Why is it that home births account for such a small percentage of deliveries in the US? It’s just 1% while the other 99% take place in hospitals, the vast majority attended by doctors. Both the American Medical Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) site ‘safety’ as the reason for their [...]
Pregnancy And Health Insurance
November 16, 2010 By 1 Comment
If you are self employed, or for another reason have an individual health insurance policy, it’s highly unlikely that the costs of pregnancy and childbirth are covered by your insurance. According to a study done for the March of Dimes, this cost (nine months of prenatal care and three months of postpartum care) when there [...]
Birthing Rights
October 28, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Recently we wrote about new guidelines from the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) aimed at increasing the possibility for women who have delivered by c-section to undergo a vaginal birth (VBAC). While these guidelines are not rules, they seem to not be having the desired effect. In particular one piece of wording seems [...]
The Debate on Rising C-section Rates
October 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment
No one is in doubt that c-section rates have risen dramatically in the last decades. Where there is debate is why? In California a recent, nonpartisan study found that cesarean rates are 17% more likely at for profit hospitals over those that operate not for profit. The cold hard facts are, a surgical birth can [...]
VBAC – Know Your Options
October 4, 2010 By 3 Comments
While c-section is considered a safe procedure and can save the lives of mothers and babies, it is major surgery. Certain risks are higher after c-section than after vaginal delivery, according to the National Institutes of Health. These include higher risk of infection and injury to the baby. C-sections can also cause problems with [...]
Proving the Benefits of Massage
September 23, 2010 By 1 Comment
Massage therapy is a multi-billion dollar industry in the US with 8.7% of adults receiving at least one massage within the last year. However, little scientific study has been done into the physiologic effects of a single session of massage in healthy individuals, until now. A recent study was done to determine effects of a [...]
C Section Pain And Adhesions
September 22, 2010 By 7 Comments
C-section pain is commonly caused by adhesion formation that occurs after the surgery. Adhesions form as the first step in the healing process after any surgery, trauma, infection, or inflammation. As the first step in the healing process, tiny strands of collagen rush to the site that has been cut. There, they lay down in [...]
A Midwifery Hero
September 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Midwives aren’t celebrated enough, heck mothers giving birth aren’t celebrated enough, and both deserve to be. So we were very happy to see this Palestinian midwife being celebrated, not only in her home town, but here in America on MSNBC. Let’s take this moment to remember that every woman deserves to birth with dignity and [...]
VBAC Gains Approval
September 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Two leading health organizations- the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the National Institutes of Health have both recently issued statements in support of a vaginal birth after a cesarean (VBAC). Both examined the safety of a vaginal delivery after a prior cesarean birth. Both indicated a trial of labor is reasonable for [...]
New Test for C Section Risk
September 1, 2010 By Leave a Comment
A new test has been developed in Sweden, which could predict if women in labor hoping for a vaginal birth will in fact end up having a c section birth. Researchers at Liverpool University and Liverpool womens hospital have established that when high levels of lactic acid are measured in the amniotic fluid, it is [...]
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