Remember Cara Mulhahn, the midwife prominently featured in The Business of Being Born?
Recently, a family was shown on the Today Show in a segment titled “The Perils of Home Birth” where they spoke of how they hired her, and she labored a long time, and then her baby was born still. That family is now suing.
You bet your bippy that the media is having a field day with this. Take a look at Celebrity Midwife Cara Muhlhahn Sued for Negligence Resulting in Stillbirth
Other articles are out there too, if you google her name.
Perhaps she made a mistake. I understand she let the mother labor for days before going to the hospital – although I know many women who have labored for days and done just fine (I am one of those women.) But maybe she missed something. Or, maybe it just happened – as these things often do. If it happened in the hospital, we wouldn’t even hear about it. We would assume that everything possible was done and that it was meant to be.
Something’s got to give. Every time one side pushes, the other side pushes back. Those of us who are in favor of midwifery care and ensuring that women have access to the safest care in the style of their choosing cannot back down – we need to get stronger until our voices are heard. We can’t let all midwives get lynched for something that may have simply be an act of God.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
Would I have wanted to know?
I've decided to get personal today.
At this time seven years ago, I was about four months pregnant with my first daughter. My OB/GYN was a charming man whom I had chosen on the recommendation of a trusted friend because my husband and I thought we might struggle with fertility, and heard he was very aggressive in helping couples conceive. I had waited all my life to be a mother and wasn't taking any chances or wasting any time. If there was going to be a problem, I wanted it addressed and dealt with as quickly as possible.
Turned out, fertility was not a problem. Seemed like we only had to think it was a good idea, and it happened. We were elated. At the time, I had one friend who was pregnant four months ahead of me, one who was two months ahead of me, and one who would be pregnant soon after. All but one of us were first-timers. We shared stories, looked to each other for advice, complained, laughed... I remember that time fondly.
As each of us had our babies, there were certain presumptions. We presumed that if we didn't have our baby by a certain date, we would be induced. In fact, we presumed we would have some kind of intervention - whether it was induction, or pain meds, or having our water broken, or a cesarean . Most of us took "the class" at the hospital which gave a pretty thorough rundown about procedures and protocols, and read books like What to Expect While You're Expecting, which told us what to expect but gave us no indication of what to question. We planned to breastfeed. We talked about our birth plans. We oohed and ahh'd over each other's baby registries. We anticipated.
The first mom went in for her induction. She was given a sleep aid with the expectation that things would take a while. They didn't. Within a short amount of time, her labor was strong and she had an epidural. Soon after, all the while fighting off the sleep medication, she managed to push her baby out with some help and a lot of tearing. Breastfeeding was written off almost immediately because it wasn't working. It was a horrible experience for her, but nothing seemed odd about it to me. It's just how it was.
The second mom was having her second baby. She planned a cesarean since she had some kind of "failure" the first time. Her doctors were very supportive of this idea and I don't know if she ever gave much consideration to having a VBAC. When her son was born, she said, "My doctor said my uterus was so thin she was glad I didn't try for a VBAC because she was sure I would have ruptured." I was relieved for her.
Then came me. I had some amount of hope that things would be natural, but little expectation. I saw my friends, and others, before me. Nobody was doing it natural. It was a "nice idea" but I knew not to count on it, so I hoped for the best and tried to prepare for the worst and figured like everyone else, I'd land in the middle somewhere.
So, when I had a cesarean, it wasn't exactly a shock. I knew the odds... I didn't think I would be that woman, but I knew it could happen. Still, the whole thing was so surreal. What I did not expect was how I felt afterward. I hated myself for how it had happened. I didn't think I deserved her. I thought I was being irrational and stupid, which only led to me being harder on myself. So, down I spiraled.
Somewhere in there, a lightbulb switched on and I realized I had to get myself out of there. I started searching. I found ICAN, and other resources. One brazen night I just put my story out there, expecting people to tell me I was being dumb but having no other option; and they responded in droves, telling me they understood and explaining things to me like nobody ever had before.
