Dear Jennifer,
I agree with you that there are many things that need to be changed about
births that occur in hospitals. These things have been documented in other
letters. I have also worked with many infants who have thrived because they
have been born in a hospital and would have died or had complications if
they would have been born at home. I refer to the preterm and sick newborns
that have needed NICU or Level II care.
I have personally cared for profoundly damaged infants who have no blink,
gag or suck reflexes who were born at home. Something went wrong in these
home deliveries- either an unexpected emergency or mismangement by the
delivering personnel. Not all home births are perfect!
I have seen a dramatic reduction in these hospital born profoundly damaged
babies, since the development of rapid c-sections. We still see some
profoundly brain damaged babies from Somali mothers who have refused
c-sections. The Somali women have a high mortality rate in their homeland
from c-sections, and do not trust that they can survive a c-section in the
USA.
I do suggest to you that there is a place for both midwives and MD's in the
care of pregnant women.
You have written many interesting posts and others that have become
increasingly offensive to me as a hospital based IBCLC. Your black-or-white
views on the perfect home birth vs. hospital birth from hell may relieve
your frustrations, but they increase mine. This is a safe and enlightening
place that I can go after a hard day at work. I know that I can find
support and encouragement from my fellow Lactnetters. I want ideas on how
to improve my practice and support the families that I work with. I have
enjoyed the lively debates on different topics. I have appreciatiated
different people expressing their feelings in nonjudgemental ways. I think
that as an intelligent and enlightened women, you could be a powerful tool
for change. Remember that if you are not part of the solution, you are part
of the problem. In other words, please don't ripdown everything about
hospital based birthing, provide comments that promote change.
Rachel Wahl BSN RN IBCLC
>
>Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2006 01:15:52 -0400
>From: "Jennifer Tow, IBCLC" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: Boston Globe article
>
>During the past two weeks, I have seen so many babies damaged by
>medicalized births, unable to breastfeed that it makes me wonder why I
>even try to make a difference. I saw a mother today who thought it was
>actually better for her baby for her to have a cesarean!!!! Then I
>referred her baby who cannot open her mouth for CST. I have yet to meet
>a mother who has a home birth, especially after a medicalized birth who
>regrets her decision. I saw a mom last night who told me her homebirth
>was much more painful than her prior hospital birth with drugs, but so
>wonderful and so worth it. I recently worked with a mom who delivered a
>breech baby at home after three hours of pushing and she was
>ecstatic--her first had been in the hospital with drugs. I am having a
>really hard time coming up with any compassion for this guy. He writes:
> "There is no other circumstance where it is considered acceptable for
>a person to experience untreated severe pain, amenable to safe
>intervention, while under a physician's care." So, is he suggesting
>that it is unacceptable for a woman to refuse to be drugged to give
>birth, b/c I am hanging on that word "acceptable" and seeing a very
>scary medical viewpoint. Of course, my answer is that woman have no
>reason to be under a physician's care while giving birth,
>anyway--that's what midwives are for. I know, we aren't supposed to
>call doctors idiots, but all I can say about the one who wrote this
>deeply biased and degrading article is: What an idiot!!!
>Jennifer Tow, IBCLC, CT, USA
>
>
>"Date: Sun, 23 Jul 2006 14:48:56 EDT
>From: "Ruth Vishniavsky, RDH, MS" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Article eqautes natural laborer to suicide bomber
>
>Many Lactneters may find this article relevant:
>
>Cover Photo:
>_Magazine - The Boston Globe_
>(http://www.boston.com/news/globe/magazine/)
>
>Article:
>The Mother Lode of Pain - The Boston Globe "
>
>________________________________________________________________________
>Check out AOL.com today. Breaking news, video search, pictures, email
>and IM. All on demand. Always Free.
>
> ***********************************************
>
>
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