MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'childbirth'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:48:16 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159200&cid=t_96213_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F24%2Ffrom-end-to-beginning-navigating-a-transition-well%2F I’ve had transitions on my mind recently. A lot of clients I work with feel stuck in the middle of a transition they didn’t quite anticipate, or that felt thrust upon them, or whose ramifications they just couldn’t calculate at the outset of the change. Marriage, divorce, childbirth, graduating college, losing a job, moving back home: whether positive or negative, transitions can be messy. And they can also give birth to previously unforeseen opportunities for growth. Therapy is, after all, about change, so I guess it is no surprise that as a therapist I should be witness to transitions galore. William Bridges, author of a book aptly titled Transitions, writes that moving from here to there involves three distinct stages: endings, the middle ground, and beginnings. He emphasizes that... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159200 Wed, 24 Aug 2011 15:21:17 +0100 5159200 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5158924&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F08%2Foregon-hospitals-act-on-recommendations-to-prevent-elective-births-before-39-weeks In recent years, attention has been focused on the issue of early elective inductions and cesareans – births that are scheduled, for no medical reason, before 39 weeks.  Because even moderately early births can result in worse health outcomes for newborns, organizations including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the March of Dimes have recommended against them. However, such procedures continue to be performed far too often. Now, seventeen hospitals in Portland, OR have decided to put a stop to elective inductions and cesareans prior to 39 weeks unless there is a medical need to do so. This is an important step, and hospital policies can clearly reduce the numbers of early births.  But education for both prospective parents and providers is also important... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5158924 Tue, 23 Aug 2011 14:56:20 +0100 5158924 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5130741&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FUsPPCVyvHnQ%2F The following is a guest post by WomanCare Global CEO Saundra Pelletier. Besides serving as the founding CEO of WomanCare Global, Saundra is an international marketing expert, published author, keynote speaker and executive coach. By Saundra Pelletier. In 1965, Griswold v. Connecticut gave a married woman the right to use birth control to prevent or delay pregnancy as she saw fit. This guarantee of a basic human right led to other reforms that allowed millions more American women to decide the direction of their own reproductive lives.  This summer, we are proud to see another key reform go through: starting next year, the Affordable Care Act will allow even more women in the United States to be in charge of their own health by requiring new health plans to provide free birth control with... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5130741 Mon, 15 Aug 2011 13:10:30 +0100 5130741 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5130999&cid=t_96213_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2011%2F08%2F13%2Fit-was-a-hot-and-steamy-day%2F [ed. note: from my mother, about the day I was born] Mama and me It was hot, like August is in Texas.  Some of the neighbors had these big water-trickle things that filled up a whole window, darkening the room and making a cool oasis. But we didn’t have air conditioning. In our house, the metal headboard felt hot when I leaned against it. I put my hair up in braids to get it off my neck. When I got dressed, I didn’t put anything on underneath. (The nurses were later surprised about that.) I had a backache, which developed into contractions, but I didn’t want to make the mistake of going to the hospital early and miss all my meals. With your sister, I was in the labor room almost 24 hours, and all I got was castor oil in orange juice. So while waiting for the pains to bec... Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5130999 Sat, 13 Aug 2011 18:59:21 +0100 5130999 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118619&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1506     Being a grandparent is easy, you get to lavish all the love and hugs to your new grandchild and then you get to leave. Or not.  Its a slippery slope being a grandparent these days.  There is so much information on the internet about  pregnancy, labor and delivery, cord blood banking, and child rearing that it is dizzying.  Things are different now than they were ‘back in the day’  and as grandparents you must learn to move forward with your child and grandchild in order to promote a successful grand-parenting experience for everyone. Here is a great article about how to do just that. {Click here for a free information packet and special coupon for MAZE Cord Blood Laboratories! } (Source: Cord Blood News) Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118619 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 16:14:55 +0100 5118619 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5103344&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fstrokes-are-quite-common-in-pregnant-women-how-can-they-be-prevented%2F2011.08.05 According to CDC, there has been a 54 percent increase in the number of pregnant women who’ve had strokes in 1995 to 1996 and in 2005 to 2006. While this may surprise some researchers, it certainly would not surprise clinicians who take care of pregnant women who have risk factors such as obesity, chronic hypertension or a lack of prenatal care. Ten percent of strokes occur in the first trimester, 40 percent during the second trimester and more than fifty percent occur during the post partum period and after the patient has been discharged home. Hypertension was the cause of one-third of stroke victims during pregnancy and fifty percent in the post partum period. Hypertension accounted for one-third of stroke cases during pregnancy and fifty percent in the post partum period. Many stroke... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5103344 Fri, 05 Aug 2011 16:00:21 +0100 5103344 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096209&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Feven-with-insurance-childbirth-is-an-expensive-undertaking%2F2011.08.03 Childbirth hospital costs these days aren’t cheap. Some studies suggest the cost of raising a child exceeds $200,000, not including education expenses.   Most insurance companies charge women of childbearing age more for their insurance because the actuarial tables say so.  Mrs  Happy and I now have a 3 month old Zachary in our wings.  He is a cute little peanut.  His two brothers, Marty and Cooper adore him. Forty-two days after his April 21st, 2011 delivery, we still had not received our explanation of benefits from Blue Cross Blue Shield for the midwife charge.  I had previously received a statement from them saying the charge was under review.  Perhaps they believed that delivering Zachary was not medically necessary.  I can’t explain it. When I called to ask them w... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096209 Wed, 03 Aug 2011 18:00:00 +0100 5096209 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086133&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F08%2Fyes-hhs-approves-iom-recommendations-for-preventive-care-for-women Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that it is adopting the Institute of Medicine’s recommendations for preventive care services for women. This will ensure that women have access to the following services under health insurance plans without having to pay a co-payment, co-insurance or deductible: well-woman visits screening for gestational diabetes HPV testing STI counseling HIV screening and counseling contraception methods and counseling breastfeeding support, supplies, and counseling screening and counseling for domestic and interpersonal violence Coverage for these services is expected to begin Aug. 1, 2012. There is one caveat for some women regarding access to contraception without a co-pay — a provision that “Group health plans spon... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086133 Mon, 01 Aug 2011 19:30:20 +0100 5086133 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008117&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F07%2Fquick-hits-un-report-on-justice-for-women-a-new-maternity-blog-and-more From dorms at USF to justice for women around the world, here are a few items of interest: The United Nations’s UN Women group released a report, “Progress of the World’s Women: In Pursuit of Justice,” which looks at the legal rights of women around the world, barriers to accessing and navigating the justice system, and the impact of war/conflict on women, among other issues. It also includes ten recommendations for making justice systems work for women. The University of South Florida has begun offering students gender-neutral housing options in response to a transgender student who reported hostility and harassment in campus housing. The school is going to offer several housing options and allow students to indicate male, female, or transitioning on their campus housing appli... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008117 Thu, 07 Jul 2011 15:49:01 +0100 5008117 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893376&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F06%2Fdes-a-story-of-doctors-not-knowing-best by Susan  Bell Forty years ago, the New England Journal of Medicine published an article about the synthetic estrogen DES that is now recognized as a watershed in the annals of medicine. The authors of the study, physicians at Massachusetts General Hospital, reported an association between DES – a prescription “wonder drug” intended to prevent miscarriages – and vaginal cancer in women who were just 15 to 22 years old. From the 1940s to the 1970s, between 5 and 10 million pregnant women and their sons and daughters were exposed to DES during pregnancy. When the daughters became teenagers and some of them developed reproductive tract cancer, the MGH physicians identified DES as the first transplacental carcinogen, and the daughters took on the new identity of “DES daughte... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893376 Thu, 02 Jun 2011 14:22:01 +0100 4893376 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4872050&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F05%2Fvermont-passes-law-providing-for-insurance-coverage-of-home-births-and-midwives-birth-certificate-changes-for-transgender-individuals This reportedly makes Vermont the only state with a law that explicitly specifies that surgery is not required in order to obtain a new birth certificate. The law also provides that the original birth certificates will not be available for public inspection in order to protect individual privacy. (Source: Our Bodies Our Blog) Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4872050 Fri, 27 May 2011 12:30:21 +0100 4872050 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4828875&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FK-PI5sU7uMA%2F By Cynthia Flynn. One day several thousand years ago, a Columbia mammoth (larger than his woolly mammoth cousin) died.  His bones have lain in a rural area south of Kennewick, WA.  I recently met a paleontologist at his dig, where this mammoth was being unearthed.  Eastern Washington, he told me, has probably 300 sites with at least some mammoth bones, so this dig is hardly unique in that regard.  However, there are important differences between his dig and what is ordinarily done.  He explained that usually, the goal of a paleontologist’s dig is to get the bones out and back to a museum for preparation and analysis as quickly as possible.  It would not be unusual for a paleontologist to do test bores, identify where the limits of the bones were, and dynamite the earth beyond those... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4828875 Mon, 16 May 2011 13:00:33 +0100 4828875 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4803026&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F05%2Fwhat-medicines-are-pregnant-women-taking An increasing number of women are prescribed medications while they are pregnant, and unfortunately, far too often, too little is known about the safety of the medicines during pregnancy. A new article in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology looks at what medicines pregnant women are taking, and how that has changed over time, with a goal of showing the need for further research on the risks of medication use during pregnancy. Researchers used data on women and their children from the Slone Epidemiology Center Birth Defects Study and the CDC’s National Birth Defects Prevention Study. For these studies, mothers of children with and without birth defects reported what prescription and over-the-counter medicines they remembered taking while pregnant. They excluded vitamins,... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4803026 Mon, 09 May 2011 18:49:52 +0100 4803026 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4794855&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FtWoXjvNiV74%2F Imagine life without your mother. For many around the world this is a reality.  Every 90 seconds a mother dies during pregnancy or childbirth, and 99% of these deaths take place in developing countries where a lack of access to basic medicines and services is taking mothers from their children. VSI is trying to end this. VSI is a California-based nonprofit organization committed to improving women’s health in developing countries by creating access to life-saving and affordable health solutions for all. Their largest safe motherhood program brings life-saving generic tablets to rural women for management of excessive bleeding after childbirth, or postpartum hemorrhage. VSI has assisted 17 developing countries in the integration of life-saving maternal health solutions, trained over ... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4794855 Fri, 06 May 2011 13:11:00 +0100 4794855 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4789195&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F05%2Fcivil-rights-win-in-case-of-woman-shackled-during-labor In 2008, we wrote about the treatment of Juana Viilegas, who was shackled to a hospital bed during labor and after delivery, and denied access to her newborn or a breast pump in the days immediately after the birth. Villegas was nine months pregnant and leaving a prenatal clinic with her three children when she was stopped by police. She did not have a driver’s license or auto insurance; Tennessee has recently made it much more difficult for immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses. Because of her immigration status, although authorities had the option to simply issue a citation, Villegas was held in jail. When she went into labor, she was taken to the hospital, kept under guard with no privacy or ability to make a phone call, and shackled to the hospital bed during labor. Even r... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4789195 Wed, 04 May 2011 13:49:46 +0100 4789195 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4780285&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F05%2Fput-on-your-walking-shoes-walk-for-maternal-health-on-may-5 The International Confederation of Midwives is asking member associations, midwives and their supporters to take to the streets on May 5 — International Day of the Midwife — to raise the profile of maternal mortality and access to midwifery care before, during and after childbirth. From the ICM: “Over 340,000 women die each year, with millions more suffering infection and disability as a result of preventable maternal causes. The ICM, alongside UN agencies, WHO and a range of other international partners, is committed to addressing maternal mortality and morbidity through greater access to essential midwifery care worldwide, particularly in developing countries where 90% of maternal deaths occur.” The walk is the first stage of the Road to Durban, where midwives fro... