Backing off any plan to curb caesarean sections to save money, Health Minister Deb Matthews says new birthing centres outside hospitals may be a better way to accomplish the same goal.
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Matthews hinted the government is open to funding birthing centres where women could have their babies through vaginal births assisted by midwives, dramatically cutting costs.
Why do women have c-sections?
Is is because women request them?
Not really, says one research group.
Women have c-sections because they either have a medical reason, or they have had a previous c-section, which is often an indication to have another one, because, as my OBGYN explained, there is a 50-50 chance of ending up in the operating room once again.
I suspect that OBGYN's like C-sections because they are relatively predictable. You don't always make it to your scheduled date, but you know how you will end up giving birth.
Now the suggestion is to encourage women to give birth in "birthing centres".
These birthing centres have to be built. That's going to cost money.
And the number of midwives has to be sufficient.
And are women willing to give birth in a birthing centre?
There's a reason birth has been medicalized. And it's not some big conspiracy on the part of men. Labour hurts. Complications can be life-threatening. You're safer in a hospital than a birthing centre.
If you want to save money, just de-list. Get insurance plans to cover it. Allow for more private health care. I would have loved to have had more options on how my c-section took place. If there had been a "deluxe" option in a private centre, with a guaranteed private room and immediate attention from nurses, and other perks, I definitely would have considered it.
However, it just seems like a cheap shot to suggest de-listing c-sections, but not abortions. Or sex change operations. Or a host of other elective operations. I think many people understand that choices have to be made, and something will have to be cut. It just seems that interventions dealing with the conditions that are the least life-threatening should be the ones that are on the chopping block. C-sections save lives. Abortions kill.
