Main Post to Readings for 11/11

The reading for today were really interesting to me. I didn't know any of the statistics about cesarean section versus natural births or any of the history. This move away from natural births and mid-wives makes me a little nervous for my cousin who wants to be a midwife. If this is a job that is becoming obsolete how can she make a living? This advancement that technology has made in the obstetrician occupation has made cesarean section more widely known. Popularity for c-section births have been increasing. The scheduled c-section is preferred by many women now. I have watched different baby birthing stories on TLC and many of the women on those shows used cesarean and it tells you that there are not many risks and the scar is really small and it is a relatively safe surgery. I have even myself told people that c-section is a not a dangerous procedure and that it is a lot more safer than you think. I have this impression because this is the rhetoric that has been used around c-section. The fact that doctors and hospitals have made births systematic makes be think that it is losing it's sentimental value. The reason that people are lead to believe that c-section's are really much easier than vaginal births is really just about economics. Doctors get paid more for c-section's so now much more women are opting for scheduled c-sections by the recommendation of their doctor. The truth is that the doctor's just want more money. This is just like in Orgasm Inc. and what going on with vaginal surgery if women are led to believe that this is not a major risk surgery they will opt to choose it over the danger of vaginal birth. The doctor doesn't tell you that he gets paid more for a vaginal birth than a cesarean you are just supposed to believe that he has yours and your baby's best interests at heart. This also brings up a point made in the article that the baby's health may be put before the mother's and that if the baby survives than that is a success upon the doctor but nobody sees how the mother copes after the child is born. They don't do studies of moms who develop PPD and does having a cesarean affect them. I think that obstetrics becoming systemic has it's positive aspects as well as it's downfalls. Natural births are still a wonderful choice and i think surgery should only be considered if it is absolutely necessary. The midwives had the right idea and delivered more babies in the past that obstetricians and i think they should have been consulted when changing the process instead of making everything systemic. They have known how to deliver babies for years and I think that they still are the most knowledgeable people in this area.