Unnecesarean: The Blog - Comments

Jill comments on The Final Post

Jill — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 20:42:41 +0000

That is exactly why, Rosey. But know that your whispers are never, ever careless. Shhhh.

Forever your bitch (or doula... whatever),

Jill

Rosey comments on The Final Post

Rosey — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 20:38:18 +0000

I hope this had nothing to do with you being my doula and me having to get a c section. Cause if so then I'm never gonna dance again. Guilty feet have got no rhythm.

Alison comments on The Final Post

Alison — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 07:02:27 +0000

Oh. My. Dog. Thank you so much.

Jill comments on The Final Post

Jill — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 20:14:08 +0000

Kristen, those oxytocin sparkles can be pretty bewitching. We should stick with jpgs because the gif evidence is a little intense.

Another Rachel comments on The Final Post

Another Rachel — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 19:42:19 +0000

My comment is above but couldn't miss one last chance to post as Another Rachel. Ah, memories. Fare the well, jellical cat.

Jill comments on The Final Post

Jill — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 19:04:26 +0000

@justsayin In case I had any question as to who you are, this confirmed it. You are the best. I can't stop giggling... Put the Lab back in Labor. Ha ha!!

justsayin comments on The Final Post

justsayin — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 18:59:32 +0000

I was appawled to hear about this problem. What's a poor bitch to do when her vet just wants to setter up for failure? Or boxer into a corner? We need to pointer toward a more natural way of whelping. It's time to put the Lab back in Labor!!

But it's very sad that after 28 dog years you are moving on. What's a fan to say except..."Chow...arrivederci."

Kristen comments on The Final Post

Kristen — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 18:41:10 +0000

Bitch, I got tears in my eyes.

Of course, it could just be that my eyes are watering after gazing upon the scintillating sparkliness of those naturally-whelped puppies.

Thanks for all the awesome, and for continuing the awesome elsewhere on the interwebs.

Jill comments on The Final Post

Jill — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 15:40:56 +0000

MomTFH, from the dresser drawer where it recharges and glows until you put it on beneath your scrubs, the Three Wolf Moon shirt will guide you.

I almost wrote that there were three wolves and a fox in he picture but decided to just text you about your general foxiness as I often do anyway.

MomTFH comments on The Final Post

MomTFH — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 15:27:11 +0000

It's been a long, strange trip. I am so proud that the power of the three wolves carried me with them into this final post. Continue howling at the moon.

Jill comments on The Final Post

Jill — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 14:29:19 +0000

Ms. Biscuits, this was a way to shake you down as my only tip jar contributor for another $20 bucks. Did it work? I'll check.

Monkey Biscuits comments on The Final Post

Monkey Biscuits — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 14:26:25 +0000

Dude, I'm still not over the fact that Friends is no longer making new shows and I'm stuck every night reliving the oh so stylish 90's. I don't think I can handle this today. Okay, okay, I know what this is about. Name your price, as long as it's $20 or less, cause I'm po'.

Jill comments on The Final Post

Jill — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 14:21:53 +0000

JMT, thank you for your contributions over the years. Funny to think that we will be collaborating professionally in the future when we were just, like, color-coded map pals online.

JMT comments on The Final Post

JMT — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 14:18:29 +0000

This is awesome. You are awesome. Thanks for the memories.

KK comments on The Unnecesarean on Bloomberg.com

KK — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 16:00:33 +0000

Even when the physician is reimbursed the same amount regardless of delivery route, the vaginal delivery most likely takes up more of his/her time than the cesarean, so there is still financial incentive for ceseareans (especially scheduled ones), isn't there?

C.Marie comments on The Unnecesarean on Bloomberg.com

C.Marie — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 16:44:00 +0000

I was so happy to find this article in the paper this morning. Having given birth to 4 children in a hospital setting, I am very familiar with the ways in which the medical field pushes unnecessary interventions in the name of convenience. read my accounts here: http://notanotherteenmommy.com/2012/07/12/271/. Thank you so much for this website...sharing now

Bree comments on The Unnecesarean on Bloomberg.com

Bree — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 15:36:55 +0000

I agree with most of that, Rebecca, but I have to say that I don't think reimbursing more for vaginal birth is the right way to go about it. Practically speaking, it would be a tough sell because C-sections do cost more than vaginal births so it would be tough to get hospitals to go for it. However, I also think it could have negative consequences in that, being that we currently live and work in a system that turns a profit for healthcare, I would hate to see it go the other way and have OBs reluctant to do C-sections when needed because they are worried about reimbursement. I think reimbursing at one rate for all births is the most practical and safest way to go about things.

