Ricki Lake: Give birth at home!
Ricki Lake has been slammed by professionals at the American Medical Association (AMA) for championing home births.
Lake’s recent documentary The Business of Being Born suggested hospital births could be problematic - a claim refuted by medical officials.
Doctors have warned expectant mothers not to follow the Hairspray star’s example, and AMA members are now campaigning to U.S. lawmakers to pass legislation officially stating that the “safest setting” for birth is in a hospital, reports TMZ.com.
WENN
June 18th, 2008 at 7:13 am
Ricki Lake is a moron
June 18th, 2008 at 7:21 am
Yep I’m 6 months pregnant and watched her documentary and it did have some good points but there’s still absolutely no way I’d give birth at home. Just the thought of it makes me wanna puke.
June 18th, 2008 at 7:48 am
Of course, they are going to be aganist it because the hospitals they want to milk the shit out of you.
June 18th, 2008 at 8:20 am
Is Ricki Lake even relevant anymore?? Don’t worry doctors of the U.S., no woman wants to be at home w/o birthing drugs and no Ricki Lake video will change their minds.
June 18th, 2008 at 8:34 am
While home birth isn’t for everyone, the AMA should not try to intimidate those who choose it. There are many pros for home birth, and it can - and IS - used to women’s advantage in other Western countries where medical insurance and fees do not rule decision making.
The Netherlands has the right idea - home birth is the default option, complete with full term midwives. However, at the slightest hint of any danger or complication before or during birth, the birth will take place in a hospital.
It is very safe as long as you research your decision wisely and consult your (unbiased) doctor.
June 18th, 2008 at 8:35 am
It’s quite lovely to give birth in a hospital, you can have you’re own private room similar to a hotel room, and give birth right in that room. All the while, a hospital right outside your door if situation becomes dangerous. Don’t do this at home folks. What if your birth has complications, then what?
June 18th, 2008 at 8:38 am
I saw this movie. It is excellent and even ends with the director’s problematic birth that led to an emergency C-section. It does not say the safest place for birth is at home. Its premise is that you might be more comfortable at home with less drugs….if you are totally healthy and the baby is fine. You actually have to be a candidate for home birth. If you have any issues you must go to the hospital.
AMA can legislate anything it wants, I would still opt for a home birth if its possible. Hospitals are for the ill,period.
June 18th, 2008 at 8:51 am
I think homebirths are a great idea for women who are very healthy and have normal pregnancies. I was not one of those women. My labor was relatively easy, until I started pushing. My son was 10 lbs and sunny-side up. Only my OB was able to get him out with the help of forceps. If I had given birth at home the outcome would have likely been tragic.
June 18th, 2008 at 8:59 am
How silly. Nothing like protecting your pocketbook which is what this is really about. A fully-trained and qualified mid-wife is perfectly capable of delivering a baby at home (most of the births in this world take place at home unless you live in the good old USA - malpractice capital of the world).
They are also qualified to know that if there are problems, they will automatically transfer the mother to the hospital to give birth there. Stuff like this drives me crazy. Pregnancy is not an illness so there is no reason you must give birth in a hospital unless you have a high-risk pregnancy.
June 18th, 2008 at 9:12 am
Most of my friends have all had homebirths. Not one of them had any complications. It is done much more than people realize. And it is VERY safe. Visit the site mothering.com’s discussion area, there is a wealth of valuable information there.
June 18th, 2008 at 9:15 am
Most of my friends have had homebirths and wouldn’t even think about setting foot in a hospital unless it was a high-risk type of pregnancy. It is done more often than people seem to realize. The AMA is ridiculous for saying that the hospital is the safest place for birth. I want to see the statistics they are basing this claim on. If you visit the website mothering and click on discussions, you can find a wealth of information.
June 18th, 2008 at 9:21 am
i for one am thankful for modern medical science. my baby and i would have both died had i not been at the hospital during labor when his heart rate crashed and my blood pressure started rising rapidly. had i not had the emergency c-section available to me immediately i wouldn’t have my beautiful, healthy 2 year old boy. even if i had survived, he wouldn’t have. i had had some issues during my pregnancy, but none that would predict the kind of outcome i had.
June 18th, 2008 at 9:25 am
I haven’t seen Ricki Lake’s documentary, so I can’t respond to the tone it takes, but I don’t think home birth is so crazy. Like mary ann and jay said, it isn’t for everybody, but for most normal, healthy deliveries, there’s nothing wrong with it, and most people would probably enjoy it more if they got used to the idea. And if the healthcare system was set up so that qualified midwives and doctors could go to your home to birth your child. I think it’s more important to have someone with you who knows what they are doing when you are giving birth; it’s amazing what experienced birthers can do without all of the equipment. Actually, I think all of the heartrate monitors and things just pass the buck so that less qualified people can watch over you until/unless something goes wrong.
I’m rambling, but I say homebirths = yea! You are certainly welcome to give birth in a hospital if you want, but please don’t force me to go there. (Btw, I _did_ give birth in a hospital and would probably do so again to placate my husband’s fears…but am mostly okay with it because I looooove my midwife who lets me give birth pretty much how I want. I also gave birth without an epidural or medication - not so much as a Tylenol - and call me crazy but I loved it.)
