Hello and welcome to
"Health for a Lifetime"
00:00:46.19\00:00:47.95
I'm your host Don Macintosh,
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and today I'm delighted to
have Patti Barnes here with us.
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Welcome Patti. Thank you Don.
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I understand that you are a
certified professional midwife,
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and how many babies
have you delivered now?
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Well, over 750 babies by now.
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And you know all the
families and everything
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about them now, right?
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Well, we're forever learning!
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Well good, we're glad
that you're here with us.
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Today we're going to talk about
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something that you're very
familiar with... and that's
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home births! Are
they a good idea?
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Are there reasons that
maybe they're not a good idea?
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And we're going to
talk all about that today.
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First of all, I guess that's
a good question to start with...
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Are home births a good idea?
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Well, some of the couples
are getting back to home births,
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and I think probably because
they want to have a natural
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birth in a private home setting
and be able to labor at home
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where they are more relaxed.
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Of all the people in
the world that have babies,
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would you say most
of them are at home?
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No, I'd say most of them
are in the hospital of course.
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You mean in
America or in the world?
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Probably in America...
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In America they are
mostly in a hospital,
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but around the world,
if you're not talking about
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a Western
country, most people don't
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go to the hospital,
do they? I guess not
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So you mentioned some reasons
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they're making a
comeback, why is that?
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Probably because a lot of
the Christians that I know
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they just want to have
it in the privacy of their
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own home so that the
fathers can get more involved,
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and they can labor
in a natural setting,
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and they seem to be comforted
in their own home or relaxed
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Are there things in a hospital
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that make the hospital a good
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setting for any
reason? Yes Like what?
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Well, they have
medical emergency equipment,
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and pain-relief drugs,
and if a problem arises,
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they can do
surgeries, and also, they have
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people wait on you so
that makes it very appealing.
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So, I assume that you work
fairly closely with physicians
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in a hospital if
there is a need that arises.
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Yes, if we have a high
risk situation where we need to
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go in the hospital and the lady
would like to have me there,
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the doctors always let
me go into the hospital,
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and work with them also
in the hospital setting.
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But, we believe that
high risk situations need to
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most definitely
be in the hospital.
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But what do you take with
you when you go on a home birth?
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Do you have the big
kit that you take with you?
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How many people go with you?
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Well I have an assistant and she
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is also trained in
neonatal emergencies...
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And, we have emergency
equipment, 2 oxygen tanks
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which we hardly ever
use but, like I said,
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high-risk individuals are
supposed to be in the hospital
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so, therefore, if you
just take low-risk patients,
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then it's going to be very
rare if you ever have a problem.
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I understand you just
finished a new book on
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all these
experiences you've been having,
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and it's called "The
Ministry of Midwifery"
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And, you look at it
really as a ministry, don't you?
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Yes, this is a ministry.
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God has led me
into this ministry,
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and I don't treat
it like a business.
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We're really... we
out there to help people.
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My backup doctors are
encouraged that I'm trying
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to break down the prejudice
between some of the patients
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that otherwise would
not get prenatal care,
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or go into the
hospital when they need to.
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So there are a lot of
people that you work with
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who wouldn't go
into the hospital usually
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under any
circumstance to see a physician,
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and so you kind
of are the liaison,
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or that you're the
person that introduces them
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to one another and
help them meet their goals.
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Yes, and try to help
them to be able to have more
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confidence in going in
and knowing that if they
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have to have a hospital birth,
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they can still
have a good experience.
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Are there any people
that are going to have babies
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while you're gone that
you're worried about right now?
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No, I'm on a little break.
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You're on a little
break, so someone else is
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watching over them for you. Yes
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Well I'm glad that you
could come and be with us.
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You know,
understandably, I think perhaps
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there would be those in the
medical field that might have
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a little
disquietude about home births...
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and might have a little
disquietude about these things.
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What kind of things
can you share with us that
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would put us at ease
about that or at least
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give us
something to think about?
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Well, there has
been some studies done on
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the safety of home births.
