C-Section Comments

I read this article about how more and more women are delivering via c-sections. I read the line where it said that c-sections are still uncommon and almost choked on my coffee. That is so not true I thought. C-sections are VERY common. I work in a hospital taking photos of newborn babies, I know who has had a vaginal delivery and who has had a c-section. C-sectons are NOT uncomon. Then I thought of something else, c-sections are almost the norm in one of my hospitals, about even split in another hospital and not done often at the other hospital. What is the difference? I'll tell you. Economics. The hospital that has the MOST c-section is in a more afluent area and a majority of thoes who deliver at that hospital are at least firmly in the middle class earning bracket, many are in the upper class earning bracket (professional sport personalities wives, CEO's wives, doctors, etc.). Rarely do I see women who are Medicade patiences. At the hospital with the even split I see mostly middle income families and lower income families with a few Medicade patients. At the hospital with the lowest c-section rate I see mostly low income families, imigrants, people from rural communities further out and a lot of Medicade patients.

I agree with the statements of the article that people seek control over their lives, but I also see how economics makes doctors more willing to offer c-sections for convenience. Kind of sad really. I'll keep the rest of my comments and opinions regarding c-sections and child birth to myself as I KNOW I would offend some who read this site. ;o)