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4780285 Tue, 03 May 2011 19:25:49 +0100 4780285 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734029&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F04%2Fu-s-trends-in-midwife-attended-births A new article in the March/April 2011 issue of The Journal of Midwifery and Women’s Health (from the American College of Nurse-Midwives) describes trends in the percentage of U.S. births attended by midwives from 1989 to 2007. Author Eugene Declercq looked at birth certificate records through the CDC’s VitalStats tool. Of course, it is possible (as the author notes) that there may be some misclassification, missing data, or other errors associated with birth certificate data. With that in mind, the findings were as follows: The percentage of live births attended by certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) increased from 3.3% in 1989 to 7.7% in 2002, and decreased slightly to 7.5% by 2007. The percentage of vaginal births attended by CNMs increased from 4.8% to a high of 10.8% in 2006, ... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734029 Thu, 21 Apr 2011 16:15:46 +0100 4734029 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4709183&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F04%2Fnew-debate-over-addicted-mothers-and-their-babies This week, the New York Times ran a piece focused on the babies of women addicted to prescription painkillers. The focus of the narrative – almost exclusively on the babies, with a lack of real interrogation of or accountability for how the system currently fails and demonizes addicted pregnant women – should be familiar to anyone who witnessed media coverage of the “crack baby” in the 1980s.* In fact, the writer explicitly draws this parallel by stating, “Like the cocaine-exposed babies of the 1980s, those born dependent on prescription opiates — narcotics that contain opium or its derivatives — are entering a world in which little is known about the long-term effects on their development.” The same paper ran a piece in December 2009, “The E... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4709183 Wed, 13 Apr 2011 01:22:01 +0100 4709183 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4684285&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D1254 Thanks to our guest contributor, Dr. Bat Sheva Marcus, clinical director of the Medical Center for Female Sexuality.  She sees many women in her practice who are wrestling with regaining their pre-baby sex life. With parenthood,  ideal of spontaneous and urgent sexual desire may give way to the reality that parents  have to create sexual opportunities for themselves. The addition of children into a couple’s marriage and sex life is a complicated mix of joy and stress. Though often delighted at the birth of a child, couples are often not prepared for the additional stress a child puts on the body and their relationship. A complicated mix of psychological and physiological components often result in low drive for sex after childbirth, even if a woman who was quite interested in se... Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4684285 Tue, 05 Apr 2011 15:04:40 +0100 4684285 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4676748&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F04%2Fnew-materials-available-related-to-wax-homebirth-meta-analysis Readers at OBOB and on birth issues generally will know that the Wax meta-analysis on home birth generated much controversy and discussion about its methods, conclusions, and presentation, which Nature News summarizes in a recent story. As a result of the high level of interest and debate, the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology has allocated additional space to discussion of the paper, making letters to the editor, supplemental materials, and its editorial freely available to the general public for review, saying “There were a number of issues raised in the letters, many of which the panel believed were subjective and should be debated openly.” The journal also convened a review panel to examine the paper, with the following outcomes as reported in the editorial: &#8... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4676748 Tue, 05 Apr 2011 03:37:30 +0100 4676748 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4676779&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FQjV-tryLFQ4%2F By Glenna Crooks. Having been engaged in rare disease research and orphan drug development for many decades and as one who continues behind-the-scenes to encourage the work, events of the last few weeks about Makena’s launch sent chills through me.  The firestorm that followed created some heat but none sufficient to help relieve the shivers. Others might declare the outcome a “win” but the more I read, the worse it seems. I’m not privy to what really happened, only what the press reports. It does not look good… for virtually anyone of the players involved, especially the critics.  Those critics raised tough questions and to date only the company has faced them. It’s about time the critics themselves –and perhaps others as well – face some.    For those who’ve mi... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4676779 Mon, 04 Apr 2011 09:31:25 +0100 4676779 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4664134&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F03%2Freport-now-available-from-unfpa-strengthening-midwifery-symposium Last June, prior to the Women Delivery conference in Washington, D.C., UNFPA (the United Nations Population Fund) held a symposium on Strengthening Midwifery. A report from that conference (PDF) is now available. It reports on speakers, presentations and issues from the event, including sessions on the role of midwives in addressing Millennium Development Goals on maternal and newborn deaths and HIV in pregnant women, topics in global midwifery education, midwifery regulation and standards of care, policy development, and other issues. The report includes a call to action for governments to strengthen the midwifery workforce, build capacity for evidence-based training, ensure and regulate standards of practice, and support the creation of professional associations. Pledges for action from ... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4664134 Thu, 31 Mar 2011 16:23:39 +0100 4664134 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4658357&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F03%2Fupdate-on-availability-of-compounded-progesterone-for-preterm-birth We wrote earlier this week about growing objections to the new, drastically increased price for a drug to prevent preterm birth, now branded as Makena. One concern has been that cheaper versions of the drug compounded by pharmacies would no longer be available to patients. The company making Makena, KV Pharmaceuticals, previously sent letters to compounding pharmacies instructing them to stop compounding the drug lest they run afowl of FDA regulations. The FDA has now issued a statement in response indicating that the agency: does not intend to take enforcement action against pharmacies that compound hydroxyprogesterone caproate based on a valid prescription for an individually identified patient unless the compounded products are unsafe, of substandard quality, or are not being compounded... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4658357 Wed, 30 Mar 2011 23:51:16 +0100 4658357 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4642567&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F03%2Fobjections-build-to-price-hike-for-makena-drug-to-prevent-preterm-birth Earlier this year, the FDA approved Makena (a progesterone injection from KV Pharmaceuticals, generically known as 17-Hydroxyprogesterone or 17OHP) for use to reduce the risk of preterm delivery in pregnant women with singleton pregnancies and a history of at least one spontaneous preterm birth. 17-Hydroxyprogesterone has been in use for preventing preterm birth for decades, but had not specifically been approved by the FDA – it was usually compounded by pharmacists. It is now the only drug on the market with FDA approval for preventing preterm birth. Following this new FDA approval for an old intervention, what was once a $10 per dose drug has become a $1,500 per dose drug. This has raised some hackles. Nicholas Fogelson of Academic Ob/Gyn urged readers to “Boycott Makena,&#82... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4642567 Mon, 28 Mar 2011 20:09:48 +0100 4642567 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4615075&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F03%2Fmedical-journal-editorial-on-u-s-maternal-mortality-as-a-human-rights-failure The March editorial for the journal Contraception frames rates of maternal mortality in the United States “not just a matter of public health, but a human rights failure.” The authors, from WomanCare Global, AWHONN, and Amnesty International, explain the problem: The rise of maternal deaths in the United States is historic and worrisome. In 1987, maternal death ratios hit the all-time low of 6.6 deaths per 100,000 live birth. These ratios were essentially maintained for more than a decade. Around 2000, the ratio began to increase and has since nearly doubled, hovering between 12 and 15 deaths per 100,000 live births between 2003 and 2007…’near misses’ (maternal complications so severe the woman nearly died) have also increased by 27% between 1998 and 2005, now... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4615075 Mon, 21 Mar 2011 14:08:17 +0100 4615075 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4610847&cid=t_96213_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F03%2F18%2Fmancession-and-male-depression-open-your-minds-and-shut-your-mouths%2F I used to think a woman’s depression rate was two or three times that of a man’s simply because of the hormonal roller coaster she gets to ride from the time she first gets her period in junior high (or now in first grade — okay, maybe not that early) until she can stop buying sanitary items or, even better, stop making her husband buy them for her. But now I’m not so sure. Women are giving more weight these days to domestic tasks like raising kids and keeping the house in order than to their menstrual cycle and the biological trauma of childbirth. Because, in sync with Dr. Boadie Dunlap’s editorial in the British Journal of Psychiatry, as we switched roles in our home, the adjustment has been much more difficult than the simple plan we forecast in Quicken: my income increase... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4610847 Fri, 18 Mar 2011 18:16:34 +0100 4610847 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4566138&cid=t_96213_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F03%2F09%2Fwake-up-when-your-therapist-is-sleeping%2F Although not all that common, psychotherapists sometimes fall asleep in session. Probably more common in traditional psychoanalysis (where the psychoanalyst is sitting behind and out of view of the patient), it far harder to do in more modern, time-limited psychotherapies where each session is more of an active, working period between therapist and client. What is one to do when one is confronted with a sleeping therapist? Stephen Metcalf, writing in New York magazine, set to find out by going back and talking to his prior four therapists, all of whom had fallen asleep on him. Was it him or them? Of course, psychoanalysts — who are specially trained to practice a very specific and older form of psychotherapy — defend their sleeping behavior as the patient’s fault: “In ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4566138 Wed, 09 Mar 2011 17:15:32 +0100 4566138 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4560225&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F03%2Fodds-and-ends Call for Interviewees: Reporter Molly M. McGinty is interviewing patients who were denied reproductive care at Catholic hospitals for a piece for Ms. magazine. Please contact her at mollymaureen@juno.com or 212-531-1679 by Wednesday, March 9. Patients are welcome to use pseduonyms if needed. Interventions to Reduce Early Inductions: My local (Nashville, TN) newspaper has an article today on early inductions without medical indication. The paper reports that local hospitals implemented a pilot program that asked doctors to check a form if they were inducing labor for nonmedical reasons; rates of babies delivered at 37 to 39 weeks’ gestation with no medical reason subsequently dropped from 9.8% to 4.8%. The Health Beat Blog also explored issues of inductions (including early inductions... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4560225 Mon, 07 Mar 2011 19:08:03 +0100 4560225 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4544969&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fpostpartum-hemorrhage-what-every-pregnant-woman-should-know%2F2011.03.03 Having a baby can be a beautiful thing until something goes wrong. The tragedy is that many high-risk conditions can be managed appropriately if the patient is cooperative and the healthcare provider is competent and well trained. Unfortunately, almost 600 pregnant women die in the U.S. each year from complications and the most common complication is significant blood loss after birth or postpartum hemorrhage (PPH).  PPH occurs when there is a blood loss of 500 cc or greater for a vaginal delivery and 1,000 cc after a cesarean section (C-section). Or, if you were admitted with a hemoglobin of 12 and it drops by ten points to 11, there should be a high index of suspicion for PPH as well. Therefore, if you feel lightheaded or dizzy, have palpitations or an increased heart rate after deliver... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4544969 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 18:00:52 +0100 4544969 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4489671&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fbioadhesives-for-repair-of-childbirth-lacerations%2F2011.02.17 Bioadhesives are a reasonable alternative to sutures for repair of perineal lacerations sustained during childbirth, according to a poster presentation at last week’s annual meeting of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine. Researchers at the Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center in Jerusalem randomized women with first degree perineal tears to either 2-octyl cyanoacrylate (Dermabond) adhesive glue or suture for wound closure. While healing and incisional pain was similar, women who received the adhesive closure were more satisfied than those who were sutured. In Portugal, bioadhesives have been studied for closure of the top skin layer of an episiotomy repair, and found to shorten the duration of the procedure with similar outcomes to suture in terms of pain, healing, and infecti... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4489671 Thu, 17 Feb 2011 21:00:52 +0100 4489671 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4477685&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F02%2Fquick-hits-news-coverage-of-nitrous-oxide-for-birth-irs-on-breast-feeding-supplies The IRS has ruled that breast pumps and supplies that assist in lactation do quality as medical care and are therefore deductible medical expenses that can be paid for through Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) and other medical spending accounts. The American Academy of Pediatrics had previously requested that the IRS rule that these supplies be added to the list of qualifying FSA items, but received a denial stating that breastfeeding did not constitute medical care. The new ruling does not decide that breastfeeding is medical care of an infant, but rules that the supplies are medical because “they are for the purpose of affecting a structure or function of the body of the lactating woman.” The AAP has applauded the change as “an important victory for the health of wome... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4477685 Tue, 15 Feb 2011 03:00:30 +0100 4477685 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4441975&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwill-your-hospitals-maternity-ward-close%2F2011.02.06 When our country starts closing obstetrical units in hospitals because they “cost too much” money to operate, pregnant women need to pay attention because their babies are in serious trouble. Such was the case of the most recent casualty, South Seminole Hospital, a 200-bed hospital, that’s located within 30 minutes of my neighborhood. More than 20,000 babies were born in South Seminole Hospital during the past 18 years, and many of the babies were delivered by a local obstetrician who died approximately three years ago. I recall sitting in the emergency room of the hospital with a fractured ankle and listening to a chime that used to ring every time a baby was born. It was a soothing and humbling sound knowing that a new life was making its grand entrance each time that chime rang.... