In the past few years I have started thinking about family planning and have often heard that there are more C sections being performed on women opposed to natural or vagina births. Apparently these days it's not uncommon for a pregnant woman to schedule her due date as though it were a hair appointment. Giving birth usually involves being induced into labor and more often than not, having a Caesarean section, a procedure 34% of Black women are choosing over vaginal birth, according to a new report from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Center for Health Statistics.
The study found that overall the C-section rate in the United States has reached an all-time high of 32%, making it the most common operation performed in US hospitals--a significant jump from 1996 when 21% of all births were by C-section. For Black women the rate has gone from 22% in 1996 to 34% in 2007, the last year data was collected. The rate is 32% for White women and 30% for Hispanic. Statistics like this make me wonder why African American women are being targeted for these major surgeries if they are not needed.
So why would the medical professionals be pushing a major surgery over a natural birth? Well money of course! At least part of the reason comes down to dollars and cents. C-sections cost twice as much as vaginal births and so we shouldn't be surprised that hospitals encourage it. In my opinion medical professionals are in it for their bottom line and sadly not your best health interest. Nationally, a vaginal delivery cost $7,737, with C-sections averaging about $11,000.
Another controversial reason for the growth spurt is "legal pressure" felt by doctors fearing medical lawsuit if anything goes wrong during a vaginal delivery. There's also the rise of fertility treatments ending in multiple births, like Octomom, to consider. Also the fact that more women over the age of 40 are having children and, in these cases, C-section is often safest. C-sections also have a higher rate of complications than vaginal births. For women who do not need C-sections, therefore, the risk may not be appropriate.
The precise cause of African-American women's higher C-section rates is unknown. Obesity is likely to be a factor: more black women are obese than white or Hispanic women, and obesity increases pregnancy complications. C-sections often accompany difficult pregnancies. Diabetes, which can be caused by obesity, could play a part in the high number of C-sections for black women, but it does not fully account for the difference.
http://www.scmedicalmalpractice.com
http://www.scmedicalmalpractice.com
This is also the reason that I started to exercise, eat healthier and maintain a balanced lifestyle. I am hearing more and more that women who are over weight have a harder time conceiving than those who are of a healthy weight and since I'm no spring chicken I didn't want to make conception any harder for me as I age. For some women, their weight may affect their ovulation. Being overweight can disrupt a woman’s regular monthly cycle, making it difficult for her to ovulate, and making it difficult to know exactly when she is ovulating. The impact of weight on ovulation has to do with the production of estrogen. Research suggests that for women who are overweight, the extra fat tissue can lead to an excess production of estrogen. This excess estrogen can then cause a hormonal imbalance that affects ovulation.
Sometimes, the sheer logistics of sex can get in the way for overweight couples who are trying to conceive. If the sperm are not able to make it all the way to the cervical mucus, whether held back by excess skin or they can’t make it to a deep cervix, there are a variety of problems that being overweight can cause in the physical act of conception. In addition, some studies suggest that being overweight and not getting enough exercise can lead to a low sperm count and/or low sperm viability in men.
Ideally, a woman will be at or near her ideal weight three months prior to trying to conceive. Dieting and exercise, of course, can help to address the issue of being overweight. However, dieting and exercising can also sometimes interfere with ovulation, thus a three-month maintenance window tends to be helpful. In addition, it will be important that your body gets all of the nutrients that it needs from the moment of conception forward, and this can be difficult to do if you are currently dieting. http://www.babyhopes.com
If you have children, what method of birth did you choose? Vaginal or C Section
Did you feel this was your choice or do you recall being swayed into making a decision?
Did you feel this was your choice or do you recall being swayed into making a decision?
