Posted by Melissa Maimann on Mar 10, 2010 in
Birth,
Caesarean,
Home birth,
Midwifery,
Normal Birth,
Obstetrics Interested in home birth, hospital birth or private midwifery care? Questions or comments? Email Melissa Maimann or call 0400 418 448.
Can I home birth if I have a high blood pressure?
It is best to discuss this with your midwife and s/he can guide you on this one.
Can you opt for a c-section in a public hospital?
Generally speaking, you cannot do this. Caesareans are only performed where there is a clear obstetric reason. Many women have support people with them for their labour and this helps them to feel more comfortable and in control of their experience.
Can you refuse midwife attendance during birth?
You can refuse to have a midwife with you if you choose, but this would leave you without professional care during the birth.
What care is available to women birthing in australia?
Within the private system, women may choose a midwife for a home or a hospital birth and they will generally experience an empowering and natural birth without complications. If there are complications in the pregnancy or birth, obstetric care is readily available. The other option in the private system is to choose an obstetrician. Intervention rates with obstetricians are high, with caesarean rates up to (and over) 50%, episiotomy rates around 25% and assisted delivery rates around 25%.
In the public system, midwifery care is the norm, but most women will not have the same midwife all the way through their pregnancy, birth and postnatal period. If there are complications in the pregnancy or birth, obstetric care is readily available.
Continuity of midwifery care
The most established method of continuity of midwifery care is private midwifery care or independent midwifery. In this model, women book with the midwife of their choice and this same midwife is there for the woman throughout pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period. Satisfaction rates with this mode of care are very high.
IVF and home birth?
Yes, it is possible to bith at home following IVF. Talk to your midwife.
Are midwives qualified to do cesareans?
No, midwives are qualified in normal pregnancy and birthing, and we do not perform surgery.
Natural labour in sydney?
The best way to achieve a truly natural labour is to book with a private midwife for a home birth or a hospital birth. Home is the safest place to birth for the majority of women, and home – where women feel safe, nurtured and supported – is the most conducive environment for a natural birth.
Are there any obstetricians in sydney under $5000?
The best way to research prices is to ask the obstetricians themselves. Don’t forget, the ob’s bill is not the only bill you will receive: there is also the paediatrician, anaesthetist, private hospital fees, health fund excess / co-payment, childbirth education and so on.
Melissa Maimann, Essential Birth Consulting 0400 418 448
Tags: Birth choices, Caesarean, Complicated pregnancy or birth, continuity of care, Home birth, hospital birth, midwife, Midwifery, Midwifery services, Normal Birth, Obstetrics, Public and private hospitals
Posted by Melissa Maimann on Mar 5, 2010 in
Birth,
Midwifery Interested in home birth, hospital birth or private midwifery care? Questions or comments? Email Melissa Maimann or call 0400 418 448.
Link
… “water birthing,” [is] considered by some women and midwives to be a healthier, more natural alternative to traditional hospital births.
Mothers who choose water birth go through labor and delivery immersed in warm water, believing that pain will be less severe and the experience more enjoyable and relaxing … studies have shown that mothers who choose a water birth request fewer painkillers than women who don’t, and fewer drugs translate into the perception of a safer and more natural birth.
… But is it good for the baby?
The research isn’t clear.
… researcher Sarah Nguyen questioned the safety of water births and described instances of infants inhaling water and feces following underwater deliveries … other researchers concluded, “… we are convinced there is no evidence to support any benefit of underwater birth for the neonate, and plenty of evidence to suggest harm [including] the potential for drowning, hyponatremic seizure activity, infection, and pneumonia.”
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists does not recommend water births, suggesting instead that children born in hospitals are safer — if for no other reason than professional medical help is immediately available in case of complications. Unless your bathtub happens to be located near a neonatal unit, emergency medical help may not be available during the baby’s first minutes of life.
Of course, there is some risk to both the child and the mother during any birth, whether it occurs in a bathtub or a hospital. All births are natural, yet some births are safer than others.
