Jennifer: Wonderful coverage of this topic, which so few know about. Because this is the way I entered the world, my career has been dedicated to assisting others whose babies were born by unnecessary C-Sections. The harm is done to the entire family system, not just the baby and mom. I am now 80, and STILL have effects from my birth. Thank you! Kenyon in Sedona
"The harm is done to the entire family system, not just the baby and mom." Such wise words. I'd like to hear more about this. Most people don't realize just how much how you come into the world matters. Birth is an emergence, not an emergency.
My youngest came by C-section, and I experienced several of the symptoms you described, particularly the violent shaking from the anesthesia and the persistent numbness in the scar area. I didn't even get to meet Betsy until about six hours later. While she did have a lot of digestive issues, most of that (but now I'm thinking maybe not all of it) was because she has Down Syndrome and had a duodenal atresia that had to be repaired when she was two days old. But they insisted on doing the C-section because she was facing the wrong way even though they had tried multiple ways of turning her around. Because of how the doc kept trying to get her to turn, her poor face was pitifully bruised up, and it was heartbreaking to see. I still think she could have been born vaginally. The only good thing about it was not having to push, which having been in labor for so long and not being allowed to eat, I might not have had the strength for (I could rant about that ridiculousness for hours). But I still feel like both of us were absolutely robbed of a good birth experience, and it's been hard to heal from that emotionally and not blame myself, even though I know it wasn't my fault. I'm so grateful that you posted this, people need to know that it is NOT a good idea! Thank you for sharing these truths. 🙏
Thanks for sharing this experience with us, Kristen. It sounds like it must have been so hard. Not allowing laboring women to eat or drink is a terrible superstitious protocol found almost exclusively in American hospitals. In countries with better birth outcomes, women can eat whatever their bodies tell them to eat. Here's a link to an article I wrote about this: https://jennifermargulis.net/in-countries-with-better-birth-outcomes-laboring-women-encouraged-to-eat-and-drink/ Please please don't blame yourself. This is a SYSTEMS failure. One that we desperately need to change. If you have the opportunity, my book YOUR BABY, YOUR WAY should be available in any local library. It contains an entire chapter on Cesarean birth. Reading it will show you how corrupt the hospitals are. Their motivation is money. C-sections are a cash cow and doctors who have low C-section rates will actually face reprimand and even dismissal. Lip service is one thing. Dollars and cents rule the day...
I am so sorry that happened to you! It’s hard to believe that things have gotten worse for mothers…I always figured things would improve over the decades.
My homeopath has imstructions for her chronic scar protocol here,
My twin daughters were naturally born in breech position 39 years ago. No complications and I left the hospital within 24 hours. The obstetrician wanted to induce at 37 weeks and wanting a natural birth I decided to ask my babies and my body to give me a sign. My waters broke right on cue at 37 weeks first baby bottom first and second baby turned head first with no complications healthy birth weights of 7lbs. I wasn’t offered the caesarean option, obviously ‘old school’ obstetrics
That's so wonderful, Thea! Inspiring. Thank you for sharing this story. How lovely that you did not need an induction and your twins decided to come just when you and the OB wanted them to.
I was manager in a large hospital for the Maternal Child Health service in 1979. The manager. of the blood bank called me to ask "Why is so much blood being given to postpartum patients?" He was having trouble getting enough blood available for scheduled coronary by-pass surgery. This was before the electronic medial record. so it took me about 3 months to research the hand recorded data. End result was one of 20+ Ob/Gyn doctors was present during the C section births in his practice. (50% compared to 20% of all the other doctors.) I asked the staff nurses what was really happening. They told me this doctor was known to admit women for elective induction. They came in early in the day. IV Pitocin was started, the amniotic bag was ruptured and near the end of shift (3pm) an emergency was declared due to decreased fetal heart tones. The staff reported he loved to do surgery and wanted to be home in time for dinner. That evening when heavy bleeding was noted the order came for replacement blood (2-4 units per patient). These same staff nurses said although he loved to DO surgery he was not very good (sloppy; a butcher) . The husbands felt he was a hero because he saved the baby and the mother from a near disaster. The patient (mother) was completely unaware of the process. Different staff nurses had witnessed this for years but had not realized the extent of his practice. I made a power point to illustrate the results of his care. Presented it to the medical staff at their monthly meeting. Nothing changed. The good ole boy network protected him.
