From the Childbirth Connection (formerly Maternity Care Association):
Know
your facts when you discuss maternity care in the US. We have compiled
a brief, new resource document called “United States Maternity Care
Facts and Figures.” It details current statistics including the number
of births, proportion of hospital care that is devoted to the care of
pregnant women and babies, maternity outcomes such as preterm birth and
low birthweight rates, as well as statistics about paying for maternity
care. Sadly, many of the numbers are sobering. The 2007 cesarean rate
of 31.8% marked the 11th consecutive year of increase and a
record-level national rate. The rate of vaginal birth after cesarean
(VBAC) within childbirth related hospitalizations was 9.7% in 2006, a
decline of 73% from 1997, when the VBAC rate was 35.3%. Learn more in United States Maternity Care Facts and Figures – December 2009.
"The governor signed the birth center bill
into law this morning, May 21, 2010!...What
an incredible day for birth centers, midwives, and childbearing women!
We are the first state to have equal reimbursement for CPMs written
into law. Women on medicaid now have expanded birth options. And CPMs
are now a medicaid provider type! We have a great birth center
licensure bill that other states can use as a model. What an incredible
journey." says Kate Saumweber, who works assisting Midwife Amy Johnson-Grass at Health Foundations Birth Center.
Many women are still being told not to eat during labor. There are real risks of fasting during the hard work of labor. Over use of IV fluids can reduce electrolyte balance and occasionally give to much fluid during labor. The anesthesiologists claim eating can cause choking if the mother vomits under general anesthesia. Should all women be denied food for this reason?
Even though the surge of flu infections may already be on the down swing in Minnesota, take care.
Wash your hands; ask others to wash their hands before touching you, during an exam for instance. Avoid places where you know people are sick or are likely to be sick. Make midwife and doctor appointments for early in the day. Walk the halls or walk outside instead of waiting a long time in a waiting room. Bring your own book to read, toys for your children, and other things to do in the waiting room. Eat lots of veggies, especially yellow veggies, and overall, eat good food with no or low sugar content. Take probiotics and get enough sleep. Read this article for pregnancy and flu http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articles/preg_H1N1fluvirus.asp
Group B Strep colonization effects about 30% of pregnant women. Of these 30% of women, a very few of their babies will get very sick, and a few of the sick babies will die. Read the mainstream medical view about Group B Strep on the Center for Disease Control website.
Antibiotics takes that small number and cuts it in half. The hospital protocol for Group B Strep is to test every woman with a swab between 36 and 38 weeks gestation. Positive testing women will receive IV antibiotics during labor. Some women have looked for alternatives to the antibiotic treatment. Antibiotics are effective but carry the risk of yeast infections and, rarely, allergic reactions. In Europe, some women are using Hibiclens. A few women use garlic. Probiotic use is recommended, though not as a labor treatment. Discuss self treatment with your doctor or midwife. The following information is not advice or a recommendation. Decide for yourself.
Debbie Young sent this news brief out and I thought you may like to know!
Support birth legislature in the U.S. U.S.
doulas can become more politically active in supporting birth friendly
legislation. Contact your senators and state representatives about the
Medicaid reimbursement for birth centers bill and check out OpenCongress.
The Big Push for Midwives Campaign in the U.S. Visit the web site
to find out more about this national campaign to license certified
professional midwives and increase access to out-of-hospital maternity
care. If you agree with the campaign, sign the petition.
Guidelines for induction
ACOG has revised their guidelines for labor induction. See the press release.
Stripping or sweeping membranes
The Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health prepared a handout on Stripping Membranes that may be useful for our clients. Access it here.
Other articles from the Share With Women series offered copyright free by the Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health can be found here.
Mother's Advocate A service of Injoy Birth & Parenting Education, Inc., Mother's Advocate is a web site providing free PDF print materials and videos on How to Have a Better Birth.
Fetal heart rate monitoring guidelines ACOG revised their guidelines for interpretation of fetal heart rate tracings and clarified the terminology. Read the June press release.
VBAC babies are healthier than their elective repeat cesarean counterparts
Compared
to babies born by VBAC, babies born after elective repeat cesarean have
significantly higher rates of respiratory morbidity, NICU admission and
longer length of hospital stay is the finding of a retrospective cohort
study published in the June issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology. Read it on Medscape.
BirthMatters Virginia video contest winners
Winning
videos were chosen out of 40 entries for short videos representing
childbirth options and evidence-based maternity care. Check out the top three prize winners and finalists.
