Fetal Heimlich Maneuver

[jeninejessica]

Hey everyone... I tried searching it, but amazingly can find next to nothing on here. FH is currently completing his EMR training, and tonight was their childbirth class. He came home asking about suctioning, as obvisouly they are still taught to do it routinely, and he knew I was against it.

I've been searching all night for a video of the fetal heimlich maneuver that occurs during birth and can't find it. I know we watched a clip in my doula training, and one of the other threads in here mentioned the bradley video 'giving birth natually', but I can't find clips.

Anything?

Or can someone a little more blessed with words than I describe it for me?

[mwherbs]

so in the short training he gets - even though he may not need to suction a baby learning how to is not a bad idea -- I did a birth for a couple who's had an accidental home birth the time before and decided to plan it this time anound any how at the accidental homebirth EMTs came and they have a picture of the EMT using the bulb syringe on the baby's ear (lots of packaging says ear syringe) - I imagine they will show him how to do resusciation as well and it is only used rarely--

[sevenkids]

Originally Posted by mwherbs

so in the short training he gets - even though he may not need to suction a baby learning how to is not a bad idea -- I did a birth for a couple who's had an accidental home birth the time before and decided to plan it this time anound any how at the accidental homebirth EMTs came and they have a picture of the EMT using the bulb syringe on the baby's ear (lots of packaging says ear syringe) - I imagine they will show him how to do resusciation as well and it is only used rarely--

On the baby's ear? Oh, my......Probably did a lot less damage that way!

[jeninejessica]

They actually require them to do routine suctioning... so every single baby he ever meets will get it. :S

He came home inquiring again as to why I didn't like it, and I was trying to explain to him about how when a baby comes our vaginally with an intact perinium, then it actually acts like a heimlich maneuver on the baby, negating the need (in most cases) for them to be suctioned.

Then I searched for an hour trying to find the video I watched that showed this.

It breaks my heart that even though he knows the risks, knows how violent it is to baby, and how unecessary it is... he is still required to do it.

They did go through resuscitation as well. Actually to be completely honest, I'm impressed about how much they actually teach these guys.

I did take issue with them suggesting that any breech babies should be flipped upside down on to their mom's tummys as they emerge. I think I understand what the guy was trying to say, but my gosh, it sure didn't come out right!

[Midwife Kris]

Originally Posted by mwherbs

EMTs came and they have a picture of the EMT using the bulb syringe on the baby's ear (lots of packaging says ear syringe) -

Maybe he was doing that so the baby could hear him saying, "BREATHE!"

[balancedmama]

Originally Posted by Midwife Kris

Maybe he was doing that so the baby could hear him saying, "BREATHE!"

:

[mwherbs]

Ah nothing much I will restate that if DH is learning lifesaving techniques- suctioning is one of those things- that is done before you would start bagging a baby -- I am hoping that he will be taking a Neonatal Resuscitation class- the current guidelines are clear about no routine suction for most babies- and the class outlines the exceptions--as well as gives practice--

the "Fetal Heimlich Maneuver"I believe is a Bradley class coined phrase--maybe they have a picture --

there are some changes that a baby goes through while in the birth canal there is chest compression once the chest is out and expands it is thought to be part of the changes that help push fluid from lungs-- and I am guessing that this is what they are calling a fetal Heimlich maneuver--
in a few- not many I have seen on the perineum head out but everything else still inside amniotic fluid will fountain out of the baby's nose- from the compression --it does not matter if fluid fountains out or not the baby may have some congestion, if a baby can breathe, keep a good heart rate, cough, sputter, sneeze, spit-up- the baby is clearing her/his own airway and I don't need to interfere - and the resuscitations studies back that up --
and a while back there was a very long thread on routine suctioning--

[jeninejessica]

haha. I saw the thread n suctioning when I was searching for a video. I think I'll avoid it for now

I believe they learned neonatal resuscitation already, although I'm not certain. We're in Canada and the classes he's taking base all of their standards of practice off of what our city paramedics standards are... A lot of them are "better" than what would happen in the hospital, but there's still a few outdated things like that kicking around in there.

I'll try searching some Bradley pages and see what I can come up with. Thanks

[chandasz]

I have the video. I wish I knew how to get a screen capture! It's pretty cool to see and just really highlights why "routine" suctioning is not necessary. Of course-- if baby is in trouble-- suctioning can be useful.

Talk to Marjie or Jay Hathaway and tell them what you are trying to do. Maybe they would be able to share more information with you (they run the academy).

I LOVE the "so baby could hear" comment. I needed that laugh today. THANK YOU!