Dr. Biter has resigned

I spoke to Dr. Biter. He could not discuss the details of his resignation from Scripps Encinitas Hospital but I’m certain it’s more complex than we know. Anytime a person takes on the system, it’s never cut & dry nor is it ever a fair fight. I know Dr. Biter has always put his patients 1st & is putting together a plan to continue to ensure the safe care of his patients during this transitional time.

5/21/10 4:11pm – Very exciting news per BringBiterBack.com!  While I’m saddened I didn’t get to attend any of the protests, I’m pleased with the outcome!

Friday, May 21, 2010

RALLY CANCELLED!!!

After over 1600 signatures to a petition, days of crowds supporting Dr. Biter, cars and trucks painted with slogans such as “We love Dr. Biter” and “Bring Biter Back,” we are pleased to confirm that an email was sent by the administration at the hospital that obstetric privileges were reinstated yesterday for the popular doctor. His gynecologic privileges were never suspended and also remain in place. While we are all excited to celebrate the reinstatement of Dr. Biter’s OB privileges at Scripps Encinitas, he has contacted one of his biggest supporters to request that no public rallies take place today at the hospital. He has also chosen to not make a public statement at this time.

While the overwhelming amount of support for Dr. Biter and his approach to natural child birth has not gone unnoticed, the organizing members of BringBiterBack.com request that any celebrations take place in the privacy of our own homes with our families and babies.

Thanks for your understanding!

• a list of 4 doctors who “are responsible for suspending Dr. Biter”
• how one of these doctors, as well as the head of OB at Scripps, will benefit financially from Dr. Biter’s suspension
• a summary of a meeting between 5 pregnant moms, 2 husbands,  Carol Yeh-Garner, the Scripps Chief of Staff Dr. MacCormick, the  COO, the Chief Executive RN & a HR representative.

So, a little more information has come to light.

There were 2 emergency staff meetings called earlier in the day at Scripps Encinitas. Usually these meetings are held when there is a big case of something going wrong–like a wrongful death. The meetings were held to discuss “the recent events concerning a staff member”. From what I’ve heard from staff that were present at the meetings, nothing was discussed other than the issue is a confidential matter.

It came to my attention late last night from someone that there are 4 doctors that are on a medical board of the hospital that are responsible for suspending Dr. Biter. They are:

Dr. Ronald MacCormick, Chief of Staff
354 Santa Fe Dr. Encinitas, CA 92024
760-633-6807 fax 760-633-6807

Dr. James La Belle, Internal Medicine
354 Santa Fe Dr, Encinitas, CA 92024
760-633-7686

Dr. Thomas Chippendale, Neurology
320 Santa Fe Dr Ste 101 Encinitas, CA 92024
760-942-1390

Dr. Michael Lobatz, Neurology
320 Santa Fe Dr. Ste 108 Encinitas, CA 92024
760-942-1390

Please send letters to these people since they are the ones that have decided to suspend Dr. Biter. With this public outcry, they need to reinstate him immediately. They need to know that it’s not their call, that it’s our call & we are demanding to have Dr. Biter & that they can’t bully him or us. This bullying won’t be tolerated. Thank you for all of the letters you are writing! My email box has been inundated with letters. If you sent me a letter & asked me a question or wrote me something, I want you to know that I haven’t even opened them yet. I’ve been so busy. So if you have an important question or issue, please email me & let me know. Thanks for understanding.

It is also interesting that Dr. MacCormick (& Dr. Fenton–Head of OB) will make money off of Dr. Biter’s suspension IF moms in labor come into Scripps Encinitas & use the hospitalists (on-call OBs) because guess who owns the hospitalist company? Dr. MacCormick! Isn’t that a conflict of interest?

