Check out Kristen Oganowski's VBAC, hypnobirthing, hospital water birth story. Hers was the first water birth at Crouse Hospital in Syracuse, New York. Her birth from the perspective of her doula, Chris Goldman follows Kristen's account. This is a wonderful, inspirational birth story, but even more encouraging are the comments following both articles that indicate hospital waterbirth is on the rise in Central New York.
One of my favorite parts of the article follows. KUDOS to Dr. N, a shining example of what OB's can and should be to birthing women today:
"And then he [Dr. N, Kristen's OB] turned to my nurse and said, "Well, it looks like you aren't getting her out of the tub!" But then he took the time to tell her the following: "Look at how beautifully she's doing. Look at how natural and normal this is. She's pushing on her own, and no one is yelling 'PUSH' in her face; no one is counting for her." And you know what? My nurse started to get really excited about this birth."
Showing posts with label VBAC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label VBAC. Show all posts
5.16.2008
Report from Our Bodies, Ourselves co-author booksigning in Albuquerque...
I had the privilege of hearing Judy Norsigian speak last night at Bookworks about the newest book from the Boston Women's Health Collective, Our Bodies, Ourselves: Pregnancy and Birth. It was wonderful to hear someone who really gets it and is right on the political frontlines of birth in America speak about how limited women's choices are really becoming and the crises we are facing. I found it very compelling that she has observed far more fear surrounding pregnancy and birth than there even was 5 or 6 years ago. To counteract the negative messages women are hearing from each other and the media, the book focuses on giving women the confidence they need to reclaim this feminine rite of passage with an emphasis on evidence based practice. And obviously, this leads to the midwifery model of care. Birth centers are closing left and right, obstetricians are denying certified nurse midwives the right to practice in certain hospitals because of perceived "turf wars" and the well-being of women and babies is left on the sidelines in highly charged, financially fueled debate in the medical community.
I bought the book and can't wait to read it. Because of hearing Judy speak, I am now motivated to do the following. And don't worry, I will share my progress with our loyal blog-readers.
- Write letters to St. Joseph's hospital in Santa Fe and start a letter-writing campaign if there isn't one going already to fight the ban on midwives there. St. Joseph's is the only hospital in Santa Fe, so although New Mexico has a long, proud tradition of midwifery care with some of the best birth outcomes in the country, women of Santa Fe are forced into choosing homebirth if they want access to midwifery care. Find out what the story is in your area, and do the same! I'll be pressuring Elizabeth to write similar letters to the hospitals of Austin who also deny women the choice of midwifery care.
- Read the chapter about nitrous oxide used for pain relief in Our Bodies, Ourselves:Pregnancy and Birth and get educated about this topic. I've heard things about this in passing when reading British writer Sheila Kitzinger's book, but I hadn't realized the real issues behind it. There have been no studies showing any risk to mother or baby when nitrous oxide is used during labor, and yet women of the U.S. have zero access to this less invasive pain relief option. Why? No anesthesiologists necessary. Birth choices have GOT to stop being limited in this country based on profit! The well-being of mothers and babies should not be sacrified in the name of money. You can start here and here to learn more.
- Learn more about healthcare reform options. Judy strongly favors a single-payer system and in fact feels that no major strides of progress will be made for childbirth in America until such a system comes about. And in fact, all the Western countries who have more midwifery care and thus better outcomes for mothers and babies across the board than the U.S., have a single payer system. She recommends reading A Second Opinion by Dr. Arnold Relman and passing it along to any physician you know who will read it, because the pressure for change needs to come from doctors. This will certainly be making my goodreads list.
- Let everyone I know (that means you!) that Our Bodies, Our Blog accepts material from any and all writers about current issues in women's health policy and that they just might link to your article. I'm really hoping eventually we can earn a coveted spot on their list of linked blogs!
The VBAC debate was also discussed in the context of women being more and more frequently denied even the opportunity to choose whether to have a VBAC or not because of VBAC bans in hospitals, as well as the need for more celebrity homebirthers! The talk was really insightful and informative and I would encourage anyone who has the opportunity to go see her while she is on the book tour.
