Why has childbirth become such a medical experience?

Question

I know there are some really risky pregnancies and women are left with no choice. But under proper care and healthy pregnancies why are women opting for c-sections? Why are doctors encouraging this? c-sections are major surgeries and should only be used as a last resort. People say it's not a big deal but what about the ones who are permanently damaged by the experience. Childbirth is painful, it's no big surprise. But why are women subjecting themselves and their babies to drugs during childbirth. The risk are many and I cannot understand this thinking. I had 2 children both around 10 pounds, no drugs, at home with a midwife. I cannot tell you my experience was easy. It was not. But we were safe, in excellent hands, and we had the people we most cared about around us. Women have been giving birth at home with midwives for centuries of years. If it was deamed medically unsafe then why aren't we all dead?

Sorry, there has been a bit of confusion. Epidurals are different from Morphine, Demeral, Laughing gas, the latter. Epidurals are a nerve thing, the rest are just plain drugs.

OK, so most of the answers are about infant mortality. Midwives these days as opposed to a century ago have a lower infant mortality than Doctors. Please comment on that considering the above.

Answer 1

I agree with you. I had four children, none of them in a hospital. I knew the infant mortality was better if I stayed away from the hospital. Three of mine were born in a birth center, the other one in the car. I used Bradley method natural childbirth and I discovered that the hospitals around here will not allow natural childbirth; so I did not go to one. I think lawsuits are a big part of the problem. A lady can sue if her baby is not alright; but she cannot sue if she got a C-sec that she did not need.

Answer 2

The medicalisation of birth occurred due to the fact that the medical arena is run predominately by males (although there are more women in the medical field, men still outnumber them in positions of influence) who medicalised it as a means to dominate women. There is nothing more natural than giving birth, yet in the west it's become a scientific external experience for most women. However nobody can deny that infant mortally has drastically decreased over the years, which is a sure positive outcome of the medicalisation of birth. The fact we have a lot more options than our mothers or grandmothers did so why not utilize them, that's what evolution is about right?

Answer 3

That's a really good question. I have noticed a lot of women I know having c-sections because they want their baby to arrive on a certain date. I don't think that's a good idea for doctors to do, but they like it because it fits their schedule better than the baby making the choice on when he/she wants to enter the world. I do however see nothing wrong with an epidural during labor. And I think a lot of people are lead to believe it's a bad thing. I studied up on it before my son arrived. I wasn't palnning on having one at all. I wanted to go through it all naturally and I would've but my son ended up being in the wrong position for delivery. It caused my body to start pushing him out on it's own. So my choice was to have one so my cervix would stop contracting long enough for my son to reposition himself and be born without a c-section. For my child and I, it was the best choice. The epidural did nothing to him. He's a healthy boy! I also think every woman should have a choice on where she wants her child born, and who delivers it.

Answer 4

It's called law suits.

Also, maternal and fetal death were very common in the old days, even though mass majority birthes were OK.

It is unethical for the doctor to perform c-section without a sound medical cause.

Answer 5

An increasing concern about malpractice for one reason, and doctors being insurance company managers, rather than medical practitioners.
Convenience for busy "women" who chose to get right back to their careers the second their hired-help substitute mother shows up.

Answer 6

MONEY. Does that answer your question?

Answer 7

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!