The vast majority of women who undergo a cesarean section will say that they have entered the operating room alone.
They will also tell that they only had a few seconds to see their newborn baby before they took him away.
That they were alone during the postoperative period, without knowing in what state their baby was, if he was healthy, if he was alive.
And that they had no contact with their baby and were unable to breastfeed until hours, even days after delivery.
That this is frequent, without medical cause that justifies it, that we see it normally, that it is even the treatment we expect before a cesarean section, does not mean that it is the healthiest option. Quite the opposite, these practices can cause serious sequelae in both the mother and the baby. Difficulty in connecting emotionally with the baby, difficulty in establishing a secure affective bond, thus compromising the development of the baby, maternal anxiety, post-traumatic stress syndrome ... are some of the negative effects of not having a good treatment during the cesarean section and after it.
But is it obstetric violence?
Obstetric violence is any action that pathologizes the natural and biological reproductive processes. Although in the Spanish state it is not yet contemplated by the legislation, practices constituting obstetric violence are prohibited. They violate basic rights contemplated in our Constitution, such as the right to physical and moral integrity, personal liberty, and privacy. They also violate rights recognized in international conventions.
In 2014 the World Health Organization published a document warning of serious public health problem posed by obstetric violence for compromising the biopsychosocial well-being of women and their children.
And countries such as Venezuela, Mexico or Argentina have legally defined this type of violence against women, classifying obstetric violence as a crime in their laws.
The lawyer specialized in Health Law, Lorraine Mocholi It resorts to Comparative Law to show that certain routine practices in the care of caesarean sections, applied in almost all Spanish hospitals, are cases of obstetric violence.
Can we combat obstetric violence?
This type of gender violence is so normalized that it is difficult to prove that it exists. Perhaps this is the first step, being aware of its existence.
It should be given the same importance as any other type of violence against women, elaborating effective policies to combat it.
Health professionals who attend pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum are decisive in eliminating obstetric violence. Give prominence to the woman in a moment of such importance and vulnerability, allow her to be accompanied by a person who gives her security, not to separate the mother from the baby, thus facilitating early contact with the baby and the establishment of breastfeeding ... they are practical included in documents and protocols for the humanization of caesarean sections.
It is also the responsibility of the health center managers to review their protocols and adapt them to the new evidence and recommendations from official bodies like the Spanish Association of Pediatrics.
Users do not have to sit idly by. In addition to requiring those responsible to take the appropriate measures, we have the right to present a birth and delivery plan expressing our preferences and needs. And if we have been victims of obstetric violence, we can file official claims at patient care offices.
Making it visible will help us fight it.