That's when I started reading. I learned there were other books. I learned there were other websites. I learned many factors that had likely contributed to having a cesarean, and it made me mad. I felt used and betrayed by my OB and the system. I blamed myself.
But you can only know what you can see.
I remember knowing about midwives, but I made an assumption that they did not exist around here. But if I'd known, would it have made a difference? I didn't know anyone who used a midwife. I didn't really understand midwives. I might have listened to a woman who told me about what it meant with a "that's great for you, but I really do love my OB" kind of way. I might have secretly judged her for being too earthy. I never would have believed my OB would harm me, intentionally or otherwise.
I would have said a doula was too expensive. Even now, I probably wouldn't use one - though I promote the idea to other women - mostly because I would rather hide from people than have that.
I knew that the increase in cesareans was of concern, and that my own OB, by his admission, had a higher rate of c-sections than others in the area. I knew this, but I was sure I would not be a statistic. The rules of the rest of the world did not apply to me.
I would have like to know though, that I could change OB's, that someone out there would have taken me at 37 weeks when mine turned on me. I'm not sure that I would have though. You know how it is, you spend your time getting to know and trust someone, and when there seems to be more good than bad, you want to give it a fair chance. You blame your "erratic pregnancy hormones". You doubt your instincts.
If I had known then what I know now, I wouldn't be who I am - a woman who is much stronger, and a better mother for it. I know now that I would not have listened - I would have just stayed in my comfortable, ignorant bliss. What I wanted then, and what I got, was to follow the road more traveled, because it seemed to be the obvious choice. In the end though, I got burned, but I survived.
At this time seven years ago, I was about four months pregnant with my first daughter. My OB/GYN was a charming man whom I had chosen on the recommendation of a trusted friend because my husband and I thought we might struggle with fertility, and heard he was very aggressive in helping couples conceive. I had waited all my life to be a mother and wasn't taking any chances or wasting any time. If there was going to be a problem, I wanted it addressed and dealt with as quickly as possible.
Turned out, fertility was not a problem. Seemed like we only had to think it was a good idea, and it happened. We were elated. At the time, I had one friend who was pregnant four months ahead of me, one who was two months ahead of me, and one who would be pregnant soon after. All but one of us were first-timers. We shared stories, looked to each other for advice, complained, laughed... I remember that time fondly.
As each of us had our babies, there were certain presumptions. We presumed that if we didn't have our baby by a certain date, we would be induced. In fact, we presumed we would have some kind of intervention - whether it was induction, or pain meds, or having our water broken, or a cesarean . Most of us took "the class" at the hospital which gave a pretty thorough rundown about procedures and protocols, and read books like What to Expect While You're Expecting, which told us what to expect but gave us no indication of what to question. We planned to breastfeed. We talked about our birth plans. We oohed and ahh'd over each other's baby registries. We anticipated.
The first mom went in for her induction. She was given a sleep aid with the expectation that things would take a while. They didn't. Within a short amount of time, her labor was strong and she had an epidural. Soon after, all the while fighting off the sleep medication, she managed to push her baby out with some help and a lot of tearing. Breastfeeding was written off almost immediately because it wasn't working. It was a horrible experience for her, but nothing seemed odd about it to me. It's just how it was.
The second mom was having her second baby. She planned a cesarean since she had some kind of "failure" the first time. Her doctors were very supportive of this idea and I don't know if she ever gave much consideration to having a VBAC. When her son was born, she said, "My doctor said my uterus was so thin she was glad I didn't try for a VBAC because she was sure I would have ruptured." I was relieved for her.
Then came me. I had some amount of hope that things would be natural, but little expectation. I saw my friends, and others, before me. Nobody was doing it natural. It was a "nice idea" but I knew not to count on it, so I hoped for the best and tried to prepare for the worst and figured like everyone else, I'd land in the middle somewhere.
So, when I had a cesarean, it wasn't exactly a shock. I knew the odds... I didn't think I would be that woman, but I knew it could happen. Still, the whole thing was so surreal. What I did not expect was how I felt afterward. I hated myself for how it had happened. I didn't think I deserved her. I thought I was being irrational and stupid, which only led to me being harder on myself. So, down I spiraled.
