I read these reviews and was compelled to rate and share my opinion & experience with Ms. Carbo.
Yes, there is a time and place for alternative medicine. Yes, there is an alarmingly high rate of C-sections performed. But, there is also a time for common sense, knowing when you (referring to a Nurse Mid-Wife) need help and a medical doctor's intervention. If these things had been combined when I gave birth under Ms. Carbo's care, I would have a beautiful teenage daughter today. Instead, I have the ugly memory of a baby girl who just finally gave up at the moment she entered the world after 23 hours of horrific, exhaustive labor, nurses pushing on my stomache to help me push my child through the birth canal, and Ms. Carbo wringing her hands saying "We've got to get this baby out."
My daughter was born sleeping in 1994 thanks to Ms. Carbo's ineptness and inability to recognize when to call a doctor into the room to use suction or forceps. A procedure that would have taken only 20 seconds since my baby had crowned. Did I want a natural birth? Sure, but I wanted my baby girl alive. FIRST AND FOREMOST.
I was a first time mom and put my trust completely in the hands of Ms. Carbo. She was supposed to be the medical professional. She was the one with years of experience. I was so intent on the labor that I had no conception of time and we were constantly reassured that everything was fine. Imagine the look of disbelief and horror on my face when my daughter was born and whisked to the waiting medical bassinet to be worked on with shots of epi, suction, oxygen and the like. Imagine watching this horrorshow and not understanding what the hell was going on. My baby girl had a heartbeat right up to delivery but never took a breath on her own. All of this was preventable had Ms. Carbo called for her backup doctor to administer suction. My baby girl, who I longed to hold and watch grow up, was dead.
An autopsy was performed. They could find nothing medically wrong with my baby. Later, I learned that Ms. Carbo was relieved of her privleges at that particular hospital. Several years later I learned that an investigation was conducted and I was told that my daughter's death was preventable. Had Ms. Carbo called her back up doctor to administer suction, my daughter would be alive today. There's much more to this horror story, but these are the general details.
So, bottom line, be cautious. If you choose a nurse mid-wife; make sure she has a back up medical doctor on call, know who it is, and how to contact them yourself. Make sure the nurses and hospital have the back-up doctors contact information. Make sure your family in the room has the power to get help, trust their instincts, and be your voice.
I'm happy for the women here who have had positive experiences with Ms. Carbo. I would not wish the alternative on anyone. So, my rating for Ms. Carbo is far less than one star.
