"Doctor's in Charge- What's The Problem?" Edited

As we see in the media in America today, most if not all births take place in a hospital where there is a doctor in charge delivering the birth. The question is, whether the doctor being in charge is a problem or not. Based on youtube vidoes of a giraffe giving birth, a dolphin giviing birth, Ina May Gaskin talking about birth, and an interview with Gaskin about being a mid-wife, a Monty Python youtube video, and an article about c-sections, we can conclude that the Doctor's being in charge during child birth is a problem affecting the woman's body and the child's first moments alive.

In the case of a natural child birth such as the dolphin's or giraffe's, no meds were necessary. Once the calf was born, they would learn to swim/stand up with their mother by their side. Contrasting with a normal child birth in America where the doctors are in control of the birth and does not allow the woman's body or the woman's baby to act as it naturally should. The doctors give the woman an episiotomy when, according to Gaskin, the cervix does not need to be mangled with because it acts as a spincter, allowing to open and close as necessary. Gaskin also mentioned that sphincters are "shy" when the woman is disturbed during child birth the sphincter will close up. So when people are walking in and out of the room, and there are bright lights focusing on the woman, it is harder for the woman to feel comfortable pushing the baby out, which is where the meds come in. The doctors make the experience for the woman artificial and it affects the woman's body.

And once the child is born, as shown in the Monty Python youtube video, he/she is taken away from the mother. Because the child is taken away from the mother right away, it takes away that mother vs. child connection that they have at child birth. For example with the dolphin giving birth, naturally, once the calf is born, the two swam together side by side. And the doctors take away that connection. Similar to a woman that I know gave birth twice, once in another country and once in America, in the other country, after giving birth she was able to hold her child and her experience of holding her baby just after her child was born was one she enjoyed. And unlike how the American way of birth is, she was able to take care of her child in the hospital with the child lying next to her. She did not get that experience with her second child, to whom she gave birth in America, because the doctors took away the child once they were born. Not only is the doctors being in charge during child birth a problem because it doesn't allow the woman to listen to her body and naturally give birth but it also takes away the experience for a mother to connect with her child.

Finally, because the doctor is getting paid to do what he/she is doing, they will plan to do it the way they want it. What they are doing is a form of commodity, they have to do what they have to do in a certain amount of time, the doctors make sure the baby is born at a certain time by using techniques and technologies that are not necesarily good for the patient but efficient and convenient for the doctor. Which means that if it is convenient for them to do a c-section, when it is not even completely necessary for them to, rather than risk something going wrong during child labor and being blamed for it, they'll do it.(Rubin). When the doctor's in charge, it is a problem because most of the medical procedures performed are in favor of the doctor's comfort and convenience.

With the doctor in charge, it is a problem because the doctor in control is the main difference between a natural and normal birth when contrasting the youtube videos of a giraffe's birth and a dolphin's, the interview and talk with Ina May gaskin with the youtube video of Monty Python's youtube video about birth and Rita Rubin's article about C-sections. Although Americans see birth at the hospital in the media, it is not always the best decision for the woman. The doctor being in charge is a problem when a woman is trying to give birth naturally.

"Doctor's In Charge - What's the problem?"

Based on youtube vidoes of a giraffe giving birth, a dolphin giviing birth, Ina May Gaskin talking about birth, and an interview with Gaskin about being a mid-wife, a Monty Python youtube video, my personal experiences and research, we can conclude that the Doctor's being in charge during child birth is a problem affecting the woman's body and the child's first moments alive.

In the case of a natural child birth such as the dolphin's or giraffe's, no meds were necessary. Once the calf was born, they would learn to swim/stand up with their mother by their side. Contrasting with a normal child birth in America where the doctors are in control of the birth and does not allow the woman's body or the woman's baby to act as it naturally should. The doctors give the woman an episiotomy when, according to Gaskin, the cervix does not need to be mangled with because it acts as a spincter, allowing to open and close as necessary. Gaskin also mentioned that slphincters are "shy" when the woman is disturbed during child birth the sphincter will close up. So when people are walking in and out of the room, and there are bright lights focusing on the woman, it is harder for the woman to feel comfortable pushing the baby out, which is where the meds come in. And once the child is born, as shown in the monty python youtube video, he/she is taken away from the mother.