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One of them is "The
Mehl Study" and that was done
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by Dr. Lewis Mehl who
compared 1,046 home births
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with the same
number of hospital births,
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and the couples in the group
were matched closely as possible
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in their characteristics...
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But, Don, also the study could
be a little slanted because
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if midwives really do
their job, they're competent,
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they would only take low risks,
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so you're not going to really
have a lot of those problems.
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Okay, so in other
words, this study looks like
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everybody should
have their baby at home,
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but that's not
really what it's saying...
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It's saying that the
midwives or the nurse-midwives,
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or whoever is doing it,
are very competent about
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knowing what a
high-risk situation is.
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Yes, they should be.
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What are some of
those high-risk things?
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I know we may talk
about that a little bit more,
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but what are some of
those things that they notice?
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Well for example,
breech or twin deliveries.
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Okay so when there are
2 babies, or when it's not
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positioned in the
right place in the womb.
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People that have hypertension,
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"PIH" which would be
pregnancy induced hypertension.
00:08:05.40\00:08:11.04
Gestational diabetes which
would produce LARGE infants,
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would be a problem to get out...
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They would need
to have a C- section.
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All those
different kinds of things.
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So this does show
that home births are safe,
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but part of that
reason is because the midwives
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are competent in
knowing what's not really safe,
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and referring
them if they need to.
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Yes, they should
be but then again,
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we let birth take
its natural course.
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I think that a lot of
times some of the interventions
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in the hospital can cause
problems also for the baby
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to go into stress.
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So in other words,
some of the pain medication,
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and some of the other different
things, maybe your opinion
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is that it is not as needed,
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and if you wait long
enough or different things.
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Yes, and a lot of the
doctors will tell you that.
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I know that one of
my doctor backups...
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he is very much in
favor of home births.
00:09:07.54\00:09:12.11
He thinks that low-risk
individuals should be able
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to have their babies at home.
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Any other information
that you have for us that can
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answer that question
people have about home births?
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Yes, there's another
study done that comes from
00:09:23.68\00:09:29.67
"The Journal of
American Medical Association"
00:09:29.70\00:09:33.06
and they published an
article in 1980 as follows...
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So that was the sample,
what happened is as follows...
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3 of 6 home births
were unattended by midwives.
00:10:09.73\00:10:14.38
The 3 deaths
attended by midwives
00:10:14.41\00:10:16.36
were all due to
congenital abnormalities.
00:10:16.39\00:10:19.84
So, it wasn't
conducive for life anyway.
00:10:19.87\00:10:23.55
So what was the
upside of their study then?
00:10:23.56\00:10:25.80
What did they mean
to say by all this?
00:10:25.81\00:10:28.26
Well the author stated
that low risk deliveries at home
00:10:28.29\00:10:33.08
with a trained
attendant are associated with
00:10:33.11\00:10:36.37
low neonatal mortality.
00:10:36.40\00:10:38.43
There should be no reason
for elimination of home delivery
00:10:38.46\00:10:41.17
as an alternative supported
by the medical community.
00:10:41.20\00:10:44.74
So in other words, those
numbers were pretty good.
00:10:44.77\00:10:46.45
They found that really
you're doing a good job
00:10:46.48\00:10:51.68
or people like you... and you
should just say that you're not.
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Thanks be to God. All right, yes
00:10:56.84\00:10:59.99
Well, that's good.
00:11:00.02\00:11:00.99
And well that's quite a
shot in the arm for the midwife
00:11:01.02\00:11:05.63
community and that means
that you're doing your job well.
00:11:05.66\00:11:09.29
And true... thanks be to the
the Lord for the whole process.
00:11:09.32\00:11:12.76
So people should feel
comfortable about this
00:11:12.79\00:11:15.95
but you're not
saying that everybody should
00:11:15.98\00:11:18.04
be home-delivered, right?
00:11:18.07\00:11:19.29
No, definitely not.
