Re: [ozmidwifery] ARM at crowning

[Lisa Barrett]

Hi, Julie,   I am an independent midwife and I use bi manual suction.  I have a suction tube with a little pot and none returnable valve, I suck on end and the other goes into the baby's mouth.  I'm from Wales and this was common practice at home in the community and in theatre where there was no wall suction.  That's quite a recent addition to some establishments.  Do you know how expensive a twinivac is!!!!!   Saying all that I hardly ever use it.  It has no foundation to be of any  benefit.  Born in the Caul though I could see it may help a lot. Lisa ----- Original Message ----- From: Julie Garratt To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au Sent: Tuesday, June 06, 2006 7:39 PM Subject: [ozmidwifery] ARM at crowning Hi all,         I worked at a birth center in the Philippines last year where there was no intervention in labour including ARM, most women had a srom shortly before the birth of the head and others who had a srom early in labour often had less than perfect fetal positioning associated with this. There was often a rather exiting time where you hold a towel as the head is crowning with bulging membranes at the introitus awaiting  an almighty splash with the next contraction. We used a a bulb syringe on these babies as they were a bit "wet" and gurgley when they came out. The traditional birth attendants told me that they suction with their own mouths!  A few babies, maybe five percent were born in the caul, they looked like little bank robbers with stockings over their heads.  I particularly remember one who drew the membranes into his mouth gasping as I was frantically trying to break them with my hands. Not surprisingly these babys seemed to have particually tough membranes. As far as controlling the head went, I cant remember it being a problem as hands were poised most of the time and we had fairly good perineal outcomes. Hope this helps, Julie:)