Very disturbing story. And very important for people to know what is going on behind closed doors. So many butchers in the operating room. And the moms who lose their lives are the victims. Yet the medical establishment blames them, blaming pregnant women for dying because they are too old or too heavy or too impoverished...
Convenience. That what all of this seems to me. Sold as care and "what's best". And then there is the not so wild card of $. I wish the miracles of modern medicine would be saved for the times they are needed (and I applaud the ability to step in when it is critical with great outcomes) but with trust comes responsibility. When one's doctor advises a plan we should be able to trust it. Clearly, western medicine today requires much more of us to think and learn in tandem. Thanks again for another wonderfully informative piece - helping us to have the information we need to be advocates for ourselves and our families.
I had a midwife for my last three of four births. First birth was a cesarean and then…so was my last! Midwife completely ignored me on my epidural, let me sleep, then realized I was fully dilated. By that time she wanted me to push but I had no urge because baby was too high. Probably I had needed to be checked more frequently and encouraged to move!! Brought in an OB and I was sent for a cruel covid time cesarean with a mask on no less!! She should have had me active, should have checked my dilation more. I dry heaved after that birth, shook hard, didn’t get to hold my baby right away, hate the paunch the sew up left me with, and to top it off I had a near anaphylactic reaction to the pain meds when I came home. I still feel angry about that experience, like I was robbed. It should’ve been vaginal, easy, baby was my last and my smallest. Just telling this cause the midwife didn’t seem to make a difference that time, she was very hands off. I’m in Canada btw. Oh and I have numbing around the scar still and minor vaginal prolapse to top it off a bit more!!
I'm sorry that happened to you, and I understand why you still feel angry. il y a de quoi! I've heard hospital midwives who behave like OBs called "Med-wives." I've also seen *homebirth* midwives botch things. Midwives--and any health professional-- should not let their personal ideology get in the way instead of paying attention to the person in front of them. Care during childbirth must be individualized and personalized IMHO.
Yes. Nearly every country with better birth outcomes than the United States (which is most in the industrialized world) has this in common: midwives, not MDs, are the primary providers for women during labor. They also have a commitment to vaginal birth. In Iceland doctors in training must watch THREE midwife-assisted hospital births before they catch any babies themselves. The norm is vaginal midwife-assisted birth. And this norm makes birth safer and more enjoyable for the mama and the baby.
Thank you for this. My first birth was a “too big” 8lb baby. I didn’t labor. I only found out the OB lied to me when I reviewed my medical records.
I used to think my friends were lying to me about obstetrics. Everyone seemed to have some crazy horror story about the things that were done to them in the hospital. Doctors calling CPS. Nurses holding them down while they were pushing. There’s no way, I thought. I hired a doctor and I was going to do what the doctor said and everything was going to be OK.
Well, they were right about everything. I ate a lot of crow before my VBAC.
My third delivery was complicated by the cord being wrapped around my son's head and had they not done an emergency C-section we would both have died.
That said, planning c-sections to meet a doctor's schedule should be considered a criminal offense. Normal, natural vaginal births are optimal because the process of vaginal birth expels fluids and prepares the baby for life outside the womb.
Do you know why would you have died? 1 in 3 babies has a nuchal cord, usually it’s not a problem. My son had one and it was unwrapped quite easily.
Of course, I know cord accidents can cause stillbirths, because sometimes, it’s tight enough to really strangle the baby. But I have read a lot of obstetric literature and I have yet to find a case of a cord accident leading to a maternal death.
Jennifer: Wonderful coverage of this topic, which so few know about. Because this is the way I entered the world, my career has been dedicated to assisting others whose babies were born by unnecessary C-Sections. The harm is done to the entire family system, not just the baby and mom. I am now 80, and STILL have effects from my birth. Thank you! Kenyon in Sedona
"The harm is done to the entire family system, not just the baby and mom." Such wise words. I'd like to hear more about this. Most people don't realize just how much how you come into the world matters. Birth is an emergence, not an emergency.
Very fascinating topic. Would love to hear more!