Somewhere in there, a lightbulb switched on and I realized I had to get myself out of there. I started searching. I found ICAN, and other resources. One brazen night I just put my story out there, expecting people to tell me I was being dumb but having no other option; and they responded in droves, telling me they understood and explaining things to me like nobody ever had before.
That's when I started reading. I learned there were other books. I learned there were other websites. I learned many factors that had likely contributed to having a cesarean, and it made me mad. I felt used and betrayed by my OB and the system. I blamed myself.
But you can only know what you can see.
I remember knowing about midwives, but I made an assumption that they did not exist around here. But if I'd known, would it have made a difference? I didn't know anyone who used a midwife. I didn't really understand midwives. I might have listened to a woman who told me about what it meant with a "that's great for you, but I really do love my OB" kind of way. I might have secretly judged her for being too earthy. I never would have believed my OB would harm me, intentionally or otherwise.
I would have said a doula was too expensive. Even now, I probably wouldn't use one - though I promote the idea to other women - mostly because I would rather hide from people than have that.
I knew that the increase in cesareans was of concern, and that my own OB, by his admission, had a higher rate of c-sections than others in the area. I knew this, but I was sure I would not be a statistic. The rules of the rest of the world did not apply to me.
I would have like to know though, that I could change OB's, that someone out there would have taken me at 37 weeks when mine turned on me. I'm not sure that I would have though. You know how it is, you spend your time getting to know and trust someone, and when there seems to be more good than bad, you want to give it a fair chance. You blame your "erratic pregnancy hormones". You doubt your instincts.
If I had known then what I know now, I wouldn't be who I am - a woman who is much stronger, and a better mother for it. I know now that I would not have listened - I would have just stayed in my comfortable, ignorant bliss. What I wanted then, and what I got, was to follow the road more traveled, because it seemed to be the obvious choice. In the end though, I got burned, but I survived.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
TIME is On Our Side
Check out the article in Time Magazine!
... and be sure to read the "story behind the story" at The Huffington Post
Does this effect women in WNY? Yes it does!
According to the New York State Department of Health, as well as a survey taken by ICAN volunteers says that women in Niagara and OrleansCounties show that three out of the four hospitals with maternity units do NOT offer VBAC as an option for their mothers. These three hospitals are Niagara Falls Memorial, Medina Memorial and Inter-Community Hospital in Newfane. One other hospital, Mount St. Mary's in Lewiston does claim to offer VBAC as an option, but only 3.4% of women who've had a previous c-section are having them there. These hospitals only handled a total of 1,000 births in 2007, but of that, but it means around 160 women may have been sectioned unnecessarily, subjecting them to unnecessary risk.
What about the women of Erie County? While there are no bans at Women and Children's hospital, Millard Fillmore Suburban, Sisters or Mercy hospital, the rates of women who are having VBACs is on the decline from an overall percentage of 12% in 2006 to 9% in 2007. The most disturbing is Mercy, who is according to the DOH site has a 5.6% VBAC rate, but none of our hospitals are performing up to par.
Cesarean rates at all of these hospitals are high, though this year some have shown minor declines. Overall in Erie county, about 34% percent of women will have the surgery that Consumer Reports has listed as one of the top surgeries you're better off without, and this is up from 33.4% from 2006.
Is this because women are asking for cesareans? Or, could it be that women aren't being well-informed of their choices? Women don't want to talk about the risks because it is too "scary", but we need to start facing what the real possibilities are before making such important decisions.
... and be sure to read the "story behind the story" at The Huffington Post
Does this effect women in WNY? Yes it does!
According to the New York State Department of Health, as well as a survey taken by ICAN volunteers says that women in Niagara and OrleansCounties show that three out of the four hospitals with maternity units do NOT offer VBAC as an option for their mothers. These three hospitals are Niagara Falls Memorial, Medina Memorial and Inter-Community Hospital in Newfane. One other hospital, Mount St. Mary's in Lewiston does claim to offer VBAC as an option, but only 3.4% of women who've had a previous c-section are having them there. These hospitals only handled a total of 1,000 births in 2007, but of that, but it means around 160 women may have been sectioned unnecessarily, subjecting them to unnecessary risk.
