In describing how these statistics were achieved, she analyzes in detail the methods that she and her methods other midwives use. Her statistics include a ridiculously low level of intervention (cesarean section intervention, forceps and vacuum extraction are very low compared to national averages). Her practice of intervention is about 3%, where national rates are much higher. Just mentioning cesarean section rates, with New Jersey as an example, with which I am most familiar, the rate in this state is about 34%. And although it is cited by various publications of doctors and articles on the Internet, as a number that needs to be reduced, it has not changed much.
To provide the correct national averages, I quote a study conducted by the Alliance of Midwives of North America. The newsletter they distribute contains national tariffs for each of the available interventions, which are as follows: Cesarean: 31%; tongs or vacuum: 3.5%; episiotomy: 25%; oxytocin: induction - 24%, augmentation - 16%; epidural: 67%. This information sheet compares the rates of these interventions with rates from midwives conducting home deliveries. Needless to say, interventional fertility rates are much lower (for example, 5% caesarean section compared to the national average). Interesting final conclusions are made from studies conducted on this information sheet, and this is very important for those who are considering their homeland or homeland. This study was conducted using data from the Alliance of Midwives of North America in 2004–2009, and also cited five other studies that can be found in the footnotes on the page here: mana.org/pdfs/DOR-Outcomes-Paper- Fact sheet -on-risk.pdf
The initial part of her book contains birth stories from women with whom she or her partners have worked. These birth stories were a encouragement for many women, as she received letters over the years from women who read them before they gave birth or when they had more children.
One of the most important aspects of Ina May’s book is its propensity to describe childbirth as a natural event with certain physiological functions that occur normally. In normal birth, the uterus begins to contract, the cervix expands to become a big hole that the baby can easily go through, and then the body begins to contract more strongly to push the baby out. When interventions are not performed, in most cases this happens naturally.
Unfortunately, in the hospital this natural physiological function is not observed. Women can be given epidurals to relieve pain, and in the past they were even completely reassured, and their child was delivered by one of various extraction methods.
Ina Mai's experience is in a rural community in Tennessee, and she also attends childbirth in an Amish and Mennonite village in Tennessee. As most people know, Amish people usually do not take medical interventions. Recent Amish studies have shown that they are looking for antenatal care for their first child and are only taking birth technologies that are consistent with their religious beliefs. Members of the Ina Mai community will usually have a midwife for their birth at home, although they do not seem to be religiously oriented. In other words, women on the farm, as a rule, give birth to a midwife without a birth at the hospital, it is absolutely necessary.
In her experience, for the practice of Ina May it was possible to develop methods that work well for childbirth. The most important part of childbirth, which Ina May emphasizes in her book, is that the body knows what it does. The body has evolved over thousands of years to give birth. If birth was not a natural process, and this required the intervention of doctors, then mankind would have disappeared many centuries ago.
Ina May mentions that many of the interventions performed by obstetricians are not really needed, and because of the lack of patience on the part of the doctors. For example, pitocin or artificial oxytocin is often administered at the beginning of labor forms. If patience was exercised, in many cases when it was given, the natural labor process of the body was automatically performed as necessary in order to expel the child. Since many hospitals have a temporary limit to the labor process, as well as for each stage (regardless of whether the mother is the first or second mother), this is why this chemical is introduced. This is not unusual, the author notes, for the first time a mother has one or two days of work. This period of time for labor is widely known, but it is often ignored. Ina May also points out some of the dangers of these drugs, including the possibility of uterine rupture from violence contractions. These breaks occur not only in the case of a previous cesarean section, but this danger usually does not apply to a working woman.
Another widely used procedure is the extraction of forceps. The author points out many of the dangers associated with this practice. These hazards include damage to the child (including fetal death), as well as the need to use an episiotomy. While vaginal teasing does not always occur, this happens often, and this has led to the widespread use of episiotomy or cutting the vaginal opening to prevent such a tear. However, many doctors do not mention that the effects of this procedure can be long-term.
On the positive side, Ina Mai also talks in detail about preventing some of these measures, as well as about natural ways to speed up work. For example, if a woman chooses to give birth in a hospital, she may not connect to immobilizing monitors. She may refuse a fetal monitor, which is attached to her stomach, and insist on using a fetoscopy every fifteen minutes. She may ask not to have an IV, since she can refuse medication. She can insist on getting up and walking (which IV doesn’t hurt, as she can be on rollers), and refuse all other interventions, such as catheters and epidural interventions. Since gravity can certainly help in the progress of labor, this is one of the ways to promote labor.
Basically, however, she recommends that women find a birth center with a midwife or be born at home if they really want to prevent all interventions. For most childbirth centers, as well as for most people (unless they live in the middle of nowhere), the hospital is not very far away. If the job goes very wrong, transportation is usually fast enough to provide an emergency C-section that saves the life of the mother or baby. The author is a supporter of the Initiative for the voluntary care of the mother, which is a very useful work aimed at assisting women in more natural childbirth.
Since many medical interventions can have unexpected and long-term consequences for a woman who has them, it is often better to try to avoid them. Even the majority of doctors would agree that the lack of surgery is preferable. The C-section is a major operation with a similar recovery time, as with any other major operation where the skin and muscles are cut off. This means a long rest period, which is not always possible for women who need to get back to work quickly.
Since most women do not live in rural Tennessee, Ina May’s guidance is directed to women who do not have access to a domestic midwife and who may prefer to be in a hospital where they consider an additional level of safety to their child. Most of her recommendations are focused on these women and will help them be confident in their own body's ability to produce the child they are waiting for. Therefore, this book is highly recommended to read for every pregnant woman or who is planning to become pregnant. If you can read only one book during pregnancy, I would recommend this book.