00:11:19.32\00:11:20.55
But for those who
want that or think that,
00:11:20.58\00:11:25.01
they should know that
even the medical community
00:11:25.04\00:11:27.71
looks at it and says,
"Hey, you shouldn't just
00:11:27.74\00:11:29.95
eliminate that option. "
00:11:29.96\00:11:31.48
Yes, I'd say more of
the medical community
00:11:31.51\00:11:34.96
is seeing that more and more.
00:11:34.97\00:11:37.44
But we definitely, even if
they are low risk individuals,
00:11:37.47\00:11:40.43
and they are not
comfortable, they shouldn't be
00:11:40.46\00:11:43.82
persuaded to have a home birth.
00:11:43.83\00:11:47.62
They need to be where
they are most comfortable.
00:11:47.65\00:11:49.23
...Be where they are
most comfortable. Yes
00:11:49.26\00:11:51.03
You're not out there
knocking on doors saying...
00:11:51.06\00:11:52.74
"Hello, I'm
here"... No, definitely not.
00:11:52.77\00:11:56.58
But you're saying that
for those that you do serve,
00:11:56.61\00:12:00.88
that it is
something that is... Yes
00:12:00.91\00:12:02.62
That's why this is a
ministry; I let the Lord lead.
00:12:02.65\00:12:05.83
I certainly am not out there
trying to find pregnant women,
00:12:05.86\00:12:12.05
and some of the times, the
doctors will even encourage me
00:12:12.08\00:12:18.27
to go to different communities
and educate some of the
00:12:18.28\00:12:23.24
...I've been doing a
lot of seminars lately
00:12:23.27\00:12:25.86
in what they call
the "Plain Communities"
00:12:25.89\00:12:28.59
...the Amish and
Mennonite communities
00:12:28.62\00:12:30.28
where they have
no prenatal care;
00:12:30.31\00:12:32.82
they're not educated in
a lot of the diet reform,
00:12:32.85\00:12:40.59
and a lot of their
high-risk conditions could be
00:12:40.62\00:12:45.82
turned around if their
lifestyle was different.
00:12:45.85\00:12:47.88
So you're really
ministering to a community that
00:12:47.91\00:12:50.58
no one really has
reached out to before...
00:12:50.61\00:12:53.03
So what you're doing...
there wouldn't be anything
00:12:53.06\00:12:55.84
done if you
weren't there, perhaps.
00:12:55.87\00:12:57.80
Well, I'd like to think others
were reaching out to them...
00:12:57.83\00:13:02.65
You're very modest, I
know, but it sounds to me
00:13:02.68\00:13:05.53
as I've talked to you
and as seeing the ministry
00:13:05.56\00:13:07.16
you're involved in, is
something that others really
00:13:07.19\00:13:10.22
are not filling that need,
so we certainly appreciate that.
00:13:10.25\00:13:13.09
We're talking with Patti Barnes
00:13:13.12\00:13:15.23
a certified
professional midwife.
00:13:15.26\00:13:17.20
She has
delivered over 750 babies,
00:13:17.23\00:13:19.63
and she loves doing that.
00:13:19.66\00:13:21.37
She likes working in
homes with people who make
00:13:21.40\00:13:23.45
that decision
to help them have a
00:13:23.48\00:13:26.50
healthy delivery there at home.
00:13:26.53\00:13:29.01
She has written a new
book about her experiences.
00:13:29.04\00:13:32.20
It's a delight to
read, and when we come back
00:13:32.23\00:13:34.31
we're going to
talk about things that
00:13:34.32\00:13:35.46
really shouldn't be done at
home and look a little bit more
00:13:35.49\00:13:38.04
closely at what shouldn't
be and what can be done
00:13:38.07\00:13:40.90
if you're
looking at home delivery,
00:13:40.93\00:13:42.79
and we hope that you join us!
00:13:42.82\00:13:44.24
Have you found yourself wishing
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00:13:49.76\00:13:52.54
Have you been on a
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00:13:52.57\00:13:54.95
but not found anything that
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Welcome back, we've been
talking with Patti Barnes
00:14:50.63\00:14:53.11
She is a certified
midwife, and you do have some
00:14:53.14\00:14:57.73
concerns about some of the
things that go on in hospitals
00:14:57.76\00:15:00.55
...although you
work very closely with
00:15:00.58\00:15:02.24
physicians and hospitals.