June 18th, 2008 at 9:29 am
Lisa is right, home birth is a very safe choice for women who are most likely to not have a complicated pregnancy. America has one of the highest maternal/neonatal mortality rates in the developed world, and has the least home births with 99% hospital births. If the hospital is the safest setting to have a baby in America then why is the neonatal and maternal mortality rate so high? Because doctors in the U.S use cesarean sections as a easy way out. Most doctors rarely see a natural birth within the hospital. And midwives can legally provide pain medication, and never go to a birth without it. Bossy clearly does not know what she is talking about.
Midwives are trained to handle most common complications to an extent (breech birth, posterior position ect..), but all of them have a back up plan for serious complications and most use a back-up doctor of your choice in case something does go wrong. If you are likely to have complications than a midwife may suggest having birth within a hospital with her and if something goes wrong then your doctor will step in. It’s important to realize that home birth is not for women at risk of serious complications, but is a safe wonderful experience for healthy women.
June 18th, 2008 at 9:32 am
The AMA should butt out of women’s affairs. If a woman wants to give birth at home, let her. There are women all over the world who gives birth outside of a hospital setting and do just fine.
The AMA is all about money and charging you an arm and leg just to have a baby.
June 18th, 2008 at 9:48 am
Home births may work fine for many women, but let’s remember how many women died in childbirth before the advent of the c-section. As recently as the late 1800’s many men in their 50’s were on their third wives because the first two died in childbirth. There is no conspiracy here on the part of the AMA. The hospital is the safest place to give birth.
June 18th, 2008 at 9:54 am
Bricktop, do you have hard evidence to back up that claim? CURRENT evidence, not 1800’s generalizations? C-Sections are SO overused it’s ridiculous. Our bodies were BUILT to give birth.
June 18th, 2008 at 10:22 am
The reason why we have no many c-sections is fear of malpractice. Too many babies in North American are born this way when medically they don’t need to be. We are also much more medically advanced than they were in the 1800’s. Mid-wives have been safely delivering babies since the beginning of time and continue to do so around the world to this day.
June 18th, 2008 at 10:23 am
Bricktop - many women died from childbed fever, which was basically from doctors not washing their hands and passing germs from their sick patients to healthy birthing women. Before “perfecting” the c/section here was a much more barbaric method doctors used for removing stuck babies involving a hook. Read “Birth” by Tina Cassidy- you will learn how doctors turned birth into a great big experiment and be thankful we live in these times and not even say, 50 years ago.
June 18th, 2008 at 11:13 am
As with any important decision we make in our lives, the decision about how and where to give birth should be made through research, serious thought full understanding. Because of economic competition, misinformation and a desire to control women, options surrounding home and alternative birthing methods are not often encouraged by the American medical establishment. I applaud Ricki Lake and the filming crew for bringing this discussion to the fore front and helping to ensure that Women and their partners will have access to the choices that they deserve. I loved the movie!
June 18th, 2008 at 11:17 am
I say the medical community should not be forcing people to birth at the hospital. I have had both experiences home birth and hospital birth. Hands down the home birth was the better experience. Women should do whatever they feel comfortable with, it is your own personal choice.
June 18th, 2008 at 11:30 am
I used to do obstetrics. The thing is when things go wrong in a delivery they go wrong fast and are not always predictable. If you are at home there is a good chance you will not get the treatment needed to save the mother or baby fast enough. All parents should ask themselves if they could live with knowing there WAS SOMETHING they could have done to prevent death/disability and they still chose not to. Most deliveries go well so the odds are in your favour if you chose homebirth but I personally would find that cold cold comfort if my child suffered.
June 18th, 2008 at 11:38 am
Anyone who says that home births is the best option is an idiot. And doctors DO NOT use C-section as way out. Many women opt for C-sections. I’m in medical school right now, and actually have experience with this stuff (as opposed to all those people out there just talking out of their asses cuz they saw something on tv, or had a friend, etc). although a pregnancy may seem fine, and uncomplicated, you can never tell when something will go wrong. and in OB, when something goes wrong, its pretty bad. thats why OB physicians malpractice rates are the highest too. As for the US having the highest m/m rate than any other country, did you ever stop to think about the validity of the statistics? How many of those other countries with home births actually get an accurate count? Why would you ever risk anything going wrong with your precious little baby? deprive that baby for oxygen for too long (b/c the the birth got complicated, and the midwife decides to send the mom to hospital), and that baby can get cerebral palsy, brain damage, etc. by the time the mom gets to the hospital to deliver, its probably been at least 10 minutes since the delivery got “complicated.” the responsible thing to do for your own safety and the safety of your baby is deliver at a hospital. is saving a few $$ really worth a lifetime of regret b/c something went wrong while you tried to deliver at home?
and to STardancer, who says that the AMA should stay out of womens affairs. HAHA are you serious? womens affairs such as ovarian and cervical cancer? breast cancer? pregnancy and child birth? b/c the AMA has a big part in setting the standards that have today dramatically decreased the rates of cervical cancer, and decreased the m/m of breast cancer. without the pap smear being the standard of care, where do you think our cervical cancer rates would sit at? it used to be one of the top cancer killers of women.
