Avoiding Common Interventions in Childbirth

Today, childbirth has become more of a medical procedure than a natural function of our bodies. Many women who do have a desire for a natural birth are often looking for resources and information on how to achieve that experience. A great resource I have come across several times in my journey to becoming a childbirth educator in recent months is a website called Mother’s Advocate. They offer a wonderful plethora of videos aimed to help in the teaching process.

The video I am going to use today is Avoiding Unnecessary Interventions, while writing a little of my own thoughts.

Realistically, if you truly want to avoid the common hospital interventions, the best place for you to give birth is either at home, or a child birth center. In my experience personally, it can be an uncomfortable or stressful fight with hospital staff to avoid simple things like an IV line. But it all goes back to birthing where you feel comfortable.

What are some of the common medical interventions during birth?

An IV for Fluids
Epidural Anesthesia
Electronic Fetal Monitoring
Pitocin
Breaking the bag of water
Episiotomy

Most of which are unnecessary in many of the cases we see them in today, an IV for example. The purpose of an IV could be cut by simply allowing a woman to eat and drink during labor. Recent studies show that there is no need to starve a woman while she is in labor.

Constant electronic fetal monitoring is also overkill in low risk women, in recent years The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has shown that in the 40 years electronic fetal monitoring has been the norm, there has been no improved outcomes in mothers or babies. Of course like anything, there are some situations when necessary, but mostly in high risk cases.

Epidurals for those who choose to use them for labor can be the right fit, but they are not risk free. Epidurals can slow labor, or pose other risks to mothers and babies. There are various ways to help relieve the pain of labor.

Pitocin can cause contractions, but it can also cause contractions that are too strong resulting in fetal distress, or the cascade of interventions.

Episiotomy has been shown in recent years to be medically unnecessary in the majority of cases it is taking place in.

Skipping these common Interventions :

There are several ways you can go about skipping the routine hospital interventions listed above. Some of the ways you can do that are :

Hire a birth doula
Write a birth plan, or your wishes for birth
Talk to your provider about your expectations of case, or practices and procedures you are not comfortable with.
Take a tour of the hospital you will be giving birth at.
Research their statistics for intervention before giving birth there.

All of these can help to lower your changes of these common medical interventions having an impact on your desire for a natural birth.

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5 comments

tags: birth interventions, childbirth, childbirth educator, intervention, labor, lamaze, mothers advocate, skipping common interventions, unnecessary interventions
category: Uncategorized

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1

By: Julie M. Twitter: @mommiecooks

Great post. Of course the best way to stay away from it all is to have a homebirth with a midwife. But if you aren’t up for that, your list definitely does a good job of getting expectant mothers prepared.
.-= Julie M.´s last blog ..Pasta Yummy =-.

2

By: Katie Twitter: @mommakt

Awesome post!

Something interesting, though. After I had Ari in November, I wrote a letter to the hospital to complain about our hospital stay. In the letter, I cited the ACOG’s update about eating/drinking during labor. The hospital informed me that their anesthesiology department’s guideline of not allowing women to eat/drink prior to surgery overrides the ACOG standard. It sucks!
.-= Katie´s last blog ..No, they aren’t the same! (And I’m proud of it!) =-.

3

By: Amber Twitter: @amberdoula

Truth is, it doesn’t matter what MD you have or whether or not they’ve “approved” your birth plan, because there’s a good chance you’ll get a stranger when you go into labour. It doesn’t matter how good your questions are, if they are answered with lies. A doula can teach her clients about all the risks and benefits of a pain med and watch all that knowledge get flushed down the toilet when a caregiver looks them straight in the face and says “No that won’t hurt your baby at all.” Then the clients either lose faith in the doula or the caregiver. Either way, that’s no way to birth. You want to avoid unnecessary interventions? Encourage your friends who’ve had poor experiences write the Physician’s College and the hospital Administration. Get out there and get political. Spread the word about the benefits Midwives, write your politicians. Demand better practices. Change our cold birth culture to a warm and healthy one, say it loud and clear “No, getting a healthy baby isn’t all that matters!”

That is all.

4

By: Amy

5

By: Kimberly Twitter: @kjoberk

@Amber: The VERY FIRST CLIENT that I had as a doula, she ended up getting an epidural. (I was disappointed, but it is what it is.) She was asking the anesthesiologist all kinds of questions and he was flat out LYING to her. It broke my heart and when I left her room to go outside so she could get some sleep, I called my husband in tears because I was so upset. These people are supposed to be there for us and giving us legit information when we ask questions…instead we get treated like we are little kids and lied to.

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