File under wish I had more time to blog about this
Yesterday morning on NPR they had a brief story about how Csections are up in the U.S., because women like the ease of scheduling their births and avoiding long labors. I realize the issue is complicated. My personal opinions are against that attitude toward Csections as unnecessarily putting the baby at risk. I think it's an irresponsible use of Csections, which I think should be viewed as emergency/life-and-death situation procedures. Anyway.
The thing I was disappointed in, though, was NPR's slightly nonchalant/slightly in favor of this attitude toward Csections. Choosing to interview women who chose that route based on faulty information they received: like vaginal delivery will give you gall bladder problems. (?)
Recovery from giving birth is no picnic without surgery. I can't imagine a Csection would improve things on that account. I can't even imagine what recovering from being shot in the back with big long needle is like (considering I was a total wimp when it came to getting over my pre-college tetanus shot). Any more added onto what I was recovery from (induced labor and stitches from an episiotomy) just seems awful.
So lots of personal bias in this post. Not enough time to siphon through it and read around a bit on what NPR was up with. (totally confusing sentence. sorry)
Comments
STAPLES, enough to keep me away from a section. But I'm tellin ya there is something to be said for pushing a ten lb baby out. And screaming "JESUSJESUSJESUS" the whole did seem to work.
Posted by: katiek | March 31, 2006 3:43 PM
I heard the same report and wondered too. They did make it sound totally convenient to schedule your baby's birth, like ordering a dry latte at Starbucks in the drive thru. Ick.
Posted by: Krista | March 31, 2006 7:47 PM
Seconding the dismay over casually scheduled Caesarians. I didn't hear the NPR report, but I had heard that many more women are opting for C-sections at the urging of partners who don't want their sex lives to be altered in any way. I really hoped that wasn't true... but then I came across a pregnancy magazine that emphasized the downside of being stretched out like a "fishmouth rather than a pencil point" (lovely imagery, eh? I am not making this up!) and which made the C-section sound like a breeze by comparison. Ick.
Posted by: YelloCello | March 31, 2006 9:16 PM
I'm thankful I haven't been in the situation in which a c-section was medically necessary.
And I really just can't imagine voluntarily opting for major surgery like that.
I really do appreciate NPR. And our local "radioactive" community radio station. But sometimes. . .
Posted by: TulipGirl | April 1, 2006 2:48 AM