Being Pregnant
21 C-Sections in 2 Days Suspends 4 Doctors
21 c-sections, 4 doctors, two days… and the Easter Holiday. Sounds like something you would see on Gray’s Anatomy, or some other fictional medical drama with hot actors right?
This is a true story coming out of southern India where the actions of several doctors and motives for the surgical delivery of 21 babies is in question. To the point where all four doctors have been suspended.
The original news information coming out of this area stated:
The action came after district medical officer KM Sirabuddin submitted a preliminary report that squarely blamed doctors for flouting all medical norms. The report also found that in majority cases normal deliveries were possible and an unhealthy competition persisted among gynecologists of the hospital and the superintendent.
Mass surgeries were allegedly held to facilitate the doctors to celebrate Easter holidays unhindered. This, when the taluk hospital barely has facilities to conduct six surgeries a day and does not have post-natal facilities.
Unfortunately for American women, actions of this nature for the above practices would never happen, in fact, we see a surge in scheduled deliveries, as well as births in general around the time of major holidays all the time. While we see this mostly around Christmas time, statistics show it happens frequently around other annual holidays.
Can you imagine if hospitals in the United States finally started cracking down on providers who are making major medical decisions for their patients over their own schedule, or impatience rather than true medical need? We would surely see a large drop in the annually growing cesarean section rate.
Do you think this kind of action would benefit American women?
photo: flickr.com/thfhermon
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18 Comments
Amber C commented on Apr 27 11 at 10:34 amConsidering that we know research says more “emergency” C-sections occur around 5pm, we’re apparently not shocked enough in the US to start suspending doctors :(
Here’s to hoping it doesn’t have to get much worse before we start turning around.
Amanda L. commented on Apr 27 11 at 11:10 amOh my gosh, I WISH this would happen in America!!! I’m so sick of hearing about all the unnecessary medical interventions pertaining to birth… it’s sick. I mean wow… it’s sad… and our county does nothing about it. It’s become the norm… it’s become EXEXPECTED! Such a shame… shame on America.
I am proud to say I had a wonderful, safe natural home waterbirth with my son. I wouldn’t have it any other way… I just hate hospitals in general… they scare me. I wish more mamas would realize they have options. It’s the same with breastfeeding… so many! American women don’t even try! At attention is currently being brought to this subject.
mattie commented on Apr 27 11 at 11:51 amso strange…i know of OBs who schedule inductions based on what works best for their schedules. just because it is more convenient to schedule c-sections and inductions doesn’t mean it is the best thing to do (in some cases, it is).
i loved having a midwife. i went into labor on a saturday and she was with me the whole day throughout labor and delivery. sure, she probably had other things to do and it may not have been the most convenient day for my body to go into labor, but that was her JOB and that’s what i paid her to do!
krystal commented on Apr 27 11 at 12:03 pmI was planning a homebirth and ended up in ECsect when MW didnt answer her phone and baby wasnt moving. My full term healthy daughter died durring the procedure. I HATE the fact i had to have a Csect AND my daughter died (i probably wouldnt have minded IF she lived).My MW killed my HB idea and love for it all together. You just NEVER know. Unfortunately, now i will most likely be begging for one if i am lucky enough to have a rainbow. So SAD. This is so unnessicary. Those Dr.s shouldve been suspended.
