Forceps ….

Most people don’t realize that forceps and vacuum extractors are often part of a cesarean section, too. There’s no way to get away from them if the woman can’t push her baby out. The rate should be very low but we’re not going to ever get rid of forceps. Educating women that forceps and epidurals go hand-in-hand and the earlier the epidural goes in, the higher that correlation goes up. One of my VBAC hospital support clients told me prenatally that she would refuse forceps and have another section if she ever got to that place in the VBAC birth. ( Her neighbour had a child who had severe cerebral palsy as a result of being pulled out with forceps.) My client took a long time to reach full dilation and then pushed valiantly for a couple of hours but was completely exhausted. The consultant obstetrician on duty came in and recommended forceps. The woman said “no” she wanted a repeat cesarean instead. Dr.explained that the baby was too low for that and he’d be back to do the forceps in about 20 mins. I’ll never forget that woman finding a force within herself and hauling her poor pooped out body up onto the squatting bar and pushing that baby out before he could come back with those tongs! Women are more powerful than we know. Gloria Lemay

Taking a look at how labor is taught z

“We think in pictures and we should be painting accurate pictures. The cervix nor the vagina bloom. The cervix is not a zip lock bag. The purpose of labor is NOT the creation of an opening or a hole… The purpose of labor contractions and retractions is to BUILD the fundus, which will, when it is ready, EJECT the baby, like a piston. Without a nice thick fundus there is no power to get baby out….the cervix does not dilate out….it dilates UP as a result of the effort to pull muscles up into the uterus to push muscles up to the fundus. The cervical dilation is secondary to that. The cervix is pulled up as a result of the building of the fundus. Assigning a number to cervical dilation is of little consequence and we make a huge mistake by interpreting progress or predicting time of birth to that number. Any experienced midwife or OB can tell you that the cervix can be manipulated and that a woman whose cervix is at 7 could have the baby in a few minutes or a few hours.
If more providers and educators knew the truth about birth physiology, we could make a huge difference for mothers. What is important is to keep her well supported for the purpose of the appropriate chemistry, to keep her well hydrated and nourished for muscle strength, and to believe in her. We should be supporting her so that her physiology and that of her baby are unhindered, so they can finish what they started.
We should not be measuring, poking, or interpreting her labor. THIS CHANGE in teaching about labor could make such a difference for women who are imagining what is happening in their bodies during labor. How much more strength might they have if they have an accurate picture?” -Carla Hartley

Delayed Cord Clamping

When I was first attending births in 1984, the obstetric model was to cut the umbilical cord immediately after birth & take baby away for evaluation & a first bath. This was based on the belief that placental blood flow would increase birth complications for babies.

Even back then, we midwives knew to do it differently. We waited until the placenta stopped pulsating—10 or more minutes—before clamping and cutting the cord. Babies did great, placentas came out readily & all was good—even if our methods were considered silly by doctors.

Times change and science has caught up. The midwives were right! We now know that immediate cord cutting, unless there’s a medical emergency that requires it, is not recommended. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists now recommends a delay in umbilical cord clamping for at least 30-60 seconds, and the WHO recommends 2-3 minutes.

The benefits of waiting include:

❣️ Transfer to baby of immunoglobulins & stem cells, which are essential for tissue & organ repair
❣️ Extra iron for baby, which has been shown to prevent deficiency in the first year of life
❣️ Possible reduced risk of hemorrhage & easier placental delivery for mom

While jaundice can develop from delayed cord cutting due to this influx of blood, this type of jaundice is not usually a medical problem. Baby will naturally clear this excess iron by pooping. Your midwife or pediatrician will keep an eye on baby over the first few days to make sure it’s clearing. The benefits of delayed cord cutting are more profound for baby than the risk of this jaundice.

Unfortunately, immediate cord clamping/cutting are still common practice in hospitals. You have to let your midwife or doctor know that you want to wait, with baby tummy to tummy on you, while you do. I recommend bringing this up with your care provider in advance to ensure that they are on board to do ‘delayed cord clamping and cutting’. Get specific with exactly how long you want baby to be connected to the placenta.

Unsure how to advocate for yourself? Want guidance on pregnancy, birth, and newborn care? I have just the course for you, launching soon. Stay tuned ❣️

From Dr 𝙰𝚟𝚒𝚟𝚊 Romms Face Book Page !

image by @monetnicolebirths

From Facebook- Lavender Moon Midwifery

One of the biggest lies told to women during pregnancy and/or labor is that baby is too big! This plants a seed of doubt into parents’ heads that mama’s body physically cannot birth her baby vaginally. That’s absurd!
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This little guy was born at home.
12lbs 11oz at birth.
Mama pushed for 8 minutes.
Mama did not tear.
Baby had a 10 APGAR at 1 min.
No gestational diabetes, baby had no blood sugar issues.
This is NORMAL!
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Obviously, this cutie was on the bigger side of normal, but for the majority of women, our bodies make babies that we are capable of birthing! Baby being truly too big to fit through mama’s pelvis (Cephalopelvic Disproportion) is rare. Often doctors will use it as an excuse to induce women before their due date, perform a c-section, augment labor with medication, or say it’s the reason for “failure to progress”. Ultrasounds are notoriously inaccurate when it comes to estimating baby’s weight. It has about a 2 lb margine of error (meaning baby could weigh up to 2 lb more or less than what they estimate!).
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Most home birth midwives understand that babies and bodies vary and so do labor patterns! Patience is a necessity. For women in labor, the key is movement! Laying in a bed reduces your pelvic diameter by about 30%! Most babies go through a series of rotations to navigate their body through the pelvis. When a mama is stuck in a bed due to medications or policies, it makes it much more difficult for both babies and their mothers. What’s the best way to avoid being stuck in a bed? Stay home during early labor, rest and nourish your body as much as possible to prepare for active labor. Have supportive providers and a doula by your side who trust birth and believe in you.
Mama: Amy Fulton