Pregnant inmates in RI lose their shackles, "laughing gas" for labor, and the continuing saga of the birthing tubs... SQUAT news round-up!

Police in Nigeria raided a "baby factory" this week, rescuing 32 pregnant girls between the ages of 15 and 17 who were "being made to make babies for the proprietor." Authorities suspect that the babies were sold into trafficking or prostitution, and possibly illegal adoption. 


Vanderbilt University Hospital became the 4th hospital in the US to offer nitrous oxide to laboring women. Nitrous oxide, which is used commonly in Canada and Europe, is inhaled and allows a woman to remain moving during labor, unlike an epidural. A full and informative discussion of the use of nirtrous oxide in labor can be read at the Our Bodies, Our Blog.

The Rhode Island State Legislature passed a law this week prohibiting pregnant inmates form being shackled or handcuffed during childbirth, and mandates that only the least restrictive restraints be used during the second and third trimester. The Rebecca Project has been working to push such legislation through other states; according to the organization, 11 states currently have rules on the book that prohibits the handcuffing and shackling of pregnant inmates. Check out Birth Behind Bars to learn how to support birth education and support for pregnant inmates. 

The saga of the birthing tubs continues after the FDA seized a shipment in Portland, OR, earlier this month. The FDA released the tubs but warned "we'll be back"; a FDA hearing on the potential status as birthing tubs as medical devices is scheduled for June 7. A sample letter to legislators regarding birth tubs and a woman's right to choose waterbirth is available at Bellies and Babies.


A study in the medical journal Pediatrics found that women with longer maternity leaves tend to breastfeed their babies for longer. An interesting note about the study is that women with longer maternity leaves were more likely (75% compared to 65%) to breastfeed their babies from the get-go. 

Dr. George Tiller

This week saw the 2-year anniversary of the assassination of Dr. George Tiller, an abortion provider in Wichita, Kansas, who was shot in the head while serving as an usher at his church. This week in Wisconsin a man was arrested and charged with a plot to kill an abortion provider; the man's gun accidentally went off in his hotel room, leading the police to him. he told authorities he planned to go to a Planned Parenthood clinic the next day, find an abortion Doctor, and "shoot him in the head."