VBAC: it's not just a cool acronym

This just in from Reise. It burns me up. If any of you out there in ReaderLand have experience in the Cesarian department I would be interested to hear your remarks, as I am burning up in a vacuum here.

The following SF Weekly article should be of concern if you are pregnant, planning to have a child in the future, know someone else who is or if you are just interested in women's health and rights. In the name of safety and certainty, VBACs (Vaginal Birth After Cesarian) are being banned in our hospitals, even though there is little evidence to suggest that they are unsafe for the majority of women. The procedure can save lives, but the statistics tell us that we have not saved a greater number of babies or mothers since the national Cesarean rate tripled from under 10% to almost 30% in the last 30 years. Cesarean births make more money for the doctors, anesthesiologists and hospitals, don't require doctors to learn special techniques (such as forceps or how to turn a breech baby) and fit into the 9-5 weekday schedule (more convenient for your doctor). They are considered reliable and quick, whereas labor is a natural process that is different for each woman and happens according to its own schedule. Cesarean section is major abdominal surgery, requires a longer time to heal, can have complications and may delay/prevent breast-feeding and bonding with your baby. I am not advocating against Cesarean, only the unjudicial practice of it.

The Home-style Midwifery Center at St. Luke's Hospital is being closed because it provided services that were considered "above and beyond basic obstetrical practices." Why is the non-hurried and low-interventionist birth attended by midwives considered "above and beyond" basic care?

A march is planned for May 11 to protest the ban of VBACs at St. Luke's. If you can, come show your support. This is not just about women facing Cesareans. It's about our rights to choose the kind of care we need and for health policy makers to hear our voices.

From the New Yorker on How Birth Went Industrial:
http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/10/09/061009fa_fact?printable=true

SF Weekly article:
http://www.sfweekly.com/2007-04-25/news/no-hail-caesarean/print