Technology in Birth.......a great read.

I stumbled across this article yesterday and it really made me happy.  Happy that I am a midwife. Happy that I have the ability to birth women in the hospital when the need arises for whatever reason we need to leave the birth center and  continue the birth there. I say that because I know given the nature and philosophy of midwifery, Polly and I can so help these women achieve the birth they are meant to have. And, if you have read any of the recent posts you will know that that does not always mean a vaginal birth.....
I know that we will be there at her side....we will be the ones truly overseeing the care she receives. And believe, that is a good thing, if I do say so myself.
Case in point. Our last momma.  She pushed out a 9#10oz first baby  after one hour of pushing!!!  Now, because of some other circumstances that had nothing to do with "this might be a big baby" we transfered to the hospital for some needed power to get the birth moving along....Now this mom came to our practice late in her pregnancy because the OB she was seeing kept harping on the fact that she thought the baby was going to be too big for her and would most likely induce her early.......bad mistake. I believe had she stayed with this provider, she more than likely would have ended up in a c-section....and everyone would have said..."Thank Goodness, that baby was just way too big for you!"  Well, our motto is "Let's prove this baby is too big...." I always say that a baby that is too big for you will show itself in the nature of your labor and or pushing stage.

Well, back to the article.  Marsden Wagner is a perinatologist who supports midwifery around the world and who works at making birth more safe..... He wrote an article which can be found on Midwifery  Today   www.midwiferytoday.com/articles/technologyinbirth.asp . I would wish that all women pregnant or considering pregnancy read this article.......here are a few excerpts that made me go "Yeah, Marsden!!!"

"There is not a single report in the scientfic literature that shows that obstetricians to be safer than midwives for low-risk or normal pregnancy and birth. So,if you are among the more  than 75% of all women with a normal pregnancy, the safest birth attendant f or you is not a doctor but a midwife."

"If you are considering a hospital birth with an obstetrician as your primary birth attendant, ask him or her how much time he or she will spend with you during your labor. One of the reasons a midwife is generally a better choice to attend your hospital birth than an obstetrician is because the midwife is there in the hospital with you during your labor while the obstetrician is not....

So, who you ask is mananging your labor at the hospital, all you women who have OBs as birth attendants?  The L and D nurse......how invested in your care do you think she really is?  Especially if  you "want things" like being able to get out of the bed.....try your induction without an epidural.....etc.

Please read the article, it is really interesting.  Birth center and/or home birth is certainly not for everyone......but searching for a good midwife to support your labor and birth at the hospital should be something all women check into....and that's not to mention the great one-on-one prenatal care we give.....that's fodder for another post!  For now, Janet