BlogHer - labor - Comments

I hadn't seen this issue yet, thrilled, though!

hedra — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 09:41:34 -0500

yay for shopping for childbirth methods and approach in the same logical comparison model as shopping for a car.

I am glad this is getting out there - I've been a fan of Childbirth Connection's evidence-based information for years (including the portion that was MaternityWise.org, now merged as part of the same organization). I used it a lot for my own pregnancy and birth experiences, at least for the education part.

I ended up with three hospital births, but all for appropriate medical reasons, and no uniformity of procedure involved - pitocin without epidural, for example, and expectant management of a long labor rather than clock-limits on labor - even with an epidural that time. The evidence in evidence-based medicine can point toward intervention, or away from it, depending on the situation. It's when the high-tech is used because it is there, rather than because evidence supports its use in this patient's case, that the problems snowball.

Hands Full of Rocks: http://hedra.typepad.com

The Title Is Just Fine, Not Misleading

Carrie Blankenship — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 13:18:47 -0500

I am sorry, but I have to disagree with the commentor that stated the title was miseading. The c-section rates in America are through the roof! Yes, healthy babies and moms are the ultimate goal (and a higher hospital bill due to major surgery which trickles down to the pocket books of everyone on the other end of the experience) but at what cost?

For each unnecessary intervention, like induction, there is a side effect (fetal distress, for example). Then there is risk of needing another intervention, like major abdominal surgery, which carries a whole other slew of complications and risks. Do you see how the snowball effect happens?

The long term effects of c-sections are also problematic, as each time a patient has surgery, scar tissue is formed and that in itself can cause lifelong reproductive and gynecological issues. Trust me.

I will always advocate for the education of child-bearing women when it comes to their care and the care of their pregnancies. They need to be encouraged to stand up to medical beliefs and practices that may not be in their best interest, but in the best interest of the doctors time and the hospitals bottom line of doing business. Did you know that there are more c-sections done late in the day so that doctors can make it home at a decent hour? It's true.

I suggest watching "The Business of Being Born" for more information - it will open your eyes about the history of birth in American and where it stands now.

Carrie at Stop Screaming I'm Driving!

I had

CantHardlyWait — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 20:17:40 -0500

an unecessary c-section with my son. I hope, now that I am educated, that I can shoot for a VBAC with my next one.

I learned my lesson

monicabrandywine — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 13:49:19 -0500

My OB had to reel my tiny 6 lbs. daughter out of me like a fish on a hook via vaccum extractor. Why? Because as a first-time mom, the epidural worked way too well. I had no idea how to push, couldn't feel the contractions. She came out looking like a cone head. :( I believe I came very close to a c-section.

First I got mad, then I got educated. My next three babies: with a hospital midwife, no drugs. All mommy-power pushing. Very empowering, I might add. No more cone head babies for me.

Monica

Paper Bridges: a blog about books, faith and life.

I understand what you are

Amy Gates — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 11:30:30 -0500

I understand what you are saying. I feel it is a fair title though. In the article they state, "Childbirth without technical intervention can succeed in leading to a good outcome for mother and child, according to a new report." So I feel that when unnecessary intervention is used, it can lead to a poor outcome. Of course, "poor" is subjective, but when a mom (who was healthy and low-risk, but was induced and then diagnosed as failure to progress and rec'd a c-section) has to spend weeks recovering from a c-section and can't easily breastfeed or pick up her baby or walk around, I think that could be considered by some as poor. Of course a healthy baby is always the goal, but I think maternity care and birth care in this country could be done differently to lower the c-section rate and lower the use of other often unnecessary procedures.

As is said in the article, "The normal, hormone-driven changes in the body that naturally occur during delivery can optimize infant health and encourage the easy establishment and continuation of breastfeeding and mother-baby attachment."

It's definitely a controversial subject, but I'm highly in favor of getting information out there, thereby empowering women and allowing them to make informed choices.

Amy
Crunchy Domestic Goddess
BlogHers Act contributing editor

uh oh...

thatcoolbroad — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 11:30:23 -0500

I totally agree with a previous commenter that you should NEVER just rely on doctors to manage your healthcare. It's the same with your (and your kid's) education...you've got to be involved and question those with authority.

However, I had 5 of those 6 "high-tech" procedures done during both of my deliveries and I had a wonderful experience with childbirth...with no negative effects that I can tell. So again, do what you think is right for you.

xoxo

tcb

Your title is quite misleading.

zchamu — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 05:42:58 -0500

The article states that doctors are overusing high tech procedures, which I agree with. But to state that High tech procedures=poor outcomes is very misleading, and notably incorrect.

Visit my blogs at ThreeSeven (all that's irrelevant and amusing) and
ecochick (all that's green, cool and Canadian).

I don't get it. I really

MLOKnitting — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 02:05:42 -0500

I don't get it. I really don't get it. Why does anyone blindly trust a medical professional? I grew up around a lot of medical professionals and would never blindly trust them...

MLO / Melissa

Our Births are Ridiculous!

