Birthing Options: Weighing Alternatives

Option 1: Hospital Birth

In this and my next few posts I’ll be taking a look at some of the birthing options open to parents these days, along with statistical analysis of pros and cons for both mothers and infants. The first option is hospital birth.

To grandmothers (like me), it might seem odd to talk about hospital birth as an ‘option’, since back in ancient history when we were having our children, hospital births were the norm. Unless something strange happened - like giving birth in a taxi stuck in traffic, or in an elevator stuck between floors - almost everyone was born in a hospital.

It was the end result of decades’ worth of efforts by the medical profession to both ease the pain of childbirth for mothers with strong drugs and ’save’ the greatest number of babies from the detrimental effects of those drugs. Women in labor were isolated and strapped to gurneys on their backs with labor-enhancing drugs flowing into their bloodstream from IV tubes to counter the labor-retarding effects of painkillers. When the time came Mom was wheeled into a sterile OR called the ‘Delivery Room’, where her peritoneum was sliced open and the baby pulled out with giant metal tongs called forceps. Which often left serious bruises on the baby’s head or cheeks.

The baby was promptly whisked away to a separate ward by nurses who cleaned it up, administered various tests, and immediately instigated formula feeding. If Mom did well, she could see the baby once every 4 or 6 hours for 15 minutes, so long as she didn’t have any visitors at the time. Dads could see their babies through thick glass for an hour or two a day, but were not allowed anywhere near enough to ‘contaminate’ the child until 3 or 4 days later, when he got to take Mom and baby home.

It wasn’t much fun, and for some strange reason doctors and others directly involved in the process didn’t warn first time parents about this dehumanizing situation. Perhaps because if they had, more women would have gone looking for something better. Still, it was the normal cultural means of birthing, the country enjoyed steadily decreasing maternal and infant mortality statistics, and most people accepted the doctor-inspired diagnosis that pregnancy and childbirth are disease, to be treated as disease.

However, infant and maternal mortality rates have not declined since 1982, and dangers associated with caesarian sections mandated for the convenience of the physician and hospital-contracted infections threaten progress that has been made. The US still ranks 37th in the world in infant mortality, and maternal deaths among minority women are at the level of many third world countries.

Hospital births are also the most expensive option, effectively out of the question for the tens of millions of uninsured in this country who aren’t poor enough to qualify for Medicaid and not rich enough to pay out of pocket.

That said, the expectant couple should keep in mind that even if they make alternative choices - a birthing center with nurse-midwives in attendance or a home birth with a licensed lay midwife - it is always possible that they may end up at the hospital for their birthing experience. Complications in labor, delivery and post-delivery may arise, so good pre-natal care is essential to spot problems as early as possible.

Still, many hospitals these days do accommodate couples’ choices as much as possible. Birthing wings are often kept quite separate from areas of hospitals where the danger of transmitted infections is minimal. Some offer ample “birthing suites” where couples and their families can manage their own labors and delivery with the ready help of on-staff nurse-midwives. If something does go wrong, there’s no need for a frantic trip to the hospital, as doctors are in-house and the OR is right down the hall. For many first-time parents this can take a load of worry off their minds.

No matter what choices are made for birthing, the expectant couple should definitely be as educated as possible about all aspects of pregnancy and childbirth. I’ve been designated birthing partner for my sister, my elder daughter and two friends in the last couple of decades, and the best recommendation I could give to any expectant couple is to join a local Bradley Class. Honestly, by the time you’re done with the 12 week course, you’ll know enough to deliver that baby yourselves if you have to (or just want to), and you’ll feel very empowered by the knowledge.

Sunshine’s Mom (my daughter) is already enrolled, she and her husband began classes this week. While I do plan to be there when the baby is born, I’m practicing up on staying out of the way. That way I’ll be there if needed, can fill in if Daddy needs a break for awhile, and can remind Mom that she’s Queen of the Universe when she’s feeling most exhausted and frightened.

Next we’ll take a look at some of those birthing centers, and some of the more ’spiritual’ methods of birthing that have become increasingly popular in the last decade or so. We’ve months and months to go, so there’s plenty of time!

Links:

Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way

Midwifery Today: Is Hospital Birth Better>

WebMD Childbirth Options: What’s Best?

American College of Domiciliary Midwives: Analysis

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Filed under Prenatal Care, Birthing, Family Planning, Pregnancy |