The research that suggests that water birth ia not safe is based on very small numbers and potential issues. Nothing has been found as conctere evidence that waterbirth is harmful for babies. However, research has shown that waterbirth has enormous benefits for the woman: better pain relief, less likelihood of needing an epidural, less likelihood of tearing, no episiotomies, shorter labours and so on.
Melissa Maimann, Essential Birth Consulting 0400 418 448
Tags: Birth choices, Normal Birth
Posted by Melissa Maimann on Feb 28, 2010 in
Birth,
Home birth,
Midwifery,
Normal Birth,
Obstetrics,
VBAC Interested in home birth, hospital birth or private midwifery care? Questions or comments? Email Melissa Maimann or call 0400 418 448.
Why are are home births with a mid wife preferred over a hospital delivery?
There are many benefits to birthing at home and having a midwife provide your care. The following pages will explain more about the benefits of birthing at home:
http://www.essentialbirthconsulting.com.au/home-birth.html
http://www.essentialbirthconsulting.com.au/home-birth/home-birth-benefits.html
I had a bad first birthing experience and I’m now waiting for my second baby.
It’s important to debrief your birth experience to help you to gain clarity around what happened and to explore strategies for helping the same situation to not happen again. Birth debriefing can also help you to choose a care provider who can support what it is you need for your second birth.
What are the benefits of having my baby with a midwife?
There are many benefits:
- Have the same care provider all the way through your pregnancy, birth and postnatal period
- Lower rates of intevention such as forceps, vacuum, episiotomy, induction, epidural
- More likely to breastfeed successfully
- Have continuous support from your midwife throughout labour
- Babies generally experience gentler births
What proportion of women birth at home with midwife?
Australia-wide, around 0.3%. In NSW, it’s around 0.2%. The low rate of homebirth is related to several factors:
- Homebirth is not actively supported by our health system, and hence it is not offered as an option to women when they see their GPs when they become pregnant.
- There is a perception that home birth is something only “hippies” or “alternative” people do. This could not be further from the truth!
- The cost of homebirth is prohibitive for some families as it is totally privately funded.
- In some areas, there are no midwives available.
Is it possible to contract a private midwife for postnatal care only?
Yes! Essential Birth Consulting provides postnatal care independent of birthing services.
Are there any VBAC friendly doctors at north shore private?
VBAC rates at North Shore Private are around 5% or lower and this is reflective of the obstetricians who practice there. Conversely, private midwives have VBAC rates as high as 90%. Obstetricians are surgicial specialists; midwives are specialists in normal, natural birth. If you’re after a normal birth (VBAC), you’re best to choose a care provider who specialises in this.
Melissa Maimann, Essential Birth Consulting 0400 418 448
Tags: Birth choices, continuity of care, Home birth, hospital birth, midwife, Midwifery, Midwifery services, Normal Birth, Obstetrics, Public and private hospitals, VBAC
Posted by Melissa Maimann on Feb 26, 2010 in
Birth,
Caesarean,
Obstetrics Interested in home birth, hospital birth or private midwifery care? Questions or comments? Email Melissa Maimann or call 0400 418 448.
Link
The mortality rate of California women who die from causes directly related to pregnancy has nearly tripled in the past decade, prompting doctors to worry about the dangers of obesity in expectant mothers and about medical complications of cesarean sections.
For the past seven months, the state Department of Public Health declined to release a report outlining the trend.
California Watch spoke with investigators who wrote the report and they confirmed the most significant spike in pregnancy-related deaths since the 1930s. Although the number of deaths is relatively small, it’s more dangerous to give birth in California than it is in Kuwait or Bosnia.
“The issue is how rapidly this rate has worsened,” … “That’s what’s shocking.”
… “current trends and evidence suggest that maternal mortality rates may be increasing in the U.S.”
The alert asked doctors to consider morbid obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes, along with hemorrhaging from C-sections, as contributing factors.
… Shabbir Ahmad, a scientist … decided to look closer. He organized … a systematic review of every maternal death in California. It’s the largest state review ever conducted. The group’s initial findings provide the first strong evidence that there is a true increase in deaths – not just the number of reported deaths.
