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36. The Childbirth Episode: The Many Problems With Reproductive Health
As we collectively sit inside waiting for coronavirus to pass, we've been seeing a lot of memes about the "coronababies" that will likely be born in approximately 9 months. This is probably at least to some degree true, and so it might be worthwhile to take a minute to consider: what really is the state of reproductive medicine in America right now? The answer is: not very good. We talk to Hannah Davidson, a birth doula and aspiring mother, about the state of childbirth in America and the various ways the system could improve, including the shockingly high maternal mortality rate in America, especially among black mothers, our postpartum care and paid parental leave policies, and the phenomenon of hospitals having a tendency to have more C-sections than may be necessary.
Links:
New Yorker article that talks about birth midwives and the rampant increase in C-sections (C-sections have gone up by 60% since 1996!): https://www.newyorker.com/news/dispatch/a-midwife-in-the-north-country
Pro Publica article explaining America's maternal mortality crisis: https://www.propublica.org/article/die-in-childbirth-maternal-death-rate-health-care-system-1
John Oliver episode on Paid Parental Leave: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIhKAQX5izw
The Dream podcast episode on the problems with the American reproductive health system and its problems: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/stitcher/the-dream/e/66692048
Overview of the history of Black midwives in the US: https://doulatrainingsinternational.com/brief-history-black-midwifery-us/
Pro Publica article explaining black maternal mortality in the US: https://www.propublica.org/article/nothing-protects-black-women-from-dying-in-pregnancy-and-childbirth
A piece on the history of obstetrics and childbirth's move from the home to the hospital: https://hekint.org/2017/01/27/changes-in-childbirth-in-the-united-states-1750-1950/
Music is The Beauty of Maths by Meydän.
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By Isabel Knight & Deondre' Jones
5
4141 ratings
As we collectively sit inside waiting for coronavirus to pass, we've been seeing a lot of memes about the "coronababies" that will likely be born in approximately 9 months. This is probably at least to some degree true, and so it might be worthwhile to take a minute to consider: what really is the state of reproductive medicine in America right now? The answer is: not very good. We talk to Hannah Davidson, a birth doula and aspiring mother, about the state of childbirth in America and the various ways the system could improve, including the shockingly high maternal mortality rate in America, especially among black mothers, our postpartum care and paid parental leave policies, and the phenomenon of hospitals having a tendency to have more C-sections than may be necessary.
Links:
New Yorker article that talks about birth midwives and the rampant increase in C-sections (C-sections have gone up by 60% since 1996!): https://www.newyorker.com/news/dispatch/a-midwife-in-the-north-country
Pro Publica article explaining America's maternal mortality crisis: https://www.propublica.org/article/die-in-childbirth-maternal-death-rate-health-care-system-1
John Oliver episode on Paid Parental Leave: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIhKAQX5izw
The Dream podcast episode on the problems with the American reproductive health system and its problems: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/stitcher/the-dream/e/66692048
Overview of the history of Black midwives in the US: https://doulatrainingsinternational.com/brief-history-black-midwifery-us/
Pro Publica article explaining black maternal mortality in the US: https://www.propublica.org/article/nothing-protects-black-women-from-dying-in-pregnancy-and-childbirth
A piece on the history of obstetrics and childbirth's move from the home to the hospital: https://hekint.org/2017/01/27/changes-in-childbirth-in-the-united-states-1750-1950/
Music is The Beauty of Maths by Meydän.