Hi Everyone
I have accessed the www.cordclamping.com site that was advertised by someone
and read Dr Morley's article. I emailed him and have had the following
response. Please read it and give me some feedback and how as midwifery
practitioners you interpret it.

-Hi Dr George
Thanks for your rapid and interesting response. I lecturer in women's health
and am a registered nurse and midwife who is still practising in both areas.
I understand that the purpose of feeling for the cord is to detect if it is
around the neck, but what I am challenging is that it should not be
performed routinely when birth is a normal physiological event and when no
complications have been indicated within the labour. It is an invasive and
painful procedure and are the women fully informed of what one is doing and
consent gained. If not then the implications are huge in our litigation
culture (USA is more prominent that UK in this). Also we have to consider
the large amount of literature in relation to early clamping if the cord is
around the neck, which you have highlighted as having major implications to
the baby. What about the summersault manoeuvre. In the UK the majority of
births are under the care of the midwifery practitioners unless we as
practitioners feel a need for a Doctor, then we call one. Therefore are
midwifery practitioners doing this procedure as defensive practice or
ritualistic and what makes some midwives not routinely feel of it? Some Obs
and Gina Consultants I have spoken to say that they do not perform this
procedure at all or not routinely. Hence my research.
Elaine
HIS REPLY
After 45 years of obstetrics I thought I had heard of everything, but your
"cord feely" procedure is new to me! From what you describe, it is also
incredibly stupid. A nuchal cord is so common that it is almost a "normal"
occurrence. On rare occasions it may result in cord compression with the
loops
tightening as the child descends in the second stage. Most cords have enough
length
to prevent this. This fetal distress is readily picked up as late
decelerations on the fetal heart rate monitor. The easiest way to diagnose a
tight
nuchal cord in this situation is to view the neck with a portable ultrasound
machine. . Now I am copying a phrase from
your letter:

"birth is a normal physiological event "

You are an unconscionable heretic practising in the confines of the RCOG.
Have you not heard of the doctrine of managed labour? Birth is a
pathological
event. It can be prevented by abortion, but otherwise it is to be managed.
If
your statement were true, managed labour would be disruption of physiology,
in
other words, pathogenic, and that kind of thinking is antisocial and common
sense.

"what I am challenging is that it should not be performed routinely"

Remember what happened to Gallileo when he challenged authority.

My height is 6'3" and I have quite large hands. Were I to perform your
routine procedure I'm quite sure my patients would have a high incidence of
diastasis pubis. Please do not advertise your procedure in the US; ACOG
would jump
at this opportunity. Fortunately, I have been retired for five years

Now I must confess further ignorance. What is the SOMERSAULT MANOEUVRE? From
the context of your letter, midwives perform this defensively or as a
ritual.
Is it some kind of Karate?
Dr G.Morley

Am I really an 'Unconscionable heretic' in wishing to practice what I truly
believe midwifery is or warrant a referral to Gallielo who was burnt at the
stake for challenging or asking questions?
Elaine





-----
Elaine Jefford
Senior Lecturer
APU.
132 North Block
Chelmsford
Essex
01245 493131 ext.3334