The Importance Of Childbirth In The United States

Childbirth in the United States can be a very diverse process for expecting parents (although the focus is generally on the mother, since she is the one that is physically pregnant.) Even though there are all of these options to choose from, many mothers will choose the more conventional options like a vaginal delivery with or without an epidural. Other options, like a water birth or using acupuncture/acupressure to cope with pain during labor, are not as common as those listed above. They are actually rising in popularity though, as less women want to have medication aiding them during labor. When it comes to common medical interventions in the United States, like cesarean sections or episiotomies, trends remain relatively high for these “emergency” procedures (although episiotomies are declining) (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention [CDC], 2014; Frankman, Wang, Bunker, & Lowder, 2009.) My opinion on the matter is that I …show more content…
Vaginal deliveries are the most common; whether it is in a hospital, a birthing clinic, or elsewhere. Not only do the locations differ, but there are also different methods of vaginal birth. The two main branches of this include natural birth, with no pain-reducing drugs along with some way to cope with the pain, or normal birth with some type of pain-reducing drugs. 61% of women used epidurals or spinal anesthesia during labor (Osterman & Martin, 2011); a clear majority over the rest of the population, but natural birthing, along with the pain management techniques, seem to be on the rise in popularity. Examples of these techniques include the Bradley method, the Lamaze method, water birthing, hypnobirthing, and even yoga. Unfortunately, complications in a vaginal birth occur (like a drop in the baby’s heartbeat or if the baby’s shoulders are having trouble passing through the birth canal) and doctors must make a quick