ICAN-International Cesarean Awareness Network
I LOVE this organization ICAN but rarely have blown its horn ‘toot toot!’ but, this was a video that was shown at the Trust Birth Conference which made me laugh and cry and applaud and stamp my feet…really.
Firstly: Please click here for more info on CPD (Cephalopelvic Disproportion)
Cephalopelvic Disproportion is rare yet is vastly overdiagnosed. Here are the stories of a few women who were told their babies were too big for their pelvises by one care provider, but fortunately sought a second opinion and subsequently birthed an even BIGGER baby through that same “small” pelvis.
VBAC = vaginal birth after cesarean
HBAC = homebirth after cesarean
HBA3C = homebirth after 3 cesareans
UBA2C = unassisted birth after 2 cesareans
and there’s a new video on the ICAN site that is just as good VBAC after multiple cesareans
Enjoy!
Love,
Heather
thepooka said,
March 25, 2008 @ 1:45 am
Birth Plan comic:
My first thought was, “Induction, Epidural, Forceps and Spam!” Why do I get the distinct impression that if doctors in hospitals *didn’t* do these things they’d be in trouble with their superiors for not pushing enough product?
Disgusting. The practice of medicine should have as little as possible in common with retail.
Julinda said,
March 25, 2008 @ 5:08 am
Many people are not aware that there is another drug used for induction, Cytotec (misoprostol). It is very controversial. My doctor used it to induce my first labor. I did not know what she was using or that there were major risks associated with it. After learning about the product and how it worked later on, and thinking about problems that arose during my labor, I suspected that was what she had used. When pregnant again, and facing induction for medical reasons, I asked her, and she said it was. She still uses it, but due to my questioning, she did not use it the second time but used the more common Pitocin instead.
Would my labor and delivery have been better without induction? I strongly suspect they would have, but I will never know as I am not having more children. But that is another story.
frontierpsychiatrist said,
March 25, 2008 @ 6:58 am
Loved the video! I have a friend gearing up for a UBA4C (Any day now!)
I myself am 5′, 105 lbs, and had a UC 10 pounder.
melonary said,
March 25, 2008 @ 7:03 am
I was diagnosed with CPD, following failure to progress and dd (7.5 lb) was born via cesarean. Did I mention that doc started pitocin almost as soon as he admitted me for broken waters, about a week before my due date? I only wish I’d known enough to stay home until labor began on its own.
At any rate, I believed the CPD because dd’s head was about 90th percentile. It wasn’t until months later that I realized her head was that big because she did not pass through the birth canal.
I saw an ad in the local paper for cesarean support group and called it. A wonderful woman named Melody talked with me at length and suggested reading Silent Knife and another title that was full of VBAC stories. She later was doula for my VBAC, one of the proudest moments of my life!
I switched from the OB to a midwife group practice. DH was not as convinced as I was that the cesarean was unnecessary and I wasn’t confident enough to birth at home, so we went to St. Joseph hospital in Tacoma, where the midwives practiced.
At the beginning of the pregnancy, I asked if there would be any reason for me to not attempt VBAC. The midwife said they could not deliver breach as VBAC. At about 5 months, I was devastated to learn that the baby was breach. I know that babies can turn at the last minute, but I was afraid mine wouldn’t and chose to have an external version at about 8.5 months. Melody came with me. The doc said the most important thing was to relax, and later told me I was the most relaxed person he had ever done the procedure on! I wanted so much to at least attempt the VBAC!
Then, when baby was “overdue” by two weeks, I was told on a Friday that they would have to induce me if labor did not began by Monday. Baby must have heard that warning, because things got going on their own Sunday evening
When it came to birth plans, I was told the hospital would insist on a hep loc** because of my history (previous cesarean). I knew I didn’t want to birth with that thing in my arm, so I did some research on options for emergency IV. We then put a paper in my file stating that I was taking all the risk for possible death, yada yada, by refusing the hep loc.
Of course the birth did not go fully as I planned. (See the cartoon above. I chose the quasi-natural birth with medically-oriented midwives in a hospital.) But, I birthed with minimal intervention. No drugs. And a VBAC with no IV needed at any time.
I did tear a bit, probably because the nurse in charge rushed things at the end.
I will be forever grateful to Melody for helping me to learn about VBAC, helping my husband to coach me through labor, and giving me the support I needed to avoid a second cesarean. Thanks to you, Heather, for spreading the word on this important topic.
** I might have the wrong word. It is putting the needle in place for an IV, so if the IV is needed, they just stick it in the tube that is already there. In case anyone wonders, medical personnel regularly give successful emergency treatment to people who did not have a hep- loc in! Just ask a medic who works for a fire department.
anonymommy said,
March 25, 2008 @ 10:06 am
About the Birth Plan comic: I had “the birth of my choice” in a hospital. My second child was born in a hospital with no drugs, no monitors, no nothing - exactly the same way he would have been born if he had been born out in the woods.
One thing that will increase the chances that you get the birth you want in a hospital is to be informed. Find a doctor you’re comfotable with, and then don’t necessarily accept everything the doctor suggests. Be bold and ask for what you want.
Another thing that will help you get the birth you want in a hospital, if you can afford it, is to bring your own doula to the hospital. The doula has YOUR interests as her first priority, and she will be very informed about the birth process and can give you another (perhaps less fear-mongering and less intervention-oriented) perspective on what happens during the labor and birth and what your choices are.
