[ozmidwifery] ARM at crowning

[Julie Garratt]

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:)       ----- Original Message ----- From: Lieve Huybrechts To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au Sent: Tuesday, June 06, 2006 3:52 PM Subject: RE: [ozmidwifery] ARM at crowning Hoi Zoë,   I once attended a hospital birth. Woman did a beautifull job. She also had intact memebranes. The gyn arrived when the baby was crowning and she almost got in panic to have the water broken before the birth of the baby. I asked a colleague of mine who wordks in the hospital with that gyn and I asked why the gyn was clearly in panic by the idea of a baby born with intact membranes. The midwife told that the gyn once experienced a amniotic embolie in a birth and the mother died. She blaimes it on the membranes breaking at the birth of the baby. I wonder if there is any research regarding a correlation between an amniotic embolie and baby born in intact membranes. I never brake the membranes and I often have baby’s born ‘with the helmeth’ as we call it.   Greetings Lieve   Lieve Huybrechts vroedvrouw 0477740853   -----Oorspronkelijk bericht----- Van: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Namens islips Verzonden: dinsdag 6 juni 2006 7:44 Aan: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au Onderwerp: [ozmidwifery] ARM at crowning   Happened to see a beautiful delivery over the weekend. Womans 3rd baby came in spont labour and was the most amazingly in control person i have ever seen. very quick ( 50mins ) but no change in contractions ( 5minutely ) and no indication that birth was imminent. Managed to get knickers off - bulging membranes coming first. I was not conducting the birth and the midwife did an ARM. baby crowning at the same time . Just wondering what peoples thoughts are on leaving them intact or breaking them so you have more 'control' over the head ? As i work in private health it is not very often a woman gets this far without someone breaking them for her / or srom. Thanks Zoe