Oh, and a midwife can deliver your baby in plenty of hospitals. So if you preference is for a midwife instead of a physician, then that is also possible at a hospital, and that way if anything goes wrong, you already have access to everyhting you need.
June 18th, 2008 at 11:42 am
Easy to say that you can go to the hospital if there are problems…often this would be too late as problems happen at birth that can not be forseen. I hemoraged badly with two of my children and would have died. My forth child was born with the cord in a knot around her neck, had meconium aspiration and meningitis, non of which could be predicted. Without immediate resources of a hospital, neither of us would be here.
June 18th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
Capturing Life–evidence to back up what claim? That the hospital is safer is something goes wrong? Seems evident to me. My point is that women are safer with the option of having an immediate c-section. I support the philosophies of midwives and home birth, but I think the c-section has gotten an unecessarily bad rap. Here is an example of a woman who would have been better off in the hospital:
http://dangersofhomebirth.blogspot.com/
June 18th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
just because you have a home birth, doesn’t mean you’re not using modern medicine. THE U.S. HAS THE HIGHEST RATE OF MATERNAL DEATHS & ONE OF THE HIGHEST RATES OF INFANT DEATHS in the industrialized world…despite all of the wonderful medical interventions you guys have mentioned. HOME BIRTH FOR ME!
June 18th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Many of the things that “go wrong” during childbirth are due to the process being interfered with in the first place. An experienced midwife will recognize a problem and have time to transfer to hospital in most normal labours. Many have said that things escalate quickly? I beg to differ. I have dealt quickly and effectively with “problems” at home to prevent them escalating. I have been a home birth midwife for 9 years and have a 20% transfer rate of which none have been for dire emergencies that resulted in a bad outcome. For those 20% of women and babies the hospital was the best place at that time. The other 80% were where they should have been too. Rather than quote the rare occurrences of shoulder dystocia, eclampsia, and post partum hemorrhage etc the medical establishment may like to consider all the unnecessary c sections, inductions of labour and other invasive procedures to both mother and baby that put their health at risk. If anyone doubts the safety of home birth and thinks that hospital is the safest place for all mothers and babies they should ask the question “don’t mothers and babies die in hospitals?” Information, education and choice are what’s needed and is what Ricki is trying to achieve. This issue is more about power and money than it is ever about safety. When you have expereinced BOTH ways and considered all issues then you can make a fair comment.
June 18th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
Many of the things that “go wrong” during childbirth are due to the process being interfered with in the first place. An experienced midwife will recognize a problem and have time to transfer to hospital in most normal labours. I have dealt quickly and effectively with problems at home to prevent them escalating. I have been a home birth midwife for 9 years and have a 20% transfer rate of which none have been for dire emergencies that resulted in a bad outcome. For those 20% of women and babies the hospital was the best place at that time. The other 80% were where they should have been too. Rather than quote the rare occurrences of shoulder dystocia, eclampsia, and post partum hemorrhage etc the medical establishment may like to consider all the unnecessary c sections, inductions of labour and other invasive procedures to both mother and baby that put their health at risk. If anyone doubts the safety of home birth and thinks that hospital is the safest place for all mothers and babies they should ask the question “don’t mothers and babies die in hospitals?” Information, education and choice are what’s needed and is what Ricki is trying to achieve. This issue is more about power and money than it is ever about safety. Can someone cite a baby that died in hospital (or a few 100 maybe)to off set bricktop please….
June 18th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Many of the things that “go wrong” during childbirth are due to the process being interfered with in the first place. An experienced midwife will recognize a problem and have time to transfer to hospital in most normal labours. I have dealt quickly and effectively with problems at home to prevent them escalating. I have been a home birth midwife for 9 years and have a 20% transfer rate of which none have been for dire emergencies that resulted in a bad outcome. For those 20% of women and babies the hospital was the best place at that time. The other 80% were where they should have been too. Rather than quote the rare occurrences of shoulder dystocia, eclampsia, and post partum hemorrhage etc the medical establishment may like to consider all the unnecessary c sections, inductions of labour and other invasive procedures to both mother and baby that put their health at risk. If anyone doubts the safety of home birth and thinks that hospital is the safest place for all mothers and babies they should ask the question “don’t mothers and babies die in hospitals?” Information, education and choice are what’s needed and is what Ricki is trying to achieve. This issue is more about power and money than it is ever about safety.
June 18th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Nikkichi
Here’s something you should know - very, very often doctors use a c-section as a way out - there is no way 1 in 3 births should be a c-section. How can you justify that if the WHO can’t? And many women “opt” for c-sections because their doctors RECOMMEND them and we are all taught to obey our doctors, and who is going to go against their advice, especially when they say things like your baby could die cause your hips are too small. I’m glad you’re in medical school, cause it means you’re still learning so there’s hope but I am not and that doesn’t mean I’m talking out of my ass, rather my vagina having experienced my own children’s births. Have some respect for other people’s opinions and don’t be on a perch.
