Birthing and family medicine: More than obstetrics

The term birth injury usually applies to an injury sustained by either a woman or her infant in the course of giving birth. in this case the injury was sustained by the delivering family physician. what initially seemed like a minor injury turned out to require a significant career modification. the writer reflects on the personal impact of his choice to provide maternity care as a family physician. the unexpected end to this part of his practice,brought on by the injury,allows an opportunity to assess the effect of other birth experiences that are inherent to long-term patient-doctor relationships in family medicine. © 2015,american board of family medicine. all rights reserved.