One of the most anticipated moments during pregnancy is the day we will finally meet our baby. And it is that in the course of those nine months, we have imagined and dreamed of the arrival of that moment in which we will finally be able to see him with our own eyes.
However, although childbirth should be a positive experience, it is not always the case in all cases. According to a recent report made In the United States, one in six women claims to have suffered abuse during pregnancy and childbirth.
Published in the magazine Reproductive Health, the report presents the results of a survey on inequality and abuse during childbirth and pregnancy in the United States, in which more than 2,000 women participated, telling their experience.
In it, they found that approximately 17% of them had received some kind of abuse like screams, scolding, threats, that they had ignored or denied help, or had experienced a combination of several of them.
In Babies and moreMore than 50 horrible phrases that can be told in a hospital when you are going to give birth and that you will never forgetInside of the abuse that reported having one in six women, the following figures were obtained:
- 8.5% of them reported to have received screams or scolding from your healthcare provider.
- In the case of 7.8% of respondents, the medical staff ignored them and their requests, or refused to help them.
- 5.5% suffered violation of your physical privacy.
- 4.5% of them were threatened by medical staff of not receiving a treatment, or, they were forced to have it when they did not want it.
The report also shows that much of the abuse happened in women who had unplanned caesarean sections and that it was aggravated by unexpected obstetric interventions and disagreements between the patient and medical staff.
Many of the participants who reported that their children had experienced a health problem after childbirth also mentioned that they felt ignored, or that had not been attended by medical staff within an appropriate period when they had requested your help.
Obstetric violence, not only in the United States
The type of abuse mentioned in this new report is called obstetric violence and unfortunately, the United States It is not the only country in which many women have claimed to receive this type of abuse during your pregnancy and delivery.
In Spain, for example, a couple of years ago a study showed that approximately one in ten women felt that their birth had been a traumatic experience, some due to health issues or complications that occurred during childbirth, but also because of lack of support at key moments and impersonal treatment by medical staff, as well as the feeling of not having been heard by professionals and having suffered a lack of dignity and intimacy.
In Babies and more When a bad birth cancels your desire to have more childrenObstetric violence is something that happens almost invisibly, because although it may not leave physical traces, its effects can remain for a long time in the mind and emotional state of mothers, being victims of screams, threats and insults, as well as being minimized or ignored by medical staff.
None of this should be happening. During the delivery, medical staff is responsible not only for ensuring the health of mom and baby, but also, to make sure to treat the mother with respect, in one of the most important moments of her life.
Fortunately, every day the numbers of obstetric violence are reduced, and there are more doctors and health professionals who give mothers the respectful and humane treatment they deserve during pregnancy and childbirth. Even the World Health Organization (WHO) has published its recommendations for a positive birth experience.
Remember that the mother has rights that must be respected during childbirth and that All women, having a natural or caesarean delivery, deserve to have their babies in an environment of respect and where they receive humane treatment.
Photos | iStock
Via | Scary Mommy