A group of 5 pregnant moms, 2 husbands & I went at 3 pm yesterday (Wed) to Scripps Encinitas to request a meeting with Dr. MacCormick, Chief of Staff. We were surprised that he came back on campus to meet with us along with the COO, the Chief Executive RN & someone from HR. The statement they made is that the issue is confidential & they are not at liberty to share any information. They are sympathetic to the situation & understand that it is a stressful situation for the pregnant couples, but there is nothing that they can share. Dr. MacCormick stated that the hospital has made provisions for their OB hospitalists (on call OBs) to care for the pregnant moms when they go into labor & that he fully trusts in their ability to support their birth plans. One of the moms took the lead & stated that we were there to get answers but understood that it was a legal issue & that we might not get answers. She said that we also just wanted to be heard & have our opinions shared with them. She stated that we all know that Dr. Biter was delivering babies as of Thursday & delivered a baby on Friday that had meconium aspiration that was discovered at the time of birth. She stated that the baby is doing fine & that meconium aspiration is something that is fairly common. So, why was it that he was delivering babies Thursday & Friday but them as of Friday afternoon, was deemed to be too dangerous to deliver any more babies? They couldn’t comment on that because it is a confidential issue. Several of the moms spoke & some cried about how emotionally stressful this situation has been on them & they have developed strong ties to Dr. Biter & can’t & won’t consider birthing with anyone else. A dad shared that they’ve been building a relationship with Dr. Biter the past 31 weeks & they trust him & know that he will honor their wishes for a natural birth for their birth. He said that it’s their 1st birth & they really want it to be a wonderful experience. He said that he knows that Dr. Biter will provide that for them and that they will be loyal to him wherever he goes. One of the moms shared that they recently moved to San Diego. They are in the military & chose to go outside of the military hospital to birth their 2nd child because they had a negative birth experience the 1st time. She researched & learned that Scripps Encinitas was supposed to be the most natural-birth supportive hospital in town. She called the Labor & Delivery dept to get a recommendation for a great OB & the nurse said that she’d have to give 3 referrals but that Dr. Biter got a “gold star”. This mom said that she specifically chose their hospital & this doctor because she wants a better birth. She said that she is committed to having Dr. Biter be at her birth & that she was really unhappy with the decision to suspend him. I shared that I’m a childbirth educator & have had over 350 couples come through my classes. I’ve always referred my clients to Scripps Encinitas because they promote themselves to be the most natural-birth supportive & because they are a mother-baby friendly hospital. I asked them how they could be either of those if they continue getting rid of natural birth supportive care providers like the midwives & Dr. Biter, who is the MOST natural-birth supportive OB in town. They were defensive about the midwives & wanted to clarify that they didn’t make the midwife group leave, but that the midwife group left on their own accord. I stated that they technically may have left, but it was only because the environment was hostile & that we all really knew what happened. I suggested to them that they rethink their decision to suspend Dr. Biter because in doing so, they’ve now tainted their reputation as a natural-birth supportive & mother-baby friendly hospital. In suspending him, they’ve also put themselves in a poor financial situation because almost all of his patients will follow him or choose other hospitals. I shared with them that I was aware of 5 moms that were due & chose to have homebirths with midwives & that NO ONE has chosen to birth in Scripps Encinitas with the on-call doctors since the suspension occurred. The COO & the Chief Exec. RN were defensive again saying that I shouldn’t make blanket statements that include their nurses because their nurses are mother-baby friendly & natural-birth supportive. Dr. MacCormick also stated that there are other OBs on staff who support natural birth & will respect a woman’s birth plan. I then stated that I used to refer clients to several other doctors who say they support natural birth only to find that my couples consistently would report back to me that they were pressured & didn’t have the birth experience they wanted. Yet, every client that went to Dr. Biter for their birth had only positive things to say about their birth experiences. So, they may say they have other doctors, but as they can see, the group of people before them would NOT be coming to their hospital unless Dr. Biter was present. A dad, who is also a doctor, ended the meeting by saying that this small group represents the larger group of Dr. Biter patients & that most if not all of Dr. Biter’s patients would not be coming to the hospital to birth their babies. The dad requested that they reinstate Dr. Biter immediately so the women in the room could birth where they wanted to & with the OB they desired & developed a relationship with. The dad requested that the decision be made as soon as possible & that if they weren’t going to reinstate him, that that decision be made as soon as possible as well. We thanked them all for their time & they did the same. They repeated that they are sympathetic to the situation & that they heard our requests.

Here’s the latest information we have about the rally:

We are expecting over 500 people to come to the rally [Friday, May 14th, 2010]. Please do NOT park on Scripps property. There is a parking lot across the street & residential parking west of the hospital.

If you’d like to order a t-shirt that says Bring Dr. Biter Back!, please contact Deanna at opporders@gmail.com for details.

Here are the new recommendations for signs:
STOP BULLYING BITER!
Bring Dr. Biter Back!
Bring Biter Back!
Dr. Biter IS Mother-Baby Friendly!
www.BRINGBITERBACK.com
Dr. Biter is THE VBAC doc!
Dr. Biter has the lowest C-section rate!
RNs (heart) Dr. Biter
Biter is the only OB that teaches surgery in San Diego!
Best DOCTOR 2 years in a row!
Reinstate Dr. Biter NOW!
My baby needs Dr. Biter!
My birth needs Dr. Biter!
Dr. Biter respects women’s rights!

We want this rally to be positive but we also want to make our point. Please keep your signs focused on what we want–Dr. Biter to be reinstated immediately–and what we love about Dr. Biter.

Feel free to contact the news–TV, radio, online, & print–to encourage them to cover this story & our rally. John Gardner’s sentencing is scheduled to happen at 1:30 pm so they will be covering that, but we’ll be rallying until 3:30 pm, so they can still come cover our rally. If they need a contact person, you can refer them to me: Carol Yeh-Garner 858-837-1259 or to Sheri Menelli: 760-522-2829.

On behalf of all of the people working behind the scenes to make this rally happen & to help get Dr. Biter reinstated, we THANK YOU for your support!

If you are not familiar with Dr. Biter, aka Dr. Wonderful per the Navelgazing Midwife, and the unique obstetrical care he offers, please read the article Rally for Dr. Wonderful on Mother’s Day from the Dou-la-la blog.  It chronicles a birth (home birth transfer) he attended, features amazingly touching photographs, and provides a summary of the first protest dated Sunday, May 10th.  This is how hospital birth should be and it’s a damn shame that the women of San Diego are losing access to this incredible OB.

Want to express your displeasure of the hospital’s actions?  Here is a list of ideas:

• Write a letter to the chief of staff.
• Contact your local representative.
• Write letters to the editor to the local news media & newspapers.
• Write supportive statements on your car windows with window paint.
• Go show your support at a daily vigil in front of Scripps Encinitas hospital.
• Come to the Bring Dr. Biter Back Rally this Friday, May 14th from 1:30-3:30 pm in front of Scripps Encinitas hospital.
• Sign the online petition to help reinstate him immediately.