Rebecca comments on The Unnecesarean on Bloomberg.com

Rebecca — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 15:29:43 +0000

I agree wholeheartedly with Bree! Or we should swing it even further towards vaginal birth and reimburse hospitals more $$ for vaginal birth than Cesarean. This would reward hospitals for taking the longer time needed to let a mom birth vaginally and reward hospitals for better outcomes. This would lead to reimbursement for birth based on quality, like Medicare is doing with heart failure reimbursement. For example, pretty soon if a HF is readmitted within 30 days, Medicare will not reimburse for the extra hospital admission, since they see it as an indicator of poor discharge care. I think the way things are headed eventually is that if you don't meet certain quality standards, you don't get the $$ from the insurance company. Unfortunately, you have to tie quality with $$ in order to get hospitals to change.

Another thing I would like to see is more insurance companies reimbursing for certified doula care. That would probably save them more money than anything else they could do by reducing costs for Cesareans. Would be super cost-effective.

Bree comments on The Unnecesarean on Bloomberg.com

Bree — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 15:06:38 +0000

Aaron Caughey, a great OB out of OHSU in Portland spoke about this issue at a conference I attended this year. According to his data, hospitals are generally reimbursed $9-10K for a vaginal delivery and $13-14K for C-sections, obviously incentivizing C-sections. His thought was to change the reimbursement structure to pay the same (somewhere in the range of $11K for ALL births and let the OBs and hospitals sort out doctor payments. Evidently Medicare is already considering this as a way to both trim costs and remove the incentive for unnecessary surgery. He's done some really good work and has some fantastic ideas about reducing the C-section rate.

Jill comments on What Did We Learn Here Today?

Jill — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 05:01:31 +0000

Thank, Courtney. That is definitely something to be very proud of.

Courtney comments on What Did We Learn Here Today?

Courtney — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 01:13:07 +0000

Waterbirth panels! Love it. Now you're the Michelle Bachman of birth!!!

Kerri Bundy comments on What Did We Learn Here Today?

Kerri Bundy — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 01:10:08 +0000

No, we are not "morons" we are "MORANS". His placard has no spell check and it shows.

Amber @ Au Coeur comments on Video of Human Childbirth in an MRI

Amber @ Au Coeur — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 19:38:18 +0000

I guess you would have to have an epidural to make giving birth in an MRI possible. I can't even image agreeing to stay flat on my back, even if the imaging is cool.

Belle comments on VBAC: "Should I stay home to labor until it's too late?"

Belle — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 04:06:47 +0000

I planned a birth centre birth then found out at 42 weeks baby was breech. They tried to turn bub on my request but no luck. No trial of labour just an "elective" csection. Wish I had known better.

Bub2 was birthed at home with an independent midwife. I had planned a hospital birth with the midwives but after a routine appointment with a dr I was so traumatized I drove straight to the IM clinic and found my home birth midwife. I was more afraid to birth in hospital than at home!

I don't think I would free birth on purpose. I couldn't live myself if something happened. If I fell pregnant again it would be HBAC with an IM again or go to hospital at the very last minute, fortunately I live 5 mins from one!

saoirsewoman comments on VBAC: "Should I stay home to labor until it's too late?"

saoirsewoman — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 03:23:35 +0000

For any woman who has ever received comments along the lines that her pelvis is not adequate, funny shape, too narrow etc, a resource that may be helpful is The Pink Kit. The author, Wintergreen, onced helped a woman have a vaginal birth after 11 caesareans. It is a DVD and book kit plus PDF files. Google! Also check out Fiona Hallinan and Jenny Blyth's work on "making space in the pelvis". Jenny's Down to Earth Birth Book may be helpful. Blessings!

Tiffany comments on VBAC: "Should I stay home to labor until it's too late?"

