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581359 tn?1454006442

The US does NOT have one of the highest Maternal or Fetal Death rates.

I have read a post stateing that the US has one of the highest death rates for birth due to the way we deliver our babies....THIS IS NOT TRUE!  In my opinion and experiance, natural birth is the BEST way to go.  With that being said, there is nothing wrong with having a "medicated" birth in a hospital with an OBGYN there are millions of babies born with an epidural...it is a safe way to have a baby and the US is one of the safest places to have a child. With only 13.3 maternal deaths per 100,000, and these are more comonly due to hemorage...which can happen with or with out and epidural.  Here are the statistics which show the US being on the lower, not the higher side.

http://   en.wikipedia.  org/wiki/   Maternal_death

copy and past the link without spaces.
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1303813 tn?1303159362
It doesnt matter where you are... I thoought everywhere delivered babies the same... cause really their is no other way babies can come out... Either vaginally or a Csection??? People have different birth plans.. but everywhere is still the same... only gots 2 options...unless your my 3 yr old brother who thinks when your baby is coming a little hand comes out your ear!

Hemorages are like one of the most common problems with birth am I right?
I thought places without hospital facilities would be the higher side, Like 3rd world countries???

Who wrote that thing about the US??

xx
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581359 tn?1454006442
I don't want to say who wrote it...I just wanted to make sure people knew that this wasn't true.  The comment was that we have one of the highest birth/maternal death rates in the world because we give birth in hospitals, on our backs....SO not true.  And you are correct when you state that 3rd world countries have higher death rates then the US.

Hemorage and bactiral infections are one of the higher causes.

The topic was about natural or epidural during labor.
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1303813 tn?1303159362
Alrightyy...
Personally, I thought, you give birth in whatever way you feel comfortable? And I'd rather give birth in a hosp than at home... Because if I was at home and say my placenta abrupted.. well then I'm stuffed, whereas in a hosp you're safer because there is stuff/equpitment their that is for that stuff... I wont have that at home.?? So I think hosps are safer... but home is more comfortable for the person.. cause they are in their comfort zone!!

I live in England. I dont know about our death rate...

And they wouldnt give you these drugs if they were dangerous and could cause death. I am not having an Epidural cause even though i'll be numb, I will mentally know there is something there and will feel it in my head type thing,,, Gas and air and pethadine for me! :)

But that is just silly!!!

x
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906115 tn?1344200509
OK now I am the one you are talking about! The US got a D on thier report card from the march of dimes, no state got an A and I THink Vermont was the only one with a C.


FAct remains is that more and more drs are turning to c-sections and interventions for sake of their own time and insurance. This is effecting maternal and fetal death rates! It is affecting rates of premature babies. Dr's are doing more routin C-sections as apposed to VBACS. The maternal death rates lowered in the 90's when they did more VBACS now has gotten higher again. It is the same since the 70's! Now with all the 'New technoligy" as dr's put it we should be better but we are not.

Birth is a natural thing and to intervine when unnesisary makes for complications! You have nurses relying on machines instead of using fatal dopplars like midwifes do which maes for problems, you have dr's wanting to go home and say "your not progressing or the baby will not fit" just to get a c-section to not ruin their weekend. You have mothers who would rather have a c-section then go through the birth process dispite it is major surgery and VBAC is safer for both mom and baby. You have Insurance and hospital administrators saying they do not want to do VBAC's even though they are safer and tell teh dr what to do. You have dr's performing C-sections scheulded before 39 weeks and delivering babies that are not ready and end up with complications.

Now this is not to offend anyone! including talk down about the few good OB's or birth friendly/mother friendly hospitals!!

As far as the last poster, you said you live in England you have the best drug available and safest! "Gas". THere are risks to mother and especially baby with epidurals. It takes a womans natural pain relief away and also inhibits the baby. Not always will there be a problem but it is an intervention. OB
s and nurses are not taugt ways to help with pain relief as they can not stay with the mom. Midwifes and doulas are trained.

Midwifes used to deliver all babies until medical dr's came into the picture, then more woman in higher class society went to the dr's while others still had midwifes. Midwifes still had the lower feath rates and complications then dr's. Yes, there are things that go wrong that no one knew would happen in a natural and intervention birth. OB's are like I said surgeons and are good for problems that arise! NOthing can compare to a dr who cuts a would be dying baby out to save both mom and baby! I had an emergency c-section with my third. I was hoocked up to fetal monitoring and still the nurses refusd to check her and said she was fine. I knew she was not! She stopped moving! I had to call my OB's office and he was thankfully at the hospital and had her out in 26 min from when I told the nurse. SHe was blue when she came out but made it thank God. SO fetal monitoring and interventions are not nessisarily safer and better by any means!

