Not too Posh to Push

I've always enjoyed researching, so I grew up to be a historian/writer/teacher type rather than a famous actor and singer, which was always my Plan B. It isn't surprising that Google has become my handy assistant and that I would sell a kidney for a lifetime subscription to JSTOR if given the chance. I mostly like to research historical events and what type of cancer I may have each time my head aches. I've learned that WebMD can cause hypochondria.

The last 8 months of pregnancy has offered a whole new avenue of research that has amazed, angered, and caused me to vomit on varying occasions. Words like 'placenta' triggered my gag reflex at first, but I'm getting over it slowly, perhaps because cervix and vagina are common topics discussed between pregnant people and their doctors... who would've thought!?

Contrary to my many recently watched episodes of Criminal Minds and CSI, attempted homicide and rape are not the leading cause of hospitalization in the United States. Shocking, I know. Child birth is actually the leading reason for hospitalization in the US, a whopping 86 BILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY. (Condoms are only a 373 million dollar industry.)

It's comforting, really. I'm obviously not alone in my 9 month waddling, pants-wetting, and unexplained crying adventure. Nope, many other knocked up women are right there with me! High Five, ladies!

What isn't comforting are the facts surrounding pregnancy and birth. America, the best country in the world, right?! We clearly have superb swimmers, gymnasts, and....um.... nuclear weapons. So why do we have such shitty statistics in the realm of pregnancy?

The US is a world leader, or so they say, in many areas, but we have one of the worst c-section rates in the developed world. We're like third from the last on the list here, people. That would NEVER fly if we were talking about the Olympics. The World Heath Organization states that a healthy c-section rate is between 5-10%, but the US has a 33% c-section rate. (A costly procedure. See the 86 Billion Dollars mentioned above.) According to CNN Health, we have the 2nd worst newborn morality rate in the developed world, mostly due to low birth weight.

So, when someone hollers ridicule at me for choosing a birth center over a hospital, my first instinct is to tell them to leave matters of my vagina up to me. My second instinct is to recite the facts and explain that if I'm in the 5-10% of people that really need a c-section, I'm right next to the hospital with a doctor all lined up!

Epidurals are not an option at the birth center.

This may sting a little.

Sources:

Friedman, Howard Steven. “US Infant Mortality Rate Higher than any other Wealthy Country” Huffington Post Online. June 2012.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/howard-steven-friedman/infant-mortality-rate-united-states_b_1620664.html

 

Green, Jeff. “U.S. has second worst newborn death rate in modern world, report says

CNN HEALTH.” May 2006.

 http://articles.cnn.com/2006-05-08/health/mothers.index_1_mortality-rate-death-rate-world-s-mothers?_s=PM:HEALTH

http://www.ibisworld.com/industry/condom-manufacturing.html