Albany home births suspended?

[linzkg]

Helena, you're quite right, mortality rates are very high aren't they, so there goes that theory that childbirth should be in its natural form as such .. there's a time and place for medical backing

[Fuschia]

U.S. has second worst newborn death rate in modern world, report says

http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/parenting/05/08/mothers.index/

"Causes of death in the developing world were dramatically different from those in the developed world, the report said. In industrialized nations deaths were most likely to result from babies being born too small or too early, while in the developing world about half of newborn deaths were from infection, tetanus and diarrhea."

...

"It's tragic that millions of newborns die every year, especially when these deaths are so easily preventable,"... "Three out of four newborn deaths could be avoided with simple, low-cost tools that already exist, such as antibiotics for pneumonia, sterile blades to cut umbilical cords and knit caps to keep babies warm."

The Mothers' Index -- which excluded some nations that lacked sufficient data -- highlights huge disparities between the nations at the top and the bottom of the list.

Compared with mothers in the top 10 countries, a mother in the bottom 10 was found to be more than 750 times more likely to die in pregnancy or childbirth.

In top-ranked Sweden, skilled personnel are present at nearly all births, but in bottom-ranked Niger, such help is available for only 16 percent of women in labor.

...

The report highlights the three areas it says have the most influence on child well-being: female education, presence of a trained attendant at birth and use of family planning services.

Educated women, the report said, are more likely to marry and give birth later in life, to seek health care and to encourage education for their children, including girls.

The report said that family planning and increased contraception use leads to lower maternal and infant death rates. Many women and children in developing nations, it said, die as a result of births that come at the wrong time -- too close together, too early or too late in the mother's life."

According to this, the maternal death rate isn't lack of hospitals as such...

[helena handbasket]

So essentially the same issue...... access to proper modern medical care (even if that just means clean water or antibiotics).

What they didn't mention in that piece is the growing number of tiny (1 lb.! wow) babies that are being born in the US as well as multiples born as a result of IVF (quads and quints are much less rare these days). These babies are included in these statistics but would never have even made it into the statistics for live births in some countries because they may not have the expertise to get them that far. It is absolutely staggering to me that there are babies born at 22 weeks who are born alive and saved. But even if they can't do anything more for that baby they are counted in the live birth statistics (which we all know can be manipulated to explain anything we want them to, the truth lies in the variables they leave out). I am certain that there are very few of these babies in the Nigerian statistics. So we are just comparing apples pianos.

I have visited plenty of poor areas in the US and lived in poor parts of London and have trouble believing that Americans are having more issues with clean water and hygiene than urban Brits..... it can be pretty shocking here. What is different is that the US is massive and there are many rural pockets that are literally days away from the next decent sized centre.

Access to everything is difficult. The Appalachians are a good example, although ironically I believe that is where Ina May is based, but then maybe that grew as a necessity out of lack of access to medical centres?

Very complex but incredibly interesting I think.

[Fuschia]

I think we can agree we're lucky we have access to clean water, antibiotics, good nutrition, birth control, and birth attendants. These factors contribute to the lack of infant and maternal mortality.

Whether for your average uncomplicated birth, a medicalised birth in hospital is safer, I believe the evidence doesn't bear that out, hence the nhs's plan to offer more homebirths

[annaj]

This thread seems to be turning into a home birth versus hospital debate and I can't help feeling it's because my post has been misunderstood.

Just to be clear, I was absolutely not saying that I'm against homebirths and think everyone should be hospitalised, or that hospital births a safer for everyone, because I'm not and I don't and they're not. All I was trying to say was that women making this important decision need to be given full information with which to make it and that high rates of serious complications should be investigated to see if there are causative factors. That's all.

[sillywoman]

Been working away hence no replies to posts, sorry.

Great debate re home v hospital, don't have anything to add as you all seem to have covered pretty much everything I would've like d to say.

HH - yes, you're right. I probably was defensive in my reply to Buggie and Annaj. I felt my views were misread and therefor being represented and as I said previously my line of work means I couldn't allow that to happen. I had to clarify my position (as annaj has done above) and defend myself.

