“32 week pregnant female, en route to the hospital via ambulance. She is bleeding heavily with a suspected abruption. 10 minutes out.” I received the call at about 2am. I arrived at the hospital just before the ambulance. The elevator doors opened and two emergency medical technicians entered the Labor…
There has been a lot of talk lately about maternal mortality. A recent story published in ProPublica and NPR has been circulating social media, highlighting the problems with our labor and delivery system (Martin 2017). The story is heartbreaking, describing a preventable postpartum death in a young, healthy mother. While…
I have mixed feelings about the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist’s recent Committee Opinion, Approaches to Limit Intervention During Birth. Now, don’t’ get me wrong; I agree with many of the statements. Routine amniotomy (water breaking) is not needed. Women don’t always need continuous fluids running…
Seriously, what is the big deal about C-sections? I know my view is skewed as an obstetrician, but I do not understand the anti-C-section movement. Granted, if a person can deliver vaginally with the end result of a healthy mom and baby, I am all for it…
Yes, I hate the mucus plug. If you ask any obstetrician or labor nurse, they probably will tell you they hate it too. Specifically, we hate how every book on pregnancy and labor mentions this entity and somehow correlates it to the onset of labor. These books, blogs, and other…