I have been wanting to write more often but it has been a little tougher after having number three- so forgive me for not offering more references to back up my opinions. Here goes-
My First Birth-
I have always wanted to have my babies naturally and so I got ready for the first by taking a Bradley Method childbirth class. It was wonderful, and along with the other studying I did it was great preparation for a natural birth. One thing that I did not think about much though was postpartum care. I was so wrapped up in accomplishing this natural birth that I hardly considered what came after.
I was able through some knowledge and some luck to have a natural birth in a hospital setting with the help of a wonderful midwife and my husband. I knew that the baby would be taken for a while after the birth to be checked but I felt fine about that as long as my husband was with him.
After the birth I tried to nurse immediately but with the noise, 10 people in the room, and all the bright lights, not to mention me laying flat on my back so I could get stitched up, it just did not work out.
When I was wheeled up to the recovery room, as soon as I got there a nurse came to take my baby so that he could be cleaned and "checked". I was not too worried about it since hubby went along to watch out for him.
I had had a very long labor and second stage so I was exhausted. Everybody told me to get some sleep. I tried but- was totally wired and could not sleep for even a minute. I just lay in my hospital bed wondering when he would be brought back to me.
Finally he did come back, by now it had been over an hour and he was clean but fast asleep. Thus began a few weeks of jaundice, overly tired baby, and a frustrated mom trying desperately to breastfeed her first child but fighting an uphill battle.
What Happened?
As it turns out, both baby and mother are programed to be alert for a short time immediately after the birth. This is natures way of having an awake mother and baby even after a long and tiring ordeal so that they can not just nurse but get to know each other.
If we take the baby from the mother almost immediately after the birth what happens? We get an mother full of endorphins and oxytocin (love hormones) sitting alone in her room with no baby to bond with or nurse. We also get a baby spending the first few hours of its life surrounded by strangers in a bright room who incessantly poke, prod, and clean it.
What we do not get is an easy transition into motherhood or a smooth start to the breastfeeding relationship.
My Second Birth
Though happy with my hospital experience overall, by the time I had my second I was ready to try an out of hospital birth, for two reasons. One, I was in Texas where it was difficult to find a natural childbirth friendly hospital, and second, I was not pleased with the common hospital practice of removing the baby from its mother right after birth.
My daughter was born in a dimly lit room. Besides my husband there were only three other people there, my midwife, her assistant, and a prospective midwife. It was quiet, dark and peaceful. She was not breathing immediately so was checked out briefly and then handed to me rather quickly. I was holding her probably within 15 minutes of the birth.
I was amazed how easy it was to nurse her. I was half expecting the same battle that had occurred before, but it never came. Naturally born babies are born wanting to nurse and suck, and if mom knows some basic things about breastfeeding and is given the proper help and encouragement, breastfeeding is much easier.
I was so much happier with this experience and in particular with the postpartum care that I was in love with the out of hospital birth experience.
My Third
I recently had the blessing of having my third baby at home. I thought that the experience in the birth center was wonderful but this was even better and less inter feared with.
My baby was handed to me immediately after the birth. I held her until the placenta delivered. The cord was not even cut until after the delivery of the placenta. Nobody took her (though my mom tried!) except for family that I let hold her.
Babies do need to be checked over a little after they are born and she was- about 2 hours later. My midwives policy was to not take a healthy baby for the first 2 hours of life.
She nursed easily within a few minutes after birth and it has been such a blessing to be the first to hold and talk to my baby. I had never felt such a strong bond.
Why This Matters
Babies need their mothers- but mothers also need their babies. We need to hold them, love and nurse them for as long as needed after birth. Not only does it help with things like postpartum hemorrhage, but it causes our body to release oxytocin, which in turn, helps us form a fierce and protective bond with our baby.
How many women have you met who experience severe postpartum depression? How many have trouble with nursing, with feeling connected to their baby, their body and their birth? Maybe you are one of them. I know that I was after my first birth. I had accomplished what I had set out to, but the time away from my baby at such a special and sensitive moment was difficult. Looking back I realize what a big difference that separation made in my bonding with him. I spent many hours crying and feeling sad over trouble nursing that was not necessary.
SO MANY WOMEN GO THROUGH THIS- and so often is is just a matter of poor, outdated hospital policy to take a baby than any need. When you pick your birth place check on their postpartum policies. Many hospitals now can do any checks in your room with you there. This is something that is totally worth looking into and demanding. When we make our voices heard we create change.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Home Birth
Birth
I have really wanted to write about the home birth of my daughter but it is so hard to put down into words. Birth is such a private and sacred event that it is difficult knowing what to share and what to make public. Let's see how this goes.
The Plan
I was excited with this birth to finally be planning a home birth. Truthfully, it is something I had considered with my others but was either too scared to do or just too broke to pay for since insurance did not cover it. My first was born in a hospital with midwifery care and my second was born in a stand alone birth center.
I was so lucky and blessed this time to find a home birth midwife willing to allow me to make payments. I want to give praise to all those midwifes out there that are willing to be so generous so that women can have the beauty of a home birth.
I felt strongly with this birth that it should be at home and I knew that all would be well with this choice. It is a wonderful thing to feel comfortable and safe in our decisions regarding birth.
The Day
I was of course a week and a half overdue!!! Which is frustrating when you are uncomfortable. I had been going to bed every night HOPING that I would go into labor (since I had always started at night with my others).
This time I woke up in the morning and started laboring. Since I knew I was having the baby at home I spent the morning running around trying to clean things up, picking grapes with the kids, and making a dinner for that evening. I just couldn't get everything done fast enough.
I think the idea of having children at birth is wonderful, but honestly, having my kids climb on me in the middle of a contraction was a little distracting so in the afternoon I called my mom to have her come pick them up and take them to eat and play. (MacDonald's anyone?)
Time is always blurry in labor but I think I called my midwife around 3 in the afternoon to give her a heads up. My husband had some patients at 4 and I told him to go see them (always thinking about cash flow, that's me). Around 4:30 my mom came to get the kids and my mother in law who we live with realized that I was in labor. My mom wouldn't leave me alone and around this time I had her call the midwife, and I told her that my husband needed to come home NOW.
My midwives were both about an hour away so I was honestly worried that they wouldn't make it.
Everybody Arrives
My husband came home, my mother in law was busy cleaning and bringing me damp cloths and ice chips, the kids were away and my midwives showed up.
This was my most intervention free pregnancy and birth and it was wonderful. In labor was the first time I had exposed the baby to any ultrasound at all when they checked the heart rate intermittently with the Doppler.
The midwives knew that I wanted this to be as hands off as possible so the only suggestion that they made was that I not labor in a sitting position. For some reason when I sat the heart rate was difficult or impossible to find.
So I labored all over the house. I was in the tub when I asked to have dilation checked because, honestly I just couldn't take it any more and wanted to know if I was close.
I was at a 9 1/2 with a lip on one side. My midwife recommended that I roll over so that the lip would disappear on that side. I did that and got out and was ready to push! YEAH!
About this time my mom showed up with my kids to see if she should take them to her house or what and when she heard how far along I was she said she was not going anywhere. I heard my midwife tell her that we would have a baby in a few minutes.
I had envisioned this birth a very certain way and that is much how it played out. I went into our TV room and squatted by our couch. I had really seen myself catching the baby. I just wanted it to be something that I did on my own without being messed with.
Pushing
So, with my mother, mother in law and children in the next room, listening but not watching, and me, my husband and the two midwives in the TV room, I started to push.
I have to admit that pushing is the hardest part for me and I kind of dread it. I have heard that lots of women love this but- well, I don't.
I started to push- and I admit- this time I really understood the epidural. This for me is the most intense time. I hate to call it pain because pain is such a small and silly word to use when talking about labor and birth. However, it was intense beyond belief. This is definitely my rock and a hard place. Something that has to be done but something I really wish someone else could do for me.
My water burst all over the place (kind of neat actually, I had never had this happen before) and in a few short (or incredibly long) minutes my sweet baby girl is born!
I had imagined catching the baby myself but I was starting to slip while squatting and I had to hold onto my husband so as not to fall over, so the midwife caught. The baby was born with the cord wrapped around the neck which explained why some positions were bad for the heart beat.
The Beginning
I have only been to a few births and one thing I noticed when I wasn't the mother was that when the baby is born it is kind of all over for the birth team. There is not much to do except clean up and leave. But with the birth of your own child the birth is just the beginning of something beautiful. Now you get to get to know this new sweet person that you have been waiting for for so long. It is the beginning of a new life for the whole family.
What I Loved
This birth was so amazing and satisfying in so many ways. I have loved the births of all my children, but this was so untouched and pure, it just seemed like birth with no regrets. It was birth how it should be. I feel so blessed and lucky to have been able to have a birth like this.
I am so grateful for two midwives that were not only generous, but so incredibly respectful of me and my wishes. There was no ego involved for them. They seemed to have zero need to feel important. They were fine with just being on the sidelines, just in case, because that was what I wanted. They respected all of my wishes and needs, even if what I wanted was to be left alone. I never got any pressure from them to do anything that I felt uncomfortable with or pressure to have the baby on a certain day or in a way that worked well for them.
Why
I know that from the outside I just seem crazy to people. Here I am, a housewife, obsessed with natural childbirth- who cares right? This is why-
I want so badly for women to know that birth is beautiful. It can be hard and crazy, even painful, but it is so much more. It is awe inspiring, amazing, and heavenly. It is our moment to be so close to life and death that we can just taste it. It is overwhelming and it is worth it.