My youngest came by C-section, and I experienced several of the symptoms you described, particularly the violent shaking from the anesthesia and the persistent numbness in the scar area. I didn't even get to meet Betsy until about six hours later. While she did have a lot of digestive issues, most of that (but now I'm thinking maybe not all of it) was because she has Down Syndrome and had a duodenal atresia that had to be repaired when she was two days old. But they insisted on doing the C-section because she was facing the wrong way even though they had tried multiple ways of turning her around. Because of how the doc kept trying to get her to turn, her poor face was pitifully bruised up, and it was heartbreaking to see. I still think she could have been born vaginally. The only good thing about it was not having to push, which having been in labor for so long and not being allowed to eat, I might not have had the strength for (I could rant about that ridiculousness for hours). But I still feel like both of us were absolutely robbed of a good birth experience, and it's been hard to heal from that emotionally and not blame myself, even though I know it wasn't my fault. I'm so grateful that you posted this, people need to know that it is NOT a good idea! Thank you for sharing these truths. 🙏
Thanks for sharing this experience with us, Kristen. It sounds like it must have been so hard. Not allowing laboring women to eat or drink is a terrible superstitious protocol found almost exclusively in American hospitals. In countries with better birth outcomes, women can eat whatever their bodies tell them to eat. Here's a link to an article I wrote about this: https://jennifermargulis.net/in-countries-with-better-birth-outcomes-laboring-women-encouraged-to-eat-and-drink/ Please please don't blame yourself. This is a SYSTEMS failure. One that we desperately need to change. If you have the opportunity, my book YOUR BABY, YOUR WAY should be available in any local library. It contains an entire chapter on Cesarean birth. Reading it will show you how corrupt the hospitals are. Their motivation is money. C-sections are a cash cow and doctors who have low C-section rates will actually face reprimand and even dismissal. Lip service is one thing. Dollars and cents rule the day...
I am so sorry that happened to you! It’s hard to believe that things have gotten worse for mothers…I always figured things would improve over the decades.
My homeopath has imstructions for her chronic scar protocol here,
https://www.louisawilliamsnd.com/post/scar-interference-protocol
I think it helped for some of my old issues, so I pass it along. It certainly will not cause any harm.
Ooh, thank you so much! I will definitely check that out!
Thank you so much, Jennifer, for speaking the TRUTH!
God Bless You!
I love you and pray that you are healing every day!
Thank you Molly. Doing my best with everything, including healing! Sending love and blessings back to you, dear.
My twin daughters were naturally born in breech position 39 years ago. No complications and I left the hospital within 24 hours. The obstetrician wanted to induce at 37 weeks and wanting a natural birth I decided to ask my babies and my body to give me a sign. My waters broke right on cue at 37 weeks first baby bottom first and second baby turned head first with no complications healthy birth weights of 7lbs. I wasn’t offered the caesarean option, obviously ‘old school’ obstetrics
That's so wonderful, Thea! Inspiring. Thank you for sharing this story. How lovely that you did not need an induction and your twins decided to come just when you and the OB wanted them to.
I was manager in a large hospital for the Maternal Child Health service in 1979. The manager. of the blood bank called me to ask "Why is so much blood being given to postpartum patients?" He was having trouble getting enough blood available for scheduled coronary by-pass surgery. This was before the electronic medial record. so it took me about 3 months to research the hand recorded data. End result was one of 20+ Ob/Gyn doctors was present during the C section births in his practice. (50% compared to 20% of all the other doctors.) I asked the staff nurses what was really happening. They told me this doctor was known to admit women for elective induction. They came in early in the day. IV Pitocin was started, the amniotic bag was ruptured and near the end of shift (3pm) an emergency was declared due to decreased fetal heart tones. The staff reported he loved to do surgery and wanted to be home in time for dinner. That evening when heavy bleeding was noted the order came for replacement blood (2-4 units per patient). These same staff nurses said although he loved to DO surgery he was not very good (sloppy; a butcher) . The husbands felt he was a hero because he saved the baby and the mother from a near disaster. The patient (mother) was completely unaware of the process. Different staff nurses had witnessed this for years but had not realized the extent of his practice. I made a power point to illustrate the results of his care. Presented it to the medical staff at their monthly meeting. Nothing changed. The good ole boy network protected him.
