Hello Henci,

My name is Marian Girodat and I ‘m lucky enough to work with a group of midwives that have a better than 50% homebirth rate. There are four midwives in the group and the three younger ones feel obligated to use "active management" (administering 10units of Oxytocin IM with the birth of the anterior shoulder) on their clients. Their college suggests that they follow the laceName w:st="on">CanadianlaceName> laceType w:st="on">CollegelaceType> of Obstetricians and Gynecologists guidelines. I have a great time teaching but I have a problem with “trust your body, you can do this your body knows how” right up to the birth of the anterior shoulder then we need to help it. I was in Germany last year and heard Michel Odent speak about the huge surge of oxytocin the body produces at this time. Do know of anything I can present these young women to show that the body can and still does function at the time of the birth? In all honesty I have noticed as I am also an attendant at many of these births that the blood loss is often more in the women with “active management”.  I believe these smart women will change their practice if I present some evidence.

Marian Girodat