4.02.2008
Risk
When I'm talking about choices in birth, I've found the subject consistently turns to risk. What are the risks of home birth? What are the risks of hospital birth? What is the safest possible way to have a baby?
The fact is that risk is an inherent part of life, and birth is no exception to that. There are situations in which being in a hospital is very desirable when you're giving birth. Isn't it wonderful that we have that option, and the benefits of all modern obstetrical technology, available to us when it's needed? On the other hand, the mainstream medical community doesn't seem eager to discuss the risks of giving birth in a hospital. It's painfully ironic to me that midwives are stereotyped as superstitious women who walk around the house burning herbs and chanting, when in fact many -- if not most -- of the procedures in your typical hospital maternity ward are based on fear, ritual, and lack of evidence.
We all have to choose the risks we're comfortable with. Personally, I'll take the risks of birthing at home, over the risks of birthing in a hospital. I feel I'm much more likely to experience the risks of unnecessary interventions in a hospital than I am to face a true emergency at home. I only wish for all women to have the option to make their own choices without bullying, superstition, or manipulation.
This lovely post from Rixa at The True Face of Birth provides a great summary of the risks of VBAC and elective repeat cesarean. What a breath of fresh air! We cannot keep disrespecting women and their babies by refusing to provide them with enough information to make the right decisions for them. If a woman has had a cesarean, her next delivery carries risks -- it's insane to pretend that repeat c-sections are risk-free.
Women are empowered when they can make their own choices, not be pushed into what ACOG would like them to do. If both choices carry risk, we need to make sure that women can choose the risks they're most comfortable with. Is that really so much to ask?
PS A more specific look at some of the risks of home vs hospital birth coming... someday. I promise!
The fact is that risk is an inherent part of life, and birth is no exception to that. There are situations in which being in a hospital is very desirable when you're giving birth. Isn't it wonderful that we have that option, and the benefits of all modern obstetrical technology, available to us when it's needed? On the other hand, the mainstream medical community doesn't seem eager to discuss the risks of giving birth in a hospital. It's painfully ironic to me that midwives are stereotyped as superstitious women who walk around the house burning herbs and chanting, when in fact many -- if not most -- of the procedures in your typical hospital maternity ward are based on fear, ritual, and lack of evidence.
We all have to choose the risks we're comfortable with. Personally, I'll take the risks of birthing at home, over the risks of birthing in a hospital. I feel I'm much more likely to experience the risks of unnecessary interventions in a hospital than I am to face a true emergency at home. I only wish for all women to have the option to make their own choices without bullying, superstition, or manipulation.
This lovely post from Rixa at The True Face of Birth provides a great summary of the risks of VBAC and elective repeat cesarean. What a breath of fresh air! We cannot keep disrespecting women and their babies by refusing to provide them with enough information to make the right decisions for them. If a woman has had a cesarean, her next delivery carries risks -- it's insane to pretend that repeat c-sections are risk-free.
Women are empowered when they can make their own choices, not be pushed into what ACOG would like them to do. If both choices carry risk, we need to make sure that women can choose the risks they're most comfortable with. Is that really so much to ask?
PS A more specific look at some of the risks of home vs hospital birth coming... someday. I promise!
2.07.2008
Dear ACOG,
(I'm going to have to post my response to ACOG's latest statement on homebirths in several parts, because there's just so much to say. My first will be in letter format, thanking ACOG for all the good works they do.)
I am writing to thank you for your news release providing a statement on homebirths. Your honesty and complete willingness to come out and make a public assault on women's rights is refreshing. Most organizations who conduct business that undermines women do so quietly and with subtlety, whereas you put your complete inability to trust that women might actually know what's best for their body and their baby right out in the open. Bravo!