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4441975 Sun, 06 Feb 2011 14:00:12 +0100 4441975 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4419099&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F01%2Fel-grupo-leapfrog-publica-datos-sobre-partos-elegidos-pretermino Escrito por Raquel; Traducido por Ema Rosero y el Rev. Daniel Velez-Rivera del orginial en inglés Jan. 26, 2011 El grupo Leapfrog es una organización empresarial que vela por los intereses del empleador y examina la seguridad y calidad de servicios de hospitales en los Estados Unidos.  Esta organización anualmente distribuye los resultados de encuestas para determinar los “mejores hospitales” en el país. En el día de hoy Leapfrog publicó data sobre la tasa de partos elegidos pretérmino por cesárea e inducciones realizados sin urgencia médica en hospitales estadounidenses. Como indican los apuntes de periodismo y otros medios de comunicación de Leapfrog, ACOG y otras organizaciones repudian la inducción o cesárea elegida previo a las 39 semanas de gestación para reducir la... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4419099 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 15:34:34 +0100 4419099 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4419347&cid=t_96213_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2Fu94sp041YWY%2F Vanessa Giacoppo was completing her final year of college when her health took a nosedive. The once vibrant and slim 26-year-old now barely recognized herself. “I felt like I had mono. I was sleeping all the time,” says Giacoppo. “At one point, my mother wondered if I was pregnant because I’d gained so much weight.” There were other problems, too. She was eating more than usual; her skin was very dry; and her hair and nails were brittle. So Vanessa went to the doctor and had the full battery of tests. The blood work revealed that while she wasn’t producing enough thyroid hormones (known as T3 and T4), her thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) was elevated. The labs pointed to a disease known as Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, an autoimmune condition in which antibodies attack the gland ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4419347 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 13:24:34 +0100 4419347 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4405720&cid=t_96213_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F01%2F27%2Fbritish-journal-of-healthcare-assistants-2011-vol-5-no-1%2F Title: Caesarean section: patient preparation and inital care Skinny: The relative safety of caesarean sections has seen a rise in the number of babies being delivered in this manner. Discusses the caesarean section procedure in depth and the risks. (Print subscription held at Fade Library) Filed under: Obstetrics, Pregnancy Tagged: Caesarean Section, Childbirth, Obstetrics (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4405720 Thu, 27 Jan 2011 16:33:11 +0100 4405720 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4405749&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F01%2Fleapfrog-group-releases-data-on-early-elective-births The Leapfrog Group, an employer-oriented organization that examines the safety and quality of U.S. hospitals and releases an annual “top hospitals” list, today released data on rates of early elective cesarean sections and inductions performed without a medical indication in U.S. hospitals. As Leapfrog’s media advisory notes, ACOG and other organizations recommend against elective induction or cesarean prior to 39 weeks in order to minimize possible complications for women and their babies. Hospital accrediting organization the Joint Commission has also started paying attention to this issue. Hospitals were asked about their total number of births and number of births where an elective induction or cesarean section without a medical indication happened between 37 and 39 ... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4405749 Wed, 26 Jan 2011 19:17:16 +0100 4405749 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4377720&cid=t_96213_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FL9zJM63rZEs%2F photo: Thinkstock Yesterday, contributor Tracy Wholf blogged about turning 30 in 2011, and while I appreciated (and published) the post, as someone who will turn 40 during the same year, I definitely have a few things to say on that particular subject. But first I’d like to address some of the anxieties that women who are moving into their 30s often face, which Wholf brought up in her post: Since when do women think that they need to have everything in life figured out by age 30? It’s absurd that society has pressured us into thinking that the start of each new decade must also usher in a superior age of enlightenment. It’s simply not possible. Putting that kind of absurd pressure on ourselves is completely pointless and counterproductive. And do women really still feel p... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4377720 Thu, 20 Jan 2011 21:14:00 +0100 4377720 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4372193&cid=t_96213_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FOrHgpUU4o0A%2F photo: Thinkstock I’ve been 30 for one week. I have a new driver’s license. Thanks to my age, I now check a different box on questionnaires. Thirty doesn’t feel that far removed from 28 or 29, but the fact that I’ve entered a new decade has given me the heebie-jeebies and has me asking, “Now what?” Lately, I’ve find myself concerned about weird things, like anti-wrinkle skin cream and decreasing metabolism. But beyond the vanity-related anxieties about aging, a few serious thoughts also have been bothering me, like the status of my professional career and motherhood — issues I thought would be resolved by my 30th birthday. Exactly one month prior to “the day,” I sat on my couch wide-awake at 1 a.m., struggling with a range of emotions about exiting my 20s. As so... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4372193 Wed, 19 Jan 2011 18:17:35 +0100 4372193 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4318301&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2011%2F01%2Fcall-for-papers-on-collaborative-practice-in-maternity-care Discussions of how physician and midwife collaborative practice models have affected maternity and women’s health care in both community and academic settings are being sought. Papers will be evaluated based on thoroughness of description, sustainability, level of influence on access to care, health disparities, vulnerable populations, clinical outcomes, education or research. Top papers may win a prize and authors may be asked to present at upcoming conferences for both organizations. Papers must be coauthored by at least one ACOG Fellow and one ACNM member who is a Certified Nurse-Midwife/Certified Midwife. The deadline is February 1, 2011. (Source: Our Bodies Our Blog) Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4318301 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 19:12:00 +0100 4318301 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4313962&cid=t_96213_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F01%2F05%2Fdiversity-and-health-care-2010-vol-7-no-4%2F Diversity and Health Care 2010 Vol. 7 No. 4 Contents Page Fade Fave: A comparative study of traditional postpartum practices and rituals in the UK and Taiwan Fade Skinny: This paper discusses a study comparing postpartum practices and rituals in women in the UK and Taiwan, with 3 months of delivering. Ritual practices followed in both countries consist of those associated with choosing and predicting the gender of the baby, food fads, taboos and the use of herbs during the postnatal period. The most helpful person reported during the postnatal period is the mothers’ husband or partner. An NHS Athens password is required to access this article online, alternatively contact the Library for a copy of this article. Filed under: Athens Password, Current Awareness, E-Journals, Journals, Oo... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4313962 Wed, 05 Jan 2011 09:02:49 +0100 4313962 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4281294&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F12%2Fpreliminary-2009-birth-data-released-another-record-high-for-cesareans The CDC released its preliminary report on 2009 U.S. birth data this week, and the following finding is likely to be of interest to our readers: The cesarean delivery rate rose to 32.9 percent in 2009, another record high. This was a 2 percent increase over the previous year; the report indicates that the rate of cesarean is up nearly 60 percent since 1996. The increase was largest among non-Hispanic black women (up 3 percent), and women age 40 and over (half of all births in this group were by cesarean). Preterm births declined for 2009, for the third year in a row. Other findings include a slight decline in the overall birth rate from 2008, a 6 percent decline in births to teenagers, and overall declines among every racial/ethnic category and almost every age group. Women age 40 to 44 we... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4281294 Wed, 22 Dec 2010 19:12:43 +0100 4281294 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4233149&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F12%2Fdeadline-approaching-for-comment-on-nitrous-oxide-review-c-section-reduction-review-now-open-for-comment Last month, I posted that public comment was being solicited for an upcoming review of nitrous oxide for relief of labor pain. As a reminder, comments are being accepted until Dec 8, so submit yours here if you have any thoughts on the proposed questions to be examined in the review. The public comment period has just opened on a second upcoming review that may be of interest to readers: Comparative Effectiveness of Interventions to Reduce Cesarean Births. If you have suggestions on the proposed questions that the review will try to answer or things the review team should be aware of, please submit your comment by December 29. I’ll be involved to some extent with both of these topics at work; we appreciate your input! (Source: Our Bodies Our Blog) Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4233149 Mon, 06 Dec 2010 19:29:35 +0100 4233149 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4225205&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F12%2Fnew-recognition-for-nurses-dedicated-to-evidence-based-model-of-care by Nekose Wills | OBOS program assistant The Coalition for Improving Maternity Services (CIMS) has started the Mother-Friendly Nurse Recognition Initiative, which aims to recognize nurses who are dedicated to using an evidence-based model of care to improve health outcomes of birthing women and their babies. CIMS will confer recognition to nurses who provide maternity care services consistent with the 10 Steps of the Mother-Friendly Childbirth Initiative (pdf). These nurses keep the best interest of women and babies at the forefront while embracing the MCFI as their guiding philosophical approach to the care of birthing women. This handy FAQ page explains the program’s goals and application process. The application is available here. Given the vital role nurses play in patient care ... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4225205 Fri, 03 Dec 2010 13:50:16 +0100 4225205 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4172033&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F11%2Fillinois-house-expected-to-vote-on-home-birth-safety-act This week, the Illinois House of Representatives is expected to vote on the Home Birth Safety Act (SB 3712) to license certified professional midwives (CPMs). Passage of the bill would allow CPMs to legally attend home births throughout the state. While approximately 800 babies are born at home in Illinois, only six out of 102 counties have legal, licensed home birth providers (CPMs, nurse midwives or doctors). “As a result, families are resorting to giving birth at home unassisted (the national rate for this increased by 10% last year) or crossing the border to give birth in hotels in ‘legal’ states such as Wisconsin, or working with underground midwives,” reads a petition in favor of the bill. There are 27 states that recognize direct-entry midwives, 25 through licensure,... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4172033 Tue, 16 Nov 2010 18:59:44 +0100 4172033 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4159225&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D836 This site has resources and links to hundreds of websites that can help you as your pregnancy progresses. It is a comprehensive compilation of information related to pregnancy. From planning to healthy pregnancy to stages of pregnancy and childbirth and labor and cord blood banking this is the go- to site. Enjoy!!! (Source: Cord Blood News) Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4159225 Fri, 12 Nov 2010 17:07:15 +0100 4159225 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4159199&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F11%2Fpublic-comment-invited-to-inform-review-of-nitrous-oxide-for-labor-pain-relief Many of you may already be familiar with the systematic and comparative effectiveness reviews produced by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), such as these reviews of the available evidence for birth-related interventions such as labor induction, maternal request c-section, VBAC, and episiotomy. Recently, AHRQ has become more active in soliciting public input to the review process, and today they posted for public comment the key questions and background materials for a review that will be conducted soon, Comparative Effectiveness of Nitrous Oxide for the Management of Labor Pain. Nitrous oxide is commonly available to women for labor pain relief in many other countries, but is almost completely unavailable as an option for women in the United States. The comparative e... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4159199 Thu, 11 Nov 2010 16:28:24 +0100 4159199 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4055691&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F10%2Fpaging-dr-paul-medicaid-coverage-for-births-and-family-planning-services-is-essential by Cory L. Richards | Guttmacher Institute Rand Paul, a candidate for the U.S. Senate from Kentucky, caused a stir last week when he argued that too many births in Kentucky are paid for by Medicaid, the joint federal-state insurance program for low-income Americans. According to Kentucky’s Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Medicaid pays for about half of the state’s 57,000 annual births. Paul is quoted by the Associated Press as saying that “Half of the people in Kentucky are not poor. We’ve made it too easy.” In reality, paying for a pregnancy can be anything but easy. According to the March of Dimes, maternity care costs more than $8,800 (pdf), on average, and these costs can quickly escalate into the tens of thousands of dollars if complications arise (for instance, in ... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4055691 Mon, 11 Oct 2010 16:36:30 +0100 4055691 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4053283&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2F1-in-5-women-not-so-into-having-a-kid%2F photo: Thinkstock Check out this post by Catherine Donaldson-Evans on AOL Health: The number of American women without children has risen to an all-time high of 1 in 5, a jump since the 1970s when 1 in 10 women ended their childbearing years without having a baby, according to the Pew Research Center. About 1.9 million women aged 40-44 – or 18 percent – were childless in 2008, an 80 percent increase since 1976, when just 580,000 – 10 percent of those in that age bracket – had never given birth, the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey shows. Childlessness has increased across racial and ethnic groups and most education levels, but has dropped among women with advanced degrees in the past decade, according to the research. Part of the reason for the rise in the number of ... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4053283 Sat, 09 Oct 2010 17:39:30 +0100 4053283 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4036613&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F10%2Fnational-midwifery-week-october-3-9 This week is National Midwifery Week, in which organizations and individuals promote midwifery and try to raise awareness about midwifery services. The American College of Nurse-Midwives provides an online toolkit for promoting the observance, including a list of Things You Can Do to Celebrate National Midwifery Week. My favorite suggestion, given my librarian bias: “Request your local librarian to create a special display of available books about the women’s health, childbirth, midwifery, and literature inspired by or mentioning midwives.” Nebraska Friends of Midwives has some great tips for working with libraries on such displays, although they require a bit of advance preparation – you might want to bookmark them for next year! The organization also issued a pres... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4036613 Wed, 06 Oct 2010 17:51:02 +0100 4036613 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4018149&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F09%2Fgov-schwarzenegger-vetoes-anti-shackling-bill California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has vetoed AB 1900, a bill requiring the Corrections Standards Authority to develop standards on the shackling of pregnant women, and to prohibit pregnant inmates from being shackled by the wrists or ankles during transport, labor and delivery, and recovery, unless deemed necessary for safety. The veto is somewhat surprising, because the bill was approved unanimously every time it came up for a vote in the state Senate and Assembly. The Governor argued in his veto that the bill “would require the Corrections Standards Authority (CSA) to develop guidelines concerning the shackling of pregnant inmates and wards during transport. However, CSA’s mission is to regulate and develop standards for correctional facilities, not establish policie... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4018149 Thu, 30 Sep 2010 00:18:24 +0100 4018149 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3993836&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2Fway-too-much-information-live-tweeting-births%2F photo: Thinkstock We thought you’d enjoy this post from Emerald Catron at Lemondrop. Hey, want to see a TwitPic of a placenta? Kidding! Sorry. We’re just hung up on / mortified by the rising number of women who feel compelled to live-blog, live-stream and tweet the gory details of birthing their children, blurring ever finer the line between TMI and straight-up Facebook-feed terrorism. Why do women do this? Fi Star-Stone, a 34-year-old British mom, says she kept her followers updated on the progress of her pain-med-free home birth to “dispel myths of childbirth.” Since most of her tweets were along the lines of “Holy hell, this hurts a LOT,” we’re not too clear on which myths those were, aside from maybe the one that being in labor makes you incap... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3993836 Wed, 22 Sep 2010 19:43:10 +0100 3993836 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3987027&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F09%2Fquick-hit-amnesty-international-unveils-maternal-death-clock From Amnesty International: Beginning September 20 at 9 a.m. EST, the start of the Millennium Development Goals Summit, the Maternal Death Clock began to tick – keeping track of the total number of maternal deaths in the world. September 20-22 world leaders are gathering in New York to chart a course forward on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – the framework that will guide the fight against global poverty through 2015. The one goal aimed at decreasing maternal deaths has fallen far short of where it needs to be to meet the MDG target of cutting maternal deaths by 75% by the target date. Hundreds of thousands of women and girls continue to die in pregnancy and childbirth each year. Most of them live in developing countries and low-income communities. In fact, one woman ... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3987027 Mon, 20 Sep 2010 19:02:45 +0100 3987027 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3972894&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F09%2Fquick-hit-who-releases-new-report-on-worldwide-maternal-deaths The World Health Organization, with UNICEF, UNFPA and The World Bank, has released a new report on trends in global maternal mortality from 1990-2008. I haven’t read the full report yet, but according to the press release, “the number of women dying due to complications during pregnancy and childbirth has decreased by 34% from an estimated 546,000 in 1990 to 358,000 in 2008.” Although this is great progress, the release points out that more work needs to be done: The progress is notable, but the annual rate of decline is less than half of what is needed to achieve the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target of reducing the maternal mortality ratio by 75% between 1990 and 2015. This will require an annual decline of 5.5%. The 34% decline since 1990 translates into an aver... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3972894 Wed, 15 Sep 2010 20:35:29 +0100 3972894 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3968977&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2Fnews-flash-pro-choice-doesnt-mean-anti-life%2F photo: Thinkstock Today is Primary Day in New York, Delaware, D.C., Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Maryland, and Rhode Island, and lots of people are having tea parties to celebrate. At the risk of having Blisstree’s office building fire-bombed (because, after all these years, abortion remains the most divisive political issue in the U.S., followed closely by where you can and cannot build a mosque, or cut taxes), I’m going to say something that’s been on my mind for a while, but seems particularly appropriate to voice on an election day when so much is at stake: Being pro-choice doesn’t mean being anti-life. (Blogger waits to be struck by lightning…nothing happens.) I can personally attest to this fact, because, politically, I’m pro-choice, but I also like l... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3968977 Tue, 14 Sep 2010 19:21:18 +0100 3968977 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3946427&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F09%2Fthe-ever-rising-cesarean-rate A recent New York Times piece, Majority of Caesareans Are Done Before Labor, discusses a study on cesearean section by the Consortium on Safe Labor. The actual study report covered by the Times is currently an “in press” article from the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, entitled “Contemporary cesarean delivery practice in the United States” with lead author Jun Zhang. The researchers reviewed the medical records from more than 200,000 births at 19 hospitals around the country. The authors report an overall cesarean rate of 30.5%, varying from 20% to 44% among different hospitals, with a rate of 31.2% for first births (and 30.0% for women with previous births). According to the Times, “Dr. Zhang said one thing that surprised him about the study wa... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3946427 Wed, 08 Sep 2010 19:49:11 +0100 3946427 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3946412&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2Fjust-browsing-a-self-help-skeptic%25e2%2580%2599s-book-review-of-womens-bodies-womens-wisdom%2F Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom: Creating Physical and Emotional Health and Healing by Christiane Northrup, M.D. (Bantum Books) Several years ago I visited an acupuncturist. (I know, could I be more clichéd writing that for a women’s health and wellness site – but bear with me, okay?) There were twice weekly migraines, exhaustion that sent me into a near coma-state everyday after 3 p.m., and an erratic womanly cycle that often made me question the efficacy of prophylactics. I visited the usual doctors: Primary care physician, my gynecologist, a neurologist. I had a battery of tests. My GP checked my blood pressure and ordered several blood tests. My gynecologist did a pelvic exam and even an ultrasound of my ovaries. My neurologist did an in-office EEG. Everything was “normal.”... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3946412 Wed, 08 Sep 2010 16:00:21 +0100 3946412 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3907576&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F08%2Fquick-hit-american-college-of-nurse-midwives-responds-to-acogs-vbac-recommendations The American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) issued a press release [PDF] today responding to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ (ACOG) recently revised recommendation on vaginal birth after cesarean. The ACNM calls  for “concerted efforts to expand access to vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) in the U.S.” (for background, see our previous post). The ACNM release is accompanied by a more complete statement [PDF] that reviews the ACOG recommendation and outlines ACNM’s response. It includes a discussion of how the ACOG’s specific recommendation that VBAC be undertaken at “facilities capable of emergency deliveries” may continue to limit women’s ability to choose VBAC. (Source: Our Bodies Our Blog) Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3907576 Thu, 26 Aug 2010 20:42:51 +0100 3907576 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3866959&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmore-babies-for-diabetic-mommy%2F2010.08.14 While I was at CBC a few weeks ago, one of the staff members asked me if I was planning on having more children. “I don’t think so,” I said, without hesitation. ”I love my daughter endlessly, and now that she’s part of my family, I can’t imagine my life without her, but I can’t lie to you. I didn’t enjoy being pregnant. I wanted a baby, but spending nine months pregnant was very, very stressful.” The staff member who asked the question looked disappointed. And in that moment, I sort of wish I had lied. “Oh, you look disappointed. I’m sorry! It’s not just because of diabetes stuff. It’s my own personal preference. I don’t want to lie!” And I won’t lie. The end result of my pregnancy was ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3866959 Sat, 14 Aug 2010 18:00:57 +0100 3866959 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3816368&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fgisele-bundchen-will-force-you-to-breastfeed-your-baby%2F photo: Getty Images Dear Gisele Bündchen: We appreciate that your life is hard. You’re married to Tom Brady. You got to take time off work to spend with your newborn. Oh, and you’re a supermodel. Gisele told Harper’s Bazaar that if it were up to her, mothers would be forced by law to breastfeed their children for the first six months of their lives. This would be great, if every woman could afford the luxury of staying home with their baby for six months without working — that’s three months more than the typical maternity leave given by most U.S. employers. Or if every working mother had the time and privacy to pump before, during, and after work. It would also be great if people never wanted to adopt babies, because (guess what?) adoptive moms aren’t bre... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3816368 Tue, 03 Aug 2010 21:26:42 +0100 3816368 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3798533&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F07%2Flive-in-massachusetts-support-midwives-call-your-legislator-today If you’re in Massachusetts, please ask your state representative to urge House Speaker Robert DeLeo to bring an important midwifery bill to a vote. Text of the bill — House 4810: An Act Relative to Certified Professional Midwives and Enhancing the Practice of Nurse-Midwives – can be found here. The bill was just released from the House Policy and Steering Committee and is now in Third Reading, chaired by Rep. Vincent Pedone of Worcester.  The legislative session closes on Saturday, July 31. If it’s not voted on by then, the bill would die and have to be reintroduced in the next legislative session. If you’re able to discuss the bill with your legislator or a staff member, please be aware that some legislators have misinformation about the midwifery bill’s ... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3798533 Wed, 28 Jul 2010 17:40:22 +0100 3798533 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3794752&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F07%2Freactions-to-the-new-acog-statement-on-vbac Following up on last week’s ACOG release of an updated VBAC practice bulletin – this one with an increased emphasis on maternal autonomy – we thought we’d take a look around the web for what others are saying about the new statement. From organizations: Lamaze International calls the new guideline “a step in the right direction, clearly stating that women with one previous cesarean should be offered VBAC,” but wonders if there is too much of the “immediately available” language still in the current version. Choices in Childbirth applauds the new version for “encourag[ing] autonomy for women in their maternity care decisions.” The International Cesarean Awareness Network expresses that ACOG is going to need to take “an active... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3794752 Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:56:42 +0100 3794752 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3786987&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Farticle-boasts-new-birth-centers-luxury-hotel-amenities%2F2010.07.25 Here’s the Minneapolis Star Tribune headline: “Buffalo birthing center has the latest amenities.” And here’s an excerpt: Starting in August, new mothers will have a chance to multi-task in style in Buffalo, Minn. The local hospital is unveiling its new birth center, where every patient room will be equipped with an iPod docking station, a flat-screen TV and DVD player, a soaking tub, rocking chair and refrigerator — oh, and a place for the baby to sleep, too. Buffalo Hospital has spent $7.1 million to turn its old labor and delivery unit into a state-of-the-art facility to appeal to a new generation of patients. At maternity wards around the country, that increasingly means catering to patients and families as if they’re at “a luxury hotel,” ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3786987 Sun, 25 Jul 2010 15:00:31 +0100 3786987 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3780333&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F07%2Facog-releases-updated-vbac-practice-bulletin-emphasizes-individualized-approach-and-maternal-autonomy The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has released a new set of guidelines for providers on vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC). The guidelines should be of interest to anyone who is interested in having a VBAC or who has been concerned about VBAC access and high repeat cesarean rates. ACOG’s press release on the guidelines is available online; the full recommendation, which appears in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology (August 2010 issue), is available here as a PDF. The guidelines, noting the decreasing VBAC rate, increasing cesarean rate, and lack of access to a trial of labor at some hospitals, takes an approach that clearly emphasizes individualized decision-making (rather than blanket policies) and women’s autonomy. First, the document recogn... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3780333 Thu, 22 Jul 2010 19:13:49 +0100 3780333 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3772214&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F07%2Fshackled-during-labor-nothing-to-lose-but-your-humanity The image of pregnant women heading to the delivery room with handcuffs, leg shackles and belly chains is almost inconceivable. Yet as we have documented here before, it has been common practice in the United States prison system for decades and is still legal (and commonly practiced) in all but 10 states. Efforts against shackling, led by a coalition that includes the ACLU and The Rebecca Project, have gained significant ground recently. Colorado, West Virginia, Washington state and Pennsylvania passed laws in 2010 banning the practice. And the American Medical Association (AMA) voted in June to develop model legislation states can use to pass their own anti-shackling laws. The AMA resolution condemned the practice, calling it “barbaric” and “medically hazardous.”... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3772214 Tue, 20 Jul 2010 18:29:24 +0100 3772214 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3772208&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2F6-things-you-didnt-know-you-could-do-with-your-placenta%2F We’ve already told you about all the fun things you didn’t know you could do with your uterus. But if you’re bored with those, and even if you’re moving on to that next stage in life, your time for fun hasn’t run out. If you’re about to become a Mom, you can say hello to placenta fun. In the olden days, our grandmothers only had one option when it came to their placentas: Push them out and get rid of ‘em. But today’s new moms have a plethora of placenta options. You can eat them, of course, but it turns out there are a number of other ways to take advantage of their nutritional (and decorative) benefits. Check out all the things you didn’t know you could do with your placenta, below*: 1. Make a placenta pizza or a placentaccino – If y... