Where do we stop with the "high-risk" designations?

The other day as I was scanning new books at my local library, I noticed one about high-risk pregnancy. I picked it up and glanced through it.

To be perfectly honest, I stopped when I saw the list of factors that may put you in a high-risk pregnancy.

I honestly think it would put more than 50% of the birthing population as high-risk.

Some are, to be certain, legitimate. Placenta previa, where the placenta covers all or part of the cervix, is more complicated than regular pregnancy and requires education and cesarean birth in almost all cases. I can understand the worries with existing diabetes (particularly if poorly controlled) or high blood pressure, even previous birth defects or preterm births.

But some of the others had me flabbergasted at the level of fear present in obstetrics today.

Pregnancy at less than 18 years old or more than 35 years old.

Low-socio economic status

Being underweight or overweight

Fertility treatments

Having a previous pregnancy loss (yes, singular loss. It's estimated that 10-20% of pregnancies end in miscarriage, but many may feel they have had a late, heavy period).

Having five or more pregnancies

ETC.

The list was quite long.

Why is there such fear? I'm afraid - BRUTAL HONESTY FOLLOWS - that our culture has gone so far away from death being a part of life that we are fearful from the point of conception that someone might die. We are willing to do anything to prolong life. Mothers, in particular, are pushed to self-sacrifice in order to give life to children (I am not talking abortion here. I am talking general pregnancy).

I had a miscarriage before I had my son. It was devastating and took a long time to work through. I still cry thinking about my lost little one; hearing of another's loss provokes the same pain. I lost a child and will always mourn that.

However, I fully feel there was a reason my little one should not have been born. It was his time in life to go. I won't speculate as to what the reason was (that leads down a dark path). It doesn't make it any easier to accept his death, but it is what it is.

I certainly agree that obstetrics has saved some lives that would have otherwise been lost. However, we cannot use that nor the fear of death as an excuse for the mistreatment women, babies, and families currently deal with in the system. In many cases. when presented with an unknown, watching and waiting is less deadly than the "well, we must do SOMETHING ANYTHING" attitude so prevalent in modern medicine. (Certainly we've all heard the scares regarding the current radiation levels we're subjected to with unnecessary ct scans and x-rays? I've been x-rayed for a stomach virus and high fever before. Also, think of the current MRSA superbugs in hospitals due to over-prescribing antibiotics, and the chicken-pox vaccine leading to increased shingles cases. It's got to stop somewhere soon)

We need to stop being so fearful and take back our health. For the vast majority of women, pregnancy and birth are times of health. Your best bet - see a care provider who believes this to be true rather than a care provider who believes pregnancy and birth are times where something could go wrong at any time and you need careful monitoring. Ask your WHY? questions and get second opinions. Loose the "all that matters is a healthy baby" mantra.