| By Breech Birth Midwife Debs Rhodes
From a medicalised traumatic birth, to a beautiful spontaneous surprise – this was my introduction into breech birth. I was fascinated, and I absorbed as much information from as many sources as I could find.
The history of breech birth has been a rollercoaster. Originally widely accepted as a variation of normal, at home with community midwives and family practitioner doctors in our Grandmother’s birth time, we moved to nearly 100% caesarean section birth in most industrialised countries. And now, the strong realisation that it’s time to bring back physiological breech birth, together with a rejuvenation of understanding, and a mix of old & new skills.
Where did all the breech birth skills go??
As the last century turned, most breech babies were already being born by caesarean. However, evidence from the Hannah et al, 2000 research showed that c-section favoured babies’ mortality outcomes over medicalised vaginal birth, putting the final nail in vaginal breech birth’s coffin. However, over the subsequent decade it was realised that there were many flaws in this trial – not least the lack of support for physiology in the vaginal birth arm of Hannah which led to iatragenic harm that could be avoided with good breech birth skills. And, critically, when the data is considered over the two years following birth, there is no difference between the outcomes of birth abdominally or vaginally (this was swept under the carpet!)
Those practitioners that understood breech birth have kept these skills alive. With mounting evidence that safety is compromised by all breeches being born via c-section. Women’s health and lives are being put at risk, future pregnancies are being affected, and with a greater focus on the overal health of the woman and child, it’s time we regained vaginal breech skills.
I’m delighted to be able to share my own experiences of practice along with my continued learning from breech experts around the world.
Whether you want to learn from new, re-skill, update, share space with like minded practitioners, offer breech support in your own practice or just be prepared for those surprise ones that come along you’ll find the latest evidence and practice techniques here.
Workshops will be in Spain, UK, France, Slovakia, Portugal & Czech Republic.
For more information, email me, Debs Rhodes, at daaluzoasis@yahoo.com. |