Carrie Blankenship — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 01:30:25 -0500

I hope that getting this agencyinvolved will eventually lead to the change America so desperately needs regarding birthing. It is a travesty that in such a medically rich environment, the death rates among mothers givign birth and babies being born are some of the highest in the world. When, exactly did birthing become such a business and stop being about the natural process of bringing a human being into the world?

Having had 2 c-sections myself with a VBAC inbetween, I know the dangers. Hospitals want patients in and out and if your birth is not progressing in what they deem to be a "timely" fashion, they will try to intervene. It is all the interventions that cause more complications and problems resulting in higher c-section rates. Do you realize how many Ob's have not been trained in normal, natural birthing? They are trained to be surgeons, to get the baby out, not to support the mother in doing something that should come naturally.

Sure, there are exceptions, but they are in the minority and that really needs to change. Women need to be empowered and educated that they can do this! Oh, it is so frustrating, thanks for this post!

Carrie at Stop Screaming I'm Driving!

Just say "yes" to midwives

houndrat — Fri, 16 May 2008 09:25:27 -0500

That's why we had a home birth...to eliminate the OB out of the equation completely. No unecessary procedures, no pressure, and no hospital.

No husbands, indeed. He's the one who kept me sane during our birthing experience---and he's got the scars to prove it. Well, okay, maybe no physical scars, but I'm sure there are some emotional ones. Hubby is pretty squeamish, after all.

Hmmm....on second thought, maybe hubby would have liked the idea of staying out of the birthing room....

http://www.houndrat.com

heh, yah, gotta agree with

washwords — Mon, 05 May 2008 21:59:23 -0500

heh, yah, gotta agree with backpackingdad here. Otherwise it's pretty hard to understand and sure seems sexist, as most sweeping generalizations do! Thanks for pointing it out rocks! I'm pretty shocked to hear about it.

washy

http://washwords.wordpress.com

washwords.dc@gmail.com

Perhaps a Valid Point that needed to be shared

missbritt — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 13:50:52 -0500

My husband was in the room for both of my deliveries, and I'm glad. Although to be honest, if he could have skipped out on it, I think that he would have.

I think it might be nice for some men to hear that it is OK if they are not in the delivery room. That doesn't necessarily make them less supportive or immature.

Miss Britt

http://www.miss-britt.com

"Dignity is Overrated"

My Husband Was My Savior

MdMommy2Two — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:53:04 -0500

I can't imagine denying my husband the right to be there at the birth of his children. Dr. Odent doesn't seem to give men the credit for being able to distinguish between their wives as a lover and their wives as a mother. And those men who left their wives after witnessing childbirth? Could it be that it has everything to do with not wanting to be a FATHER and nothing to do with seeing the child born?

My second baby came so quickly that I almost had her in my kitchen. It was fast and furious and frightening and the only person who kept me grounded was my H.

Adventures In City Living http://greatwallsofbaltimore.blogspot.com

Yes, Husband Stops Impending Murder

alyssaroyse — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 22:58:01 -0500

3:00 AM. Saint Louis Thunderstorm. Full Labor. Damn, this hurts! Led Zeppelin making me feel better.

More Led Zeppelin. Still hurts.

Nurse suggests Grateful Dead. I hate the Grateful Dead. I'm having a baby, I will listen to whatever I want, thank you very much.

Screaming. This really hurts. Am I the only person for whom an epidural DIDN'T WORK? I'm fine with natural childbirth, if that's what you want. it is not what I wanted. I wanted drugs. Good ones. Lots of them. (I was about to be a mother, for chrissake, it was my last chance.)

The nurse is rubbing my shoulder. "Please stop rubbing my shoulders." "It will relax you." "No, it's annoying me, please stop." "No, it's relaxing." "No, it's not, please f'ing stop touching me."

She smells like patchuli. I hate patchuli.

Deeper into labor, hurts even more. But I'm happy. I'm in my groove. F'ing love Led Zeppelin.

Now it REALLY hurts. I'm no longer having fun. And touchy feely pathculi mamma says to me, "honey, you need to imagine your contractions as if they are waves crashing on the shore and you are lying on the beach."

One look at my husband and he says, "do you want me to kill her for you honey?"

I laughed, baby was born. Nurse lived. But only because my husband was there.

I still hate patchuli.

___________
Alyssa Royse
JUST CAUSE: A Web Site To Save The World

Start Her Up: A blog for Women Entrepreneu

Without my husband, there might have been a murder

Graceful Parenting — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 22:08:22 -0500

After years of fertility treatments and a complicated and amazingly difficult pregnancy in which we had already lost one of our twins, and staying pregnant with the second twin for three more high-risk months, then three days of unexplainable, painful contraction-like symptoms, and finally the baby is coming and I'm at the edge of any kind of sanity and the doctor with the epidural comes in, all calm and quiet, with her clip board of routine questions and she asks me "Have there been any pregnancy complications?" and I yell so loud the whole town could hear me "You have got to be #$%#$%$#$% kidding me!"

And I would have gone for her throat if my husband hadn't been there to step between us.

So, for me, having my husband in the room was a definite plus.

Carol Marie Ramsey
Finding balance and peace in parenting at Graceful Parenting