What about the women of Erie County? While there are no bans at Women and Children's hospital, Millard Fillmore Suburban, Sisters or Mercy hospital, the rates of women who are having VBACs is on the decline from an overall percentage of 12% in 2006 to 9% in 2007. The most disturbing is Mercy, who is according to the DOH site has a 5.6% VBAC rate, but none of our hospitals are performing up to par.
Cesarean rates at all of these hospitals are high, though this year some have shown minor declines. Overall in Erie county, about 34% percent of women will have the surgery that Consumer Reports has listed as one of the top surgeries you're better off without, and this is up from 33.4% from 2006.
Is this because women are asking for cesareans? Or, could it be that women aren't being well-informed of their choices? Women don't want to talk about the risks because it is too "scary", but we need to start facing what the real possibilities are before making such important decisions.
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Journey to Breech VBA2C
Here is one of our ICAN mama's journeys to having a breech VBAC after two cesareans:
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
ICAN’s Response to ACOG AND AABC Statements on VBAC and Homebirth
Redondo Beach, CA, February 7, 2008: The International Cesarean Awareness Network (www.ican-online.org) would like to publicly condemn both the AABC (American Association of Birth Centers) and the ACOG (The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) for their statements* this week that limit not only women’s choices in birth but imply that birth is a fashion trend rather than a safety concern.
Since VBAC is the biological normal outcome of a pregnancy after cesarean, ICAN encourages women to get all of the facts about vaginal birth and elective repeat cesarean before making a choice. This decision should not include weighing the choices of your doctor’s malpractice payments but only be a concern of the mother, her baby and their health and safety.
Since some mothers will make the choice to give birth outside of the hospital, we encourage the AABC to not cave into ACOG’s demands that all women give birth in a hospital facility with a surgical specialist, but instead allow women to make their own choices about care providers, birth settings and risk factors. ICAN respects the intelligence of modern women and accepts that the amount of information available about VBAC and elective cesarean should serve as informed consent.
ICAN further encourages the governments of individual states to look closely at their cesarean rates (31.1% national cesarean rate as of 2006) and the informed consent laws that apply and help women to reach a standard of care that lowers the risks of major surgery and the risks of elective or coerced cesarean without medical indication. Women and children should not bear the brunt of malpractice risks being conveyed into physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health risks in order to protect their physicians.
Mission statement: ICAN is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve maternal-child health by preventing unnecessary cesareans through education, providing support for cesarean recovery and promoting vaginal birth after cesarean. There are more than 94 ICAN Chapters across North America, which hold educational and support meetings for people interested in cesarean prevention and recovery.
________________________________________________________
* AABC statement: http://www.birthcenters.org/files/file.php?id=2&file=file&file_type=file_type
ACOG statement: http://www.acog.org/from_home/publications/press_releases/nr02-06-08-2.cfm
Since VBAC is the biological normal outcome of a pregnancy after cesarean, ICAN encourages women to get all of the facts about vaginal birth and elective repeat cesarean before making a choice. This decision should not include weighing the choices of your doctor’s malpractice payments but only be a concern of the mother, her baby and their health and safety.
Since some mothers will make the choice to give birth outside of the hospital, we encourage the AABC to not cave into ACOG’s demands that all women give birth in a hospital facility with a surgical specialist, but instead allow women to make their own choices about care providers, birth settings and risk factors. ICAN respects the intelligence of modern women and accepts that the amount of information available about VBAC and elective cesarean should serve as informed consent.
ICAN further encourages the governments of individual states to look closely at their cesarean rates (31.1% national cesarean rate as of 2006) and the informed consent laws that apply and help women to reach a standard of care that lowers the risks of major surgery and the risks of elective or coerced cesarean without medical indication. Women and children should not bear the brunt of malpractice risks being conveyed into physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health risks in order to protect their physicians.
Mission statement: ICAN is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve maternal-child health by preventing unnecessary cesareans through education, providing support for cesarean recovery and promoting vaginal birth after cesarean. There are more than 94 ICAN Chapters across North America, which hold educational and support meetings for people interested in cesarean prevention and recovery.
