The last four years, my growing interests and experiences in nursing lead me to endeavor becoming a midwife and a women’s health nurse practitioner. My past volunteer work in Doula services, has given me an inside view to many different birthing techniques and styles. In addition, to my work experiences in a home care setting, that has shown me a more personal side to healthcare. This is why; I believe many hospital births limit the control women have with decisions, such as, birthing positions, delivery time requirements, recovery times and artificial inductions. Furthermore, hospitals are unable to make the birthing and new baby experience personal like an ‘in-home’ birth. These decisions can make the birthing experience more enjoyable and successful with reducing the amount of complications during birth. Over the years, OBGYN’s have chose the safety procedures and techniques for laboring women during the birthing process. Women are frightened into having a caesarian birth or an induced labor verses a natural vaginal birth. While there are, certain incidences that a caesarian birth is needed, such as, when the baby is in a breeched position, fetal distress, cephalopelvic disproportion (a baby’s head is too large or a mother’s pelvis is too small for delivery) and/or uterine ruptures. All of these reasons are horrific medical emergencies where a caesarian birth would be the appropriate choice for the wellbeing of the baby and the mother, but the chances of these happening are in the low 10% of births. However, other times to expedite the birthing process when the cervix has not completely dilated doctors urge for a caesarian birth. Doctor’s first try inducing labor artificially, if inducing does not initiate the cervix to dilate properly before a certain time, doctors will begin an emergency caesarian. In my experiences, women who used doula’s who provide holistic birthing services and educating in techniques such as, in-home postpartum assistance, in-home visitations/pre and postnatal care, proper breathing, perineal massages, and exercises, such as, kegels, pelvic tilts, squats and the cobbler pose. These techniques reduced birthing complications and most women found the experience more enjoyable. In addition, using enhanced birthing positions that are more comfortable allows the laboring mother to move and use gravity instead of force to push. These positions can include water births, hands and knees, squats, and standing, that help with the prevention of perineal tears and a timely labor. Nonetheless, the birthing experience has improved over the last decade and hospitals are beginning to collaborate with birthing centers attempting to make hospital births more personal.
"I had traveled much on the Kennebec, by water, by ice, and, during those treacherous seasons when the river was neither one nor the other, by faith" (e.g., A Midwife's Tale). Martha's diary is one of the few documents written by a woman that exist today and that describes the behavior, occupation, roles, and daily activities of a common society in the 18th century during and after the Revolution. Although she dedicates her whole life to help others and her family, the diary exposes a very different world with the very different community. Many other history documents lacked the problems of women and the lack of written documents by the female gender. Through this document, Martha gives the importance of women in the community and how they
...other can move around more freely and find positions that help her stay comfortable during labor. Natural child birth is also a very intimate process. Your partner can be involved in the process as you work together to manage your pain (2013, November).
Since neonatal nursing is my special interest and field, I chose to write about the health care options which are available to parents having children in different hospitals throughout the world. With the state of the art technological advances in the neonatal units, there are so many options available for the care of newborn babies. I reviewed the neonatal units in Australia, Saudi Arabia, New York, Tokyo, Ireland, and California, and I have learned what It takes to run a neonatal intensive care unit all around the world.
...o find a balance between interventional and non-interventional birth. With this being said, I also understand that there are strict policies and protocols set in place, which I must abide to as a healthcare provider, in any birth setting. Unfortunately, these guidelines can be abused. Christiane Northrup, MD, a well recognized and respected obstetrician-gynecologist has gone as far as to tell her own daughters that they should not give birth in a hospital setting, with the safest place being home (Block, 2007, p. xxiii). Although I am not entirely against hospital births, I am a firm believe that normal, healthy pregnancies should be fully permissible to all midwives. However, high-risk pregnancies and births must remain the responsibility of skilled obstetricians. My heart’s desire is to do what is ultimately in the best interest of the mother, and her unborn child.
In this time having a cesarean was very dangerous for the mother and the baby. In some cases, a cesarean would lead to
Many women today are doing more C-sections, also known as cesarean, than they are natural. Whether the reasons being because it’s more convenient or that some moms did not really have a choice, the percentage is still growing. “The cesarean delivery rate increased from 26% to 36.5% between 2003 and 2009; 50.0% of the increase was attributable to an increase in primary cesarean delivery (National Partnership for Women & Families, 201.)” There are many things to consider when deciding which is the right or safer choice. With both choices comes risks for the baby like, possible respiratory problems with a C-section. The mom has many risks to worry about for herself as well, like possibly hemorrhaging. There is also the recovery and the long-term effects that a woman has to put into consideration. They both have their pros and cons that should not be taken lightly.
Chances are that terms such as “midwife” and “home birth” conjure up for you old-fashioned images of childbirth. These words may bring to mind scenes from old movies, but you’re not likely to associate them with the modern image of childbirth. Do you know anyone who has had a midwife-assisted birth or a home birth? Would you consider one?
