The Pendulum Is Swinging: Ups In Midwifery Officially Considered A Reaction To C-Sections

I suppose it’s official if The New York Times says it is: midwives are in! And although home-birthing has been on the uptick for sometime now, midwives can be tossed in with those growing numbers too, perhaps in response to the high rates of c-sections, some experts are musing.

A study determined that vaginal births are on the rise, about one in every eight births. Much like home-birthing, midwives are apparently booming in business because of a renewed interest by white women (thank you, The Business of Being Born). It would appear that women are becoming more and more educated about the necessity versus widespread practice of c-sections. One out of every three American births can now be attributed to going under the knife, despite that the procedure is needed in only about five to 15% of deliveries. This number, and ones much like it, apparently have women with the means thinking otherwise about how to bring their baby into the world:

…a greater proportion of women are choosing to rely on midwives in what experts think is a direct reaction to rising rates of C-section births. Midwives approach birth differently than many physicians: they shy away from inducing labor in most situations, which can lead to a greater likelihood of cesarean delivery.

A professor of community health sciences at the Boston University School of Public Health doesn’t find this to be much of a bad thing either:

“If this trend continues, it will bring us more in line with the rest of the world in giving midwives a central role in prenatal care and birth,” says study author Eugene Declercq… “Given that other countries have lower costs and better outcomes, it would be a positive thing for this country.”

I guess all that “too posh to push” nonsense is officially passé?

(photo: NotarYES/ Shutterstock)