Staying Informed

This weekend I took part in an ICEA childbirth education workshop.  One of the topics we discussed was how to avoid burnout-how to keep things fresh.  One of the ways in which I do this both as an educator and a doula is by keeping up to date with the current research-in other words-reading a lot!  This may be one of the reasons I was drawn to this field, the need to stay informed.  I love to read-books, magazines, blogs, websites, journals-you name it and at some point I will get to it.  I am also a mother of two boys and I work about 25-30 hours a week as well so I may not always be on top of things as they happen but at some point-I will get there.

Last night I picked up a printed copy of ACOG’s practice bulletin (I know, intimidating).  I had read a few articles and blogs on facebook and other websites about the new guidelines but I wanted to go to the source-read the actual bulletin for myself, see if I could make any sense of it. 

From what I learned there have been quite a few changes in the previous recommendations.  For instance, in the past a woman with 2 previous low transverse incisions, twins, or a single previous cesarean with an unknown type of scar would not have been considered a candidate for a VBAC-now they may be.    The author seems to focus quit a bit on the idea that choosing to have a vaginal birth after a cesarean is not merely a preference but a choice based on issues of safety for the mother and baby-it is noted that “VBAC has several potential health advantages for women.  Women who achieve VBAC avoid major abdominal surgery, resulting in lower rates of hemorrhage, infection, and a shorter recovery period compared with elective repeat cesarean delivery.”

All in all I felt inspired by what I read.  Then I got to thinking about what this actually means for women and their care providers.  Do these new recommendations mean that doctors will follow these guidelines?  What if they don’t agree? Then a funny thing happened to me in the elevator.

Every month I do a hospital tour for expectant couples-tonight was one of those nights.  Not only was I approached by a woman who had questions about her options for a vaginal birth after her previous cesarean but I also met a new doula client who just happens to be a VBAC as well.  I was readily informed and excited to share what I had learned. Believe it or not I felt empowered by the research and I felt like these women walked away from our encounter better informed as well.  If they should encounter any obstacles or road bumps along their way from doctors, nurses, friends or family they will be able to use the most up to date research to back up their choice.  They could even hand over this new list of recommendations to anyone that may question the safety of their decisions-and they will be able to do this all because this doula likes to keep it fresh.

How do you stay informed (without being overwhelmed)?

For more information or to read the guidelines-please visit:

http://www.acog.org/acog_districts/dist9/pb054.pdf

http://www.childbirthconnection.org/pdfs/ACOG-VBAC-guideline-comparison.pdf