________________________________________________________
* AABC statement: http://www.birthcenters.org/files/file.php?id=2&file=file&file_type=file_type
ACOG statement: http://www.acog.org/from_home/publications/press_releases/nr02-06-08-2.cfm
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
ICAN of Buffalo in Tonawanda News
A story about ICAN of Buffalo! Click here.
Most of my friends and family assume that, since I had a C-section when Cameran was born, I already have a repeat Cesarean scheduled for Little Wahler No. 2’s impending birth.
Sure, it seems convenient. Go in at 7 a.m., start the meds, have the operation, and be back in the mother-baby unit before “The Today Show” is over. I could pick the day even: Do I want a St. Patrick’s Day baby? A first-day-of-Spring baby? Don’t pick March 15 — you know, the whole “Ides of March” thing can’t bode well for babies born on that day.
Am I crazy for thinking that takes the fun out of the whole experience?
Sunday, January 20, 2008
History of Midwives
The fear of copyright infringement precludes me from publishing this article in it's entirity. If you choose to follow just one link from this blog ever, this is a really good one to choose. Some highlights:
History of midwives
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
01/19/2008
History of midwives
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
01/19/2008
In the 1930s, maternal mortality rates began to decline in hospitals in the U.S. thanks to the use of more sterile surgical conditions and techniques. Medical advances in antibiotics and blood transfusions accelerated declines. Around this time, medical doctors began campaigning against midwives in the media, courts and legislature. They cited poor outcomes, though some research suggests they were ridding their competition.
Technologically intensive childbirth, however, has become the norm. The rate of labor induction has doubled since 1990, which studies show increases the chances of having a Cesarean section. The C-section rate has jumped within the past 10 years to over 30 percent, the highest ever. The major abdominal surgery involves risk to the mother and also increases risk of complications in subsequent pregnancies.
A comprehensive survey of women’s childbearing experiences released last year shows most mothers experienced each of the following during labor and delivery — continuous electronic fetal monitoring, one or more vaginal exams, intravenous fluids, epidural or spinal analgesia and a catheter. Most had little understanding of the side effects of these interventions. The survey also showed that many received interventions, such as episiotomies, without their consent.
National health statistics show that while over 4 million women give birth a year, obstetric procedures number nearly 7 million.
Today, more than 7,000 nurse midwives practice in all 50 states and attend almost 10 percent of all births, mostly in hospitals.
But natural birth advocates decry the loss of non-nurse midwives. As a result, they say women have lost the knowledge and confidence in giving birth. Advocates are pushing for the legalization of non-nurse midwives with specific training in home births. These "direct-entry" midwives learn midwifery through apprenticeship or a midwifery school that is distinct from nursing.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
C-Section Concerns in the Big Apple
Rise in C-Sections Is Stirring Worry
By E.B. SOLOMONT
New York Sun
By E.B. SOLOMONT
New York Sun
"There is alarming concern throughout the country that there are too many cesarean sections," said Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, who in 2006 released a report based on 2005 data detailing individual hospitals' cesarean section rates. "It's additional cost and it's additional risk," Ms. Gotbaum said, adding, "I hate to impart motives on hospitals and doctors … I can just tell you the numbers speak for themselves."
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Study Shows Increase In Pregnancy-Related Deaths, Are Cesarean Sections To Blame?
NBC in Augusta, GA reports:
But, is it ethical for doctors to allow elective "on demand" cesareans if there are no medical indications? Are doctors really informing their patients of the potential, lifethreatening risks?
Dr. Helfgott blames the increase [of cesareans] on a new breed of mothers, he's coined it the 'now generation.'
"They want what they want when they want it. They want to be able to plan their delivery. They want to have the baby on a day that's convenient for them," said Dr. Helfgott.
Is that 'now' mentality leading to more deaths? Figures released by the National Center for Health Statistics show an increase in pregnancy related deaths. There were 13 deaths per 100,000 in 2003 and 14 deaths per 100,000 in 2004.
