare baby or mama are at risk and whoosh, off to the operating room.
The continued irony of this author's lack of research continues. She writes, "The strands of the flogger skim across my swollen belly at an aching, languorous pace." For the millions of moms who have a cesarean scar on their abdomen, we all know the entire area from our navel to our pubic symphysis and spanning between our iliac crests is numb... hardly sensual when you can't feel half of your belly.
The final slap as when ever-controlling Christian states, "I am not going through that again. Elective cesarean this time." His reasoning, "You nearly... died last time." Statistics clearly show surgical birth poses a higher rate of maternal morbidity and mortality than normal birth, or even a VBAC. I know this is a common belief, that our omnipotent physicians can heal all and cheat death with a wave of their scalpel. Sadly, I knew women who have died and have talked to widowers who know the truth of that theory, having experienced the truth.
Thank you Erika for a wonderfully well-written triology, I look forward to your upcoming works. Please humour me in continuing to meticulously research your work.
