Welcome to the ICAN of Somerset Blog.
ICAN is the International Cesarean Network. From their website www.ican-online.org :
The International Cesarean Awareness Network, Inc. (ICAN) is a
nonprofit organization founded by Esther Booth Zorn in 1982. ICAN's
mission is to improve maternal-child health by preventing unnecessary
cesareans through education, providing support for cesarean recovery,
and promoting Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC).
ICAN of Somerset is the local chapter for ICAN in Somerset County NJ. The state of NJ is currently experiencing a cesarean epidemic. 37% of all births in NJ are by c-section. This is the highest rate in the US. Unfortunately, as I will later post, our high c-section rate does not make us the safest place to give birth in.
This blog is intended to provide women in NJ with information about our birthing culture and allow them to make informed choices. Obviously, a c-section is sometimes the best and safest choice for a particular situation. There is no argument about that. The World Health Organization suggests that a c-section rate should be no higher than 10-15%. Beyond that, we are hurting women.
The time to question and act is now.
Our group meets bimonthly and is always welcome to new faces who are interested in cesarean prevention, recovery, vbac and birth in general!
ICANofSomerset@gmail.com
