Options

     I consider myself to be pretty knowledgeable about the process and options of childbirth. I knew a lot about C-sections, the increasing rates of them, epidurals, and the various other drugs and exercises for the expectant mother. However until reading "How Childbirth Went Industrial" by Atul Gawande I had never heard about the use of birthing forceps by physicians. I found the tool to be extremely interesting and almost fascinating and did a little more research on them after reading the article. The fact that they were often used more successfully than other methods of changing the babies orientation or even undergoing a C-section was astounding to me. I would have thought that the forceps method would still be an integral part of childbirth medicine and science, but they have been almost completely phased out of hospitals and obstetrician practice.
     But why? Given all of the different ways that a pregnancy and natural childbirth can go wrong (and the number of ways is truly frightening) you would think that doctors would keep as many options open as possible. The truth is as equally interesting as the tool itself. Hospitals have been trying to standardize childbirth, industrialize it if you will. They want all doctors to be as equally capable and as qualified as all the other doctors in their field so that when one retires, all you have to do is just bring in a new doctor. No problems. This is one reason why C-sections have become increasingly popular. The procedure is relatively simple and is described in graphic detail within the article. All doctors can quite easily learn to perform a C-section and it's easy to teach. A doctor in training can easily watch an experienced doctor perform the surgery. The forceps however are another story entirely....it's quite difficult to learn how to use them correctly. As the article states, it takes a special touch to know how to place the forceps and grasp the baby in order to pull them free. Not all doctors have the skill, it takes years to master and is also difficult to teach as the learner can hardly see what the experienced doctor is doing.
     While then it seems better to phase out birthing forceps since some doctors may not be very skilled in using them, I find it interesting the events that have lead to it's demise. Is this standardization of childbirth a good thing? Wouldn't mothers want more options, especially if those options were better suited to their birthing situation, even if it required some more specialized doctors? I suppose that's the very problem, in the current economic standing, hospitals can't afford extra specialized doctors. Standardization is more efficient and cost-saving for hospitals too. And because of this I see C-sections becoming more and more frequent as it limits the need for other expensive options and gets expectant mothers in and out in almost no time at all. We all have to save money, but in time hospitals will need to re-evaluate to see if planned C-sections and other C-sections are entirely necessary. Sure it may be more cost and time effective, but is it better for the most important people in the hospital, the patients?