Ask an OB: Meet Molly

We are excited to kick off a series of posts here on the blog called, Ask an OB. Our resident OB, Maude "Molly" Guerin, MD, FACOG, will field questions you have related to pregnancy, labor and hospital birth.  Wondering what it means to be post date? Worried about the so-called "cascade of interventions?" Curious about cord clamping philosophies? If you have a question for Molly, please share it with us here.

Before we get started with questions, let's meet Molly . . . 

"I made a big loop that started in Ann Arbor for undergrad, wound through Florida, Maine, New Hampshire, and then back to Michigan in 1989, with med school (1978), OBGYN residency (1982), marriage (1977), and three boys (1981, 1983, 1987) along the way. After my family, my biggest love is my work. I still love coming to work every day, because of the transformative power of the three “blood events” for women. Being a small part of the “becoming” (…a woman… a mother…a wise old lady) for my patients is a privilege I am grateful for every day. Birth is the most dramatic of the three transformations: the most physically challenging, and the most dangerous, the most rewarding. My job as an obstetrician (from obstare “to stand by”) is to be present, vigilant, and ready to intervene when necessary. Creating a strong bond of trust between parents and provider is a critical goal of prenatal care, so that, when necessary, interventions are done with understanding and consensus. Just because things usually go well doesn’t mean they always go well - my job is to anticipate, be prepared, and do what it takes to get a healthy mom and baby as often as is humanly possible."