ACOG Committee Opinion on Planned Home Birth: Opening the Door to Collaborative Care

by Melissa Garvey, ACNM Communications ManagerJust this morning, ACNM released an Issue Brief in response to the ACOG Committee Opinion on Planned Home Birth published in the February 2011 issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.At just over two pages, the Issue Brief is worth the read. While acknowledging that much of the ACOG Committee Opinion relies on a widely-criticized, flawed 2010 meta-analysis,

ACNM Responds to ACOG’s 2010 VBAC Recommendations

On July 21, 2010, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) released a revised practice bulletin on vaginal birth after previous cesarean section (VBAC). Today, ACNM released its response to the revised practice bulletin. Read on for an excerpt from the response, or read the full statement here [PDF].ACNM’s philosophy is that all women—including those who have had a prior

Pregnant? This Caffeine Shot is for You…Maybe

by Melissa Garvey, ACNM Writer and EditorThe American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists released a Committee Opinion this month entitled Moderate Caffeine Consumption During Pregnancy. The Committee Opinion examines a long-standing debate: is maternal caffeine consumption related to spontaneous miscarriage?Caffeine raises a woman’s levels of catecholamines—hormones released into the

ACOG Encourages Laboring Women to Quench Their Thirst

Women who decide to give birth in a hospital may soon have access to more than ice chips during labor. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) just released a committee opinion recommending that clear liquids (water, juice, sports drinks, etc.) be provided to women who have uncomplicated labor or are scheduled for a planned cesarean.ACNM has long supported a liberal

ACOG Revises Labor Induction Guidelines

Midwives are applauding the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) latest revision to their labor induction guidelines. The new ACOG practice bulletin recommends avoiding labor induction before week 39 of pregnancy—an improvement over the previous 37-week recommendation.This comes on the heels of more good news: a recent study at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston found