Delco Doula | Lori Daley | Birth and Post Partum Doula Services | Childbirth Classes | Delaware County | Main Line | Greater Philadelphia Area |
  • Home
  • About
    • Lori >
      • Bio
      • Philosophy
      • Personal Birth Experiences
      • Professional Experience
    • Doulas >
      • Benefits of having a doula
    • Doula Mentorship Program
    • Meet the graduates of Lori's Mentorship Program
  • Services
    • Birth Doula Services and Availability >
      • Birth Doula Services and Availability
      • Areas served
      • Sibling Doula
      • Hire a mentee doula!
    • Postpartum Doula
    • Childbirth Education Classes >
      • Early Pregnancy Class
      • "Birthing With Confidence" 4 wk series
      • One Day Childbirth Prep
      • Benefits of Childbirth Education
    • Antepartum Doula
    • Hand-blended Herbal Products
  • FAQ
  • Testimonials
  • Contact Me
  • Resources
    • Local resources
    • Pregnancy, Birth, Breastfeeding Links
    • For Partners
    • News
    • Lending Library
  • Photo Album
  • BLOG
  • Clients
  • Videos and Stories
  • Stories

We're losing mothers

8/22/2014

0 Comments

 
I almost cannot bear to hear these stories about mothers dying in the OR due to placenta accreta caused by multiple cesareans. Everyday women are told 1) That a primary cesarean is necessary to birth her baby for some reason. In many (dare I say, most, cases is just UNTRUE. 2) That attempting a VBAC is dangerous. Which is also just UNTRUE and NOT what is recommended by ACOG. 

These women are left with option to have no more children or put her LIFE at risk to give birth by more cesarean sections. Which isn't usually explained how risky each subsequent pregnancy becomes. If it's explained, it's usually after her second or third cesarean. What kind of choice is that at that point???

And for a doctor, I imagine it is terrible to lose a baby during a delivery. But, a mother? How do they go on? I'm sure they do everything they can and it must be awful to realize you cannot save her. But we need them to STOP doing all of these unnecessary cesareans! Overmedicalizing birth in the first/second pregnancy is the root cause of mother's hemorrhaging on the operating table a few cesareans later.  

Maybe I'm especially emotional hearing of these stories because I lost my mother at age 9. I don't want any other child to endure this kind of loss. And because of my work, I know it can be different. Giving birth doesn't have to be risky. It can be healthy, respected, and trusted in most cases. And, women can be trusted to make their own informed decisions when given the right information based in research and allowing that along with intuition to guide them instead of FEAR...

I don't want to post the stories that have deeply saddened me recently. I know I have other mothers reading, some facing cesareans that have become necessary and possibly complicated and scary pregnancies. Or maybe just like me, a motherless mother who's heart breaks to think of any other mother leaving her children behind. So, instead, if you'd like to read about how another mother managed to survive when facing what became a life threatening pregnancy, read her story included in a previous post below about preventing the primary cesarean.  Below is a great video on VBAC. 
0 Comments

Info and Support for Preventing Primary Cesareans

7/21/2014

0 Comments

 
Today I want to say that ICAN is about supporting the first time mom, too, not just those hoping for a VBAC. It is a great resource for preventing that primary cesarean birth. As is the VBAC facts site and Jen Kamels who runs it and teaches a workshop around the country and online.

http://www.ican-online.org
www.vbacfacts.com

Our local ICAN of SEPA:
http://icanofsepa.wordpress.com
https://www.facebook.com/groups/411506922273373/

I'm also linking a story here that offers a great explanation as to why we fight so hard to help mothers avoid their primary (and too often unnecessary) cesareans and to birth vaginally. It details the risks and dangers to mothers of multiple cesareans. This mother is not alone, more and more of these examples are making news because they are becoming more prevalent problems in pregnancies and in the OR. Just to be aware, though, I had tears in my eyes the whole time while reading. She does a great job writing so that the reader can almost feel her fears through what was a very scary experience. To clarify, MOST 1st and even 2nd repeat cesareans will be manageable by most hospitals and with what blood they have on hand for possibility of transfusing...I do not want to scare moms facing a repeat cesarean where they NEED to trust and depend on a doctor to keep them safe, but this story also shows how a mother did her homework to do just that - be in the best place with the best team to make sure she'd be going back home to her kiddos. This was simply the situation she ended up in during her 7th pregnancy. Her placenta became deeply implanted into her uterus and cervix after multiple previous surgeries to her uterus. 