I noticed one thing about your AMA list as well - you mention childbirth along with cancer like its a sickness. I think this is the crucial mistake that OBs make, medicalizing a normal occurence before it becomes a situation that warrants it.
June 18th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Is anyone else freaked out by the AMA trying to pass legislation on this issue? No one passes legislation to make official statements or recommendations. Are they trying to make it difficult for women to choose home births? Or make it so heavily legislated that it becomes impossible? Or flat out get it banned? I would personally never choose a home birth, because I want drugs, but I also don’t believe that hospitals are the be-all and end-all of safe birthing procedures. A lot of practices that hospitals enforce are very much geared toward making women feel powerless (the birthing position, for example, which is not the natural one for humans, or the mandatory wheelchair), giving ultimate authority to the doctor(s), in a matter which is very personal.
June 18th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
gatta,
i wasn’t categorizing it as a sickness, i was categorizing childbirth as part of “women’s affairs.”
and im not against midwives, or what they do. i know many women prefer them, and when i was on my ob rotation, i had great experiences with them. but regardless of who delivers your child, i still believe a hospital is the best place. yes, things don’t go wrong often, but WHAT IF THEY DO? it is only in the best interest if you and your child to have access to all the necessary equiment needed to help you. I am in no way a major AOA advocate, but to say that they should step down and have no stance on the matter is absurd.
My rotation for OB-Gyn was 1 month long. in that month, we rotated through 2 hospitals, and i saw at least 8 women have complications. some were major (stat c-sections b/c of decelerating heart tones in the infant), and some were relatively minor, but nonetheless, they were all supposed to be normal uncomlicated births. If the lady who’s baby with the decelerating fetal tone wasn’t in the hospital and able to get to c-section right away, the baby would have died, and she possibly could have too. This was her second child, and both pregnancies were totally normal, as was her previous childbirth.
and i’m not sitting on a perch, i just believe that people should at least make an attempt to educate themselves before they preach so loudly. Watching a video made by an ex-talk show host hardly counts as education. If you have an educated opinion, i do respect it. my current attending has a saying: Better to keep quiet and have everyone think you’re an idiot, rather than speak up and confirm it.
June 18th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
To Jay above, home birth is not the default option in the Netherlands. My husband is Dutch and we go there 2-4 times a year. I do not know one person there that has ever had a home birth and my husband has a ton of family there. A hospital birth is the default option. The big difference though, is that they do more to encourage not having epidurals.
Anyone who has a home birth is an idiot, but it is there right to be an idiot if they choose. I am totally against legislating how women have to give birth. If they choose a home birth and something goes wrong and they can’t get to the hospital on time, they are the ones who have to live with the fact that their idiocy killed their child.
June 18th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
This is a moot discussion for poor, uninsured women. Is the AMA offering free hospital deliveries for every pregnant woman in the U.S.? I sincerely doubt it.
June 18th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
Wow, it’s not very often that I see responses like this on a gossip website. Love it! I am nine months pregnant right now and the whole time I have done everything in my power not have a C-section (walking, keeping weight gain down and taking all of my vitamins). I am very much apposed to it personally. I think they are done way too often to as well, BUT, I have to say that for most it is a last resort. My sister and cousin both had them with their kids. Had my sister not had it after 12 hours of hard induced labor, with no epi, both her and her baby wouldn’t have made it (the cord was wrapped around his neck and would not let him decend).
I think the 1 in 3 number also comes from women who “chose” to have their second child via c-section because that is what they did the first time. I know that if I went into labor today and had complications, I wouldn’t think twice about going into the OR to ensure a safe and healthy baby. It all comes down “to each their own”. We can’t judge other mothers for doing what they think is best for their babies. And, I agree, do your home work before you start preaching!
June 18th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
The main reason for complications in modern births and the meteoric rise of the C-section is because of the medical intervention and the pitocin/epidural cocktail given in hospitals.
The best way to have a baby when you don’t have a high-risk pregnancy is to walk around, sit, eat, listen to music and then push. No drugs. That is how our bodies were made. Yeah, it hurts, but big fricking deal. DOn;t have a baby if you’re going to act like a baby becasue you felt the pain of transition. Cry me a river.It’s no worse than feeling sick and droopy and not being able to feel your legs or recovery form big slit in your abdomen from one side to another.
I had two the medical intervention way and one naturally. After #3, I could have gone out and worked in the fields like people used to do becasue I felt pretty damned good afterwards. Medical intervention actually makes you feel ill. That’s pathetic.
