Unnecesarean: The Bloghttp://www.theunnecesarean.com/blog/en-US2012-02-15T04:55:41ZSquarespace Site Server v5.11.81 (http://www.squarespace.com/)CesareanRates.comhttp://www.theunnecesarean.com/blog/2012/2/14/cesareanratescom.htmlJill2012-02-14T17:13:52Z

Come on over to cesareanrates.com. The Unnecesarean will be updated weekly from this point on. May this post serve as an apology for the exceptionally weird and/or corny content in the past months while I got the new site ready. I am sure you have had your fill of photoshoppery and sarcasm.

]]>A Victory for Activists™: Censoring the Glory of the Bellyhttp://www.theunnecesarean.com/blog/2012/2/2/a-victory-for-activists-censoring-the-glory-of-the-belly.htmlJill2012-02-02T16:57:43ZI had planned to post something substantial today but this is so much better.

I re-posted (from here) this glorious photo series of bellies to the Facebook page. Bellies… they’re so beautiful. I revere them. You should, too.

]]>Venn Diagram of Site Metrics: Readership of The Unnecesareanhttp://www.theunnecesarean.com/blog/2012/1/27/venn-diagram-of-site-metrics-readership-of-the-unnecesarean.htmlJill2012-01-27T17:23:05ZThe Unnecesarean theunnecesarean.com venn diagramHome Births in the United States, 1990-2009http://www.theunnecesarean.com/blog/2012/1/26/home-births-in-the-united-states-1990-2009.htmlJill2012-01-26T17:52:39ZCDC home birth Home Birth NCHS data brief home birth declercq home birth home birth trends mcdorman declercq

CDC National Center for Health Statistics released a new data brief today on home birth in the United States.

Key findings include:

After a decline from 1990 to 2004, the percentage of U.S. births that occurred at home increased by 29%, from 0.56% of births in 2004 to 0.72% in 2009.

For non-Hispanic white women, home births increased by 36%, from 0.80% in 2004 to 1.09% in 2009. About 1 in every 90 births for non-Hispanic white women is now a home birth. Home births are less common among women of other racial or ethnic groups.

Home births are more common among women aged 35 and over, and among women with several previous children.

Home births have a lower risk profile than hospital births, with fewer births to teenagers or unmarried women, and with fewer preterm, low birthweight, and multiple births.

The percentage of home births in 2009 varied from a low of 0.2% of births in Louisiana and the District of Columbia, to a high of 2.0% in Oregon and 2.6% in Montana.

NCHS Data Brief No. 84: Home Births in the United States, 1990–2009

]]>Down Home Gynecologyhttp://www.theunnecesarean.com/blog/2012/1/24/down-home-gynecology.htmlJill2012-01-24T16:04:31ZDown Home GynecologyWhy It's Difficult to Calculate Provider-Level Cesarean Rateshttp://www.theunnecesarean.com/blog/2012/1/18/why-its-difficult-to-calculate-provider-level-cesarean-rates.htmlJill2012-01-18T14:45:00ZCesarean Rate calculate c-section rate how to calculate cesarean rate provider level cesarean rates search doctor cesarean ratesGuest post by Jill’s Friend, MD

I was asked my cesarean rate recently and gave my stock answer of “I do not know. I have never calculated the percentage because it is as low as possible, so why bother with the number?”

This.

Was.

The.

Wrong.

Answer.

]]>Iowa Cesarean Rates by Hospital, 2010http://www.theunnecesarean.com/blog/2012/1/11/iowa-cesarean-rates-by-hospital-2010.htmlJill2012-01-11T16:27:03ZCesarean Rate iowa cesarean rates iowa hospital c-section rates"Non C-Section Deliveries"http://www.theunnecesarean.com/blog/2012/1/6/non-c-section-deliveries.htmlJill2012-01-06T20:39:53Z800 lb vagina 800 pound vagina in the room C-Section Cesarean Vaginal Birth Vaginal BirthTwin Birth Rate in the U.S. Rose 76 Percent in Two Decadeshttp://www.theunnecesarean.com/blog/2012/1/4/twin-birth-rate-in-the-us-rose-76-percent-in-two-decades.htmlJill2012-01-04T17:01:00ZWorking to Ban VBAC at Your Hospital? Then Stop Griping About Home Birthhttp://www.theunnecesarean.com/blog/2011/12/22/working-to-ban-vbac-at-your-hospital-then-stop-griping-about.htmlJill2011-12-22T14:51:52ZHomebirth VBAC home birth hospital ban vaginal birth vbac banI posted this prompt over yonder on the Facebook page:

Here is question posted here by Nicole: “So what are you supposed to do when the hospital closest to you has a VBAC ban? Show up when ready to push?” What did you do? Stories?

