[cdk]

Hi,

I am thinking about switching to a midwife. There is a highly recommended birthing center close by.

I could also try and find OB groups with midwives to deliver at the hospital but my first instinct says to go with the birthing center.

I justed talked to my DH about not being in a hospital and he is not crazy about the idea. He is very scared something could go wrong and i could be transferred to the hospital but what if it is 'too late".

I am new to this and have not spoken to any midwives yet so I am not educated at all in this.

Can you tell me how midwives take care of dangers when they are not in a hospital? For instance, cord wrapped around neck..baby comes out blue- can they tell fetal distress during contractions? I guess I want to know worst case scenarios and how it is handled. Distressed babies, bleeding mothers etc
Are there cases where the baby/mother didn't make it/ or injured because they were not in the hospital?

Any info would be great. I need to build my case and I guess resolve some of the concerns/scares in my head. I am 35 and this is my first.

Thanks so much,
Cheryl

 

[MichelleAnnette]

Midwives can take care of the things you mentioned just like an OB would - cord around the neck, baby not breathing, diagnosing fetal distress. They monitor heart rate during labor and check for the cord when the head comes out (and just gently unwind the cord if it is wrapped). They have oxygen and pitocin (in case of hemorrage).

 

[aussiemum]

In my experience, midwives are great at dealing with short cord/ twisted cord/ short labour-long labour/ delayed delivery of placenta/ blue &or delayed breathing baby, etc. etc.

In short, midwives are trained to deal with multiple medical emergencies, & whilst they might not happen very often (or ever), for me it felt good to know that there were people nearby who knew an awful lot about childbirth. That was my cushion against being forced into hospital to birth our second, yk? He was born at home against great odds, & I am forever grateful to the midwives who made his homebirth possible.

 

[BennyPai]

My younger dd was born at home with her cord wrapped (twice?) around her neck. My midwife handled it so swiftly I didn't realize dd's cord had been around her neck at all until we discussed the birth afterward.

 

[SublimeBirthGirl]

Statistically, homebirth is safer. Accounting for risk factors, babies are slightly less likely to die at home (mothers are equally unlikely to die). Rates of interventions are MUCH higher in the hospital. For example, you are 8 times more likely to have a c-section just by walking through the hospital doors. Here are a couple of studies for you to check out:

http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/conte...7505/1416?ehom

http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/abstr...e2=tf_ipsecsha

FWIW, cord around the neck is rarely an emergency. It's very common, somewhere around 25% of births. My 2nd, who was born at home without a midwife present, had a nuchal cord. I unwrapped it, no big deal.

As for a baby born blue and not breathing, I'd MUCH rather deal with that situation at home than at the hospital. Do you know the first thing they do when a baby's not breathing? Cut the cord! So the baby's not breathing, and they cut off the only oxygen the baby's getting so they can give him oxygen on a table on the other side of the room from mom. At home, midwives leave the cord intact, so even if the baby's not using his lungs yet, he's still getting oxygen and not in any immediate danger. They will encourage the baby to breathe on mom's chest, and give oxygen if they need to.

With everything I know, I would never feel safe in a hospital again. Even setting aside the birth stuff, and the fact that I believe hospitals deal with complications very poorly, there are also the issues of medical mistake and infection. At least 2 million people a year acquire an infection in the hospital, superbugs that are not present in our homes. Hospitals are scary places, and I'd only go to one if I had to (fyi - my 1st was born in a hospital; I have learned a lot since then).

 

[AKmoose]

I think pp said everything I could...and I want to second the nuchal cord being no biggie...dd1 had it (birth center with mws) and ds1 had it too - UC and my dh just slipped it over as he was born!
Best wishes and congrats - both on your pg and on researching your birth options!

 

[cdk]

Thanks for your response

Here's a situation a friend of mine had. She was laboring for hours and they decided to do a c-section because the baby was in distress during contractions. ( I think really low heart rate). They did the section and the doctor pulled the baby out and there was a tight knot in the cord. He said to her "lucky baby". Supposedly if she had delivered vaginally the knot would of cut off oxygen and possible CP or other issues would have developed.. I don't know how true that is but would a MW know the baby was in distress and transfer to the hospital? My friend was led to believe that the outcome would have been very different if she had not had a CS.

Thanks

 

[JamieCatheryn]

I recently heard someone's birth story with a true knot in the cord. Heartrate fell during pushing stage, midwife was monitering intermittantly and noticed this right away, told the mom to push as hard and fast as she could, baby was born, they gave oxygen, baby was fine.