I wish that women everywhere were respected and loved in this most sacred moment of their lives. I wish that we all could look at birth as so much more than just something that you have to go through in order to get a baby. I think of birth as a right of passage, a preparation for motherhood, a gift of love to your baby, yourself, and the world.
I know this sounds cheesy but it is true!
What more can I say! I love birth and I feel grateful everyday to be blessed to experience it in this life.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
New Bradey Method Childbirth Class Starting in Ukiah
I will be starting a Bradley Method, natural childbirth class next week, the last week in October. Please contact me for info or questions. I can be reached at mamabirth09@yahoo.com
The series covers nutrition, exercise, relaxation, labor, interventions, staying low risk, baby care and breastfeeding and much much more!
I teach out of Ukiah CA.
The series covers nutrition, exercise, relaxation, labor, interventions, staying low risk, baby care and breastfeeding and much much more!
I teach out of Ukiah CA.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
The True Cost of Interventions in Birth
The "Safety" of Interventions and Hospital Birth
It is interesting to talk to people about home birth because most often the comment you hear is "I would be too afraid to do that, what if something when wrong" or something to that effect. Of course most home birth mom's feel much safer at home because of the frequent interventions in a hospital setting.
I recently read about something that made me think about how even the most common and accepted interventions in the natural process can be scary and even deadly.
Unnecessary Death
I recently read a post from a doula who attended a birth where the baby was born still. It was moving and kicking throughout the labor but at birth was born dead. The mother had at some point refused a Cesarean. When an autopsy was performed it was determined that the baby died from a staph infection in the placenta, that the DOCTOR believed was caused by a vaginal exam sometime during the pregnancy.
The doctor also mentioned that it was a good thing they refused the Cesarean because the mother would have likely died also.
Iatrogenic Death
Iatrogenic is a very important word to know when you start to learn about medicine and childbirth. It means doctor caused. When I hear about peoples horrible near death experiences in childbirth (and most everybody has them these days) it does not scare me away from home or natural birth. It makes me think about how many of those near death experiences (or actual deaths or damage) are caused by those that interfere with the natural process.
Birth is one of those things that is most often SAFER when left alone, even from the most accepted interruptions like the vaginal exam.
The Vaginal Exam
The vaginal exam is probably one of the most accepted parts of pregnancy and birth in this country. Even many midwives do frequent vaginal exams. Some care providers do them every single visit from 35 weeks or so on.
The vaginal exam is also probably one of the silliest, invasive, and dangerous both physically and mentally, things that can be done to a pregnant or laboring woman.
In a vaginal exam a care provider takes their hand and uses their fingers to measure how far dilated you are, and also position of baby and station of the baby. It is not a totally useless exercise, but it is also not always necessary, and certainly not totally harmless as often believed.
The VE is obviously a way to push bacteria up towards the baby, closer to the bag of waters. There is some evidence that this can weaken the bag of water and cause it to break prematurely.
When done after water has been broken, the vaginal exam can shove bacteria up where it is not supposed to be and cause an infection in the mother, manifested by a fever.
One of the most disturbing effects of the vaginal exam though is the mental toll it can take on a mother when done frequently. How many women give up on the natural process after yet another hourly vaginal exam where they learn that they are still at a 4? Even worse, how many women are cut open because they have "failed to progress" after yet another vaginal exam.
And, unfortunately for the above mentioned family and baby, it can be the cause of infection and ultimately death.
Rethinking Birth
The take home message from this for me is to rethink birth. Question everything that you have heard, even if you have heard it from all your friends and your care provider. Everything has pros and con's and there are opinions on both sides. Take the time to take responsibility for your birth experience so that you don't become another statistic.
It is interesting to talk to people about home birth because most often the comment you hear is "I would be too afraid to do that, what if something when wrong" or something to that effect. Of course most home birth mom's feel much safer at home because of the frequent interventions in a hospital setting.
I recently read about something that made me think about how even the most common and accepted interventions in the natural process can be scary and even deadly.
Unnecessary Death
I recently read a post from a doula who attended a birth where the baby was born still. It was moving and kicking throughout the labor but at birth was born dead. The mother had at some point refused a Cesarean. When an autopsy was performed it was determined that the baby died from a staph infection in the placenta, that the DOCTOR believed was caused by a vaginal exam sometime during the pregnancy.
The doctor also mentioned that it was a good thing they refused the Cesarean because the mother would have likely died also.
Iatrogenic Death
Iatrogenic is a very important word to know when you start to learn about medicine and childbirth. It means doctor caused. When I hear about peoples horrible near death experiences in childbirth (and most everybody has them these days) it does not scare me away from home or natural birth. It makes me think about how many of those near death experiences (or actual deaths or damage) are caused by those that interfere with the natural process.
Birth is one of those things that is most often SAFER when left alone, even from the most accepted interruptions like the vaginal exam.
The Vaginal Exam
The vaginal exam is probably one of the most accepted parts of pregnancy and birth in this country. Even many midwives do frequent vaginal exams. Some care providers do them every single visit from 35 weeks or so on.
The vaginal exam is also probably one of the silliest, invasive, and dangerous both physically and mentally, things that can be done to a pregnant or laboring woman.
In a vaginal exam a care provider takes their hand and uses their fingers to measure how far dilated you are, and also position of baby and station of the baby. It is not a totally useless exercise, but it is also not always necessary, and certainly not totally harmless as often believed.
The VE is obviously a way to push bacteria up towards the baby, closer to the bag of waters. There is some evidence that this can weaken the bag of water and cause it to break prematurely.
When done after water has been broken, the vaginal exam can shove bacteria up where it is not supposed to be and cause an infection in the mother, manifested by a fever.
One of the most disturbing effects of the vaginal exam though is the mental toll it can take on a mother when done frequently. How many women give up on the natural process after yet another hourly vaginal exam where they learn that they are still at a 4? Even worse, how many women are cut open because they have "failed to progress" after yet another vaginal exam.
And, unfortunately for the above mentioned family and baby, it can be the cause of infection and ultimately death.
Rethinking Birth
The take home message from this for me is to rethink birth. Question everything that you have heard, even if you have heard it from all your friends and your care provider. Everything has pros and con's and there are opinions on both sides. Take the time to take responsibility for your birth experience so that you don't become another statistic.
Friday, September 4, 2009
New Study on the Safety of Home Birth
Here is a link to a new study on the safety of home birth- slightly safer with fewer interventions than hospital birth. (Maybe fewer interventions make birth safer... just a thought)
http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/rapidpdf/cmaj.081869
http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/rapidpdf/cmaj.081869
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Due Dates- What do they mean?
Overdue
I am overdue! AHHHHH! Though I hate to admit it it makes me crazy and I just want to have this baby. So, today I am just going to write really to reassure myself that this is normal and ok and generally safe.
How We Calculate Due Dates
The general assumption now is that a woman should have a baby by 40 weeks gestation. This is based on a decades old assumption that is not necessarily based in fact but rather tradition. The method of calculating due dates most commonly used is known ans Naegele's Rule and you can read more about it here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naegele's_rule
If you read the description you will find that A) there are some imperfections in it that make it more of a rough estimate than an exact calculator and B) recent studies have shown that the average gestation is closer to 41 weeks and one day for first time mothers rather than 40 weeks.
What is the big deal about going overdue?
Officially you are not actually overdue until you go past 42 weeks! Yes- read that again- you are not overdue until you go past 42 weeks. Yet currently you will have a hard time finding a care provider that will "let" (I hate that term) you go past 40 weeks. So now, instead of 40 weeks being considered an average, give or a take a few weeks, you pretty much are expected to deliver by 40 weeks or induction is on the horizon.
The blog below has some great info on pitocin inductions and their risks and dosages.
http://nursingbirth.wordpress.com/2009/07/09/pitocin-protocol-for-labor-inductionaugmentation-decoded/
What is going on here? Truthfully there are some risks to going overdue, they are however statistically small for most women. In fact, one article I found stated that:
"Routine labor induction at 41 weeks likely increases labor complications and operative delivery without significantly improving neonatal outcomes."
(ObstetGynecol 2000; 96: 291-4)
There is some evidence however that going overdue does increase the chance of neonatal death. "At 44 weeks the death rate of these infants escalates to at least four times that of term infants, although it is still less than 1%" (Ob Gyn News, July 15-31, 1996).
So- once we get past 42 weeks there is a slightly increased chance of neonatal death but the risk is still low. We also can be pretty sure that the interventions used to start labor earlier also have risks and can be dangerous to both mother and baby.
Induction, Convenience, and Liability in Postdates
Right now we are seeing outrageous induction rates. They very from hospital to hospital and region to region, but, they are dangerously high and in my opinion, inductions are damaging women and their babies across the country right now.
They are not however causing hospitals to lose money. In fact, the opposite is probably true. Induced babies are more likely to have problems and need a stay in the NICU, and their mothers are more likely to "need" a costly c-section and the added hospital stay.
The other benefit to the induction prior to 42 weeks is that it can be planned. Ask a midwife when women go into labor- the answer will probably be- usually at night. Women often go into labor when their parasympathetic nervous system is activated and they are relaxed, like they are at night when asleep.
Now take a trip to your local L&D unit at a nearby hospital. You fill find (often, though it varies a lot) that hospitals are very empty at night and very busy on weekday mornings. Inductions can happen when you want them too. They are predictable. They can be scheduled. They can fit into your golf game, vacation, work schedule, sleep schedule, etc. Don't just blame the ob though, they can fit into your husbands travel schedule, or your kids school schedule. You can't predict how they will turn out, but you can pick the day.
Will We Ever Get Back to Just Allowing Birth to Happen?
