Have you guys seen this?

http://www.cesareanrates.com/

Wow.

So the hospital at which I would be giving birth if I were not having a home birth (and the hospital at which my first four babies were born) has a 35.3% c-section rate.

that's so scary! I checked NY and NJ and there weren't even any hospitals with lower than 14% c/s rate! insane

Wow--that is great information for women to be armed with. Thanks for sharing!!!

I guess my hospital is a "good" one-- with only a 27% c-section rate--lol.

Happy to be planning another homebirth.

28.7% at the hospital I am delivering at... 1155 cesarean births last year. Wow...

Yikes, some of those numbers are downright scary! Five hospitals in CA are over 50%! Of course, four of those have banned VBAC so that alone has to make up a significant number, but still...

Although I'm curious how these numbers would look if high risk and multiples births were removed? I mentioned to someone in a PM that her chosen hospital is the region's high risk center, anyone with complications or carrying more than twins is sent to that hospital, so it has a higher c/s rate while other hospitals around it have a lower rate. I also don't think it's a coincidence that hospitals in areas with a low socio-economic standing have higher c/s rates; it would be interesting to find out if that's because the moms can't afford prenatal care & show up in labor with complications, or if it's because they can bill MediCal for the birth.

I saw this the other day when someone pinned it on Pinterest. It's very shocking to see some of those numbers and the discrepancies between hospitals! The hospital where I will be giving birth has a 15% c/s rate, lower than a lot of those on the list, but still seems too high.

I do agree that high risk centers have more c/s for a reason, but it still doesn't explain why rates are so high across the board. My state doesn't give out hospital-specific stats, apparently, but my county is at 27%...sheesh. Glad to see at least that all the hospitals in this city are VBAC-friendly.

I've seen this before too. Many of those numbers are crazy high. The hospital I'm thinking of going with is at 24% and the one right down the street from my house is at 31% and also totally bans VBACs.

Wow! my hospital didn't release numbers but one in my state is 39.5%, but they also ban VBACs. Overall state is 33%. That's terrible!

I was discussing this with a friend of mine and her husband's family is all from Brazil. Apparently in Brazil, the c/s rate is over 80%!!! Her sister-in-law had to actually MOVE to find a doctor (probably a midwife, I don't remember the exact details) who would do a natural delivery for her. Apparently in Brazil, the doctors will not accept natural births because with a c/s, they can just schedule however many c/s deliveries at certain times into their workday and go home at the end of the day. That just amazed me. Also put things into a little perspective because even though we have some high percentages (in our standards) at our hospitals, at least we are allowed to write our own birth plans and go in expecting a natural birth.

The other thing I have noticed in my circle of "live" friends is that most women think I am crazy for wanting a completely chemical free natural childbirth. I have had people tell me that c/s are "so easy!" and others that they got the epidural the first opportunity they had. It is just a shame that so many people have no clue!!! Women, we are strong!! We are created to birth babies!! It is just so odd to me that so many women simply believe they cannot do it and therefore don't even try.

Anyway... stepping off soapbox now!!!