The Business of making babies .....

Re: The Business of making babies .....

• MrsLeanna member

  January 2012

  Personally I think  Drs get into their careers because they want to help people not force them into things. I think it;s ridiculous that people think otherwise, but I know it's trendy these days to think OBs schedule inductions for their convenience.

  I've had 2 kids with 2 different OBs and neither delivery was forced on me. I was induced with my first at 38 weeks after seeing my blood pressure climb higher and higher each week until it eventually got high enough to become dangerous and I could have developed pre-e. I had a vaginal delivery WITH an episitomy, which you seem to have an issue with, again not sure why. I pushed for an hour and a half, my baby was having heart decels and they needed to get her out. My OB told me he was doing it and I didn't care at that point I wanted her out safely. 

  Baby #2 I tried my hardest for months with the help of my OB who was very caring and supportive to not go into labor and when I finally did at 37 weeks I didn't need an episitomy. I chose to have epidurals for both my deliveries because drug-free birth is not for me.

  So, no I'm not seeing a trend and I don't think anyone is forced into anything though sometimes inducing is medically necessary. 

  
  

   

  
  

  
  

  
  

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• southmiamiwifejen

  January 2012

  I think if you watch Ricki Lake's "The Business of Being Born" (which I'm assuming is what you were trying to immitate with the title of your post), they make a very compelling argument for how the OB practice has essentially become a big business, and how many doctors and hospitals are making decisions for women based on their own convenience and/or profit. If that's where you're getting your info from and you buy into the whole theory, then yeah, I can see why you feel like you do.

  Personally, I've watched the documentary twice and while I do think it makes some good points, like Leanna, I think doctors ultimately become doctors to help people and I believe that's always at the forefront of every decision they make. Do I think it's become easier and more convenient for doctors to induce pregnant women and/or perform c-sections? Sure. Could that account for the trend in higher c-section rates? Sure. But I also truly believe that at the end of the day, no doctor (at least none of the ones I've ever met) would put the well being of a mom or her baby at risk for the sake of his or her own convenience or capital gain.

  I am a strong believer in Western medicine and I think it's WONDERFUL that we've made all the advancements we've made. I think mothers and babies are 100 times better off now a days than they ever were thanks to all the advanced drugs and medical procedures we have available at our fingertips (and that's just because we're lucky enough to live in this country...it's a huge luxury that many women and babies in 3rd world countries would kill for). So yeah, at the end of the day, all these advancements in medicine may, as a side effect, lead to more intervention such as inducements, c-sections, and episiotimies which women like yourself are adamantly against. But at the end of the day, while I do think there may be economic factors involved, I think each doctor is ultimately trying to do right by his or her patient.

  No one is going to "push drugs on you" as some sort of conspiracy or to try to get you to do something you don't want to do. If you are committed to your decision to have a drug-free, VBAC delivery, there are many resources available to help you achieve that and whatever personal agenda you think that the doctors or nurses at hospitals have should not stand in your way.

  I know this is a super personal thing so I try very hard not to judge people who feel the way you do, but it's just hard for me to relate because this whole issue was never a big deal to me. Yes, I wanted to avoid a c-section if possible because I had always heard that the recovery from a vaginal delivery was easier than the recovery from a c-section, but ultimately as long as my baby and I were healthy and safe, it didn't bother me that I received drugs during labor or that I ultimately ended up in an emergency c-section. I never put a lot of importance on HOW my baby got here (as long as she got here safely) in terms of how it made me feel as a woman and as a mother.

  

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• Albah member

  January 2012

  I completely agree with the above posters. I can definitely tell you that for the most part, Ob's are not in it for the "business". Nowadays, I don't think any doctor goes into medicine for the money. You work like a nut, the liability is immense, and sure you make decent money, but there are plenty of other careers that will get you much more money. And especially Ob - liability is the greatest of all the medical fields and they are the most sleep-deprived. You have to LOVE it! 

   I was induced with #1 and did end up with an episiotomy. But that's because I had high blood pressure and the baby was sunny side up. So that was medically necessary. With #2, I went into labor on my own and did not have an episiotomy. I had a minor tear that had to be repaired but that was it. Epidurals with both and that was my choice!  My Ob never pushed anything.  

  Sure, some Ob's may paint the picture you are trying to portray but that's not the majority.The Ob's I've seen in action always have done what is medically necessary for the patient. Many times I have seen Ob's give a patient an option - an issue where a patient can try to go "natural" but the Ob also gives them a c-section as an option. You wouldn't believe how many people decide to go for the c-section. Even people with absolutely NO medical problems - I see them come in and "request" a c-section. Statistics may show an increase in more invasive procedures but the question is why? Many may blame the Ob and hospitals for an increase in these rates, but I say that patients themselves have a lot to do with these numbers. 

  
  

  
  BFP #3: 01/28/12, EDD: 09/23/12, MMC (BO), D&C 2/16/12 at 6.5 wks
  BFP #4: 05/23/12, EDD: 01/31/12, Early MC at 5 wks

  RPL Workup: + LPD (7DPO Prog = 7.8, Endometrial Bx = out of phase)
  Elevated Alpha 2-glycoprotein IgA and antiphosphatidylserine IgM -->
  Hematologist said not to worry and no need for treatment!

  Dx: LPD
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  EDD: 05/23/2013

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