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Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Midwife-turned-med student blog

I recently started reading Mom's Tinfoil Hat, a blog by a self-described "hippiefreak idealist mom" who is currently training to become an OB/GYN. Here's a brief bio she wrote several months ago:
I trained as a midwife for two years, and had both of my children with a midwife. One in a hospital, on in a freestanding birth center. I have attended births in hospitals, including cesareans, in birth centers and at homes. I am training to be an Ob/Gyn, however, so you can take anything I say with whatever flavor grain of salt you like.
And here's a bit about her views on birth-related issues:
I support home birth in the full spectrum of reproductive choice and informed consent. I am afraid that obstetrics, the field I love and plan to practice, is in a very confused state in the United States. Interventionist practices are not based on evidence of improved outcomes. I just spoke to an attending at the closest Ob/Gyn residency who was appalled by the practices she saw when she started at that well renowned research and teaching hospital. What was the most appalling to her, and to me, is not simply that these are medical interventions. We are all in support of life saving technology. But, when these interventions have been shown in easily accessible peer reviewed research to lead to negative perinatal outcomes, why have they become standard of care in normal pregnancy instead of in the rare cases that they are indicated?
She recently commented on Jennifer Block's piece Can We Please Stop Blaming Women for C-Sections? This inspired a longer post on VBAC, in which she explores her experiences with VBACs and doctor-persuaded cesareans.

6 comments:

  1. Thanks for the link love!

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  2. I can always rely on you to give me more reasons to spend time on my computer. What a wonderful link!

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  3. Can we find out where these great women practice medicine?? That's almost a good enough reason to relocate!

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  4. i agree on that 3rd comment. i'm constantly giving referrals to people within my area, but it's nice to know where other GREAT, caring, expectant management careproviders are located so i can refer them out as well!

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  5. I also agree with the 3rd comment. Women who have very high risk pregnancies for whom home birth is just not possible, or who are just uncomfortable with the concept, deserve care by OBGYNs like this!

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  6. I like this chick and I'm looking forward to following her blog. :) Thanks for the link, Rixa.

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