I love to talk to women about birth, especially of different ages. I find that even 15 years ago doctors didn't really start to worry until you went past 42 weeks. Talk to your mothers and Aunts and friends. These women routinely went past 40 weeks and it was just not worried about that much. This is almost unheard of now as induction is so common and a naturally starting labor is quickly disappearing in our hospitals.
I hope that the pendulum of induction will swing the other way as we realize how dangerous the routine induction is and how much it is damaging not just babies (do we really know what pitocin does to their rapidly developing brains?) but to the psyche of women everywhere (does the thought that your body doesn't work properly and will never go into labor upset you?).
The convenience for the care provider and scheduling guru at your local hospital, not to mention you, seem so tempting that I worry that we will be slow to get back to the idea that labor can and will and SHOULD occur on its own when the baby is ready.
What Should You do if You Go Overdue?
How about what I will try to do now that I am going overdue?! First, I am trying to be patient with my body and my baby. If you believe that birth is normal and safe and that babies come when they are ready (note the they, not you) than it is worth the wait to give your baby the best start possible. I will try to keep myself healthy and happy and feed my body right so that the baby can get any last minute things it needs before it can be born. I will try to learn some mothering skills from this little wait (like patience!). I will be grateful that my babies come a little late rather than dangerously early. I will be grateful for their health and their own personalities that choose when they are ready. I will do some natural things that prepare my body for birth, like walking, without trying to "induce myself". (I have always found the term 'natural induction' to be somewhat silly).
I will be grateful for all the women I know who believe in birth and allow it to happen naturally and support me even when I am feeling a little crazy!
Thanks for reading! Would love to hear back from you too!
I am overdue! AHHHHH! Though I hate to admit it it makes me crazy and I just want to have this baby. So, today I am just going to write really to reassure myself that this is normal and ok and generally safe.
How We Calculate Due Dates
The general assumption now is that a woman should have a baby by 40 weeks gestation. This is based on a decades old assumption that is not necessarily based in fact but rather tradition. The method of calculating due dates most commonly used is known ans Naegele's Rule and you can read more about it here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naegele's_rule
If you read the description you will find that A) there are some imperfections in it that make it more of a rough estimate than an exact calculator and B) recent studies have shown that the average gestation is closer to 41 weeks and one day for first time mothers rather than 40 weeks.
What is the big deal about going overdue?
Officially you are not actually overdue until you go past 42 weeks! Yes- read that again- you are not overdue until you go past 42 weeks. Yet currently you will have a hard time finding a care provider that will "let" (I hate that term) you go past 40 weeks. So now, instead of 40 weeks being considered an average, give or a take a few weeks, you pretty much are expected to deliver by 40 weeks or induction is on the horizon.
The blog below has some great info on pitocin inductions and their risks and dosages.
http://nursingbirth.wordpress.com/2009/07/09/pitocin-protocol-for-labor-inductionaugmentation-decoded/
What is going on here? Truthfully there are some risks to going overdue, they are however statistically small for most women. In fact, one article I found stated that:
"Routine labor induction at 41 weeks likely increases labor complications and operative delivery without significantly improving neonatal outcomes."
(ObstetGynecol 2000; 96: 291-4)
There is some evidence however that going overdue does increase the chance of neonatal death. "At 44 weeks the death rate of these infants escalates to at least four times that of term infants, although it is still less than 1%" (Ob Gyn News, July 15-31, 1996).
So- once we get past 42 weeks there is a slightly increased chance of neonatal death but the risk is still low. We also can be pretty sure that the interventions used to start labor earlier also have risks and can be dangerous to both mother and baby.
Induction, Convenience, and Liability in Postdates
Right now we are seeing outrageous induction rates. They very from hospital to hospital and region to region, but, they are dangerously high and in my opinion, inductions are damaging women and their babies across the country right now.
They are not however causing hospitals to lose money. In fact, the opposite is probably true. Induced babies are more likely to have problems and need a stay in the NICU, and their mothers are more likely to "need" a costly c-section and the added hospital stay.
The other benefit to the induction prior to 42 weeks is that it can be planned. Ask a midwife when women go into labor- the answer will probably be- usually at night. Women often go into labor when their parasympathetic nervous system is activated and they are relaxed, like they are at night when asleep.
Now take a trip to your local L&D unit at a nearby hospital. You fill find (often, though it varies a lot) that hospitals are very empty at night and very busy on weekday mornings. Inductions can happen when you want them too. They are predictable. They can be scheduled. They can fit into your golf game, vacation, work schedule, sleep schedule, etc. Don't just blame the ob though, they can fit into your husbands travel schedule, or your kids school schedule. You can't predict how they will turn out, but you can pick the day.
Will We Ever Get Back to Just Allowing Birth to Happen?
I love to talk to women about birth, especially of different ages. I find that even 15 years ago doctors didn't really start to worry until you went past 42 weeks. Talk to your mothers and Aunts and friends. These women routinely went past 40 weeks and it was just not worried about that much. This is almost unheard of now as induction is so common and a naturally starting labor is quickly disappearing in our hospitals.
I hope that the pendulum of induction will swing the other way as we realize how dangerous the routine induction is and how much it is damaging not just babies (do we really know what pitocin does to their rapidly developing brains?) but to the psyche of women everywhere (does the thought that your body doesn't work properly and will never go into labor upset you?).
The convenience for the care provider and scheduling guru at your local hospital, not to mention you, seem so tempting that I worry that we will be slow to get back to the idea that labor can and will and SHOULD occur on its own when the baby is ready.
What Should You do if You Go Overdue?
How about what I will try to do now that I am going overdue?! First, I am trying to be patient with my body and my baby. If you believe that birth is normal and safe and that babies come when they are ready (note the they, not you) than it is worth the wait to give your baby the best start possible. I will try to keep myself healthy and happy and feed my body right so that the baby can get any last minute things it needs before it can be born. I will try to learn some mothering skills from this little wait (like patience!). I will be grateful that my babies come a little late rather than dangerously early. I will be grateful for their health and their own personalities that choose when they are ready. I will do some natural things that prepare my body for birth, like walking, without trying to "induce myself". (I have always found the term 'natural induction' to be somewhat silly).
I will be grateful for all the women I know who believe in birth and allow it to happen naturally and support me even when I am feeling a little crazy!
Thanks for reading! Would love to hear back from you too!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Started Selling Slings- Again
Just a shout out that I have started selling slings again. For some reason this seems to work well for me despite my aspirations for something greater! The link to my Etsy shop is now on the upper right hand corner of my blog.
Also- if you are just a sling mama and need some info on using your sling, check out the links. There are some great free links online so you don't have to buy a DVD to learn to use your sling.
I am getting going and trying to come up with ideas of other stuff I can make and sell- so I would love to hear some of your feedback and ideas. Let me know. I have had a request for a full coverage nursing cover, and am considering hot packs for labor. Any other ideas or tools that you doulas need but have a hard time finding.
Thanks!
Sarah
Also- if you are just a sling mama and need some info on using your sling, check out the links. There are some great free links online so you don't have to buy a DVD to learn to use your sling.
I am getting going and trying to come up with ideas of other stuff I can make and sell- so I would love to hear some of your feedback and ideas. Let me know. I have had a request for a full coverage nursing cover, and am considering hot packs for labor. Any other ideas or tools that you doulas need but have a hard time finding.
Thanks!
Sarah
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Birth Centers Lose Medicaid Funding in Texas
Please go to the website listed to sign a petition to once again fund Birth Centers in Texas.
www.birthcenters.org
Recently legislation has been passed ending the funding of Medicaid to Birth Centers in Texas. This is such a tragedy for many reasons.
1. This was certainly not motivated by a desire for fiscally responsible government. Birth Center births are far less expensive and also have much lower C-section rates.
2. Medicaid funding gives low income women the option for out of hospital births. Most midwives already do not accept Medicaid for home birth because the pay is so little.
3. Cutting off this funding could potentially put some Birth Centers out of business. Those that accept Medicaid are limited already because Medicaid does not pay as well as insurance.
4. It will force more women to either birth in Texas hospitals (which frankly are shameful in their treatment of women and their disgusting interventions).
5. It will hurt babies and women as those hospital births have higher C-section rates, NICU stays, interventions, and drugs.
I am grateful that when I lived in Texas I had the option of a wonderful Birth Center birth at Inanna Birth Center in Denton. I could not afford a home birth and was not willing to birth in the nearby Texas hospitals. The ones closest to me had C-section rates of 50%, induction rates around 95% and epidural rates close to 100%. Successful breastfeeding was rare, and women were still delivering in stirrups, with episitiomeys, continuous fetal monitoring, and IV were standard.
Please sign the petition to find Birth Centers again in Texas.
www.birthcenters.org
Recently legislation has been passed ending the funding of Medicaid to Birth Centers in Texas. This is such a tragedy for many reasons.
1. This was certainly not motivated by a desire for fiscally responsible government. Birth Center births are far less expensive and also have much lower C-section rates.
2. Medicaid funding gives low income women the option for out of hospital births. Most midwives already do not accept Medicaid for home birth because the pay is so little.
3. Cutting off this funding could potentially put some Birth Centers out of business. Those that accept Medicaid are limited already because Medicaid does not pay as well as insurance.
4. It will force more women to either birth in Texas hospitals (which frankly are shameful in their treatment of women and their disgusting interventions).
5. It will hurt babies and women as those hospital births have higher C-section rates, NICU stays, interventions, and drugs.
I am grateful that when I lived in Texas I had the option of a wonderful Birth Center birth at Inanna Birth Center in Denton. I could not afford a home birth and was not willing to birth in the nearby Texas hospitals. The ones closest to me had C-section rates of 50%, induction rates around 95% and epidural rates close to 100%. Successful breastfeeding was rare, and women were still delivering in stirrups, with episitiomeys, continuous fetal monitoring, and IV were standard.
