Pregnant? Reduce your chance of a C-section from 1 in 3 to less than 1 in 10.
That was enough to catch my attention.
I'm well aware that the current US Cesarean rate is 30% translating that about every one in three women who give birth in the United States will have a cesarean to birth their baby. This statistic has been condemned by many organizations, including the WHO (World Health Organization) that states that even in high risk populations, the C-section rate should be between 10% and 15%.
So of course, the first question on my mind after reading the headline was, How? I agree that it is uneccesary that every one in three women need a procedure that should only be performed through neccesity or medical emergency, so then how can I avoid a uneccesary C-section?
I then read that the ad was for a homebirth midwifery practice in the Seattle area; Elemental Birth Midwivery. I thought their advertisement was brilliant in its concept and placement. The Metro bus system is heavily traveled by many people each day, making it an excellent place to advertise to not only low income people, but also business professionals using the transit system to commute.
However, I was struck that the statistic cited a 1 in 10 or a 10% chance of Cesarean section, using out of hospital midwifes. It seemed high to me, so I did some homework. The national rate for out of hospital, midwife attended births requiring a hospital transport for a C-section is around 10%. Surprisingly, in accordance with the WHO recommendation.
But I still had another question, what is Elemental Birth Midwivery Cesarean rate? I called and asked and found out that their C-section rate currently stands at 0. That's right ZERO. They have only been in practice for a year, but with all the births they have attended, no mothers have needed to be transferred to the hospital to have a Cesarean.
I will let that statistic speak for itself and make the recommendation to any parents in the Seattle area planning a pregnancy or expecting a baby to look into the option of midwife attended homebirth to avoid the associated risks of an uneccesary C-section.
2 comments:
Hi There,
I think you've done a great job with this article. Bravo to you for doing your homework. It is so important for women to investigate their choices, preferrably before pregnancy. You have set a fine example.
I am wondering if you can share how many births the midwives attended during this first year of their practice? It is great that none of their clients have had a cesarean. I am also interested i how many clients they've had.
Good question. I didn't ask when I was speaking with the midwife over the phone. The typical range for births in a midwifery practice in Seattle is between 20 and 50 births a year (source: The Great Starts Guide to hospitals...in King County).
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