 

[majormajor]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamieCatheryn I recently heard someone's birth story with a true knot in the cord. Heartrate fell during pushing stage, midwife was monitering intermittantly and noticed this right away, told the mom to push as hard and fast as she could, baby was born, they gave oxygen, baby was fine.

this is exactly why i wouldn't homebirth though. what if, in spite of pushing as hard and fast as she could, the mom couldn't get the baby out in time? there was no warning during labor that the baby might be in trouble? why didn't the midwife call for an ambulance in case the baby didn't come right out?

my DD had the cord around her neck. he heartrate was dropping from the very beginning of my labor, down to about 80-90 bpm, and always recovering within a minute. then, when i peed and she started to move into the birth canal, her heartrate dropped to the 30s and didn't come back up. i had an emergency section and she was fine.

my OB said during my labor that there was possibly a problem with the cord, and she wouldn't let anything happen to DD, but if we might end up with an emergency section. DD was OP, she is my first, so there's NO WAY i was pushing her out in less than 10 minutes.

i'm not anti-homebirth for other people, but i could never do it after my experience. also, i've looked at the studies and criticisms of them, and i'm not sure they show that homebirth is as safe as hospital birth. it's difficult to find a good study that compares the death rates among homebirthers to the death rates among comprable hospital populations of the same year. however, if there is a difference, it's small IMO.

i'm not trying to stir anything up, just giving my honest opinion.

 

[alegna]

For low risk moms homebirth is at LEAST as safe as hospital birth. Personally I feel it's quite a bit safer.

-Angela

 

[purposefulmother]

I'm a big advocate of homebirth and I absolutely believe it's the safest place for babies and mamas.

I've also had a c-section. My baby did have a true knot. Would my baby have survived a vaginal delivery? Possibly. I know stories of babies who did survive, and babies who didn't. I am glad that I had a healthy baby, although a c was not what I wanted.

A MW can monitor to check for fetal distress, and can try things to see why the baby might be in distress.

MWs are trained to handle emergencies and their first concern should be having a healthy baby, NOT accomplishing a homebirth. If there is a real emergency, your mw should call for transport. Ask her what she would do in situation A, B, and C. A good midwife will avoid unnecessary interventions BUT will also exercise prudence with the situation is dire. Healthy baby and mama is the first priority, or it should be.

 

[DoomaYula]

I've attended a hb with a true knot. Baby was and is fine.

 

[Celticqueen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by majormajor this is exactly why i wouldn't homebirth though. what if, in spite of pushing as hard and fast as she could, the mom couldn't get the baby out in time? there was no warning during labor that the baby might be in trouble? why didn't the midwife call for an ambulance in case the baby didn't come right out? my DD had the cord around her neck. he heartrate was dropping from the very beginning of my labor, down to about 80-90 bpm, and always recovering within a minute. then, when i peed and she started to move into the birth canal, her heartrate dropped to the 30s and didn't come back up. i had an emergency section and she was fine. my OB said during my labor that there was possibly a problem with the cord, and she wouldn't let anything happen to DD, but if we might end up with an emergency section. DD was OP, she is my first, so there's NO WAY i was pushing her out in less than 10 minutes. i'm not anti-homebirth for other people, but i could never do it after my experience. also, i've looked at the studies and criticisms of them, and i'm not sure they show that homebirth is as safe as hospital birth. it's difficult to find a good study that compares the death rates among homebirthers to the death rates among comprable hospital populations of the same year. however, if there is a difference, it's small IMO. i'm not trying to stir anything up, just giving my honest opinion.

NAK. I'm inclined to agree more with this post than any of the others I have read in this thread.

 

[alegna]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mommyofwills NAK. I'm inclined to agree more with this post than any of the others I have read in this thread.

Then you need to do more research.

Hospital birth is risky.

-Angela

 

[kewpie-o]

I think that you and your husband should interview the prospective midwife or midwives. It won't hurt to interview, even if you and DH decide to have the baby in a hospital instead. As far as I can tell, all midwives are SO different....some more conservative than others. You may ask the midwife what types of situations she would deem transport to a hospital necessary.

Tell her all the concerns you are having and ask her what she does in situations like you mentioned. Don't be afraid to ask what the infant/mother mortality rate is at that birth center and also the hospital transfer rate. Ask why those women needed to transfer to the hospital. An interview can tell you so much.