Responses are pasted below.

]]>Minnesota Cesarean Rates by Hospital, 2010http://www.theunnecesarean.com/blog/2011/12/13/minnesota-cesarean-rates-by-hospital-2010.htmlJill2011-12-13T13:54:44ZCesarean Rate minnesota hospital c-section rates minnesota hospital cesarean ratesMassachusetts Ten Highest Total Cesarean Rates, 2008 and 2009http://www.theunnecesarean.com/blog/2011/12/10/massachusetts-ten-highest-total-cesarean-rates-2008-and-2009.htmlJill2011-12-10T17:45:00Z2009 massachusetts c-section rate 2010 massachusetts cesarean Cesarean Rate massachusetts cesarean ratesPerinatal Quality Collaborative of North Carolina Receives $1M in Supporthttp://www.theunnecesarean.com/blog/2011/12/6/perinatal-quality-collaborative-of-north-carolina-receives-1.htmlJill2011-12-06T15:30:00ZHealth Care Reform Hospital Birth Iatrogenic PQCNC blue cross Public Health induction video maverick maverick video baby perinatal quality collaborative of north carolinaMaverick, in which a mom talks about the repercussions of an early induction of her baby. PQCNC has managed to get more than half of North Carolina’s 91 hospitals that deliver babies to participate in their initiatives, which focus on quality improvement and cost reduction. ]]>Illinois Cesarean Rates by Hospital, 2010http://www.theunnecesarean.com/blog/2011/12/4/illinois-cesarean-rates-by-hospital-2010.htmlJill2011-12-04T13:00:00ZCesarean Rate iIL cesarean rates by hospital illinois c-section rate illinois cesaeran rates rush medical center cesarean rateThe Nativity Story: 2011http://www.theunnecesarean.com/blog/2011/11/28/the-nativity-story-2011.htmlJill2011-11-28T14:00:00ZLauren Plante mary joseph nativity story modernBy Lauren Plante, MD

A couple thousand years ago, a nice Jewish girl has a baby in a stable. Rejoicing ensues. And so it should: the astonishing event of birth resonates with us at a primal level. It’s an everyday occurrence…

]]>Better Risk Counseling Tends to Lower Procedure Utilizationhttp://www.theunnecesarean.com/blog/2011/11/27/better-risk-counseling-tends-to-lower-procedure-utilization.htmlJill2011-11-27T14:16:05ZBirth in the Media Birth trauma C-Section Cesarean Rate Choice in Birth Hospital Birth NHS caesarean NHS cesarean on demand too posh to push NHS elective cesarean

In case you’re not following the recent round of articles about the National Health Service’s new guidelines about cesareans, here’s a quick round-up.

]]>PhotoShop: Bradley Book Guy and Short-Shortshttp://www.theunnecesarean.com/blog/2011/11/23/photoshop-bradley-book-guy-and-short-shorts.htmlJill2011-11-23T15:08:28ZHow I Would Counsel a Woman with a Suspected Large Babyhttp://www.theunnecesarean.com/blog/2011/11/20/how-i-would-counsel-a-woman-with-a-suspected-large-baby.htmlJill2011-11-20T16:29:52ZBig Baby C-Section Informed Consent Macrosomia Shoulder Dystocia Suspected Large Baby Vaginal Birth gestational diabetes baby size suspected macrosomia vaginal birth large baby

The prompt:

Suppose that tomorrow you were faced with a woman in a similar situation, and an estimated fetal weight of 10 pounds. Would you offer her an elective C-section? Why or why not? How would you counsel her about the risks? Could you do that without mentioning the risk of death? In what way would that be different than playing the “dead baby card?” Please tell me the specific language that you would use as a doctor. Mother has diet controlled gestational diabetes and otherwise uncomplicated pregnancy.