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3772208 Tue, 20 Jul 2010 17:01:38 +0100 3772208 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3761408&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F07%2Fmuch-ado-about-a-meta-analysis-on-home-vs-hospital-birth A recently published meta-analysis* by Joseph Wax and others in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology has caused quite a stir, primarily because of the authors’ conclusion that “Less medical intervention during planned home birth is associated with a tripling of the neonatal mortality rate.” As we’ll see, things aren’t quite so simple on a closer look. Upon reading the Wax paper, my first response was “Great, I’m going to have to read every one of the original studies to make heads or tails of this.” This is because, as Amy Romano points out when she notes the absence of forest plots (which would provide more detail on the findings of each included study, and are common among this type of paper), the meta-analysis itself is not te... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3761408 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:31:51 +0100 3761408 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3710540&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F06%2Fnew-moms-invited-to-participate-in-study-on-postpartum-sexual-health The Center for Sexual Health Promotion at Indiana University Bloomington is conducting an online survey on postpartum sexual health. The study is designed to gather information on women’s sexual experiences and body image in the months after giving birth. The researchers are looking for women who are at least 18 years of age,  gave birth to their first child in the past year, and are willing to respond to questions about their attitudes and behaviors related to sexuality and information about their sexual health. For more information about the study, its confidentiality policies, a gift card drawing for participants, and to decide if you’d like to participate, visit the home page for the study survey. You can email debby@indiana.edu with any questions. (Source: Our Bodies Our Blog... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3710540 Tue, 29 Jun 2010 16:24:06 +0100 3710540 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3706639&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fempty-handed-birth-control-struggles-for-women-in-uganda%2F The average woman in the United States will give birth to 2.06 children in her lifetime. In Uganda, the average is 6.7 children. Why? Birth control is virtually unavailable in this African nation. That’s not to say Ugandan women don’t want it, however. But even when a pregnancy would be risky to a woman’s health, she has no means of preventing it. A new short film, Empty Handed: Responding to the Demand for Contraceptives shares the plight of these women: Empty Handed from Population Action International on Vimeo. Post from: BlissTree "Empty Handed": Birth Control Struggles for Women In Uganda (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3706639 Mon, 28 Jun 2010 21:49:20 +0100 3706639 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3706641&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fwould-you-take-a-blood-test-that-predicts-menopause%2F photo: Thinkstock A study presented today showed that a simple blood test could predict when women as young as their 20s could start menopause. Researchers say this test could help women make reproductive decisions about when to start a family. For instance, if a woman knows she’ll start menopause at 46, she might opt to start a family much earlier. And the predictions have generally been accurate within about three to four months. We’re not so sure about this development. While this info would definitely be handy for family planning, we don’t know if we’d want to know the age that menopause would hit us. We feel like it might make us dread the future entirely, and become hypersensitive to every little change in our bodies. What do you think? Would you want to know ... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3706641 Mon, 28 Jun 2010 20:51:54 +0100 3706641 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3699466&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fsex-ed-middle-aged-swingers-at-risk-for-stds%2F photo: Thinkstock Sex-Ed class was a magical time in our lives: Awkward stories about periods, terrifying videos of babies being born, and, of course, disgusting pictures of sexually transmitted diseases. We’d say that most teenagers are thoroughly freaked after taking that course, and probably try their best to avoid getting any of the dreaded STDs. But what about the 45 and over crowd? Not necessarily the group you’d think were at risk for STDs, but “swingers” in this age bracket actually are at a high risk for chlamydia and gonorrhea. Yep – middle-aged swingers. According to CNN, Researchers are saying that couples over 45 practicing group sex and partner-swapping weren’t as well-educated about STDs back in the 1960s or earlier, when they should have been... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3699466 Fri, 25 Jun 2010 16:46:16 +0100 3699466 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3699494&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FxgkUqgfdIr4%2F By Ruth Lubic. It is my distinct honor to be an awardee of this prestigious organization along with Dr. Omega Logan Silva and Diane Rehm.  I thank Katharine Weymouth for her enlightening opening words as well. We awardees have been asked to speak briefly about “… how times have changed (or not) for women over the years.”  I would like to do this from two perspectives, first that of the management of the childbirth experience in the 1950’s when my son, Douglas, was born and also from that of the acceptance and utilization of midwives in this country in a similar time frame.  Keep in mind that my husband, Bill and I are “children of the Great Depression” and were taught to live frugally and to care about folks less fortunate than ourselves. BIRTH IN THE 1950’s wa... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3699494 Fri, 25 Jun 2010 11:00:07 +0100 3699494 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3671658&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F06%2Facog-on-vbac-in-their-own-words Via the blog Birthing Beautiful Ideas, we were alerted to two interesting pieces in the current issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the journal of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, that may indicate a shift in thinking about hospital staffing protocols for a vaginal birth after a c-section. In 1999 (and again in 2004), ACOG released guidelines [pdf] stating that “VBAC should be attempted in institutions equipped to respond to emergencies with physicians immediately available.” This standard has been widely blamed for the lack of VBAC availability in many parts of the United States, as many hospitals discouraged or stopped doing VBACs, and in some cases malpractice insurance companies refused to cover claims resulting from the procedure. As Rita Rubin e... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3671658 Wed, 16 Jun 2010 17:23:13 +0100 3671658 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3640993&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F06%2Flive-web-streaming-available-from-women-deliver-conference The Women Deliver 2010 conference is happening in Washington DC today through Wednesday, focusing on global maternal and reproductive health and featuring great speakers from numerous U.S. and international agencies. I just listened to Melinda Gates wrap up and pledge $1.5 billion in new family planning and maternal/child health grants for next 5 years; an archive of these videos is expected to be posted as well. The conference is streaming live at http://www.womendeliver.org/conferences/-2010-conference/webcast/. You can follow tweets using the hashtag #WD2010, which are also streaming on the webcast page. I’ve set up archives at Twapper Keeper and What the Hashtag? to save tweets with this hashtag for later review. (Source: Our Bodies Our Blog) Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3640993 Mon, 07 Jun 2010 17:58:39 +0100 3640993 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3599346&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F05%2Fcdc-releases-report-on-trends-in-out-of-hospital-birth The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released a new report, Trends and Characteristics of Home and Other Out-of-Hospital Births in the United States, 1990–2006 [PDF]. It uses U.S. birth certificate data to describe trends in place of delivery. Among the findings: After declining from 1.13% in 1990 to 0.87% in 2004, the percentage of out-of-hospital births increased slightly to 0.90% in 2005 and 2006; Home births alone were 0.67% of births in 1990, declining to 0.56% by 2004, and 0.59% in 2005 and 2006; Of all out-of-hospital births (in 2006), 64.7% occurred at home, 28.0% were in a freestanding birthing center, 1.1% in a clinic or doctor’s office, and 6.2% were “elsewhere;” 61% of home births were attended by midwives, including 16% by certified nurse midwive... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3599346 Wed, 26 May 2010 14:52:01 +0100 3599346 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3538066&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F05%2Fcampaign-asks-for-creation-of-office-of-maternal-health Amnesty International, which recently released a report on maternal health in the United States, is asking supporters to contact Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services, to ask for the creation of an Office of Maternal Health to “ensure that the country’s maternal health care crisis is addressed in a comprehensive manner.” In the provided letter, the organization asks for such an Office to work on the following priorities: gathering comprehensive data on deaths, complications and performance measures along with an effective nationwide review process; ensuring access to timely prenatal care; issuing evidence-based protocols for health care providers to prevent, recognize and respond to the leading complications that cause pregnancy-related deaths; encou... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3538066 Wed, 05 May 2010 18:02:10 +0100 3538066 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3529755&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F05%2Fcurrent-issue-of-midwifery-and-womens-health-journal-tackles-normal-birth The May/June issue of the Journal of Midwifery and Women’s Health is a special issue on the topic of “normal” birth. It begins with an editorial that recognizes the problems inherent in that term, asking, “It is a word that dichotomizes—if you are not ‘normal,’ then you must be abnormal, atypical, disordered, unhealthy, or irregular—and who wants those labels?” The author of the editorial, Holly Powell Kennedy, CNM, PhD, goes on to summarize her view of the problem with our current approaches to birth: I suggest that our culture has situated childbirth fully in risk and normalized childbirth interventions. It is a paradox in which tremendous resources are poured into preventing rare events rather than supporting most women to avail themselves o... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3529755 Tue, 04 May 2010 13:13:27 +0100 3529755 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3519431&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F04%2Fthe-guiding-force-in-perinatal-education-in-canada-kathie-lindstrom View all Women’s Health Heroes nominees. Who’s your hero? Submit here. Entrant: Bailey Delves Nominee: Kathie Lindstrom, LCCE,CD,CDT Coordinator of Perinal Studies Douglas College Kathie Lindstrom (pictured in the middle) has been THE guiding force in perinatal education in Canada. She has been a doula and an educator for many years. She is a great teacher and an inspiration to anyone aspiring to make a difference in maternity care. I cannot say enough good things about her. She is humble, she is strong, and she has truly made a difference in the lives of hundreds (maybe thousands) of women, babies and their families worldwide. Ask anyone in Canada’s birth community, and they will all tell you — Kathie is fantastic. (Source: Our Bodies Our Blog) Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3519431 Fri, 30 Apr 2010 12:39:45 +0100 3519431 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3508157&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F04%2Fwhy-choose-a-midwife-video-is-back-share-with-massachusetts-legislators Earlier this year, we posted a midwifery advocacy video, “Why Choose a Midwife,” and while it received an enthusiastic response, we had to pull it temporarily while a permission issue was resolved. We’re happy to report it’s now available for viewing. The video, which was posted to YouTube and is embedded below, was created primarily as an advocacy tool related to the Massachusetts midwifery bill [PDF], which Christine wrote about on Tuesday. In short, the legislation would: * Regulate the practice of Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs), trained midwives who attend women planning to give birth at home. * Strike outdated statutory language that mandates physician supervision of Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs) — a position endorsed nationally by the American C... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3508157 Tue, 27 Apr 2010 16:38:17 +0100 3508157 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3494286&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F04%2Faction-alert-promote-access-to-midwives-in-massachusetts Our Bodies Ourselves is asking for your help in drawing attention to the Massachusetts midwifery bill (PDF) that must be approved by the state legislature’s Joint Committee on Health Care Financing by Wednesday, April 28, if it is to have any chance of passage this year. The legislation accomplishes two things: * It would regulate the practice of Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs), trained midwives who attend women planning to give birth at home. * It would also strike outdated statutory language that mandates physician supervision of Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs) — a position endorsed nationally by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and already adopted by 44 states. Required supervision creates excessive and unnecessary liability for physicians and i... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3494286 Thu, 22 Apr 2010 14:00:13 +0100 3494286 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3487023&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F04%2Fteaching-midwives-sensitivity-and-patience-laura-zeidenstein View all Women’s Health Heroes nominees. Who’s your hero? Submit here. Entrant: Jennifer Shark Nominee: Laura Zeidenstein, Midwife and Director of Columbia University School of Nursing’s Midwifery program Laura has been the director of Columbia University School of Nursing’s Midwifery program for 10 years now. She was my mentor during my tenure as a student at Columbia, and I still consider her to be such. It is largely thanks to her that I learned to be a sensitive, patient midwife. Whenever I am taking care of women, whether in the ambulatory setting or in the hospital in labor, I can feel her hands guiding mine. When I precept midwifery students, I hear her voice explaining how or why we do things the way we do, and how that makes us different. Her love for her stude... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3487023 Mon, 19 Apr 2010 20:01:51 +0100 3487023 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3475815&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36941&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mazecordblood.com%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D455 Investments in maternal health are reaping  powerful results.  It’s hard for those of us lucky enough to live in developed countries to imagine why anyone would die from complications in pregnancy or childbirth.  