1 in 3 babies in the USA... :-o

[Alex Franke]

Apparently one of every three babies born in the USA in 2007 was by c-section. Really? 1 in 3?

Maybe I'm a little old-fashioned, but this just seems wrong to me... Am I off base here?

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db35.htm

[crokett]

Hopefully they were all conceived the old-fashioned way.....

[atgcpaul]

Yeah, I saw that on TV last night. Apparently, it's the #1 surgery in the US,
too. I was surprised.

My wife is pregnant now and she wants to avoid it if possible. Before she got
pregnant, she watched this documentary produced by Ricki Lake. The trailer
alone gives you a pretty good sense as to why C-sections are so popular.

http://www.thebusinessofbeingborn.com/trailer.php

Paul

[germdoc]

If men gave birth it would always be by C-section, with the incision strategically located in the groove beneath our bellies. Beer and pretzels and ESPN would be available in the recovery room. We could schedule the births right after major sports league championships, or for nights when Dancing with the Stars is on.

Having it "natural"? I don't think so...

[cgallery]

Doctors performing c-sections are assured of making their tee times?

[germdoc]

Doctors performing c-sections are assured of making their tee times?

Yes, and they get paid more to do surgery than catch a kid the other way.

However, the 2 biggest drivers re' C-section rate are women's expectations (little pain, perfect outcome, predictability) and doctors' fears of lawsuits when things go wrong with natural childbirth.

[cabinetman]

I used to date a "princess" that thought natural childbirth meant no makeup.
.

[LCHIEN]

apparently 2 out of 3 babies came thru the you know where.









I meant the Stork's blanket.

[jackellis]

We have no kids but my wife's sister had 4, including the last one at age 54

All were natural births as far as I know. I was even invited into the delivery room for number 3 (I declined, TMI).

Conceiving the last one required a little modern medicine, however.

[natausch]

Not that surprising, Babies have become massive due to proper pre-natal care.Not that I'll be around but I imagine in a hundred years surgical removal will be the norm.

[Alex Franke]

Not that surprising, Babies have become massive due to proper pre-natal care.Not that I'll be around but I imagine in a hundred years surgical removal will be the norm.

I don't think that's it -- it doesn't make any sense to me that "proper" care would result in a baby that's too big for natural birth. I mean if the baby gets too big, then the prenatal care probably isn't very appropriate.

Also: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...267586344.html

[Alex Franke]

However, the 2 biggest drivers re' C-section rate are women's expectations (little pain, perfect outcome, predictability) and doctors' fears of lawsuits when things go wrong with natural childbirth.

I wonder how much fertility treatment & multiples (along with mother's age actually) contribute to it, too...

[JSUPreston]

For some reason I can't get Bill Cosby's "Himself" out of my head.

"Push 'em out, shove 'em out, way out! <thud>, Push 'em out, shove 'em out, way out!"