Changes in the population – obese mothers, older mothers and fertility treatments – cannot completely account for the rise in deaths in California …
… scientists have started to ask what doctors are doing differently. And, he added, it’s hard to ignore the fact that C-sections have increased 50 percent in the same decade that maternal mortality increased. The task force has found that changing clinical practice could prevent a significant number of these deaths.
… While the maternal mortality rate among black women is rising, the task force found a more dramatic increase in deaths among white, non-Hispanic mothers …
… In 1996, the maternal death rate in California was 5.6 per 100,000 live births … Between 1998 and 1999, the World Health Organization changed its coding system, which may have increased reporting of deaths. The California rate was 6.7 in 1998 and 7.7 in 1999. Because the number of mothers who die is small, the rate tends to fluctuate from year to year.
In 2003, when California revised its death certificate, the rate jumped to 14.6. And in 2006, the last year for which data is available, the rate stood at 16.9.
… When researchers unveiled their initial findings to a conference of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in 2007, there were gasps from the audience … The idea that California was moving backward even in an era of high-tech birthing was implausible to some. Confirmation of the trend was noted in the 2008 report …
The state of California has yet to share the report with the public. Researchers say that, after reviewing the report in 2008, officials in the Department of Public Health asked for technical clarifications. Revisions were complete and approved in the first half of 2009 …
… it is important for the public to be aware now that these trends are worsening …
“Even though they tend to be small numbers in terms of maternal mortality, it is important – it’s very important – that these trends be looked at,” she said. “And efforts need to be made to try and reverse them when they are going in the wrong direction.”
Rising C-section birth rate
Nearly one in three babies is now born by C-section. Many scientists have acknowledged that at some point, as the number of surgeries spiral upward, the risks will outweigh the benefits. But the C-section remains a useful tool, and in the middle of labor, doctors say, it’s hard to balance the potential long-term harm against immediate crisis.
Today, doctors face a condition called placenta accreta, where the placenta grows into the scar left by a previous C-section. In surgery, doctors must find and suture a web of twisted placental vessels snaking into the patient’s abdomen, which can hemorrhage alarming amounts of blood. Often, doctors must remove the uterus.
Main said this complication from C-sections has increased eight-to-10 fold in the past decade. Nonetheless, most women survive the ordeal … the rise in deaths is indicative of a larger problem.
“For every maternal death, there are 10 near misses; for every near miss, there are 10 severe morbidity cases (such as hysterectomy, hemorrhage, or infection), and for every severe morbidity case, there is another 10 morbidity cases related to childbirth,” …
Inducing labor before term more common
… Dr. David Lagrew … noticed that a lot of women were having their labor induced before term without a medical reason. And he knew that having an induction doubled the chances of a C-section.
So he set a rule: no elective inductions before 41 weeks of pregnancy, with only a few exceptions. As a result, Lagrew said, the operating room schedules opened up, and the hospital saw fewer babies admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit, fewer hemorrhages and fewer hysterectomies.
All this, however, came at a cost: The hospital had to take a cut in revenue for reducing the procedures it performed. Lagrew doubts that any hospital has increased its C-section rate in pursuit of profit, but he does note that the first hospitals to adopt controls on early elective inductions have been nonprofits.
According to a report issued by the advocacy group Childbirth Connection, “Six of the 10 most common procedures billed to Medicaid and to private insurers in 2005 were maternity related.” On average, a C-section brings in twice the revenue of a vaginal birth. Today, the C-section is the single most common surgical procedure performed in the United States.
“If all these guys were losing money on every C-section, well, what’s the old saying? Whenever they tell you it’s not about the money, it’s about the money,” Lagrew said.
The California task force isn’t waiting to determine the ultimate cause of these deaths. It has started pilot projects to improve the way hospitals respond to hemorrhages, to better track women’s medical conditions and to reduce inductions …
I think they’ve missed one key element: midwives! If every woman was cared for by her own midwife (and home birth and birth centre birth was encouraged as the norm for healthy women), the induction and caesarean rates would fall dramatically …. then maybe fewer women would die in childbirth.
Midwifery has an important focus on health promotion and education and would work fantastically for poorer women and women with health issues. The other priority ought to be raising the VBAC rate and reducing the number of elective repeat caesareans. Whilst the first caesarean might be safe, second and subsequent caesareans carry serious risks that are alluded to in this article.
Melissa Maimann, Essential Birth Consulting 0400 418 448
Tags: Birth choices, Birth trauma, Caesarean, childbirth education, Complicated pregnancy or birth, hospital birth, intervention, Normal Birth, Obstetrics, Public and private hospitals
Posted by Melissa Maimann on Feb 25, 2010 in
Birth,
Home birth,
Midwifery Interested in home birth, hospital birth or private midwifery care? Questions or comments? Email Melissa Maimann or call 0400 418 448.
Link
For Stephanie Foley … the home birth of her son Calvin was a “peaceful, great experience.”
And while Foley said she’s pleased with how her home birth went, and that she would do it again, the issue of the safety of out-of-hospital birth is up for debate.
Statistics show that while the desire for a less sterile, more intimate birth experience is growing, most mothers in the U.S. still have their babies in a hospital. It’s the prudent choice, safer if something goes wrong, experts say.
But it isn’t a simple call.
Family history, health of the mother and fetus, available and trusted midwives and personal preference all weigh in the decision.
On average, only 1 percent of all births in the U.S. are conducted out of hospitals annually …
Tori Kropp, a perinatal registered nurse at San Francisco’s California Pacific Medical Center, says it’s safer to give birth in a hospital.
… hospital births have gotten a bad rap due, in part, to the efforts of home-birth proponents, such as TV personality Ricki Lake.
Lake’s 2008 documentary “The Business of Being Born,” ignited a fire storm by implying many common medical practices may be doing new mothers more harm than good.
Kropp has participated in 5,000 births, including that of her 9-year-old son Alexander. By participating in so many deliveries Kropp said she has “seen all the things that can happen” during what is still a potentially dangerous event in a woman’s life.
Has she been at any homebirths? It’s totally ok to have an opinion in something that one has not seen, attended, experienced or directly been a part of. But if Kropp has never been to a home birth, only obstetricially-driven hospital births, who is she to say that home is not at least as safe as hospital for healthy, low-risk women who are attended by a midwife?
“Most of the time it’s wonderful, but sometimes it’s not,” Kropp said. “At the end of the day, it’s safer to give birth in a hospital.”
Through education and outreach Kropp strives to correct what she says is “misleading” information promoted by Lake’s film. ”
“The problem with many home births,” Kropp says, is that they are performed by midwives “without the support of either physicians or a hospital.”
And is that because the midwife has not consulted with the hospital or doctor, or because they were not willing to consult when it was requested?
To spread her message, Kropp is planning a 100-hospital tour across the country beginning in Michigan on Labor Day. Kropp plans to offer free pregnancy seminars at the hospitals …
Is she planning to get her message out to women who are planning to birth at home? If so, she can talk to the hospitals all she likes, she will not reach her intended audience.
Overall Kropp’s mission is a simple one – “helping women feel empowered about the choice they make, and not the choice society wants them to make.”
But … not if they choose to birth at home. It’s ok to choose an epidural or a caesarean though!
Regardless of birth location, 8 percent of births in 2006 were performed by midwives, according to the CDC.
Definitely room for improvement there. 80% would be a great target!
When Foley gave birth to her first and only child in December 2007 she and her husband lived in a one-bedroom, second-floor apartment in Lansing.
After about 6 hours of active labor, with the help of a direct-entry midwife, Foley gave birth to her son in an inflatable pool filled with water, which is described as a water birth.
… “Pregnancy and childbirth are normal, healthy events in a woman’s life and interventions, such as cesarean sections, should be used only when medically necessary, Winkler said. “Women choose to come to the birthing center for freedom of choice.”
But Winkler cautioned that women who have chronic diseases, such as kidney disease, high blood pressure or diabetes are “safest when (giving birth) at the hospital.”