Because the child is taken away from the mother right away, it takes away that mother vs. child connection that they have at child birth. For example with the dolphin giving birth, naturally, once the calf is born, the two swam together side by side. And the doctors take away that connection. Similar to a woman who gave birth twice, once in another country and once in America, in the other country, after the birth she was able to hold her child and her experience of holding her baby just after she gave birth was one she enjoyed while she was able to take care of her child in the hospital with the child lying next to her. Contrasting with her giving birth in America, she did not get that experience with her second child because the doctors took away the child once they were born. Not only is the doctors being in charge during child birth a problem because it doesn't allow the woman to listen to her body and naturally give but but it also takes away the experience for a mother to connect with her child.

Finally, because the doctor is getting paid to do what he/she is doing, they will plan to do it the way they want it. Because what they are doing is a form of commodity, they have to do what they have to do in a certain amount of time, the doctors make sure the baby is born at a certain time by using techniques and technologies that are not necesarily good for the patient but efficient and convenient for the doctor. Which means that if it is convenient for them to do a c-section, when it is not even completely necessary for them to, rather than risk something going wrong during child labor and being blamed for it, they'll do it.(Rubin). When the doctor's in charge, it is a problem because most of the medical procedures performed are in favor of the doctor's comfort and convenience.

With the doctor in charge, it is a problem because the doctor in control is the main difference between a natural and normal birth when contrasting the youtube videos of a giraffe's birth and a dolphin's, the interview and talk with Ina May gaskin with the youtube video of Monty Python's youtube video about birth and Rita Rubin's article about C-sections.

Critique of AWOB

When comparing the American way of birth to the natural way of birth, there are many differences. In the American way of birth, the woman is lying on her back, hooked up to machines under bright lights with strangers watching and taking picture, is on a schedule, dealing with lots of drugs to speed up the process and other technologies. While the natural way of birth is, the woman is squatting, walking around, sometimes in a tub, in a relaxing place, pain being part of the process so there's no need for drugs and other technologies, the women is able to eat and drink and the entire process is much cheaper than the American way of birth being $10,000. The experience of natural birth has been alienated because women fear the pain. Women come to learn that there is lots of pain involved in child birth and to aviod the pain, Americans turn to drugs and technologies. But not only does this aviod the pain but it aviods the experience of natural child birth. I think that this is one reason that the American way of birth is the way it is. But I also believe that society enforces these things on you, doctor reccommend it in addition to c-sections to speed up the process and the patient does not realize that their experience of natural child birth is alienated because the doctors and nurses have power over the woman because they went to medical school and are expected to be trusted with situations such as these.

Birth Q&A

Teen Pregnancy:
The teen birth rate was 50% higher in 1957 than now. (http://www.community/michiana.org/famconn/teenpreg.html)

Intended Pregnancies:
1/2 of pregnancies are unintended and 1/10 newborns have been "unwanted" (http://www.women.webmd.com/tc/abortion-reasons-women-choose-abortion)

Reasons for Abortion:
Birth control failure, to prevent birth defects, rape, incest, and physical/mental conditions that endanger the woman's health. (http://www.women.webmd.com/tc/abortion-reasons-women-choose-abortion)

Average Age of Childbirth:
Women 25.5 years old give birth in America on average.(http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5419a5.htm)

Maternal Deaths:
Throughout the years the rate of maternal deaths have declined due to the development of asepsis ("Asepsis is the practice to reduce or eliminate contaminants (such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites) from entering the operative field in surgery or medicine to prevent infection"), use of caesarean section, fluid management and blood transfusion. The current rate for maternal deaths in america is 11 in 100,000. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maternal_death)

Most Effective Form of Birth Control:
The main effective form of birth control is abstinence. Second to that is hormonal birth control.
(http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-most-effective-form-of-birth-control.htm)

The Percentage of Women Who Get C-sections during birth:
30% of births in America are Cesarean deliveries.

