Think there’s no difference between a C-section and a vaginal birth?

This video begs to differ.
Powerful.

The Safe Motherhood Quilt Project

From the Safe Motherhood website:
The Safe Motherhood Quilt Project is a national effort developed to draw public attention to the current maternal death rates, as well as to the gross underreporting of maternal deaths in the United States, and to honor those women who have died of [...]

Maternal Mortality

First the facts: WHO/UNICEF/UNFPA Estimates of maternal mortality for 2005 lists the U.S. maternal mortality rate as being 11/100,000; but more recent figures show it to be 13/100,000. On the opening page of the National Center for Health Statistics “Maternal Mortality and Related Concepts” Feb. 2007 report (p. 6 of the pdf), it says that [...]

Doctors trying to figure out what midwives have known for millenia

I save a lot of stories and websites on my computer bookmarks or “favorites,” and just the other day, I came across this link to an article in a British newspaper entitled, “Cramp blamed for Caesarean boom.” It says that doctors have found higher-than-normal levels of lactic acid in the wombs of women who have [...]

“Pardon the Mess”

It’s interesting to see what the search terms people use to find your website or blog. The latest was, “does blood come out when you give birth?” Short answer: yes.
As always, this is not medical advice; and any bleeding should be discussed with a healthcare professional.
Leading up to labor, many women have a tinge of [...]

Cytotec (ge. misoprostol, a.k.a. “miso”)

The obstetric community at large loves this drug. Some doctors refuse to use it at all, and some use it rarely. It’s a little white pill that as one person put it, “turns the cervix into absolute MUSHIE.” That’s the good side. But you know there has to be a bad side. First of all, [...]

Trendy Birth: An Odd Dichotomy

I haven’t posted on my blog about this topic (ACOG’s support of elective C-section, but opposition to home-birth), although I did post something to the Independent Childbirth Educators’ blog. But I came across this short article written by Amy Haas which expresses so well and succinctly the problem, that I asked her permission to post [...]

Pushing

Once your cervix is fully dilated, you may or may not feel the urge to push. Often, once your cervix is dilated, you will be directed to push whether you feel the urge or not. According to the WHO guidelines for safe motherhood, this is “a practice which is frequently used inappropriately.” It mentioned that [...]

Oh, wow, what a birth story!

Just read it.

Pain in Pregnancy

Most women take pain and discomfort in pregnancy as being normal. Even when pain is bad, and women complain to the obstetricians about it, most doctors dismiss it as the “normal” aches and pains of pregnancy. I did this too. After all, gaining 40 pounds with my first pregnancy (and losing it all), then gaining [...]