“Pregnancy Is a Natural Event and Not a Medical Problem.”

Perhaps you have heard this from me before. Jackie helped to put together my continuing education seminars for chiropractors, with this statement boldly on the brochure. Pregnancy IS a natural event. If you go to third world countries, you can still find women who work in the fields, provide for their families and care for their other children up until labor ensues. Then they simply go out to the field somewhere, squat, have the baby, come home and continue with what they were doing. These women are most likely eating off the land, without white flour, sugar and processed foods, and are extremely strong and healthy. Most westernized women are planning on the calendar when to induce their delivery or when the planned cesarean will take place.

I met a woman who is an executive in a company, and her first baby is due on the American Thanksgiving, which is November 27th this year. In the States, this day is a national holiday and a four day vacation for most. Her doctor had told her that he would like to induce her two days before he leaves, so that he can go out of town for the holiday!! This should be criminal. The woman told me that she and her husband agreed to this because they wanted their doctor to deliver the baby. They have no idea what to really expect.

Going down this road is VERY painful and drugs such as synthetic oxytocin are often used to induce the contractions. Many women who have induced labors require an excess of analgesics and other pain medications that will then transfer to the fetus. Also, inductions further increase the chances of caesarian sections which recent study shows can lead to respiratory problems in the infant. Inductions were primarily used for emergencies only, not because delivery will interfere with vacation plans! Labor and delivery are supposed to be natural events, and now some doctors are unnecessarily inducing labor, which could turn into a medical emergency! This uncalled for intervention and lack of respect for the baby will lead to more pain and more chemicals for both mother and child!