tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3950818248481035615.post4732466253722991063..comments2008-10-19T10:28:25.886-04:00Denise Punger MD IBCLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15005314822461783855noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3950818248481035615.post-34421607715201719192008-02-15T09:05:00.000-05:002008-02-15T09:05:00.000-05:00wow, I had not heard about this statement (I came to check out your book after your post on FLCA). One certainly has to wonder if this was put out due to Rikki Lake's film.<BR/><BR/>I guess I should never be surprised at the arrogance of ACOG.nyjlmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16260530430697570709noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3950818248481035615.post-90662892138955457032008-02-09T17:07:00.000-05:002008-02-09T17:07:00.000-05:00Congratulations on your HBAC. Send me the story, or post the link here.<BR/><BR/>Denise<BR/>denisepunger@hotmail.comPermission to Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15005314822461783855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3950818248481035615.post-10580538128686064262008-02-09T16:04:00.000-05:002008-02-09T16:04:00.000-05:00I'm going to forward this post to my friend who is having a hard time getting her husband on board to have a homebirth.<BR/>I was looking for blogs related to homebirth and thats how I found you. I had an unnecessary cesarean in July of '05 and then a CNM attended HBAC in March of '07. What a healing experience our homebirth was! <BR/>I love to share my birth stories so feel free to contact me if interested!Wanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03314255954671021901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3950818248481035615.post-48778271674396454802008-02-08T19:54:00.000-05:002008-02-08T19:54:00.000-05:00L,<BR/>I sent my response in red to ACOG just now.<BR/><BR/>DenisePermission to Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15005314822461783855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3950818248481035615.post-25267747081930028372008-02-08T14:53:00.000-05:002008-02-08T14:53:00.000-05:00Sing it Sister!Can you send the letter with those red comments right back to ACOG...please!<BR/><BR/>Love reading your comments!Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04551293394719390382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3950818248481035615.post-51252266989636322932008-02-07T15:59:00.000-05:002008-02-07T15:59:00.000-05:00I wish, oh, how I wish, that I had known about your practice in September of 06! :( (Ok, actually, BEFORE September, but y'know. Semantics.)<BR/><BR/>We were living in PSL then, and I allowed myself to be swayed into the medical-mode of thinking by a variety of people. Namely, my mother, who was an L&D RN for years, who told me that, "ACOG says its dangerous! They know what they're talking about!"<BR/><BR/>And now, on my unfortunate journey post-cesarean, I know better. Much better. And now I know the struggle that I am facing with any future children, and the fight I am in for to get the VBAC I deserve.Heathernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3950818248481035615.post-42531093538255057792008-02-07T14:25:00.000-05:002008-02-07T14:25:00.000-05:00Re: Meconium<BR/><BR/>The homebirth midwifes carry the the suction apparatus for meconium and they carry oxygen and emergency equipment. A great question to ask a midwife upfront is how she handles meconium, just in case it varies from midwife to midwife.<BR/><BR/>Meconium is often a result of medical interference. Pharmaceuticals stress a baby, as well as labor herbs (and probably the 5 week herbal labor preps). I discourage the use of castor oil. If it makes mom bowels empty... it should affect the baby in a similar way. There is a lot that can be done to minimize the chances of meconium.Permission to Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15005314822461783855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3950818248481035615.post-36604773275232355652008-02-07T12:01:00.000-05:002008-02-07T12:01:00.000-05:00Thank you thank you for this post! I'll be HBACing for the first time in September, so I admit that this statement threw me off a bit. You're right - what OB has any experience with homebirth? Since they only deal with HB transfers (which they call "train wrecks"), of course they are going to be critical of homebirth and homebirth midwives.<BR/><BR/>~ Kimberlylabortrialshttp://labortrials.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3950818248481035615.post-25963850780417950442008-02-07T09:58:00.000-05:002008-02-07T09:58:00.000-05:00Exactly!<BR/>It is unfortunate that the world has come to it but "money makes the world go round" in most people's eyes.<BR/>It is very re-freshing to see blogs and comments from so many people who are still trying to uphold a wholesome and happy home for themselves and their children.<BR/>My husband and I were beginning to loose hope!Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01967318193138080695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3950818248481035615.post-85841911802918272832008-02-07T07:57:00.000-05:002008-02-07T07:57:00.000-05:00I personally think it's all about money. These people don't want there to be options for us, options to take our money elsewhere. There was no way in hell my OB who does not attend VBACs was ever going to say I was a candidate for a VBAC. She is a business woman. Why would she knowingly and willingly send me else where for a birth she wouldn't give me. She wanted my business so she made my options tailored to what she had to offer so she would get my money. (Or my insurance companies anyways.) <BR/><BR/>If Ob's backed up homebirth midwives more people would go to hb mw's and less people would come to the Ob. So why would they shoot themselves in the foot like that? That's like Burger King running a commercial telling you how much better Subway is for you, but if you don't really like it you can still come get a whopper. It's so not going to happen.<BR/><BR/>A healthy pregnant woman doesn't make as much money for an OB as an unhealthy one. The more testing you need and the more monitoring and intervention a woman needs, the more money they make. Think of a cash register, high blood pressure-cha ching, over-weight-cha ching, diabetes-cha ching. Pediatricians that support and promote formula are guilty of the same thing. Do they really want you newborn to be as healthy as possible on breastmilk so that they will only see them at well child visits and never make a dime off you all the rest of the year? Some do, I know this. Many do not. Many are in the pocket of formula companies and it's in the best interest of their pocket as well if a baby is on formula. <BR/><BR/>As much as I hate it and as unfair as it is to say to the few doctors there are like Denise who truly care, medicine is a huge business and to expect it to be anything else is like beating your head against a wall. I don't see it changing. If people are not sick, doctors do not make any money. <BR/><BR/>ACOG has to continue to see birth and promote birth as an illness to keep their jobs. This piece is all about job security. I hope there is a homebirth organization that will respond to this and you'll post it. The way to deal with the ACOG is to write some thing like you have, that counter acts their fight for job security. <BR/><BR/>In our area there has been a huge campaign to raise money to build a children't hospital. A state of the art, best in the area, ideal care facility for children. Every where you turn they are looking for donations from the community to build this thing. Telethons, little ballon posters you can buy with your groceries, etc. I often wonder how they get away with it. They want me to give them money so that they can build a place where they can turn around and charge my insurance thousands and thousands of dollars if my child ever ends up there and providers can then take home a nice chunk of it for themselves???<BR/><BR/>Anyone want to donate to the daycare I want to build so I can start making me some good money?pearly1979http://www.blogger.com/profile/07250141268146858931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3950818248481035615.post-76777259748021970532008-02-06T23:22:00.001-05:002008-02-06T23:22:00.001-05:00After reading this article it is obvious to me now why it was probably so difficult to find this information (aside from not really knowing any other women locally pregnant or with children who might have shared this info. at the time). <BR/>After a horrible birth experience in a hospital with essentially no one to guide me or help me - what I would have given for a doula at the least!!! - (even with my husband by my side it was a very scary, helpless, and lonely experience!), followed by breastfeeding difficulties that possibly could have been prevented with the proper guidance and education earlier on (of course I mean pre-Dr. Punger) it has compelled me to want to educate others who probably have NO CLUE of what IS available.<BR/>And just as a side note: The woman has a choice!?!?! I was given an episiotomy without being told... and then I was given NO assistance during the actual birthing process so I completely tore anyway!!!... I mean literally the doctors and nurses could have played a game of poker standing around while I pushed the baby out with no assistance whatsoever (even though there was a room full of nurses/two doctors/etc).<BR/>I have even considered handing out info. flyers to every pregnant woman I see (and they are everywhere these days) because if I had known then what I know now OH how different things could have been! Even just to know about LLL would have been one step into a many other avenues of education. You would think my "breastfeeding class" would have mentioned these!?!<BR/>I look back and realize that if I never was as lucky as I ended up when it came to finding the right guidance and information I would still be just as clueless and would probably have to endure yet another miserable birthing experience because I thought that was all that was available.<BR/><BR/>Now that I am off my soap box I do have one question...<BR/><BR/>After about 12 hours of labor my water broke and there was meconium. Of course this fueled concerns so when Luke was born there was a whole "team" of people ready to whisk him away for x-rays etc. In fact the nurse said I was lucky I even got to hold him before they took him away!!! So much for my birth plan of wanting to nurse immediately following birth! In a homebirth situation how is something like this (meconium) handled?Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01967318193138080695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3950818248481035615.post-60914110192553997772008-02-06T23:09:00.000-05:002008-02-06T23:09:00.000-05:00YOU GO GIRL!! Glad you are my doctor.Wife to the Rockstarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04028135400498827347noreply@blogger.com