Stages of Labor Signs

BirthingNaturally.com writes about signs of the different stages of labor. Warning: after reading each stage, you have to go back to the first page to link to the next.

Amniotic Fluid Embolism

A full article all about AFE.

A (long) abstract: study performed in California regarding the rate of AFE in 1994-1995--with a "sample" size of 98% of births for those years. The usual stated rate has been between 1:8,000 and 1:80,000. The study found:
"Fifty-three singleton gestations had the diagnosis of amniotic fluid embolism, for a population frequency of one per 20,646 deliveries [out of 1,094,248]. Fourteen women with amniotic fluid embolism died, for a maternal mortality rate of 26.4%."

An interesting article about deaths related to the use of misoprostol (Cytotec)--used orally and vaginally for labor induction. Four out of the sixteen cases presented had AFE.

The Wiki entry could use some work.

CDC's report on pregnancy-related mortality 1987-1990 (go straight to the tables here.)

MilkShare

For milk donors and seeking parents. Has guidelines for how to screen donors and store and ship milk.

You can also donate to an organization, which pays for testing and supplies. 25% of the milk collected is sent to Africa, the rest is used by critically ill babies in the U.S.

A Directory of Directories

A list of many free and paid doula directories. (I emailed them about Doula Match.)

Labor Clothing

Skirts and tops for labor, $30-65.

Contraction Master

Free website to count contractions--all one has to do is hit the spacebar at the beginning and end of each contraction.

Perpetually Pregnant for the last two decades

The Duggars of Arkansas (apparently they have a show on TLC; I've had a lack of cable for the last year) just had their eighteenth child. Their oldest is twenty.

Blogging Again - Since I can't seem to stop reading about doulas and birth.

A Danish study regarding reasons for dystocia--delay of labor defined as less than two centimeters in four hours after four centimeters in the first stage, in second stage as no progress for two hours in the descending phase (three hours with a epidural) or one hour in the expulsion phase. The biggest factor was epidural at 71.2 percent. Concludes:
"Our study contributes further evidence of an increased risk of dystocia in nulliparous women who, at admission to hospital, present with a descent of fetal head above the inter-spinal diameter and a cervix dilatation [less than] 4 cm. We found that a tense cervix, a thick lower segment and a poor contact between the fetal head and the cervix are risk indicators for dystocia. Further studies should examine if fetal head-to-cervix contact is a significant predictor of dystocia and if differentiation of the management of dystocia can be based on assessment of fetal head-to-cervix contact. The observed association between epidural analgesia and increased risk of dystocia is of interest and may have a causal explanation."

A doula character on an episode of Guiding Light.

Doula Match a free site where you can search for a doula (using your zip code and due date) or register yourself as a birth and/or post-partum doula, complete with a profile and calendar of availability(!).

A tool for the starting doula, free accounting software from Quickbooks. Make your own invoices! Features are limited.