Jezebel: C-sections

Should Women Get To Choose C-Sections?

Anna North — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 14:00:00 EDT

Even when there's no medical reason for it, some women prefer to give birth via C-section. But the procedure is riskier than vaginal birth. Should doctors comply with women's wishes, or make them do what's safer? More »

Obama Personally Apologizes To Shirley Sherrod

Katy Kelleher — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 17:24:00 EDT

Obama spoke today with Shirley Sherrod, the former Argiculture Department employee who was forced to resign over a heavily-edited and misleading report about a speech she gave to in march. A statement released about the call explained:

Rachel Maddow To Speak At Smith; Students Celebrate • Florida State Group Opposes Lesbian Adoption

Katy Kelleher — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:30:00 EST

• Smith's graduating class of 2010 are a lucky bunch: Rachel Maddow will be coming to the Massachusetts school to receive an honorary degree and give the commencement address. • More »

Water Birth

Katy Kelleher — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST

A shark from a New Zealand aquarium shocked viewers when it gave another shark a cesarean section with its teeth. This saved the lives of four babies (that would otherwise have been born at night and immediately eaten). [NZHerald] More »

Is A Forced C-Section Comparable To Rape?

LatoyaPeterson — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:30:00 EDT

Ever since women fought against twilight sleep being used in hospitals, questions about giving birth and what practices are helpful or harmful has captivated public conversation. A growing movement hopes to draw attention to the overuse of Caesarean procedures. More »

Skunk Whisperer Saves The Day • Men Are Gross And Don't Wash Their Hands

Katy Kelleher — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:40:00 EDT

• What do you do when you find a skunk stuck in a jar of peanut butter? Call the Skunk Whisperer, obviously! Here is a video of him rescuing the hapless animal from his nutty prison. • More »

Researchers Release "Attractiveness Rating" Report • Miss Georgia Refuses Crown, Returns To School

Katy Kelleher — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:30:00 EDT

• Researchers from Queens College report that, when rating attractiveness in the opposite sex, men are more likely to go for the same type of women (labeled "thin" and "seductive"), while women are attracted to a range of features. • More »

What Should Jezebels Really Expect After They're Expecting: Sex Edition

Jessica G. — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:00:00 EDT

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There's an article in Psychology Today about the after-effects of different kinds of birth on the ol' vagina. And guys, it is bleak. (Think the Psych Today editors were inspired by that Elle article last month on sex after giving birth?) Three months after a C-section, 55% of women reported sexual dissatisfaction. That's nothing compared to women who gave birth vaginally, 70% of whom reported sexual dissatisfaction! Episiotomies can cause painful intercourse even 12-18 months after a woman gives birth, and assisted delivery (use of forceps or a vacuum) can cause painful intercourse, perineal pain, and delays in the resumption of sex. And don't even get me started on the after effects of watching childbirth on the male sexual psyche. According to Psychology Today, "For some men, a very intimate body part can become completely desexualized. Or they see someone they cherish dramatically sliced open. In either case, they can then associate their partners with a disturbing and gruesome scene." More »

Scandinavians Split On Sexist Ads • Beaver Goes On Russian Booze Rampage

maria — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 17:40:00 EDT

Scandinavian countries spar over, defend sexist advertising and free speech laws. • Pregnant Indian women more likely to have morning sickness than Norwegians. • My Little Pony celebrates 25th birthday with tea and Elizabeth Hasselbeck. • Smart girls supposedly have a harder time getting off because, um, they think about stuff? • A 15-year-old Canadian boy steals bikinis, wears them. • Alarmed Russian beaver breaks into food store, smashes vodka bottles following forest fire. • Minorities and men are less likely to get help quitting smoking. • A Moroccan woman kills her husband after he takes a second wife. • Women who have C-sections are more likely to suffer a stroke the following year. More »

Too Posh To Push? Some Pregnant Women Are Just Wigged Out

Anna Holmes — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 09:30:00 EST

The increasing number of women undergoing elective C-sections may be motivated less by convenience or aesthetics and more by apprehension: Swedish researchers writing in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology spoke to close to 500 first-time mothers about 37 weeks into their pregnancies and again three months after the births and discovered that almost half of the women who chose Caesareans suffered from a "clinically significant" fear of childbirth.

These women also mentioned that they felt less happy before the delivery and were afraid their child would die. Dr Ingela Wiklund, from the division of obstetrics and gynaecology at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, led the study. She said "Women suffering from significant childbirth fear indicate that they are less self-confident, unhappy, afraid that the child will be injured and don't long for the child. This clearly emphasizes the need for pre- and post-natal support."

Stilettos: Bad For Feet, Bad For Exercising In, Bad For British Newlyweds

Anna Holmes — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 16:35:41 EDT

Talk about bridezilla: A just-married Scottish woman attacked her husband with a stiletto on their wedding night. [DailyMail]