Politics circle every aspect of our life, whether we acknowledge or give credence to them or not. Politics are of course the blood of our government, but they also play a sneaky role in our neighborhoods, in our places of work, on our bodies and in the birthing room. The AMA (American Medical Association) is currently on a rampage to decimate women's rights to give birth where she wants. Regardless of the many, many studies done around the world that point to the fact that childbirth for a healthy mother and healthy pregnancy is safest when in the comfort of the mothers home and in the presence of her own familial germs, the AMA and the ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) are ruthlessly trying to sabotage such a basic civil right. This is all, might I add, without the presentation of any good evidence that hospital births are safer than homebirths....just bureaucratic and corporate power at it's best (worst!).
For just a few of the research articles that demonstrate what I have written above, go to:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9271961
http://www.yin-yang.com/vbfree/docs/schlenzka.htm
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/330/7505/1416
Now, to be fair, here is a part of the AMA's official statement supporting the ACOG and admonishing homebirth:
"Whereas, An apparently uncomplicated pregnancy or delivery can quickly become very complicated in the setting of maternal hemorrhage, shoulder dystocia, eclampsia or other obstetric emergencies, necessitating the need for rigorous standards, appropriate oversight of obstetric providers, and the availability of emergency care, for the health of both the mother and the baby during a delivery; therefore be it
Continue reading "Political adversity regarding women and childbirth" »