I've been wanting to read this book for a while and it did not disappoint. The subtitle says it all, "The Painful Truth About Childbirth and Modern Maternity Care."
This book is jam packed with statistics and data. I thought it would be a difficult read but the author structures the material in such a way that it was actually a very easy read. The author does a nice job of weaving her personal accounts into to the facts, which only further supports the numbers. Block must have done countless hours of research to pull off a book like this. The stats alone are appalling but the personal stories leave the reader pondering how these childbirth catastrophes are still happening in the United States. To be an industrialized and developed country, we sure are lacking in the maternity care department.
Block begins by discussing the 2 biggest problems facing birth today: Inductions and Cesareans. She gives a lot of history which explains how these two procedures became the norm versus the exception. It's truly appalling that our maternity care system values convenience over evidenced-based practices. She goes on to address VBAC and vaginal breech birth, which have practically become nonexistent in the U.S. It's truly a shame that obstetricians are no longer even receiving instruction on breech birth in medical school.
The material goes on to discuss doulas and midwives and the valuable knowledge that they have for a normal physiological birth. Unfortunately, midwifery is still illegal in many states and they are unwilling to regulate it in others. The repercussions of such strict hospital guidelines are causing many couples to consider home birth as their only option. In states were midwifery is illegal, they are even going the unassisted route. I'm left scratching my head trying to determine how hospitals think that limiting options for women is going to make birth safer.
Block makes comments about other societies with much better outcomes and suggests that we should follow their model of care. This would include a majority of birth centers were midwives handle the primary care of a low-risk healthy mother. She would be referred to an OB if there are concerns and her care would be handled jointly. Statistics have shown that there are more successful births and less trauma to moms when this model is followed. I tend to agree. New Mexico has the best rates in our nation and this is how they are currently providing maternity care.
I got kind of lost in the last chapter when this book became truly political. It discusses women's rights in birth and whether fetal rights outweigh the rights of the mother. I'm still pondering how I feel about this scenario but the literature certainly gave me plenty to think about.
Overall, I was very pleased with this book. I would highly recommend it if you are even the least bit skeptical about the maternity care in America. You will be enlightened.
Yeah, the last chapter left me scratching my head, too. Although, the implications of abortion were already in my mind before Block even went there. Toward the end when she tells the story of the woman who was forced by police to have a c-section because the state had taken custody of her baby, the first thought in my head (after being shocked and horrified) was, "Wait. So in this country, a mom can LEGALLY end her pregnancy at any stage gestation, including even straight up to the birth (partial birth abortion, BUT if she decides she WANTS the baby, all of a sudden the state has the right to decide how she delivers the baby? What the CRAP??!" I'm obviously against abortion in 100% of all cases, but this is FREAKING BACKWARDS.
ReplyDeleteWasn't the first part of the book about the Florida hurricane powerful??!
-hp