June 18th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
also, its a much debated topic, but many OBs won’t do a vaginal birth if the mother has already had a C-section (for whatever reason, necessity or choice); called a v-back. Some studies have shown that the stress on the uterus during a v-back, can lead to uterine rupture. Because the site of the original incision during the c-section is thinner and weaker. It all depends on the Dr.’s training and the hospital protocol, but maybe the c-section numbers are inflated for that reason. Many docs don’t do v-backs.
but to discount c-sections all together, and to claim that we should disregard all medical advances and just go the ‘natural way’ is slightly foolish. go spend time at a NICU. most of those babies wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for medical intervention. god forbid you, Lisa, ever need any medical help of any sort. and you absolutely will too as you get older.
as a medical student, its those patients that come in with a preconceived pessimistic notion about doctors, that are the worst to deal with. you don’t seem to understand all the constraints we are going through as well. all you see is that we are ordering all these test, and blah blah blah. you don’t seem to understand that although the MRI is definitely the best imaging method to aid in your diagnosis, we must order an x-ray first, then an ultrasound, etc in order for it to be covered by your insurance. Insurances are trying to make us circus preformers…we must jump through hoops of fire, filling out stacks of paperwork…all the while with a smile on our faces. And, god forbid you be human, and EVER make a mistake. there goes your career, and all you’re left with is $250K of debt from your 7+ years of training.
its horrible to see just how everyone blames the doctor, not the system. that is the pot calling the kettle black. Im not saying doctors aren’t to blame at all, but please take your own responsibility in the current state of matters. over-litigious patients, greedy insurance companies, and biased politicians all are additionally responsible.
so to you, lisa, when you need medical help, maybe you should call your plumber. it seems as though your conspiracy theory about docs hasn’t quite stretched to include plumbers yet.
June 18th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Nikkichi, thank for being reasonable - honestly a lot of doctors can so dismissive of the opinions those that are not doctors. Both of my children were born in the hospital. My first born - with an OB - had decelerating heart tones which led to a c-section, ileus, 10 day hospital stay, six month recovery, PPD. It took me 4 years to speak of this birth without bursting into tears! My second born - now you will think I’m a looney tune but please listen - a hospital VBAC with a midwife, no drugs- had decelerating heart tones and the midwife made me change position. I flipped on my side and he was born within the hour. I’m sure a lot of what you do is listening to the doctors, but listen to the patients too. The interventions a lot of times are what are causing the problems. And a lot of women who want to avoid c-sections are turning to homebirth. 1 in 3 births being a c-section is excessive and I don’t see the medical community doing much to change it. Dr are afraid to be sued for not doing the c-section fast enough, which sucks for us the patients. I haven’t seen the movie but I’m glad that Ricki Lake is bringing the issue to light.
June 18th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
Robyn - I believe the 1 in 3 is for primary births. Anybody?
Nikki - Its VBAC and those studies don’t account for interventions like Pitocin. Without them the risk is considerably smaller.
Also I don’t think anyone would want to discount c-sections as a life-saving surgery, just contain the rampant over use of them when complications arise.
June 18th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Has anyone heard of abruption, amniotic fluid embolization, placental ecreta, late decelerations secondary to hyperventilation due to PAIN, uterus is not autoregulated as kidneys,brain , you breathe too fast and uterine vessles constrict.how about uterine rupture. these are certain scenerios for maternal and fetal death. home is not where a delvery should electively happen.
June 18th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
Nikkichi, are you sure you’re in medical school? I have never heard of a v-back, but I know what a Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC) is.
Why do you assume that someone is uneducated and that their only source for their info is TBOBB (Ricki Lake’s documentary) just because it was the only source mentioned? We could be childbirth educators, doulas, or midwives. Or, you could be right and we’re all just total idiots who have no idea what we’re talking about.
June 18th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
V-back?! OMG, I’m still laughing.
June 18th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
“I had two the medical intervention way and one naturally. After #3, I could have gone out and worked in the fields like people used to do becasue I felt pretty damned good afterwards. Medical intervention actually makes you feel ill. That’s pathetic.”
Pfffft! I’ve given birth twice. Both times I was induced and both times I had an epidural. Medical intervention did not make me feel ill. After my first birth I stayed in bed because I was overwhelmed by having such an amazing experience and I had no idea what would happen after. The second birth was no less amazing, but since I knew what to expect, I was able to get up and take a shower while the nurses were off bathing my baby.
Yay for modern medicine!
June 18th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
“as a medical student, its those patients that come in with a preconceived pessimistic notion about doctors, that are the worst to deal with. you don’t seem to understand all the constraints we are going through as well.”
If they’re half as smarmy and insulting to those with a differing opinion as you are, I suppose I can understand the predicament you’re in.
June 18th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
I think home birth is the best option, but you have to really know a lot about your body and the birth process; and you have to feel comfortable with the idea of birthing at home. Fear is often the biggest obstacle to a smooth home birth — and a lot of women handle that by using a doula and/or midwife to help them through the experience.
Birthing at home offers the chance to have a truly bonding experience with your child (among amazing physical benefits to both mother & child), a memory to cherish — more intimate and aware than the average hospital birth, especially one during which interventions are used.
And it must be stressed that any woman who chooses to give birth at home must, again, know a LOT about what will happen during birth, and MUST know how to read the signs her body gives her — and she must have a backup plan in case complications arise. It is perfectly possible to alert your doctor and have him/her on call when you are in labor so that if something goes awry in delivery, he/she and emergency services are standing by and can respond quickly. The midwife should be able to handle many situations, however, even including breech birth if she is sufficiently experienced.