We know it happens and there are outlyer examples; but generally, this is not the expectation in our communities Well, globally, the number of women who die from pregnancy complications and childbirth has been hovering around 500,000 each year.  This year’s research yielded a 35% reduction in this number, down to 342,900 in 2008 (up from 529,300 in 1980!)  Bravo. The Huffington Post reports that about half the deaths each year come from countries in Asia and Africa; China and South America have seen improvement. Here’s sobering datapoint: the US, Canada and... Cord Blood News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3475815 Fri, 16 Apr 2010 14:21:30 +0100 3475815 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3475793&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F04%2Fa-midwife-for-all-women-whitney-pinger View all Women’s Health Heroes nominees. Who’s your hero? Submit here. Entrant: Abigail Golden-Vazquez Nominee: Whitney Pinger, Midwife I would like to nominate Whitney Pinger as an Our Bodies Ourselves Hero. She is one of the only midwives in Washington, D.C., working to provide midwifery services to women in a hospital setting. She has faced very hostile administrations as one hospital after the next has eliminated midwives from their practices. Georgetown University does not allow midwives to practice in its hospital. Sibley does not have a midwives practice in its hospital. And George Washington University does not have a midwives practice. This leaves those of us who want a midwife-supported birth to do it at home or find a birthing center, only one in D.C. that has to turn away a... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3475793 Thu, 15 Apr 2010 18:31:46 +0100 3475793 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3467727&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F04%2Fraising-the-volume-of-womens-voices-lorenza-holt View all Women’s Health Heroes nominees. Who’s your hero? Submit here Entrant: Randi Friedman Nominee: Lorenza Holt, Executive Director, Boston Association for Childbirth Education My women’s health hero is my next-door neighbor and dear friend, Lorenza Holt. Lorenza is passionate about empowering women during the childbirth process. She has devoted the past 15 years of her life to working primarily with multicultural inner-city women as a doula, community outreach coordinator, and childbirth educator. When Lorenza excitedly describes her work helping women discover their strength, courage, and power during this significant moment in their lives, you can literally feel the depth of her passion and the intensity of her commitment. I have attached a short video/digital story,... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3467727 Wed, 14 Apr 2010 14:55:42 +0100 3467727 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3460145&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F04%2Fsolar-powered-solutions-for-childbirth-dr-laura-stachel Entrant: Cynthia Demsey Nominee: Dr. Laura Stachel, Founder of We Care Solar Dr. Laura Stachel, an obstetrician, studying for her PhD in Public Health, founded We Care Solar to save the lives of mothers and infants by providing solar-powered solutions for skilled obstetric care. Each year, over half a million women die from pregnancy complications in developing countries. Maternal mortality worldwide accounts for more than half a million deaths a year; 99 percent of these occur in underdeveloped countries. For every maternal death, at least 20 women suffer severe complications from childbirth. While studying in Nigeria, Dr. Stachel observed firsthand that obstetric emergencies require prompt, appropriate, reliable medical and surgical care.  Dr. Stachel saw how unreliable power and commun... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3460145 Mon, 12 Apr 2010 16:11:45 +0100 3460145 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3453878&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F04%2Feducational-virtual-birthing-unit-in-second-life-and-facebook-tips-for-midwives If you’re like me, virtual world Second Life is still a relatively strange and unfamiliar place. I’ll be spending a bit more time checking out this online world, though, after learning about a virtual birthing unit set up as an educational tool for midwifery students. In it “students can work their way through simulations of birth in which they support women and make midwifery decisions.” In my brief explorations, I was able to enter the birthing center and interact with objects in the environment to read some informational text about nutrition, birthing tubs, and other topics, although I suspect I’ve just scratched the surface. The project’s WikiEducator pages provide more information on the learning activities provided and includes images of the unit. ... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3453878 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:24:01 +0100 3453878 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3471761&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F04%2Fmarginalizing-midwives-differences-in-disciplinary-action-reveals-medical-bias by Amy Romano It sounded like an April Fools joke, except the story broke two days early. Doctors in North Carolina induced and ultimately performed a cesarean on a woman who wasn’t pregnant. The case happened in 2008 but we all learned about it this week because the North Carolina Medical Board finished their investigation and issued “letters of concern” to the doctors involved. Public letters of concern appear to be the least punitive disciplinary action performed by the state Medical Board, according to their list of published board orders (PDF). To which I respond: Letters of concern? Seriously??? The consensus on Facebook and around the web was that if midwives had been involved in an incident of this magnitude, they would have had their licenses revoked post-haste. Why? Bec... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3471761 Tue, 06 Apr 2010 21:36:09 +0100 3471761 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3443669&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F04%2Fmarginalizing-midwives-differences-in-disciplinary-action-reveals-medical-bias by Amy Romano It sounded like an April Fools joke, except the story broke two days early. Doctors in North Carolina induced and ultimately performed a cesarean on a woman who wasn’t pregnant. The case happened in 2008 but we all learned about it this week because the North Carolina Medical Board finished their investigation and issued “letters of concern” to the doctors involved. Public letters of concern appear to be the least punitive disciplinary action performed by the state Medical Board, according to their list of published board orders (PDF). To which I respond: Letters of concern? Seriously??? The consensus on Facebook and around the web was that if midwives had been involved in an incident of this magnitude, they would have had their licenses revoked post-haste. Why? Bec... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3443669 Tue, 06 Apr 2010 21:36:09 +0100 3443669 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3420429&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F03%2Fwashington-state-bans-shackling-of-incarcerated-women-in-labor-and-post-delivery Washington state Gov. Chris Gregoire last week signed into law a bill [PDF] that forbids the routine shackling of pregnant women in and after labor, making it one of a handful of states that ban the practice. The law, which takes effect June 10, states that no restraints of any kind may be used on a pregnant woman during transporation to and from medical visits or court proceedings during the third trimester of pregnancy or during postpartum recovery. It also stipulates that “no restraints of any kinds may be used” during labor or childbirth. Exceptions of “extraordinary circumstances” during transportation are permitted; these exceptions are defined as necessary to prevent the woman from escaping, or from injuring herself or others, and for hospital use of medical... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3420429 Mon, 29 Mar 2010 18:30:22 +0100 3420429 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3395097&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F03%2Feffects-of-health-reform-on-maternity-care Although the just-passed health reform bill has generated considerable debate about abortion (see Christine’s previous post), at least two other reproductive health components of the bill are worth mentioning — provisions related to freestanding birth centers and certified nurse midwives. We have written previously about the Medicaid Birth Center Reimbursement Act, a bill supported by the American Association of Birth Centers. We’re pleased to report it was included in the health reform bill (section 2301 for those interested in reading the text). As the AABC notes, the reform bill includes provisions for Medicaid payment to freestanding birth centers in states where those centers are licensed. Now that President Obama has signed the bill, it will go to the Centers for... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3395097 Tue, 23 Mar 2010 16:51:32 +0100 3395097 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3378493&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amnestyusa.org%2Fdignity%2Fpdf%2FDeadlyDeliverySummary.pdf By Ruth Lubic. The release this week of Amnesty International’s new report, Deadly Delivery: The Maternal Health Care Crisis in the USA,  highlights the poor outcomes of African American women in particular.  When I set up The Developing Families Center in Washington DC’s Ward 5, it was with the goal of addressing this very issue, particularly from the point of view of infant mortality. At a rate of 12.22 per thousand live births, the District has the highest infant mortality of any of the states, with only Mississippi, at 10.74 also experiencing a double digit rate. The Center has been successful in reducing poor infant outcomes, especially as compared to the District’s African American population as a whole.    Our data show the success of our staff of nurs... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3378493 Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:08:07 +0100 3378493 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3378442&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F03%2Fan-interview-with-childbirth-connections-carol-sakala Medscape, a website from WebMD targeted primarily to healthcare providers and professionals, has just published an interesting interview with Carol Sakala, PhD, MSPH on the need to transform maternity care in the United States. Sakala is the Director of Programs for Childbirth Connection and co-author of the report, Evidence-Based Maternity Care: What it is and What it Can Achieve [PDF]. In it, Sakala discusses maternity care in the context of healthcare reform, noting the lack of focus on maternity care quality, outcomes, and value despite its “major role in the nation’s healthcare system.” She also addresses overused and underused interventions in maternity care; the need to have evidence-based practice guidelines based upon good quality studies rather than expert opini... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3378442 Thu, 18 Mar 2010 13:16:14 +0100 3378442 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3370379&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F03%2Fvaginal-birth-after-cesarean-what-the-nih-has-to-say As many of our readers will already know, the National Institutes of Health held a consensus development conference last week on vaginal birth after cesarean in the U.S., featuring panelists who spoke about VBAC trends, medical evidence, risks and benefits to women and babies, non-medical factors influencing VBAC availability (such as fear of legal liability), and related topics. Materials from the conference are available at http://consensus.nih.gov/2010/vbac.htm, including the draft panel statement, archived webcasts from each day of the conference, the previously completed evidence report on VBAC, and call-in access to the archive of a telebriefing that followed the event wrap-up (a transcript will be available soon). One important topic included perceptions of the risk of trial of labo... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3370379 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:13:11 +0100 3370379 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3366173&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F03%2Fdouble-dose-what-will-happen-to-healthcare-reform-stopping-campus-rape-granny-midwife-margaret-charles-smith-is-honored-and-more On How a Bill Becomes a Law: The bill that will likely become the reconciliation bill on healthcare has been posted (PDF). Ezra Klein explains what it means. Democratic leaders say a bill will pass this week.  House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) pledges obstruction, saying Republicans will do “everything we can to make it difficult for them, if not impossible, to pass the bill.” Jen Nedeau covers the multiple threats to women’s health and reproductive rights that must be addressed, including the House anti-abortion language. You know it as the Stupak/Pitts admendment. But Richard Doerflinger, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ point man on abortion, should have had his name in there, too. Meanwhile, Jessica Arons tries to see the world through t... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3366173 Sun, 14 Mar 2010 15:54:23 +0100 3366173 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3342633&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F03%2Fnih-consenus-development-conference-on-vbac-this-week-watch-online Beginning today and continuing through March 10, the National Institutes of Health is hosting a “consensus development conference” on the topic of vaginal birth after cesarean section. A free live webcast (with captioning) of the conference is being made available for those who can’t attend the Bethesda, MD event. (You may need to download an appropriate media player to watch it.) Various experts are discussing the medical evidence on VBAC (audience discussion has been lively already!), including the following key questions: What are the rates and patterns of utilization of trial of labor after prior cesarean, vaginal birth after cesarean, and repeat cesarean delivery in the United States? Among women who attempt a trial of labor after prior cesarean, what is the vagina... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3342633 Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:26:05 +0100 3342633 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3338212&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guttmacher.org%2Fpubs%2FAddingItUp2009.pdf By Tamar Abrams. Ninety-nine years ago, International Women’s Day was founded to honor the accomplishments of women and to press for equality between men and women. All these years later, there is still so much to do. Rather than tackling the overwhelming global needs of women, one organization – Women Deliver – is focusing on maternal health. The statistics are startling: Every minute of every day, a woman dies needlessly of pregnancy-related causes. That means that more than 560,000 women and girls die every year. Almost all of these deaths occur in the developing world, and ten million women are lost in every generation! What a tragic loss for our planet when at the same time we in the developed world have turned our attention to new ways of obtaining and sharing infor... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3338212 Fri, 05 Mar 2010 21:22:59 +0100 3338212 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3322334&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F03%2Fmississippi-senate-drops-bill-outlawing-cpms According to reports, the Mississippi bill that would make non-nurse midwives illegal in the state is dead after “a barrage of calls and e-mails on lawmakers, urging them to kill the bill” from advocates for midwifery and home birth. We mentioned the bill in a post last week, after it passed the House and was referred to the state Senate’s Public Health and Welfare committee. Committee chair Hob Bryan has now indicated that he will not bring the bill up for a vote, saying that “This is something there’s a good bit of concern about. Several people in the committee said they had gotten calls to oppose it.” The Big Push for Midwives, mentioned in the story, led the campaign to mobilize against this bill and issued action alerts last week encouraging midwifery s... