Hospitals for birth: life savers or money makers?

When i inquired about jaundice and what role a home birth would play in the diagnosis and treatment of it, I learned some disturbing information about hospitals in my area, more specifically regarding their new born and birthing practices.

First, the hospitals have recently began testing all new borns for jaundice, where as they used to only test babies who had certain signs and symptoms, because the hospitals were introduced to a new method for testing. In addition to being able to play with a new toy, they are able to charge more money to parents for running the test. Makes me wonder what other tests are being performed on babies willy nilly.

Second, it is rumored that hospitals have been advised to keep the NICU running at full capacity since it is a big money maker. The hospitals are also suffering in this economy and are attempting to recoup losses. Who are fault them for being overly cautious with babies and keeping them a few days longer to make sure that they are OK, right? Well, what about the mothers and fathers who want to take their baby home but the nurses say "no." Here is a new story about a family who wanted to take their baby home, was ok'ed by their pediatrician, but was denied by the nurses: 
http://www.ktnv.com/story/14338042/baby
And this is happening all over town, from what i hear.

I have also talked with many women who wanted to have vaginal births but were told things like "your baby is too big" or "your pelvis is too small." I understand that our society, with its fast food and sweets everywhere you turn, is likely to grow some larger babies but the number of women I've seen be told these things is alarming. What did women do prior to all this knowledge when we were in the jungle living off berries and lions? Women weren't privy to any knowledge about the size of their baby. They just had their babies. That was it. So why all the need for C-sections?

In 2009, the C-section rates in Nevada were 35% while the national average was listed at 31%, according to Health Plan of Nevada (HPN) & Sierra Health. Some doctors listed were over 50%. There are many reasons that I have heard for the increase in C-sections over the years. These reasons include:
- doctors are trying to cover their butts more to avoid malpractice suits and raised insurance rates. Therefore, any sign of complications at all and the doctors will resort to C-sections
- the introductions of the epidurals and pitocin cause labor to stall out or not progress as naturally as possible causing the need for c-sections
- doctors and nurses would like labor to be faster than it tends to be for some women. So, once a woman labors for a certain amount of time they will decide that the baby isn't coming naturally and suggest a c-section
- its faster for the doctor (taking 15 minutes- an hour) where as vaginal births take many hours and some times days
But, the most disturbing thing to me, which i think may be occurring in light of this new information, is that doctors have realized that a surgery, such as a c-section, is a money maker. And, maybe the hospitals have given the doctors orders to figure out the best way to make money. I wonder if the doctors are getting kick backs or bonuses for racking up doctors bills?

It bothers me to think that a system, facility, or person who is there to help others, save lives, and fix medical issues has money as their bottom line. I do not believe that all doctors, hospitals, nurses or administrators are waking up every day thinking about how they can hurt families and babies to make money. There are amazing care professionals who truly want to help people but are likely caught up in the bureaucracy of it all. OR, maybe they are told that they are to do certain things to because it is the best thing for their patients.

Some people call me a hippie because i want to have a natural home birth. When i think of what a hippie looks like, i think of a pot smoking, tree hugging, no bath taking, Birkenstock wearing love child. That does not fit me at all. I wonder what people call well researched, educated parents who only want the best for themselves and their children? I am certainly an outcast, a rebel, as far as society is concerned. If the people in our society took the time to educate themselves and not make decisions based on what their doctors tell them or out of fear, how many would come to a similar conclusion?

I know that there are still women who would say "give me the drugs, cut me open, and get this baby out!" and that is totally fine. And there will still be medical reasons for c-sections, drugs, forceps, vacuums, etc in birth otherwise they would have never been invented in the first place. But, as parents, we should have the right to be informed about our children and births, the risks at an accurate level (not as a scare tactic from doctors), and be able to make our own choices without the threat of social services being called if we do not conform to their ways of money making.