Maternal Mortality on the Rise

It was only a matter of time before the statistics showed the effects of the dramatic increase in cesarean surgery rates. We have long known that one of the risks of major abdominal surgery is maternal morbidity and mortality. It was only a matter of time before the increased cesarean rate bode through to the sad fact that more mothers were dying because of it. CP reports:

U.S. women are dying from childbirth at the highest rate in decades, new government figures show. Though the risk of death is very small, experts believe increasing maternal obesity and a jump in caesarean sections are partly to blame.

The U.S. maternal mortality rate rose to 13 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2004, according to statistics released this week by the National Center for Health Statistics - the first time the maternal death rate rose above 10 since 1977.

"There's an inherent risk to C-sections," said Dr. Elliott Main, who co-chairs a panel reviewing obstetrics care in California. "As you do thousands and thousands of them, there's going to be a price."

Excessive bleeding is one of the leading causes of pregnancy-related death, and women with several previous C-sections are at especially high risk, according to a review of maternal deaths in New York. Blood vessel blockages and infections are among the other leading causes.

The New Normal - Ottawa Citizen

The Ottawa Citizen reported yesterday on how medicalized birth has become the 'new normal' and natural birth is becoming rare in today's society in Canada. The statistics prove this out with an extremely high epidural rate across the nation, a 26% cesarean surgery rate and only 5% of women choosing homebirth. Please take a minute to read this superb article. I found this especially poignant:

One of the most telling anecdotes in [Jennifer Block's] book [Pushed: The Painful Truth About Childbirth and Modern Maternity Care] takes place at Florida Hospital Heartland Medical Centre in Sebring, Florida. When Hurricane Charley hit in 1994, it knocked the power out. The hospital had an emergency generator, but its capacity was limited. So the hospital sent most women home and asked them to come back when they were in active labour.

During the few days following the hurricane, nurses noticed a change in the way babies were being born: most babies made it into the outside world without medical intervention and within hours of their mothers arriving at the hospital; nurses saw no cases of fetal distress or respiratory distress in newborns; and the hospital's C-section rate dropped dramatically -- from more than 29 per cent to 17 per cent (six per cent if several scheduled repeat C-sections were excluded from the stats).

Prior to the storm, most mothers were induced so that their babies would be born during the day, and labours were electronically and chemically managed. Once life returned to normal, a number of nurses quit the hospital, convinced its management of labour was doing more harm than good.

Women in Red

No I'm not talking about the song Lady in Red (so love that classic... Chris de Burgh is an awesome artist). I'm referring to a new group I've joined called Women in Red Racers:

Women in Red Racers group is a sub-group of the larger Women in Red community. The idea started response to a discussion about accountability and support towards reaching our debt reduction goals. It is now a “racers” group where each person posts their current debts and updates each time they are paid.

This past year has been a challenge financially. Though I have always been financially savvy, this group has a lot of excellent financial strategies that I have learned, and continue to learn, which I am incorporating into my own financial plans. I've always seen budgets, accounting and financial issues as tedious necessities of life, but this group has made the journey fun... even exciting as we work together on our debt. Setting goals and reaching milestones personally and as a group has never been so enjoyable. I encourage you to check it out.

Being kid busy

The kids and I have had an awesome summer, busy around home and going several times to my sister's outfitting camp west of Rocky Mountain House. My love for horses only increases as I spend time with them again and my kids are catching the horse bug as well. Most of my pictures are in my camera which I accidentally forgot on my last trip to Ontario (it is being returned as you read this) so I hope to have more pictures soon. From my phone camera...

A picture of the view from our 'home away from home' window. Breanna is carrying one of Terri's puppies.

Here is a picture of Eric with his uncle Chuck at the summit after a four hour ride... he loved every second!

Here are five of the first string ready to go first thing in the morning.

Here is Eric in his 'new toy' out at camp.

Ontario Body Awareness Workshops

My first continuing education workshops held in Ontario were a blast! The one-day Body Awareness workshop I taught is a continuing education course for birth professionals and teaches:

· How to map a pelvis and teach pelvic mapping to parents
· The importance of knowing your pelvic shape and outlet as it pertains to movement and positioning during labour
· To understand and teach techniques to reduce internal pelvic tension - an important factor in second stage failure to progress
· To teach women how to effectively communicate when they experience, feel, hear or see something in labour
· How to communicate effectively through word and touch in response to a birthing mothers needs
· To teach the vital importance of using breath effectively as a focus for reducing tension and restoring themselves
· To understand, be able to teach and use effective new positions to open pelvic outlet diameters as they pertain to the mother’s pelvic shape and vital new birthing techniques to effectively progress labour
· How to teach effective assertiveness to birthing parents

Sudbury and Mississauga where my stops in July. Body Awareness workshops will be held November 3 in Alberta and late next March (dates to be announced) in Ottawa, London and Toronto, Ontario.

I spent several extra days on holiday in Sudbury. The weather was fabulous, the friends I met were amazing and I had a wonderful time. Thanks Ontario!