00:15:02.27\00:15:03.70
Tell us a little bit about
some of those concerns you have;
00:15:03.73\00:15:06.63
some of the interventions
and things that happen
00:15:06.66\00:15:08.66
in a hospital setting that
may be, even those that are
00:15:08.69\00:15:11.58
involved with a doctor...
you know some places are
00:15:11.61\00:15:13.90
going to be in a
hospital, they're not going to
00:15:13.91\00:15:15.71
know people like you or have
midwives that could involved...
00:15:15.74\00:15:20.07
So, you know, we're going
to talk about some things here
00:15:20.10\00:15:23.18
that are done that maybe
could help those that are
00:15:23.21\00:15:24.74
even going to
BE in the hospital.
00:15:24.77\00:15:25.89
What are some of your concerns?
00:15:25.92\00:15:27.21
Well, if when they
go into the hospital,
00:15:27.24\00:15:31.09
usually they're hooked
up to external monitors,
00:15:31.12\00:15:37.26
External monitor... what
do you mean by that exactly.
00:15:37.29\00:15:39.11
Well, it's an external fetal
monitor... Oh you have a picture
00:15:39.14\00:15:42.70
And they will be
timing the contractions...
00:15:42.73\00:15:47.31
So they put those
straps around the abdomen,
00:15:47.34\00:15:50.53
and is that what we're
seeing there on the picture?
00:15:50.56\00:15:51.78
The top one is
for the contractions,
00:15:51.81\00:15:54.25
to tell when she
having her contractions,
00:15:54.28\00:15:57.81
And the lower one is to
the heart tones of the baby.
00:15:57.84\00:16:01.62
So would you say
that's a good idea?
00:16:01.65\00:16:03.02
Well at home we listen
to the heart tones through
00:16:03.05\00:16:07.83
the fetoscope, or
whatever instrument you have,
00:16:07.86\00:16:10.89
and we could find out if the
baby is having distress or not.
00:16:10.92\00:16:16.86
The only thing with
the external monitor,
00:16:16.89\00:16:19.40
and the next one is
the internal monitor...
00:16:19.43\00:16:23.33
Okay, the same
kind of thing? Yes
00:16:23.36\00:16:25.28
You need to do what
they call an "amniotomy"
00:16:25.31\00:16:29.92
It's like a little fish
hook that you screw into the
00:16:29.95\00:16:32.51
baby's hood of
this internal monitor,
00:16:32.54\00:16:35.12
and in order to get
it into the baby's head,
00:16:35.15\00:16:38.11
you've got to break the waters;
00:16:38.14\00:16:39.21
it's what they
call the amniotomy.
00:16:39.22\00:16:41.24
Okay, so that's something
they just put right there,
00:16:41.27\00:16:44.85
and they insert it
through the opening,
00:16:44.86\00:16:46.47
and it's right
next to the baby's head.
00:16:46.50\00:16:48.38
They screw it into the
top of the baby's head.
00:16:48.41\00:16:51.32
And that's to give a
more accurate heart rate
00:16:51.35\00:16:54.35
but it does
confine you to the bed...
00:16:54.38\00:16:57.01
if you don't
need to be in the bed,
00:16:57.04\00:16:59.46
and you want to
have a hospital birth,
00:16:59.49\00:17:01.44
you want to be in
the upright position.
00:17:01.47\00:17:03.38
When we go in the hospital,
they allow us to walk around,
00:17:03.41\00:17:06.76
and just be able to
walk through labor...
00:17:06.79\00:17:10.34
So your major concern with it is
00:17:10.37\00:17:11.89
not the good
information it gives;
00:17:11.92\00:17:13.40
it's not the fact that
it gives the heart rate;
00:17:13.44\00:17:16.27
it gives the contractions
and different things...
