Maternal Death Rates on Rise in CA

In 1996 the maternal death rate in CA was 5.6 per 100,000.
In 2006 it's 16.9.

That's a huge increase. It's a scary increase actually. One article I read said

"it’s more dangerous to give birth in California than it is in Kuwait or Bosnia"

I still get so fired up at the wrongness of hospitals pushing C-sections and inductions on patients that simply don't have any indications that anything is wrong. Dilating at 1 cm an hour, as is the currently accepted rate of progress of a hospital delivery, is ridiculous. If that rate had been applied to me, I would have had a c-section too. (I had a very normal first time birth of 20 hours.)

Although having a c-section with your first birth is slightly more dangerous than giving birth naturally (assuming you don't have any reasons to be categorized as higher risk). It's the following births that are much more dangerous. For one, many hospitals won't even let you have a natural birth after having a c-section - so that's more surgery whether you need it/want it, or not.

The main issue is that you will have scars from the previous c-sections. If you're unlucky enough to have the placenta on those scars, your body can't cap off the placenta after the child is born and you can bleed to death. Imagine having many c-sections. Your chances of having the placenta on those scars just get higher and higher.

Here's some good articles about this newly issued report that is showing that the maternal death rate is drastically on the rise here in good 'ole CA. (And here's the chart.)

I wish I could get this data for the Bay Area Counties.

Learnings about Pregnancy

I really have learned quite a bit about being pregnant. And what I'm about to talk about could probably be applied easily enough to health care in general.

Basically it's this: If you don't take the time to describe your experience to your provider, in detail, they will have no way of knowing if something is wrong or "different." Yes, it really is that simple. I suppose it makes perfect sense, right? They aren't mind readers after all. There's a huge amount of variations in the experience of being pregnant that are completely normal, but there's some things that indicate other potential problems.

Up until several months ago I was all consuming reading books on pregnancy (and then moved on to taking care of a newborn). In reading the details of these wide variations in being pregnant, I really had convinced myself that everything that I was experiencing was "normal."

When my care provider would ask how I was doing I always answered with "good," and that's about all I said. I don't have a need to be one of those people that talk endlessly about my health and body because I really am ok. If something isn't okay with me, and if it's bad enough, I'll say something. But that prevents finding potential issues early on, because the symptoms have to get bad enough that I'm not okay anymore and I speak up.

The issue I found isn't a big deal, but if I had been describing my experience all along I would have beem more comfortable for about the last month. The issue isn't for public consumption here, but for those of you that are worried know this: I doesn't affect the unborn baby, only me and my comfort.

Other than that, all is well. I'm still active (albeit moving slower than before). I'm still working (and will be until my last day of June 26th). I'm still crafting, having fun, and going on bike rides. I've recently rediscovered the ability to sleep through the night again (mainly because I've learned how to sleep walk to the bathroom in the middle of the night). I've been making maternity clothes because the ones I bought don't really fit me anymore and I can't justify spending money on more when I only have a month or maybe 6 weeks left. And the best news of all is that this baby is in the optimal birthing position right now. Let's just hope she stays that way.