Tiffany — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 03:02:51 +0000

I am so glad you asked this question, it has been on my mind since my failed VBAC (failure to descend). My midwife suggested that I schedule a c section for my third, thinking I must have a narrow pelvic opening. I believe that is not a reason for a c section and since the hospitals in my area are not VBA2C friendly and my husband is against a homebirth, my thinking is I will labor at home until I am thoroughly in transition. But more information is always helpful. Thank you!

JM comments on VBAC: "Should I stay home to labor until it's too late?"

JM — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 02:11:56 +0000

Wondering how the women who said they would have died if they hadn't been in hospital know that for sure. A lot of people don't know that home birth midwives know to look for the signs of a rupture, CNM ones (and DEMs in certain states) have pitocin, IV fluids, and oxygen, and as long as you're within commute of a hospital, it's as safe (or safer, depending on the hospital stats) as being in one.

Dana comments on VBAC: "Should I stay home to labor until it's too late?"

Dana — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 02:03:11 +0000

Obviously VBAC bans are a hot-button, hot-blooded issue amongst VBAC-tivists, and a blase business-as-usual policy enforcement among pointy headed hospital bureaucrats. My advice? Don't listen to any of them. Do your own research, figure out what YOU feel comfortable with. Ask yourself the tough questions: Are you going to be prepared to fight, really fight, with hospital staff to get a VBAC even if you roll in the door pushing? Is your birthing partner? Are you prepared for the possibility that "too late" may really mean "too late" and you have an unassisted birth at home or elsewhere? Conversely, are you emotionally, physically, psychologically prepared to consent to a c-section you KNOW is absolutely unnecessary? Are you willing or able to find a new hospital or doctor? These are not things that anyone else can answer.

Whatever you do, don't allow yourself to be bullied by either side of the aisle. Explore all of your options. Make decisions and choices that are right for YOU and YOUR FAMILY, whether that's an HBAC, a conscious unassisted birth, finding a new doctor/hospital, or a repeat cesarean. Really make the decision, and stand your ground. Everyone else can go f%*& themsevles.

Sara C comments on VBAC: "Should I stay home to labor until it's too late?"

Sara C — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 01:52:54 +0000

I was told by both of my midwives to stay home until either my water broke or I started having a lot of pressure that I hadn't had previously. I was going to labor less than 15min from the hospital and they expected everything would go well. Both work in OB offices with VBAC supportive OBs (I switched practices the day I ended up delivering), so they weren't worried about an OB telling me we couldn't VBAC there. They instead were trying to encourage me to labor in the most comfortable place to keep things moving along in my and baby's time and allow me to eat and drink as desired as well as move around as I please without any pushy staff trying to follow out-dated protocols.

No one *wanted* me to stay home until it was too late. They just wanted me well into active labor before arriving at the hospital. We followed their instructions implicitly and were in constant contact with my midwife planning to attend the delivery. However, my body spent literally 20 minutes in transition and took all of 2 half-hearted pushes in our van on the side of the interstate to birth our 3rd baby, my first VBAC (vag birth followed by double-footling breech c/s) and my first unmedicated delivery. Everyone was so proud of us and we were ELATED to have our amazing doula with us making our "unassisted" birth feel very far from unassisted.

What will we do if there is a next time? We will likely labor at home again, but won't be waiting until labor is intense to hit the road. :) Despite his birth being the most amazing, peaceful, beautiful moment in my life... it could have gone very wrong. We need to either PLAN to be home under the watchful care of a trained midwife or get our butts to the hospital. Either is a great option in the right conditions.

R. M. comments on VBAC: "Should I stay home to labor until it's too late?"

R. M. — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 01:48:39 +0000

I am fascinated that no one mentioned staying home and calling 911. As an Emergency Medical Responder I am trained to catch babies and attend to obstetrical emergencies. I am also a doula. You could totally labor at home, call 911, and get to the hospital when you're good and ready. You would make some EMR, EMT, or Paramedic's day. You could also deliver in the ER if you wanted, their docs are good at catching babies, too. :-) My emergency medicine textbook has been the best pregnancy guide I've ever read - it's simple, to the point, and deals with the basic normal physiological birth process, as well as the typical emergencies. I recommend it to all moms. ;-)