00:17:16.30\00:17:18.17
You want the person to be
able to walk around and get up.
00:17:18.20\00:17:20.99
Yes, not have to be
confined to the bed necessarily.
00:17:21.02\00:17:25.09
Why is that? Why do you
want them to walk around?
00:17:25.12\00:17:27.08
Because by walking, it's
not as painful as it would be
00:17:27.11\00:17:31.09
laying flat on their
back, but it also encourages
00:17:31.12\00:17:34.97
the cervix to
dilate because the gravity
00:17:35.00\00:17:38.39
is in your favor
with the baby coming down
00:17:38.42\00:17:41.23
than in the upright position.
00:17:41.26\00:17:43.48
We walk the halls and we
squat, we'll breathe together,
00:17:43.51\00:17:47.22
and we do some comfort
measures like massage...
00:17:47.23\00:17:50.59
Then we'll go
back... like they'll say,
00:17:50.62\00:17:52.98
"Well come back every hour,"
00:17:53.01\00:17:54.16
and we'll do a monitor
strip for maybe 15 minutes,
00:17:54.19\00:17:56.60
and monitor the baby's heart
and then they're fine with that
00:17:56.63\00:18:00.81
and then we
could go and walk again
00:18:00.84\00:18:03.29
so that they're not confined...
00:18:03.32\00:18:07.69
But, of course, you couldn't
do that with an internal monitor
00:18:07.72\00:18:09.87
No, you cannot do that
with an internal monitor.
00:18:09.90\00:18:12.22
It would have to be
that external one...
00:18:12.25\00:18:13.67
So would it be appropriate
for a lady and a husband
00:18:13.68\00:18:17.33
that have a physician,
they are working with a
00:18:17.36\00:18:19.24
hospital or something to say...
00:18:19.27\00:18:20.53
"Hey look, we really would like
to have an external monitoring
00:18:20.56\00:18:24.53
maybe once an hour or different
things when we're in there"
00:18:24.54\00:18:26.65
Yes, and I know our
doctor backups agree to do that.
00:18:26.68\00:18:31.06
They are not in a
high-risk situation where they
00:18:31.09\00:18:33.08
don't constantly
need to be concerned...
00:18:33.09\00:18:36.27
But, we'll just go in and
monitor it every once in a while
00:18:36.30\00:18:38.95
and go back out
and walk, and then...
00:18:38.98\00:18:40.81
Also, they hook
them up to IVs a lot...
00:18:40.84\00:18:44.83
which in the
hospital where we're at
00:18:44.86\00:18:50.42
they don't hook everybody up
00:18:50.45\00:18:53.18
to IVs when it's not necessary
00:18:53.21\00:18:55.19
so if they want a natural birth
they can not be restricted.
00:18:55.22\00:18:59.93
And again, the concern with
that is not that they are going
00:18:59.96\00:19:02.10
to get a little extra
fluid or this or that,
00:19:02.13\00:19:03.65
you just want them to
be able to move around.
00:19:03.68\00:19:05.40
Yes, and be able to not
have the excess interventions
00:19:05.41\00:19:13.78
because it does and can stress
out the pregnant mom enough
00:19:13.81\00:19:19.29
to maybe even cause what
they call psychological dystocia
00:19:19.32\00:19:23.79
Okay, problems
having the baby because of
00:19:23.82\00:19:26.15
all the stuff that's going on.
... Their labor could slow down
00:19:26.18\00:19:27.99
Well, what about
enemas, many times when I was in
00:19:28.02\00:19:30.48
nursing school, they'd naturally
give all the ladies an enema
00:19:30.51\00:19:33.55
right when they came
in. Should they do that?
00:19:33.58\00:19:35.29
Some still believe that
they should have enemas.
00:19:35.32\00:19:39.01
I know that my
doctor backup does not.
00:19:39.04\00:19:43.97
Why doesn't he or she do that?
00:19:43.98\00:19:45.68
Well, God has put into us a
natural ability to clean out
00:19:45.71\00:19:51.52
before delivery, so that's one
00:19:51.55\00:19:54.61
of the signs that you're getting
close, you're cleaning out.
