This Tuesday, June 30, the collective Tou.te.s Against Obstetric and Gynecological Violence unveiled a map of France of obstetric violence suffered by women during their pregnancy or childbirth.
Violence was on the rise during confinement, in particular obstetric violence as revealed by the map of the collective Tou.te.s Contre les Violences Obstétricale et Gynécologique which gathered the testimony of nearly 3,000 women during the epidemic of Covid-19 .
This new survey illustrates fairly similar experiences of "Distressed moms" like failing epidurals, caesareans "Raw", the lack of explanation from the caregiver, the prohibition of drinking, ventral extraction or the inability to choose the position when the baby is expelled. This alarming finding points to the obstetric violence suffered in hospitals overseas and in France.
According to the figures, 11% of women gave birth without the presence of a spouse. “It is against all the recommendations issued by the National College of French Gynecologists and Obstetricians”, Notes Sonia Bisch, spokesperson for the Tou.te.s collective against obstetric violence. But also, 46% of women gave birth with a mask and gestures obstetric violence was practiced in 3% of cases, like abdominal pressure, a practice banned since 2007 by the French National Authority for Health (HAS). " This shows that obstetric violence is widespread (…) with no connection to the regions where the coronavirus was most prevalent Says Sonia Bisch.
The collective collected testimonies from many women who gave birth during confinement, including that of Stéphanie: "During my delivery, I underwent an emergency caesarean section because the epidural no longer worked. I was heard right down the hall. They ended up giving me general anesthesia. My daughter was born at 3:45 am, I emerged just enough to be introduced to me, but I was completely in the West. However, I heard the anesthesiologist say to his colleague "Pay attention to the dosage, because I was very sensitive to pain". (!!!!!!) It took me six months to understand that I was a victim. I still haven't accepted (maybe never) ”, says the young mother. In a hospital center in Loiret, another mother, placed in the Covid section, says: " We no longer took my trays in my room, the garbage piled up, I experienced it very badly. My birth preparation has been canceled. During labor I was alone, Dad was there only in the birthing room and I had a Cesarean. I did not see the papa again after my caesarean, I only saw him 6 days later, when I left. "
Traumatic experiences
Even if the testimonies are interspersed with mothers who congratulate the "Super medical teams, attentive, caring and dedicated", the majority of women believe that there is a dysfunction in maternity hospitals. " According to the questionnaire responses, 75% of women checked one or more boxes showing a risk of postpartum depression. It is enormous. », Explains Sonia Bisch. " Childbirth and postpartum are periods of life when you feel very vulnerable. This card is there to inform parents and health professionals of the reality of practices in certain establishments.. "
Through its questionnaire, the collective Tou.te.s Against Obstetric and Gynecological Violence hopes to change the practices of professionals in maternity wards.