Melinda Delisle-Clark
childbirth educator
labor doula

Articles on Birth Planning, Labor Choices, and Birth Options

The articles and resources below are for educational use and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Birth of a Family staff. When possible, titles link to the original site where the article was published.

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Birth Plans

Birth Plans and the Falacy of the Ulysses Directive  - Why you should always have a backup plan and a good coach whom you trust to help make decisions during labor...

Breech Baby

Breech Baby site

Pictures of Vaginal Breech Births

Interventions to Help Success of External Version

Cesarean section

International Cesarean Awareness Network

Is Cesarean Birth Right for You?

Cord Clamping

Review of Literature- birthsouce.com

Drug Information

FDA proposes new rules

Org of Teratology Information Services

National Women's Health Alliance

Due Date

Should we have a due week?

Mid-Trimester Ultrasound prediction of gestational age: advantages and systematic errors

External (Electronic) Fetal Monitor

Collection of Research Summaries

Epidural

Low dose better (then isn't none best?)

Epidural Disturbs Newborns

Low Dose Epidurals Reduce Interventions

Postpartum Headaches and Epidurals

Episiotomy

What You Need to Know About Episiotomies

Episiotomy During Childbirth Too High

Group B Strep

GroupBStrep.org

GBS Alternatives & References

Home Birth

Home Birth is Safe

Induction (see also Due Date)

Oral Misoprostol and Vaginal Dinoprostone Are Equally Effective for Induction - This study was done in europe recently.  It show the difference between misoprostol (cytotec) given ORALLY and dinoprostine (cervidil gel) given VAGINALLY to induce labor.  Please notice that there was an increase in the number of babies born with thick meconium.  Of course one of the reasons a baby will pass recent thick meconium is due to oxygen deprevation.  And then of course aspiration of thick meconium is not a good thing. But (in their terms) it is considered a safe way to induce.
 

IV Glucose / Food Intake in Labor

IV Glucose vs. oral intake

Epidural Holds Food in Stomach

Labor Time

Average labor takes longer than previously thought

Labor Drugs - Other

Lidocaine (topical) information

Lidocaine - Adverse Reactions Note the incidence of convulsions with children

Lidocaine (topical) info - Lidoderm

Medical Procedures

FDA Warning: PVC Devices with DEHP

Preterm Labor Risk

Does monitoring help determine risk of preterm labor?

Pushing

No-push births?

Twins

Surgical help for Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome

Ultrasound

Ultrasound linked to brain damage?