I highly champion natural home birth and would encourage any would-be mother to seriously consider it; it would definitely be worth the effort. But it is a serious commitment, and no one should go into birth without being sufficiently prepared and comfortable.
June 18th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
So….We can choose to TERMINATE pregnancies for whatever reason we choose into the 2nd trimester, but we can’t choose to deliver our babies at home?
The reason there are so many complications in childbirth here is because there is so much augmentation to the birthing process in our country.
What little hope I had that the medical community had our best interests at heart somewhere deep down, was totally erased by this. Its all about money.
June 18th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
ok, so apparently im not in medical school b/c i didn’t know it was VBAC, not v-back? haha. how incredible that of my entire essay, you chose to harp on my spelling. how about you now say i’m not in medical school b/c im not capitalizing the beginnings of my sentences.
im not assuming that everyone’s only source is the ricki lake thing. i merely stated that i don’t respect an uneducated opinion. seems like you didn’t quite ace that reading comprehension section huh? if you are a childbirth educator, doula, or midwife, please speak up and show me the other side. I’m very open to hearing other opinions, as long as there is an informed basis for why you think the way you do. my opinion is based on my 3 years of medical school, and my experience on medical rotations. therefore, i can tell you my reasons why i think the way i do. and it will be better than, my friend’s aunt went into labor once at home, and it was fine. anecdotal evidence is hardly substantial.
June 18th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
and yes there are many complications that arise from augmenting the labor process, but there are many that arise from having that process go on too long, ie increased rate on infection. also, from letting a pregnancy go on for more than 42 wks, the baby has increased risk of malnutrition, and pneumonia from meconium aspiration in utero.
i did OB in july, and i live in a very hot city (temps of 100+), and i can’t tell you how many women came in complaining of being too uncomfortable, and wanting the baby out now, and were very serious about it. not just harmless whining. my doc would delay them until a certain gestational age, and then at their request, induce them. once again, instead of just blaming the doc, the patient needs to take some of their own responsibility. the system is flawed and so many are to blame.
i want to be an internist, and so i will be treating adults. i personally think that if you know all the options, benefits and risks, and you still choose home births, more power to you. you are grown ups and should absolutely be able to make your own decision as to your health care. but don’t come after me if something goes wrong. i will do my best to inform you of all options, so you can make the best educated choice. and after that, its your decision.
June 18th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
nikkichi ~ how many of the births you witness that had complications did not have some form of augmentation? ( pitocen, epidural, manually breaking water, IV drugs, etc)
June 18th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
i like how you worded your last post nikkichi.
June 18th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
I had two kids at home and it was very safe. my sister gave birth to one child at home no complications. My mother had 3 children at home also with great results. I can’t believe you wouldn’t question the motivations of a group like the ama that makes millions off of hospital births….In a recent study the state of washington found midwife assisted home births to be as safe or safer than hospital births, but 1/4 the cost for the state insurance.
June 18th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
If you already did your OB rotation, yes, I would think you would know that the correct term is VBAC.
I realize that anecdotal evidence isn’t worth crap, which is why I don’t rely on it for any of my arguments. However, I don’t feel the need to so adamantly defend my position because it’s really not up to anyone else whether I choose to birth at home or in a hospital. I know that my decisions are educated and informed. Anything else I could tell you has already been stated here, and I would just be reiterating.
June 18th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
I gave birth to an 8lb stargazer baby at home with a midwife. My midwife turned the baby and out she came, had I been in a hospital they would have FORCED me to have a c-section. You cannot open a woman up like that without risking infection, blood loss in the mother, poor muscle tone and respiratory distress for the infant (because of painkillers) not to mention frequently interfering with the bonding process of mother and infant. Not to mention many hospital births leave women feeling inadequate, depressed. I felt empowered and ready to conquer anything. That feeling persisted for weeks afterward.
June 18th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
the Anna with the two homebirths is not me…i guess i will be anna2? lol..i posted the 3 anna posts before that one,
Anyways, I had one homebirth which i LOVED.
June 18th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
i don’t remember how many of the complicated births i saw had augmentation. i do remember that the lady who went into the stat c-section did not. once again though, thats anecdotal.
to everyone that had successful home birth, congratulation! it is wonderful that everything was successful. i just would have to think that if things did get complicated, how it would have turned out. to me, that would just be too big a risk to take with my baby. and i feel that many women who do choose home birth aren’t fully aware of the risks involved.
i agree that the current labor process is very methodical, and not quite as warm and memorable as i would even like when have a baby. the midwives i worked with were very good at making it more of a warm, involved process than the OBs, but that still doesn’t change my opinion of where that process should take place. i also spent a month in the NICU and have seen just how fragile, yet strong, babies are.
and surgery should be no means be taken lightly, no matter what the cause of the surgery. a c-section involves cutting through the muscles, and the uterus, and then manually stretching it to accomodate popping out a baby. nerves are often cut, and the recover process is long and arduous. if there was any way i could avoid a c-section, i would. a c-section is my absolute last option. i do not advocate elective c-sections. but hey, like i said before, to each their own. if you know the risks, options, benefits, and you decide you want a c-section…good for you! as long as you know those risks and have decided you are ok with them.
just please make a EDUCATED decision based on the risks and benefits for you and your baby, and try to put away your biases. i went into health care to really help people (cheesy, i know), and b/c of my fascination with the human body. I did not go into medicine to babysit my patients.
