I filled out the bc for both my kids.All I can recall in the first one(uc birth) was questions about complications during birth and apgar scores in the form.
sara
sara
Birth certificates and information sharing???
I just finished reading the March/April 2003 Mothering (yes, I'm just now reading it - now stop snickering! :LOL ). There was an article (Homebirth Under Fire) that referred to a study done in Washington state.
Now help me make sure I'm reading this right - the article referred several times to information retrieved from birth (and death) certificates. I'm not talking DOB, height/weight info - I'm talking "pregnancy complications" (the article lists some of these as: "a previous large, preterm, or low-birthweight baby, or herpes") and "complications such as cesarean delivery, postpartum bleeding, and prolonged labor" !!!
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Have I just been hiding my head in the sand? I had no idea these types of things were reported on the birth certificate!!! Are they reported across the US, or just in Washington state??
Another aspect of this is that I just looked at my son's official birth certificate and NONE of this is on there (which would make sense if the reporting is only done in Washington state - DS was born in NC). Ummmm.....if this type of information IS being reported, why don't I have all of it?
Now that I have read the article, I DO remember arguing with a horrible nurse (and a medical records person) while in the hospital after DS was born. They kept wanting me to fill out a form for the birth certificate and I refused to answer questions like: how many previous pregnancies I've had, how many live births, etc. IMO, those things were not necessary to issue a birth certificate for my son. He was born alive whether he's my first or 18th child - just give me the birth certificate!!
Does anyone know if this type of reporting is done in all states? How can this NOT violate privacy? It's none of the state's business how long I was in labor or if DS was born by c/s (again, IMO).
Did anyone else read this article? It was quite interesting, but I'll have to go back and read it again (the first time, I couldn't concentrate on the topic, I was too shocked at this invasion of privacy!).
nak, so won't say much more - discuss amongst yourselves!
Kinsey
Now help me make sure I'm reading this right - the article referred several times to information retrieved from birth (and death) certificates. I'm not talking DOB, height/weight info - I'm talking "pregnancy complications" (the article lists some of these as: "a previous large, preterm, or low-birthweight baby, or herpes") and "complications such as cesarean delivery, postpartum bleeding, and prolonged labor" !!!
Have I just been hiding my head in the sand? I had no idea these types of things were reported on the birth certificate!!! Are they reported across the US, or just in Washington state??
Another aspect of this is that I just looked at my son's official birth certificate and NONE of this is on there (which would make sense if the reporting is only done in Washington state - DS was born in NC). Ummmm.....if this type of information IS being reported, why don't I have all of it?
Now that I have read the article, I DO remember arguing with a horrible nurse (and a medical records person) while in the hospital after DS was born. They kept wanting me to fill out a form for the birth certificate and I refused to answer questions like: how many previous pregnancies I've had, how many live births, etc. IMO, those things were not necessary to issue a birth certificate for my son. He was born alive whether he's my first or 18th child - just give me the birth certificate!!
Does anyone know if this type of reporting is done in all states? How can this NOT violate privacy? It's none of the state's business how long I was in labor or if DS was born by c/s (again, IMO).
Did anyone else read this article? It was quite interesting, but I'll have to go back and read it again (the first time, I couldn't concentrate on the topic, I was too shocked at this invasion of privacy!).
nak, so won't say much more - discuss amongst yourselves!
Kinsey
1 - 13 of 13 Posts
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I am in California. My children were born in 1980, 1983, 1985, and 1992. They were born at home. My last was a UC and I filled out a delayed certificate of birth.
Yes, this kind of information is on their birth certificates. The reason you do not see it is because it is on the half that the County does not give to you when you order the certified copy. You have to ask!
On that half is information about you and your DP - your age, race, ethnicity, what you both do for a living, your LMP, what month of pregnancy you began prenatal care, who paid for your prenatal care and delivery (insurance, government program, private insurance, yourself) complications of pregnancy and concurrent disease, complications of delivery, method of delivery, birth injuries, apgar scores, congential malformations of the baby, productive history as in how many live babies you have had, how many miscarriages you have had, how many abortions you have had (so much for privacy and abortion being a very private decision between a woman and her doctor).
I asked for both halves when I ordered it, that is why I have it!
I asked a county clerk why this information is collected and recorded and she said it was for statistical reasons.
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I do believe that all fifty states collect this information and record it.
I firmly believe that it is none of their f***ing business, but there it is.
So, does that answer your question Kinsey? Good for you for fighting back!
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Originally Posted by juju both of mine were born at home in california. the birth certificates does not have any of that extra info you were talking about, but i remember there was a bit of extra paper work we turned in with the birth certficates and it asked those kind of questions. so, what i am saying the government collects this info, but it may vary from state to state? but the copy of the birth certificate you and i receive does not have any of this on it just the basics. |
Yes, this kind of information is on their birth certificates. The reason you do not see it is because it is on the half that the County does not give to you when you order the certified copy. You have to ask!
On that half is information about you and your DP - your age, race, ethnicity, what you both do for a living, your LMP, what month of pregnancy you began prenatal care, who paid for your prenatal care and delivery (insurance, government program, private insurance, yourself) complications of pregnancy and concurrent disease, complications of delivery, method of delivery, birth injuries, apgar scores, congential malformations of the baby, productive history as in how many live babies you have had, how many miscarriages you have had, how many abortions you have had (so much for privacy and abortion being a very private decision between a woman and her doctor).
I asked for both halves when I ordered it, that is why I have it!
I asked a county clerk why this information is collected and recorded and she said it was for statistical reasons.
I do believe that all fifty states collect this information and record it.
I firmly believe that it is none of their f***ing business, but there it is.
So, does that answer your question Kinsey? Good for you for fighting back!
FYI...I live in NC and had a UC in March. We filled out the birth cert info at the local vital stats office. All that info was asked for, but did not, of course, show up on the certified copy of the bc.
I generally HATE to give out info that I don't believe is anyone else's business, but...I feel pretty confident that all of this info is used annonymously (sp?). And more importantly, I REALLY enjoyed screwing up their stats!
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None of my info fits together with the picture that the stats usually paint. I could just picture some paper-pushing clerk in Raleigh entering our info into their computer system and saying, What?? The mom and dad have a Bachelor's Degree and a Master's Degree, respectively, she doesn't know how much weight she gained, she had only three prenatal visits, she went to 43 weeks, and the baby had a nuchal cord and hand?
I generally HATE to give out info that I don't believe is anyone else's business, but...I feel pretty confident that all of this info is used annonymously (sp?). And more importantly, I REALLY enjoyed screwing up their stats!
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There was one long form for dd's bc that had everything on it(with questions),but when I got a copy of the bc it was only the top section that showed up,and that did not include the section on diseases,/pregnancybirth complications,apgar scores.
I had no idea others went through records to compile info.I left it very basic:no diseases,no complications,and high apgars
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Originally Posted by kinsey43 Sara - do you have your kids' birth certificates? Do they have that information (assuming you filled it in)? Kinsey |
There was one long form for dd's bc that had everything on it(with questions),but when I got a copy of the bc it was only the top section that showed up,and that did not include the section on diseases,/pregnancybirth complications,apgar scores.
I had no idea others went through records to compile info.I left it very basic:no diseases,no complications,and high apgars
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Amazing, isn't it. If it weren't for MDC, I'd be one of those women telling everyone how I "HAD to have a c/s - DS was SOOOO big, I NEVER could have pushed him out" yada yada yada.
So thanks, everyone!!
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Kinsey
Originally Posted by obnurse Wow what I learn here... |
So thanks, everyone!!
Kinsey
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