Obstetrician

[margrace]

How many people on here were ushered into this world by an obstetrician, none of my generation nor of my children's generation ever even heard the name. So why do we need them now to the point where women have to be driven many miles away from their immediate hospitals to have a baby????

[scribblet]

A lot of family doctors will not deliver babies, mainly due to possible libel suits. Many women are having children at a much later age and so are at risk, they do need a specialist. Other than that, I don't see a problem with having a trained midwife, as long as there is a doctor available if needed.

[margrace]

Yes Scribblet, I agree with you, we should be using more midwives. Is it really a worry about lawsuits or is that a straw argument in Canada?

[Charles Anthony]

Is it really a worry about lawsuits

It is a real concern. The "good samaritan" rule does not always protect physicians. Occasionally, when there is a medical malpractice lawsuit, plaintiffs will try to sue everybody within a fifty mile radius of the incident.

As a result, when there is a birth going awry in a hospital, physicians will call on the intercom for help to no avail. Everybody usually stays clear. Sad. Contrast that with what happens when an airplane pilot asks if there is a pilot on the plane. Anybody and everybody with a slight amount of flying experience will stand up and offer to help.

In our current "state" of affairs, my thoughts on home-births are mixed. I have no problem with a midwife delivering a baby in principle. Their skills are probably just as good as obstetricians. They do so in hospitals and in homes. I have been told that midwife births (whether in hospitals or in homes) tend to cost more than doctor-delivered hospital births. Often what will happen is if there is even a slight worry, the midwife will call 911 and waste the services of the paramedics. The paramedics often end up standing around for the delivery of the baby and then are still required to deliver mother and child to the hospital. A huge waste. Furthermore, many of the emergency deliveries that are rushed into hospital are attempted home-births.

[margrace]

Charles do you have any statistics on you posts. There are mid wives in our area but I never heard of that happening.

[Charles Anthony]

I have no statistics. I am just recounting hearsay from two emergency doctors in Southern Ontario. That is why I said "I have been told" up above.

[jdobbin]

Yes Scribblet, I agree with you, we should be using more midwives. Is it really a worry about lawsuits or is that a straw argument in Canada?

It really is about the lawsuits.

Even mid-wives can be sued and have to carry insurance.

[jdobbin]

Contrast that with what happens when an airplane pilot asks if there is a pilot on the plane. Anybody and everybody with a slight amount of flying experience will stand up and offer to help.

Pilots don't ask if anyone can fly a plane. Ever.

I can just imagine that being asked today: "Oh yes, but I only know how to turn the plane, not to take-off or land."

[geoffrey]

Contrast that with what happens when an airplane pilot asks if there is a pilot on the plane. Anybody and everybody with a slight amount of flying experience will stand up and offer to help.

Pilots don't ask if anyone can fly a plane. Ever.

I can just imagine that being asked today: "Oh yes, but I only know how to turn the plane, not to take-off or land."

I certainly hope dobbin is right. But I guess if the pilots are toast, then the most qualified person should probably take over... which may just be the flight attendant as she's 'seen this done once before.'

[guyser]

Yes Scribblet, I agree with you, we should be using more midwives. Is it really a worry about lawsuits or is that a straw argument in Canada?

It really is about the lawsuits.

Even mid-wives can be sued and have to carry insurance.

I am not so sure about it being the lawsuits. Since they have kept rates on liability insurance pretty low in this country (Drs Lia ins not generally) most can afford to practice as OBS if they choose to.

I see it as more that they just dont want that hassle of delivering at any time of the day or night. We have seen the huge increase in C sections because they can be scheduled and the time to do them is static. Besides, any birth in a hospital puts the onus on the Hospitals insurance , relegating the Docs insurance to second status.(meaning the hosp responds first)

[margrace]

and besides specialist are paid more than family doctors aren't they. Why aren't these things investigated properly. Who decided it has to be an Ovstetrician and how many hospitals forbid midwives?

[geoffrey]

and besides specialist are paid more than family doctors aren't they. Why aren't these things investigated properly. Who decided it has to be an Ovstetrician and how many hospitals forbid midwives?

Have the mid-wives in the hospitals?!?!

[jdobbin]

Have the mid-wives in the hospitals?!?!

Lots of mid-wives do work out of hospitals. Not every pregnancy has to happen in the home as people have pointed out, as women get older, there can be complications.

[Catchme]

Have the mid-wives in the hospitals?!?!

Lots of mid-wives do work out of hospitals. Not every pregnancy has to happen in the home as people have pointed out, as women get older, there can be complications.

Yes, they must be licensed for the hospital, under a Dr.

I would think Nurse Practitioners is a way outlaying communities could go. In conjunction with mid wifes.

[geoffrey]

Or certify foreign doctors. We have too many of them driving taxi cabs.

While of course we have to protect our credentials, it wouldn't hurt for the government to throw some money at these people to upgrade. It's better than paying the overtime and letting people die or suffer which is the status quo.

[Melanie_]

Not every pregnancy has to happen in the home

Some pregnancies happen in the back seat of an '89 Tempo....

[Melanie_]

OK, more seriously, midwives are a good solution, but we can't discount the medical advances that are available only in hospitals. It is true that midwives delivered babies for thousands of years, but many babies and mothers died as well. Simple medical interventions available today save lives. Midwives in hospitals make a great deal of sense.

[margrace]

Right, I am not too struck with the thought of home deliveries but why can't we have midwives in the hopsitals. Aliston Hospital has no baby delivery, because their either can't or won't get an Obstetrician. I think this is a lot of bull.

[Melanie_]

I think this is one of those provincial differences we come across so often here at MLW.

Midwives practice in a variety of settings including hospitals, clinics, health units, community health centres, birth centres and homes.

Manitoba Midwives

In Ontario, it sounds like maybe the possibility of midwives in hospitals is there, but there are more barriers...

Midwifery clients may choose to give birth at home or in hospital. All midwives maintain privileges in at least one hospital, and work collaboratively with other health care practitioners. The Association of Ontario Midwives, the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care and the Ontario Hospital Association are working collaboratively to address increasing challenges many midwives are facing in securing hospital privileges, in particular due to quotas on the maximum number of midwives or midwifery assisted births.

Ontario Midwives

[jdobbin]

Some pregnancies happen in the back seat of an '89 Tempo....

My oops. Births is what I wanted to say. heh