lindsey commented on Apr 27 11 at 10:10 pmThis is RIDICULOUS,,I just hope that all these ladies babies were healthy and are doing good and werent born to early just for the convience of these care-less so called DOCTORS.Im 22 weeks pregnant with my 5 child(6th pregnancy.one miscarriage) I have had all my children natural(i dont ever want to go through a C-Secion if its preventable in my case), granted i didnt see eye to eye with the care of one of the Doctors i had,that even sent my baby home with a clear bill of health when she caught Pneumonia while inside my tummy cause i had it, and it was ignored by that Doctor i had,,but i took her to my long time pediatrition,who put her on med to clear it up as well told me i needed to buy a himidifier and have it running all day untill she got better,If she started getting any worse i was told dont hesitate not for one second call an ambulance right away,all my newborn did was stay awake and scream all day and all night for the first 3 days of her life ,when it was suppost to be a happy time it was a struggle just trying to find ways to sooth my pore sick baby..I feel that before you are induced as i was with the baby in the post,(it was a natural delivery (vaginal) but had to use potosin due to low fluid around my baby. ), the Dr should do ultrasounds,heart-rate rythem and whatever else they can on the outside, including making sure the mother isnt sick in anyway either..before bringing the baby out…My daughter is now 6 years old and doing good but has what is called “A” Typical Absence Siezers”that started at a year old,and is on med to control them,and we have high hopes that she will grow out of them.Other than that shes a normal, healthy, happy, kid that can be just as rough with the other kids her age.
Angela M. commented on Apr 27 11 at 10:42 pmObviously some C/S are necessary, of course. But to “schedule birth” for convenience alone (the dr’s OR the parents’) is crass! There are a lot of things about being a parent that are inconvenient, but it comes with the territory–embrace it. And if you went to medical school to become an OB you should KNOW that babies are born at all hours of the night and day! Be a family physician if you want convenience! Unreal.
Shanon commented on Apr 27 11 at 10:58 pmThere is a FB page created to pray for birth practices in the US… we are fastly ignoring women’s rights to birth appropriately… This is disgusting… but if we sit around and DO NOTHING here, it may be us next. Will you join us?
Christine commented on Apr 27 11 at 11:11 pmI was HOPING this was a crackdown on American OBs. I had an unnecessary csection because the doctor/hospital-based midwife team decided I was tired and had labored long enough. The procedure was not medically necessary since both baby and mom were in perfect health.
jaina commented on Apr 27 11 at 11:13 pmAmanda- I read something recently that said 75 percent of women start out breastfeed. I don’t think the problem isn’t not trying as much as not being prepared enough.
I had c-sections with both my son and daughter and while I love my doctor I wish that I would have fought a little longer to not have to have one, but they come in and don’t give you any other optionsand shove a waiver in your face. The medical reason for my first c-section was that I wasn’t progressing quickly enough. I have since heard of women in the same situation who refused a c-section and went on to have healthy babies naturally. My advice is to have a birth plan before hand with your doctor, and make sure you know why they are pushing for a c-section. If the baby isn’t in distress then push to wait a little longer. Just know that you have other options and if you still end up having to have a c-section then don’t let others make you feel guilty for it.
Marianela Aybar commented on Apr 27 11 at 11:43 pmSomething needs to be done in the US because it’s ridiculous how doctors practically force you into having a c-section in order for your birth to not conflict with their schedules. If they’re so concerned with their schedules they shouldn’t haven’t been doctors in the first place.
Rebecca commented on Apr 28 11 at 1:13 pmWHATEVER!! The US has one of the highest rates for C-sections. The doctors do not have to wait through labor and they make more money..hello?!?! Are ppl really that stupid!
Tasha commented on Apr 30 11 at 1:46 amI don’t know ladies, how many of the women who had c-sections actually WANTED them? It seems like a trend in the U.S. to ‘schedule’ our babies into our busy lives. I don’t agree with it, but the doctor’s shouldn’t take all the blame when they’re just going along with what a lot of moms wanted. I chose to be induced on Dec 21st after being admitted three times and sent home again after they stopped my labor. I wouldn’t choose to do that now because I’ve taken the time to educate myself this time around, but we need to remember it’s not just the doctor’s making these calls.
mandy commented on Apr 30 11 at 2:02 amI had an emergency c-section that was a true emergency, I am blessed that they were able to resucitate my son and beyond asthma he is a healthy 18 mo old. However, my c section could have been prevented by a third trimester ultrasound, especially after complaining of sharp (non contration) pain, 2 work related injuries and early labor stopped with meds. I feel drs and mws need to really listen to their patients and check using technology instead of the, “typical first timer” response… Had they done so my son most likely would have been born healthy instead of struggling in a nicu and i would have been right with him instead of a separate icu.