00:19:54.64\00:19:58.39
And so here you have
all these loose stools,
00:19:58.42\00:20:01.73
and you're getting ready
for labor and you go into the
00:20:01.76\00:20:03.89
hospital, then they
give you an enema when
00:20:03.90\00:20:06.32
there's hardly anything left!
00:20:06.35\00:20:07.89
Okay, so it's adding
insult to injury... not really,
00:20:07.92\00:20:11.46
a birth is not an
injury, but it's just
00:20:11.49\00:20:13.88
adding more
stress, you're saying.
00:20:13.91\00:20:15.23
Yes, and it
weakens them a little more.
00:20:15.26\00:20:19.28
Anything else that
troubles you that you see that
00:20:19.31\00:20:23.15
maybe is routine in
some hospital procedures?
00:20:23.18\00:20:25.88
Well, yes, in some
hospitals it's routine to do
00:20:25.91\00:20:33.05
forceps deliveries...
00:20:33.08\00:20:35.54
And you have a
picture of that... Yes
00:20:35.57\00:20:38.50
And so this picture
here, I assume that those
00:20:38.53\00:20:41.95
tongs there in the
hand, that's the forceps. Yes
00:20:41.98\00:20:45.39
But most of the time,
this is practiced because
00:20:45.42\00:20:49.51
they need to be
able to pull the baby out
00:20:49.54\00:20:53.18
because the lady had an epidural
00:20:53.19\00:20:56.10
which they would be
numb from the waist down.
00:20:56.14\00:20:59.79
So they have that analgesia,
is that what you call it...
00:20:59.83\00:21:03.12
the pain medication
or different things,
00:21:03.15\00:21:05.03
and they don't even
feel what's going on,
00:21:05.06\00:21:06.54
and that's why they
normally used these.
00:21:06.57\00:21:08.35
Yes, it's hard to
push the baby out;
00:21:08.38\00:21:09.93
they can't even feel
it, so they need to use
00:21:09.96\00:21:12.01
these to pull out
and if they wouldn't get
00:21:12.04\00:21:15.99
a pain relief epidural,
they wouldn't probably have
00:21:16.02\00:21:21.74
to use this unless the doctor
just routinely does this anyway.
00:21:21.77\00:21:27.01
...But it could if
mismanaged could cause
00:21:27.04\00:21:31.08
brachial nerve damage or
palsy, partial paralysis.
00:21:31.11\00:21:36.40
The forceps -
because they get over the...
00:21:36.43\00:21:40.02
what do you mean by
that? How does that happen?
00:21:40.05\00:21:42.66
If it's mismanaged. All right
00:21:42.69\00:21:45.01
Scarring to the head,
or anything like that or
00:21:45.04\00:21:48.67
other things? Any other problem?
00:21:48.70\00:21:50.44
It could cause bruising and...
00:21:50.47\00:21:53.04
So you're not really a
big fan of either the forceps
00:21:53.07\00:21:57.08
or epidurals - it sounds like.
00:21:57.11\00:21:58.70
Well, of course, we
don't use any of that at home,
00:21:58.73\00:22:02.09
but a lot of doctors
are leaning toward the more
00:22:02.12\00:22:07.92
natural birth...
seeing that they have less,
00:22:07.95\00:22:11.16
very low C-section rate if
they do less interventions.
00:22:11.19\00:22:17.19
Okay... anything else?
00:22:17.20\00:22:19.17
Another thing that they use
would be the vacuum extractor.
00:22:19.20\00:22:24.99
And this is a picture of that.
... And that's less invasive.
00:22:25.02\00:22:27.67
That's less invasive?
00:22:27.70\00:22:29.33
In a sense of less injuries.
00:22:29.36\00:22:32.34
Than... say
forceps. Um hm, right
00:22:32.35\00:22:34.41
And what is this?
They just put a little
00:22:34.44\00:22:35.82
suction cup on the baby's head?