As Carol says, “Time is of the essence. He must get reinstated within the next 9 days or his case will go in front of the Medical Board, therefore, delaying any chance of him getting reinstated in the near future.”

Please see the email below for more information on each of these action items.

Stay in touch via the Bring Biter Back blog or the I love Dr. Biter Facebook fan page.

____________________________________________________

Hi everyone- Please share this information with your clients, your friends, your family & anyone else that knows Dr. Biter. This is an important issue regarding women’s rights–the right to choose WHO to birth with & the right to choose WHERE to birth! If Scripps Encinitas doesn’t reinstate him immediately, hundreds of women will be left without a care provider that truly understands the normalcy of birth. Thanks–Carol Yeh-Garner

Dr. Robert Biter is a unique physician in the San Diego community. He embraces the concept of a woman’s right to choose a natural birth. He literally embodies the entire gamut of birthing options that an informed health care provider can offer to a woman and her family in a society that increasingly demands baby-friendly and healthy/organic birthing solutions. In supporting his patients’ natural birthing decisions, he also offers the best possible medical and surgical expertise should emergency medical intervention become necessary in the birth process. The patients choose their births, Dr. Biter makes those choices possible as long as the choices are safe, and the patients love him. They call him Dr. Wonderful.

Dr. Biter has held staff privileges at Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas in Encinitas, California for the last 8 years. During his time at Scripps, he has held the title of Department Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology, as well as having headed up the hospital’s ethics committee. He has won Best Doctor in San Diego two years in a row by Ranch and Coast Magazine.

With no warning on Friday May 7, 2010, Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas suspended Dr. Biter’s obstetrical privileges effective immediately.

Scripps decision to suspend Dr. Biter’s privileges has left both Dr. Biter and Dr. Biter’s expecting patients reeling and confused. At the most critical time in their pregnancy, Scripps has made it impossible for these women to have the doctor of their choosing deliver their babies; and the likelihood of finding another physician who understands and supports natural birthing is slim to none. The majority of these women would follow Dr. Biter wherever he practices; but for him to establish staff privileges elsewhere is a time intensive endeavor. To make Scripps’ actions even more unclear, there have been no claims of obstetrical malpractice filed against Dr. Biter…EVER.

On Mother’s Day, May 9, 2010, the local community rallied around Dr. Biter and the message that families want the option to choose natural births in a hospital setting. The result was a Mother’s Day rally in support of Dr. Biter held with less than 24-hours notice at Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas in Encinitas, California. Approximately 150 people attended.

Scripps Encinitas Hospital has consistently touted themselves as a very holistic, mother-baby friendly hospital. How can they be so mother-baby friendly if they have suspended THE most mother-baby friendly obstetrician in town?

We know that the last couple whose birth he attended had no unforeseen complications that would indicate a need for suspension. The baby had meconium aspiration, which was found only at the time of the c-section. Mother & baby are doing fine. The baby is in the NICU but is breathing & eating on her own. The parents are thrilled with the way that Dr. Biter assisted them during the birth of their daughter & in no way made any complaints against him to bring about the suspension. The father attended the Mother’s Day rally even though he had a newborn in the NICU. His wife recuperated in her hospital room while holding a sign that read, “We support Dr. Biter”.

Dr. Biter needs to be reinstated immediately so that he can provide continuity of care to his patients that are expected to go into labor at any moment. He is such a dedicated person that he has come up with a backup plan of being an unpaid doula to all his patients that are in labor at Sharp Mary Birch Hospital. Anyone who wants to labor at Scripps Encinitas can change doctors or show up & birth with whoever is on call at the moment, but we believe that most, if not all, his patients will want to stay with him to continue to receive the wonderful care he has provided to them.

Here are the latest things you can do to help:

Please send all letters demanding Dr. Biter’s reinstatement to:
Dr. Ronald MacCormick, Chief of Staff
Scripps Encinitas Hospital
354 Santa Fe Dr
Encinitas, CA 92024
His phone number is 760-633-7686. Ask to leave a voicemail for Dr. MacCormick.
Please CC Chris Van Gorder, CEO at: 4275 Campus Point Ct, San Diego, CA 92121.

Please contact your local & state politicians to bring light to this situation:
Assemblyman, Martin Garrick
Assemblyman, Nathan Fletcher
Susan Davis
Francine Busby
Barbara Boxer
Diane Feinstein

Write letters to the editor to the local news media & newspapers highlighting Dr. Biter’s suspension & the travesty of it. Call them to alert them of the upcoming rally this Friday (details below).

Write on your car windows with window paint:
Bring Dr. Biter Back!
The more people that know about this issue, the better! Sheri Menelli will have window crayons at the morning daily vigils in front of Scripps from 9-11 am so stop by & get your windows decorated.

Go show your support at a daily vigil in front of Scripps Encinitas hospital every day until he is reinstated. The vigils will be held from 9-11 am everyday until he is reinstated.

Come to the Bring Dr. Biter Back Rally this Friday, May 14th from 1:30-3:30 pm in front of Scripps Encinitas hospital. We need a lot of people so bring friends, family & neighbors. Kids & babies welcome! Wear green in significance of peace, nature & eco-consciousness, which are all thing Dr. Biter supports. RSVP at the I love Dr. Biter fan page EVENT page. Ricki Lake, author, actress & filmmaker will be there along with Anna Getty, author, actress, great-granddaughter of John Paul Getty III and creator or Pregnancy Awareness Month. There may be other celebrity supporters there as well.

