McDonaldization of Childbirth Essay Sample

natural delivery or remain hospitalized for recuperation. The utilization of medical interventions is increasing while inpatient recovery is decreasing, and inducing labor and utilizing epidurals are becoming increasingly popular among women.

Hospitals are discharging mothers and their children earlier than before, putting both at a higher risk. Previously, women typically stayed around 4 days after giving birth, but now they are sent home after only 1 or 2 days.

Due to post-partum complications experienced at home by both mother and child, emergency rooms are now having to fill the gaps left by obstetrics wards. This situation has also resulted in increased medical interventions which have raised the risks for the newborns. Consequently, more babies are being admitted into neonatal intensive care units for placement into incubators.

The likelihood of babies being underweight, premature, and possessing birth defects increases with medical interventions, although it must be acknowledged that interventions are not the only contributing factor. On average, babies remain in the NICU for two days.

Without medical interventions, childbirth could result in preventable complications. However, while some situations call for intervention, these are rare occurrences. The efficiency paradox is that despite faster delivery rates, the risk of complications for both mother and child increases.

The concept of predictability involves behaving in a consistent and standard way. In the context of McDonalds, employees are required to follow a predictable work style, while customers are expected to respond in a similarly predictable manner. (Ritzer: 268-269) Childbirth also adheres to the notion of predictability, by incorporating standardized procedures for delivering babies, even in cases with low-risk factors.

Irrespective of age and ethnicity, women undergo standard procedures during childbirth. This not only makes childbirth

predictable for women in one hospital, but also across a region or country. Nonetheless, variations exist among different states and districts.

More and more expectant mothers are choosing to have cesarean deliveries, even if it is not medically necessary, as they desire greater control over the timing of their baby's birth and want to increase predictability. Cesarean deliveries have enabled women to select when their baby will be born.

Establishing a consistent procedure for childbirth is crucial in eliminating uncertainty surrounding the baby's arrival. Nevertheless, devising universal protocols poses difficulties due to the uniqueness of each woman's labor and delivery encounter.

Every birth is unique, as it is nature's way of ensuring each baby has a distinct entrance into the world. However, risk factors for complications vary based on age and ethnicity, which are not considered in standard procedures. Therefore, even with predictable hospital processes, no two childbirth experiences are identical.

Despite the predictability offered by scheduling a cesarean delivery for childbirth, the unpredictability of the process itself remains. Circumstances can arise that change the planned date.

The decision to avoid a cesarean delivery may be influenced by various circumstances. While opting for this type of birth may provide a sense of predictability, external factors could still impact the scheduled delivery date. As a result, the initial decision may require alteration.

Control is a significant aspect of living in a McDonaldizing society, with engineering playing a major role in exerting this control over individuals. Although currently, technology dominates employees, gradually it will replace human workers completely.

As per Ritzer (269), obstetricians have increasingly been utilizing non-human technologies in the delivery process, with the scalpel being the most commonly implemented tool. Despite its

simplicity and lack of association with technology, it has been extensively used during childbirth for at least 10 to 20 years.

Episiotomies, which aim to prevent postpartum complications such as vaginal tearing, are commonly associated with the use of a scalpel (Ubelacker, 2004). Despite being a long-standing procedure, their frequency is decreasing due to the rise in Caesarean sections.

The primary tool utilized in C-sections is the scalpel, which has been a prevalent technology in childbirth. Another non-human technology employed in childbirth is forceps, which assists in delivering a baby from the womb. However, the usage of forceps is declining.

A new technique called vacuum extraction is replacing traditional methods in engineering. Vacuum extraction involves using a suction cup on the baby's head to facilitate delivery. This innovative technology is becoming more widely used, but there is always a risk of technology failure and loss of control.

The main worry should be about vacuum extraction as even a minor change in any factor during the process can cause significant harm, including obstruction or improper usage.

Using it incorrectly poses considerable dangers, particularly scalpels that are essentially knives capable of causing irreversible harm if handled improperly by someone lacking experience.

Severe danger, damage, injury, and death are highly likely.

The risks associated with engineering in childbirth are substantial because it has the potential to fail, malfunction or be misused. In the past, the birth of a child was seen as a joyous occasion but contemporary society's McDonaldization has altered this view.

Healthcare is focused on efficiency, predictability, and control, especially when it comes to childbirth. The use of medical interventions and shorter hospital stays is intended to make

the process more efficient.

Although, the predictability of labor and delivery increases with standard processes invented by Doctors, it becomes inefficient due to the higher risks involved.

The unpredictability of childbirth is a result of natural factors, with labor and delivery varying for each woman and infant. Although technological advancements aim to improve control in childbirth, non-human interventions have limitations.

Engineering itself is unpredictable and often makes childbirth difficult to manage. In general, promoting the idea of paying attention seems more important than the attention itself.

According to the McDonaldization theory, calculability is another component that emphasizes measurements over quality. (Ritzer: 268) This is particularly relevant when considering the level of attention given during childbirth, which is often of questionable quality.

The focus is not on the number of babies being born, but Ritzer points out the existence of a rating system after the child's birth, once they are in the world.

Neonates are assessed using the Apgar scoring system, which measures five factors such as heart rate and assigns scores of 1 to 2.

On a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being the healthiest, babies are typically given scores between 7 and 9 one minute after birth, and 8 to 10 after five minutes. Scores between 0 and 3 indicate that the baby is in distress.

(Ritzer: 274-275) In summary, the healthcare system has embraced McDonaldization, which has been upheld by expectant mothers through their childbirth experiences. This has resulted in increased efficiency and predictability in healthcare procedures, influenced by corporate ideologies.

Medical specialty has become more hazardous, governed at a cost of inefficiencies, capriciousness, and uncontrollability.

Mothers-to-be have contributed to the societal phenomenon known as "too-posh-to-push" by willingly opting

for medical interventions, particularly cesarean sections, during childbirth.

By choosing to give birth without medical interventions, the risk of complications could significantly decrease and newborns could be healthier. This has been discussed in Margaret Munro's article "Birth Interventions On Rise As 'Too-Posh-To-Push' Phenomenon Grows" published in CanWest News.

On September 10, 2004, George Ritzer was in Don Mills, Ontario.

? Can expansion be avoided according to The McDonaldization Thesis presented in Society In Question, a book published in Toronto, Ontario?

According to Sarah's report in 2004, the rate of Canadian Cesarean deliveries had reached a record high while new mothers' hospital stays were becoming shorter. The information was presented on pages 267-279 and focused on the basics of the situation.

CanWest News from Don Mills, Ontario was published on April 21.

According to the Canadian Press NewsWire, a Health Information Report conducted by Sheryl Ubelacker in 2004 revealed a shift in the trends of childbirth in Canada.

Toronto, Ontario, September 9th, 2004: The essay has been submitted by Candice Bailey.