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Birth Emergency Skills Training: Manual for Out-Of-Hospital Midwives
Midwives attending childbirth in homes and birth centers seldom encounter emergencies, but when crisis occurs, lives hang in the balance! It is difficult to remain proficient in skills so seldom practiced, yet pregnant women rely on the expertise of the provider in an emergency. Birth Emergency Skills Training: Manual for Out-of-Hospital Midwives is the interface between the world of midwifery and the world of medicine. It carries the reader from the initial steps of intervention though definitive care, balancing a friendly tone and visual appeal with authoritative and clinically useful information. It is loaded with mnemonics and other memory aids, and is richly illustrated with the author's artful drawings and photography.
310 pages, Paperback
First published May 29, 2008
7 people are currently reading
70 people want to read
About the author
Bonnie Urquhart Gruenberg
15 books3 followersBonnie U. Gruenberg is a Certified Nurse-Midwife and Women's Health Nurse Practitioner, as well as an author, artist, photographer, content creator, blogger/ vlogger, and hobby farmer (see www.BonnieGruenberg.com).
Birth Emergency Skills Training
www.BirthEmergency.com
Bonnie developed the Birth Emergency Skills Training (B.E.S.T.) book and workshop in 2008 which remains featured on the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) written exam reference list, has been translated into Russian, and has been used to train midwives around the world. Bonnie has attended more than 2,000 deliveries in a variety of settings including community and tertiary hospitals, a free-standing birth center, and in the home.
How We DID That...
Bonnie and her husband Alex blaze the trail to eclectic pursuits on How We DID that, which can be enjoyed as a website (www.howwedidthat.com), as a YouTube vlog (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8cO...), or as a blog (www.BonnieGruenberg.com). Subscribe to follow along as they hatch emu eggs, brew beer, photograph wild horses, learn software, explore wild places, train horses, and show chickens.
The Atlantic Wild Horse Trail
Evidencing a lifelong passion for horses, Gruenberg has spent roughly two decades researching, photographing, and authoring books about the wild herds of Atlantic Coast barrier islands. The Wild Horse Dilemma, Conflicts and Controversies of the Atlantic Coast Herds, is the most comprehensive book on the topic and garnered excellent reviews. The Hoofprints series is comprised of 6 short, well-illustrated books featuring individual East-coast herds. (www.wildhorseislands.com)
Contact: social@howwedidthat.com
Birth Emergency Skills Training
www.BirthEmergency.com
Bonnie developed the Birth Emergency Skills Training (B.E.S.T.) book and workshop in 2008 which remains featured on the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) written exam reference list, has been translated into Russian, and has been used to train midwives around the world. Bonnie has attended more than 2,000 deliveries in a variety of settings including community and tertiary hospitals, a free-standing birth center, and in the home.
How We DID That...
Bonnie and her husband Alex blaze the trail to eclectic pursuits on How We DID that, which can be enjoyed as a website (www.howwedidthat.com), as a YouTube vlog (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8cO...), or as a blog (www.BonnieGruenberg.com). Subscribe to follow along as they hatch emu eggs, brew beer, photograph wild horses, learn software, explore wild places, train horses, and show chickens.
The Atlantic Wild Horse Trail
Evidencing a lifelong passion for horses, Gruenberg has spent roughly two decades researching, photographing, and authoring books about the wild herds of Atlantic Coast barrier islands. The Wild Horse Dilemma, Conflicts and Controversies of the Atlantic Coast Herds, is the most comprehensive book on the topic and garnered excellent reviews. The Hoofprints series is comprised of 6 short, well-illustrated books featuring individual East-coast herds. (www.wildhorseislands.com)
Contact: social@howwedidthat.com
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 26, 2017
While I'm not the target audience, the book provided a very good overview of the topic and useful information for both normal and emergency childbirth scenarios. As an EMT, my previous training with respect to the entire childbirth process was very limited: a textbook chapter, a list of horrifying things that could go wrong, and an injunction from our instructors that one's best option was usually to apply diesel fuel to the situation.
I read this prior to my firstborn and felt that a better understanding of the process and the vague sense that I knew what was to be done in case of Something Bad helped alleviate the stress. I know many other worry-warts wouldn't want to start down the path of reading about hair-raising medical scenarios, though.
I read this prior to my firstborn and felt that a better understanding of the process and the vague sense that I knew what was to be done in case of Something Bad helped alleviate the stress. I know many other worry-warts wouldn't want to start down the path of reading about hair-raising medical scenarios, though.
June 12, 2019
Great technical content but not an easy read. It would be great for reference but reading cover to cover takes some time. It certainly did make me feel more confident and know what to look out for. I don't know if it is up to current NRP guidelines. I also don't recall any visual algorithms like are seen in other EM books.
