Babies, families and birth are about much more than cold, hard numbers…
But the numbers do tell a story about birth in the United States—both the
way it is now, and the way it could be.
Jessica's Students
• Less than 15% have had c-sections
• Among those who have had vaginal births, 90% or more used no pain medication
Facts About C-Sections
• In 2008, the c-section rate in the United States was 32.3%—a record high,
and a more than 50% increase since 1996
• The World Health Organization has stated that no country in the world
is justified in having a c-section rate of more than 15%, and the best outcomes
for moms and babies appear to occur when the c-section rate is 5 to 10%
• In 2000, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention set a 15% cesarean
rate as a national goal for the United States by 2010
• Having a cesarean section increases risk to mother and baby of a host of problems, ranging from accidental surgical cuts and infection to infertility and stillbirth with future pregnancies
Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization,
Childbirth Connection
General Facts About Birth in the U.S.
• The United States has the second-worst infant mortality rate among developed
countries—only in Latvia do more babies die
• American infants are 2.5 times more likely to die than babies in Finland,
Iceland or Norway, countries where midwifery care is standard for low-risk
women
• A CDC study showed that midwife-attended births had an infant mortality
rate 19% lower than birth attended by physicians
• The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that midwives should be
the principal providers of care for pregnant women
• Only 56% of first-time mothers take a childbirth class
• 53% of mothers report feeling fearful as labor approaches
• 41% of women report that their caregiver tried to induce their labor
• Electronic fetal monitoring is used on 94% of women during labor, and
among those, 76% were monitored continuously
• 86% of women use one or more type of medication for pain relief during
labor, including 76% of all women who had epidural or spinal analgesia
• Among vaginal births, 80% of women had intravenous (IV) fluids administered
• 55% of women received synthetic oxytocin (Pitocin) to strengthen or speed
up contraction after labor had begun
Sources: 2006 State of the World's Mothers Report, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, Childbirth Connection
Kind words:
“Coming from an adopted family, I was really unfamiliar with pregnancy
and birth. Jessica’s class helped me to find the confidence and strength
to make the birth of our daughter, Quinn, very special. My water broke 2
1/2 weeks early and contractions still hadn't started after 36 hours. I
had a thorough understanding of my options and decided then to go to the
hospital to have labor induced. With my written birth plan, my midwife and
my husband, I was still able to have a beautiful natural birth experience.”
- Betsy, mom to Quinn, born at Bronson Hospital
