Category Archives: Vaginal Birth

NIH Consensus updates on VBACs

By The Midwife | Published: March 3, 2011

One of the advantages to being a midwife is being on all kinds of funky mailing lists, which means that all softs of health information, conference invitations, and sometimes even free samples often show up on my doorstep.  A few days ago, I got just such a mailing– the NIH Consensus Development Conference Statement on […]

Also posted in Cesarean Birth, Complications, Hospitals, Labor and Birth, Research, VBAC | Leave a comment

Vaginal twins at 25 weeks

By The Midwife | Published: February 24, 2011

So one of the advantages of working as a midwife in a hospital is that I get to participate in many births that I wouldn’t have the opportunity to experience in private practice.  If I were working as a private practice midwife, and as a homebirth midwife in particular, there is no way I would […]

Also posted in Birth Stories, Complications, Hospitals, Labor and Birth | Leave a comment

Just a hemorrhage kind of night

By The Midwife | Published: October 28, 2008

Last night was a very strange night. It wasn’t that busy, and yet, somehow, neither the other midwife nor myself were able to take a break. The pace was very steady. We kept expecting it to settle down, but it never did. Just as we were thinking “oh, as soon as this woman is discharged, […]

Also posted in Birth Stories, Complications, Hospitals, Labor and Birth, Midwifery | 4 Comments

The Biggest Baby I’ve ever caught

By The Midwife | Published: June 9, 2008

Here’s a lovely birth story to share, my 99th delivery: We were all expecting a big baby. Her estimated fetal weight from Leopold’s palpation was judged to be approximately 4500 gms. The baby felt huge: fat and happy, and we were all duly nervous, because her first baby was only 7.5 pounds. She wasn’t a […]

Also posted in Birth Stories, Labor and Birth | 7 Comments

50th Birth

By The Midwife | Published: November 9, 2007

Today I caught my 50th baby! She was born at 4:18 pm to a young woman from Puerto Rico who was absolutely thrilled and excited about her first pregnancy. She was an induction for postdates (per hospital policy, all women are induced if they’re still pregnant at 41 weeks); she’d actually had an incidence of […]

Also posted in Birth Stories, Hospitals, Inductions, Labor and Birth, Labor Support, Midwifery | 2 Comments

Worry-wart = new midwife

By The Midwife | Published: October 31, 2007

So, you’re probably wondering how it’s going. I’m in the middle of my third week as a new midwife, and it’s going…okay…so far, I guess. I wish I could sound more confident and enthusiastic about it at the moment, but I’m having a hard time feeling very confident or enthusiastic these days. Which is not […]

Also posted in Hospitals, Labor and Birth, Midwifery, Pregnancy | 3 Comments

Tight shoulders

By The Midwife | Published: February 4, 2007

So, my first week of clinicals ended last week, and I am only just now having an opportunity to sit down and write about it. Let me tell you a bit about my schedule: clinicals take up roughly 42 hours a week—2 labor and delivery shifts and 2 clinic shifts—plus one day a week in […]

Also posted in Birth Stories, Clinicals, Education, Hospitals, Labor and Birth | 4 Comments

Closer to the dream

By The Midwife | Published: November 30, 2006

Last week I had an exam in Neonatology, and my teaching project and a presentation in Neonatology all due at the same time, so it was a bit hectic. This week, the only thing on my plate is a few modules and some studying for the upcoming final exams, and a write-up of my teaching […]

Also posted in Clinicals, Education, Episiotomies, Hospitals, Labor and Birth, Labor Support, VBAC | 6 Comments

Reflections

By The Midwife | Published: October 24, 2006

The first birth was fast, over before I knew it, before I could even shake. And very special—of course it would be special. The second two babies I caught happened in quick succession in the same morning. One was born at 9:55 am and the other was born at 11:09 am. The first a boy, […]

Also posted in Clinicals, Education, Hospitals, Labor and Birth | 3 Comments

First birth

By The Midwife | Published: October 12, 2006

Magic, magic, magic! I’m walking on air right now! Tired, elated, giddy, bouncy, prone to fits of giggling and wide smiles. I caught my first baby today!! Unbelievable. In fact, I couldn’t have asked for a better first day of clinicals. I am so blessed, and so very lucky. The day started bright and early […]

Also posted in Academia, Clinicals, Labor and Birth | 6 Comments