Read
September 7, 2014I enjoyed reading Birth Emergency Skills Training. It was nice to slowly review the things that we learned during the intensive, and add some things to my modules. I felt like it was pretty updated information as well. The author, Bonnie Gruenberg has a way of writing that gets across complicated concepts in simple terms. I enjoyed how she first would discuss a condition (so that we understand the background), and then take us step by step in how to treat it. Not only would she go into detail on how to treat the condition, but she would provide a simple, concise table of what to do. I feel like it is a good book to have on hand incase any of these conditions come up, in order to have something to reference. I also enjoyed the drawings and pictures she included to help us get more of a picture of what she is talking about. The real life stories she included with pictures made you realize that, “Hey, these things can apply to real life!” Lastly, I thought that the epilogue was a nice finishing touch, in which she included a short history of midwifery.
Some specific items I came across that were interesting:
On page 101, she stated “Conventional wisdom holds that a 10-unit direct IV bolus of oxytocin carries a risk of hypotension, but a randomized controlled trial found no adverse effects associated with this route.” I thought that you would find that interesting since in class you told us that we are not to give oxytocin via IV bolus.
I liked her description of correcting an inverted uterus on page 109, “This is similar to placing your fingers at the toe of an inverted sock and pushing to turn the sock right side out.”
In the epilogue, some things I found interesting:
I thought it was terrible that the man who developed a procedure to repair vaginal fistulas practiced on his slaves without painkillers, up to 30 times on each. It’s interesting to me that in order to come to where we are in modern science and our knowledge of anatomy today...how many cadavers had to be dissected and women examined. Yuck.
Physicians were taught to “oppose regular bathing and treat most afflictions with ‘heroic’ methods, such as bloodletting, colonic purges (which could involve mercury compounds), and opium.” Nice going. And women thought it wasn’t fashionable to feed with their own breasts? Hack. What a concept.
I thought it was interesting that Samuel Gregory, the founder of the Boston Female Medical College, tried to establish a 3-month course in midwifery. :) See, you guys aren’t the first ones!
I love the story of Mary Breckinridge, especially since I live so close to the kind of country she traveled on horseback.
I like this quote, “They (midwives) believe that a labor treated as normal tends to stay normal, and every intervention in the normal process is likely to engender more interventions”. It’s easy to fear things going wrong, and I need to work on “respecting the natural process of birthing” and trusting God.
Some specific items I came across that were interesting:
On page 101, she stated “Conventional wisdom holds that a 10-unit direct IV bolus of oxytocin carries a risk of hypotension, but a randomized controlled trial found no adverse effects associated with this route.” I thought that you would find that interesting since in class you told us that we are not to give oxytocin via IV bolus.
I liked her description of correcting an inverted uterus on page 109, “This is similar to placing your fingers at the toe of an inverted sock and pushing to turn the sock right side out.”
In the epilogue, some things I found interesting:
I thought it was terrible that the man who developed a procedure to repair vaginal fistulas practiced on his slaves without painkillers, up to 30 times on each. It’s interesting to me that in order to come to where we are in modern science and our knowledge of anatomy today...how many cadavers had to be dissected and women examined. Yuck.
Physicians were taught to “oppose regular bathing and treat most afflictions with ‘heroic’ methods, such as bloodletting, colonic purges (which could involve mercury compounds), and opium.” Nice going. And women thought it wasn’t fashionable to feed with their own breasts? Hack. What a concept.
I thought it was interesting that Samuel Gregory, the founder of the Boston Female Medical College, tried to establish a 3-month course in midwifery. :) See, you guys aren’t the first ones!
I love the story of Mary Breckinridge, especially since I live so close to the kind of country she traveled on horseback.
I like this quote, “They (midwives) believe that a labor treated as normal tends to stay normal, and every intervention in the normal process is likely to engender more interventions”. It’s easy to fear things going wrong, and I need to work on “respecting the natural process of birthing” and trusting God.
Read
July 24, 2016I enjoyed reading Birth Emergency Skills Training. It was nice to slowly review the things that we learned during the intensive, and add some things to my modules. I felt like it was pretty updated information as well. The author, Bonnie Gruenberg has a way of writing that gets across complicated concepts in simple terms. I enjoyed how she first would discuss a condition (so that we understand the background), and then take us step by step in how to treat it. Not only would she go into detail on how to treat the condition, but she would provide a simple, concise table of what to do. I feel like it is a good book to have on hand incase any of these conditions come up, in order to have something to reference. I also enjoyed the drawings and pictures she included to help us get more of a picture of what she is talking about. The real life stories she included with pictures made you realize that, “Hey, these things can apply to real life!” Lastly, I thought that the epilogue was a nice finishing touch, in which she included a short history of midwifery.
Some specific items I came across that were interesting:
On page 101, she stated “Conventional wisdom holds that a 10-unit direct IV bolus of oxytocin carries a risk of hypotension, but a randomized controlled trial found no adverse effects associated with this route.” I thought that you would find that interesting since in class you told us that we are not to give oxytocin via IV bolus.
I liked her description of correcting an inverted uterus on page 109, “This is similar to placing your fingers at the toe of an inverted sock and pushing to turn the sock right side out.”
In the epilogue, some things I found interesting:
I thought it was terrible that the man who developed a procedure to repair vaginal fistulas practiced on his slaves without painkillers, up to 30 times on each. It’s interesting to me that in order to come to where we are in modern science and our knowledge of anatomy today...how many cadavers had to be dissected and women examined. Yuck.
Physicians were taught to “oppose regular bathing and treat most afflictions with ‘heroic’ methods, such as bloodletting, colonic purges (which could involve mercury compounds), and opium.” Nice going. And women thought it wasn’t fashionable to feed with their own breasts? Hack. What a concept.
I thought it was interesting that Samuel Gregory, the founder of the Boston Female Medical College, tried to establish a 3-month course in midwifery. :) See, you guys aren’t the first ones!
I love the story of Mary Breckinridge, especially since I live so close to the kind of country she traveled on horseback.
I like this quote, “They (midwives) believe that a labor treated as normal tends to stay normal, and every intervention in the normal process is likely to engender more interventions”. It’s easy to fear things going wrong, and I need to work on “respecting the natural process of birthing” and trusting God.
Some specific items I came across that were interesting:
On page 101, she stated “Conventional wisdom holds that a 10-unit direct IV bolus of oxytocin carries a risk of hypotension, but a randomized controlled trial found no adverse effects associated with this route.” I thought that you would find that interesting since in class you told us that we are not to give oxytocin via IV bolus.
I liked her description of correcting an inverted uterus on page 109, “This is similar to placing your fingers at the toe of an inverted sock and pushing to turn the sock right side out.”
In the epilogue, some things I found interesting:
I thought it was terrible that the man who developed a procedure to repair vaginal fistulas practiced on his slaves without painkillers, up to 30 times on each. It’s interesting to me that in order to come to where we are in modern science and our knowledge of anatomy today...how many cadavers had to be dissected and women examined. Yuck.
Physicians were taught to “oppose regular bathing and treat most afflictions with ‘heroic’ methods, such as bloodletting, colonic purges (which could involve mercury compounds), and opium.” Nice going. And women thought it wasn’t fashionable to feed with their own breasts? Hack. What a concept.
I thought it was interesting that Samuel Gregory, the founder of the Boston Female Medical College, tried to establish a 3-month course in midwifery. :) See, you guys aren’t the first ones!
I love the story of Mary Breckinridge, especially since I live so close to the kind of country she traveled on horseback.
I like this quote, “They (midwives) believe that a labor treated as normal tends to stay normal, and every intervention in the normal process is likely to engender more interventions”. It’s easy to fear things going wrong, and I need to work on “respecting the natural process of birthing” and trusting God.
January 23, 2014
At times the organization of the book was confusing, not following a clear progression from one topic to another.
At times, the author switches from directions for home birth midwife to Directions to EMT without appropriate signaling or recognition that CPMs and Licensed midwives in the United States do not carry intubation supplies and rely on emergency transport for fetal intubation. Perhaps CNMs practicing out of hospital are able to legally do this, as registered midwives in Canada are allowed as well.
A CPM or LM might appreciate a book written on emergency skills by another LM or CPM rather than one so steeped in medical model training such as this one. The approach and mentality is very medical and therefore foreign to midwives trained to identify normal and escalate from there, whereas Thai book trains providers to look for pathology and de-escalate to determine that normal is presenting before them.
At times, the author switches from directions for home birth midwife to Directions to EMT without appropriate signaling or recognition that CPMs and Licensed midwives in the United States do not carry intubation supplies and rely on emergency transport for fetal intubation. Perhaps CNMs practicing out of hospital are able to legally do this, as registered midwives in Canada are allowed as well.
A CPM or LM might appreciate a book written on emergency skills by another LM or CPM rather than one so steeped in medical model training such as this one. The approach and mentality is very medical and therefore foreign to midwives trained to identify normal and escalate from there, whereas Thai book trains providers to look for pathology and de-escalate to determine that normal is presenting before them.
October 15, 2014
Comprehensive about a variety of topics without being long-winded. It's surprisingly easy to read, even though the style is closer to textbook than Frye or Davis. I like that it addresses both holistic and other types of care, without prioritizing one over the other. It's very in-depth, and some of it is so medicalized I have to look up abbreviations/acronyms and (occasionally) vocabulary.
March 5, 2009
I didn't like the undercurrent of 'expect the worst' throughout this book. I also thought how the delivery of the placenta was handled was lacking. Very medicalized, but I still will hold onto this for a good reference book. It is easy to navigate.
July 2, 2016
Una aproximación excelente.
Brinda una aproximación novedosa a la práctica obstétrica, que la coloca en un contexto real, especialmente en entornos con limitación de recursos.
Brinda una aproximación novedosa a la práctica obstétrica, que la coloca en un contexto real, especialmente en entornos con limitación de recursos.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews