Birthing trends in Australia

[Martina]

The latest research has been released regarding trends in child birth for Australia.

The main points are:
- less natural births
- more caesarians
- more inductions
- more epidurals

The Daily Telegraph (NSW daily paper), followed this up with some investigating of their own and found the following:

- Fewest elective c-sections of 10.8% were at Auburn Hospital
- Fewest epidurals of 15% were at Fairfield Hospital
- Fewest inductions of 50.5% were at Auburn Hospital
while,
- Most elective c-sections of 34.5% were at Kareena Hospital, Caringbah
- Most epidurals of 82.7% were at Kareena Hospital, Caringbah
- Most inductions of 80.3% were at Westmead Private

The results of this research will help to plan the future of maternity services across Australia. For the full article read HERE

Where do you fit into these statistics - did you have a natural or c-section birth experience, perhaps you were induced or had an epidural? Do you find that amongst your group of friends and family that these trends are true?

[Fisherchick]

That is interesting, I have also read that hospitals will push and prefer c-sections because its easier, gives the Drs more control.

I was induced and dont regret or resent it.
For reasons, I didnt want to risk going overdue and having a still born baby.

[Castalilli]

The hospital I was at has a very low cs and epidural rate - I think part of the reason for that is the caseload midwife program (where you have the same midwife the whole pregnancy, birth and follow-up). It really depends on the hospital that you're at I think - other hospitals in the area are reserved for more 'high risk' cases, and end up with reasonably high cs rates because of that.

I ended up having an epidural, but it was only because things were getting a bit dicey.

[Andrea1987]

I had a forceps delivery with my daughter... Had an epidural too....oh I was also induced due to pregnancy induced hypertension...and my ob was concerned about that turning in to per-eclampsia...
Most of my friends have had vaginal deliveries.... But one of my friends just started her mothers group and found she was the only one out of six that had a vaginal delivery.
I think c-sections are on the rise due to most people having a first labour experience ending in a emergency c-section and not wanting to try for a VBAC. I haven't heard of many people having c-sections first time round because they didn't want to labour. Most of the time it's because of baby position (transverse lye, breech), placenta praevia, IUGR, or a medical condition that would be dangerous to mum. I think when looking at the data these factors have to be taken into consideration.

[frenchieM]

I would agree with those trends mentioned, based on people I know & how they have birthed their bubs.

I have had 2 inductions, resulting in 2 natural births and no epidural either time.
1 induction was for post-dates and the other was 10days early for suspected big baby (she was 9lb3oz when born).
I did need episiotimies but that had nothing to do with being induced, more with having babies with big heads!!

I have been reading the "call the midwife" books written by a midwife in the 1950's and it is so interesting to read her experiences about delivering babies with no modern interventions and home births. I am not particularly passionate either way, I think the modern interventions definitely have improved mothers mortality rates which is a good outcome.

[Z'sMum]

I think c-sections are on the rise due to most people having a first labour experience ending in a emergency c-section and not wanting to try for a VBAC. I haven't heard of many people having c-sections first time round because they didn't want to labour. Most of the time it's because of baby position (transverse lye, breech), placenta praevia, IUGR, or a medical condition that would be dangerous to mum. I think when looking at the data these factors have to be taken into consideration.

I agree with this...well it's true in my case anyway.
I went into spontaneous labour with both of mine (waters breaking). With DD I laboured for 12 hours and had an emergency c/s as the labour wasn't progressing...I had only dilated 1cm and the baby was up really high.
So I opted for an elective c/s with DS as I didn't want the same thing to happen again. As it turns out, he was up really high too, so I'm glad I decided on the c/s.
(OB blames my narrow pelvis).

Oh...I did have an epidural with DD while I was labouring. Pain and I don't get along well at all!

[elmo12]

The hight ceaserean rate is true for my group of friends. Out of six of my friends I'm the only one to have had a natural birth, the rest were ceasereans. All but elective... there's one particular private obg in my large country town that has a 75% cesarean birth rate. I'm positive she 'talks' her patients into having ceasereans for her convenience, because also the majority of her little natural births are then inductions.

Two of my friends class themselves as 'too posh to push' and chose ceseareans for no medical reasons. I definetly feel like the odd one out amongst my friends.