Christina commented on Apr 30 11 at 8:26 amOh my goodness! I can’t believe this! I’d fire them! I can’t believe someone who is in such a position of respect and trust would do something like this! Drops my respect for doctors! This just qualifies my decision to have my babies at home!!!
Ruth commented on Apr 30 11 at 1:01 pmTasha, I hear what you are saying, many women do choose to have a c-section for many vain reasons, but I think that the majority of unneccessary c-sections are for lack of education. Too many women trust the dr’s when they say things like “your baby is too big and your pelvis is too small” , or “this is moving along too slow” and too many dr’s are unwilling to encourage women to educate themselves because then women would start questioning common practices. This doesn’t just apply to c-sections either. I was with a mother whose dr gave her an episiotomy and pulled out the forceps. She had tried pushing twice, but because it was her first and she had an epidural, it was going to take a while. What the dr didn’t realize was that I overheard the nurse tell him that his “c-section was prepped and ready for him”. This type of convienience mentality is way too prevelant in our birthing society.
Karen commented on Apr 30 11 at 8:13 pmit shouldnt matter if women want to schedule a c section. The dr is the educated one who should stand up and refuse to do them without cause.
Jen commented on May 01 11 at 3:00 pmFor this reason, I am going to labor at home for as long as humanly possible before going to the hospital. I have a perfectly normal, healthy pregnancy. There is no reason I should need a C-section or induction.
Erica commented on May 01 11 at 3:52 pmLook ladies, I think that we can all agree that the point is to get a healthy, happy baby safe on the ground, and if a C-section is what it takes to get her here, so be it. I think that expectant mothers should sit down and talk to thier doctors about what they want. I am lucky enough to of had a doctor that not only treated me and my baby now, but my mother and grandmother, so she was like having a family friend as my doctor, and I knew she had my best interest at heart.
That being said, it infuriates me to no end how other mothers think that the way they do things should be how we all do them. I totally applaud and am in total awe of mothers that can (or for that matter even want to) have an at home or natural birth. I think they are fantastic! Or mothers that can breastfeed thier babies. But stop telling me that I’m a horrible mother because my baby is formula fed. That being said, I also was induced and had an epidural after ten hours of labor. It was awesome. I got to sleep through ten more hours of labor and then was well rested and able to get through the three hours of pushing that it took to get my 9 and 1/2 lb daughter into this world. (My chunky monkey is my first baby!) And I would do it again. During the pushing, she was going into distress and they had the OR preped and ready to go, and you know what, if that is what it takes to get her here, bring it on.
I know that the point of the article is that doctors sometimes schedual C-Sections for thier own convience, but I don’t think that happens as much as you think. Not that it never happens, but I think this is a extreame case. I think more C-sections are more of a precautionary thing, such as when the baby is in distress and after a long labor. And mommys that had a c-section during a long, hard labor, don’t beat yourself of the doctor up. They can come and go during your labor as they please, and if you have chosen your doctor carefully and they know what you want, they are doing a C-section because they feel it is best for you and your baby. You both want the same end goal, a healthy baby.
Honestly, I know that our health care system is screwed up. I know that doctors do dumb or selfish things that can cost us financially. I myself have a $20,000 hospital bill that I am disputing because of hospital error. However, when I pray, I thank God that I live in a contry where I don’t have to watch my baby die a slow death of some totally preventable childhood illness. I am so grateful that I even have the OPTION to take her to the doctor!! I don’t have to drive through a war torn countryside, past roadside bombs to get there. We, as mothers need to make smart, informed decisions about our doctors. And if you suspect that your doctor induced you or gave you a C-section so he/she could meet her tee time, speak out about it!!!
Oh, and if anyone was wondering, I was induced because of medical complications, not because my doctor had weekend plans. In fact, I delivered just before midnight on New Years Eve, and she stuck it out the whole time!!!
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