I'd also like to thank you for clearing up some misconceptions I've clearly had about the reason for the skyrocketing Cesarean rate. I thought maybe it was because most breech babies are now born by Cesarean because your members no longer have the skills necessary to assist a vaginal breech delivery, or because at least 300 hospitals in the U.S. have banned VBACs, and women who have had previous Cesarean deliveries are often being forced into another one. Or gosh, even maybe due to the fact that the vast majority of labors in the country are being either induced or augmented with Pitocin requiring continuous fetal monitoring which is notorious for raising the odds of a surgical delivery. But thanks to your statement, that the Cesarean rate is due to the "rising tide of high-risk pregnancies due to maternal age, overweight, obesity and diabetes", I now realize women are being surgically delivered because we're just too fat and old to do it the old fashioned way!
Lastly, I want to thank you for being so clear and open on just how important you think "the birth process" is. Selfish is the woman who dares not to let the birth process unfold just how her OB actively manages it. Ignorant is the woman who expects something out of it besides a scar and a healthy baby. The homebirth movement must include all the women who don't have that incredibly powerful instinct to protect their unborn baby the second they find out they are pregnant.
Thank you, ACOG, for exposing yourself and women for what they are. I hope you can continue to undermine women's rights in an open forum, because trust me, more women need to realize what ACOG is all about.
Fondly,
Amie
I am writing to thank you for your news release providing a statement on homebirths. Your honesty and complete willingness to come out and make a public assault on women's rights is refreshing. Most organizations who conduct business that undermines women do so quietly and with subtlety, whereas you put your complete inability to trust that women might actually know what's best for their body and their baby right out in the open. Bravo!
I'd also like to thank you for clearing up some misconceptions I've clearly had about the reason for the skyrocketing Cesarean rate. I thought maybe it was because most breech babies are now born by Cesarean because your members no longer have the skills necessary to assist a vaginal breech delivery, or because at least 300 hospitals in the U.S. have banned VBACs, and women who have had previous Cesarean deliveries are often being forced into another one. Or gosh, even maybe due to the fact that the vast majority of labors in the country are being either induced or augmented with Pitocin requiring continuous fetal monitoring which is notorious for raising the odds of a surgical delivery. But thanks to your statement, that the Cesarean rate is due to the "rising tide of high-risk pregnancies due to maternal age, overweight, obesity and diabetes", I now realize women are being surgically delivered because we're just too fat and old to do it the old fashioned way!
Thank you also for realizing that women are so brainless and negligent for their welfare and that of their baby that they will choose homebirth because it is "trendy". To me it appears the epidural seems to be more "fashionable" since 80% of women now opt for such pain relief while less than 1% of women are choosing homebirth, but I'm so glad you cleared up that silly theory! I'm sure you're equally concerned about women choosing elective Cesareans because of Britney Spears and Posh Spice. You know, especially since babies born via planned repeat Cesarean have a 4 times greater risk of respiratory distress. Especially since even women having their first Cesarean double their chances of having a peripartum hysterectomy, while women on their second or third have an 18 times greater risk. But I'm sure you're on top of that, and what can you do if women are just choosing to have them, right? And it's not like you can just make your OB's perform VBACs, right?
I'm glad you've clarified your position on Birth Plans. I'm sure now your members will start taking them seriously. Because you know, before this statement, a lot of OB's were reacting to Birth Plans with reactions from ridicule to outright rage. I'm sure the news will also trickle down to those OB's who pressure hospital childbirth educators not to teach pregnant couples about Birth Plans.
Lastly, I want to thank you for being so clear and open on just how important you think "the birth process" is. Selfish is the woman who dares not to let the birth process unfold just how her OB actively manages it. Ignorant is the woman who expects something out of it besides a scar and a healthy baby. The homebirth movement must include all the women who don't have that incredibly powerful instinct to protect their unborn baby the second they find out they are pregnant.
Thank you, ACOG, for exposing yourself and women for what they are. I hope you can continue to undermine women's rights in an open forum, because trust me, more women need to realize what ACOG is all about.
Fondly,
Amie
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