Unnecessary Interventions

The country is characterised by a strongly medicalised environment. According to NFHS 5, caesarean births make up 21.5% of total births in the country. While C-sections can be life-saving in certain scenarios, unnecessary interventions can adversely affect the health of the mother. According to research conducted by BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, obstetric violence is prevalent around the world. In India, almost every pregnant woman has gone through some level of disrespect and abuse during labour and birth. Unhappy birthing experiences include interventions without consent, multiple vaginal examinations, episiotomy repairs without anaesthesia among others. Meanwhile, the intangible trauma goes unacknowledged. Psychological abuse in the form of lack of privacy, body shaming, shouting at women are some reported practices.

According to a report by Lancet in 2019, women who were younger and less educated were most at risk, suggesting inequalities in how women are treated during childbirth. These practices are violations of human rights. There is an urgent need to respect women’s choices and provide humanised care.

High volumes and the resulting stretched bandwidth make this a daunting task. We can all scale this movement by playing an active role independently and in collaboration with the Government and their initiatives towards humanising childbirth.