As a doula, I never want my clients to have any good answer to the question, 'what else could I have done to prevent my first cesarean?' This is especially important when moms desire a larger family. I have had friends and family members tell me that their doctors never once mentioned to them before, during, or after their first cesarean that they'd need to consider limiting family size due to having that surgical birth and the increased dangers of multiple pregnancies and cesarean births following. And not just that, but that they'd not been offered a chance to VBAC and instead told that it is dangerous to try, safer to schedule ANOTHER cesarean, and just accept having 2 children or at most 3 if she really really wants to risk it, but no more! Women are being told this AFTER their second cesareans when their options are nearly nil at that point! It's infuriating. And sad. More women need doula support through their first pregnancies and births, good information, supportive care providers, and to visit their local ICAN group before having their first babies if we want to stop this trend from continuing. Women need the truth! They need their options! They want to make informed choices! 

I recently met a nurse who told me there is a doctor on her floor who frequently says all babies should be born by cesarean and has no problem recommending tube tying after the second to all mothers. I seriously hope he is in the extreme minority. But I have a feeling that while we do have docs who truly believe in the safety of and support less medicalized vaginal birth, the number of docs seeing their norm everyday be cesarean deliveries is increasing by the day. This will just continue to have an effect on moms and babies (physically, mentally, emotionally!!!) if we don't advocate for ourselves and surround ourselves with professional support and evidence based information. 

And while I'm thinking of it. Hug another woman today. Love her with that hug, if even for just a few seconds. We don't always know each other's journey. 


0 Comments

2011 Pennsylvania Cesarean Rates, by hospital

4/21/2014

0 Comments

 
http://www.cesareanrates.com/pennsylvania/

WHERE DO VBACS OCCUR IN THIS STATE?There is no indication as to whether these VBACs were planned or unplanned. While it can be assumed that hospitals with higher numbers "allow" VBAC in their facility, it is best to speak with both your doctor and an administrator at the hospital for information on their VBAC policy.

(Excuse the formatting below, I haven't figured out how to tidy it up yet. But you can scroll, all hospitals are listed alphabetically. Paoli, Lankenau, and Bryn Mawr are all listed under Main Line Health Hospitals.)