SIGNS for the vigil & rally should read:
BRING DR BITER BACK!
BRING BITER BACK!
HOW IS THIS MOTHER-BABY FRIENDLY?
THIS IS NOT MOTHER-BABY FRIENDLY!
HEY CHIEF OF STAFF! BRING BITER BACK!
SHAME ON SCRIPPS!

Please sign the online petition at: http://www.facebook.com/l/bf255;www.ipetitions.com/petition/bringbiterback/ to help reinstate him immediately.

We have a blog (http://www.facebook.com/l/bf255;www.bringbiterback.blogspot.com) or the I love Dr. Biter Facebook fan page that will keep you updated with the latest information.

Time is of the essence. He must get reinstated within the next 9 days or his case will go in front of the Medical Board, therefore, delaying any chance of him getting reinstated in the near future.

Thank you again for your help & support!

Live, Love, Laugh…Often~
Carol Yeh-Garner, LCSW, HBCE
858-837-1259
http://www.facebook.com/l/bf255;www.AWellLivedLife.Net
read my http://www.facebook.com/l/bf255;blog~AWellLivedLife.blogspot.com

I received many requests to share it online, not only from conference attendees but by the women themselves who contributed their stories for this piece.  You can download a PDF copy of this document here.

I’m especially excited that I had the opportunity to share the comments provided by Wendy S. from California, Kristen K. of Nebraska, and Rachel R. of Oregon during the public discussion time which you can view via the Day 2 Webcast.  (You can also view the Day 1 Webcast, download a PDF of the Program and Abstracts, as well as pre-order the consensus statement.  The more people who order the consensus statement, the more powerful the message that people are interested in the option of VBAC.)

While the contributors gave permission for their full names to be used on the  handout I distributed at the NIH, not everyone is comfortable with their name on the internet.

American Women Speak About VBAC

In an effort to bring the consumer perspective to the 2010 NIH VBAC Conference,  Jennifer Kamel, Founder of VBAC Facts, asked women across America, “Why is the option of VBAC important to you?”  This is what they said.

Alabama – To avoid not being able to carry your baby because he’s dead from the placental abruption (or uterine rupture) as a result of those damn previous cesareans. – Amanda M.

Arizona – VBAC is important to me because I don’t want to continue to have increased risks with each major surgery. – Amanda McM.

Arkansas – Personally, VBAC is stellar important to me because I wanted to give birth to my babies, not have them cut out and handed to me.  On a soul-deep level, I believe it was necessary to validate my purpose in existing.  – Jer W.

California – It is important to me because I have the right to experience the complex passage of vaginal birth and the positive cascade of effects for mom and baby.  I want the right to experience VBAC without driving 90 minutes or more with traffic. Successful or not, VBAC empowers women for choice and a chance to fill an emotional void that is unmatched.  The whole “readily available” lawyer talk certainly is not protecting our other high risk patients.  – Wendy S., L&D RN

Because when a woman experiences a VBAC, she reclaims her body and gets to see that she is in fact perfectly capable of giving birth without surgery.  She is no longer broken.  Her body and spirit heal. – Layla M.

To me it is like saying someone should be required to have open heart surgery, even though a laparoscope would be safer, just because doctors/ hospitals/ insurance companies, prefer it that way.  It is so much bigger than our desires to experience a vaginal birth or even to be some kind of hippie earth mother. It is about our right to safe and respectful medical care. Courtney Stange-Tregear

I wanted a VBAC to heal my raw emotions and psychological trauma caused by not having a vaginal birth the first time and because I believe it’s safer. Unfortunately, I had to travel 3 hours to get to the closest facility that allowed VBACs. But having the chance to VBAC was great! – Andrea O.

Because I love women and love babies and have spent 20 years investigating what affords the best possible beginning for them both and that is a vaginal birth. – Joni Nichols BS MS CCE CD(DONA) (CBI)

It is wrong that I have to travel to another county and fight for a normal, safe, healthy birth for my baby.  Hospitals and doctors need to get their priorities straight and practice true informed consent. – Kathleen S.

My VBAC proved to me that I was not as broken as I felt after receiving so many labels [FTP, etc] regarding my cesarean. – Alexandra R.

Colorado - VBAC allowed me to trust in my body and let it do what it needed to do.  My midwife and her assistant viewed my “long labor” as simply a variation of normal.  I was finally able to deliver my 10 lb baby, with a nuchal hand, in an amazing waterbirth.  My body is amazing and strong and did not let me down. Jill K., Ph.D. (Clinical Psychologist and Professor)

Connecticut – Without VBAC, women have no choice and are forced into dangerous births. – Danielle M.

Florida – VBAC matters because it is lifelong; it is forever; it is not short term.  The effects of a VBAC never wear off. – Shannon M.

My VBAC offered me a better recovery without worrying about an incision site. – Meredith S., HBA2C mom

Hawaii – The fact that the possibility of a malpractice suit dictates what most obstetricians offer and results in them pushing the birth option that is more likely to end in a mother’s death is totally incomprehensible to me. Evidence-based care is what our standard should be.  Every single obstetrician should be pushing the safest option for mother and baby, not the safest option for avoiding a lawsuit. – Naomi S.

Idaho – My VBAC was validation of my womanhood. It has made me a better mother and spouse. – Bonnie M.

Indiana - I wanted to have a large family and I think VBAC is the best option instead of repeat c-sections!!  I have had 6 VBACs so far and hope to be able to have as many more! – Stacy G.

