I realize I write a lot about pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding and other stuff that may make some people uncomfortable. I decided a few weeks ago to try to tone it down after I caused a stir on facebook... however, I have to rant about something tonight. I'm allowed to write about what I am passionate about... everyone else does. At least I'm warning you in advance so if you're sick of hearing about it from me, you don't have to read it.
The Today Show on NBC aired a segment showing a live c-section being performed. The reason why: both the mother's and the father's families have a history of big babies and an ultrasound done last week put the baby at 10 lbs. C-sections are there for medical emergencies, people. You're in labor for an insane amount of time without progressing, fine, that's what c-sections are there for. You or the baby are in true distress, it's a great thing we have this surgery that can end that distress. However, more and more c-sections are being done that are elective like this one and not medically necessary. Now onto my specific rants about the segment:
First, I hate that this show reached millions of people and normalized c-section as an elective choice. Second, they were flat-out wrong and most people watching don't even know it. The baby ended up weighing 10 lbs at birth. That means the ultrasound weight estimate was wrong, which actually happens a lot. It was likely about half a pound off, because babies usually gain an ounce a day in utero at the end of the pregnancy. And here's my biggest rant: when the baby was weighed, Meredith Vieira commented that they had obviously chosen the right way to deliver this big baby. Umm... no. I had a 9 lb 14 oz baby vaginally. It can be done. For the most part, a woman's body can and will do what it is meant to do. My friend had a home birth last April that I was privileged to be present at. She's a tiny little thing, and she gave birth to a 9 lb baby. Our births were not wrong. Big baby does not need to equal c-section.
I think I'll be tuning into Good Morning America from now on.
2 comments:
I love that you have such strong feelings about motherhood, and that you're willing to talk about them. It's a fascinating subject, and I'm always interested in why people make the choices they do about birth and raising children.
It's shameful how emergency procedures are being portrayed as a part of something that is otherwise a normal and natural event. I can't say it enough..babies are made the right size to be born from their mother.
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