Look up March of Dimes to view the report card, Look up ICAN.org \
Sorry but listening to wikipedia is not the best thing to do. It is just someone who has wrote out their findings and lots of information and publications and reports come out after that is wrote. NOrway, UK, and other countires do in fact have lower maternal and fetal death rates! They have banned lots of drugs that the US still uses which they know are unsafe. And there is no mandatory reporting of maternal and infant deaths due to birth/birth process/labor in the US. THere are many trying to get enough signatures to go to congress about that now as we speak. Other countries ahve mandatory reporting, and actually publish it in a book for anyone to view.
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1303813 tn?1303159362
I thought Gas and Air was avaliable everywhere??

I am only 17 and I will put my hands up about knowing NOTHING... But Personally I think its each to their own with the birth of their children... Like for some it may be safer for a C section... take my mum for example.. with my sister her and my sister nearly died due to placenta abruption, then my sisters pos blood got mixed with my mums neg blood and the same happened to my sister from my mums blood into hers. Therefore tehy both nearly died. 7 yrs later, she fell preg again, and was now at high risk, well her doc said... my brother mmight not make it full term... he is nearly 4. Her midwife also said C section was the best for her.. she didnt listen.. had a Vbac, the same happened again...
She was hooked up to all the machines in the world in labour... although she couldnt feel her contractions (they were OFF the scale) my step dad felt them instead.. she didnt have a clue... but everything was fine!

Personaly I think you should go with what you are comfortable with... I would NEVER have a Csection EVER unless I NEEDED one!!, but then again, think of all those people like I stated in 3rd world countries who have NO HELP AT ALL.

Every where is different, some people have different views on things, some people have different comfort zones, like some like me are more comfortable giving birth in a hosp than at home..

(I actually forgot my point of what im trying to say)

But I don't think its the Docs and Midwifes fault of the Fetal death rates.. I think its complications that occur... Such as Placenta Abruption, or a very big baby can get stuck therefore better option would be a Csection to save the pain of natural birth and stuff. But then again this is MY opinion and as I stated I know NOTHING AT ALL about birth and stuff, I am crapping myself about labour. But Personally I think they wouldnt have this stuff if it was dangerous. it's also depending what the staff are like. My local hosp which I aint going too... because of them being crap! Someone 2 weeks over due... tried to send her home... but she refused.... started an Induction.. 6 hrs later, forgot to carry it on, had to wait 24hrs... they forgot another 24hrs passed, they told her to go home, she said no! She went into labour naturally and they said she cant have pain relief at all... So it depends the hospital and staff... they are not all like that..

I think its more complications in the pregnancy than the actual staff and or docs!!

I am not trying to argue, I am just stating my opinion! But I havent given birth yet. I am scared about it.... but I duno! I'm only 17! LOL

x
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971074 tn?1362759766
I just looked through the March of Dimes reports and that is some scary stuff. I can't believe our cesarean rate is so freaking high!

I encourage everyone to see the film "The Business of Being Born". I think regardless of where the US lands in the mortality rate spectrum... there are a lot of issues with the clinical approach to birth that need to be addressed. We as Mothers need to educate ourselves because we need to understand the process of birth. It is a natural process and should not be treated as an illness. I am choosing a natural labor with a midwife because I feel that I am in great shape and my OB advised that I am having a normal pregnancy. I do not believe it is for every woman. There are some women that have high risk pregnancies and need more monitoring through pregnancy and birth. BUT...the MAJORITY of women do not fall into the high risk category. I don't know how many times I have said, "The odds are in my favor for a normal birth."

There is now ay that 30% of women should be having cesarean deliveries. That is out of control. I know this post was about Maternal and Fetal death rate but to me...it is all related.

With Respect,
Sarah
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1035252 tn?1427227833
We also have a disproportionately high number of obese mothers...this contribues to (in my opinion) the majority of c-sections AND maternal deaths from complications. Now I'm overweight, so I'm not throwing stones, but you have to be fit to be pregnant IMO...no matter what weight. I think that we have to take that into account when we're throwing these numbers around....America is also a very UNFIT country and an unfit woman trying to go through labor is like an unfit woman trying to run a marathon after sitting on the couch for months....it's going to cause dangers (heart problems, other risks) and if you add the risk of a c-section to that because of a "stalled" or "failed" labor (yes I realize not all c-sections are given for a good reason)...you have all the surgery risks as well.


