Childbirth-In Your Life and Around the Word

I do not have children.  Two years ago, in the month of August, I had the honor of being present during the birth of my niece.  I was not in the delivery room, as my sister-in-law had a cesarean delivery.  Her original birth plan involved an epidural.  However, after many attempts, the epidural was unsuccessful.  My sister-in-law was definitely a trooper, as she endured many attempts of trying to secure an epidural.  She was really a sweetie. She wanted, so badly, for my brother (her husband) to be able to participate in the delivery.  Unfortunately, she had to have a cesarean.  Nevertheless, I, waited in the waiting room for my niece, Kalea Olivia Williams, to make her arrival.  OMG!  What a wonderful day!  I still remember when my brother and the nurse were carrying her from the delivery room to the nursery! I was so happy. I remember thinking that I was going to be the BEST aunt possible for this baby.  Being in the field of early childhood education, I was eager to ask the nurses for her APGAR scores. I remember writing it on a note and holding "What's her APGAR scores?" up the nursery window! lol.....The nurses all laughed and were nice to  tell me the scores! I do want children very badly.  When my boyfriend and I get married, we plan to start a family immediately.  As far as my childbirth option, due to my fibroids, my OB-GYN has already informed me that I will have to have a cesarean birth.  (please enjoy the pictures of my niece, Kalea!)

Cesarean Births in China

I discovered that in China, nearly half of all births are delivered by cesarean section.  China is known to have the world's highest rate of cesarean births.  This is due to many Asian women requesting to have a cesarean versus natural birth.  Although, doctors and hospitals encourage selecting to have a natural childbirth, as this is the ideal way, many women still choose to have a cesarean birth.  This brings another topic to the forefront.  Unnecessary cesarean section are costlier than natural births, and also raise the risks of complications for the mother.  Again, in China almost half of the births are C-sections.  A quarter of them were not medically  necessary.