January 15, 2019
Obstetricians, especially males, have ZERO place in a delivery room. Don't get me wrong, they have a place! As trained surgeons they belong in the OR, waiting for a TRUE emergency.Obstetric violence has been a thing since obstetrics began many years ago. A small look into the history of obstetrics would leave you disgusted and understanding of why women feel so broken today.
(https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tHRqX3q8xkGuzVBIYhvnDcXFEAJ8RE6Z/view)Do we dare speak about the way women of color are treated? Black and Hispanic women are at a far greater risk of obstetric abuse/violence. They also have the highest mortality rates in the US.(https://www.history.com/news/the-father-of-modern-gynecology-performed-shocking-experiments-on-slaves)
(https://evidencebasedbirth.com/racial-disparities-child-birth/)
Not much has changed in the obstetric line of work. They are still disempowering women and violating them on a regular basis in captive birthing facilities. Making women believe that the provider is a superior authoritative figure and that this sort of Paternalistic care is acceptable. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2920649/#!po=2.23881) Let's look at those mortality rates for women and infants and childbirth. The US is failing terribly, they obviously aren't doing something correct! Our rate is worse than some 3rd world countries I can tell ya, the midwives are not to blame for this!(https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/infantmortality.htm) "Women in the United States are more likely to die from childbirth or pregnancy-related causes than other women in the developed world." (https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/pregnancy-relatedmortality.htm)
(Image of our infant mortality rate compared to other established countries)We should consider following Sweden's lead. "Antenatal care in Sweden is organized within the public primary health care system with the midwife as the primary caregiver.... Midwives work in collaboration with obstetricians if complications occur." After all, their mortality rates are MUCH better. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4600272/)My heart breaks for the women who are disserviced by these pRoFeSsIoNaLs. Most of which whom don't even know how to hold space and keep their hands off during a physiological delivery - constantly medicalizing. Imagine how many women believe their informed consent isn't something they are entitled to during child birth!If this has happened to you, feel free to share your story. Talk about it, share your feelings, and know that you are not alone. Women are assaulted, violated, and denied informed consent from Obstetricians on a daily basis in America (as well as many others).