Kentucky – Because having my baby cut out of my abdomen was very traumatic for me.  The bonding was more difficult [than my three previous vaginal births] and PPD followed. – Denise H.

Massachusetts – When my son was born by (unnecessary) cesarean, I felt like someone had deflated my belly and handed me a baby. He was mine, but a part of me felt like they could have handed me any baby. But when I look at my daughter’s head and stroke it while I am nursing her, I can say I gave birth to that head. I gave birth to that head! This is my baby. And no one can take that away from me. – Catie Ladd

Michigan – There are all sorts of “soft” reasons why VBAC is great but when it really comes down to the bottom line, what keeps me working for ICAN, what brings tears to my eyes, is the fact that women and babies are dying who shouldn’t, because VBAC is no longer a real option for most women in the U.S. – Gretchen Humphries, MS DVM

Mississippi. After my first baby’s labor ended with a cesarean, I felt that I really hadn’t been given a chance.  I felt bullied and pushed into a cesarean I didn’t want because it was more convenient for the doctor than letting me continue at a ’slower than normal’ dilation rate. – Nancy W.

Nebraska – If VBAC was not an option, my daughter would have been an only child.  I could never willingly conceive knowing my child would be cut out of me via a completely unnecessary surgery. – Kristen K.

New Jersey - VBAC is certainly safe for both mom and baby as long as the original incision in the uterus was a low segment transverse incision. Evidence based medicine reports approximately 75% of women can successfully VBAC. As long as the mom is aware of the risks (minimal) and the benefits (MANY) they should have the right to VBAC. – JoAnn McQueen Yates, CNM

New York - Because I didn’t want to go through surgery if it wasn’t necessary.   Doctors take little stock in the emotional and psychological factors of giving birth – it’s not just about pushing out a baby!! – Carrie Moyer Howe

Ohio - Delivering vaginally for me was a “rite of passage.” I was finally able to cast off the numerous doubts and my sense of failure I experienced. I really was “adequate.” – Ellen B., Nurse Manager & VBAC mom X2

Oregon – After my c-section with my daughter, laughing was extremely painful for weeks.  I would think, how awful that during a time that should be filled with joy, I’m unable to laugh.  - Rachel R., HBAC mom

I think it’s important for the operating room space and staff to be available for a true emergency cesarean, rather than have me taking up their space and time for convenience. – Rebecca C.

Pennsylvania – If I had to plan a pregnancy to end in surgery, I would not have another child, period.  – Judy P., DVM, PhD (molecular biology)

VBAC is important to me because it has the capacity of healing my broken Self. – Monica R., PhD.

South Carolina – VBAC is a natural conclusion to a natural process.  Not to mention, how many babies with true emergencies, would be saved by not having operating rooms tied up with elective cesareans? – Raechel Fredrickson

West Virginia - Aside from the fact that offering VBACs is practicing Evidence Based Medicine and should be offered without question, I would like for other women to experience the joy and self-assurance that comes from working with her body as well as the indescribable feeling of pulling her fresh, warm baby up to her chest as I experienced with my HBA3C. – Teresa S.

Claremont VBAC Class

The "Truth About VBAC" seminar in Claremont, California is 8 days away on Saturday, October 24th from 1p – 4p.  Don’t miss out on your opportunity to experience an extensive review of the best VBAC and repeat cesarean research as well as learn specific, practical tools to maximize the likelihood of hospital or out-of-hospital VBAC success!  To register or sponsor a ticket, please visit: http://vbacfacts1024.eventbrite.com/

Do I need to be pregnant to attend?

The information is targeted towards women with prior cesareans who wish to have more children and the childbirth professionals who support them.  The best time to educate yourself is before you get pregnant when you have the luxury of time to research, decide what kind of birth you want, and then assemble your birth team without a due date looming.  That said, many women, have decided mid-pregnancy to change gears, reconsider their scheduled cesarean, find a new care provider, and plan successful VBACs.

Fullerton Class Recap

The Fullerton class last month was full of inquiring parents, midwives, doulas, Bradley childbirth educators, and labor & delivery (L&D) nurses some of whom drove over two hours to attend.  Not only did the moms and dads learn about VBAC, but they participated in a lively and candid discussion with the L&D nurses and doulas who were able to share exactly what it is like to VBAC in a hospital environment.  It would be very hard, if not impossible, to have these same exchanges on the L&D floor.  We also had homebirth midwives and doulas who provided the out-of-hospital perspective.

Here’s some feedback from one of the L&D nurses, who works in a hospital with an official VBAC ban and is working towards change:

Hi Jen, Thanks for an outstanding class! It was very nice meeting you. Your hard work and dedicated research is incredibly impressive. Knowledge is Power, wish it would rub off on the whole OB community. I think the trend to eventually turn that direction for women’s choice of birth options will happen as more people put that kind of pressure on the issue. Bravo to you!

"The Truth About VBAC" Book

Included with each ticket is one "Truth About VBAC" book which includes all the slides from the presentation, the bibliography, as well as lined paper throughout for easy note taking.  As the class is research heavy, this will enable you to sit back and absorb the information rather than frantically copying statistics and study citations, as I have often done in seminars.

Additional books will be available purchase that day for $15.  Quantities are limited.  To guarantee your copy, pre-purchase here: http://vbacfacts1024.eventbrite.com/

VBAC Class Advocacy

If you can’t come to the class but want to spread the word, consider putting a banner ad on your website or blog, posting flyers in your local community, or sharing VBAC FAQ cards with your friends or clients.