So again, just for the sake of clarity; I think that the Albany have done really good work in our community for the last however many years. I'm very sad for them and the many women they care for that they've been suspended from offering the care they're reknown for. However I do recognise the importance of accountability and think it's right that they be able to account for whatever actions have got them suspended. And I really hope that they can. I would also hope never to be, or viewed as being cavalier with regard to the preciousness of any life, be it tiny baby or old,old person. I have no particular strength of feeling about holistic or medical viewpoints, both seem to have strengths and weaknesses to their arguments.

With regard to home v hospital it has to be an individual choice based on whatever information is available to those individuals at the time. In an ideal world then women and their partners would be given, as annaj says, "full information", but I can't see this ever happening because the information available is so complex, and so many different interpretations and complexions are placed on it that the "truth" becomes an elusive substance. So women/ couples must get what information they can and make their choice based on that.

As an aside, I've just had an email that informed me that, according to recent research, the Trusts in the UK with the first and second most choice available for women regarding place of birth was Southwark PCT and Lewisham PCT. I think we're really very lucky to live here.

[helena handbasket]

Sorry yeah you're right, it does read that way.

Wasn't meant to.

First and foremost I support a woman's right to decide what is right for her.

[shellbear]

Just heard about Albany's suspension and wanted to say that my care by them was absolutely incredible - I was well informed and not pressured into any particular decision around my birth and in the end I decided I would have my baby at home in their birthing pool - unfortunately I ended up being well overdue, being induced at Kings, having a bad reaction to the hormones I was given, double contracting, and eventually having an emergency caesarean section after concerns about the heartbeat following continuous monitoring. Albany cut through the stress and all this medical intervention and made my birth feel positive through the dedicated continuous care and constantly laying out my options for me. I spent some time in water which the doctor didnt recommend, i moved about when the doctors wanted me to stay still, and my Albany midwife empowered me to make my own decisions about these things where I felt I had none and should probably just lie down and be numbed by an epidural. I actually found the care of much of the staff at kings brilliant but obviously it is a hospital and everything is geared up to be as risk averse as possible. Of course modern medicine is incredible but the choices Albany empower women to make in are important. If modern medicine hadn't intervened I may well have gone into labour and had the birth I wanted a few days later than is statistically recommended - I have no doubt that the intervention and hormones I was given led to double contraction and my caesarean - but I have a healthy baby - I am lucky, I decidied not to take the risk of waiting but I would defend totally the practice that offered me an informed choice every step of the way.

[Carrot]

About time!!

[Fuschia]

Carrot Wrote:

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> About time!!

What do you mean by that?

[Fuschia]

Carrot Wrote:

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> About time!!

What do you mean by that? I see this is your first post to the forum.

[dmr]

Dear All

I am a mum that has given birth recently (15 of June) to a gorgeous baby boy with the Albany Midwives. I haven't had time to read all that has been posted (crying baby in my lap etc...) so probably I am just repeating what other mums have posted.

The main aim of this post is, however, to inform you that a group of Albany mums, past and present, have set up a group in Facebook called "Albany Mums". This was created so we could keep each other informed about what is going on with the Albany Midwives, to give our support to them if so we wish and to support and inform of the choices available to all the Albany "mums to be" that are affected by this situation. Please if you had a baby with the Albany or you were supposed to have one sign up to this group and please inform of this group to all the "Albany Mums" you might know.

In the meantime some facts to clarify the present situation.

- Albany Midwives have been suspended from delivering home births but they are still able to deliver hospital births. The "mums to be" have got the option of having a home birth with another team or go to hospital with their midwives. We have information in the facebook page as to who to contact if you want to have a home birth.

- Albany Midwives are been investigated and the result of that investigation should be made public on the 16th of November. Having said this it has already been postponed a couple of times.

- There are some stats in this 2007 article from The Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2007/jul/24/1

- If you would like to commend the Albany Midwives (if you think they deserve it please take the time to do this), as a group and/or individuals please go to http://www.kch.nhs.uk. Click on Careers and then on King's commendations.

- If you would like to complain to King's and other bodies about the distress the Albany Midwives suspention has caused you

sign up to Facebook for a list of contacts.

If you dont have access to facebook and you would like info regarding contact details please let me know.

Hope this has been a bit helpful and to see you in the facebook page.