00:22:35.85\00:22:37.40
The top of the baby's
head and then they pull.
00:22:37.43\00:22:39.68
And what could be
the problem with that...
00:22:39.71\00:22:41.34
Will they mess up
the brain in the baby?
00:22:41.37\00:22:43.23
Well, it causes a...
hematoma on top of the head.
00:22:43.26\00:22:46.85
A big bruise, huh. Yes
00:22:46.88\00:22:48.83
So you try and avoid that.
00:22:48.86\00:22:53.37
They try to avoid
that... and again if they are
00:22:53.40\00:22:59.15
birthing natural, then
they could feel when it's time
00:22:59.18\00:23:03.32
to push the baby out,
and pushing the baby out
00:23:03.35\00:23:06.55
there shouldn't
really be a need for that.
00:23:06.58\00:23:09.20
Also, when they use that,
in order to not damage the
00:23:09.21\00:23:15.48
mother that they have
to do large episiotomies,
00:23:15.49\00:23:18.19
you know what I'm
saying... to reach in there to
00:23:18.22\00:23:20.91
get a hold of the baby's head.
00:23:20.94\00:23:22.61
An episiotomy is cutting
in the perineum to create a
00:23:22.64\00:23:27.68
bigger opening and so they can
get a hold of the baby's head...
00:23:27.71\00:23:31.95
But oftentimes when
they are using this pressure,
00:23:31.98\00:23:35.43
it could cause sphincter
damage or tearing to the rectum.
00:23:35.46\00:23:43.82
So any time you are cutting,
or any of those different
00:23:43.85\00:23:46.06
kinds of things, you
want to avoid that. Yes
00:23:46.09\00:23:47.94
I think most ladies would
want to avoid that too. Yes
00:23:47.97\00:23:52.34
We just use hydrotherapy,
olive oil massage...
00:23:52.37\00:23:58.37
Hot towels, olive oil massage,
and just controlled breathing
00:23:58.40\00:24:04.21
to birth the baby out.
00:24:04.24\00:24:06.35
In all the 750 births, I've
only had to do one episiotomy.
00:24:06.38\00:24:13.80
So 749 have been without
that, completely natural.
00:24:13.83\00:24:21.04
Well what about C-sections?
00:24:21.05\00:24:24.18
Of course, we don't
do anything like that.
00:24:24.21\00:24:25.67
You don't do any of those but...
00:24:25.70\00:24:26.68
In the hospital...
I've only had to transport,
00:24:26.71\00:24:32.55
for C-section, two
times. Two times. Uh huh
00:24:32.58\00:24:35.63
And I can tell you right now
that the doctor that backs me up
00:24:35.64\00:24:40.22
he's very
encouraging to me about...
00:24:40.25\00:24:45.95
He has a very low C-section rate
00:24:45.98\00:24:48.43
because he tries not
to be so interventional.
00:24:48.46\00:24:53.30
So that's a major
surgery, really...
00:24:53.33\00:24:55.33
So that's why you
want to avoid that,
00:24:55.36\00:24:56.63
if you have a
baby and you have them,
00:24:56.66\00:24:58.54
you've already had the baby,
00:24:58.57\00:25:00.36
you don't want to have to
deal with 2 things maybe. Right
00:25:00.39\00:25:05.22
How can you choose
a competent midwife?
00:25:05.23\00:25:08.19
What should you look for?
00:25:08.22\00:25:09.75
Well, I always
feel like they need to
00:25:09.78\00:25:13.63
make sure that she
has a low transport rate.
00:25:13.66\00:25:17.19
Ask her how many years
of experience she has had.
00:25:17.22\00:25:20.57
Low transport rate - you mean
by that, not taking a lot of
00:25:20.60\00:25:23.70
people to the
hospital; able to handle things.
00:25:23.73\00:25:28.46
You know, if they are
constantly transporting them,
00:25:28.47\00:25:30.70
maybe they're not
screening them out enough.
