Consumer First, Patient Second

One of our BBN members passed along this article, which talks about why it's important to find the right doctor for your birth. My experience in urban India is that women and couples have to do a great amount of self-advocacy in order to get accurate information, assert their birth preferences (assuming there are some!), and have some amount of control over their delivery. This is a crucial exercise for having a satisfying birth experience.

Here's an excerpt from the article, which speaks to what we in the Bangalore Birth Network have been discussing for awhile now:

If [physicians'] parameters of care include routine epidurals, episiotomies for all their patients, routines IVs, etc. then that is their place of comfort in giving care. If you don’t want any of those things, you’d be much better off finding a different physician than trying to convert this one to your way of thinking, because you’re asking them to take themselves out of their comfort zone to care for you. It’s important that as consumers of healthcare, women understand the pressures that come to bear upon care providers.

Click here to read the entire article.

Calling all gentle birth advocates in Bangalore!!

If you or anyone you know is interested in joining our efforts, please contact me!

The Bangalore Birth Network (BBN) is a group of professionals and concerned citizens in Bangalore who share the beliefs that:

• Pregnancy and childbirth are normal physiological processes as well as social events in the life of a woman and her family.

• Women, not medical practitioners, are the primary caregivers for themselves, their fetuses, newborns and families.

• Every woman should be treated with respect in every phase of her care from pregnancy through postpartum. Respect includes, but is not limited to complete, unbiased information about tests, treatments, and procedures, fully informed consent, preservation of privacy, and polite respectful communications by all involved with her care.

• Intervention in the process and the application of technology are only justified when their use can be shown to enhance wellbeing and improve outcome for a particular mother and her baby. Routine protocols not based on research evidence should be avoided. Maternity care should be grounded in evidence, and care providers should be accountable to the mother and family for the mental and physical outcomes resulting from their actions or inactions.

• A primary maternity care system that offers a variety of options in prenatal care and birth settings and in choice of caregivers is essential to meeting women’s needs. Each birthing woman has individual needs, and it is her right to select the care provider and setting for birth that best fits those needs.

• Professionals and citizens must actively promote the allocation of resources towards measures that support the basic needs of women and their babies, while reducing the over-use of expensive obstetric technology.

• Every woman has the right to accessible, affordable, proficient maternity care.

In keeping with this position, the Bangalore Birth Network will:

• Promote childbirth practices and guidelines for care which enhance the normal physiological process;
• Promote the allocation of resources towards measures which support the basic needs of women and their babies as a priority, such as improved nutrition and social support during pregnancy;
• Continuously evaluate intervention and the use of technology in midwifery and obstetrical practice and take measures to avoid unnecessary interference;
• Provide information and education to women and their families that enhances the understanding of birth as a normal life process and enables them to make informed decisions; and
• Promote research and training in evidence-based maternity care coalition-building, communications, and networking with other organizations to achieve our vision.