But, is it ethical for doctors to allow elective "on demand" cesareans if there are no medical indications? Are doctors really informing their patients of the potential, lifethreatening risks?
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
"DIY" Deliveries
ABC News reports on Unattended childbirth, also known as "Do it Yourself" delivery. Click here.
Support Waterbirth International!
An email from Barbara Harper:
I cannot yet imagine a world without the voice and work of Waterbirth International - we get calls and emails every day from women who need help convincing one hospital or another to let them labor or birth in water. If we die - a big part of the movement dies. Waterbirth has shown us all that women know how to give birth and babies know how to be born. Waterbirth gave us "hands-off", sit back and let the baby out. I see waterbirth mentioned on Blogs every single day, not to mention Baby Story on the TV. I took Waterbirth International to ACOG two years in a row - and was the ONLY booth showing birth films to obstetricians and especially to student physicians. There were tears, laughter and outrage - just the thing to stir up those young crop of doctors. I am finally realizing a life's dream.
But now I am faced with letting this dream go. Perhaps I have done enough. Perhaps it is time to quit.
About 18 years ago, maybe it was longer, when Mothering Magazine was facing bankruptcy Peggy did a heartfelt plea asking their readers to consider ordering a Life-time subscription. I think the subscriptions were $1000 or $1200, I can't remember now. I do remember that I couldn't imagine not reading my Mothering. So, I bought two and gave one to my obstetrician's office.
How can you help us stay open to take the next phone call? - to convince the next obstetrician to incorporate waterbirth into his/her practice - to work with the nurse midwives to install pools in their facilities? To educate an entire hospital on the benefits of allowing women freedom of movement in the water. How much is it worth to see waterbirth become the norm in the US, like it is in the UK? I think we only need a few more years to make that happen. Do women really want waterbirth to be an available choice in every hospital? I think so.
Can you help us by getting the word out on blogs and lists? I had to let go of all of the staff except one person to process orders. Miraculously, we made payroll today, but we can't hang on much longer. We need a miracle.
If I need to call every single waterbirth parent personally, I will. I don't want 25 years of work to end over a measly $200,000.
The work that we have done the last few years has been phenomenal. How God arranged for me to teach in hospitals and medical schools around the planet - Taiwan, Venezuela, Turkey, Mexico, Canada, Holland, Portugal, China, Trinidad, Croatia - I'll never figure that out. I laugh out loud sometimes when I get up in front of an audience of physicians in a medical school overseas - who all want to hear about waterbirth and the incorporation of Gentle Birth practices and principles into their routines.
Think about what you can do and call me if you want to chat or if you have some great ideas on how we can quickly move into the black and keep waterbirth alive and thriving.
We need your help. Barbara Harper needs your help. The waterbirth/gentle birth movement needs your help.
Blessings,
Barbara
Barbara Harper, RN, CLD, CCE
Founder/Director
Waterbirth International
www.waterbirth.org
503-673-0026 -office (out of US or in Portland)
800-641-2229 - toll free
503-710-7975 - cell phone
We LOVE helping women get into Hot Water!!
And have been doing it for 24 years!!
I cannot yet imagine a world without the voice and work of Waterbirth International - we get calls and emails every day from women who need help convincing one hospital or another to let them labor or birth in water. If we die - a big part of the movement dies. Waterbirth has shown us all that women know how to give birth and babies know how to be born. Waterbirth gave us "hands-off", sit back and let the baby out. I see waterbirth mentioned on Blogs every single day, not to mention Baby Story on the TV. I took Waterbirth International to ACOG two years in a row - and was the ONLY booth showing birth films to obstetricians and especially to student physicians. There were tears, laughter and outrage - just the thing to stir up those young crop of doctors. I am finally realizing a life's dream.
But now I am faced with letting this dream go. Perhaps I have done enough. Perhaps it is time to quit.
About 18 years ago, maybe it was longer, when Mothering Magazine was facing bankruptcy Peggy did a heartfelt plea asking their readers to consider ordering a Life-time subscription. I think the subscriptions were $1000 or $1200, I can't remember now. I do remember that I couldn't imagine not reading my Mothering. So, I bought two and gave one to my obstetrician's office.
