I never plan on giving birth again. Let's just put that out there for the sake of clarity. But if I did (such as if an "accident" occurred) and I ever ended up having another baby, it would NOT be in a hospital unless absolutely medically necessary. No way in HELL. Why? So many reasons.
For one: I read a story in a " mom group" I'm in on Facebook about a mom whose labor (induced, of course, as 1 in 3 women are these days for NO REASON) was only 7 hours long, and (I quote) "the nurse held the baby's head in until the OB could get there." ....WHAT??? Does this mom not realize how non-evidence-based that is? Or how potentially detrimental to the health of the baby that can be? She made it seem so, "oh, haha, the baby came so fast," but I guarantee you she wasn't educated on the implications of what that nurse was doing (hello, potential nerve damage to both mom and baby!)! I'm glad it all turned out well for her and the baby, of course, and that she's happy with her birth experience, but that could have gone SO badly for absolutely NO reason other than a ridiculous hospital "policy." Babies have been seriously injured that way. I mean, really, why interfere with a completely natural biological process, when it's progressing normally, just because a certain person isn't in the room to "catch" the baby? If hospitals are so great, why aren't doctors available at the drop of a hat if a labor progresses that quickly? Why are such unscientific practices so commonplace? It makes NO sense whatsoever.
Second, I'm sick of America's obsession with cutting baby boys' genitals. If I ever had another son, I wouldn't want him born in an American hospital unless I had him by my side 24/7, or if I knew for certain that no one would cut him. I've heard too many stories lately of babies cut without their mothers' consent, or of mothers being asked (pestered) multiple times about "when the circumcision will be" by nurses/doctors, etc, to ever be comfortable having a baby boy in a hospital. Shoot, even some birth centers and home birth midwives will promote/support male genital cutting. It makes no sense to me. "Here, have a natural birth with no interventions unless absolutely necessary. Trust your body, it works the way it's meant to. Don't consent to having yourself cut (whether an episiotomy or cesarean) unless it's a life-or-death scenario. But hey, let's cut off a piece of your son's genitals for no medical reason whatsoever. That's totally cool." Unbelievable, these double standards we have here.
Hospital birth is no longer scientific. I wish it were, because the safety factor of being able to birth in a place with emergency facilities on hand, just in case, is a wonderful option that all moms should feel safe choosing. It's just not as wonderful when a low-risk mother who desires a natural birth is forced into unnecessary interventions because they're "hospital policy," which creates more problems than it solves. We Americans have some of the worst maternal-fetal outcomes of any developed nation, yet we spend the MOST on maternity care. It's a money-making industry, not one focused on giving personalized, scientific care. Hospitals in America tend to promote circumcision too, which is also not based in any sound science. No medical organization in the world recommends it. The closest is the AAP, which states that there are "potential benefits," but their findings have been criticized by the rest of the world for cultural bias and inaccurate studies. Cutting off the foreskin of only baby boys (yes, girls have it too) doesn't make any more sense than prophylactic removal of tonsils or appendixes, etc. It's beyond ridiculous.
I consider myself to be a reasonable person who makes decisions for my health and my children's based on hard, scientific fact. That's the reason I vaccinate (though on a delayed schedule so that, in the case of an adverse reaction, we know which vaccine it's a reaction TO): every medical organization in the world recommends them, and the likelihood of a vaccine injury is astronomically unlikely compared to the likelihood of my children contracting a vaccine preventable disease if unvaccinated. Science is in favor of vaccines. It isn't, thus far, in favor of hospital birth (for low-risk women) OR circumcision. America's healthcare system is screwed up in so many ways, it seriously isn't funny anymore. And people refuse to educate themselves. Why? Cognitive dissonance.
Americans operate with cultural blinders superglued on. I say that birthing in the hospital isn't necessarily the safest option for a low risk mom, and cognitive dissonance caused by 100 years of cultural conditioning (based on nothing but fear tactics and old smear campaigns) to the contrary gets blasted in my face. I say that there's no scientifically sound reason to think that all baby boys are born defective and in need of immediate genital surgery, and the same thing happens. Cognitive dissonance is a POWERFUL thing. I just wish I knew how to kindly break through it and encourage others to really research things. I don't mean just searching Google for sources that back them up; I mean finding impartial, peer-reviewed studies with large enough sample sizes to be statistically significant. It would make such a difference in our country if everyone was willing to put aside their biases and make that effort with an open mind.
So yeah. I get incredibly tense and frustrated when I have pregnant friends and family members. Especially if I find out they're expecting boys. None of this is judgement, and if it's taken that way, well...maybe you should look at yourself first. Because this isn't just MY opinion, it's based on science from the majority of the world.
