Watch CBS News

Moms Stage Labor Day Rally For Maternity Rights

CHICAGO (CBS) _- About 100 young mothers and their supporters picketed the American Medical Association offices in Chicago on Monday, over what they say is the high rate of C-section births in America.

It was no accident that the demonstrators chose Labor Day to make their point: that not enough women are getting the message from doctors that natural child birth can be better than a Caesarean section or inducing labor.

Scott Trinter, of Chicago, said his wife gave birth at home to three of their four children.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio's Steve Miller Reports

Podcast

"I was terrified for all three home births. I was nervous. In fact, I had to be convinced. My wife had to convince me that home birth was her best option," he said.

But he said she did convince him.

"Fortunately it was a safe birth and it was a wonderful home birth," he said.

Grace Hussar, of Chicago, had her child in a hospital - and she said she was bullied into a third-trimester ultrasound to determine the weight of her baby.

"They decided the weight of my baby was too big to be pushed out naturally and so they bullied me into an induction," she said. "As it turned out, my baby was small for his gestational age. There was no reason to do the induction. I was in labor for 30 hours. It was definitely pretty miserable."

Their point: That mothers-to-be should learn more about their options.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.