"Arri London" > wrote in message
...
>
>
> Jinx Minx wrote:
>>
>> "Arri London" > wrote in message
>> ...
>> >
>> >
>> > Jinx Minx wrote:
> <snip>
>
>> >> >> Yet in the poorest parts of the world, highly-trained midwives do
>> >> >> C-sections. There aren't enough trained physicians. It's that or
>> >> >> let
>> >> >> mother and baby face certain death.
>> >> >
>> >> > Excellent point...
>> >> > --
>> >> > Peace! Om
>> >> >
>> >>
>> >> A lot of those "highly trained midwives" probably aren't so highly
>> >> trained,
>> >> especially in third world countries.
>> >
>> > They are sufficiently trained that both mother and baby survive and
>> > thrive. Don't forget that C-sections have been done by non MDs for
>> > centuries, often with good outcomes.
>>
>> I'm well aware, and I'm not in any way, shape or form stating that they
>> shouldn't.
>>
>> >
>> > My point wasn't that midwives
>> >> *shouldn't*, only that here in the U.S. they *don't*.
>> >
>> > But there isn't much reason for them not to.
>>
>> {{snip}}
>>
>> I never said otherwise.
>>
>> None-the-less, they are considered "major" surgery -- not outpatient. Om
>> is
>> the one that relegated them down to nothing. I'm not purporting that
>> they're equivalent to brain surgery, just that they're certainly more
>> serious than routine radiology exams and endoscopies. Just because
>> they're
>> common and have been done for centuries doesn't make them easy and
>> un-demanding. Have you ever had one? Or better yet, performed one?
>
> As to having had one, that would be interesting in the extreme LOL. But
> I have no doubt I could perform one if the proper training were given.
> I've done enough animal surgery as part of my research work.

> Overall, a well-trained midwife would do a better C-section than a
> first-year surgical resident who has no experience. Yet it's the
> residents who get to practise
>
{{snip}}

I wouldn't disagree with that! That being said, as a general rule, and as
someone that has actually had one, I would have to say that given the choice
between a well-experienced midwife and an equally well-experienced C-section
surgeon, I'd take the surgeon any day. Even in the pre-planned,
non-emergency route. Sure, they're commonplace as far as surgery goes, but
you never know when something unexpected is going to happen, and when it
does, I'd much rather have someone attending to me that knows things beyond
the womb. A midwife, no matter how experienced, isn't going to have that.
I'm also talking regular midwives, not advanced degree nurse-midwives. If
our laws here were to change and midwives were to be licensed to perform
them -- more power to them. It's any woman's right to choose how she wants
to deliver (and I fully support that), but I'd still be choosing the
experienced obstetrician.

Jinx