Nicole over at Bellies and Babies just posted an excellent critique of the lucrative epidural industry.
Did you know that the average medicated hospital birth costs $7,500 - $12,500 (or as much as double that for cesareans)?
Did you know that many pharmaceutical companies offer incentives and bonuses for the 'top sellers' in any given hospital or practice? Nicole offers up these infuriating facts and goes on to say,
Or that in America, an epidural costs anywhere from $800 to $2500, depending on the hospital and community?
Are you aware that The United States spends more money on birth ($50,000,000,000/year) than any other nation in the world (without getting better results)?
"In fact, my OB told me that one such rep offered a new plasma TV to the OB with the most medicated births in the first month of the new year from the hospital I was planning on birthing at. As I have said time and time again, the majority of hospital policies are based on financial goals and protection from litigation."
The piece is a must-read. While you're there, bookmark the site!
wow--went to Nicole's site. VERY thought provoking.
ReplyDeleteScary...but not surprising. More women should know about this. I'm so glad I declined all drugs when my son was born a few months ago!
ReplyDeletethat shit INFURIATES ME!!!! I despise our health care system and the doctor's that are drug pushers. ooh!!!!
ReplyDeletethat's so scary!
ReplyDeleteIt's important to remember that epidurals are not always bad, or given to women who somehow are "weak" or "don't know any better." There is a real sense of judging that goes on by moms that insist birth always be natural, or else it's some kind of failure. I was induced at 42 weeks and had 5 hours of induced labor. It was like being tortured. The moment the epidural kicked in was one of the best moments of my life. I had been in agony, and the pain was instantly gone. So while I appreciate your suspicion of birth interventions, please remember that women rountinely suffered and died while giving birth for most of history, and the availibility of pain relief is not a bad thing. My son was born by c-section after 30 hours of labor (want a c-section with no anesthesia? No thanks!). He never moved a centimeter (transverse arrest). I was in a birthing center with midwives, too - not a bunch of drug pushers by any means. In the past, we both would have died, very horribly.
ReplyDeleteLong story short: women used to die all the time giving birth. Now they don't. Modern medicine is not a bad thing!