ACOG finally catching up

[tooby3]

I'll high five them, even though the length of time it took to arrive to this point is deplorable. But in case you missed it, take note of ACOG's new guidelines. They've finally acknowledged what the natural birth and midwifery communities have been saying (to EXTREME criticism I'll add) for years.

To share a few:
Slow Labors Are Normal, Don't

Comments

[purerandomness]

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!!! I read the article (and news brief) and cheered!
I would have been cesarean indicated for Ben due to the slow progression of labor and length of pushing phase, but it was just the way that he presented and my body dealt with it.

I second (and third) the suggestion that residents re-learn to use forceps because of the case study where an infant was decapitated by a resident/newly minted OB using forceps who didn't know how to (extreme example, but still).

[tooby3]

Seriously?! I had never heard that before. That is terrifying. I don't even understand how that's possible.

I wonder why midwives are not trained in forceps delivery. It seems like something they could be doing.

But yeah, it's all good stuff.

[purerandomness]

This is the original one I remember (Daily Mail in the UK, but about a delivery in Missouri:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2216497/Doctors-decapitated-baby-birth-tried-hide-parents-dead-infant-delivered-C-section.html)
Then Google showed me this one (Huffington Post about a delivery in Brazil):http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/05/21/baby-decapitated-at-birth-horror-in-brazilian-hospital_n_1532327.html

Gross and terrifying.

[tooby3]

I am flabbergasted. There's actually a third example at the end of that huff po story. What's curious is that all three happened in us hospitals with American ob gyns but these are stories from UK news sources. Makes me wonder if it was never covered here or maybe it's just a coincidence.

OBs do seems to have the ability to get away with murder. Obviously they carry malpractice insurance for a reason but it's easy as a patient to learn of lawsuits against an OB especially if they happen in other states. Meanwhile my midwife delivered one stillborn In a 30 year career that died from GBS and she gets a huge magazine feature written about her in the local paper using her as an example of how midwives are negligent and homebirth is dangerous.

[sandokai]

This is awesome!

Though some women/labors are incapacitated long before 6cm so I don't agree they should never admit anyone before 6cm.

[tooby3]

Actually that's just my editorializing. I think all that was meant is that instead of 4 cm. being the threshold for active labor, it's now 6 cm. Even now women get admitted all the time even at 2 cm per their request. My understanding is that they generally believe women labor more effectively at home where they can do what they want so they TRY and encourage people to leave but I can think of lots of examples in my personal life where women we admitted much earlier.

[sandokai]

My hospital doesn't like to admit until 5cm. I was 4.5 but since my contractions were intense and 2 minutes apart they did anyway...