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3322334 Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:00:46 +0100 3322334 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3311644&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F02%2Fcalls-for-support-of-birth-related-legislation-at-state-and-federal-levels A bill has passed in the Mississippi House that could effectively make  midwives who are not also trained as nurses illegal in the state. The bill states that “the practice of midwifery shall only be conducted by Certified Nurse Midwives; to provide that any person who is not a Certified Nurse Midwife who engages in the practice of midwifery shall be subject to criminal penalties and injunctive relief.” The bill would make it illegal for Certified Professional Midwives — midwives who who are specially trained to deliver babies in out-of-hospital settings– to practice. Right now, the Midwives Alliance of North America (MANA) categorizes the current situation in Mississippi for non-nurse midwives as “Legal by Judicial Interpretation or Statutory Inference&#8221... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3311644 Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:33:55 +0100 3311644 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3306813&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F02%2Facnm-issues-statement-supporting-use-of-nitrous-oxide-in-labor The American College of Nurse-Midwives has posted a new position statement on nitrous oxide for labor analgesia [PDF], stating: “It is the position of the American College of Nurse‐Midwives that women should have access to a variety of measures to assist them in coping with the challenges of labor.” The ACNM notes that a blend of inhaled nitrous oxide and oxygen is used for pain relief in labor in many other countries, but it not typically available in the United States, where epidural anesthesia and systemic opioids are more common. Potential benefits of nitrous oxide are outlined in the document, including the ability for a woman to self-administer via face mask, the ability to quickly administer or discontinue the gas, and the lack of known adverse effects on the woman, fe... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3306813 Wed, 24 Feb 2010 20:34:38 +0100 3306813 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3279951&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F02%2Ftwo-opportunities-for-birth-related-participation First, Dr. Mark Sloan, author of Birth Day: A Pediatrician Explores the Science, the History, and the Wonder of Childbirth, is chatting with readers online through February 21st via the LibraryThing website. If you don’t have a LibraryThing account (they’re free), you’ll need to sign up first if you want to post questions or comments (you can browse the discussion without signing up). After logging in, scroll down the right side to “Author Chats” and select the chat with Mark Sloan. You’ll be able to post questions and comments, which Sloan is responding to – the author indicates that “all questions, comments, birth stories, new parent experiences, and hard-earned pearls of grandparental wisdom are welcome.” I haven’t had a chance... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3279951 Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:09:15 +0100 3279951 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3262585&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36088&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2010%2F02%2Fmaternal-mortality-on-the-rise-in-california Last week, California Watch, a new project of the Center for Investigative Reporting, released a report describing an increase in maternal mortality in the state over the past decade. The report shows that the number of California women who died from causes directly related to pregnancy nearly tripled in the past decade.  The report’s authors confirm that this is the most significant spike in pregnancy-related deaths since the 1930s. The findings have prompted enormous concern and many questions about why this is happening. Dr. Elliott Main, the principal investigator for the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative, the public-private task force investigating the problem for the state, acknowledged that only a modest amount of this increase was related to factors such as obes... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3262585 Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:02:35 +0100 3262585 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3220501&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E3%2FDZAhBRG-To4%2Fhealth-sex-and-womens-rights-in.html Starting this Saturday, the Gardner Center for Asian Arts and Ideas will be hosting a lecture series titled "Health, Sex, and Women's Rights in Contemporary Asia." All events will be located in Volunteer Park. January 30 – Women Feed the World: Women’s Land Rights in AsiaSpeakers: Renee Giovarelli, Rural Development Institute, and Haven Ley, Bill & Melinda Gates FoundationFebruary 6 – Asia: The Frontier in the Battle for Health Equity in the WorldSpeakers: Tachi Yamada, President of Global Health, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Chris Elias, President and CEO of PATHFebruary 13 – In Silence: Maternal Mortality in IndiaSpeakers: Susan Meiselas, Magnum photographer; Sylvia Wolf, Director, Henry Art Gallery, University of Washington; and France Donnay, Bill & Melinda Gates Found... Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3220501 Fri, 29 Jan 2010 02:52:31 +0100 3220501 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3204851&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.disruptivewomen.net%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2010%2F01%2FNPR_20100123_wesat_02.mp3 Disruptive Women blogger Tamar Abrams shared this glimmer of hope from Haiti. It’s an NPR profile of her sister-in-law, AK, who has been delivering babies in Haiti. Amid Death And Destruction: New Life In Haiti Despite the grim scene in Haiti, life, for some, goes on. NPR’s John Poole and Joanne Silberner have been embedded with the Massachusetts 1 Disaster Medical Assistance Team in a field hospital in Port-au-Prince. Obstetrician Anne Kathryn Goodman oversees births at the Health and Human Services field hospital. As of Friday morning, Jan. 22, six babies had been delivered at the field hospital. Poole and Silberner were there to document the delivery of little Sampson Brazile. Hear Silberner’s story: Download audio file (NPR_20100123_wesat_02.mp3) View photos on NPR’... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3204851 Mon, 25 Jan 2010 16:24:07 +0100 3204851 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3126603&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FITYnQRZXMvU%2F Think you have maternity coverage? Think again. Welcome to the first entry of the book I’ll be publishing in 2010 entitled: You gotta laugh: Life in the trenches of the health insurance business. Because I think Disruptive Women readers will find it useful, each month I’ll post an example of a health insurance problem that is so maddening and frustrating that we just gotta laugh at its absurdity. My goal, however, is to find a way to improve health insurance for beneficiaries and I have some suggestions at the end of this post.                                                                                           This month’s question: What do you do when you have it in writing from your in... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3126603 Tue, 29 Dec 2009 15:33:12 +0100 3126603 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3084999&cid=t_96213_165_f&fid=37959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthskills.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F12%2F14%2Fi-want-my-epidural%2F I’ve had two children – now 19 and 16, and wonderful. At the time of their delivery I can remember both times thinking ‘as long as they’re healthy’ and being not at all worried about having medical intervention if it was needed. My eldest was born with epidural anaesthesia, and my youngest was born completely naturally. And I am one of those people who ended up with an exacerbation of my chronic pain after delivery, in fact quite specific chronic pain in the area where the epidural was inserted. I recall asking my GP about 12 months later how long the pain was supposed to last, and she was quite surprised I had any pain at all! But now I’ve been reviewing some of the literature around childbirth, and I realise how common having persistent pain can be in ... HealthSkills Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3084999 Sun, 13 Dec 2009 18:19:14 +0100 3084999 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2934673&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FX7QD6dQvc0U%2F I was stunned to learn that New York City’s Bellevue Hospital was closing its birth center, leaving low income women in the city with no access to a birth center that accepts Medicaid. Why are childbirthing centers in this country struggling to survive when they ought to be spreading? We know that they provide a wellness-model of pregnancy and birthing (as opposed to a disease model that hospitals have traditionally taken), use best practices in birthing, have excellent clinical outcomes, and save money. Staffed and usually managed by certified nurse midwives, childbirthing centers have been endorsed by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. At the end of the Bush administration, someone in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services realized that there was no mandat... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2934673 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:10:12 +0100 2934673 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2902772&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fbreastfeeding123%2Fwinner-of-the-laugh-and-learn-dvds%2F And the winner of the “Laugh and Learn” DVDs is Kathlynn with comment #17: “What an amazing set! I would love to add them to my small but growing collection!” Kathlynn, please email me your home mailing address by the end of Tuesday, October 20, 2009 to claim your prize. Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3 (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2902772 Sun, 18 Oct 2009 03:56:42 +0100 2902772 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2883006&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fbreastfeeding123%2Flaugh-and-learn-dvd-set-giveaway%2F Last week I reviewed the set of “Laugh and Learn” DVDs on childbirth, newborn baby care, and breastfeeding. Now is your chance to win these four helpful DVDs! The Products You can win this 4-DVD set of three classes: Laugh and Learn About Childbirth, Laugh and Learn About Newborn Baby Care, and Laugh and Learn About Breastfeeding. The whole DVD set currently sells for $79.95 on the Laugh and Learn site. I see that if you want to watch the classes online they are offered that way at a discount too! How to Enter The contest is open to entrants with a mailing address in the United States. You have three chances to win! For your first entry, simply leave a comment on this post using a valid email address before the end of the day Friday, October 16, 2009 Pacific Coast Time. For a s... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2883006 Mon, 12 Oct 2009 06:57:40 +0100 2883006 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2605968&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fchildbirth-via-youtube%2F Childbirth videos are nothing new. They’ve been screened at pre-natal birthing classes since the 1970s. But they are mostly dated and often highly edited so as not to offend or upset expectant parents. Now there’s a category of childbirth videos around - real life, unedited, and made friends and families of those in labour.  And they can be found in thousands over at  You Tube. A quick google search of ‘YouTube childbirth videos’ turned up 195,000 results. Seems that more and more women are making these videos in the belief that they will help “demystify” childbirth. They are watched by expectant parents who want to get ‘all the facts.’ Some even get more than they bargained on. Back in May, one British father actually ended up delivering his own baby soon after w... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2605968 Thu, 16 Jul 2009 10:00:49 +0100 2605968 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2512443&cid=t_96213_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aspieweb.net%2Fdisability-pregnancy-and-fear%2F As my pregnancy keeps going further along, I am getting some huge fears - fears which are related to my disability, pregnancy and christian faith. I feel like I’m being pulled in every direction by friends, family and Zach’s family on choices I have to make.  So many people are pushing me to abort, others want [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2512443 Thu, 18 Jun 2009 22:15:30 +0100 2512443 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2469826&cid=t_96213_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aspieweb.net%2Faspergers-fas-pregnancy%2F Hi, I’m Zach’s Fiance and I have an announcement to make….. we are pregnant!! I just found out last Thursday that I am pregnant (this was the family emergency Zach was talking about).  I am quite scared to say the least, and I have been wrestling with abortion or adopting the child. I have been wrestling with abortion [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2469826 Wed, 10 Jun 2009 23:01:32 +0100 2469826 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2367389&cid=t_96213_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F04%2F15%2Finfracoccygeal-sacropexy-using-mesh-for-uterine-prolapse-repair%2F Title: Infracoccygeal sacropexy using mesh for uterine prolapse repair Source: NICE The Skinny: Guidance to the NHS in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland on infracoccygeal sacropexy using mesh for vaginal vault prolapse repair. Uterine prolapse occurs when the womb (uterus) slips down from its normal position into the vagina. Infracoccygeal sacropexy is an operation that involves the insertion of a piece of material (mesh) with the aim of holding the womb in place. Documents: IPG280 Infracoccygeal sacropexy using mesh for uterine prolapse repair: guidance (2p, 35.03 Kb) IPG280 Infracoccygeal sacropexy using mesh for uterine prolapse repair: understanding NICE guidance (4p, 55.41 Kb) IPG280 Infracoccygeal sacropexy using mesh for uterine prolapse repair: understanding NICE guida... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2367389 Wed, 15 Apr 2009 09:20:07 +0100 2367389 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2609151&cid=t_96213_46_f&fid=38789&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmsf.ca%2Fblogs%2Fcholera%2F2009%2F03%2F27%2Fa-burning-stomach%2F Today Dennis is awake and sitting up. Gogo is happy to see me, while Dennis can not take his eyes off the notebook and pen I brought him together with some crayons. I do not understand until later why these are so important to him. Photo: J Stavropoulou, MSF. | Grandmother Juliette, the MSF head nurse is here as well. She is the kind of nurse you would want if you are sick. Kind eyes, beautiful face and always with a smile. Dennis is obviously feeling much better today. He had been quite a severely dehydrated case when he came in and had to be put on a drip, which he was still on today but which Juliette hoped they could stop later on. “He’s finally drinking his ORS,” says Juliette with a smile. Dennis is small for a 10-year old and now he is so thin it makes him look even smaller. ... MSF Blogs blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2609151 Tue, 07 Apr 2009 19:03:14 +0100 2609151 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2284276&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FH9Dx7Ke-8d0%2F I am not usually one to take on the Vatican. In fact, I toured its lovely treasure-filled buildings only three months ago and marveled at the wealth and power it denoted. However, the Pope’s recent pronouncements during his travels in Africa that condoms and abortions are morally wrong have filled me with righteous indignation. I too have spent time in Africa. But I wasn’t there to make pronouncements from on high. I was there to make a documentary about the increasing number of married women with AIDS in Kenya. I walked through Kibera slum and watched large families crammed into corrugated metal sheds without plumbing or heat. Even so, I probably wouldn’t take on the Pope…except for an article in today’s Washington Post. Apparently, the Vatican’s top bioethics official said t... