You're listening to the Happy Homebirth Podcast, Episode 104
Today's guest: Dr Rachel Reed is a midwife, academic, author, and international speaker who focuses on childbirth physiology, midwifery practice, and women's rights (and rites). She has provided midwifery care for many women and has attended births in a wide range of settings and circumstances. Rachel is the author of the award-winning blog MidwifeThinking and the co-host of The Midwives' Cauldron podcast. She has published widely in journals and magazines, and her first book Why Induction Matters is a popular resource for women and care providers. Her most recent book Reclaiming Childbirth as a Rite of Passage: weaving ancient wisdom with modern knowledge will be published early 2021. Further information about Rachel and her work is available at www.rachel-reed.website. and….she’s just delightful.
I find myself getting sucked into her blog archives for hours at a time, and for today’s episode I decided to ask her about several topics that she covers quite wonderfully there. I know you’re going to deeply enjoy this episode. With that, let’s jump in!
Show Notes:
Big Babies
Most women having homebirth in Australia have “big” babies, and they’re not scary.
In hospital, however, it can be a different story. If a doctor diagnoses a mother with a “big baby” on ultrasound, it can begin to cause stress and fear for her.
Dr. Reed mentions that the research does not separate healthy, normal big babies from those whose mothers have gestational diabetes. These babies tend to have bigger shoulders and can have more difficulty coming out (though most of them come out just fine, too).
“Big babies don’t scare me, but what people do about big babies does scare me.”
Women who are told they have a big baby: C sections, tearing, poorer outcomes are more likely— so it’s the outside causing the problem.
A care provider’s fear of the big baby can cause many of the interventions
Gestational Diabetes as a label— fairly nonsensical
If there are abnormally high blood glucose levels circulating, that does impact the baby and potentially the birth. However, the blood glucose levels being used are not evidence-based
In Australia, around 17% of women are now labeled as a gestational diabetic.
When Dr. Reed was training, we only tested those who had risk factors.
The issues with challenge tests: it’s an abnormal test— many pregnant women are not drinking sugary drinks, so the tests results can be very off.
VBAC- Mountain or Molehill?
Is this as dangerous as the medical community seems to happen?
Research related to this is mixed with those who are having inductions and those who are not— when we remove those who are having inductions, we see the already small number of issues become all the smaller.
Statistically a
Encore: Appreciating Rites of Passage, Releasing Fear, and Healing During Pregnancy
Encore: Homebirth and Chiropractic Wisdom With Dr. Courtney Kahla
Encore: Simplifying Birth, Simplifying Childhood with Ginny Yurtich
Encore: Elizabeth’s Peaceful Surprise Twin Homebirth
Encore: Birth as a Rite of Passage with Dr. Rachel Reed
Encore: Homebirth is a Team Sport
Encore: Emily Catches Her Own Baby
Encore: Real Food for Pregnancy (and Postpartum!) With Lily Nichols
Encore: How Did We Get Here?! The History of U.S. Maternity Care
Encore: Leah and Her Midwife Handle a Complication
Encore: From Valley to Mountain: Laura’s Spiritual, Pain-Free Birth
Ep 232: A Primal First Time Homebirth with Sara Middleton
Ep 231: Reclaiming Primal Movement to Improve Your Family’s Wellbeing with Paris Latka
Ep 230: Finding Freedom in Motherhood with Naomi Reyes
Ep 229: Have an Informed Pregnancy with Dr. Elliot Berlin
Ep 228: Midline (R)evolution: Evolution of The Lip and Tongue Tie with Michale Chatham, Dr. Molly and Natalie Healy
Ep 227: Similar Births Internalized Differently with Lauralee Kirkland
Ep 226: Balancing Hormones in our Childbearing Years with Leisha Drews
Ep 225: Supporting Your Body Through Physiological Postpartum With Kela Futrell
Ep 224: A Beautiful Birth and a Stretching Postpartum with Caitlin Cooper
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