cesarean prevention
Doulas and Home Birth
Is there benefit to hiring a doula for a home birth? I say YES absolutely. An oldie but a goodie, from Desirre, in honor of International Doula Month. As a seasoned doula who has attended home births as labor support and now an intern midwife who clinically supports the mother, I believe that many women…
Read MoreRethinking the nature of intervention in childbirth
There is much awareness and conversation of what the routine interventions are that can occur during the labor and birth process within the hospital environment. These interventions can include induction, augmentation with Pitocin, epidural, or cesarean. In all my professional and personal roles, I am privy to a great amount of pregnancy and birth stories.…
Read MoreSisterhood of the Scar Revisited
Many years ago I wrote this piece after attending my very first ICAN conference in San Diego in 2005. I read this and part of me weeps for her, for the me I was and for the women who are becoming part of this sisterhood willingly, wittingly or not. My pain has been transformed into…
Read MoreBuilding Your Birth Support Team
As practice through the ages and evidence shows, support during the birth process can be greatly beneficial to both mothers and babies. It is not about having an experience. It is about healthier emotional and physical outcomes for mothers and subsequently for babies as well. Putting together a support team is not as simple as…
Read MoreHow real is active phase arrest of labor?
Radio Interview on Whole Mother show – Cesareans, VBAC & Prevention
Here is the radio interview I did with Debbie Hull of the Whole Mother Radio show. We talked about the current percentage of cesareans, VBAC availability, where to obtain support, ways to prevent an unnecessary cesarean and much more! http://archive.kpft.org/mp3/090803_063001wholemother.MP3
Read MoreIncreasing your opportunity for a vaginal birth in a cesarean stricken culture.
Today the cesarean rate is an alarming 31.8% (CDC 2007 preliminary data). Only a maximum of 15% of birthing women should be having cesarean deliveries in order to keep mortality (death) and morbidity (poor outcomes) to the healthiest levels according to the World Health Organization. With the staggering discrepancy in what should be and what…
Read MoreCesarean vs. VBAC: A dramatic Difference
I have been invited to share with you an intimate and challenging (and graphic) journey of a mother from an unexpected primary cesarean, physician decided repeat cesarean and a home water birth after those two cesareans. Before you watch it, take a deep breath and have an open mind. A box of tissues may be…
Read MoreACOG revises labor induction guidelines
(Originally posted July 2009. Information still relevant.) ACOG released a press release today regarding a new practice bulletin revising labor induction guidelines. Though the practice bulletin is not available on the ACOG site, a detailed review is available by Medpage today. I hope to soon have the full copy to share. Some high points I…
Read MorePitocin – Be aware!
In recent days there has been much chatter in the birth and consumer worlds about the use or rather misuse of the synthetic oxytocin drug Pitocin (ICAN, unnecesarean, nursingbirth, daytondailynews). Pitocin is used very commonly in the United States before labor to induce, during labor to augment the process and post birth for the purpose…
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