How can you help us stay open to take the next phone call? - to convince the next obstetrician to incorporate waterbirth into his/her practice - to work with the nurse midwives to install pools in their facilities? To educate an entire hospital on the benefits of allowing women freedom of movement in the water. How much is it worth to see waterbirth become the norm in the US, like it is in the UK? I think we only need a few more years to make that happen. Do women really want waterbirth to be an available choice in every hospital? I think so.
Can you help us by getting the word out on blogs and lists? I had to let go of all of the staff except one person to process orders. Miraculously, we made payroll today, but we can't hang on much longer. We need a miracle.
If I need to call every single waterbirth parent personally, I will. I don't want 25 years of work to end over a measly $200,000.
The work that we have done the last few years has been phenomenal. How God arranged for me to teach in hospitals and medical schools around the planet - Taiwan, Venezuela, Turkey, Mexico, Canada, Holland, Portugal, China, Trinidad, Croatia - I'll never figure that out. I laugh out loud sometimes when I get up in front of an audience of physicians in a medical school overseas - who all want to hear about waterbirth and the incorporation of Gentle Birth practices and principles into their routines.
Think about what you can do and call me if you want to chat or if you have some great ideas on how we can quickly move into the black and keep waterbirth alive and thriving.
We need your help. Barbara Harper needs your help. The waterbirth/gentle birth movement needs your help.
Blessings,
Barbara
Barbara Harper, RN, CLD, CCE
Founder/Director
Waterbirth International
www.waterbirth.org
503-673-0026 -office (out of US or in Portland)
800-641-2229 - toll free
503-710-7975 - cell phone
We LOVE helping women get into Hot Water!!
And have been doing it for 24 years!!
Monday, January 07, 2008
Answers prove elusive as C-section rate rises
USA Today writer Rita Rubin writes about elective cesareans here.
Ok women, the health of you and your babies is at stake! Are we really "ambivalent"?
Some leading obstetrician/gynecologists believe only a trial in which women are randomly assigned to deliver their first babies by planned C-section or planned vaginal delivery can determine whether either is safer.
Other doctors, as well as activists, question the need for and the feasibility of such a trial. They cite several recent studies that examined rates of pregnancy-related deaths and illness in women who opted for a vaginal delivery compared with those who scheduled a C-section. Mothers who delivered vaginally generally fared better, although complications were rare even among C-section mothers.
Whether first-time mothers increasingly are requesting C-sections when they don't need them isn't clear. Eugene Declercq, professor of maternal and child health at Boston University, says he suspects more doctors are recommending them, and their patients are reluctant to disagree. For example, Declercq says, a doctor might say, "The baby is looking kind of big. We could do a cesarean."
OB/GYN Peter Bernstein of Montefiore Medical Center in New York says some doctors encourage patients to schedule C-sections because they think they're less likely to be sued than if they perform a vaginal delivery. And "women are more ambivalent about what they want."
Ok women, the health of you and your babies is at stake! Are we really "ambivalent"?
Did you really need that cesarean?
From the Syracuse Post Standard - Click here
My favorite quote:
Go Dr. Neulander! Some might find this an affront to women's choices for childbirth... but there is also something to be said about the question of ethics behind performing major surgery without cause that can impact the mother and baby adversely. Good for him in going against the trend!
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says many women who have had a Caesarean can later safely give birth naturally. But local doctors say the professional group made it impossible for many women to do that when it issued guidelines in 2004 imposing extra staffing requirements on hospitals that offer vaginal birth after a Caesarean. Those guidelines say hospitals must have an anesthesiologist and a doctor capable of performing an emergency Caesarean on the unit while the woman is in labor. .
My favorite quote:
Some women want Caesareans so they can schedule their deliveries at a convenient time, said Dr. Robert Neulander, a Fayetteville obstetrician-gynecologist who's been delivering babies for 24 years. He refuses to do elective Caesareans.
Go Dr. Neulander! Some might find this an affront to women's choices for childbirth... but there is also something to be said about the question of ethics behind performing major surgery without cause that can impact the mother and baby adversely. Good for him in going against the trend!
