HW 42 - Pregnancy & birth culminating project

 POOR EFFORT(Thumb down)


Hospital births have been the only option that women have known of and stooped to in the 21 century. the alternative of giving birth at a alternative birth center or with a mid-wive instead of a obstetrician is rare. "Approximately 1% of American women give birth at home and face substantial obstacles when they make this choice"(www.medscape.com). in many other places, home births are given much more of a praise and much more acknowledgment. Through previous research in our social studies class, I've seen our country's capitalist tendencies have connection to health care system and now maternal care system. the debate of whether or not giving birth in a hospital or through the more "organic" way of mid-wifery is safer. what causes concern is that only 1% have even considered this alternative. we've all seen unnecessary OB/GYN interventions, but yet hospitals are still the only option. natural births are left out of the media and left out of our culture i believe to keep the incentive of money running. their's so much our country must do to increase the option of home births, because its just alternative and not an obligation.Through my project i will examine how England, a highly positive conducted maternal care system differs from the United States maternal Care system. Secondly how England's maternal care system intertwined with their culture can engage our society into improving our own system for the better of its women and children.

When giving birth hospital, the birth is in the hands of the doctor. which is something that people must consider as a bad thing. the usual, " its for the good of the baby", is just a overly used comment to the women during birth. not knowing that this doctor's plan is to deliver the baby as quick as possible. theres plenty other births occurring at the same time, its sad to say. but women are stripped of their rights during labor. "A New Jersey woman with PTSD and depression in her past was deprived of custody of her child at birth because she refused to sign a blanket consent at hospital admission for cesarean surgery, an act cited as proof she was too mentally ill to be a fit mother"(www.doublex.com). Its considered cruelty when you force a women into a decision of having unnecessary surgery's such as c-sections. giving them countless drugs to induce a natural process that is birth. giving the women the idea that theres nothing they can do to deliver there own baby, and up to the doctor. 

Newborns being delivered has risen over the years. which gives clear evidence that theres something wrong with how a hospital handles women's birth. "Roughly 1.4 million newborns were delivered surgically in 2007 -- a 53% increase from the mid-1990s, when rates started to climb after remaining steady for several years"(www.webmd.com). when statistics like these begin to rise and cause concern there must be more done to prevent this.

In England, the government has praised women's rights and there birth process by aiming to reach out provide advocacy to them. advocacy and education is great tactic used by the England government, that should be used in the U.S. "Not all women are able to make the choice of where they would like to give birth. This limitation is, in part, due to the small number of midwife-led units. By the end of 2009 the government is aiming for all women to have the choice of where they wish to give birth. Although 80% of the women surveyed reported that they had been given the choice of where they wished to deliver their baby, only 50% of these women said that they were given sufficient information to make this decision. Two-thirds of trusts are obstetric-led while only two of the trusts identified were midwife-led" In a study conducted in England, 50% of women were given sufficient information to make a wise decision on where and how to give birth. If more women were to be informed of alternatives of giving birth, not assuming that the hospitals is the only way, more than 1% of women would give birth in their homes. the more people reached, the more effective.

It shouldn't just be professor o through education that one has to learn of the pros and cons of hospital births and home births. each alternative should be acknowledged. the debate will never stop but in the United State obstetrician's have had the upper hand. "It contains all you need to know to have a healthy and happy pregnancy, and to make sure you get the care that's right for you. It has over 250 pages of NHS-accredited information, including videos and interactive planning tools. You'll also find all the facts you need to choose the best maternity services in your area. Every pregnancy is different. Get involved in the decisions that affect you and your baby. Start planning your pregnancy care now." through media, the UK have been increasingly reaching there peers. with countless information. 

In our society media is the perfect way to manipulate and attract individuals. media has promoted government officials, food industry's, clothing and this list can go on. theres many actions that our media is lacking. People come across so much while watching TV, TV can be a positive and negative." Number of TV commercials seen by the average person by age 65: 2 million"(www.csun.edu). if our media possessed more incite into things that actually help individuals and prevent against diseases such as obesity. TV shows and movies can introduce more home births. random advertisments promoting good healthy eating and good healthy choices.

through media and throughout early educational systems i feel there can be a change in our maternal care system. this change wont happen instantly but can happen with hard work and advocacy. 

Citations
 http://www.csun.edu/science/health/docs/tv&health.html

http://www.webmd.com/baby/news/20100323/c-section-rates-are-at-all-time-high

http://www.nhs.uk/aboutNHSChoices/aboutnhschoices/termsandconditions/Pages/termsandconditions.aspx