c-sections before 39 weeks - how you can help

Laura Shanley, of Bornfree/unassisted birth movement is looking to bring attention to the creation of premature babies via unnecessary early cesareans and she would like women to help...read on:

I am looking for women nationwide who can participate in media interviews to
promote a new educational campaign from The March of Dimes and United
Healthcare aimed at informing women and physicians about the risks
associated with C-sections before 39 weeks of gestation. I am looking for:
1. Women who are currently pregnant and feel strongly about carrying the
baby the full term (more than 39 weeks) and not having a C-section, unless
the procedure is medically indicated; 2. Women who have previously had a
C-section before 39 weeks gestation and felt the procedure was unnecessary
or had the baby end up in the NICU.

Please contact me at laurashanley@comcast.net
<mailto:laurashanley@comcast.net> and I will connect you with my son, Will
Shanley, who is the west coast director of public relations for United
Healthcare. Will is reaching out to print journalists across the nation and
encouraging them to write news stories about the new March of Dimes campaign
and the risks associated with early C-section.

Thanks in advance for your help in telling this important story!

Much love,
Laura

Laura Shanley
Bornfree! The Unassisted Childbirth Page

assumption of powerlessness

The assumption of powerlessness that I so often see in birthing women makes me sad. It makes me crazy and angry too. I feel like I want to grab women by their collectively shrugging shoulders and look them in the eye and say, "this is not OK...you have a choice here; get angry and do something!" Sometimes I do do this, but in a gentle way. Sometimes it is arguably not my place and so I remain quietly supportive, perhaps tacitly being part of the problem.

I just heard from a colleague who is disturbed by her client's email which says,

The last three pregnant women I've known of have birthed their babies (all c-sections) 2-4 weeks early. It's making me think it may be the same
for us. We'll see. :)

Why is this getting me at such a deep place? Is it the happy face at the end? The seeming flipness that is perhaps real nonchalance or maybe masks deep fear? I don't know, but it troubles me deeply. It makes me want to weep.

So instead of staying in a dark place, I will offer again some information from The March Of Dimes on the medical creation of premature babies and the induction epidemic. There is a petition to sign. A small way to say "stop this ride - I want to get off".

part of the solution

*Essential information about the induction epidemic!!!*

The 2008 Petition for Preemies launched by the March of Dimes is a four-point petition which calls for hospital leaders to voluntarily review all cesarean-section births and inductions of labor that occur before 39 weeks gestation in an effort to reverse America’s rising preterm birth rate. The review is intended to ensure that all c-sections and inductions meet established American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists guidelines regarding medical necessity of elective procedures. The Petition is supported by the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Business Group on Health, and more than two dozen other maternal and infant health agencies, concerned business and quality improvement organizations. In addition, the Petition calls for: expanded federal support for prematurity-related research; policymakers to improve access to health coverage for women of childbearing age and support smoking cessation programs as part of maternity care; and businesses to create workplaces that support maternal and infant health. The March of Dimes will follow up the Petition with the release of their Premature Birth Report Card, which will be released on November 12th (Prematurity Awareness Day) and will grade the nation and the state son their preterm birth rate.

To sign the Petition, go here

are we creating preemies?

from Spinning Babies:

The March of Dimes notes a sharp rise in what they call Late Prematurity. Babies who are almost term, but not quite. They attribute this, in large part, to the increase in inductions & cesareans in the US.
One of their points on this petition is

3. We call on hospitals and health care professionals to voluntarily assess c-sections and inductions that occur prior to 39 weeks gestation to ensure consistency with professional guidelines.

I'd like to invite you to join this effort by signing the petition.