Shape the 2010 Class Schedule

You can influence where the next VBAC Class will be held!  I expect to hold 3-4 classes in Southern California throughout 2010.  I’m looking at the area bordered by Santa Barbara, Lancaster, Palm Desert, and San Diego.  If you want "The Truth About VBAC" to come to your city, please email info at vbacfacts dot com with your name, city, and zip code.  Those cities with the most requests will determine the next VBAC Class!

If you have facilities that can accommodate 20-40 people and want to host a class, please contact me at info at vbacfacts dot com.  I will be emailing those who have contacted me in the past in the coming weeks to discuss scheduling a class.

Win Two VBAC Class Tickets at the LA Holistic Moms Open House!

VBAC Facts has donated 250 VBAC FAQ cards as well as two tickets to a 2010 "Truth About VBAC" class to the Holistic Moms Network LA Open House Raffle.  Please join us Wednesday November 4th, 6:30pm at South Pasadena Library Community Room, 1115 El Centro St, South Pasadena, CA.  Here is a flyer with all the details.

Chino Birth Center Open House before VBAC Class

If you would like to tour a birth center and speak to a out-of-hospital midwife before heading over to the VBAC Class, the Oaks House Family Birth Center at 13770 Oaks Avenue, Chino CA 91709 is having an Open House on Saturday, October 24th from 11am – 2pm.  For more information call (909) 464-0974.

mybestbirth San Diego Party & Screening

I’m going to  this event which is scheduled for Thursday, November 12, 2009 at 5:30 PM and can’t wait!  To register please visit: http://mybestbirthsd.eventbrite.com/  All proceeds benefit the Business of Being Born Educational Outreach Project, ICAN and the San Diego Birth Network. Here are the details:

Join us for an exclusive VIP Reception at Babies in Bloom at 5:30 pm. Meet Ricki and Abby, enjoy delicious appetizers and beverages, and see a sneak peek of Ricki and Abby’s new film! We will also have a silent auction of fabulous items from our sponsors.

After the party, "The Business of Being Born" will be shown at the Krikorian Theaters in Vista Village at 7 pm. Several local birth professionals (including midwives Barbara Herrera and Michelle Freund, and Dr. Robert Biter) will join Ricki and Abby for a discussion panel  following the screening.

Private Screening of "Laboring Under an Illusion"

I’m so bummed this is the same night at the mybestbirth event!  Hopefully CABO will host another screening in the future!

Attend a private showing at Laguna Hills Community Center on Thursday, November 12, 2009 5-8pm of "Laboring Under an Illusion," a documentary that depicts how the media portrays labor and birth.  It is quite comical and contrasts delivery and birth.  Hope you will consider this and join us and distribute widely. Women that are pregnant or planning to have a baby may be interested as well!  All proceeds support the efforts of project CABO (Community Alliance for Birth Options). 

Here is a flyer with all the details.

If you have have discriminated against due to your prior cesarean, our government needs to hear about it!

ICAN needs stories about discriminatory insurance practices based on a previous cesarean.  This can include but is not limited to demands for sterilization, restrictions on how soon you can have another pregnancy and be covered, higher premiums, restrictions on the total amount of benefits they will pay, excessively high deductibles for maternity care.  Even if all you have is your name, state, contact information (email is fine) and a description of the circumstances (with the name of the relevant insurance company(ies) if possible) we can use it.  If you have written documentation, that would be pure gold.  There is interest about this at the highest levels of the Federal Govt. and we will use this to open the discussion on other areas of discrimination (like VBAC bans, lack of transparency, etc)….so please, take a moment and get the information to ICAN.  You can email me at advocacy@ican-online.org or you can snail mail to ICAN of Ann Arbor, PO Box 48, Stockbridge, MI  49285.

Your story could make a difference that would improve the care available for millions of women and their babies.

Below is a press release illustrating ICAN’s latest efforts.

ICAN Mother Provides Testimony on Capitol Hill Discriminatory Insurance Practices Investigated by Senate HELP Committee

REDONDO BEACH, CA, October 15, 2009 – Gretchen Humphries, Advocacy Director for the International Cesarean Awareness Network accompanied Peggy Robertson of Centennial, Colorado to a Senate hearing in the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. Ms. Robertson testified about her experiences with discriminatory insurance practices based on her history of cesarean.

Ms. Robertson was featured in a New York Times article in July 2008 after she was declined insurance due to her previous cesarean. She was informed by the insurance company that her application would be accepted if she agreed to be sterilized.

As of 2007, 31.8% of childbearing women in the United States had a cesarean delivery and the rate continues to increase each year. These increases are due, in part, to the growing number of women who are denied the opportunity to have a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) through similarly discriminatory VBAC bans. “The prospect of rendering a third of women uninsurable is frightening and unconscionable,” said Desirre Andrews, President of ICAN. “Many of these women are being pressured or bullied into first-time and repeat cesareans, and to doubly inflict them by leaving them without health insurance is offensive.” Clearly this type of practice potentially affects a very large number of women now and in the future as the cesarean rate continues to climb and the vaginal birth after cesarean rate continues to decline.

