Some share-worthy finds from my reading this week:
Evidence-based medicine
Health care in the United States is struggling to redefine itself. We have been spending twice what other countries spend on health care, yet our citizens are less healthy. We now have legislation to create more or less universal insurance coverage, and we are about to embark on a technology-driven quest for quality and uniformity. At the same time, Americans are increasingly turning to alternative health care practitioners, mostly at their own expense, because the health care system is not meeting their needs.
A Country Doctor offers the argument that evidence-based medicine is a liability to health care. S/he points out that the over-systemization of diagnoses and treatments are doomed to fail the throngs made to rely on them, as people’s chemistries are different and their care can not be based on a one-size-fits-all model of care.
“New” option for turning breech babies
“Sifting” is a practice from Latin American cultures which encourages breech babies to turn. Its appears to be more successful than traditional versioning, and is certainly not painful like a manual version. Now let’s hope they will also learn and adopt the techniques which allow a baby who will not be turned, to still be born without surgical measures!
Real men take delivery
In one of many responses to the original editorial of a father saying everyone is better off when women birth without the father present, one father says “I’m secure in myself, so I don’t mind taking a back seat.” His story along with many others (even many of them c-sections) are offered as proofs that it is a better start for the family if the father is present.
Midwifery Modernization Act update
Obstetricians stalled progress of the Midwifery Modernization Act of New York. There is still time, so check out the three fact sheets and then support it.
Baby born unassisted during storm
I have to admit, I’m torn. It’s almost humorous how little attention this gets, almost as if the normal birth of a child is no big deal. I wish they would make a bigger deal out of it, so that people might think about it and realize that childbirth is a normal function of the female body. But conversely I’m glad they don’t blow it out of proportion. How would you prefer the media to handle these stories?
Your turn!
What shareworthy things did you read this week?
Share your favorite.
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I'm Jeannie. I've been advocating for healthy birth since 2001 when I had my first empowered birth experience, the unassisted waterbirth of my second child. Unassisted birth may not be best for you, but empowered birth is. I'll help get you there.