Please sign the petition to find Birth Centers again in Texas.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Banned From Baby Showers: Beta-Endorphins and Their Affects on Pain Perception in Labor
Just wanted to put a link to a friends blog. Amazing what the body does in labor. Natural birth is not as painful as we are often led to believe, and can in fact be painless and wonderful.
Banned From Baby Showers: Beta-Endorphins and Their Affects on Pain Perception in Labor
Banned From Baby Showers: Beta-Endorphins and Their Affects on Pain Perception in Labor
C-section's Contribute to Later Health Problems
The Invisible Scar's Left by C-sections
I thought this was an interesting article that pointed out some of the risks of C-section that are just being discovered. The next post is a link to the same article so you can go directly to it.
How sad that once again an obstetric procedure has become commonplace without proof that it is safe. (In fact there is ample evidence that C-sections are less safe and death is more likely for the mother.) Just as x-rays during pregnancy were once thought to be 'safe' and were not stopped until LATER proven to be cancer causing, so, c-sections are used in abundance while years later we are seeing the negative results.
Certainly, all mothers must be careful to avoid any kind of obstetric intervention from pharmaceuticals to excessive ultrasound to induction procedures. Just because something has yet to been proven unsafe does not mean it is safe. The problems associated with exposing our babies to these interventions are often not visible until later on in life, especially if they are more subtle or can yet be proven and examined by science.
The C-section rate in this country is around 30% and rising. We must learn to trust in birth and our bodies again. Just knowing that we are capable of birth and believing that it is natural and safe changes the way we look at it and changes the way we will experience it. If you know that birth is beautiful and safe, a care provider that suggests otherwise will be someone you avoid. The idea of a scheduled C-section based on flimsy medical reasoning will seem abhorrent to you when you know that you can birth your baby.
Money talks. If you are not comfortable with your care provider, or if you know they do not respect you and your choices, tell them by choosing somebody else. We can create change but we must ask for it. It will not happen if we keep giving our money and our time to those who who feel a vaginal by-pass is superior and safer.
That May Increase Odds For Developing Diseases in Later Life
ScienceDaily (June 29, 2009) — Swedish researchers have discovered that babies born by Caesarean section experience changes to the DNA pool in their white blood cells, which could be connected to altered stress levels during this method of delivery, according to the July issue of Acta Paediatrica.
It is thought that these genetic changes, which differ from normal vaginal deliveries, could explain why people delivered by C-section are more susceptible to immunological diseases such as diabetes and asthma in later life, when those genetic changes combine with environmental triggers.
Blood was sampled from the umbilical cords of 37 newborn infants just after delivery and then three to five days after the birth. It was analysed to see the degree of DNA-methylation in the white blood cells - a vital part of the immune system.
This showed that the 16 babies born by C-section exhibited higher DNA-methylation rates immediately after delivery than the 21 born by vaginal delivery. Three to five days after birth, DNA-methylation levels had dropped in infants delivered by C-section so that there were no longer significant differences between the two groups.
"Delivery by C-section has been associated with increased allergy, diabetes and leukaemia risks" says Professor Mikael Norman, who specialises in paediatrics at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden. "Although the underlying cause is unknown, our theory is that altered birth conditions could cause a genetic imprint in the immune cells that could play a role later in life.
"That is why we were keen to look at DNA-methylation, which is an important biological mechanism in which the DNA is chemically modified to activate or shut down genes in response to changes in the external environment. As the diseases that tend to be more common in people delivered by C-section are connected with the immune system, we decided to focus our research on early DNA changes to the white blood cells."
The authors point out that the reason why DNA-methylation is higher after C-section deliveries is still unclear and further research is needed.
"Animal studies have shown that negative stress around birth affects methylation of the genes and therefore it is reasonable to believe that the differences in DNA-methylation that we found in human infants are linked to differences in birth stress.
"We know that the stress of being born is fundamentally different after planned C-section compared to normal vaginal delivery. When babies are delivered by C-section, they are unprepared for the birth and can become more stressed after delivery than before. This is different to a normal vaginal delivery, where the stress gradually builds up before the actual birth, helping the baby to start breathing and quickly adapt to the new environment outside the womb."
The authors point out that the surgical procedure itself may play a role in DNA-methylation and that factors other than the delivery method need to be explored in more detail.
"In our study, neonatal DNA-methylation did not correlate to the age of the mother, length of labour, birth weight and neonatal CPR levels - proteins that provide a key marker for inflammation" says Professor Norman. "However, although there was no relation between DNA-methylation and these factors, larger studies are needed to clarify these issues."
Professor Norman states that the Karolinska study clearly shows that gene-environment interaction through DNA-methylation is more dynamic around birth than previously known.
"The full significance of higher DNA-methylation levels after C-section is not yet understood, but it may have important clinical implications" he says.
"C-section delivery is rapidly increasing worldwide and is currently the most common surgical procedure among women of child-bearing age. Until recently, the long-term consequences of this mode of delivery had not been studied. However, reports that link C-section deliveries with increased risk for different diseases in later life are now emerging. Our results provide the first pieces of evidence that early `epigenetic' programming of the immune system may have a role to play."
The authors feel that their discovery could make a significant contribution to the ongoing debate about the health issues around C-section deliveries.
"Although we do not know yet how specific gene expression is affected after C-section deliveries, or to what extent these genetic differences related to the mode of delivery are long-lasting, we believe that our findings open up a new area of important clinical research" concludes lead author Titus Schlinzig, a research fellow at the Karolinska Institutet.
I thought this was an interesting article that pointed out some of the risks of C-section that are just being discovered. The next post is a link to the same article so you can go directly to it.
How sad that once again an obstetric procedure has become commonplace without proof that it is safe. (In fact there is ample evidence that C-sections are less safe and death is more likely for the mother.) Just as x-rays during pregnancy were once thought to be 'safe' and were not stopped until LATER proven to be cancer causing, so, c-sections are used in abundance while years later we are seeing the negative results.
Certainly, all mothers must be careful to avoid any kind of obstetric intervention from pharmaceuticals to excessive ultrasound to induction procedures. Just because something has yet to been proven unsafe does not mean it is safe. The problems associated with exposing our babies to these interventions are often not visible until later on in life, especially if they are more subtle or can yet be proven and examined by science.
The C-section rate in this country is around 30% and rising. We must learn to trust in birth and our bodies again. Just knowing that we are capable of birth and believing that it is natural and safe changes the way we look at it and changes the way we will experience it. If you know that birth is beautiful and safe, a care provider that suggests otherwise will be someone you avoid. The idea of a scheduled C-section based on flimsy medical reasoning will seem abhorrent to you when you know that you can birth your baby.
Money talks. If you are not comfortable with your care provider, or if you know they do not respect you and your choices, tell them by choosing somebody else. We can create change but we must ask for it. It will not happen if we keep giving our money and our time to those who who feel a vaginal by-pass is superior and safer.
That May Increase Odds For Developing Diseases in Later Life
ScienceDaily (June 29, 2009) — Swedish researchers have discovered that babies born by Caesarean section experience changes to the DNA pool in their white blood cells, which could be connected to altered stress levels during this method of delivery, according to the July issue of Acta Paediatrica.
It is thought that these genetic changes, which differ from normal vaginal deliveries, could explain why people delivered by C-section are more susceptible to immunological diseases such as diabetes and asthma in later life, when those genetic changes combine with environmental triggers.
Blood was sampled from the umbilical cords of 37 newborn infants just after delivery and then three to five days after the birth. It was analysed to see the degree of DNA-methylation in the white blood cells - a vital part of the immune system.
This showed that the 16 babies born by C-section exhibited higher DNA-methylation rates immediately after delivery than the 21 born by vaginal delivery. Three to five days after birth, DNA-methylation levels had dropped in infants delivered by C-section so that there were no longer significant differences between the two groups.
"Delivery by C-section has been associated with increased allergy, diabetes and leukaemia risks" says Professor Mikael Norman, who specialises in paediatrics at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden. "Although the underlying cause is unknown, our theory is that altered birth conditions could cause a genetic imprint in the immune cells that could play a role later in life.
"That is why we were keen to look at DNA-methylation, which is an important biological mechanism in which the DNA is chemically modified to activate or shut down genes in response to changes in the external environment. As the diseases that tend to be more common in people delivered by C-section are connected with the immune system, we decided to focus our research on early DNA changes to the white blood cells."
The authors point out that the reason why DNA-methylation is higher after C-section deliveries is still unclear and further research is needed.
"Animal studies have shown that negative stress around birth affects methylation of the genes and therefore it is reasonable to believe that the differences in DNA-methylation that we found in human infants are linked to differences in birth stress.
"We know that the stress of being born is fundamentally different after planned C-section compared to normal vaginal delivery. When babies are delivered by C-section, they are unprepared for the birth and can become more stressed after delivery than before. This is different to a normal vaginal delivery, where the stress gradually builds up before the actual birth, helping the baby to start breathing and quickly adapt to the new environment outside the womb."
The authors point out that the surgical procedure itself may play a role in DNA-methylation and that factors other than the delivery method need to be explored in more detail.
"In our study, neonatal DNA-methylation did not correlate to the age of the mother, length of labour, birth weight and neonatal CPR levels - proteins that provide a key marker for inflammation" says Professor Norman. "However, although there was no relation between DNA-methylation and these factors, larger studies are needed to clarify these issues."
