New Beginnings Doula Training

New Beginnings Doula Training
Courses for doulas and online childbirth education

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Unnecessary interventions during labor


Ok, here's my pet peeves of routine interventions that are not evidence based::)
1)early cord clamping
2)routine use of pitocin(particularly in elective inductions for first time moms)
3)regular vaginal exams
4)directed pushing
5)EFM
6)regular suctioning and oxygen of baby right afterwards with no indication(this is changing though)
And one intervention that has shown to help with many variables and is cost effective, but is not provided automatically: labor support other than the nurse(in some studies, just having the nurse showed no difference).

2 comments:

Brandy said...

Wow this info you have given, just makes me so much more upset at the hospital I was at! They did all of that stuff to me! They got their undies in a bunch and wouldn't let me labor naturally like I told them I wanted, and ended up with a c-section! I will keep all this stuff in mind for the next, I really want a vbac.

Rachel said...

Without having been at your birth, it's hard to say why they do what they do. They sometimes have other reasons for doing these things, but that said very very often, there is no medical reason for these things.

More and more hospitals are starting to change their practices. Oh and food and drink is another one I would add to this list. One of the hospitals I worked at allowed drink, intermittent monitoring, and was pushing doctors and nurses to hold off on the cord clamping. Another one did none of these things.

When choosing a provider and hospital, you need to get verifiable proof that they do this(and that means someone has said that they were able to do this). Good luck with a vbac! If you ever want me to pass on research for you let me know.

Birth is a Journey: Does it have to be life changing?


  • One woman might have to climb on an overfilled boat, risking her life and nearly dying as she escapes over the ocean to come to this land. This experience could certainly be life altering. It may very well color the rest of her life, positively or negatively. (I overcame this amazing struggle and here I am triumphant! OR Holy crap, that was SO hard I don’t know if I can go on! By the way, neither response is “right”. No one would judge the woman with the 2nd response.)
  • One woman may buy an airplane ticket, sit on a comfortable 747 and fly to America with a nice smooth flight and landing. She is happy to be in America. Those welcoming her are glad she is here safe and sound. She may only travel by plane 2-4 times in her life, so it is pretty memorable. But the journey itself probably wouldn’t be life changing; it would simply be a journey.
  • One woman may learn to fly an ultra-light plane to lead a flock of geese into America teaching them to migrate. This experience could certainly be empowering and life altering.