I have a couple of friends that work at a local hospital in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area with a c-section rate of 60%. They have both told be they think the statistic is higher than that, however. They have said there are days (and nights) where they don't see a single woman that has had a vaginal birth. When I asked them why they think the numbers are so high, one of them said it's because that particular hospital has such an influx of Mexican women. What?! She went on to explain that when they don't speak the language (English), things just happen to them, the labor "spirals out of control," ending in surgery.
Surely in the United States of America they are getting the best health care in the world, right? Frankly, I believe they are taken advantage of by a system -- doctors, nurses, hospitals -- that don't want to deal with them. They know that these women and families are often scared, and frankly, trust the doctors to take care of them to do what is best for them. I think they are being scammed.It is not just Mexican women. I know people from several other countries that have had the same experience in the DFW area. I believe it is happening all over the United States. One of the women I know who had a cesarean at the mentioned hospital said that in her Discharge Class, only 2 of the 15 women had had a vaginal birth. She is Italian and will be VBACing this September at a different hospital with a VBAC-friendly doctor and she has hired a doula. She will not be a victim this time around.
Very few women -- American or otherwise -- are truly aware of their choices when it comes to childbirth. We place our faith and trust in the doctor's hands and become good little patients. Less than 1/3 of women take a childbirth class when they are pregnant. We make it unbelievably easy for the system to take advantage of us. Plenty of American-born women have been a victim of the system and don't even realize it. They just didn't take the time to educate themselves about labor and birth and were not active participants in their labors. Birth was something that happened to them.
Women from other countries and cultures bring their own ideas of birth to the table which may or may not mirror our own. The third step of the Mother-Friendly Childbirth Initiative is: "A mother-friendly hospital, birth center, or home birth service provides culturally competent care -- that is, care that is sensitive and responsive to the specific beliefs, values, and customs of the mother's ethnicity and religion." That is rarely happening in this country!
Thoughtfully consider your place of birth regardless of where you are from. Is your care provider respectful on all levels? If English is your second language and you are having a baby in America, I hope that you will follow your intuition. If you feel like your hospital or doctor is not respectful, don't ignore those red flags. There are people who want to help you have a wonderful birth. Seek out a midwife, a Bradley (TM) teacher, or a doula, for recommendations in your area. It's only too late after the baby is here.
The diversity of this country is one of the many things that make is so interesting. All women deserve to have a wonderful birth-day and not be a victim of a broken maternity system. If you know someone in this situation, don't be afraid to speak out. Help put her in touch with your midwife or doula. Language should never be a barrier to compassion or the beginning of motherhood.
No comments: