March of Dimes: 'Healthy babies are worth the wait'

TONS of great statistics in this one that confirm once again that our bodies know what they are doing when it comes to when to birth our babies.

"Although tests may show that the baby's lungs are well developed at, say, 37 weeks, research has demonstrated that the risk of newborn complications is still significantly higher than if delivery occurs two to three weeks later. In a study published last December of babies demonstrated to have mature lungs before birth, those delivered at 36-38 weeks had 2.5 times the number of complications compared with those delivered at 39-40 weeks. Problems more common among babies delivered earlier in gestation included respiratory distress, jaundice and low blood sugar."

'"Babies aren't fully developed until at least 39 weeks," Lackritz told a news briefing in New York convened by the March of Dimes. For example, a baby's brain at 35 weeks gestation weighs only two-thirds of what it will weigh at 39-40 weeks."

Too Many Babies Are Delivered Too Early: Hospitals Should Just Say No Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2011/01/31/too-many-babies-are-delivered-

Pregnancy lasts 40 weeks for a reason. At 35 weeks, a baby's brain tips the scales at just two-thirds of what it will weigh by weeks 39 to 40.

Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2011/01/31/too-many-babies-are-delivered-too-early-hospitals-just-say-no/#ixzz1D0qCRFxZ

Written on October 18, 2010 at 10:14 pm by Birth Sense Evidence Under Fire: 10 Common Obstetric Procedures Not Supported By Science

"Following is a sampling of the current evidence regarding ten procedures commonly used in modern obstetrics despite a lack of evidence to support their use. Please note: many of these procedures are beneficial in specific situations. It is their routine use without medical indication that I am addressing."

Newborn Deliveries Are Scheduled Too Early, According to Hospital Watchdog Group

This is not to say that once a woman reaches 39 weeks gestation there are no longer any risks to "elective" delivery. I wholeheartedly believe that our bodies and babies know that they are doing and just as we put our trust in the natural process of labor and birth as being the safest for Mother and baby, so should we put our trust in the timing of labor to begin on it's own for the safety of Mom and baby.

"Every hospital should publicly report on their rate and actively prevent the practice, and every woman planning to give birth should demand the information,"

"The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed." --Chinese proverb

What You Need to Know about Induction of Labor

Eight Reasons Our C-section Rate Is Too High

Dr. Priver states that over his 36 years of practice, his c-section rate never exceeded 10%. He modestly describes himself as having “no extraordinary wisdom, skills or dexterity” but offers points that he believes, if taken into consideration by OBs, could successfully decrease the c-section rate.

Read the entire article by clicking on the title link above.

I Was Pregnant For 10 Months

To read the full article click on the title above.

"As US midwife Gail Hart points out, the most-cited statistic about post-dates babies (that their risk of stillbirth "doubles after 42 weeks") comes from a 1958 study – a time when mortality rates were 10 times what they are now. Also, as Hart argues, induction is hardly risk-free: it carries higher rates of caesarean section, uterine rupture, foetal distress and maternal haemorrhage."

"As a midwife you know if a baby is truly post-mature by the state of the skin. It's drier and flakier. They look like someone who has been in the water too long." But according to one American study [cited by Gail Hart in Midwifery Today], more than 90% of supposedly "late" babies born at 43 weeks in fact show no signs of post-maturity."

"To most hospitals, Gaskin adds, a lack of symptoms – and the patient's history – is irrelevant: "This habit of making absolute rules that are applied to cases that used to be open to individual treatment has contributed to the dumbing down of maternity care."

This is true in the UK too. I couldn't understand why my doctor was not interested in all the heart monitoring (every two days after 42 weeks) – and all perfect – or in the ultrasound scan. Nor was there any interest in my birth history (two late babies and fast births, which I thought made me a poor candidate for induction). All that mattered were the statistics – from 1958."

How To Stop Needless Induction of Labor

"(If you spontaneously go into labor at week 37 or 38 the risks to your baby are incredibly low, but being induced at week 37 or 38 increases the risks of interventions, including NICU stays, breathing problems and even surgical births.)"

"The most important thing is to realize that every week of pregnancy counts. Being born prior to spontaneous labor can carry risks, big and small. Your baby's brain undergoes a lot of changes in the last weeks of pregnancy, as does the development of lung tissue. You will also find that babies born after spontaneous labor have higher breastfeeding rates."

"So, if offered an induction, ask why. Use your BRAIN. What are the:

• Benefits
• Risks
• Alternatives
• Intuition (what's your gut say)
• Not now, or do nothing"

New Guidelines for Women With Prior Cesareans

"Many women who have had a cesarean section delivery -- and some who have had two C-sections -- can safely attempt to deliver vaginally, according to updated guidelines on vaginal birth after cesarean, or VBAC, issued by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists."

Home Birth: “Brave” Has Nothing To Do With It

The writer of this article is very strongly supportive of the safety of home birth, as am I. However please do not let her enthusiasm offend you if you have had a hospital birth or are currently planning one. The biggest thing I want you to take note of is the scientific evidence that she cites in the body of the article.

