Modern women tend to have it easy than those who gave birth decades ago as today there are more convenient options. However, these choices may actually be doing more harm than good not only to the mothers but also to the babies, according to a French doctor.
In an article published in the Daily Mail UK, Dr. Michael Odent, a French obstetrician, believes that opting for C-sections and medications such as epidurals and oxytocins are preventing women from giving birth as natural as possible. If that isn't enough, this may also prevent them from breastfeeding their babies properly.
Although the doctor doesn't discount the fact that some women certainly need intervention in order to keep them and their babies safe especially during delivery, he also mentioned that there are doctors and mothers-to-be who agreed on Caesarian if the latter are reluctant to give birth. Based on the rate of C-sections in the UK, the number has already doubled since more than 15 years ago. He therefore suggested that to relax the mothers, the health care facilities may encourage knitting.
Aside from the longer hours of labor, present women who received oxytocin may struggle with producing milk. This is actually a hormone that is naturally produced by humans. In particular, the hormone helps in breast milk production and increase of maternal bond with the newborn. By introducing the hormone via an IV drip, the doctor said, the body's natural ability to produce it may eventually be suppressed.
With these types of maternal issues, the 85-year-old doctor, who used to be in charge of Pithiviers Hospitat's maternity section in North France, believes that women may soon lose their natural ability to give birth and breastfeed.
The doctor shares more about this topic in a book Do We Need Midwives. He earlier disagreed with the growing phenomenon of allowing partners to be physically present in the delivery room as this only prevents the women from being relaxed.
