At War With Myself.

I've been doing some reading. I read "Pushed" by Jennifer Block and am currently reading "Born in the USA" by Marsden Wagner MD.

Both of these books and the stories I hear from other women, what I've seen other women go through in birth and what I have experienced myself have convinced me that the maternity care in America is a travesty!

Women have been convinced by doctors that the traditional midwife and homebirth is dangerous, when in actuality obstetricians have ever been the enemy of the healthy woman and her baby. The book "Birth" by Tina Cassidy gives a good history of obstetrics. In the book, "Born in the USA" Wagner tells how obstetricians have been experimenting on women without their knowledge, much less informed consent, since there was such a thing as an obstetrician.

Now I know there are good OBs out there and that most of them do not really set out to harm women and babies, but the sad fact is that their practices and lack of scientific method do in fact kill women and babies and have permanently harmed many many more.

The experimental use of forceps, x-rays, scolopamine, thalidomide, cytotec, unnecessary cesarean sections, constant fetal monitoring, and excessive use of ultrasound, and scare tactics to get women to have babies on the OB's schedule. It is really disgusting. And what saddens me the most is how completely most women have swallowed the lies and continue to believe them even when confronted with the truth.

So, now you're wondering where the title of the post fits. Well here it is:

1. I hate abortion. I think the way it is performed is atrocious. I believe that babies ought to be safe from such brutality.
2. I believe a woman ought to be able to choose where and how to give birth and be trusted to make the best decision for herself and her unborn child.

These two things are in conflict, at least according to some courts. There have been numerous cases where women have been court ordered to undergo a cesarean to 'save the baby'. Just Google "court ordered cesarean" (link to another blog post) and you will see many articles and blogs about the subject.
I believe it is dangerous to confer rights on the unborn for that reason. The issue of abortion and birth choice are inextricably intertwined, at least from a legal standpoint.

I find myself in an uncomfortable place. I want elective abortions to be done away with. The idea that a woman would willingly subject her baby to the torture of an abortion is just awful. But, I also want every woman to be able to choose where and how she births her child. The latter is in danger if pro-life advocates get their way and rights are conferred on the unborn.

I can see the difference, but that is because I believe certain things. I have a moral code that tells me that an unborn baby is indeed a life. Others do not believe the same. They have a different moral code than me. I suppose that answers my dilemma. I have no right to use the government to force others to believe, or even act as though the believe, the same way I do.

It was the last chapter of "Pushed" that really got me thinking about this. Reading about women who were forced in to major surgery for dubious reasons just sickened me. One woman was actually at the point of giving birth vaginally and the OB still cut her open!! It angers me to think that because some doctor thinks he knows better than the mother what is best for her and her baby the woman, and the baby, were subjected to the risks of major surgery. Of course I suppose that many people don't see cesarean as it really is, major abdominal surgery that carries great risk to mother and baby and even more risk in the event of a repeat cesarean.

Well, that's all for now.

I will be blogging later about the maternity system in America, it really is awful, but I just had to get this little bit out.