According to a study carried out in the United States and published in the journal ‘Reproductive Health’, one in six women has felt mistreated during childbirth , with “loss of autonomy, yelling, anger, threats, rejection or not receiving a response to requests for help “ .
Unfortunately, these situations are repeated to a greater or lesser extent in many countries around the world, including Spain, where recent surveys speak of childbirth as a “traumatic experience” for 13% of women.
A few months ago the UN recognized that obstetric violence exists , and although little by little the panorama is changing in many hospitals, there is still a long way to go so that the birth experience is positive and respectful for all women.
When your delivery is not what you expected
Childbirth is the most intimate, overwhelming and incredible experience a woman can have. After nine months carrying her baby, the mother hopes that the moment of giving birth will be a positive, respected and humane experience , but unfortunately this is not always the case.
The latest data published by the ‘Obstetric Violence Observatory’ of the El Parto es Nuestro Association, and based on more than 1,900 surveys conducted with mothers in our country, yields shocking figures:
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25% of women who presented a ‘birth plan’ claimed to have been treated disparagingly for it. Furthermore, more than 65% of the time this document was not respected .
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Almost 75% of the women surveyed could not choose the desired position during the expulsion.
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On more than half of the occasions they were not informed about the intervention (induction, kristeller, episiotomy …) that was going to be performed. And more than 76% of the women did not receive information about the different options for action that were available.
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In 50.1% of the cases, it was acted during the delivery without the consent of the woman , and almost 67% of the respondents stated that they were not asked for consent to act on their babies, to which they did not have free access in 42.7% of the cases.
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Almost 40% of the women said they needed or need psychological help / therapy to overcome the aftermath and bad memories of their delivery.
Not surprisingly, according to a survey carried out by the Suavinex brand among more than 14,000 women in our country, 36% regret their delivery and if they could go back they would do it differently. In addition, two out of ten rate it as a failure , and for one in ten women it was a ‘traumatic’ experience.
But to the dehumanized treatment , the covert threats and the terrible phrases that women sometimes have to hear during childbirth, there are also sometimes unnecessary interventions, including many of the caesarean sections that are practiced in the world.
In our country, in recent years the rate of caesarean sections has increased to 25%. These figures make Spain one of the countries with the highest caesarean section rate in the European Union , surpassed, among others, by Italy, with 35%. In Latin America, countries like Brazil or the Dominican Republic get to multiply by six, the rate recommended by the WHO (10-15% of caesarean sections).
The UN recognizes that ‘obstetric violence’ exists
Aware of the unnecessary interventions and the disrespectful treatment that mother and baby sometimes suffer at the time of delivery, for many years various organizations and health professionals have raised their voices to demand better conditions in this delicate situation.
In addition, for a long time the World Health Organization (WHO) has spoken out about the lack of respect and mistreatment during childbirth, declaring that all women have the right to dignified and respectful care, and not to suffer violence or discrimination. .
The report, presented last July at the United Nations General Assembly, sets out the cases of obstetric violence that have been reported around the world, and explains in detail what this kind of abuse consists of, as well as its causes. and consequences, both physical and psychological.
There is work to be done, although things are changing
Fortunately, every day the numbers of obstetric violence in the world are reduced more, and more doctors and health professionals give mothers the respectful and humane treatment they deserve during pregnancy and childbirth , in accordance with WHO recommendations. for a positive birthing experience.
In our country there are already many hospitals that are committed to the humanization of childbirth , through the creation of respectful spaces that invite relaxation and unnecessary non-intervention. In addition, in the event that the delivery ends in cesarean section, there are already several hospitals that have relaxed the strict protocols, allowing the mother to be monitored and favoring the early bond between mother and baby.
Photos | iStock
In Babies and More | ‘Exposing silence’, a photographic project that gives a voice to mothers with traumatic childbirth experiences, Obstetric violence, a form of gender violence, 31 questions about everything that worries you about childbirth, answered by a midwife, The number of Caesarean sections performed in Spain increase by almost 10% in ten years, the United States seeks to incorporate more midwives in its hospitals to reduce the rate of complications during childbirth
