Babies Are Born, Not Delivered

by Jock Doubleday

(Article for The Union, Grass Valley/Nevada City, CA

September 23, 1997)

To the Editor:

Lisa Winget argues (September 20, “Other Voices”) that routine modern obstetrics procedures are necessary and humane. Modern obstetrics research indicates otherwise.

Henci Goer’s book, Obstetric Myths Versus Research Realities (1995), debunks a number of obstetric myths.

Myth: The cesarean section is performed only when necessary.

Fact: Up to two-thirds of cesareans performed in America are unnecessary.

Myth: Epidurals are safe.

Fact: Epidurals increase the odds of a cesarean section two to eight times.

Myth: A clean cut is better than a jagged tear.

Fact: Episiotomies (surgical lengthening of the vagina) cause deep tears, they don’t prevent them.

Myth: The hospital is the safest place to bear a child.

Fact: Midwifery care and out-of-hospital birth are safer than hospitals for most mothers and babies.

Ms. Winget asks for more-up-to-date information. Here it is.

As of September 23, 1997, obstetrics staff from Sacramento County hospitals report: episiotomies are performed 60% of the time on first-time mothers; the umbilical cord is cut between 30 seconds and “a few” minutes after birth (leaving the infant, whose lungs do not begin to function normally for five minutes, without its blood-transported oxygen supply); narcotic and anesthetic drugs are routinely administered (to mothers who either do not understand or do not care that their infants are being drugged in the process); and labor, prolonged by the supine position and synthetic drugs, lastsan average of 12 hours, leaving the drug-dazed mother exhausted and, too often, C-sectioned for “failure to progress.”

Compare this to the Australian aborigine who, squatting and drug-free, births her baby in less than 20 minutes, then runs to catch up with her tribe, her baby slung next to her bare breasts, umbilical cord intact until nature discards it.

Ms. Winget asks that women “not be made to feel guilty” for the choices they’ve made during labor. But it is Ms. Winget herself who informs us that spanking newborns is now unacceptable (a fact I corroborated in recent California hospital telephone interviews). I am certain that Ms. Winget would never want to keep the detrimental effects of spanking under wraps just to save the feelings of medical staff who have spanked infants in the past. Alternative birthing information must not be kept from future mothers for any reason--not even because present-day mothers might “feel guilty.”

Ms. Winget finds it offensive that someone who has never been pregnant and has not given birth would presume to engage in a discussion on childbirth. But when blood is spilled for no reason, or for misguided reasons, it hurts even men. If men cannot debate childbirth, women cannot debate war.

I do not, however, presume, as Ms. Winget does, to tell future mothers how to give birth. Women already know how to give birth. It is written in their genes.

It is Ms. Winget and her colleagues who believe they have found a way to improve upon nature’s 3-billion-year-old biological plan for the miracle of birth. And they are willing to sell it to you--for $5,000 a day. I sell you nothing. I merely remind women of their birthright.

I believe that Ms. Winget cares deeply about the health of women and children. I believe that obstetrics staffs in general care deeply. But this is not the issue. The issue is the unquestioned acceptance of the myth that technology can outwit nature. Nature will never be outwitted. There is more power and understanding in the tip of a mother’s finger than in all obstetrics technology combined. Nature rules.

Will Ms. Winget be out of a job if women decide to reclaim their creative power? No. Obstetrics technicians and support staff will be welcome as emergency backup for home birthings. Obstetrics technology and personnel will continue to be useful in diagnosing and mitigating birth complications on those rare occasions when nature falters.

But technology must relinquish its present-day fanatical grip on the natural birth process. Technology must take second place to nature.

Mary Emmerling, an R.N. who has “assisted numerous labors and deliveries,” has also responded to my article. Her 9/24 letter states that her own children are “healthy,” and that they have “attained college degrees . . . so I doubt if my bit of anesthesia affected them in any way.” She finds my article “humorous.”

If Mary truly cares about the health of future mothers and their babies (the only thing at issue, here) she should read an article in the 1992 British Medical Journal (304), entitled, “Investigation of Long Term Problems after Obstetric Epidural Anesthesia.” The article won’t leave her laughing.

If Mary doesn’t care about the health of future mothers and their babies, she should continue to concentrate on her own children’s health and intelligence--both categories of which, by the way, are measured only relative to the health and intelligence of America’s technologically birthed population.

Ecstatic birth for mothers and clear-minded, able-bodied entrance into this new world for babies existed long before professionals came onto the scene.

Babies are born, not delivered.

Sincerely,

Jock Doubleday

Director

Natural Woman, Natural Man, Inc.

A California 501(c)3 Nonprofit Corporation

http://www.GentleBirth.org/nwnm.org

http://www.SpontaneousCreation.org

director@spontaneouscreation.org