A new study of birth centers, published yesterday, is being hailed by midwifery advocates. While it does demonstrate that giving birth in birth centers accredited by the American Association of Birth Centers is safe, it does NOT show that birth centers have a lower C-section rate than hospital care for comparable risk women, and therefore, [...]
Latest News
Stop obstetric violence toward babies
Homebirth advocates have a terrible propensity for promiscuous use of language. By that I mean the use and abuse of language for the express purpose of drawing attention. Such is the case with the use of the term rape as in the currently fashionable accusation of “birth rape”. It’s not rape, it has nothing to [...]
No, homebirth did not save your baby, either
As I’ve written many times in the past, there is an apparently irresistible impulse to one-upsmanship among homebirth advocates. So, for example: A says, “I had natural childbirth.” and B says, “Oh, yeah, well I had PAINLESS childbirth” and C says, “Well, ladies, I can top that. I had an ORGASM during childbirth!” Evidently the [...]
How reluctance to use interventions killed the heir to the British throne and the princess who bore him
The announcement of the first pregnancy of Kate, Duchess of Cambridge and future British queen has created a stir in the birth world. Many birth activists have suggested that Kate could set an example by having a home birth and avoiding interventions. Even the British, apparently, forget their own history. In one of the greatest [...]
An ode to C-section mothers
Actress Kate Winslet was actually so embarrassed about having a C-section for her first child that she lied about it: When she celebrated the birth of her first baby, she hailed the joys of natural childbirth. But now, four years on, Kate Winslet has admitted she lied – her daughter Mia was delivered by emergency [...]
Lawsuit
Moments ago I filed a lawsuit against Gina Crosley-Corcoran in Federal Court in Massachusetts that includes claims that Gina unlawfully sent false notices (called “takedown notices”) under the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) and for tortious interference with my contracts with webhosts. I did not make this decision lightly. A lawsuit is a serious matter, [...]
Why reading the abstract of a scientific paper isn’t enough
Imagine you are standing in a group at a cocktail party discussing the latest thriller from Dan Brown, author of The Da Vinci Code. One of your companions remarks: “I loved The Da Vinci Code, but I was so disappointed by Brown’s most recent book The Lost Symbol. The writing was poor, the story was [...]
What if we treated erectile dysfunction like we treat breastfeeding difficulties?
Recently Time Magazine asked Is the Medical Community Failing Breastfeeding Moms? In the piece an obstetrician mused on the difference between the way we treat breastfeeding issues (“well-meaning lactation consultants urge them to try harder”) and erectile dysfunction, which got me thinking … Mr. Jones, so nice to meet you. Allow me to introduce myself, [...]
What do The Feminist Breeder and Rush Limbaugh have in common? A fear of free speech.
From “the can’t-take-the-heat dept“: Radio personality Rush Limbaugh apparently has decided he can’t handle criticism well, so he’s abusing the DMCA to take down a video critical of him. The video does use Limbaugh video, but it seems like a pretty clear case of fair use. And, if we go by the standard established in [...]
New CDC statistics, same old increased homebirth death rate
In 2003 the US standard birth certificate form was revised to include place of birth and attendant at birth. That makes it possible to compare neonatal death rates at home vs. in the hospital. The latest set of statistics (2008) have been released by the CDC and can be found on the CDC Wonder website. [...]
Amy Tuteur, MD
Dr. Amy Tuteur is an obstetrician gynecologist. She received her undergraduate degree from Harvard College in 1979 and her medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine in 1984. Dr. Tuteur is a former clinical instructor at Harvard Medical School. She left the practice of medicine to raise her four children. Her book, How Your Baby Is Born, an illustrated guide to pregnancy, labor and delivery was published by Ziff-Davis Press in 1994. She can be reached at DrAmy5 at aol dot com.
Webicina
