September 10th, 2008 by Stacey

Soooo interesting. I just read an article from Telegraph.co.uk, written by Sarah Womack, about the recent push for natural birth in England and Whales.  National Health Services, which is a government watchdog group in the UK, says that every woman who is pregnant should be encouraged to birth naturally, should be told the dangers associated with epidurals, and should have one on one care with a midwife and access to a birthing pool for pain relief.  They also say that women should be allowed to birth in their homes when possible, and that no interventions (IV, external or internal monitoring, pain medication, pitocin, vacuum extraction, forceps, etc) should be administered unless absolutely necessary.

The obstetrics organization there agrees, and adds only that in the case of an emergency, the woman would need to be transported to a hospital immediately to ensure the health of her and the baby.

This strikes me as interesting, when there has recently been such a huge stir over home birth here in the US, with OB/GYNs trying to have home birth banned.  They have come out with publications stating that the only safe place to birth is in the hospital, or birthing facility in connection with a hospital. There is also virtually no encouragement for natural childbirth, and many interventions such as IVs and continual monitoring are mandatory in US hospitals, even if the patient is low risk.  On top of that, physician organizations have used smear campaigns against midwifes for many years here in the US, and in some states it is still illegal for a midwife to attend a birth.

Hmmmm….

So what is the difference?  Well, in the UK, the government is paying for the births.  They have realized that it is much more expensive to pay for epidurals and other interventions, which also increase the number of cesarean births.  Cesarean births cost double that of a natural birth, and the hospital stay can be longer, resulting in even higher costs.  It is also much cheaper to pay a midwife than it is to pay a doctor to catch the babies.  Basically, natural birth is much cheaper.

Here in the US, birth is a huge money maker for doctors, hospitals, drug companies and medical equipment and supplies companies.  You can almost hear a little KA-CHING each time the nurse comes in and hooks up a monitor, draws blood, or rolls someone down to the operating room for a cesarean.

These people make a living off of the fear of childbirth. A fear that, in my opinion, is caused by all of the crazy things they do to you at the hospital while you are in labor.  IVs, needles, monitors, drugs and repeated checking of the cervix are all unnatural and uncomfortable for laboring women.  A hospital birth makes it seem like there is no way anyone could safely birth outside of a hospital, or without a team of trained medical staff.  Sadly, that is what most doctors and nurses in the US believe, and want you to believe, too.

You know what?  It’s just not true.  Way to go UK!