We need to focus on maternal HEALTH before we can start bringing these numbers down! Both pregnancies I worked out like mad to get ready for the "marathon" at the end...and it paid off with two easy labors.
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1303813 tn?1303159362
I am sooo confused!
I think I have read this whole thing wrong....

xx
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971074 tn?1362759766
I agree...maternal/prenatal nutrition and fitness are so important!!!
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1035252 tn?1427227833
very very true. education is vital about this...so many women don't understand/know how important it is to be fit while pregnant. like I said, fitness and weight are two different things. I have a friend who is considered "obese" who could stomp my BUTT in a race, because she works out a lot...she just has a higher weight. But obesity does raise your risk factors in surgery so if you DO end up with a c-section that's something to be considered.

and you mention nutrition which I did not....also very very important. even a woman on bed rest can care for her body and prepare it by eating the right things!
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1244180 tn?1325899111
What are the stats for Canada? I am on my iPod and can't find them.
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1395792 tn?1358115792
Everyone is different I have had 3 healthy babies no complications WITH epidurals..so everyone is different..I def think you must take care of yourselves during preg to be ready for delivery.
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906115 tn?1344200509
Were I live the local hospital has a 45% c-section rate and 99.9% for subsequent pregnancies.

The rates of my state are like 40% ( I think from what I rememebr) in KY. It is becasue of high obesity rates, smoking and dr's not allowing VBAC's.

Like I have posted in the past they want me on my back, on iv's and hooked up to a fetal monitor with no walking or moving at all! this was for a VBAC. SO I went 3 hours to a better hospital.
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304970 tn?1331425994
I am going to staqrt off by admitting that I did not read every post in its entirety.. I am a little taken aback though.. I have not been on medhelp much, and posts like this are the reason why.. I see LOTS posts of talking about doula's, & midwives, and home births.. NO THANK YOU! I don't follow holistic medicine, nor do I believe in it. I am offended to read that someone said "educate yourself." I am in awe that so many women hire these ill educated midwife/doula people that got a "certification" from some BS coorespondence program and allow these people to deliver their chilfdren at home. I think it's disgusting. I am FAR more apt to trust an actual DOCTOR who put years in their college education, and years completing their residencies, and have SCIENTIFIC education... I believe in science.. Not lame breathing techniques and suffering intense unnecessary pain. C-section rates are high, no doubt, but many women WANT them.. It seems that side of the argument hasn't been figured into mathematical factors at all. I am in my early 30's and MANY women I know prefer a c-section. And that is their CHOICE!!! Just like if you believe in unmedicated homebirths, with no medical euipment in case of an emergency, that is YOUR choice.. What seems safer to me?! BEING IN A HOSPITAL BEING TENDED TO BY EDUCATED MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS.. Maybe I am offended unnecessarily.. I admit I didn't read everything, but it seems like website has become so judgemental and one sided.. I apologize if I offended anyone, but there is more than 1 side to everything in life.. Even birth plans and options.. We don't all need to have the same opinion.. I agree to strongly disagree with unmedicated births at home..

I also apologize for probably getting WAY OT.. The c-section rates are high, and sometimes done unnecessarily, but we as woman have the responsibility to be our own advocates and be very clear what we would like from our birth experience, if you are strongly against a c-section, your Dr. should be aware of that fact, and know that it is your last option and only if necessary..
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304970 tn?1331425994
Oh., and if you believe for a millisecond that the US has the highest death rates.. You are insane.. I agree with the original poster on that topic. US is NOT the highest for fetal or maternal death rates.

Sorry about the typo's.. When I get heated, I don't pay attention because I am typing too fast!
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1035252 tn?1427227833
LOL I agree with you. I hope you didn't think that by saying "education is key" that I was supporting home births and what not..I actually do NOT. I gave birth twice in a hospital and any other babies will subsequently be born in a hospital as well.

I nearly died from a bleed-out after having my daughter and I WOULD have, if I had been at home like I originally planned. there's no reason to take that risk IMO...but plenty of women have healthy home births...I just think it's an unnecessary risk. however, some women think that hospital births present unnecessary risks. Neither in either pregnancy did a doctor EVER suggest c-sections to me, and both of my deliveries were with OBs.

I would have died had I been in a country with a less competent medical situation as well!