The practice of denying a woman health insurance because of a prior cesarean also indicts the medical community. Many of the cesareans performed today are unnecessary or the by-product of an over-interventive labor management process that is rooted in defensive medicine practices. “It is absolutely wrong to deny coverage to women either because of past cesareans or the risk of future cesareans, but it is also wrong to prop up a system where physicians can overuse surgery that both harms the health of women and babies, and forces insurance companies to take on excessive costs.” said Gretchen Humphries, ICAN’s Advocacy Director.

Cesarean section is associated with double to triple the cost of a normal vaginal birth. Cesarean also imposes the risks of medical complications in the short-term and long-term, which often carry high costs. “Insurance companies, in their actuarial pragmatism, are doing the math and recognizing that moms with a history of cesarean are high-cost beneficiaries and working to weed them out of the pool of people they cover. It’s discriminatory and lawmakers need to address this issue and determine a way to protect mothers, both from the practices of the insurance industry and the non-evidence based care from obstetricians,” said Humphries.

Maternity care is the number one most expensive line-item in the U.S. healthcare bill. From 1996 to 2006, the national cesarean rate rose by 50 percent, setting a new record each year from 2000 onward. The proportion of medically induced labors rose by 135 percent from 1990 to 2005, with strong suggestions that these official induction rates identify only roughly 50 percent of actual inductions. The burden on the health care system is staggering for maternity care as it is today. In 2005, the combined hospital charges for birthing women and newborns totaled $79,277,733,843 and exceeded charges for any other condition. Private insurers paid for 51 percent and Medicaid paid for 42 percent of these stays. “Pregnancy and delivery” was the most expensive condition, followed by “newborn infants” for both payers. Six of the ten most common procedures billed to Medicaid and to private insurers in 2005 were maternity related. Cesarean section was the most common operating room procedure for Medicaid, private payers and all payers combined.

As policymakers focus on healthcare reform and finding ways to improve outcomes while lowering costs, ICAN calls on policymakers to address the needs of pregnant women and make low-cost, optimal-outcome birth easier to access.

Currently: ·

Few women are given the information they need to navigate the pitfalls of the defensive medicine model of care that is rampant ·

Women are routinely coerced or pressured into expensive care that does nothing to improve outcomes, especially through the increasing practice of banning vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) ·

Access to low-intervention midwife-attended births are hampered by reimbursement issues, or onerous collaborative agreement requirements for practicing midwives

“The unique beauty of maternity care is that we can simultaneously improve quality and reduce costs,” said Andrews. “But we need to start by treating women fairly and equitably, and intelligently reserve medical technology and interventions for when they are appropriate.”

Mission statement: ICAN is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve maternal-child health by preventing unnecessary cesareans through education, providing support for cesarean recovery and promoting vaginal birth after cesarean. There are more than 117 ICAN Chapters across North America, Canada , and various international locations which hold educational and support meetings for people interested in cesarean prevention and recovery.

Citation: C. Sakala & M. Corry. Evidence-Based Maternity Care: What It Is and What It Can Achieve. 2008.

What Is It…                                                                 

To further support women’s right to choose their birthing experience, Berlin Wellness is offering gift certificates totally for $100,000 in labor preparation and prenatal services to women planning a VBAC.

What We’re Offering…

In exchange for our amazing giveaways, we’re looking for participants willing to take part in 2 scheduled video recorded interviews – 1 before and 1 after the birth – sharing the route each woman took to decide on a VBAC delivery. The when, why’s and how’s leading up to the big day, followed by the ultimate outcome of the overall experience will provide 100 women with $1,000 each in gift certificates to put towards prenatal preventative care and wellness services.

For more information, please visit The Berlin Wellness Group: $100,000 VBAC Giveaway!

These premium 100lb 3.5″ x 2″ matte finish business cards contain the answers to the most frequently asked VBAC questions.  Due to their small size, they are convenient to carry and distribute without having bulky pamphlets in your pocket or purse.  It is very easy to quickly pull one out of your pocket and hand it to a woman who:

• has had a cesarean,
• expressed interest in a VBAC,
• is pregnant post-cesarean,
• thinks VBAC is illegal,
• is unaware of the risks of repeat cesareans,
• wants to know what are the best books on birth to read, or
• simply wants a VBAC, but doesn’t know where you start.

How many times have you run into a woman like this, and so what to say something, but can’t think of the right words?  Or worse, said the wrong thing?  The FAQ card solves that problem.

To view and order the FAQ card, please see our Advocacy page.

Additionally, you can help by sharing the VBAC Class page via Facebook, MySpace, email, Twitter as well as message boards you frequent and email lists you belong to.  Send it to pregnant women, doulas, midwives, lactation consultants – anyone who is passionate about birth.

Even if you don’t live in the Southern California area, I’m sure you have friends or family that do and that they have friends or family that do.  The beauty of social networking sites in particular, is that they reach so many people, so quickly.

Why is this information important?

We live in a time where 50% of American hospitals have formal or de facto VBAC bans, where women are told VBAC is illegal, and where the practice of “pit to distress” is common.

Women who schedule their repeat cesarean do so believing that VBAC is not an option while others fight during labor to avoid unnecessary surgery after unknowingly hiring unsupportive medical professionals.

Women are not told that the risk decreases with each VBAC and yet increases with each cesarean.  Women are not told that there is an approximately 99.6% chance they will not rupture and a 99.95% chance that their baby will be born alive and without permanent injury.*  In short, women are led to believe that VBACs are risky, cesareans are safe and they believe it.

What is the result?

A 2005 survey revealed that 57% of women desire a VBAC, but less than 10% of American women actually do.

