Written By: Hira Hassan
How many births have I yet to see of my friends and family that went through the pathway of a term known as "Cascade of interventions " where their process was interfered with medically and emotionally and they ended up having an emergency C-section.
It can be explained well with another term known as 'Snowball effect'.
Imagine a little snowball starts rolling down a hill, and as it rolls, it becomes bigger and bigger.
In birth, when we interfere, one intervention leads to another, and then another even bigger intervention that leads to the final blow, that is, a C section.
Example:
Mommy A is told by her doc that she should get induced at her now past 37 weeks. Mommy A is not educated. She doesn't know that no woman stays pregnant forever and does not know that her body will NOT respond to the induction if her baby and body aren't ready for birth. Also, she is not informed about the risks associated with induction and how it impacts labor and birth. Mommy A gets scheduled for an induction
FIRST INTERVENTION: She is tied to the bed which limits her mobility and is attached to continuous fetal monitoring.
SECOND INTERVENTION: She gets an IV for Pitocin. Surprisingly, it does kick off labor but the contractions are unnaturally strong and frequent and more painful and Mommy A asks for an epidural (THIRD INTERVENTION) which slows down labor and limits her mobility even more. The baby goes into distress because of the irregular contractions and not tolerating any of it well.
Baby's heartbeat drops too low, and they need to reel MOMMY A to the OT for the biggest intervention of all.
I have several more to share...
But the point is
When will we learn?
Very few women really need medical interference in birth. Educate yourself so you know how to make informed decisions and, most importantly, find a care provider that supports a natural birth, and you can learn that in Childbirth Education Classes.
Do we buy a car just like that? No.
A mindful learner and critical approach are fundamentals of Good Birth Consumerism.
And believe me, there's nothing that empowers a mother more than a positive birth experience ✨️
YOUR BIRTH MATTERS.
SubhanAllah, the more we learn and hear about birth the more homebirth makes sense. Intervene when necessary, otherwise just support the mom!
indeed your birth matter…the way you prepare for your birth, the closer you’ll reach your dream birth and avoid the interventions
This is a beautifully articulated piece. I love how you emphasize informed choice and the importance of finding a care provider who supports natural birth. Too often, people feel powerless or uninformed during pregnancy and labor, and your words are a strong reminder that empowerment comes through education, advocacy, and support.
An educated mom would never allow unnecessary interventions. That’s the moto of AMANI to educate moms around the globe.
True. It is the domino effect that makes delivery so traumatic and fearful. Education, awareness and confidence are important to break this chain
SubhanAllah I feel like I’m reading my own birth story. Sometimes we learn after we are afflicted with pain but it doesn’t have to be that way for all moms. The important thing is that we do learn from the pain and make informed decisions next time.
True it is the domino effect that leads to the anxiety and fear associated with normal delivery. Education, knowledge and confidence are required to break this effect and experience a blessed natural birth
Very interesting how you said it : the snowball effect, it really means exactly what happens when a mother doesn’t know her right and also she doesn’t have understanding of the birth process! Preparation really matters!
SubhanAllah I feel like I’m reading my birth story. Sometimes we go through pain to realize that ultimately we bear the consequences of every decision made in birth so it is worthwhile to be informed and have power over our own process.
very informative mashaaAllah
Subhanallah crazy how they think its one small thing yet leads to an avalanche
Absolutely, having knowledge and being prepared for birth is really important in order to have an empowered birth
After having trust in Allah and his design, parents who are equipped with knowledge are able to make informed decisions. Jazakillah khair let’s continue to spread awareness, knowledge and support to our communities.
Such an important topic! It’s eye-opening how one intervention can so easily lead to another.
The reality of cascade events during birth put the mother into high risk of unexpected medical intervention. Birth planning is the key