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2284276 Sat, 21 Mar 2009 20:52:07 +0100 2284276 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2609154&cid=t_96213_46_f&fid=38789&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmsf.ca%2Fblogs%2Fcholera%2F2009%2F03%2F10%2Ffinding-a-little-miracle%2F We finally get to the number we had looked for, but find out that Maria doesn’t live there; it is her brother’s house. He says where she lives there are no numbers that is why Maria uses his address. He offers to show us the way. Photo: J Stavropoulou. We drive along the dirt roads between the houses until the road can go no longer. Then we walk along a small footpath through tall bright green grass and maize crops rising up around us. It is hard to believe we are still in Harare. We come to a small settlement of houses, with various children around, some ladies, some chickens, a well. And then, there is Maria walking towards us, shyly smiling, quite obviously not pregnant anymore. I am so happy to see her, I feared the worst, yet had fervently hoped for the best. Photo: J Stavropoul... MSF Blogs blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2609154 Tue, 10 Mar 2009 14:18:07 +0100 2609154 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2078228&cid=t_96213_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F01%2Fbusting-common-myths-about-pregnancy.html Pregnancy is one of the most exciting times in a woman’s life and every pregnancy is truly a miracle. Because women having been having babies for centuries, there are still many myths and old wives tales about pregnancy, which modern obstetrics is just starting to dispel. Myth 1. Pregnancy care starts after you get pregnantMost women register with their obstetrician for medical care after they get pregnant. After all, we are all familiar with the adage: ‘Be good to your baby before it is born’. However, in reality, the best time to start taking care of your unborn baby is even before you conceive! Such care is called pre-pregnancy or pre-conception care.Why is this care so important? Remember, that the foetal organs are actively developing during first 12 weeks of pregnancy (this cru... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2078228 Sun, 04 Jan 2009 07:38:00 +0100 2078228 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1775746&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FBreastfeeding123%2F%7E3%2FpHSd1-Z2cmw%2F Micky of the breastfeeding blog Mocha Milk started a thriving business called 9 Months and Beyond, LLC. It offers childbirth and breastfeeding support. She wants to grow the business even more, and has entered the Ideablob $10,000 contest. Here’s what her entry says: 9 Months & Beyond, LLC offers a full doula services, lactation support and parenting education. We combine the best resources of a doula agency and pregnancy/ parenting boutique with a respectful, supportive community. From conception through the first years of parenting, we help birthing families through a range of counseling and educational services and products designed for their special circumstances. Specialties include: birth/labor doula services childbirth education birth tub rental breast-pump rental lactati... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1775746 Mon, 08 Sep 2008 13:49:18 +0100 1775746 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1733981&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D4222 A recent study suggests that women, given an informed choice, were less likely than the professionals treating them to take a more cautious approach to birth. The study also found the women prepared to accept higher pain levels, reports the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. read more | digg story Of course the 6 million dollar question is what do you do when something goes wrong during delivery? a Moms accept natural birth risks (Source: Malaysian Medical Resources) Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1733981 Tue, 26 Aug 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1733981 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1692173&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=34935&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedicine.com.my%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D4025 Doctors in the past has used Sterile Water Injections as a placebo. Yeah, for the patient who insists on that “miracle injection” sometimes that’s what the doctor may administer Recently Swedish workers looked at Acupuncture versus subcutaneous injections of sterile water as treatment for labour pain (Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2008;87(2):171-7) The main results of this study were that sterile water injections yielded greater pain relief (p (Source: Malaysian Medical Resources) Malaysian Medical Resources blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1692173 Fri, 08 Aug 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1692173 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1480725&cid=t_96213_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F301486131%2F This article reported within the BBC website is fascinating and incredibly rare … An Australian mother has given birth to a healthy  baby daughter who developed in her ovary! The discovery was made during a  routine cesarean operation. Durga - meaning Goddess - was born at 38 weeks weighing 6lb 3oz (2.8 kg). Most ectopic pregnancies end in miscarriage or are terminated early because of the risk to the mother.  Just 1-2% of all pregnancies are ectopic, and in 95% of those cases the egg is fertilised in the fallopian tubes on its way to the uterus.  In 0.5% of cases, including this one, the baby grows inside the ovary itself. The ovary was so paper thin the baby’s head could be seen. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7427907.stm Elaine Warburton  www.geneticsandhealth.com... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1480725 Fri, 30 May 2008 20:49:20 +0100 1480725 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1434032&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36583&url=http%3A%2F%2Fourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2008%2F05%2Fsimple_innovation_saves_womens_lives.php Around the globe, 500,000 women die every year from complications related to giving birth. The most common cause is obstetrical hemorrhage, or heavy bleeding, which can cause death in two hours or less. Consider that in many rural areas a hospital can be hours or even days away, and the urgency of medical attention becomes clear. Given this dire situation, some health researchers are working on promoting the adoption of less-invasive, evidenced-based medical practices to prevent excess bleeding from occurring during childbirth and simple innovations that can help stem the blood flow when there is a problem. One low-tech device that can be used to help women who are hemorrhaging and who don't have immediate access to maternity care interventions is the LifeWrap. Also known as a non-pneum... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1434032 Fri, 09 May 2008 18:10:56 +0100 1434032 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1404385&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36583&url=http%3A%2F%2Fourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2008%2F04%2Fon_increasing_rates_of_diabetes_in_pregnancy_1.php An article set to appear in the May issue of the journal Diabetes Care is garnering widespread media attention today, as it declares that the prevalence of pre-existing diabetes in women who become pregnant has doubled over the past several years. Diabetes can cause serious complications for both women and fetuses during pregnancy. The authors looked at data for women in Southern California who gave birth to a single baby >20 weeks gestation in one hospital system. They looked at how many women had pre-existing or gestational diabetes, and how the prevalence of diabetes changed over time. The authors found that the overall prevalence of pre-existing diabetes more than doubled from 1999 to 2005, from 0.81 to 1.82 women with the condition per 100 births, with younger women and black women e... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1404385 Mon, 28 Apr 2008 19:27:54 +0100 1404385 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1347887&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36583&url=http%3A%2F%2Fourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2008%2F04%2Ffat_women_can_give_birth_vaginally_obesity_an.php Much has been written about the alarming increase in the percentage of births delivered via cesarean section. Our Bodies Ourselves has just posted a new article that discusses the sky-high rate of cesarean births among women of size and provides concrete advice on how women can best increase their chances of having a vaginal birth. The author, Pamela Vireday, a childbirth educator and size-acceptance activist who specializes in summarizing and analyzing the medical research on these issues, spoke with OBOB recently about the abundance of misinformation and attitudes toward women and obesity. "A cesarean can be a wonderful and life-saving thing when it is needed, but to use it routinely adds many unnecessary risks, especially in obese women," says Vireday. "Yet almost no one has been ques... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1347887 Thu, 03 Apr 2008 20:03:59 +0100 1347887 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1327754&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36583&url=http%3A%2F%2Fourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2008%2F03%2Fbe_bold_for_a_good_cause.php BOLD is a very cool media arts/birth advocacy group that's trying to win a $10,000 grant from Ideablob.com. The organization's play, "Birth," is performed each year on, you guessed it, Labor Day. Here's more about BOLD, from founder Karen Brody: BOLD's mission is to be a global movement to make maternity care mother-friendly through education, truth and action. While it was sparked by performances of my play, Birth, to inspire change BOLD is now much more than my play. [...] At all our BOLD events we're using the arts to educate, tell the truth and take action around maternity care so that birthing options are mother-friendly. Through each event communities take a serious look at how to improve the birthing climate for pregnant mothers. What do mothers want? What do they deserve? What m... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1327754 Tue, 25 Mar 2008 22:30:13 +0100 1327754 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1281237&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=36583&url=http%3A%2F%2Fourbodiesourblog.org%2Fblog%2F2008%2F03%2Fcensus_bureau_releases_40year_profile_of_work.php The Census Bureau has released a new report on women's working patterns, choices, and benefits during and after a first pregnancy, Maternity Leave and Employment Patterns of First-Time Mothers: 1961–2003 [PDF]. The report reveals trends over the recent decades, and concludes, "Overall, these findings indicate that women are staying longer at work, returning more rapidly after having their first child, and, in general, choosing to incorporate work life with childbearing and childrearing more than did women in the 1960s." I do have a small quibble with that statement, however, as the report does not address economic considerations in detail, leaving aside the question of whether women are freely "choosing" to be in the workforce or if economic factors make it more of a necessity than was... Our Bodies Our Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1281237 Wed, 05 Mar 2008 16:31:08 +0100 1281237 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1909219&cid=t_96213_177_f&fid=38133&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FTubalReversalBlog%2F%7E3%2F286469510%2Ftubal-ligation-informed-consent.html I received an email message today from a patient that prompted me to write about informed consent for tubal ligation. (See my previous blog about informed consent for tubal reversal.) Here is the message that was sent to me. Hello, Dr. Berger, You performed tubal reversal surgery on me on 10/29/07, and I just found out [...] (Source: Tubal Reversal Blog) Tubal Reversal Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1909219 Tue, 15 Jan 2008 19:37:16 +0100 1909219 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=675448&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F06%2F14%2Fdiabetes-may-damage-sperm-cell-dna%2F Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, Childhood, Adult Onset, Lifestyle, Research, MagazinesA recent study compared the sperm of 27 men with type 1 diabetes to the sperm of 29 men of equal age without diabetes. The researchers found that the sperm of the men with diabetes were healthy in many respects. The shape and abundance of the sperm from type 1 diabetic males were perfectly normal and apparently they were great swimmers. However, when the DNA was examined, there was more damage to the DNA of the diabetic men. Around 52% of the DNA in their sperm cells was fragmented, compared to only 32% in the men without diabetes. There was also a higher rate of deletions in the DNA inside their mitochondria, separate DNA found within each cell. The results of this study suggest type 1 diabetes may cause d... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=675448 Thu, 14 Jun 2007 04:00:00 +0100 675448 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=554441&cid=t_96213_87_f&fid=34865&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecancerblog.com%2F2007%2F04%2F19%2Fbreastfeeding-blocks-breast-cancer%2F Filed under: Breast Cancer, Prevention, Research, Daily newsWhen my babies were born, those who promote breastfeeding as the only effective method for nourishing a child and preventing illness urged and pushed and prodded me to embrace their beliefs. I did believe them, never doubted them, and sometimes felt guilty I wasn't able to nurse my children -- a previous breast reduction surgery disabled my milk flow.I got over it. Bottles and formula worked well for my family, allowed my husband to share middle-of-the-night feeding duties, and grew my two little boys into sturdy, healthy beings. What I haven't completely gotten over is that breastfeeding could have done a whole lot of good for me too. It could have prevented the breast cancer I developed just after my second child stopped drinkin... The Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=554441 Thu, 19 Apr 2007 04:00:00 +0100 554441 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=464809&cid=t_96213_111_f&fid=34711&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmillinersdream.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F03%2Fhump-day-aka-my-day-off.html I told my Mom on the phone this week that I have been waking up at 0630 (or 0639 or 0625) on mornings I don't go to work at 1500 in a panic. I think I am late, overslept and should be on my way to work. (I leave at 0630 on Friday and Saturday for day shift.) Then I realize that I'm not late and that I only got home a few hours before...I have been home after 0100 each time since I began working (though I should be off at 2330.) She reminded me that I should be used to it, as my Dad worked swing shifts throughout my youth, as a Pharmacist!***** ***** ***** I continue to grow in my position as a new nurse. I am gaining a routine and a safe speed with the more mundane nursing "ADLs" (such as in passing medications--when to check a pulse and hold a resident's Digoxin, if necessary, for instanc... Milliner's Dream blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=464809 Wed, 07 Mar 2007 17:26:00 +0100 464809 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=464812&cid=t_96213_111_f&fid=34711&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmillinersdream.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F02%2Fdear-shamhat.html In response to Shamhat's comment, on this post:Dear Shamhat,Since in this context I am teaching in a hospital, where the women have already usually chosen hospital birth--and often, with an OB--I am referring to their choice between medicated and unmedicated labor.I insist on teaching all their options--and am fortunate at this hospital that I am "allowed." Many hospitals, including another local one, teach: "This is our facility, and this is how you give birth..." If the day came when I was told I could not teach all options in that hospital setting, I would resign. And, by teaching all options, I believe in some cases I am able to present some in my classes with the options and tools to go unmedicated. It's a seemingly forgone conlclusion that most want/will have/plan epidurals now. By s... Milliner's Dream blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=464812 Thu, 15 Feb 2007 21:30:00 +0100 464812