LCM Stats 2017

In 2017, Local Care Midwifery (LCM) attended 31 births. Of these, 29 babies were born vaginally and two were born by Cesarean Section. The Vaginal Delivery Rate for LCM clients in 2017 was 94%, and the C/S Rate was 6%. (That’s 6% compared to a US C/S rate of 32% and a NYS C/S rate of 34%.)We had 26 clients that entered labor planning to birth at home* and except for two, they did birth at home. Both of those women transferred for pain relief options. (An epidural can be a fabulous thing!). Five people opted for planned hospital birth. One client was initially planning a home birth but she developed severe Preeclampsia  and had an induction of labor at the hospital a full month before her due date. (She proceeded to birth vaginally. She and the baby did awesome.)Last year, four women who had previously had Cesarean deliveries, birthed with LCM. Of these, two had previously also birthed vaginally; they both planned to birth at home and that is what happened. The two women that planned to have vaginal delivery after C/S (VBAC) at the hospital (and had not had a prior vaginal delivery), both birthed surgically. (Repeat C/S after ‘Failed Trial of Labor’is not my favorite medical phrasing. It’s right up there with ‘Elderly Primigravida’.)

LCM’s midwife, K. Michelle Doyle, MSN, CNM, NYS LM has admitting privileges at Bellevue Women’s Hospital. This means that LCM clients can have their chosen midwife for planned home birth, planned hospital birth, and even when a change of plan occurs (like Preeclampsia at 36 weeks, or really needed an epidural you were determined to avoid).

At LCM, we do more than ‘just catch babies’ (though that part is pretty wonderful). In 2017, there was plenty of time for GYN visits, lactation support, biodynamic craniosacral therapy appointments, as well as hugs, cups of tea, returning client emails and texts. And of course our wonderful bi-monthly LCM Moms & More!

*The specification ‘entered labor planning to birth at home’, is common to well designed place-of-birth studies and it is the specification that Midwife’s Alliance of North America (MANA) uses for their planned home birth data. Want to support MANA Stats? If you are a midwife, join the project! Want to donate to this project? Monies can be donated to the MANA Division of research and earmarked for MANA Stats.

Here are the 2017 LCM Stats:

Local Care Midwifery MANA Stats 2017

Michelle