Planned home births may have a low rate of complications …
Among 13,000 planned births studied, researchers found that the mortality rate was similarly low – less than one in 1,000 – among women who gave birth at home with a midwife, women who gave birth in a hospital with a midwife, and women who gave birth in a hospital with a physician.
… “Birth is safe. It is safe to give birth out-of-hospital when a woman is healthy and having a normal pregnancy,” Winkler said.
But Kropp says even if a woman is healthy, there is still the possibility of complications in childbirth.
“Our hospital system for childbirth is so far from perfect,” Kropp said. “But someone who is completely healthy could very easily have something very unexpected happen in childbirth. Childbirth is still the No. 1 cause of death for women (worldwide), so we can’t get too cavalier in saying ‘we don’t need medical help.’”
It’s the leading cause of death for women who are not suited to home birth, such as those in third world countries who experience malnutrition, undernutrition, anaemia, bleeding in pregnancy, high blood pressure and so on. For healthy, low-risk women, the benefits of home birth are enormous.
Foley said she considered safety when making her decision to give birth at home.
“I had had no reproductive issues … for me I felt that being at home would be as safe as at the hospital,” Foley said.
Melissa Maimann, Essential Birth Consulting 0400 418 448
Tags: Birth choices, childbirth education, Complicated pregnancy or birth, continuity of care, Home birth, hospital birth, intervention, midwife, Midwifery, Midwifery services, Normal Birth, Public and private hospitals
Interested in home birth, hospital birth or private midwifery care? Questions or comments? Email Melissa Maimann or call 0400 418 448.
informed consent and childbirth
Every woman who is competent to consent, has the right to refuse any or all professional care. Informed consent must be obtained prior to any procedure being performed.
how to minimise labour intervention in a hospital?
The best way to minimise intervention in a hospital is to be as well informed as you can possible be about all things related to pregnancy, labour, birth, breastfeeding and babies. Read widely, attend independent childbirth education classes and consider employing a private midwife to be with you throughout your labour. She can help you to decide if the proposed interventions are necessary in your situation, she can support you emotionally, mentally and physically and she can aso help to ensure that your birth plan is respected without a fuss.
Do any independent midwives in Sydney offer prenatal care for women who are planning to freebirth?
Yes! This service enables women to access antenatal care from a midwife without the midwife attending the birth. Postnatal care is available if needed.
Do you think there are advantages to continuous monitoring for low-risk women
In a word, no. Intermittent auscultation is the method of choice. Continuous monitoring will increase the chance of a caesarean with no benefit to the mother or baby.
How much is a private midwife
Prices range from $3000 – $6000. Melissa Maimann offers for her clients to pay by the hour, making the service one of the cheapest.
What is a good caesarean rate?
The World Health Organisation recommends that no more than 15% births need to be caesareans. The WHO argues that when caesarean rates exceed 15%, the risks to the mother and baby increase on the whole. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a hospital with a caesarean rate of less than 15%, but birth centres and private midwives have caresarean rates of less than 10-15%.
What is the best hospital in sydney for delivering babies?
It all depends what sort of birth experience you’re after! If you’re wanting a natural birth, home birth will be the best option. If you want a natural birth in a hospital setting, the best options would be birth centre or private midwifery care for a planned hospital birth. If you’re wanting to have intervention in your birth, a hospital birth would be best. If you choose an obstetrician, you’re far more likely to have a caesarean, episiotomy, epidural, forceps or vacuum. Choosing your care provider is the single most important decision you will make in birthing.
Is there a birth centre at westmead hospital?
No, there isn’t. If you’re after a natural birth, the best choice would be a home birth.
C section or natural delivery midwife?