Professor Norman states that the Karolinska study clearly shows that gene-environment interaction through DNA-methylation is more dynamic around birth than previously known.
"The full significance of higher DNA-methylation levels after C-section is not yet understood, but it may have important clinical implications" he says.
"C-section delivery is rapidly increasing worldwide and is currently the most common surgical procedure among women of child-bearing age. Until recently, the long-term consequences of this mode of delivery had not been studied. However, reports that link C-section deliveries with increased risk for different diseases in later life are now emerging. Our results provide the first pieces of evidence that early `epigenetic' programming of the immune system may have a role to play."
The authors feel that their discovery could make a significant contribution to the ongoing debate about the health issues around C-section deliveries.
"Although we do not know yet how specific gene expression is affected after C-section deliveries, or to what extent these genetic differences related to the mode of delivery are long-lasting, we believe that our findings open up a new area of important clinical research" concludes lead author Titus Schlinzig, a research fellow at the Karolinska Institutet.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Fat and Pregnant
It Happened Again
Yes ladies, once again, I had a complete stranger ask me not just my due date, but if I am carrying twins! I personally don't know what would inspire somebody to say this to a pregnant woman, or more, why it would ever seem appropriate. Like most pregnant women, I feel huge. I may or may not be bigger than average, but I sure feel like I am. It of course does not make me feel better to be told, that I, in fact am larger than life.
So, now that I am good and angry, (or hurt and emotional) let me get to my point. I would like to offer research and all that jazz to back up my point, but I am just too tired. However, the point is, what is up with all this pregnancy weight gain stuff! I just recently read a new article on new guidelines for pregnancy weight gain in this country. And, you guessed it- I am over!
Focus on Pounds
http://www.webmd.com/baby/news/20090528/pregnancy-weight-gain-new-guidelines
Check out the above article to see the new guidelines for appropriate weight gain.
What irritates me about this (besides the fact that I am gaining from 5 to 20 pounds too much) is that there is not one mention of proper pregnancy nutrition. It is all about pounds and calories. You only need 300 extra calories, or you should gain no more than 20 pounds, etc.
What about health? What about greens, vegetables, fats and protein? What about how what we eat affects the health of mom and baby. No No No, we don't want to talk about that! Just tell women they are too fat.
I agree, many Americans are too overweight, but I am afraid the intended message, that it is best to get pregnant when at a healthy weight, is lost when we start giving all women stiff guidelines about what they should be doing!
All Different
This is one of my main gripes about medicine in this country right now, the one size fits all idea. You must fall within these parameters or we will have to do xyz to you. You have your babies at 43 weeks? Holy crap! That is dangerous and unacceptable! Who cares about the fact that your mother and all your sisters did the same and had healthy babies. No- you must fit in our box!
I have to say that I once sat in a group of women (they were all Bradley instructors and so ate similar diets during pregnancy, the Brewer Diet to be specific) and we charted on a graph our various pregnancy weight gains. One woman lost weight (about 5 pounds) and then another gained 65 pounds. The rest of us fell somewhere in the middle gaining from 20 to 40 pounds with the average being about 35 or so. All had healthy unmedicated births. Was the average the same as what is recommended? Yes, about, but to get that average there was a wide variety all with good outcomes. And yes, thinner women often gained more weight and heavier women often gained less.
Does it matter though how much weight we gained though? I don't really think so, as long as the weight gained or lost was done while eating the best food for that baby.
Negative Side Effects
It goes without saying that there is a huge culture of fear surrounding childbirth and pregnancy. I recently talked to somebody who was virtually starving herself (and feeling like hell to boot, surprise, surprise) while pregnant because she felt like she was too heavy to begin with. She was happy with the fact that she "hadn't gained any weight" though.
This makes me so sad. I sincerely believe that when we feel sick when pregnant our body is desperately trying to tell us something, like we should eat! When the information put out there by the experts is simply "You are allowed this many pounds based on your BMI" instead of well researched information on nutrition and what a baby needs, we get sick mom's and sick babies.
This is a national tragedy! There is plenty to eat in this country, but we are sick when we are pregnant, often do to the fact because the focus is on pounds rather than health and nutrition.
How to Eat When Pregnant
I use the Brewer diet as my guideline when eating while pregnant. There is a link on my blog or you can go to www.blueribbonbaby.org to check it out.
Basically it comes down to a healthy, well rounded diet. There should be little or now white flour and sugars. There should be about 100 grams of protein a day from healthy sources. You should get fruit, vegetables, greens, vitamin c foods, and healthy whole grains every day. You should eat eggs every day and a baked potato a few times a week. (Yes, eggs and potatoes are actually good for you). You should get healthy fat from butter or olive oil. You should also get dairy if acceptable to your lifestyle. You can salt your food! You can drink lots of water! It is awesome.
What I love about this diet is that I feel great when I do it, it makes for nice sized healthy babies, and it never mentions calories or weight gain. Instead the focus is on getting adequate nutrition. If your body loses weight when you eat like this, that is fine. And if your body gains 60 pounds when eating like this, that is alright too. You are you and your body will do what it needs to do to grow a baby if given the right ingredients.
Confessions of a Fat Pregnant Gal
I admit! I ate chocolate cake today for lunch! I don't eat perfect, and I know I let it go a little when I am pregnant, still I think I'm right about this! Eat well, listen to your body and feed that baby what it needs. Who cares if you are above or below the "experts" guidelines! Who cares if total strangers tell you you look like your having twins, or say "I bet you'll have it sooner than that." What do they know!
I gain 40 + pounds when pregnant. So did my mother, and I have gained the same amount walking three miles a day or drinking milkshakes. It is just what my body does. And I am OK with it, even though it is hard when I walk past a full length mirror.
It is high time we started listening to our bodies and our babies and giving them what they need. We will be better off!
Yes ladies, once again, I had a complete stranger ask me not just my due date, but if I am carrying twins! I personally don't know what would inspire somebody to say this to a pregnant woman, or more, why it would ever seem appropriate. Like most pregnant women, I feel huge. I may or may not be bigger than average, but I sure feel like I am. It of course does not make me feel better to be told, that I, in fact am larger than life.
So, now that I am good and angry, (or hurt and emotional) let me get to my point. I would like to offer research and all that jazz to back up my point, but I am just too tired. However, the point is, what is up with all this pregnancy weight gain stuff! I just recently read a new article on new guidelines for pregnancy weight gain in this country. And, you guessed it- I am over!
Focus on Pounds
http://www.webmd.com/baby/news/20090528/pregnancy-weight-gain-new-guidelines
Check out the above article to see the new guidelines for appropriate weight gain.
What irritates me about this (besides the fact that I am gaining from 5 to 20 pounds too much) is that there is not one mention of proper pregnancy nutrition. It is all about pounds and calories. You only need 300 extra calories, or you should gain no more than 20 pounds, etc.
What about health? What about greens, vegetables, fats and protein? What about how what we eat affects the health of mom and baby. No No No, we don't want to talk about that! Just tell women they are too fat.
I agree, many Americans are too overweight, but I am afraid the intended message, that it is best to get pregnant when at a healthy weight, is lost when we start giving all women stiff guidelines about what they should be doing!
All Different
This is one of my main gripes about medicine in this country right now, the one size fits all idea. You must fall within these parameters or we will have to do xyz to you. You have your babies at 43 weeks? Holy crap! That is dangerous and unacceptable! Who cares about the fact that your mother and all your sisters did the same and had healthy babies. No- you must fit in our box!
I have to say that I once sat in a group of women (they were all Bradley instructors and so ate similar diets during pregnancy, the Brewer Diet to be specific) and we charted on a graph our various pregnancy weight gains. One woman lost weight (about 5 pounds) and then another gained 65 pounds. The rest of us fell somewhere in the middle gaining from 20 to 40 pounds with the average being about 35 or so. All had healthy unmedicated births. Was the average the same as what is recommended? Yes, about, but to get that average there was a wide variety all with good outcomes. And yes, thinner women often gained more weight and heavier women often gained less.
Does it matter though how much weight we gained though? I don't really think so, as long as the weight gained or lost was done while eating the best food for that baby.
Negative Side Effects
It goes without saying that there is a huge culture of fear surrounding childbirth and pregnancy. I recently talked to somebody who was virtually starving herself (and feeling like hell to boot, surprise, surprise) while pregnant because she felt like she was too heavy to begin with. She was happy with the fact that she "hadn't gained any weight" though.
This makes me so sad. I sincerely believe that when we feel sick when pregnant our body is desperately trying to tell us something, like we should eat! When the information put out there by the experts is simply "You are allowed this many pounds based on your BMI" instead of well researched information on nutrition and what a baby needs, we get sick mom's and sick babies.
This is a national tragedy! There is plenty to eat in this country, but we are sick when we are pregnant, often do to the fact because the focus is on pounds rather than health and nutrition.
How to Eat When Pregnant
I use the Brewer diet as my guideline when eating while pregnant. There is a link on my blog or you can go to www.blueribbonbaby.org to check it out.
Basically it comes down to a healthy, well rounded diet. There should be little or now white flour and sugars. There should be about 100 grams of protein a day from healthy sources. You should get fruit, vegetables, greens, vitamin c foods, and healthy whole grains every day. You should eat eggs every day and a baked potato a few times a week. (Yes, eggs and potatoes are actually good for you). You should get healthy fat from butter or olive oil. You should also get dairy if acceptable to your lifestyle. You can salt your food! You can drink lots of water! It is awesome.
What I love about this diet is that I feel great when I do it, it makes for nice sized healthy babies, and it never mentions calories or weight gain. Instead the focus is on getting adequate nutrition. If your body loses weight when you eat like this, that is fine. And if your body gains 60 pounds when eating like this, that is alright too. You are you and your body will do what it needs to do to grow a baby if given the right ingredients.
