There is a growing awareness of what the U.S. maternity system lacks for mothers. However, when I was 18 and preparing for my first childbirth, I wasn’t given any helpful information.
I didn’t receive useful information on pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding because I relied entirely on the American maternity system. Like many other first-time moms, I thought they were supposed to provide me with everything I needed to know, including the resources I might need.
Boy, I was so wrong.
I went to the maternity system’s “birth and baby prep” class at the hospital. I got a labor and delivery floor tour, information on local pediatricians, and safe sleep and car seat guidelines. That. Was. IT!
What is the Typical Birth Experience Like in the American Maternity System?
Did you know in the United States, childbirth is the leading cause of hospital admission, the costliest component of healthcare spending, and cesarean sections are the most performed surgery (And the only surgery you can receive upon request without a medical need)? [6, 7]
America has the highest maternal mortality rate in the developed world, and it is getting worse [1].
Furthermore, we have a birth trauma rate of 1 in 3 women, with some studies showing up to 45% [8, 9].
My Pregnancy in the U.S. Maternity System
I tell my entire pregnancy and childbirth story here. However, the short story on my pregnancy was that my fundal height (measurement from the pubic bone to top of my fundus) was measuring behind. I received further testing (NST and high-risk ultrasound assessments), and everything was great. Still, my OB convinced me it would be good to get an induction at 39 weeks.
The NST showed that my daughter was healthy and responding well to my contractions. The ultrasound (although a horrible way to guess fetal weight) showed an average fetal weight and good umbilical cord circulation, implying that the placenta was still working well.
With this, my OB still did not inform me of the risks of having a 39-week induction. When I asked the possible risks of choosing this, she only told me that my baby would be as developed as she could become by that point.
This is not true.
The lungs are the last thing to develop before your baby begins releasing hormones to begin the natural onset of labor. Additionally, stress needs to be low for labor to begin spontaneously. If stress is high, the hormone, cortisol, will trigger your fight or flight response and postpone labor until your brain knows you are safe to give birth.
By going to every single one of my OB appointments, being patient in the waiting room for 30+ minutes, and having my 5–10-minute appointments, I never learned as much information as I just typed to you. However, I know there are doctors who wish the time with their clients (or as they call them, “patients”) were longer but this is the U.S. maternity system.
Breastfeeding and Relying on the U.S. Maternity System
(Again, I’m skipping over my birth in the U.S. maternity system as it’s all written out in My Traumatic Labor and Delivery Story with an Induction.)
It’s been almost 4 years since my daughter was born as I’m writing this, and I still grieve the breastfeeding relationship that I never had.
My OB never gave me any resources or guidance on where to look if I had a breastfeeding question. At this time, I also had no idea there was information online that may be helpful for finding where I could get this help.
I was so lost.
I had a breast pump, samples of formula, and a full milk supply. After a week or so, I started pumping randomly. I wasn’t returning to work at any planned time, so I had no idea why I was pumping. I just thought I had to.
My daughter clusterfed for the first time and I thought I didn’t have enough breastmilk anymore, so I supplemented with formula for the first time.
Suddenly, I had an odd feeling that I was only doing enough for my daughter by buying formula and using bottles. I think this is because it’s the societal norm in the U.S. We don’t see breastfeeding on TV, and we don’t see it often in public either.
Recalling these feelings and the lack of resources and information I was given during my pregnancy and postpartum before being sent home makes me incredibly devastated. I went 6 weeks without any professional help there when I needed it and when I did see my doctor she finally told me they had lactation help there but I thought it was too late based on some garbage on the internet.
I am Angry
I had all these struggles, and at this time, I was simultaneously discovering that this was my passion.
Now, I’m a certified childbirth educator and a certified lactation counselor, and I am angry.
The maternity system in the U.S. tells women that “pregnancy and birth are dangerous” and “you can’t do this without our help.”
This same system tells us “breastfeeding is the best for babies” and “breastfeeding saves babies lives.” Still, they don’t give you resources for breastfeeding or tell you that they have a lactation consultant you can call to talk to or make an appointment with until you already had problems.
