[ozmidwifery] unnecessary C/S

[Mary Murphy]

I am re posting this as it is at odds with the statement "A baby's heartrate should be either accelerating or staying stable during contractions in the FIRST stage of labour." " I have just attended a long labour where a 40yrold primip, term plus 15days had 24hrs pre-labour at home, brown soupy mec liq. on ARM in hospital(2cm) and so many decels that the hospital midwife was having kittens and turning the synto off. The obst registrar was watching the monitor very closely (central monitoring) and pushing forward with the synto.  the woman progressed slowly to 4cms (typical) and then when faced with a possible C/S had an epidural.  At 8cms the Reg. did a scalp ph and it was perfect.  2 hours later the woman pushed out her 3.9kg baby with just a small tear, into the hands of a midwife.  This was an occasion where all the right technology was used for all the right reasons and was successful.  the only thing the woman refused was a suggested "amnio-infusion" to wash out the mec.  When I sucked the baby on the peri, the nose and mouth were clear. Apgars 9&9.  The labour from synto to birth took 13hrs".  This baby decelled at the peak of each contraction from 4cms on.  The lowest it decelled to was in the upper 60's for contraction after contraction, hour after hour.  This is what was giving the midwife "kittens". It was a perfect mirroring  of peak of contraction and decell of the heartrate.  Obviously the Registrar read it right.  the baby was in perfect condition.  MM