Confessions of a Fat Pregnant Gal
I admit! I ate chocolate cake today for lunch! I don't eat perfect, and I know I let it go a little when I am pregnant, still I think I'm right about this! Eat well, listen to your body and feed that baby what it needs. Who cares if you are above or below the "experts" guidelines! Who cares if total strangers tell you you look like your having twins, or say "I bet you'll have it sooner than that." What do they know!
I gain 40 + pounds when pregnant. So did my mother, and I have gained the same amount walking three miles a day or drinking milkshakes. It is just what my body does. And I am OK with it, even though it is hard when I walk past a full length mirror.
It is high time we started listening to our bodies and our babies and giving them what they need. We will be better off!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Does My Child Need To Drink Milk?
How Much Milk Does He Drink?
With my first child I noticed that at every doctor's appointment after the age of one the above question was asked. Since I never introduced milk into his diet the next question was always, "Do you do soy or rice milk instead?" followed by "How much?" or "Does he get dairy products somewhere?"
He was not allergic to milk, but since he nursed till he was two I felt no need to introduce the milk of another animal into his diet when what he was getting from me was, I felt, superior. And honestly, even if he had weaned earlier I wouldn't have introduced milk because I have always believed it is the perfect food for baby cows, not humans.
Oddly enough, this simple question, "How much milk does your child drink" is so standard in doctors offices that parents who choose for some reason not to include dairy in the diet of their children are treated as at least weird, or worse, neglectful.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070721205957AAx56vS
The Answer
The answer to the above question is a resounding "NO". A child can be perfectly healthy and even have superior health without the presence of dairy in their diet. You do however, as a parent have to work to insure that your child gets the nutrients that they need from other food sources.
Here is an abstract from Pediatrics on a recent article showing that milk consumption does not in fact strengthen bones more so than other sources or even exercise. -
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/115/3/736
Here is another website with common milk myths:
www.milkmyths.org.uk
I even found a video on a network news station that supports this idea! Notice how the Pediatrician still refuses to change her advise despite the research showing that dairy does not increase the health of bones!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7115733/
Helpful Tips on a Healthy Diet Without Dairy
I wanted to include this info from a LaLecheLeague leader that I know. She has some great tips on replacing dairy products with foods high in nutritional value.
1. Babies who drink cow's milk should be on whole milk until they are 3 years old.
2. Cow's milk is for baby cows.
3. Any human can live a very healthy life without cow's milk products (many people can not digest it or are allergic to it)
4. Cow's milk provides calcium (though not extremely absorb able) also protein, carbohydrates, and fats. The vitamins A & D are added to the milk. There is no iron in cow's milk or much of the water soluble vitamins left after pasteurization.
5. Humans need lots of leafy greens, calciferous veggies (broccoli), beans, legumes (lentils, peanuts), tree nuts, fruit (anything that falls off a bush or tree including tomatoes, zucchini, apples, etc) and plenty of water. Some humans add fish, poultry and other meats. Eggs are another great source of protein. Grains in their whole form are a good source of many vitamins, minerals and nutrients. (Processed grains, such as white flour are not a good source of nutrition) All the nutrients a human needs is supplied by eating a variety of these items in as close to their natural states as possible.
6. While some people do not do well on cow's milk, some can digest the higher fat foods such as butter. And some folks handle yogurt because of the enzymes (best if no sugar added type).
7. Here are some examples of meals a child might eat without milk or dairy products: Breakfast: scrambled eggs, toast, and fruit (water to drink) Snack: popcorn or crackers with peanut butter Lunch: soup (any kind--possibly with a meat) Snack: fruit or veggie sticks Dinner: meat or some kind or pasta dish with soy cheese, cooked/steamed broccoli -- or --baked red or white potato with butter and soy cheese with a green veggie
8. Whole Foods has a huge assortment of dairy free convenience foods (frozen pizza, etc) and replacement products that are nice but not necessary such as non -dairy sour cream, nut or rice milk, soy ice cream, various non-dairy cheeses and spreads. So the easiest answer to your question is--As long as your daughter is getting a variety of natural foods, cow's milk and dairy products are not necessary in her diet. One can replace the calcium in milk with beans, whole grains, and greens. The protein is replaced with eggs, meat, beans, whole grains (actually most everything we eat has a little bit of protein). The fats are replaced by eating meat, eggs, olive oil. The Carbohydrates are replaced by eating fruits and whole grains. Plenty of water should be a part of every one's daily diet. (8 - 10 oz per 20 pounds of body weight or 1/2 your body weight in pounds should be consumed in ounces of water, i.e. a 100 pound person should drink 50 ounces of water). Juice is not necessary.
Why doesn't everybody know this?
If you start digging you will find that it is actually hard to find info on the how dairy is not needed for a healthy diet. A few things to keep in mind:
1. The milk lobby is incredibly powerful.
2. Most medical doctors have little nutritional background.
3. The health of your child is your responsibility.
4. Many people throughout the world have long lived without dairy and yet they have strong bones.
Happy Parenting!
With my first child I noticed that at every doctor's appointment after the age of one the above question was asked. Since I never introduced milk into his diet the next question was always, "Do you do soy or rice milk instead?" followed by "How much?" or "Does he get dairy products somewhere?"
He was not allergic to milk, but since he nursed till he was two I felt no need to introduce the milk of another animal into his diet when what he was getting from me was, I felt, superior. And honestly, even if he had weaned earlier I wouldn't have introduced milk because I have always believed it is the perfect food for baby cows, not humans.
Oddly enough, this simple question, "How much milk does your child drink" is so standard in doctors offices that parents who choose for some reason not to include dairy in the diet of their children are treated as at least weird, or worse, neglectful.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070721205957AAx56vS
The Answer
The answer to the above question is a resounding "NO". A child can be perfectly healthy and even have superior health without the presence of dairy in their diet. You do however, as a parent have to work to insure that your child gets the nutrients that they need from other food sources.
Here is an abstract from Pediatrics on a recent article showing that milk consumption does not in fact strengthen bones more so than other sources or even exercise. -
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/115/3/736
Here is another website with common milk myths:
www.milkmyths.org.uk
I even found a video on a network news station that supports this idea! Notice how the Pediatrician still refuses to change her advise despite the research showing that dairy does not increase the health of bones!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7115733/
Helpful Tips on a Healthy Diet Without Dairy
I wanted to include this info from a LaLecheLeague leader that I know. She has some great tips on replacing dairy products with foods high in nutritional value.
1. Babies who drink cow's milk should be on whole milk until they are 3 years old.
2. Cow's milk is for baby cows.
3. Any human can live a very healthy life without cow's milk products (many people can not digest it or are allergic to it)
4. Cow's milk provides calcium (though not extremely absorb able) also protein, carbohydrates, and fats. The vitamins A & D are added to the milk. There is no iron in cow's milk or much of the water soluble vitamins left after pasteurization.
5. Humans need lots of leafy greens, calciferous veggies (broccoli), beans, legumes (lentils, peanuts), tree nuts, fruit (anything that falls off a bush or tree including tomatoes, zucchini, apples, etc) and plenty of water. Some humans add fish, poultry and other meats. Eggs are another great source of protein. Grains in their whole form are a good source of many vitamins, minerals and nutrients. (Processed grains, such as white flour are not a good source of nutrition) All the nutrients a human needs is supplied by eating a variety of these items in as close to their natural states as possible.
6. While some people do not do well on cow's milk, some can digest the higher fat foods such as butter. And some folks handle yogurt because of the enzymes (best if no sugar added type).
7. Here are some examples of meals a child might eat without milk or dairy products: Breakfast: scrambled eggs, toast, and fruit (water to drink) Snack: popcorn or crackers with peanut butter Lunch: soup (any kind--possibly with a meat) Snack: fruit or veggie sticks Dinner: meat or some kind or pasta dish with soy cheese, cooked/steamed broccoli -- or --baked red or white potato with butter and soy cheese with a green veggie
8. Whole Foods has a huge assortment of dairy free convenience foods (frozen pizza, etc) and replacement products that are nice but not necessary such as non -dairy sour cream, nut or rice milk, soy ice cream, various non-dairy cheeses and spreads. So the easiest answer to your question is--As long as your daughter is getting a variety of natural foods, cow's milk and dairy products are not necessary in her diet. One can replace the calcium in milk with beans, whole grains, and greens. The protein is replaced with eggs, meat, beans, whole grains (actually most everything we eat has a little bit of protein). The fats are replaced by eating meat, eggs, olive oil. The Carbohydrates are replaced by eating fruits and whole grains. Plenty of water should be a part of every one's daily diet. (8 - 10 oz per 20 pounds of body weight or 1/2 your body weight in pounds should be consumed in ounces of water, i.e. a 100 pound person should drink 50 ounces of water). Juice is not necessary.
Why doesn't everybody know this?
If you start digging you will find that it is actually hard to find info on the how dairy is not needed for a healthy diet. A few things to keep in mind:
1. The milk lobby is incredibly powerful.
2. Most medical doctors have little nutritional background.
3. The health of your child is your responsibility.
4. Many people throughout the world have long lived without dairy and yet they have strong bones.
Happy Parenting!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
The Good Pregnancy
Does a Good Pregnancy Exist?
I was recently eating with some other women at a female function and since I am obviously pregnant someone asked me how I was feeling. I said "I feel good. I have good pregnancies" to which the response was- " I didn't know that existed." YES- it is possible to have a good pregnancy!