With Love, Jennifer Block
Author Jennifer Block writes an open letter to Christina Aguilera regarding her upcoming scheduled cesarean. Here is the whole letter.
Read Jennifer Block's blog at http://pushedbirth.com/
You are lucky, Christina. You can get whatever kind of care you want, from an elective "C" to a midwife-attended home water-birth. For most women it's not that easy. Did you know that hundreds of hospitals have banned vaginal birth after cesarean? That's right -- while you can freely book unnecessary surgery, there are thousands of women who are being told it is their only option. And home birth? It's a great choice for healthy women with straightforward pregnancies -- in England the government is encouraging such women to give birth at home (like Charlotte Church!) -- but many insurer's won't cover it, and in some states home-birth midwives are illegal, and women who want that choice have to go underground. Can you imagine having to hire black-market surgeon?
Read Jennifer Block's blog at http://pushedbirth.com/
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Award For N.J. Hospital Draws Anger
Click on story link here.
Johnson and Johnson awarded Underwood Hospital in New Jersey for their excellence in maternity care. Underwood is where Valerie Scythes (35) and Melissa Farah (28), who were coworkers and friends, died due to complications related to cesareans just two weeks apart from one another. Shame on Johnson and Johnson for not doing their research...
Johnson and Johnson awarded Underwood Hospital in New Jersey for their excellence in maternity care. Underwood is where Valerie Scythes (35) and Melissa Farah (28), who were coworkers and friends, died due to complications related to cesareans just two weeks apart from one another. Shame on Johnson and Johnson for not doing their research...
Thursday, December 27, 2007
What Women Aren't Told About Childbirth
By Manda Aufochs Gillespie and Mariya Strauss, AlterNet. Posted October 20, 2007.
http://www.alternet.org/healthwellness/65608/?page=entire
A new survey of mothers reveals some disturbing things about hospital maternity care that may make pregnant women want to take a closer look at their options.
http://www.alternet.org/healthwellness/65608/?page=entire
A new survey of mothers reveals some disturbing things about hospital maternity care that may make pregnant women want to take a closer look at their options.
The survey Listening to Mothers II (LM 2) was released in 2006 and reports on U.S. women's childbearing experiences. Conducted for Childbirth Connection by Harris Interactive in partnership with Lamaze International and Boston University School of Public Health, it is the first comprehensive survey of women's childbearing experiences. The survey population is representative of U.S. mothers 18 to 45 who gave birth to a single infant in a hospital, with 1,573 actual participants.
"The predominant picture that emerges from our data," the report states, "is of large segments of this population experiencing clearly inappropriate care."
The majority of women ended up attached to IVs, catheters and fetal monitors. They had their membranes artificially ruptured and were given epidurals. Most of these women had little understanding of the side effects of these interventions, including cesarean and medical inductions. The report also shows that though women understood that they had the right to refuse medical interventions, few did, and many received interventions, such as episiotomies, without their consent.
Just as troubling is what is not being done. A "very tiny minority" of women received all of the care practices that promote natural birth. "With 4 million U.S. births annually, a single percentage point represents about 40,000 mothers and babies per year," the report authors say. Despite the relative health of women in the United States, many women are not getting the uncomplicated births they might expect.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Does how we birth matter?
[Can you tell I've just discovered that I can add Youtube clips to blogspot?]
This is so important. From her link, she states:
This is so important. From her link, she states:
Last year, over 1 in 3 babies were born surgically. Why should we care? Because it isn't just another way to have a baby, no matter what the reason. Yes, women smile. But look again, at their eyes. And then understand what sacrifice we make, and what we lose.
Michigan: Another cesarean tragedy
http://www.woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=7530396&nav=0RceHnLU
KALAMAZOO -- The exact cause of why Tina Hagenbuch died while delivering triplets has not yet been determined.
But the past president of an organization called The Greater Kalamazoo Mothers of Multiples told 24 Hour News 8 Tina Hagenbuch died of a heart attack after embryonic fluid entered the blood stream during a C-section.
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