2011

Facility

Total Repeat CS

Total VBAC

VBAC Rate

Abington Memorial Hospital

744

95

11.3%

Albert Einstein Medical Center

351

129

26.9%

Altoona Regional Health System

96

14

12.7%

Armstrong County Memorial Hospital

97

11

10.2%

Berwick Hospital Center

9

1

10.0%

Bloomsburg Hospital

31

5

13.9%

Bradford Regional Medical Center

48

0

0.0%

Butler Memorial Hospital

46

6

11.5%

Carlisle Regional Medical Center

60

2

3.2%

Chambersburg Hospital

167

22

11.6%

Charles Cole Memorial Hospital

28

0

0.0%

Chester County Hospital

273

52

16.0%

Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia

36

0

0.0%

Clarion Hospital

37

0

0.0%

Clearfield Hospital

22

2

8.3%

Conemaugh Valley Memorial Hospital

136

31

18.6%

Crozer Chester Medical Center

269

32

10.6%

Delaware County Memorial Hospital

184

52

22.0%

Doylestown Hospital

205

8

3.8%

Dubois Regional Medical Center

118

7

5.6%

Easton Hospital

60

2

3.2%

Elk Regional Health Center

27

1

3.6%

Ellwood City Hospital

31

4

11.4%

Ephrata Community Hospital

81

22

21.4%

Evangelical Community Hospital

142

27

16.0%

Excela Health Westmoreland Reg Hospital

197

20

9.2%

Geisinger Medical Ctr

211

34

13.9%

Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Ctr

220

26

10.6%

Gettysburg Hospital

72

1

1.4%

Good Samaritan Hospital

114

9

7.3%

Grand View Hospital

189

8

4.1%

Grove City Medical Center

27

1

3.6%

Hahnemann University Hospital

74

52

41.3%

Hamot Medical Center

343

61

15.1%

Hanover Hospital

71

1

1.4%

Hazleton General Hospital

117

5

4.1%

Heart of Lancaster Reg Medical Center

90

24

21.1%

Heritage Valley Beaver

87

19

17.9%

Heritage Valley Sewickley

147

14

8.7%

Holy Redeemer Hospital & Medical Center

424

29

6.4%

Holy Spirit Hospital

113

67

37.2%

Hospital of The University of PA

411

131

24.2%

Indiana Regional Medical Center

61

6

9.0%

J C Blair Memorial Hospital

28

2

6.7%

Jameson Memorial Hospital

66

4

5.7%

Jennersville Regional Hospital

52

21

28.8%

Lancaster General Hospital

624

101

13.9%

Lehigh Valley Hospital

324

75

18.8%

Lewistown Hospital

64

13

16.9%

Lock Haven Hospital

18

2

10.0%

Lower Bucks Hospital

207

8

3.7%

Magee Womens Hospital of UPMC Health Sys

852

182

17.6%

Main Line Hospital Bryn Mawr

190

17

8.2%

Main Line Hospital Lankenau

439

25

5.4%

Main Line Hospital Paoli

389

16

4.0%

Meadville Medical Center

44

0

0.0%

Memorial Hospital Inc Towanda

32

0

0.0%

Memorial Hospital York

66

4

5.7%

Millcreek Community Hospital

23

1

4.2%

Milton S Hershey Medical Center

273

43

13.6%

Montgomery Hospital

154

40

20.6%

Moses Taylor Hospital

289

38

11.6%

Mount Nittany Medical Center

143

25

14.9%

Nason Hospital

52

13

20.0%

Nesbitt Memorial Hospital

155

18

10.4%

PA Hospital of the Univer of PA Health Sys

684

119

14.8%

Phoenixville Hospital Company LLC

111

20

15.3%

Pinnacle Health Hospitals

468

22

4.5%

Pocono Medical Center

106

10

8.6%

Pottstown Memorial Medical Center

98

5

4.9%

Punxsutawney Area Hospital

20

0

0.0%

Reading Hospital & Medical Center

384

82

17.6%

Riddle Memorial Hospital

160

4

2.4%

Robert Packer Hospital

30

5

14.3%

Sacred Heart Hospital

49

13

21.0%

Saint Vincent Health Center

158

31

16.4%

Schuylkill Medical Ctr-S Jackson St

111

14

11.2%

Sharon Regional Health System

24

8

25.0%

Shenango Valley Medical Center

50

14

21.9%

Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hospital

28

0

0.0%

Somerset Hospital

30

3

9.1%

St Clair Memorial Hospital

166

5

2.9%

St Joseph Medical Center Reading

85

13

13.3%

St Lukes Hospital Allentown

208

39

15.8%

St Lukes Hospital Bethlehem

346

69

16.6%

St Mary Medical Center

255

17

6.3%

Temple University Hospital

471

76

13.9%

Thomas Jefferson University Hospital

232

63

21.4%

Titusville Area Hospital

16

3

15.8%

Uniontown Hospital

125

6

4.6%

UPMC Bedford

46

1

2.1%

UPMC Mercy

167

29

14.8%

UPMC Northwest Seneca

76

5

6.2%

Warren General Hospital

49

8

14.0%

Washington Hospital

74

11

12.9%

Wayne Memorial Hospital

25

4

13.8%

Waynesboro Hospital

32

13

28.9%

Western PA Hospital Forbes Regional Campus

76

12

13.6%

Western Pennsylvania Hospital

491

76

13.4%

Williamsport Hospital & Medical Center

160

13

7.5%

Windber Hospital

28

0

0.0%

York Hospital

421

52

11.0%

Freestanding Birthing Center

23

N/A

Other

102

N/A

0 Comments

    Author

    Delco Doula

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    Archives

    February 2018
    December 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    November 2016
    August 2016
    May 2016
    December 2015
    September 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    November 2013
    August 2013
    May 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    October 2011
    August 2011
    June 2011
    March 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010

    Categories

    All
    Attached Doula
    Baby Friendly
    Birth Art
    Birth In Art Gallery
    Birth Location
    Birth Movies
    Birth Planning
    Birth Stories
    Breastfeeding
    Business Of Being Born
    Care Providers
    Cesareans
    Chanting In Labor
    Childbirth Prep Classes
    Choices
    Client Stories
    Comfort Level
    Comfort Measures
    Controversial Topics
    Cultural Disparities
    Depression
    Epidurals
    Evidence Based Care
    Fear
    Food
    Green Smoothies
    Healthy Mothers Healthy Birth Summit
    Hospital Policies
    Induction
    Informed Consent
    Interventions
    Lactation Consultants
    Management
    Maternal Mortality
    Maternity Care Practices
    Milk Production
    Natural Births
    Normal Birth
    Nutrition
    Pain Medication
    Performance Art
    Pitocin
    Placenta
    Post Partum
    Safe Motherhood Quilt Project
    Singing
    Speaking Up
    Statistics
    Support
    Technology
    Trust
    VBAC
    Yoga

    RSS Feed

Call today for your free consultation! (610) 517-4794