But this comment, probably meant in jest really got me thinking about the way we view pregnancy and how thinking of pregnancy as the disease, really leads us down the path of thinking that birth is little more than the operation to rid our bodies of some contaminant.
All About Suffering?
When I was pregnant with my first, I had a few friends who had recently lost babies a little late in the game (past that magical 12 week point) and of course I knew people who just were not able to get pregnant. So I told myself that I would not complain about my pregnancy but instead be grateful for it.
I will admit right now that I have of course complained while pregnant- I did have one in the summer in Texas- I am not super woman and of course I complain. I am not even judging women who do complain. I know that I probably do have it pretty easy and I certainly can not be in somebody else's body and experience what they are feeling.
Despite all of this I notice that so much of what I hear abut pregnancy is about the problems related to it. Swelling, farting, gaining weight (I admit, this one I have a hard time not complaining about - seriously 45 pounds!?), stretch marks, the constant urination, bleeding gums, urinary tract infections, illness, morning sickness, headaches, tiredness, the list goes on and on. In fact, if you read pretty much any book on pregnancy, you will find a chapter devoted simply to common complaints!
The Positive Side of Pregnancy
There is another side, and one we should try to concentrate on a little more. While pregnant with my first, I worked till the end and I felt an enormous kinship with people around me that I had never noticed before.
Nearly everyone I met asked about the baby and told me about their kids and grand kids, their pregnancy's and births. Sometimes we view this as annoying, all the extra advise, but it is really an amazing life altering event that everybody shares in in some way. We have all been born and many of us have family ties that are very important to us. Being pregnant and having children is one of the most universal events we can experience.
I realized that people love their families. The world is not all gloom and doom and people who do not care. Being obviously pregnant in a public setting every day I had the opportunity to listen to people tell me what they most loved about their families and their children.
One person after another told me that it was worth it and that children were amazing. Grandparents talked about their grand babies. Other women shared their stories (and yes, even some of their complaints) but we got to talk together and connect in a way that I never had with complete strangers. I felt oddly like I was now part of a universal sisterhood of women that had always existed, but that I had just never noticed.
The Amazing Baby
One of my favorite things about pregnancy is feeling the baby move. It seems to make all the other uncomfortable parts worth it and is something I look forward to. It is an awe inspiring thing to actually feel another human who is actually part of you for a short while.
What really is mind boggling to me though is that you can feel the spirit of that baby before it is even born. Mom's who have had a few will tell you that they can even tell some of the personality traits before they are born. This is a unique opportunity as women and one of my favorite parts of pregnancy. It is a special time when the baby is kind of yours alone to enjoy and be with.
http://pregnancy.about.com/od/fetus/ss/ninemonths.htm
Staying Healthy While Pregnant = Feeling Better
Despite the wonderful things about pregnancy- there are some true discomforts, many however are a direct result of how we eat, take care of ourselves, or, like labor, they are trying to tell us something.
One approach to pain is to mask it- this is what we often do with everything from headaches to labor contractions. You can take a pill- or we can look a little deeper and try to figure out why our body feels this way and what it is trying to tell us.
For example- headaches in pregnancy. I get them frequently the first trimester, and I almost never get them when not pregnant. Now, you have probably been told that it is perfectly safe to take Tylenol while pregnant. This would just mask the symptom (I won't even get started on the avoidance of drugs of any kind while pregnant) but it does not address the cause.
For many women, the headaches are a sign of low blood sugar. Your body is working hard to build a baby and a placenta, and it needs fuel. Much more than normal. The headaches can be a sign of low blood sugar and the need to eat or drink more water. By just taking a pill, not only are you not addressing the cause, it is quite possible that you are denying your body and baby of fuel that it is desperately trying to tell you that it needs.
Women in this country are amazingly sick while pregnant. Even wealthy women suffer from toxemia, which I have not doubt, makes you feel pretty badly. Look around, many pregnant women don't have a lovely glow, they look ill. We must listen to what our body is trying to tell us if we want to stay healthy while pregnant.
The Brewer Diet is an excellent guideline along with- lots of raw foods! Try it and feel better while pregnant. Also- plenty of sleep helps! And the pregnancy exercises!
http://www.blueribbonbaby.org/
http://www.naturalchildbirth.org/natural/resources/exercise/exercise.htm
The Mind Set= Do We Want People to Treat Us Like Victims?
Do we want people to pity us because we are pregnant? Sadly, this is probably true to some degree. Pregnancy is a time when we as women can actually catch a break! I have to admit I have of course let the house get messy and gone out to eat because- "I'm pregnant".
When women are expected to do so much and noticed for so little of it, it is nice to have a little bit of attention and get a little bit of help around the house - and truthfully- we deserve it. The only down side of this is that sometimes we help encourage the idea that pregnancy, birth, and everything that goes along with it is a disaster waiting to happen. When- truly, it is one of our most powerful moments.
I was recently eating with some other women at a female function and since I am obviously pregnant someone asked me how I was feeling. I said "I feel good. I have good pregnancies" to which the response was- " I didn't know that existed." YES- it is possible to have a good pregnancy!
But this comment, probably meant in jest really got me thinking about the way we view pregnancy and how thinking of pregnancy as the disease, really leads us down the path of thinking that birth is little more than the operation to rid our bodies of some contaminant.
All About Suffering?
When I was pregnant with my first, I had a few friends who had recently lost babies a little late in the game (past that magical 12 week point) and of course I knew people who just were not able to get pregnant. So I told myself that I would not complain about my pregnancy but instead be grateful for it.
I will admit right now that I have of course complained while pregnant- I did have one in the summer in Texas- I am not super woman and of course I complain. I am not even judging women who do complain. I know that I probably do have it pretty easy and I certainly can not be in somebody else's body and experience what they are feeling.
Despite all of this I notice that so much of what I hear abut pregnancy is about the problems related to it. Swelling, farting, gaining weight (I admit, this one I have a hard time not complaining about - seriously 45 pounds!?), stretch marks, the constant urination, bleeding gums, urinary tract infections, illness, morning sickness, headaches, tiredness, the list goes on and on. In fact, if you read pretty much any book on pregnancy, you will find a chapter devoted simply to common complaints!
The Positive Side of Pregnancy
There is another side, and one we should try to concentrate on a little more. While pregnant with my first, I worked till the end and I felt an enormous kinship with people around me that I had never noticed before.
Nearly everyone I met asked about the baby and told me about their kids and grand kids, their pregnancy's and births. Sometimes we view this as annoying, all the extra advise, but it is really an amazing life altering event that everybody shares in in some way. We have all been born and many of us have family ties that are very important to us. Being pregnant and having children is one of the most universal events we can experience.
I realized that people love their families. The world is not all gloom and doom and people who do not care. Being obviously pregnant in a public setting every day I had the opportunity to listen to people tell me what they most loved about their families and their children.
One person after another told me that it was worth it and that children were amazing. Grandparents talked about their grand babies. Other women shared their stories (and yes, even some of their complaints) but we got to talk together and connect in a way that I never had with complete strangers. I felt oddly like I was now part of a universal sisterhood of women that had always existed, but that I had just never noticed.
The Amazing Baby
One of my favorite things about pregnancy is feeling the baby move. It seems to make all the other uncomfortable parts worth it and is something I look forward to. It is an awe inspiring thing to actually feel another human who is actually part of you for a short while.
What really is mind boggling to me though is that you can feel the spirit of that baby before it is even born. Mom's who have had a few will tell you that they can even tell some of the personality traits before they are born. This is a unique opportunity as women and one of my favorite parts of pregnancy. It is a special time when the baby is kind of yours alone to enjoy and be with.
http://pregnancy.about.com/od/fetus/ss/ninemonths.htm
Staying Healthy While Pregnant = Feeling Better
Despite the wonderful things about pregnancy- there are some true discomforts, many however are a direct result of how we eat, take care of ourselves, or, like labor, they are trying to tell us something.
One approach to pain is to mask it- this is what we often do with everything from headaches to labor contractions. You can take a pill- or we can look a little deeper and try to figure out why our body feels this way and what it is trying to tell us.
For example- headaches in pregnancy. I get them frequently the first trimester, and I almost never get them when not pregnant. Now, you have probably been told that it is perfectly safe to take Tylenol while pregnant. This would just mask the symptom (I won't even get started on the avoidance of drugs of any kind while pregnant) but it does not address the cause.
For many women, the headaches are a sign of low blood sugar. Your body is working hard to build a baby and a placenta, and it needs fuel. Much more than normal. The headaches can be a sign of low blood sugar and the need to eat or drink more water. By just taking a pill, not only are you not addressing the cause, it is quite possible that you are denying your body and baby of fuel that it is desperately trying to tell you that it needs.
Women in this country are amazingly sick while pregnant. Even wealthy women suffer from toxemia, which I have not doubt, makes you feel pretty badly. Look around, many pregnant women don't have a lovely glow, they look ill. We must listen to what our body is trying to tell us if we want to stay healthy while pregnant.
The Brewer Diet is an excellent guideline along with- lots of raw foods! Try it and feel better while pregnant. Also- plenty of sleep helps! And the pregnancy exercises!
http://www.blueribbonbaby.org/
http://www.naturalchildbirth.org/natural/resources/exercise/exercise.htm
The Mind Set= Do We Want People to Treat Us Like Victims?
Do we want people to pity us because we are pregnant? Sadly, this is probably true to some degree. Pregnancy is a time when we as women can actually catch a break! I have to admit I have of course let the house get messy and gone out to eat because- "I'm pregnant".
