Modern Childbirth

Modern Childbirth -- a “Medical or Surgical Procedure”

The ultimate “labor-saving” devise --

                 “Maternal Choice’” or Elective Cesarean




Mother walking to from labor Room      Saying good-bye to family            Walking to OR for Cesarean surgery

Physician ‘managed’ vaginal birth as a ‘medical / surgical procedure’ pushing on her back,
trying to propel baby uphill, around a 70 degree curve with a partially closed pelvic outlet
due to maternal weight bearing on her sacrum


Mother pushing on back     Gowned and Masked Doctor extracts baby with traction on head to del shoulders

Normal Hospital Birth, conducted as a “medical procedure”


        Mother to bed with continuous electronic fetal monitoring, Pitocin accelerated labor, epidural anesthesia

       Mother pushing on back, her perineum painted with Betadine -- a reddish-brown antiseptic


        Giving the mother oxygen to overcome fetal distress of laboring against gravity & negative influence of
          maternal weight on back of pelvis, mother passive as physician manipulated spontaneous delivery

Normal Hospital birth, Conducted as a Medical Procedure


           Mother to bed for labor, IVs,   continuous EFM,   Pitocin augmented labor,   epidural anesthesia


   Mother on her back for pushing         Physician-managed delivery as medical procedure

Operative Delivery by Vacuum Extraction


                                                      Note extreme swelling on top of baby's head from Suction Cup

Operative Vaginal Delivery with Forceps

Mother in bed with oxygen mask for mild fetal distress as she labors on her back after epidural anesthesia


            Convergence of medical personal to assist with the application of forceps due to fetal distress


Pulling with forceps to delivery baby    Pediatric evaluation of newborn       baby to father, mother watches

New Mothers, legs still in stirrups after a operative delivery