One of our moms really enjoyed Kimberly's fast and fun service.
Other mom's have borrowed or had a food dehydrator and bought a $15
dollar encapsulater from the coop with large gelatin capsules and a
friend has done it for them.
Home birth care is available in Minnesota for healthy women who want to give birth in their own homes. Two common questions about home birth are, "Is it safe?" and "What about the mess?" The answer to the second question is that the midwife tidies up after the birth. The answer to the first question is answered by a study from the Netherlands and a new study from Canada. Home birth is as safe as hospital birth. Marsden Wagner, former busts three myths about out-of-hospital birth.
Eating a special way can prevent hypertension in pregnancy
Pre-Eclampsia means “before the seizure.”
Dr. Tom Brewer, pictured here with a young friend, devoted his career to understanding and preventing one of the most common killers of pregnant women. In his day the disease was called Toxemia. The diet works.
These herbs have been used in pregnancy for generations. A tonic for female reproductive organs, Red
Raspberry Leaf was commonly used by North Americans
long before Europeans landed here. Here is a basic recipe that can be added to, according to pregnancy needs or taste.
1 part Red Raspberry Leaf
1 part Nettle
½ part Alfalfa (avoid the root, use the above ground plant, dried is fine)
Prenatal iodine and Low Thyroid considerations in pregnancy:
Despite its being critical to normal neurocognitive
development, only 51% of US prenatal
multivitamin brands contain any iodine, and in a number of randomly
selected brands, the actual dose of iodine contained in the supplements
did not match values on the labeling, a study finds. Low thyroid function might be related to low iodine intake. A Danish study finds low thyroid can cause the fetal malposition of posterior presentation, as well as other serious complications.
Women have always assisted other women during the time giving birth. The former Childbirth Education Association and the former Birth Community, Inc. were organizations from which Minnesota parents could find birth companions in the 1970s and 80s respectively.
The labor support/doula community began to grow in Minnesota in 1992 when,
A recent study found that drinking too much water in labor depleted sodium levels in the blood.
Specialists, from
Sweden, conducted a prospective observational study of 287 women at
full term (37 completed weeks of gestation). Of the study group, 125 women were first time mothers and 162 had babies before.
During labor, the women were allowed to drink water freely, but no
solid foods were allowed (in accordance with the hospital’s policy).
"A Guide to Effective Care in Pregnancy and Childbirth is an
overview of results of the best available research about effects of
specific maternity practices. "
As a mother-to-be, I see the tremendous value of
Doula (doo-la) comes from the Greek and now refers to a woman who cares for the needs of another woman before or after birth.
The birth doula is a person who helps parents prepare for and personalize their childbirth experience. The postpartum doula is trained in helping mothers and families during early parenting. Doula care enhances your birth experience and, so, your life. Read Minnesota Public Health Association recommendation for doula care. Click on the Read Doula link below to read more.
Here are instructions to prepare herbs for birth. There are a variety of herbs to choose, and ways to prepare them. Here are some. Ginger Root soothes the perineum during pushing, and helps it stretch. Comfrey Root soothes the perineum after birth and reduces swelling.
The Minnesota Premier of Orgasmic Birth was truly ecstatic. Debra Pascali-Bonaro, director and producer of the Orgasmic Birth documentary called the night "a huge success." This was the biggest screening of the new, full length documentary so far, among many US cities and 19 countries. Why the title? Read on...
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Shorter Labors, Fewer Cuts, Less Cost, More Milk and Happier Mamas! Want the rest of the story? Click "Read more"...
Midwife means "with wife." A midwife is a person who helps families to have a healthy pregnancy and who takes care of the mother and baby during birth. There is more to midwives than catching babies, however, as you can see in the following description.
These herbs have been used in pregnancy for generations. A tonic for female reproductive organs, Red
Raspberry Leaf was commonly used by North Americans
long before Europeans landed here. Here is a basic recipe that can be added to, according to pregnancy needs or taste.
Parents choosing a homebirth would have these supplies ready by week 36
-- one month before the due date. Click "Read More" to see a list of
supplies.
Doula (doo-la) comes from the Greek and now refers to a woman who cares for the needs of another woman before or after birth. 
This article is from Midwifery Today E-news. You can subscribe for free
to this useful and fun newsletter. It will come to your email inbox
with lots of tips, quotes, and information.