Priceless

I love it when OBs speak up in defense of midwives and homebirth! Check out this excerpt from ABC News ("Controversy Brewing Over Homebirths"):

ACOG has also received letters from other physicians, including Dr. Lauren Plante, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.

Plante wrote that she was "dismayed to read the ACOG statement opposing home birth, and specifically disallowing any support for individuals that advocate home birth."

Plante added that "home birth remains a viable option in several developed nations where birth outcomes are excellent. I personally know several ACOG members who, themselves, have chosen to deliver at home."

In a letter to the ACOG board, Canadian ACOG member Dr. Andrew Kotaska wrote, "If ACOG and the AMA are passive-aggressively trying to coerce women into having hospital births by trying to legally prevent the option of home birth, then their actions are a frontal assault on women's autonomy."

Gotta love Jennifer Block

So good.

Some Birth Research Headlines

Courtesy of the Lamaze Institute for Normal Birth Research Summaries:

Prenatal Diagnosis of Suspected Fetal Macrosomia Increases Risks of Cesarean Section and Maternal Morbidity without Improving Newborn Outcomes

Sadeh-Mestechkin, D., Walfisch, A., Shachar, R., Shoham-Vardi, I., Vardi, H., & Hallak, M. (2008). Suspected macrosomia? Better not tell. Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics, doi: 10.1007/s00404-008-0566-y.

"An initial suspicion that the baby is large may instill fear in the pregnant woman which may impede both her confidence in her body and her labor progress. Slow labor progress reinforces the suspicion that the baby is big and more aggressive management ensues. This management often hinders the woman's ability to move freely and assume the positions that may help her baby negotiate through her pelvis, further slowing progress and reinforcing the perceived need for surgical intervention. Based on this study and previous evidence, women should strongly consider refusing tests late in pregnancy intended to estimate fetal weight.

"The estimate itself may be bad for her health because the care provider's expectation that the baby will be macrosomic appears to increase both unnecessary medical intervention and the morbidity that may accompany it" (exerpt from the Lamaze Research Summary).

Women Having Spontaneous Vaginal Birth Without Episiotomy Least Likely to Experience Postpartum Pain

Declercq, E., Cunningham, D. K., Johnson, C., & Sakala, C. (2008). Mothers' reports of postpartum pain associated with vaginal and cesarean deliveries: Results of a national survey. Birth, 35(1), 16-24.

"One argument made for elective cesarean surgery is that it avoids the pain of labor. Its proponents also allege that surgery occurring before labor offers advantages over intrapartum surgery. This study, however, finds that women having cesarean surgery are more likely to experience pain that interferes with routine activities and to experience long-term pain than women birthing vaginally and that timing of the surgery makes no difference.

"Women considering elective surgery to avoid labor pain should be advised that while labor pain can be controlled, cesarean surgery substantially increases their risk of experiencing many months of pain postpartum or pain that affects their quality of life. Instrumental vaginal delivery likewise increases the probability of experiencing perineal pain in both the short and long term compared with spontaneous vaginal birth" (exerpt from the Lamaze Research Summary).

Prenatal Yoga May Result in Less Labor Pain, Shorter Labor

Chuntharapat, S., Petpichetchian, W., & Hatthakit, U. (2008). Yoga during pregnancy: Effects on maternal comfort, labor pain and birth outcomes. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 14(2), 105-115.

"This study provides evidence that regular yoga practice in the last 10-12 weeks of pregnancy improves maternal comfort in labor and may facilitate labor progress. The researchers offer several theories for these effects. First, yoga involves synchronization of breathing awareness and muscle relaxation which decrease tension and the perception of pain. Second, yoga movements, breathing, and chanting may increase circulating endorphins and serotonin, "raising the threshold of mind-body relationship to pain" (p. 112). Third, practicing yoga postures over time alters pain pathways through the parasympathetic nervous system, decreasing one's need to actively respond to unpleasant physical sensations.

"Prenatal strategies that help women prepare emotionally and physically for labor may help reduce pain and suffering and optimize wellbeing in childbirth by providing coping skills and increasing self-confidence and a sense of mastery. More research is needed to confirm the findings of this study. However, yoga's many health benefits and the lack of evidence that yoga is harmful in pregnancy or birth provide justification for encouraging interested women to incorporate yoga into their preparations for childbirth" (exerpt from the Lamaze Research Summary).

No wonder the mermaids do it...

Seashells. Who'd have thought? I just finished reading Amanda Dumenigo's article at Mothering.com ("Seashells"). Apparently women have been placing seashells on their breasts for thousands of years. They are used to treat all types of sores, infections, cracking, and bleeding. For Amanda Dumenigo, they were a life-saver as she struggled to get a proper latch and establish breastfeeding with her infant. Her story hit close to home for me. I, too, struggled with these same breastfeeding trials. I used all sorts of man-made objects to try to make things work. Eventually, I was breastfeeding without any trouble at all. But I wish I had known about seashells back then. It sounds a little strange, but at the same time so right and natural. I'm always amazed when I see how God and nature have given us everything we need.

Solace for Mothers

I just became aware of a website devoted to helping women recover from traumatic birth experiences--Solace for Mothers. I often wonder whether the incidence of postpartum depression is so high in the U.S. partly because the incidence of negative birth experiences is also very high. A positive birth experience is surely a strong springboard into motherhood. Solace for Mothers explains:

For many women, childbirth is an empowering, expansive experience. And for some, childbirth brings dashed dreams, grief, and the unshakable sense that your body and your mind are damaged. Some women feel betrayed by their care providers and the place in which they birthed. Sometimes fate itself interferes when the baby comes too soon, bearing health problems or even, tragically, when the baby does not survive. Even when birth is “normal,” some women are stunned to discover that bonding with their babies grows over a period of time rather than unfolding all at once. . . .

Solace for Mothers provides healing after traumatic childbirth through support. Support—in the form of a free telephone call with a trained peer counselor, in-person facilitated meetings to listen to and share birth-related stories in a safe and confidential setting, as well as referrals to community resources—is available by calling one number: 1-877-SOLACE4 (1-877-765-2334). We are also in the process of launching an online community for women dealing with these issues. (source)

The creators of our new discussion board would like you to know that you are not alone. Other women have felt traumatized, deeply disappointed, or even violated by their birth experiences. Birth trauma is very real. We are here to offer you an online meeting place to share and connect with other women who have had similar experiences, and a place for you to begin your healing journey. (source)

I'm so grateful for groups like Solace for Mothers who recognize the way birth experiences can profoundly affect women for good or bad. I never lose hope that as more and more people become aware of the problems with maternity care and demand change, more and more women will come away from their births being affected profoundly for good.