United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

you can't compare your system with what we have here... for example in Netherlands, most women have home births with a midwife and there are very few issues there.... Iin the netherlands I would say - GREAT - have a midwife and homebirth and it should be a fantastic birth...but here it is way different.

I think you should talk with some practitioners about this and get their input on it.

-francine

also , addressing diet and exercising can help,
midwives are more likely to deal with diet and position changes, they are also less likely to have high risk patients, it is out of what is called their "scope" of practice, so statitically speaking the injury rate will be less, that does not mean they are neccessarily "better" however in my opinion, if you can find a homebirth midwife who has a good rep who will accept you into care your chances are far less, not neccessarily because she is the one in charge, but because you are less likely to develop problems in her care...if you do, she will be forced to refer you out to an MD/OB
that said...Max was a homebirth, I was on my back and my sugar test at 8 mos was blotched (imo)
you know there are always exceptions, but Im willing to bet statistically there are far less homebirths than hospitals with resulting injury
There was a good discussion on the midwife doula board about squatting recently, that squatting is common in water births and squatting during a dystocia may affect in "sticking" the baby even more,
tbh, the one HBirth I attended that had a dystocia was actually a water birth and she was squatting also,
InaMayGaskin has a good paper online somewhere about all 4s,
TALK TO A HOMEBIRTH MIDWIFE Karleen, it should be right up your alley anyways !
love and blessings to all

- epidural, on back with legs pushed up toward my ears and chin pushed down into chest
of course a nurse also jumped on me applying fundal pressure as well

the care that you get in an independent birth center far outweighs (in my personal opinion) the care you get in a hospital. I've assisted (I'm a doula) a number of births in a free standing birth clinic and the level of commitment is just unbelievable (in this particular one at least). It HAS to be, because if it's not, if they mess up, they get shut down faster than a speeding bullet. (Doctors don't like that they exist and all it takes is one screw up and Poof!) There is a huge commitment from the women and their families and huge commitment from the midwives. They truly know their stuff. They know how to transport when it's time. They know how to read risk factors. (They are the ones that sent me away to a different group). They help women get through better without needing the interventions by talking - by directing - by being totally involved in labor management. This is where a hospital birth FAILS dramatically. I chose a midwifery group specifically because the care should have been excellent. But unfortunately, the midwives here (who practice in hospitals) don't hang around like they used to - they don't manage births like they used to, they leave you alone and when no one is in your face supporting you through a labor you are much more apt to have interventions. And the huge problem is that when it comes time to transfer you to a doctor because of risks, issues, etc. they may not want to do that because of the money issue - so they are managing some births that they shouldn't be managing just because of the old dollar thing.

Hi intersting discussion. I found this site a while ago and emailed them about SD and the incidence in the UK, as wll as why the rates seem different in different countries-I wondered if there was a connection with such things as rates on intervention. I got an amazing reply, with input from various midwives and they all cited references, I'll try and find it and mail it to you. Since I mailed them they have put up a page about SD which discusses issues such as positioning, monitoring etc and also has a link to Ina Mae Gaskin's comments about positioning as mentioned by Marymom. http://www.radmid.demon.co.uk/ If you don't find what you need here, mail them, they are incredibly helpful and knowledgeable women and if they don't have the info you need they will find it. Good luck in your research!
btw, a friend of mine in Sydney gave birth in a bath at home....Sydney's NSW isn't it?? would you like me to try and find out the name of her midwife?

ps...the article re SD is in the 'articles' section....the page doesn't come up directly from the link I posted :0)

I just want to comment again that "giving birth" is so totally different in different countries. It's not something that can be easily compared. Just the definitions - the description of midwifery and what their responsibilities are and are not - differs so much between countries. I just want to make sure that we understand that we are treading on highly political waters and when I say one thing, you might take it a different way then I meant it because the definitions are different.

-francine

Personally, I think giving birth on your back is a big risk and often leads to the 'cascade of intervention' which brings even more risks, no matter what country it happens in. It's good that these issues are being discussed, no one seems to have been offended by it. I too believe that we should work towards prevention of SD in the first place and minimising risk for all deliveries no matter where they take place or who is delivering the baby.

agreed

I was on my back my labor was induced. I had an epidural but it wore off so needless to say I felt everything even the forceps going in and coming out..(ouch!). I am 5ft tall and my daughter was 8.3oz. I was in labor for 5 hours. I honestly believe that the doctor who delivered my child had no idea of how to handle shoulder dystocia.

I was watching this show on TLC (the learning channel)and it was a show about women in labor. There was this one lady who had been in labor for like 10 hours. Then the doctor realized the baby was too big and so there would not be a large tear she used some oil in which she applied to the vaginal area and it allowed the baby to slide out--amazing! The lady was about the same height as me and the baby was 9.9oz with no injuries to the shoulder or arm. This is what made me realize that these injuries can be avoided.

Dylecia