Re: Difficult twins

From: Ina May Gaskin (midwifeim@earthlink.net)
Sun Dec 31 17:52:02 2006


36 years of experience attending births and observing women in labor. I described the first case of what I would call cervical spasm in my first book in 1975. At 8 cm, very quietly, without her even moving around, the woman's cervix closed to 4 cm. I then gave a suggestion that the mother followed that allowed for a quick re- dilatation and birth. That was my first hint that cervical spasm isn't limited to the aftercoming head of a breech.

Fear triggers adrenaline. Adrenaline levels that are too high hinder and can even reverse cervical dilatation. I know this isn't in the medical literature anymore, but that doesn't mean that the phenomenon doesn't exist.

I learned by a combination of hunch and observation the states of mind that favor cervical opening and those which don't.

Cervices, like ani and bladder sphincters, can go into spasm when their owner becomes suddenly frightened.

Surely, someone else out there has noticed this.

--
Ina May Gaskin, CPM

On Dec 31, 2006, at 11:58 AM, Gerald P.Rodriguez wrote:

> And what evidence do you have that the "cause" of head entrapment > is "panic?" > > Gerald P. Rodríguez, M.D., FACOG > Santa Fe >

>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ina May Gaskin" > <midwifeim@earthlink.net> > To: "Multiple recipients of list OB-GYN-L" <ob-gyn-l@dns.obgyn.net> > Sent: Sunday, December 31, 2006 12:43 PM > Subject: Re: Difficult twins > >> Yes, I would do a podalic version at 6 cm with heart tones that >> low. The cervix doesn't seem very open because of the high >> station of the head, but it won't be tight when you bring down >> the baby—as long as you don't communicate a sense of panic to the >> mother. That cervix just opened enough to let baby number one's >> head through, and it'll open again, as long as you don't cause >> her to panic. Panic is what causes most cases of head entrapment >> within the cervix. The rest of what's necessary is good breech >> technique. >> >> Ina May >> >> On Dec 30, 2006, at 5:03 PM, Larry Glazerman wrote: >> >>> Would you do a podalic version at 6 cm? I'd really worry about >>> head entrapment. >>> >





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