Women who want to VBAC do not have the knowledge, tools, or support to achieve that goal.

Women need the truth.

You would be amazed at how many women are not even aware of the term “vaginal birth after cesarean.”

The first step is letting women know that VBAC is even an option.

They just need the information and support.

Together, we can give them that.

____________________________________________________________

* Risk of uterine rupture during a spontaneous labor after one prior low horizontal cesarean is 0.04% or 1 in 250.  Risk of infant death or brain damage is 0.05% or 1 in 2000.  (Landon 2004)

I said at the end of the class that I would post the PowerPoint presentation to the site, but have since decided against that.  About 3/4 of the information was not in the PowerPoint and I think many of the slides could be misunderstood without the additional commentary such as charts of uterine rupture rates from studies that induced their subjects.  The fact that the study induced isn’t on the slide, so someone could look at that slide and think that it reflected the rate of rupture in spontaneous labors, which is at least 50% lower.  However, I will be publishing a bibliography in the next week or so, so look out for that.

Classes throughout 2009 are already in the works.  I’m planning three more classes within Southern California with the next class in either West LA or Orange County.  If you would like a class in your city, please leave a comment. 

I think a Saturday afternoon from 1p – 4p would work better than a Friday evening.  People don’t have to fight traffic and I think it’s easier to be away from small children during the day.  I’d love to get some feedback on this.  When would be your preferred time?

I would also like to encourage women who are not pregnant yet to attend the classes.  It’s almost to late to wait until you are actually pregnant to start learning about VBAC and your options.  I think the ideal timetable is to devourer the website, come to a class, read some of the books that I recommend, and start compiling names of who you want to hire for your birth, all before you start trying to conceive. 

Finding a good hospital, OB/midwife, doula, childbirth class (Bradley?  Hypnobabies?  Birthing from Within?), and then finding a childbirth instructor, can be time intensive and having that information together before you get pregnant gives you a distinct advantage.  Then when you get pregnant, you have a plan, you have less questions and the opportunities for you to get off track are minimized. 

If you wait until you get pregnant, the pressure is on and the clock is ticking.  With so much misinformation about VBAC abound, you could be lead to believe that there are no VBAC supportive providers in your area, or that VBAC is inherently dangerous, or just fall into the comfort of your current OB who “doesn’t do VBACs.”  Or worse, your OB could be one who offers a Circus Act VBAC, meaning that they want you to jump through 32 hoops in order to qualify for a VBAC.  However, since you haven’t done your preparation, you don’t recognize this for what it is, and you are lead down the road to a repeat cesarean all the while thinking you have a real opportunity to VBAC.

So, this is my way of telling you, if you plan on having more children and you’ve had a cesarean, please come to the next class no matter where you are in the procreation timeline: planning, thinking, trying, or already with a bun in the oven. 

I’ve received a couple emails from women saying that they aren’t pregnant implying that the class wouldn’t be helpful for them.  The information is targeted towards women with a prior cesarean who wish to have more children.  I think the best time to start preparing for your VBAC is before you get pregnant.  So please do not feel like you can’t come if you are not pregnant!

Go here for all the details: Southern California VBAC Class

See you soon!

Time and Place

In preparation to educate the world, or at the very least those who have the benefit (misfortune?) of being at Los Angeles and Atlanta airports that day, I plan to assault their eyes with more facts about VBAC than have ever been displayed on a shirt.  (I’m sure the word ‘vaginal’ will be enough to assault the sensibilities of some.)  I have purchased four VBAC Facts t-shirts which is enough to wear a fresh shirt for each day of travel as well as the conference, provided I wash one.  And since I’m hoping that they will generate some questions, I’m going to have a ton of my VBAC Facts business cards with me and might even work up a little brochure.  Good thing I have till April to work this all out!

Here are the shirts I bought.  There are a ton more available at the VBAC Facts store at CafePress.

VBAC Facts Jr. Jersey T-Shirt

VBAC Facts Jr. Raglan – Black

VBAC Facts Jr. Raglan – Pink

VBAC Facts Jr. Ringer T-Shirt

I also used it to add some new products to the VBAC Facts store at Cafe Press, including a ton of shirts and hoodies.

An example of one shirt:

The design on the back reads:

Vaginal Birth After Cesarean

Risk of uterine rupture about 0.5%

Emergency surgery no more likely than non-VBAC birth

Safer for you in this pregnancy

Rupture risk decreases with each VBAC

Safer for you and your babies in future pregnancies

Amniocentesis is more dangerous to your baby

Legal in all 50 states

I thought it hit the major points.

I’m going to buy one and wear it when I go to Disneyland as well as other places where there are a lot of people.

I really liked how the tote bag turned out:

There are a bunch of hoodies and even a tracksuit, here’s an example:

What better way to enjoy your coffee?  I know coffee is one of those things that helps me get through a hard morning… especially when I’m up till 1am working on designing fun stuff!  Off to bed!

You will be able to tell who I am easily.  Since I haven’t been able to design the perfect VBAC Facts t-shirt, I’ll be wearing a t-shirt with my VBAC Facts handout pinned on it.  Fashion quandary solved.

Saturday, January 10, 2009
10am: Orgasmic Birth
11am – 2pm: Open House

The Oaks House
13770 Oaks Ave
Chino, CA 91710
(909) 464-0974
Lori Luyten, LM, CPM

Directions

More Information

Hope to see you there!