HW 38 - Insights from pregnancy & birth book - part 1

Response to: Born in the USA by Marsden Wagner. M.D., M.S.

Based on what I have read so far in the book, and the chapters titles in table of contents, this book has a clear tendency to argue right vs. wrong. Each chapter reveals a new nightmarish aspect of the medical maternity system and argues how much better it would be if midwifery and natural births were more common. The book starts off stating the atrocities of the common practice of birth in the medical field, then it eventually leads up to his perfect vision of birth. The general question the author is trying to answer is "what is the most optimal way to birth a child?" I personally agree with his angle of valuing this process as a pivotal moment in life that woman should experience fully. I do believe that every woman deserves the right to choose how she delivers, but more woman should be informed about their options to make the perfect decision to answer this essential question. The major insight given in this section of the book communicates that most obstetricians are more concerned with themselves and their convenience that they do the women they treat and they ultimately take the power of the birthing process in their own hands. The author illustrated his points very well by using mass amounts of evidence regarding statistics of the times of birth and also personal experiences with other obstetricians.  I see how doctors would ultimately want to make the process easier on themselves, seeing as their work hrs are (or should be) indeterminable, but in many cases the convenience of the doctors take away a lot of the convenience of the women in labor. It is a big issue how much doctors take this significant process for granted, but I wouldn't want to vilify them because I can understand their desire for time and convenience, which is a right every human being should be able to possess (which is unfortunately not the case). I believe that the authors use of evidence is very strong and reliable but it is also very bias. The author casually introduces anecdotes which mostly relate to the emotions of himself, other obstetricians, woman, interviewers etc. They help build his points with a poignant connotation. Usually after he makes a major argument,  he backs himself up with statistical and scientific evidence because, as he argues, all the facts should be available to women before they are told what to do.

5 interesting aspects:
1. Doctor's commit insurance fraud by giving elective C-Sections( which aren't beneficial unless in extreme/ rare cases).
2. Interventions during pregnancy usually lead to more interventions that all have their individual risks to the woman and her child.
3. The natural method of giving birth is almost outdated in this country even though it would seem to be the better option for the majority of women.
4.Doctors rarely admit their mistakes or inform women the risks of their procedures. Doctors want full control of the birth process and want it to be as convenient as possible for themselves.
5.  A lot of medical methods used during the birth process not only prove to be unnesicary in most cases, but also increase a lot of risks for the woman and child. They also cost a lot more money to perform than any natural model of birth. (what's the pro in this situation? who is benefiting?)