Discussion about childbirth and parenting are everywhere. A recent article in the New Yorker magazine discussed the industrialization of childbirth in the United
States (and in most other developed nations) while chronicling one mother's journey from, "Hey, it would be super to have an unmedicated, vaginal delivery!" to - thirty hours and a dropping fetal heartrate later - "Uh, c-section, please?"
At playgroups, La
Leche League meetings, and at the grocery store, women in the US
frequently, loudly, and often contentously argue about countless
aspects of childbirth and parenting in our society. Epidural or not? OB
or midwife? Breastfeed or formula, or both? Work or stay home?
Scheduled c-section or homebirth at 41+ weeks? And, generally, we
realize how very fortunate we are to be able to make these decisions
for ourselves with minimal opposition, other than occasionally from nosy people in line behind us at the CVS.
According to several recent articles by
New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, however, "In much of the world, the most dangerous
thing a woman can do is to become pregnant." Worldwide, maternal
mortality rates have been "stuck at a half-million" for the past 25
years.
Both Kristof columns, titles "'Save My Wife'" and "Prudence's Struggle Ends" are available here.
(Unfortunately, you need to pay or be a Times Select subscriber to read
them.) They detail the wrenching account of how a mother named Prudence
died following a three-day labor, her baby dying insider her, a
hospital shakedown, a transfusion, a disappearing surgeon, and a
massive infection.
Following Prudence's death, Kristof wrote:
Intellectually, I knew that women in Africa had a 1-in-20 lifetime risk
of dying in childbirth. But it was wrenching to see this young mother
of three fade and die so needlessly.
There's no doubt that if
men were dying at this rate, poor and rich countries alike would make
the issue a priority, but the problem seems invisible, like the victims.
The
U.N. Population Fund has a maternal health program in some Cameroon
hospitals that might have saved Prudence's life, but it doesn't operate
in this region. And it's difficult to expand, because President Bush
has cut U.S. funding for the population fund -- even for African
programs -- because of false allegations that it supports abortions in
China.
That's shameful. Two women have tried to recoup American
honor by starting a group, 34 Million Friends of U.N.F.P.A., to make up
the shortfall with private donations (www.34millionfriends.org).
In addition to 34 Million Friends, more information can also be found here, the Averting Maternal Death and Disability program at Columbia University.
What can we do here in the US to help these mothers? There was a hubbub when our government dropped its funding for the United Nations Population Fund based, stating - erroneously - that the UN used these funds to support abortions in China. Should we write our Congressmen urging them to reverse their decision? What do you think?