more birth blog & info links

What NOT to expect when you’re expecting, #7: Don’t expect your provider to be interested in evidence:

In What To Expect When You’re Expecting, the author warns readers not to risk being sued by their OB doctor.  Jill, at The Unnecesarean, described this scenario eloquently in a recent blog post.

It’s difficult to imagine a doctor suing a patient simply because she exercises her right to autonomy over her body.  Yet doctors–and unfortunately, midwives too–daily use their medical knowledge to manipulate and intimidate patients into consenting to things they don’t want to do.  Most practitioners know very well how to phrase the “truth”, to slant their words in such a ways as to persuade the patient to give “informed” consent.

What NOT to expect when you’re expecting, #6:Even more testing : This post was particularly interesting for me, because as I started to learn more, and as I drifted away from the UCLA medwives, I started to get really angry about the whole glucose testing thing.  I was angry that I wasn’t more informed at the time of it, as I’d have refused.  Instead, I went along with everything they told me, had a typical “failed” first test and a week of undue stress.

What NOT to expect when you’re expecting, #4: Things that go bump in the night :

As I’ve continued to read through WTEWYE, I have been amazed at the number of things the author has found that pregnant women need to be wary of.  I’ve titled this blog post “Things that go bump in the night” as we take a tongue-in-cheek look at all the things you need to add to your list of worries while you’re pregnant.

A couple of links about the healthcare reform and maternity care, something I’m still trying to sort out and understand: Effects of Health Reform on Maternity Care, Healthcare Reform: How it Passed & What’s Next

There was this, left in the comments of the Unnecesarean Facebook page, which I thought was hysterical and oh so sad.  Oh, yes.  Always the doctors with their, “Thank god you were in the hospital for us to give you this emergency cesarean section which we caused the need for.”

And lastly (for today): Minimizing the Negative Effects of Epidural Anesthesia – The majority of people seem to think that epidurals are no big deal, but when you learn more about them, you come to realize that they are seriously overused and should be used only when absolutely necessary.

Speaking of interventions, I read this quote the other day and it’s well worth sharing & spreading around:

“Natural childbirth allows the hormones that have been working for women for thousands of years to fulfill their functions. This is more important than just helping a woman through labor and delivery. Birth-related hormones also affect well-being much later in life.” ~JANET SCHWEGEL, Adventures in Natural Childbirth

What NOT to expect when you’re expecting, #7: Don’t expect your provider to be interested in evidence

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