A sigh of relief

I just finished reading a fabulous article. Check out "Off Her Back" by Cynthia Overgard. It tells of her paradigm shift as she navigated the confusing waters of her first pregnancy and ultimately found the path that felt right for her. It's always so encouraging to read about women who educate themselves and take charge of their pregnancies and births.

Cynthia was alarmed when she asked her obstetrician about her cesarean rate. Here's an excerpt:

At my 12-week checkup, I asked my own obstetrician a straightforward question: her cesarean rate. Her response was that she had no idea; the obstetrics practice hadn't bothered to calculate those numbers in years.

"The national average is around 27 percent [2003]," I said. "Would you guess this practice comes in higher or lower?"

"Definitely higher," she said.

Anxiously, I demanded to know how much higher. "Is it greater than 30 percent? Thirty-five percent?" She looked at me regretfully. I pressed on. "Forty percent?!"

She finally nodded. "Yes, at least, but I don't have exact numbers."

This exchange was stunning to me, but it simultaneously confirmed what I often see around me. It sometimes feels like all the women I know end up with c-sections. Fortunately, Cynthia swiftly changed providers. I so wish there were more stories like Cynthia's!

Go read this article! It'll give you warm fuzzies.