Re: gional Physician Backup for Homebirths
From: Jennifer (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Mon, 31 Jul 2000 10:27:27 -0500 (CDT)
The lack of medical support for homebirths is specific to my community,
not to the one and only midwife in my community. She happens to be a
registered nurse and a certified midwife. I have done extensive
research and doctors will not take any part of backing up a midwife. The
way I see it it is because the only thing that they have to gain is
liability. The client only goes to the doctor in the event of an
emergency. I believe many doctors see these midwifes as competition to
their business.
I believe doctors can make homebirths more safe by making themselves
available in the event of an emergency. I live 5 minutes from a
hospital. It would be nice to know that a doctor in the hospital would
be available for an emergency transport.
Unfortunately the only midwife that performs homebirths will be retiring
because the local medical community refuses backup.
>
>I am not a professional, and I may be totally off base here, but here's
>my 2 cents:
>
>It seems to me that it should be the midwife's job to have physician
>backup that she works with on a regular basis. It would make me very
>suspicious of any midwife that did not have solid contacts in the
>medical community. In my opinion, no midwife should be doing a
>homebirth without a standing relationship with the nearest hospital and
>a doctor. Maybe there is a legitimate reason that the ER docs have been
>hostile to her? She may have a reputation for bad judgement or waiting
>too long to get help (I'm just hypothesizing here -- I don't know a
>single thing about your midwife).
>
>It is unfortunate that your options are limited simply because of
>geography. There are plenty of communities where homebirth midwives
>have some sort of support from area doctors. Quite frankly, I don't
>know what doctors can be doing to make home births safer. The problem
>of home births is the fact that some of the unexpected catastrophe's
>that can occur during childbirth can not be appropriately treated
>outside a hospital setting, regardless of the attendant's skill. These
>problems are incredibly rare, but you probably won't care how rare it is
>if it is your uterus that ruptures.
>
>Good luck, and I hope you can find a satisfying solution to your
>dilemma.
>
>Andrea
>
>At Wed, 26 Jul 2000, Jennifer wrote:
>>
>>I am looking for information on gaining community support for a
>>homebirth. I have done my homework and feel very strongly about having
>>my second baby at home. The only midwife in my area will only take
>>clients who can find a physician backup for the event of an emergency
>>hospital transport. Her few experiences with local emergency rooms have
>>been too abusive for her to continue without the support of a doctor.
>>The OB's that I have contacted are adomandtly against homebirths. Does
>>anyone have any regional information on potential doctors, in Charleston
>>County, South Carolina, that may be willing to back up a homebirth. Also
>>any ideas on how to pursuade the profession that although complications
>>can occur childbirth is a natural process of the body. When
>>complications occur and medicine is necessary it should be available
>>without losing the option of a homebirth. I could not find the
>>necessary recourses for my first birth and would be forever grateful to
>>have all of the options for my second birth. It seems if doctors really
>>belive that there is potential danger in homebirths they would take the
>>responsibility to make them safe.
>>
>>Jennifer
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