Finding a practitioner to care for you during your pregnancy and the birth of your child is a very important task. Most people go to their family doctor. Unless your pregnancy is high risk that may not be necessary. Midwives offer care that is “lower-tech, less invasive, and less inclined toward intervention without a clear medical need.” says Jamie Cruz, author of “Call the Midwife”. Many women are uneducated on the benefits to selecting care from a midwife. Many times when expecting mothers discuss their options with their family doctor, the discussion of midwives is often avoided or the doctor will discourage the expecting mother from choosing a midwife. Midwives and doctors should work as a team and embrace each other, however due to
Wherein, each individual nurse performs an important role in achieving the desired outcome. Particularly, during the effectuation of such delicate task as an obstetric surgical operation. Thus, the success or failure depends mainly on how these nurses as a whole implements the nursing process during the pre-,intra-, and post-procedure. Similarly, each individual nurses involved are expected to perform at their highest level, within their respective field. Additionally, nurses should not only be competent and acquired the level of expertise in their respective nursing area, but also should have the ability to contribute in advancing the field. These are exactly the thing I have, particularly, observed during this clinical rotation. Indeed, the knowledge gained about each obstetric procedure is important, but in my experience, the interactions with each nurses dedicated to their craft are much more
When babies are delivered in the hospital, there is a usual sequence of events that happen to ensure a safe and successful delivery. The mother goes into labor, healthcare professionals prepare themselves and the mother to deliver the baby and finally after minutes or hours of coaching and appropriate exercises the baby is born and introduced to their new environment. Before the parents can have any contact with the newborn, nurses will characteristically whisk the baby away to check for presence of important reflexes, abnormalities, and wipe away the birth materials such as vernix. After completion of these required tasks, the baby is then presented to the parents wrapped up like a shiny, new gift on Christmas day. Sometimes the baby and
In order to deliver babies, I have to ramp up my confidence and determination. During delivery, women are like cats on hot
Worldwide, the rate of cesarean section is increasing. According to the CDC, in 2012 the rate of cesarean sections comprised 32.8% of all births in the United States (CDC, 2013). Between 1996-2009 the cesarean section rate has risen 60% in the U.S (CDC, 2013). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 50% of the 137 countries studies had cesarean section rates higher than 15% (WHO, 2010). The current goal of U.S. 2020 Healthy People is to reduce the rate of cesarean section to a target of 23.9%, which is almost 10% lower than the current rate (Healthy People 2020, 2013). According to a study conducted by Gonzales, Tapia, Fort, and Betran (2013), the appropriate percentage of performed cesarean sections is unclear, and is dependent on the circumstances of each individual birth (p. 643). Though often a life-saving procedure when necessary, the risks and complications associated with cesarean delivery are a cause for alarm due to the documented rate increase of this procedure across the globe. Many studies have revealed that cesarean deliveries increase the incidence of maternal hemorrhage and mortality and neonatal respiratory distress when compared to vaginal deliveries. As a result, current research suggests that efforts to reduce the rate of non-medically indicated cesarean sections should be made, and that comprehensive patient education should be provided when considering an elective cesarean delivery over a planned vaginal delivery.
In interview by Rachel Newman a journalist at rhrealitycheck.org, Chaney summarized her in depth research “To my knowledge, this is really the first of its kind, at least one that is being formally implemented and studied. However, in areas where midwifery is legal, these kinds of arrangements exist more informally between individual midwives and physicians that have developed relationships usually over years of working together. I would love to see these protocols replicated and modified to meet the specific needs and goals of the given area. We know that homebirth is safest when it is planned, a trained midwife is present and medical back up is available if needed. It’s really that third criterion that needs streamlining and strengthening in our country.” (Reality
Over the years birthing methods have changed a great deal. When technology wasn’t so advanced there was only one method of giving birth, vaginally non-medicated. However, in today’s society there are now more than one method of giving birth. In fact, there are three methods: Non-medicated vaginal delivery, medicated vaginal delivery and cesarean delivery, also known as c-section. In the cesarean delivery there is not much to prepare for before the operation, except maybe the procedure of the operation. A few things that will be discussed are: the process of cesarean delivery, reasons for this birthing method and a few reasons for why this birthing method is used. Also a question that many women have is whether or not they can vaginally deliver after a cesarean delivery, as well as the risks and benefits if it. Delivering a child by a c-section also has a few advantages and disadvantages for both the mother and child; this will also be discussed in more depth a bit later.
All things considered my first mother baby clinical went very well. I am more confident in the care I provided and will be providing throughout the next few weeks. If need be, the nurses were right there to answer questions or assist in my learning. I do know I have room for improvements, though I am aware it will take more practice. Having such cooperative patients and parents allowed me to take my time and be more thorough to ensure I was grasping concepts. As I continue to connect class content and what is seen in the hospital