Midwves cannot perform caesareans. If a caesarean was needed, the midwife would call a doctor in to perform it. Most caesareans that are performed are unnecessary and increase the risks to the mother and baby. A natural birth is the safest way to birth, and midwives are qualified specialists in natural birth.
giving birth after birth trauma
Private midwifery care will be really important so that you can have the same midwife all the way through pregnancy, birth and postnatally. It’s also important to debrief your last experience and come to a place where you feel safe to birth again.
high risk midwife sydney
Midwives are not qualified to care for high risk pregnancies. We refer these women onto obstetricians. In most cases, one or two consultations is all that is needed with the obstetrician and the midwife continues the care of the woman.
how many births proceed naturally
What a great question! It all depends what care provider you choose and where you have your baby. You see, if you choose a private midwife and birth at home, you have about a 95% chance of having a vaginal birth. If you birth in a private hospital, you have about a 33% chace of having an unassisted vaginal birth. In some hospitals, the caesarean rate is more than the vaginal birth rate! Sad but true.
Melissa Maimann, Essential Birth Consulting 0400 418 448
Tags: Babies, birth, Birth choices, birth debriefing, Birth trauma, Breastfeeding, Caesarean, childbirth education, Complicated pregnancy or birth, continuity of care, Epidural, exercise, fetal monitoring, freebirth, Home birth, hospital birth, intermittent auscultation, intervention, IVF, Maternity Services Review, midwife, Midwifery, Midwifery services, Normal Birth, Nutrition, Obstetrics, postnatal depression, Preconception care, Public and private hospitals, VBAC
Posted by Melissa Maimann on Feb 20, 2010 in
Birth,
Home birth,
Midwifery,
Normal Birth Interested in home birth, hospital birth or private midwifery care? Questions or comments? Email Melissa Maimann or call 0400 418 448.
Link
The Federal Government has been grilled at its latest community cabinet meeting over its proposed changes for midwives and maternity services.
The Government wants to make midwifery services eligible for Medicare rebates, but only if homebirth midwives work in consultation with a doctor.
Several women at last night’s meeting … told the cabinet ministers that the changes would restrict the choice of women who only want to give birth with a midwife at home.
But Health Minister Nicola Roxon says the Government is simply taking a cautious approach.
“To make sure we’ve got some backup protocols in place, so if something does go wrong that there are agreements with the hospital or doctor to be able to step in quickly,” she said.
“And that is a conservative approach, but it isn’t a conservative approach to say midwives are doing good work, have never been recognised in the history of providing Medicare for the last 50 years and we’re going to actually change that.”
She told the meeting that medical professionals should be working together.
“I’m unapologetically on the record as saying let’s encourage people across the health services spectrum to work together and make sure that women can safely choose options that are good for them and suit them,” she said.
Women who access private midwifery services will be able to access Medicar benefits. As well as this, midwives will be able to order medications via the PBS.
The maternity reforms provide women with greater access to continuity of midwifery care. The standard care in a public hospital is for women to see one group of midwives in the clinic, another group in the delivery suite (who work shifts) and then another lot of midwives when they are being cared for with their baby. The maternity reforms will make it possible for more women to be cared for by their own midwife, whom they have chosen. The same midwife will provide care from the first antenatal consultation right up until about 2-4 weeks after the baby is born.
This is a huge step forward for Australian maternity care. For the first time, women will be able to birth in hospital under the care of a private midwife. Private midwifery care will also be available for home births (as is currently the case). We are continuing to book women for home births beyond July.
Melissa Maimann, Essential Birth Consulting 0400 418 448
Tags: Birth choices, continuity of care, hospital birth, Maternity Services Review, Midwifery, Midwifery services, Normal Birth, Public and private hospitals
Posted by Melissa Maimann on Feb 19, 2010 in
Birth,
Home birth,
Midwifery Interested in home birth, hospital birth or private midwifery care? Questions or comments? Email Melissa Maimann or call 0400 418 448.
Link
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is stripping away a woman’s right to have her baby at home, protesters around the country have been told.
Hundreds of people have come together across Australia at 13 simultaneous rallies to protest against the government’s planned overhaul of maternity care.
NSW Greens MP Lee Rhiannon told a crowd of about 100 in Sydney that access to a homebirth was a woman’s right.
“We are in an extraordinary situation when a woman can choose to have a caesarean but she can’t choose to have her children at home,” …
Ms Rhiannon said the government had succumbed to pressure from Australian Medical Association, which is opposed to home birthing.