(http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17796664/)

Reasons for C-sections:
Recently older women have been giving birth through c-section, and the obesity rate has gone up as well in America causing problems with giving birth to babies who are bigger as well. But also relating to what Andy mentioned."To a man holding a hammer, every problem looks like a nail" so in this case, to every doctor who is capable of performing a c-section, every problem during the labor can be resolved with a c-section, resulting in the 30% of births being of c-section.

What Are Other Ways To Give Birth?:
Home birth, natural child birth, medicated birth, C-section, Free birth-unassisted birth (no help from outside the home), Water birth, Hypno-birthing-no pain and no stress using hypnosis, Non recumbent birthing position-not lying on your back, Chiropractics-going to a chiropractor before giving birth eases the pain, reflexology-activating certain pressure points help manage pain, Acunpuncture and Acupressure also helps ease the pain, Herbs-Herbal remedies can help tonify the woman's uterus, prepares her body for childbirth, and even quell or invoke contractions to soothe discomfort, and aromatherapy keeping the women focused.

(http://www.babyzone.com/pregnancy/labor_birth/photos_ways_to_give_birth/13)

What's More Common, Adoption or Abortion?:
"The younger generation have abortions more often, but there is still a lot of young women who give their child up for adoption."

(http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Do_people_give_their_child_up_for_adoption_or_do_they_get_an_abortion_more)

Questions on: How people get pregnant, birth control, abortion and adoption:

What percentage of women got pregnant on purpose?

What percentage of pregnant women had abortions?

How available is birth control to people of all ages?

Percentages of teen pregnancy? How has it changed?

What are the reasons for abortions?

How do the races compare to pregnancy rates?

What is the average age a woman gives birth?

What are reasons for adoption?

What is more common, abortion or adoption? Why might that be?

What is more traumatizing for the woman, abortion or adoption?

What is the most common form birth control?

What is the safest form of birth control?

What is the percentage of men who use comdoms?

Why would a man decide not to use a comdom?

What percentage of men take responsibility for their child?

[group members: Kevin W., Samantha C., Yazmin P., and Francesca T.]

Birth Stories

My resoures being two women, one who gave birth to three children, and one who gave birth to two gave me information about their birth such as, the best and worst parts of it, and how it compares/contrasts to the american way of birth.

For the first birth of the first woman, the main problem was that the umbilicle cord was around the child's neck, so they had to perform a cesection. This woman giving her second and third birth, also had to have a cesection. So generally, the worst part of all three births were the problems after the birth from the cesection and the best part was the relief afterwards. The second woman had given birth once in another country and once in America. For the first birth it was different from the second birth in America because she was not put to sleep the first time so she felt all the pain during the birth, but afterwards she also had relief and she was doing fine afterwards, after she gave birth she was able to hold her baby and take care of them while they would lay next to her in the same room while, in America she was put to sleep so she had pain from the stitches after the birth. Once the baby was born, they were put in a certain place and would come in and out of the room for the mother to take care of the child. This woman's experience contrasted with the american way of birth in that there was no rushing like we see in the movies.

Thoughts on Birth:

For the past year or two, messages have been thrown at me about pregnancy, im movies such as Juno, and Knocked up, in tv shows such as, the Secret Life of the American Teenager and One Tree Hill, and in books such as, Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer, Wicked by Gregory Maguire, Impossible by Nancy Werlin, and A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khalid Hosseini . Showing the audience the positive and negative aspects of child birth. The positive aspects being that you can raise a child with the one you love, or giving the child so someone who can raise the baby in a loving and caring environment. The negative aspects being, the painful and gruesome aspects during the actual child birth, or the disappointment of the child itself, or the failure to being able to raise the child due to lack of money or time to care for the child. Personally, I don't think it would be the best choice to have a child when the parent(s) do not have what it takes to raise the child, how he/she grows up affects the life he/she lives and the child shoud not have to suffer for their parents mistake if they do not have to. Personally, I would like to have kids when I can support him/her. The connection between mother and child I think is a powerful one that i would like to have one day with my own child. But what I would worry about is the physiacality of the birth itself, from what I hear it isnt exactly pleseant. I also worry about whether I would be a suitable parent for the child.