But I just wanted to clarify...I still think that exercise and nutrition are the key to a healthy pregnancy and delivery no matter HOW you deliver or WHERE you deliver. its' best for baby and mom :).
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1271927 tn?1310580362
I would have to agree with a lot of the posters here. It does seem that c-section births are higher here in the US. I also tend to believe that those numbers are influenced by obesity and a mother's choice. But I think that is just from experience.

My sister CHOSE to have a c-section with her FIRST child. My other sister is hoping for a vaginal birth, but isn't stuck on the idea. For me, I have learned that I AM IN CONTROL OF MY OWN HEALTH. If I choose a vaginal birth, so be it. I can also choose a c-section. I can choose to give birth at home. I can choose to give birth in Lake Okechobee just chilling next to a bunch of alligators if I want! No one can force you to do anything. It's your body and your choice. Some women CHOOSE to put themselves in harmful or more safe situation based on their beliefs, values, education, family, and personal wishes.

Now, I would disagree that doctors choose to do c-sections just to "save their weekend". If a doctor is off schedule, they have every right to leave. Someone else will be there to step in and deliver that baby. Every doctor I have talked to has suggested NOT doing a c-section unless medically necessary. I personally believe that c-sections have SAVED a lot of babies and mothers. I've never heard of someone bleeding to death from a c-section, however, I've heard of bleeding to death from a vaginal birth - but that might just be the experiences I've heard about.
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971074 tn?1362759766
I was the one that said...
"We as Mothers need to educate ourselves because we need to understand the process of birth." I'm not sure how that was interpreted as offensive. That wasn't my intention at all. I'm sorry if I offended anyone.
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581359 tn?1454006442
You were not the poster.

Okay things got way off of the post.  I said nothing about c-sections...I agree totally that we should not have a c-section unless, medicaly NEEDED!  The original post was very agaisnt epidurals and that said the reason the US has one of the highest death rates is because we give birth on our backs. (TOTALLY NOT TRUE)

I had my first daughter in the hospital and had and epidural.  She was perfect, no complication and so was I.

My second daughter was also born in a hospital, but I had a midwife deliver her. She was born 5 weeks early, so I was glad we had her in a hospital. (my water broke early) But I still had a midwife deliver and had no pain medications at all.  I liked this better then having an OB being in the sturrups and all of that.  

Bottom line, the US DOES NOT have one of the highest meternal death rates. Even with the excess of c-sections. Which, like I said before I do not agree with c-sections that are not needed to save either the baby or the mother. c-sections for convienance are wrong in my opinon.

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581359 tn?1454006442
Also, our deathrates have to do with other reasons, NOT because of epidurals or giving birth on your back in a hosital bed with an OBGYN.

Giving birth on your back in a hosital bed with an OBGYN and an epidural may not be very comfortable or as special and a natural birth with a midwife, BUT it IS a very safe way to have a child.
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1330108 tn?1333677304
I completely agree with the original posted but I do NOT agree that midwives are more knowledgable about birth. Before going to my OB I met with no less than five midwives and the things that they told me sent me running for the door. Prior to working on my doctorate in psychology I was working towards a medical degree and I know enough to know the things i was told by these midwives had me running for the door. I actually had more than one midwife tell me I was not high risk. According to actually medical drs I AM considered high risk. I was told by one midwife that miscarriage happens for genetic reasons only NOT due to accidents, toxicity, trauma and so on. My cousin stayed with a midwife and her OB told her it was ok to take a medication around the time of implantation in pregnancy even though scientific studies show that it causes problems in the fetus implanting. She is now five weeks pregnant and bleeding. I warned her about the medication before she took it but she said it was fine because her midwife said so and because her midwife told her that miscarriage either happens or doesn't and there isn't anything that you can do about it. Based on all of my personal experience with midwives I would never ever ever go that route. Additionally some of the posters on here have gotten some really strange statements from their midwives. Granted same with some of the OB's but it seems more so with midwives. Did you know some midwives don't do any ultrasounds?  How would you know if you had placenta previa which can make you hemorrhage and die?

I agree especially with the statement that labor and delivery is like a marathon. If you are over weight it leads to more medical problems and risks. It's all about what you eat, your weight, how you live your life. Exercise in pregnancy can help you prepare for the marathon of labor and delivery. Yes some will still have complications.
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1330108 tn?1333677304
I should also state that I'm sure there are some wonderful amazing midwives out there and I don't judge anyone for using a midwife or dula. Like all drs you have to find the right one for you. I've just personally had less than favorable interactions with midwives though to be fair I've also had some less than favorable interactions with some OB gynos too which is why it took a few to find the one I have now.