The proposed new laws … will require all midwives to be insured … a two-year exemption will apply for up to 200 independent midwives, who are unable to gain insurance because it is no longer provided for home birthing.
They will also have to work in collaboration with a doctor – who will be able to override their decisions – to access Medicare, insurance and pharmaceutical benefits for homebirths.
… homebirth groups … say the practice will be forced underground, a concern that was also highlighted in a recent Senate inquiry.
Christine Wrightson, who had two planned home births, one of which ended up being in hospital due to complications, told the crowd … “I had one child in hospital and one was born at home – for both births we chose to be under the care of a privately practising midwife,” Ms Wrightson said.
“This was because it was extremely important to me to minimise the chance of medical intervention as I strived to have a natural birth …
Women choose private midwifery care for a variety of reasons, not only to birth at home. For some, it’s to have a qualified advocate by their side in hospital, or to have extended postnatal care for 6 weeks, or to have antenatal consultations in their own home rather than attending the local hospital clinic. But for most women, the reason for having a private midwife is about the level of trust, security and confidence that develops over time.
Melissa Maimann, Essential Birth Consulting 0400 418 448
Tags: Birth choices, continuity of care, Home birth, Maternity Services Review, midwife, Midwifery, Midwifery services, Normal Birth
Posted by Melissa Maimann on Feb 16, 2010 in
Birth,
Caesarean,
Midwifery,
Normal Birth,
Obstetrics Interested in home birth, hospital birth or private midwifery care? Questions or comments? Email Melissa Maimann or call 0400 418 448.
Link
Being overweight or obese increases a woman’s chances of having an extra-big baby …
Excess weight in and of itself also sharply increased a woman’s risk of pre-eclampsia …
Women have more difficulty delivering very large babies, while these newborns are also at risk of suffering injury during birth, including shoulder dislocation. While women who are overweight or obese are known to run a greater risk of having very large babies and experiencing other pregnancy complications, it has been difficult to separate out the effects of a mother’s weight from those of gestational diabetes …
This led them to investigate whether BMI … a standard measure of weight in relation to height used to gauge how fat or thin a person is — might influence pregnancy risks and fetal and newborn health, independently of a woman’s blood sugar levels.
… women with BMIs of 42 or greater … were at more than triple the risk of having an excessively large baby, compared to the thinnest women in the study …
The heaviest women’s risks of having a C-section were more than doubled, while their likelihood of pre-eclampsia was 14-fold greater than for the leanest women …
… dietary changes can effectively treat gestational diabetes for more than 90 percent of women with the condition.
“… treating gestational diabetes going forward is going to continue to be beneficial,” the researcher said. “We have much less evidence at this point as to how to neutralize or reduce the impact of overweight on pregnancy outcome.”
… it’s probably a woman’s weight before she gets pregnant, rather than how much she gains during pregnancy, that’s important in determining risk.
Melissa Maimann, Essential Birth Consulting 0400 418 448
Tags: Complicated pregnancy or birth, exercise, intervention, Normal Birth, Nutrition, Preconception care
Posted by Melissa Maimann on Feb 9, 2010 in
Birth,
Midwifery Interested in home birth, hospital birth or private midwifery care? Questions or comments? Email Melissa Maimann or call 0400 418 448.
Link
DENVER – What was once considered alternative is now becoming more mainstream: One Denver hospital is finding more expecting mothers choosing the option of water births.
… a big free-standing Jacuzzi tub is set up and filled up in a room in the birth center. It is about three feet deep.
… it is a great option to help … natural child birth.
“To me being in a confined tub made it really secure, it kind of made it my cave,” … “I felt protected and left to do my own thing.”
… Patients are coming from as far away as Nebraska for the option.
“People are seeking it and wanting it so they are willing to make the trip to our Hospital …”
It wuld be wonderful if waterbirth could become a standard option in all birth places.
Melissa Maimann, Essential Birth Consulting 0400 418 448
Tags: Birth choices, hospital birth, midwife, Midwifery, Midwifery services, Normal Birth, Public and private hospitals