Problems and Hazards of Induction of Labor

Tons of wonderful evidence based information on the risks of induction itself and the drugs used for the induction procedure.

Making Cytotec (misoprostol) fit their agenda

In this article, Marsden Wagner, a perinatologist, neonatalogist and perinatal epidemiologist from California who is an outspoken supporter of midwifery, showed us that ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) is the only organization out of a list of 10 that, despite its risks to pregnant women and their unborn babies, recommends using Cytotec (misoprostol) for labor inductions.

Here is an excerpt from the FDA’s 2002 statement (PDF):

A major adverse effect of the obstetrical use of Cytotec is hyperstimulation of the uterus which may progress to uterine tetany [uterus contracts and doesn't let go] with marked impairment of uteroplacental blood flow, uterine rupture (requiring surgical repair, hysterectomy, and/or salpingo-oophorectomy [removal of the ovaries and Fallopian tubes]), or amniotic fluid embolism [maternal and infant mortality is very high from this]. Pelvic pain, retained placenta, severe genital bleeding, shock, fetal bradycardia [profound slowing of the fetal heart], and fetal and maternal death have been reported.

There may be an increased risk of uterine tachysystole [contractions coming too fast], uterine rupture, meconium passage, meconium staining of amniotic fluid, and Cesarean delivery due to uterine hyperstimulation with the use of higher doses of Cytotec; including the manufactured 100 mcg tablet. The risk of uterine rupture increases with advancing gestational ages and with prior uterine surgery, including Cesarean delivery. Grand multiparity [usually defined as more than four births] also appears to be a risk factor for uterine rupture.

Dr. Wagner had this to say about the reasoning behind ACOG's outnumbered stand on the continued use of Cytotec for labor inductions;

"How can ACOG possibly be willing to stand alone in opposition to the best scientific opinion in the world? Because so many of ACOG's members already use Cytotec induction off-label for its incredible convenience, the organization needs to support its members by recommending this practice."

Henci Goer , award-winning medical writer, internationally known speaker and the author of The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth., hit the nail on the head when she described it as "a rationale that amounts to “but all the kids are doing it.”"

So then the next question becomes, "why are all the kids doing it?" Why is it that so many obstetricians are using Cytotec for something the drug was not created for and that has the potential to cause SO many serious problems for their pregnant patients, concerning who they swore to first and foremost "do no harm"? I will once again turn to Henci Goer,

"Why, then, are obstetricians so enamored of misoprostol? The answer is summed up by this obstetrician enthusiast:

The best part about it is that you can block-schedule your nurses so that you have enough on hand. . . [I]f we start our inductions at 7 a.m., we know that we’re going to have X number of patients in labor being admitted by 4 p.m. That’s helped our hospital tremendously, . . . [Cytotec is] a great agent. It works very, very efficiently. . . . And it’s ungodly inexpensive: 27 cents per tablet.

In other words, Cytotec’s real benefits are convenience for obstetricians and helping the hospital’s bottom line. For women and babies, though, it’s a roll of the dice. Most times things go fine, but sometimes the dice come up snake eyes."

So, I guess the real question comes down to this. Are you willing to let a doctor, who very well could be more concerned with his bottom line than the ultimate health and safety of you and your unborn baby, roll the Cytotec dice for you? Are you feeling lucky?

Lessons at Indian Hospital About Births

Excerpt from article;

#1 "Doctors and midwives here earn salaries and are not paid by the procedure, so they have no financial incentive to perform surgery."

#2 "The hospital and doctors are federally insured against malpractice, in contrast to other hospitals, where private insurers have threatened to raise premiums or withdraw coverage if vaginal birth after Caesarean is allowed."

#3 "Couples often want more than two children, but repeated Caesareans increase the risk of each pregnancy, so doctors and patients are motivated to avoid the surgery."

I think it would make our heads spin at how fast and far the cesarean rate in our country would drop if just these three changes were implimented in our maternity care system and that is not even considering the difference that cutting out unnecessary inductions would make on those numbers.

“Birth Management” Often Leads to Unnecessary Interventions | Induction

Excerpt from article,

75% of all induced labors are not for medical reasons, and research has proven that there are higher cesarean section rates for induced patients.

"Have You Had That Baby Yet???"

Here is a great website to send well meaning friends and family who keep checking in, to see if you have had your baby yet. :-)

Castor Oil Inductions

Quote from the article -

Too many women have turned from saying ‘My doctor says’ to saying ‘My midwife says’. Take responsibility for your and your family’s health. It is fine to respect professionals but ask for references on everything you’re not l00 % sure of and use your internet to scope things out. There is so much crap that passes for science without anyone questioning it.

Science & Sensibility » Beyond Due Dates: How Late is Too Late?

Science & Sensibility » Beyond Due Dates: How Late is Too Late?