Jennifer Margulis has spent years looking at hospital birth practices. She explains why just going with the flow and blindly trusting the system can backfire, and what you should be doing now to help you have a smoother and happier birth experience.
Listen directly through our website player, or however you usually listen to podcasts.
What we talked about:
- Why Jennifer has been studying hospital birth practices for the past 16 years
- Systematic failures and how they affect you
- Taking charge and thinking for yourself
- Why pregnancy is a mechanism of good health
- What are your choices?
- The 600.000 yearly unnecessary cesareans in the US each year
- How much did you spend on your wedding?
- Training for birth: what you need to know
- Don’t forget about training your mind
- A look at the last 16 years: how have things changed?
- Our broken health system: the third cause of death is hospital error
- Teaching us to fear birth instead of good mechanisms to deal with pain
- Keep your sense of humor: birth is funny
Resources, links, and other great info:
- The Business of Being Born website
- Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth
- Why These Doctors Believe Cesarean Birth Can Harm You And Your Baby For Life, by Jennifer Margulis
- Reducing Unnecessary C-Section Births, NYT Article
- Why Is the National U.S. Cesarean Section Rate So High?, article from Childbirth Connection
- Your Biggest C-Section Risk May Be Your Hospital, by Consumer Reports
- The Most Scientific Birth Is Often the Least Technological Birth, article from The Atlantic
- Researchers: Medical errors now third leading cause of death in United States, article from The Washington Post
Courtesy of Jennifer Margulis
About Jennifer Margulis
Jennifer Margulis is an award-winning investigative journalist, nonfiction book author, and Fulbright grantee. She is the co-author of The Vaccine-Friendly Plan: Dr. Paul’s Safe and Effective Approach to Immunity and Health, From Pregnancy Through Your Child’s Teen Years (Ballantine, 2016) with Paul Thomas, M.D., and author of Your Baby, Your Way: Taking Charge of Your Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Parenting Decisions for a Happier, Healthier Family (Scribner, 2015). Her work has been published in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Smithsonian Magazine, Ms. Magazine, More magazine, O: The Oprah Magazine, and dozens of others magazines, newspapers, and websites. She also produces audio features for Jefferson Public Radio and works as an editor and writing consultant for a select group of highly successful writers.
Learn more at JenniferMargulis.net
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