This is an interesting article from the Australian birth community.  It discusses how the cesarean rate is too high and the problems that is causing for women and for the medical world there.  I hope America figures this out sooner than later!

If you are a mom trying to GIP (gestate in peace) you don’t need to read it.  But if you are someone interested in cesareans and VBACs, then it is a great read!

ICAN is a great resource for cesarean and VBAC support!

Cesarean rates are at an all time high and no one in the medical community or women’s groups seem to care. 

But there are women who DO care!  I am one of them.  In the next weeks I will be posting some articles I have been working on regarding worries and fears and how these can effect their births.  The thing is MANY women are being scared into unnecessary cesareans.    This then leads to an increase in risks to mothers and their babies. 

I think that education of parents is key to helping to decrease the cesarean rates.  The medical community doesn’t seem to want to rectify the situation, so parents need to make wiser choices in their care providers and in their birthing education to get the healthiest births possible. 

How can you find the best care provider for your birth?   Well, a lot of this depends on what kind of birth you want to have.  How can you know what kind of birth you want to have? 

1.  Take an independent childbirth class. (outside of the hospital system)  Here you will learn about all your options for birthing, choices you can make. 

2.  Read good books talking about different options for birthing. 

3.  Read positive birth stories, looking for similarities in the births.  What did those moms do to create a great birth?

Here is a great post on another blog with more ideas, questions to ask, things to think about!  Check it out!

     I do NOT recommend What to Expect When you are Expecting… this tells you everything that can go wrong and tells you to expect it.  I used to recommend Your Pregnancy Week by Week, because moms wanted a book to tell them how their baby was developing and have a reference to what may be happening to them during pregnancy.  Even this book is a bit too negative, but I didn’t know what else to suggest. I now have the best choices!

      I DO recommend this pair of books to have the best of both worlds.  SEE how your baby is growing and learn the different developmental stages your baby is experiencing, plus have a great reference book on what is normal pregnancy like. 

     The BABY-EGG Pregnancy Countdown Calendar is a wonderful visual of your growing baby and their development.  This is beautifully done and life size. A hook comes with the book so you can hang it on the wall and flip a page each week.  It is especially wonderful for families who already have children.  So great to see and learn how the baby is growing.

     Pair that book with, Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn: The Complete Guide by Penny Simkin a wonderful reference book with complete pregnancy and birth information presented in a positive way. 

I learned about this on Rixa’s Blog.  

Le Premier Cri looks (site is in French) like a film where they go to different countries and cultures and film different births.  It looks like it is GREAT!  I can’t wait until it comes out on DVD.