]]>U.S. Cesarean Rate Drops for First Time in More Than a Decadehttp://www.theunnecesarean.com/blog/2011/11/17/us-cesarean-rate-drops-for-first-time-in-more-than-a-decade.htmlJill2011-11-17T17:01:00ZCesarean Rate U.S. Cesarean Rate U.S. Cesarean Rate Drops for First Time in More Than a Decade c-section rate 2010 cesarean rate 2011 cesarean rate dropsMission Accomplished!http://www.theunnecesarean.com/blog/2011/11/17/mission-accomplished.htmlJill2011-11-17T17:00:00ZCesarean RateCesarean Rates by State, 2010http://www.theunnecesarean.com/blog/2011/11/17/cesarean-rates-by-state-2010.htmlJill2011-11-17T17:00:00ZCesarean RateCongresswoman Roybal-Allard Applauds the Home Birth Consensus Summithttp://www.theunnecesarean.com/blog/2011/11/16/congresswoman-roybal-allard-applauds-the-home-birth-consensu.htmlJill2011-11-16T22:46:46ZHome Birth home birth consensus summit statement home birth summit roybal-allard birthMonday Open Threadhttp://www.theunnecesarean.com/blog/2011/11/14/monday-open-thread.htmlJill2011-11-14T21:55:19ZOpen Thread

Today’s open thread is hosted by A Rad Baby. Look at that punim! He’s extremely rad. My friend made him.

]]>Jury awards $144 million for failure to perform a C-sectionhttp://www.theunnecesarean.com/blog/2011/11/11/jury-awards-144-million-for-failure-to-perform-a-c-section.htmlJill2011-11-11T21:00:00ZOMG, R U SRSLY WRITING ABOUT THE VAMPIRE CESAREAN IN BREAKING DAWN?http://www.theunnecesarean.com/blog/2011/11/9/omg-r-u-srsly-writing-about-the-vampire-cesarean-in-breaking.htmlJill2011-11-09T13:00:00ZBirth in the Media bella birth bella edward baby bella pregnant vampire breaking dawn opens feminist review breaking dawn sociology breaking dawn vampire cesarean

Yep. The vampire cesarean returns… ]]>CDC Publishes "Births: Final Data for 2009"http://www.theunnecesarean.com/blog/2011/11/8/cdc-publishes-births-final-data-for-2009.htmlJill2011-11-08T13:01:30ZBirths: Final Data for 2009 Cesarean Rate cdc birth data cesarean rate 2009 latest cesarean rate

]]>Florida Cesarean Rates by Hospital, 2010http://www.theunnecesarean.com/blog/2011/11/6/florida-cesarean-rates-by-hospital-2010.htmlJill2011-11-06T12:00:00ZCesarean Rate Florida cesarean rate florida c-section rate miami taza de cesareaCDC’s National Center for Health Statistics reported that the total cesarean rate for the state of Florida in 2009 was 38.1%, giving Florida the distinction of the having the fourth highest cesarean rate in the country following Louisiana, New Jersey and New York.

Florida has seven hospitals with total cesarean rates over 50%, with South Miami Hospital reporting that 61.8% of its 4,360 births were via cesarean section.

[Click over to view table and total rates] ]]>Second City's Completely Honest OB-GYNhttp://www.theunnecesarean.com/blog/2011/11/2/second-citys-completely-honest-ob-gyn.htmlJill2011-11-02T22:56:45ZBirth in the Media c-section second city completely honest obgynWarning: Salty language ahead

]]>Home Birth Consensus Summit Statementshttp://www.theunnecesarean.com/blog/2011/11/1/home-birth-consensus-summit-statements.htmlANaturalAdvocate2011-11-01T23:30:07ZHome Birth amy tuteur home birth amy tuteur home birth summit home birth consensus statement home birth summit statement homebirthsummit.org tuteur home birth consensus statement unnecesarean home birth consensushere). After much work, thought, and a bit of fun, the assembled delegates were able to reach a consensus and worked together to create the following statement. None of the statements necessary reflect the opinion or agreement of any organization with which any of the delegates may be affiliated (you can find the list of delegates and biographical information here). The statements are obviously very broad, but the delegates also worked together to create action plans, some of which are already being implemented. ]]>Insurance Coverage and Elective Cesareans In New Jerseyhttp://www.theunnecesarean.com/blog/2011/10/28/insurance-coverage-and-elective-cesareans-in-new-jersey.htmlANaturalAdvocate2011-10-28T17:53:38Z