Newborn Birth Injuries: The Untold Story

As an advocate of natural childbirth, I strive to educate women on their bodies and how to best work with them during labor. So many complications present themselves because of induction, epidurals, and medical providers anxious to "treat" labor instead of working with it.

This video portrays the sad reality of brachial plexus birth injuries and how to prevent them. Two keys that I took from this video: Choose your health care provider carefully, and stay off your back.

Prevent Cesarean Surgery

Certainly cesareans have their place in childbirth, and can be a great blessing to parents and babies in moments of medical need. But the cesarean rate in the United States was 32.9% in 2009, or 1.35 million surgeries. Much of this can be attributed to repeat cesareans, but they aren't necessarily the safest option.

Cesarean section is the most common major surgical procedure performed in the United States. Not only does a cesarean leave a physical scar, but it can leave emotional scars as well.

This video, Prevent Cesarean Surgery, won first prize in a contest sponsored by Birth Matters Virginia. Click on the title; it's about five minutes long and very informative.

You should know that you have options if you have already had a cesarean. Search for a midwife or doctor who supports VBACs (vaginal birth after cesarean), and who has good success rates. I would also suggest reading Understanding the Dangers of Cesarean Birth: Making Informed Decisions by Nicette Jukelevics.

According to www.vbac.com, here are some physical complications associated with cesarean:
*The doctor can cause unintended surgical injury to my internal organs, including my gastrointestinal tract, bladder, and urinary tract.
*I am at higher risk for wound, uterine, pulmonary, and bladder infection. Infection can develop within a couple of days of surgery or up to 6 weeks after the birth. Although all women who have a cesarean should be given antibiotics before the procedure, there is no guarantee that they will be available to me before my cesarean and antibiotic-resistant infections are not uncommon in hospitals.
*I am obese (or I am diabetic) and therefore more susceptible to infection.
*I will lose about twice as much blood and may need a blood transfusion.
*I am more likely to be admitted to intensive care.
*I am more likely to suffer complications from anesthesia.
*I am more likely to be readmitted to the hospital days or weeks after the birth for complications directly related to the cesarean.
*I am more likely to develop a blood clot that can travel to my lungs and cause my death.
*I am more likely to experience significant pain 2 to 6 months after the surgery.
*I am significantly more likely to suffer complications, such as increased hemorrhage and injury to my bladder or intestines, if I have a vaginal hysterectomy in the future.
*I am likely to develop pelvic adhesions (scar tissue) that will cause me abdominal pain later in life and complicate any future abdominal surgery that I may need, including another cesarean section.
*I am more likely to suffer from intestinal or bowel obstruction months or years after the cesarean section.
*I am twice as likely to die from a cesarean as from a vaginal birth.
*If I choose to become pregnant again, I am more likely to have fertility problems.
*With my next pregnancy I am more likely to have problems with the location of the placenta, and more likely to have bleeding problems, a miscarriage, and give birth preterm.
*With my next pregnancy I will be at risk for a placental abruption and a uterine rupture.
*If I give birth in the United States, I am highly likely to have no other option than a repeat operation with my next pregnancy.
*Complications from a cesarean delivery increase progressively with each additional operation.

Below are some risks posed to your baby:

*With a scheduled cesarean section my baby is more likely to be born preterm and to be physiologically and metabolically less mature, and may have difficulties with digestion, dehydration, infection, regulating his/her blood glucose level and body temperature.
*A preterm baby is more likely to have breathing difficulties when breathing on his/her own. Respiratory complications can be serious enough to require admission to a special care nursery. My baby is more likely to be at higher risk for persistent pulmonary hypertension, a potentially life-threatening condition.
*With immature liver function my baby may accumulate high levels of bilirubin (a neural toxin) and become jaundiced.
*If my baby is born preterm, he/she is more likely to have learning and behavior problems at school age.
*Being born only 1 week earlier can make a difference to my baby’s health.
*My baby and I are less likely to have skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth, an important factor for maternal-infant attachment and the initiation of breastfeeding.
*Anesthetic drugs used during surgery cross the placenta and can make it more difficult for a baby to breastfeed.
*With a scheduled cesarean section my baby is more likely to die in the first 4 weeks of life and in the first year of life.

The Business of Being Born

Looking for a Friday night movie to watch on the couch with your hubby? Kick up your feet (heaven knows you need to now that you're pregnant), grab a soft blanket, and snuggle close together while enjoying The Business of Being Born. It'll definitely give you some topics to discuss about what kind of birth experience you'd like to have.



Here is the synopsis of the film from their website:

"Birth is a miracle, a rite of passage, a natural part of life. But birth is also big business.

"Compelled to explore the subject after the delivery of her first child, actress Ricki Lake recruits filmmaker Abby Epstein to question the way American women have babies.

"The film interlaces intimate birth stories with surprising historical, political and scientific insights and shocking statistics about the current maternity care system. When director Epstein discovers she is pregnant during the making of the film, the journey becomes even more personal.

"Should most births be viewed as a natural life process, or should every delivery be treated as a potentially catastrophic medical emergency?"

You can rent the movie online by clicking here. There you can also purchase the DVD (as I did because I loved it so much), read birth stories, and find birth resources.