00:25:30.73\00:25:32.49
Okay, then maybe
they're in situations that they
00:25:32.52\00:25:34.74
shouldn't be in. Right
00:25:34.77\00:25:36.68
And does she carry
medical emergency equipment?
00:25:36.69\00:25:40.15
Does she have an assistant?
00:25:40.18\00:25:42.92
Are they on call all the
time where they can be reached?
00:25:42.95\00:25:46.60
And I think probably
the most important thing is
00:25:46.63\00:25:50.35
to have
cooperative doctor backup.
00:25:50.38\00:25:55.84
So have the physician
they are working with...
00:25:55.87\00:25:57.52
have the people know
that they're not out there
00:25:57.53\00:25:59.42
on their own and not just
doing things on their own.
00:25:59.45\00:26:03.09
They have a team approach.
00:26:03.12\00:26:04.33
Yes, because you know if there
are doctors backing them up,
00:26:04.36\00:26:06.98
they must be competent.
00:26:07.01\00:26:09.04
We have a couple
of minutes left...
00:26:09.07\00:26:11.48
What is the most
impressive thing to you about
00:26:11.51\00:26:14.39
home births... as you've been
involved in now 750 of them.
00:26:14.42\00:26:17.87
I think the most impressive
thing is to see the bonding
00:26:17.90\00:26:22.49
that takes place in the family,
the mother and the father,
00:26:22.52\00:26:27.83
the children.
00:26:27.86\00:26:29.04
I think we have a picture...
00:26:29.07\00:26:30.22
I don't know if I've
mentioned this to you,
00:26:30.25\00:26:32.19
but the producer here of this
program just recently had a baby
00:26:32.22\00:26:35.34
and I think that we have a
picture of their little baby
00:26:35.37\00:26:39.46
with bonding that I
want to show you here. Yes
00:26:39.47\00:26:44.93
I think it's a
BEAUTIFUL picture of bonding.
00:26:44.96\00:26:47.58
I understand that this is only
00:26:47.61\00:26:48.86
about 5 minutes
after the delivery. Yes
00:26:48.89\00:26:52.21
And is that pretty typical
- mom looking at the baby,
00:26:52.24\00:26:54.97
do they forget all about
that labor and different things
00:26:55.00\00:26:57.27
at this time, do
you find usually?
00:26:57.30\00:26:58.39
Yes, it's amazing how quick they
forget right after delivery!
00:26:58.42\00:27:03.92
Now you have 2
children, do you remember
00:27:03.95\00:27:05.49
seeing them the
first time? Yes I do!
00:27:05.52\00:27:08.15
Did you name them
before or after they were born?
00:27:08.18\00:27:10.49
After they were born.
00:27:10.52\00:27:11.56
Okay... I think
your daughter's name is
00:27:11.60\00:27:13.57
"Genesis" - yes, and your son's
name is "Revelation" - - No
00:27:13.60\00:27:17.84
Jason!
00:27:17.87\00:27:19.76
Well, it's been a delight
to talk with you about this.
00:27:19.79\00:27:22.77
Really, it's a natural thing
that happens in the lives of
00:27:22.80\00:27:27.15
many women, but so often
we don't plan for these things
00:27:27.18\00:27:31.86
like maybe we
could or should. Right
00:27:31.89\00:27:34.20
It's just a very
natural uplifting thing.
00:27:34.23\00:27:37.27
We've been
talking with Patti Barnes
00:27:37.30\00:27:40.60
She's a certified midwife.
00:27:40.63\00:27:43.59
She has
delivered over 750 babies.
00:27:43.62\00:27:45.93
She has written a new book...
00:27:45.97\00:27:47.50
"The Ministry of Midwifery"
00:27:47.53\00:27:49.03
and she has helped MANY people
just have a wonderful experience
00:27:49.06\00:27:53.40
bringing a new life
into the world in their home,
00:27:53.43\00:27:56.58
or working with the hospital.
00:27:56.61\00:27:57.99
We hope that what you've
learned has been helpful.
00:27:58.02\00:28:00.01
God bless you.
00:28:00.05\00:28:01.92