Can you feel a uterine rupture with an epidural?

Some care providers discourage epidurals in VBAC moms fearing that it will mask the symptoms of uterine rupture (namely abdominal pain) and delay diagnosis resulting in a poor outcome for baby and to a lesser extent, mom Other care providers suggest or even require VBAC moms to have an epidural so that a [...]

Do intrauterine pressure catheters make VBAC safer?

A mom planning a VBA1C (vaginal birth after one cesarean) at a Southern California Kaiser recently emailed me. She discovered while interviewing her care provider and asking how they treat VBAC labors differently than non-VBAC labors (an excellent question), that they require intrauterine pressure catheters (IUPC) in all VBAC labors. She wanted to [...]

The Role of Interpretation – ACOG Refines Fetal Heart Rate Monitoring Guidelines

“Since 1980, the use of EFM has grown dramatically, from being used on 45% of pregnant women in labor to 85% in 2002,” says George A. Macones, MD, who headed the development of the ACOG document. “Although EFM is the most common obstetric procedure today, unfortunately it hasn’t reduced perinatal mortality or the risk of cerebral palsy. In fact, the rate of cerebral palsy has essentially remained the same since World War II despite fetal monitoring and all of our advancements in treatments and interventions.” [...]