The 4,000,000 births every year in the US carry these dreadful statistics:
85% - low-risk women have fetal monitoring, which puts them at risk for birth intervention (like forceps and C-Section) and infection
$8,000 - the cost of a hospital delivery
$11,000 - the cost of a Cesarean birth
$2,000 - the average cost of a statistically safer homebirth
12% - births that are induced
8.5% - vacuum extractions used to assist labor
4% - forceps used to assist labor
19% - number of episiotomies
165 - number of interventions used per 100 births
1 in 500 - children on the autistic spectrum
Coming Next Year!
One in three births by cesarean - that is dreadful. There are so many things to adjust to when you are a new parent without having to recover from an operation. That's not even mentioning the loss of a beautiful, natural birth experience and the transition involved. I feel very fortunate to have avoided that altogether!
You know, I'm a big fan of midwives. Would have had my son at home, until I almost died, and he did.
Perhaps, for perspective, I could remind everyone that while there are many interventions that are over used, and likely shouldn't be, there are also babies who are here, that wouldn't be, were it not for interventions.
My midwife is right. Pregnancy and birth are designed to give birth to a healthy baby, with a healthy mum at the end.
Birth isn't supposed to be a self actualizing experience.