St. Croix Valley Mothers Need Midwives

I have just spent a fascinating few precious my-son-is-sleeping moments reviewing and comparing statistics on St. Croix Valley births. WOW! Mothers NEED midwives! I have always theoretically known this was true, but it is so fun to actually see this play out in real births. All these statistics are from births of real couples who have taken St. Croix Birth & Parenting classes. All of the women who have taken my classes have been low risk, whether they chose midwives or physicians to attend their births.

Natural Childbirths: no pain medications used during labor
85.7% of midwife-attended births were natural childbirths
20% of physician-attended births were natural childbirths

Inductions: starting labor before it starts on its own
0% of midwives induced labor
20% of physicians induced labor

Augmentations: using artificial hormones to speed labor
14.3% of midwife-attended births were augmented
40% of physician-attended births were augmented

IV's: intravenous fluids given to the mother
28.6% of midwives used IV's
60% of physicians used IV's

The only outcome for which physicians had a better track record was maternal tearing.
42.9% of mothers who had a midwife had a tear
20% of mothers with a physician had a tear

However, this outcome needs to be looked at more closely, because an additional 20% of mothers with a physician in attendance had an episiotomy performed. None of the midwives performed an episiotomy. This brings the results for any perineal trauma:
42.9% of mothers with a midwife experienced perineal trauma
40% of mothers with a physician experienced perineal trauma

Additionally, of the midwife-attended births, one-third were first degree tears (a mere split in the skin) requiring no stitches. Two-thirds were second degree tears requiring stitching. Of the physician-attended births, half of the group had an episiotomy (basically a second degree, or worse, iatrogenic--physician-caused--tear)and the other half had severe tears (3rd or 4th degree tears). In other words, even though the midwives had a slightly higher rate of perineal trauma, the actual tears were milder.

A very important observation is that in all cases of second or greater degree tears, an IV had also been used. IV's are NOT a "harmless" intervention. For those of us who believe that mothers can and should birth over an intact perineum, IV usage needs to be seriously re-evaluated.

On the plus side for all St. Croix Birth & Parenting births, we still have no cesareans, no forceps or vacuum extractor births!!! Way to go, couples!

It should be noted that actual numbers of couples are still small, but large enough now to begin to show a difference between the way midwives and physicians practice in the St. Croix Valley. I am eager to keep getting new student couples in order to continue to encourage mothers to achieve enriching, satisfying, safe births! Kudos to midwives in the St. Croix Valley, who are doing a great job meeting these goals!