A Few, and Happy, Updates

Since my last post about the parallels between birth and death, some changes have occurred in how the medical approach to childbirth has been handled.  (The midwifery approach has been on target all along.)  The American Society of Anesthesiologists have come out with new recommendations on oral intake during labor.  They are now stating that it is OK for a low risk mother and baby for the mother to consume clear liquids during labor.  Also, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) put out Committee Opinions stating that based on research (or lack thereof in some cases), that improves both safety and the physical and emotions experience of giving birth, and success when initiating breastfeeding.  

What is fairly obvious is that God's design for childbirth and breastfeeding work quite well.  Clearly all cases are not textbook perfect, for we are under the curse of the Fall.  But, many in the medical profession are beginning to see that trying to medically manage the beginning and course of labor for a low risk woman and her baby often introduces medical issues which, themselves, require treatment. We can be grateful that technology has advanced to the current level where many discovered or unexpected problems can be treated successfully, but trying to prevent possible problems with medical intervention does not seem to always be the best course of action.

Many, but not all, women in the US have options regarding how their birth is to be handled.  This includes medications and anesthetics used to control pain, induction for medical reasons, or, within established safety guidelines, for convenience, repeat C-sections when there is no medical indication for doing so, and more.  However, the pendulum is swinging in the direction of providing and protecting the woman's right to decides, bases on research evidence, how she wants her birth experience to be handled.  ACOG has even put out a committee opinion of how to work with patients who want to do something different that what the physician recommends.  I think the opinion shows respect for the woman's right to decide how and where she wants to give birth.

As a childbirth educator, as a nurse, and as the mother-in-law of two wonderful women who have had the blessing of many of the choices, I am grateful to see that birth, once again, is coming back under the dominion of women, who are the real experts at giving birth.