Friday Five posts occur every Friday and include a variety of topics aimed at inspiration, education and empowerment.
In the five this week…
- The video above! Posted in one of my last lectures of the semester for graduate school (woohoo!), Dr. Jason Fung speaks to conflicts of interest and bias in evidence based medicine. Not a quick video, but a fascinating one on the current state of medicine, pharmaceutical companies, and the validity of research in our modern age. It’s a good one to put in the background while you’re cleaning dishes, doing laundry or getting ready for the day.
- A retrospective cohort study titled “Comparison of Midwifery and Obstetric Care in Low-Risk Hospital Births,” published in Obstetrics (2019) found that midwives when compared to OB/GYNs…
- Midwives had lower rates of interventions (interventions assessed in the study included: induction of labor; artificial rupture of membranes; epidural use; episiotomy; and physiologic birth – defined as spontaneous labor, no artificial rupture of membranes, no oxytocin, no epidural, and a spontaneous vaginal birth with no episiotomy)
- Midwives had 30% lower C/S rate in nulliparous women (first time mamas)
- Midwives had a 40% lower C/S rate in multiparous women
- Midwives had lower rates of operative delivery (use of vacuum or forceps to assist birth) in both nulliparous and multiparous women
- Midwives did have a higher rate of shoulder dystocia in multiparous patients
- The final recommendation of the study was: “Greater integration of midwifery care into maternity services in the United States may reduce intervention in labor and potentially even cesarean delivery, in low risk pregnancies” (Souter, Nethery, Kopas, Wurz, Sitcov, & Caughey, 2019, p.1)
- Journey to Midwifery podcast! This podcast is hosted by one of my good midwife friends. If you are at all interested in how midwives become midwives, this is worth the listen. You’ll find yourself listening to three in row as you become entranced in each midwife’s story.
- The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). I know, this one is a little dorky…but I spent hours on this website and went down many rabbit holes over the past few months. I continue to be impressed about the presentation, functionality and information offered on their website. Specific to pregnancy – check out their breastfeeding page or find where your state falls on exclusive breastfeeding rates here!
- Lastly, this inspirational quote from Kristen Armstrong. This is how I feel about caring for women and birth!
- “I contend that when we breathe deeply into one passion, we provide oxygen for others. When we remember we who we are and what we love to do and take steps in that direction, we move into a realm of hopelessness and possibility. We have momentum. We are inspired. We harness energy. We remember how to aim. We shake off fear.” – Kristin Armstrong
Thanks for checking in this week! Have a great weekend.
Jamie
References
Souter, V., Nethery, E., Kopas, M.L., Wurz, H., Sitcov, K., & Caughey, A. (2019). Comparison of midwifery and obstetric care in low-risk hospital births. Obstetrics, 00, 1-10. doi:10.1097/AOG.0000000000003521