For both of my children’s births, I felt more secure knowing I was in a hospital just in case my baby was born needing immediate medical attention or something. It’s probably a silly fear, but there are probably a lot of women who are going to choose to have their babies in the hospital, and just because you make that choice, doesn’t mean you have to give up the rest of your choices.
I agree that hospitals tend to make the birth experience worse, and that they do far too many interventions and that ob/gyns often do not have the mother’s and baby’s best interests in mind, but I just wanted to say that it IS possible to have a good birth experience in a hospital.
Anonymommy
kriekle said,
March 25, 2008 @ 10:29 am
I have to agree with Anonymommy. My first was born at the hospital, completely naturally. My ob knew I wanted things kept as natural as possible and steered me to the appropriate hospital for that. He discussed openly with me risks and benefits of everything we talked about and considered. He didn’t push for an induction when we passed my “due date” and in fact encouraged me (not that I needed it!) to wait things out. I then helped by staying at home as long as possible during my labor. In fact, I delivered 11 minutes after I arrived. While I didn’t officially have a doula, my aunt, who is a labor and delivery nurse, acted as one for me. She was there for me and 100% supportive through my entire labor. She’s actually the reason I chose a hospital birth for my first. My second was born at home with a midwife, and was marvelous, but I have no complaints about my hospital birth.
kelly1827 said,
March 25, 2008 @ 6:09 pm
Heather, the link for ICAN isn’t correct. It should be www.ican-online.org . Thanks for helping us “toot our horn”! I love that video too, esp. because the OB who did my c-section for breech told me (while I was still on the table) that my pelvis “looked small” and I should plan on future c-secs. That baby was 8lbs0oz. My next baby, an unmedicated VBAC, was 7lbs12oz, but with her arm across her body. The midwife said it was the equivalent of birthing a 9lb12oz baby! My last VBAC baby was 8lb4oz and seemed much easier without the nuchal arm! ~ Kelly, Chapter Leader, ICAN of Western New Jersey
soulgasm said,
March 26, 2008 @ 2:14 pm
i, too, had a wonderful, intervention free waterbirth (against hospital policy!) at the hospital. i had a fantabulous midwife and a delivery nurse who acted more like a doula than hospital obstetrical staff. even the triage nurse told me to wait til i got in the tub before asking for drugs (yes, i wasn’t even in the delivery room when i was begging for narco!). it would have been better with out having to go from triage to delivery, BUT i felt much more comfortable at the hospital than in my cramped, filled with negative chi, shithole of a townhouse.
also, a note on misoprostol–miso is one of the 2 drugs used in “medical” abortions, the kind of early abortions that are done by a drug cocktail. that’s right. so, basically miso causes an ABORTION, except that the doctor catches the baby before it dies. usually. and stops the bleeding before mom bleeds out. usually. and stops the contractions before the uterus ruptures. usually. GAAAAH!
sheepdoc said,
March 26, 2008 @ 6:22 pm
Its great that in certain areas, some women can find an OB and a hospital that lets them choose. The fact is most of us can’t. In my area we have 3 hospitals who c/s rates are over 45%. One bans doulas outright.
How would your hospital birth have been if you didn’t give birth 11 minutes after walking in? If the OB or duty nurse on the floor was willing to fire any nurses who didn’t follow IV, amniotomy, fetal monitoring positioning?
I have a friend who’s a CNM and had her child at home. She practices 1 way on Saturday and much more medical M-F. She got to manage a friend of hers birth. She fought the entire time with her co-workers over not putting an IV in. She did do an amniotomy approximately 1 hr before the actual delivery, even though she knows they are medically inappropriate. She knew she would be fired if she didn’t follow that protocol.
And Doulas can’t stand up for you. Its not their place. Most of my doula friends won’t do hospitals anymore because they got sick of trying, in vain to politely tell their clients that the OB/CNM who claims they do VBAC has ended up finding a reason to schedule a section for the last 20 clients who used him.
Around here only the midwives will put numbers on paper. Everything else is, “only when necessary”
wiffersnapper said,
March 27, 2008 @ 4:07 pm
I’ve said ever since my first birth that I swear there must be some kind of agreement between hospitals and the makers of Pitocin. “Everyone gets at least one dose, whether they need it or not!” With my first birth, I delivered naturally and was given Pit AFTERWARDS anyway, even though everything was rolling along just fine and there was no need. Another good reason to avoid that IV- they can slip anything in there and you won’t know! (I didn’t find out about the Pit until WAY later, when I demanded to read my records!) Are there times when Pitocin probably does help? Perhaps. But is it sadly overused? More than likely. Yes, birth is a scary thing to witness from the perspective of someone who’s trying to “help”. But sometimes helping too much can be hindering.
wiffersnapper said,
March 28, 2008 @ 3:58 am
I also need to add- the overall quality of a hospital birth definitely depends on the hospital. My first birth was drug-free and natural at a hospital, but the overall experience was AWFUL. I felt disrespected and mistreated. My second was an emergency c-section at a different hospital, but it was the best thing I could’ve asked for. I felt cared for, empathized with, and generally supported. SHOP AROUND! (If you can- I am lucky and had four to choose from.)
TopHat said,
April 2, 2008 @ 3:16 pm
On the birth plan comic- this is just something it reminded me of.
We just had our first baby Saturday via UC. When we filled out the statistical paperwork for the birth certificate, there was one section that said, “Baby was born” and had 3 options:
1) in hospital
2) en route to hospital
3) at home, transferred to hospital.
We marked “at home” and scratched out “transferred to hospital.”
Why yes, even the state government can put your birth into 3 easy categories! I should have had the baby on the sidewalk or something. Where do you put that?