Take the time to get and read your records.  You may find that your “emergency” cesarean was no rush at all.

Medical Records Copying Charges by State

Want to know if your doctor has been subject to a board hearing or disciplinary note? 

Here is a link to the State Board sites for all 50 states.

She links to another great website: “The Big Push For Midwives, launched on January 24, is a coordinated campaign to advocate for regulation and licensure of Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The website includes a page with links to news articles related to midwifery-related legislative efforts, and a map of states [which I've copied below] where licensure is available or where legislation is pending. Licensure is currently available to CPMs in 22 states.”

There is also a page on The Big Push for Midwives website that lists birth resources for the following states: Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming.  (Might be a good place to look if you want a VBAC and are looking for a VBAC supportive provider.)

The relevance of CPM licensure to VBAC moms?  More legal options.

From Wikipedia:

No state prosecutes mothers for giving birth outside of a hospital. However, midwives who assist at such births may be prosecuted in some areas.

In the early and mid 1900s, physicians pushed to have midwifery banned throughout the United States. Childbirth became very clinical with the mother generally subdued with leather straps and ether. In 37 states it is once again legal to acquire the services of a midwife. Many midwives continue to attend mothers in states where it is illegal, while efforts are underway to change the law.

Practicing as a direct-entry midwife is still (as of May 2006) illegal under certain circumstances in Washington, D.C. and the following states: Alabama, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, South Dakota and Wyoming.^[12] However, Certified Nurse Midwives can legally practice in these areas.

People wishing to have a midwife-assisted home birth in the United States should always research the applicable laws in their home state.

I know homebirth sounds like a radical thing, but I have heard story after story of women who would have never considered a homebirth until they started looking for a VBAC supportive OB only to find none and then felt trapped, out of options, and scared.  And so now these women, who would have been quite happy to birth in a hospital, are hiring midwives, regardless of wether it’s legal in their state, and having a homebirth VBAC rather than face the alternative, an unwanted, unnecessary repeat cesarean in a ‘VBAC ban’ hospital.

I hope this is going to be one of the factors that swings the conventional wisdom back to supporting VBAC because when enough women start birthing at home and that an impact is felt in hospital revenues, hospital administrators and OBs might start paying attention.  Unfortunately, by the time that happens, it might be ‘to late’ for the hospitals.  Enough women would have experienced the joy, peace, privacy, and safety of homebirth to never want a hospital birth again.

News article said that she "died of a heart attack after embryonic fluid entered the blood stream during a C-section."

Vaginal birth and cesarean both have risks … but I can’t help that think that a lot of women perceive cesarean birth as safer.  I think it’s important for people to be aware of the risks of cesarean, which include a 3.6 times higher risk of the mom dying (Deneux-Tharaux 2006) which is sadly demonstrated here.

It’s ironic that women seeking VBAC are frequently warmed about the risk of uterine rupture, yet how many moms undergoing a cesarean are aware of the risks of that surgery?

Unfortunately, moms’ pregnant with more than one child are often not given an option in terms of birthing vaginally.  Some OBs are supportive of vaginal birth of multiples, but they are pretty rare.  There are some midwives who will attend a ‘multiple’ homebirth.

If you are pregnant with multiples and want a vaginal birth, be prepared to interview OBs/midwives.  Email the ICAN group about providers – that is an excellent resource.

As always, it’s important to understand the risks and benefits of vaginal vs cesarean and home vs hospital birth.

4/9/2008 Update: The original news article I linked to and quoted from has now been deleted, so I’m including a different news article below.

Visitation Today For The Mother of Triplets Who Died in Childbirth

December 20, 2007 – 4:27PM

KALAMAZOO (NEWSCHANNEL 3) – A mother of triplets gave the ultimate sacrifice for her newborn babies.  Tina Hagenbuch died just a short time after giving birth at Bronson Hospital in Kalamazoo this week. Something went wrong during Tina’s C-section. She died about half an hour after the third baby was born.

Jake Stiteler says his best friends Jeff and Tina Hagenbuch were unbelievably excited about having triplets. Stiteler and his wife were with the Hagenbuch’s at Bronson Methodist Hospital on Tuesday, when Tina prepared for the delivery.

"Tina was her normal self, she was smiling, and walking around," says Stiteler.

When Doctor’s began to perform a c-section, the first baby to arrive was a boy, the couple named Teegan.  Tina was able to meet the first of the triplets. "She did get to see the first baby born," but then Stiteler says something went wrong.

The complications began as baby girl Trinity was being delivered. Seconds later, the last of the triplets, little girl Rowan was born.

About a half an hour later after all three babies were delivered, Tina died. Now, Jeff Hagenbuch is suddenly a single dad of triplets.

As Stiteler thinks about his friend Jeff’s future he considers how tough it is for two parents to raise triplets "but for a single father who just lost his wife, it’s unbelievable the difficulty," says Stiteler.
He says Tina was always the rock among their group of friends. A group that’s not sure what to do next, overwhelmed with such a mix of emotions.  Stiteler says one thing is certain, "the kids will know, they had a great mom."

Now family friends and community members are reaching out to Tina’s husband Jeff as he prepares to raise the triplets.  When 42-year old Tina Hagenbuch found out she was pregnant with triplets, she got in touch with the Kalamazoo area group of Mothers of Multiples.  Kris Vogel instantly connected with Tina, as Vogel has two year old triplets.

"She was a positive person," Vogel says remembering Hagnebuch. Vogel was devastated to learn her new friend died on Tuesday from complications during the delivery of the triplets.

"She took such good care of herself, she took so many precautions," Vogel says.

The Mothers of Multiples group now wants Tina’s husband Jeff to know that they are more than willing to help the single dad of triplets.  Group member Holly Scheuer says there are many issues only other parents of multiples can understand when it comes to raising several children of the same age.

"Although we may not help with the grieving aspect… We’ll provide help on the children," says Scheuer.

A fund is set up. Here’s how you can help.

Checks Payable To: Jeffrey Hagenbuch
Memo Line: "Tina’s Memorial Fund"
Address: Consumer’s Credit Union, 5940 Gull Road, Kalamazoo, MI 49048

Visitation For Tina Hagenbuch is On Saturday, Dec. 22nd
2-4 pm
6-8 pm
Langeland Funeral Home
6121 Kings Highway in
Comstock

Tina also leaves behind two daugthers. Skye, 22, and Tylar, 14.