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The gentlebirth.org website is provided courtesy of
Ronnie Falcao, LM MS, a homebirth midwife in Mountain View, CA

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Interview Questions for Midwives to Ask Clients


The federal government now says it's OK for pregnant women and young children to be
injected with mercury in the H1N1 vaccine.
However, if there were more mercury-free vaccine available, they would recommend that pregnant women and young children get that instead.
Don't be fooled!  Thimerosal is a form of mercury!
Autism rates dropping in California—is phase-out of thimerosal the reason? [from 2005]
Current thinking is that only genetically vulnerable babies will be affected by the thimerosol . . . maybe even as low as 1 out of 200 or 0.5%.
But if it's your child, it's 100%.  Read this mother's story about her children's recovery from mercury-related autism.

The Journal of Nurse-Midwifery just put out an issue (vol 40 # 6) that is a Home Study Program on Home Birth. In an article by Saraswathi Vedam and Yelena Kolodji, it is suggested that the following issues be raised:

  1. Why is the client interested in homebirth? Does she have any personal experience with home birth? How does her partner or support person feel about home birth?
  2. What, if any, were her previous birth experiences?
  3. Does she have any specific fears or concerns around pregnancy or birth?
  4. What support systems does she have for the birth and immediate PP period?
  5. How does she and/or her partner feel about transferring to the hospital in case of medical necessity?
  6. Will she/they be able to accept responsibility for informed participation throughout the process (eg. eat well, come to all prenatal appts, read and educate themselves, etc)
  7. What is the physical setting for birth?
  8. Do they know of any contraindications to screening criteria?
  9. What are the client's expectations of your role, and what are her hopes for the birth?
Observations to make during the interview:
  1. What is the character of the primary relationship? (partner supportive, critical, wary? ease of communication between them, congruence of goals)
  2. What is the manner the client displays to you? (friendly, suspicious, reserved, naive, agitated, tense)
  3. How does she react both verbally and nonverbally to your presentation and to the statement that birth is a normal process?

    4. An additional question that I've working on, but haven't fully worded yet has to do with how the couple feels that they would deal with an adverse outcome at home, given the probable social reaction of "you should have been in a hospital."

    This Web page is referenced from another page containing related information about Getting Clients

     


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