BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to quantify spontaneous first trimester miscarriage rates per woman among parous women. A vast amount of data has accumulated regarding miscarriage rates per recognized pregnancy as well as about recurrent miscarriage. This is the second study of miscarriage rates per woman in a parous population and the first study of recurrent and non-recurrent, spontaneous first trimester miscarriage rates per woman in a large parous population.MethodsExtraction of the following variables from all delivery room admissions from both Hadassah Medical Centers in Jerusalem Israel, 2004–2014: # of first trimester spontaneous miscarriages, # live births; # living children; age on admission, pre-pregnancy height and weight, any smoking this pregnancy, any alcohol or drug abuse this pregnancy, blood type, history of ectopic pregnancy, history of cesarean surgery (CS) and use of any fertility treatment(s).ResultsAmong 53,479 different women admitted to labor and delivery ward, 43% of women reported having had 1 or more first trimester spontaneous miscarriages; 27% reported having had one, 10% two, 4% three, 1.3% four, 0.6% five and 0.05% reported having 6–16 spontaneous first trimester miscarriages. 18.5% had one or more first trimester miscarriages before their first live birth. Eighty-one percent of women with 11 or more living children experienced one or more first trimester miscarriages. First trimester miscarriage rates rose with increasing age, increasing parity, after previous ectopic pregnancy, after previous cesarean surgery, with any smoking during pregnancy and pre-pregnancy BMI ≥30.ConclusionsMiscarriages are common among parous women; 43% of parous women report having experienced one or more first trimester spontaneous miscarriages, rising to 81% among women with 11 or more living children. One in every 17 parous women have three or more miscarriages. Depending on her health, nutrition and lifestyle choices, even a 39 year old parous woman with a history of 3 or more miscarriages has a good chance of carrying a future pregnancy to term but she should act expediently.

Objective: To compare expedient delivery of the placenta in standing or squatting by 3 minutes postpartum to current third stage management.Design, Setting, Sample and Methods: A retrospective cohort study comparing 2 practices with identical inclusion criteria differing in third stage management: 2,154 planned, attended low risk vaginal births using expedient squatting to 2,691 planned, attended low risk vaginal births using various forms of active or expectant management.Main Outcome measures: PPH≥1000 cc and manual removal of placenta.Results: Among comparable populations, combinations of active and expectant management resulted in 4.1% PPH≥1000 cc, whereas expedient delivery of the placenta in standing or squatting by 3 minutes postpartum resulted in 0% PPH≥500 cc.Conclusion: Less postpartum bleeding and postpartum hemorrhage occurs when women push out the placenta with the assistance of gravity and expedience, in standing or squatting by 3 minutes after birth. “The mind of the beginner is empty, open to all possibilities, free of the habits of the expert.”

Background: Active management of the delivery of the placenta results in 5% postpartum hemorrhage, 1% blood transfusions and an average blood loss of 500 cc. Shorter third stages are associated with decreased hemorrhage rates. The third stage can be shortened by instructing the birthing woman to squat and push out the placenta at 3 minutes postpartum. The objective of this study was to compare blood loss and PPH rates using Judy's 3,4,5 minute third stage expedient squatting protocol to variations of active and expectant third stage management among similar populations.Methodology: A retrospective cohort study was carried out comparing 1,098 planned homebirths attended in Israel, in which Judy’s 3,4,5 expedient squatting third stage technique was practiced, to 2,899 planned homebirths attended by midwives in British Columbia, Canada, where currently accepted third stage management was used. The inclusion criteria for both groups were: Singleton fetus in cephalic presentation; gestational age 37+0 to 41+6 weeks; spontaneous onset of labor; history of up to one previous cesarean; absence of significant pre-existing disease and absence of significant disease arising during pregnancy. The main outcomes were postpartum hemorrhage and manual removal of the placenta. Results: Using identical inclusion criteria and similar management, variations of active and expectant management resulted in 4% PPH over 1000 cc and 1.0% manual removal. Expedient squatting resulted in 2/1098 cases of PPH>500 cc, zero cases of PPH over 1000 cc and 0.7% manual removal. Conclusion: Judy’s 3,4,5 minute third stage management minimizes postpartum bleeding compared to other third stage protocols, reproducing postpartum hemorrhage rates indigenous to primates.

Objective: To compare current the third stage management to expedient squatting at 3 minutes postpartum. Design, Setting, Sample and Methods: A retrospective cohort study of 1,098 planned, attended low risk vaginal births in Israel using Judy’s 3,4,5 minute third stage protocol compared to 2,691 attended low risk vaginal births in British Columbia using various forms of active or expectant management of the third stage of labor. Main Outcome measures: PPH>1000, PPH>500 and manual removal of placenta Results: Among similar groups of low risk births, active management, or expectant management resulted in 4.1% PPH over 1000 cc, whereas Judy’s 3,4,5 minute protocol resulted in 0% PPH over 500 cc. Conclusion: Evidence supports less postpartum bleeding and postpartum hemorrhage when women deliver the placenta in squatting 3 minutes after birth. The risks are minimal and the data suggests the likelihood of a very positive outcome, making it recommended for practitioners in all settings to try it.