June 18th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
Whoops, sorry anna2!!
Here’s the info on the Medicaid funded study in Washington for nikkichi. Women who chose home births tend to be well educated, college graduates not idiots.
Cawthon L. (1996) Planned home births: outcomes among Medicaid women in Washington State. Olympia: Office of Research and Data Analysis, Washington State Department of Social and Health Services.
This retrospective study found very low rates of poor outcomes among Medicaid women in Washington State who planned home births and received some or all of their prenatal care from licensed midwives.
p.s. My sister’s second child was a hospital birth she hated it.
June 18th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
studies show home birth as safe, less expensive with less complications
American Public Health Association. (2001) 20004: Supporting Access to Midwifery Services in the United States (Position Paper). American Journal of Public Health. 91(3): 7-10.
“The American Public Health Association takes a position in support of midwifery as a key strategy for improving access to care for childbearing families. In terms of quality, satisfaction, and costs, the midwifery model for pregnancy and maternity care has been found to be beneficial to women and families, resulting in good outcomes and cost savings.”
Anderson, RE, Anderson, DA. (1999) The cost effectiveness of home birth. Journal of Nurse Midwivery. 44(1): 30-35.
This study lists average costs (1998, 1991, 1987) for home, birth center, and hospital births from data collected in U.S. The results show that home and birth center births are significantly less expensive than hospital births.
Oakley D, Murray ME, Murtland T, et al. (1996) Comparisons of outcomes of maternity care by obstetricians and certified nurse-midwives. Obstetrics and Gynecology. 88(5): 823-829.
Pregnancy outcomes were compared for 710 women cared for by private obstetricians and 471 cared for by certified nurse-midwives. Outcomes for nurse-midwife clients were superior to those for obstetrician clients, including satisfaction with care, third- or fourth- degree perineal lacerations, number of complications, and infant remaining with mother for the entire hospital stay.
I would be happy to provide more info if your really interested in “the other side”
June 18th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
Anna,
thanks for supplying some real data as support for the “other side.” I think there has been some confusion, however. I’m not saying that a mother gets a better experience in the hospital. im know its a much colder, anonymous experience than giving birth in your own home. Also, i never said there were more complications with home birth, i simply stated that with a home birth, if there was a complication, i felt that the response time would be longer and result in more long term effects. the argument that the doc transfers germs to you in delivery is ridiculous if its arguing for the point that midwives at home employ a more sterile procedure. childbirth in itself is not a sterile process. the vagina is not a sterile field.
additionally, i have never said that money was a significant factor in my thoughts on hospital births being better (read: safer).
June 18th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
all i can comment upon is that too much knowledge for some is a very dangerous thing.
June 18th, 2008 at 6:50 pm
I’m saying they are SAFER, happier, and cheaper.
I have studies that back that up not anecdotal evidence from my time in a hospital ward as a med student.
MacDorman, MF, Singh, GK. (1998) Midwifery care, social and medical risk factors, and birth outcomes in the United States. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. 52(5): 310-323.
This study compared birth outcomes and infant mortality rates for all births that took place in the United States in 1991 that were attended by physicians and certified nurse midwives. “For singleton, vaginal births at 35-43 weeks of gestation, the adjusted risk of infant mortality was 19% lower for certified-nurse midwife than for physician attended births; the risk of neonatal mortality was 31% lower.”
You seem to have a lot of time on your hands for a medical student…. although you must be a med student because you have all the scare tactics and rhetoric down pat!
June 19th, 2008 at 8:25 am
YOU CANNOT JUDGE YOUR OWN SITUATION BASED ON STATS AND WHAT RICKI DID OR DIDN’T DO.
1) Part of the reason why home births appear safer is that GOOD midwives (and most of the ones I’ve met are good) identify high-risk patients and physicians deliver them. This includes both vaginally delivered infants as well as those delivered by C-section
2) That stats say it’s safer doesn’t mean that it’s safer for YOU. You can’t blindly follow a trend. First and foremost, you need to have faith in your clinician and find a good one who listens to you and focuses on ALL of you, not just the contents of your uterus. For a lot of reasons, it is easier to find a midwife that does this than an obstetrician that does this. Midwives have more time with their patients. It’s easier to get appointments with them so you don’t put off pre-natal care. You can also see them regularly AFTER you deliver. There are time limitations that don’t make this feasible for a lot of obstetricians. If you have a high risk pregnancy, it’s best to find a TEAM that will be able to seamlessly manage your care. That should include your PCP, an OB, a midwife (who can also be a PCP by the way) and any specialists.
3. Studies from 17 years ago don’t hold much weight especially when you consider the numerous studies done since. You won’t find a neat little quote you’re looking for in any recent articles because it’s apples and oranges. The people opting for home births and able to do these successfully are generally better off to begin with: great pregnancy, probably at least one child delivered with ease already, limited outside conditions (obesity, depression, diabetes, STIs, etc).
This isn’t a black and white issue. Making it one shows that you don’t fully understand all the factors at play. I don’t really think pregnancy should be treated like a disease requiring hospitalization but one must be very conscious of the fact that there are many factors that can cause complications. Pockets of the U.S. population have infant and maternal mortality rates that mirror that of rural areas in developing countries. I’ve volunteered in a hospital where this was the case. My experience there taught me that we’re not quite ready to all start having kids at home. If you have a complication at home, the midwife calls an ambulance that takes you to the ER and you’re handed off to a physician.
If you think the OBs are somehow afraid of losing business, think again. There are lots of OB-GYNs who don’t even deliver babies any more. Doing this and eliminating mammograms lowers their premiums drastically I’m told. This isn’t a field people go into for the sake of money. There are far less troubling paths. Since there were sometimes doctors who were working nearly 24 hour shifts, I don’t think they mind at all that midwives are available to ease their work load.
If anyone’s making money off of this, it’s insurance companies.
June 19th, 2008 at 9:22 am
I am 26 years old and have never been pregnant, nor do I plan to get pregnant anytime soon (someday!). However, I rented Ricki Lake’s documentary to see what all the buzz was about. Anyone who sees the documentary as some “irrelevant” ex-talk show host discussing a subject she knows nothing about has obviously never seen it (like Bossy above)…
This documentary changed my life - at least far as my view of childbirth is concerned. It completely opened my eyes to the way childbirth is handled in our nation’s hospitals, and I believe it’s safe to assume that MOST people in this country have no idea. I consider myself a generally well informed person on most subjects, and I did not know and probably still would not if it had not been for Ricki Lake’s documentary. Because of this, I would venture to guess that even women who have had babies before (unlike me) in hospitals have no idea. The notion that when you are having a baby you automatically go to the hospital has been reiterated time and time again on movies and TV for decades. You can’t blame people for not knowing the other side of the coin. In this day and age, however, there is no excuse not to know all of your options with something as serious as giving birth.
This is an issue that everyone should be aware of and it really needs to be covered more in the media. The reason the state of hospital childbirth has gotten to where it’s at today is because the public is uninformed. This is a documentary that EVERYONE should see - men and women; pregnant or not.
June 19th, 2008 at 9:35 am
I am 26 years old and I have never been pregnant, nor do I plan to get pregnant for several more years. However, I watched Ricki Lake’s documentary because of all the buzz surrounding it - I wanted to see what it was all about and form my own opinion because I do plan to have children someday. Anyone who automatically discounts the documentary because it was created by ex-talk show host Ricki Lake has obviously not actually watched it…
THIS DOCUMENTARY CHANGED MY LIFE - at least as far as my views on childbirth are concerned. This is a documentary that EVERYONE should see - men and women; pregnant or not. Even if in the end you still don’t agree that a home birth is the best option for you, I believe it does an excellent job of presenting the other side of the coin.
For decades, movies and TV shows have done a great job of reiterating time and time again that “when you have a baby, you go to the hospital.” (It’s more dramatic this way!) But this simply does NOT have to be the case, and before watching this documentary I had no idea that this notion was not necessarily the best. I would venture to guess that MOST people in this country have no idea either, because that is not how we were raised. This issue is hardly ever covered in the media - Kudos to Ricki Lake for bringing it to the forefront and starting the conversation.
June 19th, 2008 at 11:16 am
The AMA just loves to instill its fear tactics on people doesn’t it?? Pregnancy is NOT an illness. Labor is NOT an emergency. There is so much FEAR instilled in pregnant women in this country, it’s beyond ridiculous! Why can’t medical professionals leave women and their choices to give birth NATURALLY (no DRUGS for me, thank you!) Sorry, but nature/God BUILT a woman’s body to be able to give birth. And yes, some of us have complications. But the MAJORITY of us do not. And the majority of complications occur with MEDICAL intervention. She’s not dilating, let’s do Cervadil. She’s not contracting, let’s do Pitocin. The contractions are too strong, she needs an epidural. The baby suffers. Tell ME how a baby can suffer with NO DRUGS at the qualified hands of a midwife performing a homebirth. A qualified midwife is trained to recognize and deal with complications, and the complications she cannot deal with are handed over to the doctor in transferral. Any woman that knocks homebirth to ME is uneducated and wimpy. God forbid you have that baby without drugs!
June 20th, 2008 at 11:10 am
What a horrible idea! She should be slapped for saying such dumb things! Now go back to nursing your little bundle of joy you kook.
July 7th, 2008 at 8:42 am
I have had two emergency c-sections, so I am glad that I was at the hospital when I gave birth. HOWEVER, people in the US are so spoiled and hardly ever do anything naturally. There’s a specific racial group I am aiming that comment at. It’s sickening the way you people think doing anything NATURAL is UNNATURAL. Or you only do it if it’s in vogue, i.e. breastfeeding, preserving the rainforest, animal advocates, saving the f’n earth after you did your damndest to destroy them all. You people disgust me!