Very disturbing story. And very important for people to know what is going on behind closed doors. So many butchers in the operating room. And the moms who lose their lives are the victims. Yet the medical establishment blames them, blaming pregnant women for dying because they are too old or too heavy or too impoverished...
Convenience. That what all of this seems to me. Sold as care and "what's best". And then there is the not so wild card of $. I wish the miracles of modern medicine would be saved for the times they are needed (and I applaud the ability to step in when it is critical with great outcomes) but with trust comes responsibility. When one's doctor advises a plan we should be able to trust it. Clearly, western medicine today requires much more of us to think and learn in tandem. Thanks again for another wonderfully informative piece - helping us to have the information we need to be advocates for ourselves and our families.
first let’s get doctors out of the picture and bring back midwives. led by highly trained lineage based practices and STOP casting spells
over newly conceived and pregnant women convincing them they know nothing about their own bodies birth or child care. my neighbors
doc told her she could begin feeding her five month broccoli because her husband smiled ‘ they’re finding out news things every year’ 😩
I had a midwife for my last three of four births. First birth was a cesarean and then…so was my last! Midwife completely ignored me on my epidural, let me sleep, then realized I was fully dilated. By that time she wanted me to push but I had no urge because baby was too high. Probably I had needed to be checked more frequently and encouraged to move!! Brought in an OB and I was sent for a cruel covid time cesarean with a mask on no less!! She should have had me active, should have checked my dilation more. I dry heaved after that birth, shook hard, didn’t get to hold my baby right away, hate the paunch the sew up left me with, and to top it off I had a near anaphylactic reaction to the pain meds when I came home. I still feel angry about that experience, like I was robbed. It should’ve been vaginal, easy, baby was my last and my smallest. Just telling this cause the midwife didn’t seem to make a difference that time, she was very hands off. I’m in Canada btw. Oh and I have numbing around the scar still and minor vaginal prolapse to top it off a bit more!!
I'm sorry that happened to you, and I understand why you still feel angry. il y a de quoi! I've heard hospital midwives who behave like OBs called "Med-wives." I've also seen *homebirth* midwives botch things. Midwives--and any health professional-- should not let their personal ideology get in the way instead of paying attention to the person in front of them. Care during childbirth must be individualized and personalized IMHO.
Yes. Nearly every country with better birth outcomes than the United States (which is most in the industrialized world) has this in common: midwives, not MDs, are the primary providers for women during labor. They also have a commitment to vaginal birth. In Iceland doctors in training must watch THREE midwife-assisted hospital births before they catch any babies themselves. The norm is vaginal midwife-assisted birth. And this norm makes birth safer and more enjoyable for the mama and the baby.
Thank you for this. My first birth was a “too big” 8lb baby. I didn’t labor. I only found out the OB lied to me when I reviewed my medical records.
I used to think my friends were lying to me about obstetrics. Everyone seemed to have some crazy horror story about the things that were done to them in the hospital. Doctors calling CPS. Nurses holding them down while they were pushing. There’s no way, I thought. I hired a doctor and I was going to do what the doctor said and everything was going to be OK.
Well, they were right about everything. I ate a lot of crow before my VBAC.
There are times when a C-section is necessary.
My third delivery was complicated by the cord being wrapped around my son's head and had they not done an emergency C-section we would both have died.
That said, planning c-sections to meet a doctor's schedule should be considered a criminal offense. Normal, natural vaginal births are optimal because the process of vaginal birth expels fluids and prepares the baby for life outside the womb.
Do you know why would you have died? 1 in 3 babies has a nuchal cord, usually it’s not a problem. My son had one and it was unwrapped quite easily.
Of course, I know cord accidents can cause stillbirths, because sometimes, it’s tight enough to really strangle the baby. But I have read a lot of obstetric literature and I have yet to find a case of a cord accident leading to a maternal death.
I was passing out doing due to a drop in my own blood pressure. I just had time to push the call button for the nurse before I passed out.
When I woke up they were putting the anesthesia mask on my face.
He was nearly 10 lb so they did not want to take chances.
And because the way the cord was wrapped around him there was a risk of pulling out the entire placenta and uterus during birth.