The lack of information they gave you made you believe your body can’t do this without an intervention like formula, just like your birth experience in the hospital made you feel like you can’t do this without an intervention to make your body “work” on their timeline.
I am over this system and I am disappointed for everyone who is made to believe this is the only way to do give birth if you want a safe birth. I am done with the lies and misconceptions projected on us from our maternity system.
Therefore, I want to provide you with all the information you may need. This is my passion because the maternity system broke me within my emergence to motherhood, and I am still grieving years later.
This is ENOUGH
As if we don’t have ENOUGH mom guilt, now, I feel guilty that I know so much better now and will do so much better for my future babies, but I didn’t get that with my daughter.
As if we need more work to do in a society that makes us go into debt for college to barely make it by for most of us in the U.S., now you can’t trust your OB or nurse-midwife in the maternity system unless you already have the information to ensure they’re being honest.
Our maternity system in the U.S. is a failure and disappointment to many mothers.
While other countries are lowering their maternal mortality the U.S. has been getting more dangerous yet our healthcare costs remain the highest in the world [1].
I’m Sorry
I’m sorry if you had an experience any what like mine. But, this is our reality in the U.S. We need to take the power into our own hands because the movement of birth into hospitals was meant to take the power from us and from wise midwives to make money and ensure women were reproducing successfully. However, when childbirth moved into the hospital, this worsened birth outcomes compared to what they were at home [2].
And to this day, research reveals more risks for mothers and babies who give birth with health professionals who “expect trouble” and use routine medical interventions [3].
YOU Hold the Power
Take the power back and birth your baby with informed decisions and never let anyone tell you they “delivered your baby” because birthing is not a mechanical process, and you did all the work to birth your baby.
If you want to take the power into your hands and become informed to give birth and breastfeed the way you desire, check out my courses in my store. I support, encourage, and educate you to make the decisions that work for your situation and family to ensure you experience the empowerment you already have in yourself to do this successfully.
Remember, you are meant to do these things, and your body knows how. Our society in the U.S. just doesn’t know how to support our power. They fear, when we all know better, the formula companies will crumble and not make millions anymore. And the hospital maternity system will only be used when needed, which will break them as cesareans are the number 1 surgery in the U.S., resulting in one of their biggest moneymakers [4] while the World Health Organization recommends that cesarean section rates should be no more than 15%. [5].
Read The Truth About Our Climbing Cesarean Rates here and how the number of unnecessary c sections is putting more and more mothers’ lives at risk and worsening the overall health of babies who didn’t need a cesarean birth.
You got this, mama. You are encouraged, educated, and empowered.
Sources
[1] Maternal Mortality in the United States: A Primer
[2] Rooks, J. (1997). Midwifery and Childbirth in America. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 29-32.
[3] Goer, H., & Romano A. (2012). Optimal care in childbirth: The case for a physiologic approach.
[4] Cesarean Section
[5] WHO statement on caesarean section rates
[6] Xu, X., Gariepy, A., Lundsberg, L. S., Sheth, S. S., Pettker, C. M., Krumholz, H. M., & Illuzzi, J. L. (2015). Wide Variation Found In Hospital Facility Costs For Maternity Stays Involving Low-Risk Childbirth. Health affairs (Project Hope), 34(7), 1212–1219. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2014.1088
[7] Sung S, Mahdy H. Cesarean Section. [Updated 2022 Sep 18]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK546707/
[8] Ertan, D., Hingray, C., Burlacu, E. et al. Post-traumatic stress disorder following childbirth.BMC Psychiatry 21, 155 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-021-03158-6
[9] Reed, R., Sharman, R. & Inglis, C. Women’s descriptions of childbirth trauma relating to care provider actions and interactions. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 17, 21 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-016-1197-0
DISCLAIMER: This post contains affiliate links, meaning I may get a commission if you decide to purchase something through my links at no cost to you. Please read my Disclaimer for more info.
DISCLAIMER: This post is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding you or your baby’s health. Please read my Medical Disclaimer for more info
Leave a Reply