Every person has to make the right decision for themselves both in pregnancy and labor delivery and beyond. Some women have amazing strength and desire to do natural unmedicated non medical intervention deliveries some feel csection is right for them and so on. To each their own but no matter what we all must remember that this forum is to support each other through our pregnancies to help answer questions and listen to our fellow members as we head into motherhood :)
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202436 tn?1326474333
I am a prime example of doctors wanting to do a c/s over a VBAC.  I live in a small town with only a handful of ob's.  Before moving here I had THREE successful VBAC's.  With the first child I delivered here I just happened to luck into picking the ONE ob here who was willing to let me VBAC again...but even he assumed at first that I would have  repeat c/s. I told him flat out NO becuase it was not necessary.  AFter VBAC'ing with that pregnancy and talking with people around here about having done a VBAC EVERYONE was shocked becuase thereis definately a "once a c/s always a c/s" mentality around here.  When I got pregnant this last time I was going to switch OB's becuase my original one always made me feel rushed, however, I ended up back wtih him becuase NO OTHER DOCTOR would even consider letting me VBAC even though I had FOUR previous ones with no complications and my c/s was 14 years ago.

I went to L & D a couple of times with this pregnancy and I ALWAYS got a lot of crap and attitude about the fact that I was going to VBAC.  I was told my ob was being unfair to any other doctor who might be on call when I went into labor and THEY wouldn't give me a choice... I told them point blank ...it is ALWAYS MY choice, NOT theirs..they are there for ME not the other way around.  

When I went to the hospital to deliver, my doc put me in to naturally induce me (broke my water).  The nurse who was there in the beginning was a real witch..she kept saying "i'm gonna do this just in case you have a c-section" she even got pissy about me eating ice chips becuase she was SO SURE I would end up with another c-section.  My DH came real close to laying her out on the floor becuase she kept bringing it up.  Fortrunately she was only there for a couple hours before a really nice nurse came on.  I got my VBAC as I KNEW I would.

My point is to prove that yes the United States has a horrible c-section rate, which does increase the rate of complications and even death.  It has gotten so bad that the ACOG released less restrictive guidelines on VBAC's saying that the c-section rate has gotten too high and that they are ADVOCATING VBAC's in MOST cases....even for women who have had 2 previous c/s's.  

I'm all for natural birth, I just haven't been forunate enough to be in a good place to do so with my births...no midwives or birthing centers.. crappy hospitals that won't even let you out of bed.  I did have ONE drug free birth and it was by far my fastest, easiest recovery and I felt like I was on top of the world afterwards!  
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461781 tn?1285609481
Statistics are generally misleading, the higher risks of c-sections in this country have been linked to the high obesity percentage of women giving birth, low education levels AND not having adequate prenatal care during pregnancy which generally these outcomes happen in low income communities and medicaid or no insurance.  Higher education and prenatal care which comes with better health insurance leads to better birth outcomes.
Aside from this, I do believe that the US uses too many unnecessary interventions but the confort of the mother giving birth is key.  If the technology is avaiilable for drugs etc, or there are medical reasons to get these interventions than please use the technology that's available.
From experience, I am borderline, I had a necesary c-section but that was not my choice, I was in labor for 46 hours and I was not progressing, my baby was in fact stuck and never decended into the birth canal and my baby's head was truly biger than my pelvic bones would allow.  So I had 3 of the factors necesary for a c-section and most likely my next birth will be the same because I do not think that my next baby will be much smaller than my first, it generally is biger.  Now my doctor doesn't think that I NEED to have another c-section if the baby is small enough to fit through and if my labor is progressing as it should.
Because of my insistance to have a natural birth, I endured 46 hours of pure torture to try to deliver my son naturally and it would just not happen, if I were to have had a natural birth with him, the Dr would have had to use forceps and I probably would have had such a ridiculous vaginal tear that I would have needed total vaginal reconstruction, bled to death and who knows what kind of birth defects or deformities would have happened to my son from being stuck in the birth cannal for a long time without oxigen. In which case, I totally preffer having a c-section.  They gave me pitocin for no reason, demerol, epidural twice and all of those intervention actually made things worse.  
Next time I will go to the hospital when I'm in active labor and if I'm not progressing naturally then I will have a c-section and that is that.
There's no reason in our society to endure unnecessary torture just because you want to prove something.  If your labor is going fine then leave it alone, if you are having complications by all means use whatever medically necesary interventions that you need, that's why they were created in the first place.
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