When women are expected to do so much and noticed for so little of it, it is nice to have a little bit of attention and get a little bit of help around the house - and truthfully- we deserve it. The only down side of this is that sometimes we help encourage the idea that pregnancy, birth, and everything that goes along with it is a disaster waiting to happen. When- truly, it is one of our most powerful moments.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Unassisted Birth
During my first year of college I took an Anthropology 101 class that simply caused me to fall in love with the subject. One of the books we read was called Nisa, and was an anthropological study of a woman in the Kung tribe in Africa. It covered many aspects of her life as told to a female anthropologist. One thing that was mentioned was the births of her children. In her culture the ideal was for women to give birth alone. It was seen as a normal female right of passage and in a way proved their womanhood much like in our culture war or military training makes men out of boys. Typically though, even though a solitary birth was the ideal, a woman was assisted by experienced women for the birth of her first child. But Nisa, the woman in the book had her first child (around the age of 16) alone. She went out to the bush, squatted next to a tree and caught her first born. It was something she was proud of.
Fast forward a few years, I have had a few kids and am involved in the natural childbirth community. I hear of a woman in the area I live in who has had an unassisted birth and it has gone badly. There were complications and unknowns and a baby that is damaged. (I have no idea if this was because of the birth choices or just simply something that would have happened anyway.) I am horrified to learn of this "new" trend of unassisted birth. I fully believe in and support home birth assisted by a trained professional midwife but this- so weird! As I ponder this subject though, I realize that this is not the first time I have heard of this. I learned about it years earlier but it seemed fine for a non-western woman, why so scary in this country?
I have a birth video of a family welcoming their fifth child into their family. I had the opportunity to watch the video with the people who filmed it and and I notice that there is no midwife there. So I ask, where is the midwife? The filmmaker jokes, "Well, the father [who caught the baby] had a Doctorate in Geology so he was kind of a doctor." As it turns out this family had had all their children unassisted at home with dad catching and had agreed to share this experience, the only time people other than immediate family had been present at the birth. It is a beautiful birth with entire family there and strikingly, a very smooth posterior birth with no tearing and mom giving everybody orders!
Fast forward a little bit more, now pregnant with my third, and feeling pretty comfortable about the idea of birth, but feeling very broke, the idea seems less and less odd. As it turns out, a low income woman, without health insurance doesn't have a ton of options when it comes to birth. In some states government assisted health care covers out of hospital birth (usually birth centers) but home birth, think again. Though much cheaper and proven as safe as hospital birth (for low risk women) often health insurance of any kind does not cover home birth. So what is a woman with no insurance and little extra cash to do? Home birth with a trained midwife runs around $4000 dollars, plus any testing or other expenses that mom must take care of. Just go for the hospital birth and hope for the best? What if mom is shooting for a v-back? In the small town I live in the local hospital does not permit v-bac. So, a v-bac hospital birth is out of the question for many women. Midwives who will cover this are getting harder and harder to find as fear on the subject increases despite many studies showing that it is really quite safe. When a woman strongly desires a home birth, but lacks insurance and can't afford to hire her own midwife, it suddenly becomes apparent that she does not have as many options as we might think. Add in any past surgical births and things get even more complicated.
Enter unassisted birth. Suddenly the idea makes a little more sense. I personally would never encourage anybody to have an unassisted birth. But, I would never encourage anybody to have a hospital birth or a midwife assisted home birth either. That decision and all responsibilities and risks associated with it are the mothers burden to carry, nobody else's. I do not feel like I can make that decision for anybody else and I am flabbergasted that so many feel like they are perfectly able to decide how everybody else should have their babies.
There are many many women in this country who are so fearful of birth that home is the last place that they should bear their children, much less alone. There are many women also, so fearful of the hospital that they should probably stay far from it if they want to have a normal birth. Women need to make the choice that is best for them. Honestly, I think it should be made prayerfully, thoughtfully, and with a keen awareness of what is best for you and your baby, not to mention taking full responsibility for the possibility of problem no matter what your choice. So often all we listen to is our fear and it makes it really hard to listen to our intuition. This is possibly one of the biggest problems in birth in modern America. We are so afraid, most women have lost all faith in themselves and their babies and their bodies. This is a modern tragedy. This is what this blog is really about to me, believing in ourselves and our bodies and our natural abilities and recognizing the inherent power in them.
Now, I won't say what my choice will be or what anybody else's should be. But I have noticed that as time goes on I am more understanding of the choices of others and I personally, have no desire to make those choices for them. By the way, the idea of unassisted birth no longer seems so scary or dangerous to me. It is done in many cultures and has been going on for many years. When I look at obstetrics in this country today, I am not surprised to see that there is a growing unassisted birth movement. It will probably continue to grow as hospitals become more and more inhospitable.
Fast forward a few years, I have had a few kids and am involved in the natural childbirth community. I hear of a woman in the area I live in who has had an unassisted birth and it has gone badly. There were complications and unknowns and a baby that is damaged. (I have no idea if this was because of the birth choices or just simply something that would have happened anyway.) I am horrified to learn of this "new" trend of unassisted birth. I fully believe in and support home birth assisted by a trained professional midwife but this- so weird! As I ponder this subject though, I realize that this is not the first time I have heard of this. I learned about it years earlier but it seemed fine for a non-western woman, why so scary in this country?
I have a birth video of a family welcoming their fifth child into their family. I had the opportunity to watch the video with the people who filmed it and and I notice that there is no midwife there. So I ask, where is the midwife? The filmmaker jokes, "Well, the father [who caught the baby] had a Doctorate in Geology so he was kind of a doctor." As it turns out this family had had all their children unassisted at home with dad catching and had agreed to share this experience, the only time people other than immediate family had been present at the birth. It is a beautiful birth with entire family there and strikingly, a very smooth posterior birth with no tearing and mom giving everybody orders!
Fast forward a little bit more, now pregnant with my third, and feeling pretty comfortable about the idea of birth, but feeling very broke, the idea seems less and less odd. As it turns out, a low income woman, without health insurance doesn't have a ton of options when it comes to birth. In some states government assisted health care covers out of hospital birth (usually birth centers) but home birth, think again. Though much cheaper and proven as safe as hospital birth (for low risk women) often health insurance of any kind does not cover home birth. So what is a woman with no insurance and little extra cash to do? Home birth with a trained midwife runs around $4000 dollars, plus any testing or other expenses that mom must take care of. Just go for the hospital birth and hope for the best? What if mom is shooting for a v-back? In the small town I live in the local hospital does not permit v-bac. So, a v-bac hospital birth is out of the question for many women. Midwives who will cover this are getting harder and harder to find as fear on the subject increases despite many studies showing that it is really quite safe. When a woman strongly desires a home birth, but lacks insurance and can't afford to hire her own midwife, it suddenly becomes apparent that she does not have as many options as we might think. Add in any past surgical births and things get even more complicated.
Enter unassisted birth. Suddenly the idea makes a little more sense. I personally would never encourage anybody to have an unassisted birth. But, I would never encourage anybody to have a hospital birth or a midwife assisted home birth either. That decision and all responsibilities and risks associated with it are the mothers burden to carry, nobody else's. I do not feel like I can make that decision for anybody else and I am flabbergasted that so many feel like they are perfectly able to decide how everybody else should have their babies.
There are many many women in this country who are so fearful of birth that home is the last place that they should bear their children, much less alone. There are many women also, so fearful of the hospital that they should probably stay far from it if they want to have a normal birth. Women need to make the choice that is best for them. Honestly, I think it should be made prayerfully, thoughtfully, and with a keen awareness of what is best for you and your baby, not to mention taking full responsibility for the possibility of problem no matter what your choice. So often all we listen to is our fear and it makes it really hard to listen to our intuition. This is possibly one of the biggest problems in birth in modern America. We are so afraid, most women have lost all faith in themselves and their babies and their bodies. This is a modern tragedy. This is what this blog is really about to me, believing in ourselves and our bodies and our natural abilities and recognizing the inherent power in them.
Now, I won't say what my choice will be or what anybody else's should be. But I have noticed that as time goes on I am more understanding of the choices of others and I personally, have no desire to make those choices for them. By the way, the idea of unassisted birth no longer seems so scary or dangerous to me. It is done in many cultures and has been going on for many years. When I look at obstetrics in this country today, I am not surprised to see that there is a growing unassisted birth movement. It will probably continue to grow as hospitals become more and more inhospitable.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
The Atlantic Article- Breastfeeding
Maybe I need something I am angry about to post! Well I found one. I subscribe to a magazine called The Atlantic and this months issue has an article written by a breastfeeding mother of three detailing what she believes to be the over-inflated benefits of breastfeeding and why bottle-feeding is basically as good and much more convenient for the mother. If you have read my blog at all you will know that of course I disagree!
In the article she states that upon reviewing the research she found that the evidence touting the benefits of breastfeeding is thin and has been overinflated. As a mother, simply based on what I see around me I believe this is false. I can look at a baby and tell if they are being breast or bottle fed. Their skin looks different, their fat looks different, they smell different. But- the author, Hannah Rosen claims that the evidence is thin and has been inflated by various groups.
Even if this is the case (and lets assume for a moment that it is) this is easily explainable by a few things. First, it is difficult at best to get a good sample group of breastfed infants. Children nurse for various lengths of time, mothers supplement, some start solids earlier, family history and other environmental factors can certainly play a role in allergies, diabetes, and disease that is believed to be prevented by breastfeeding. So when doing a study, it is hard to find a group that have all the same factors. Are studies including a child breastfed for 3 days with one who is nursed for 3 years and considering both in the breastfeeding group? It is hard to get a perfect sample group, if not impossible. Second, where is the funding for massive amounts of pro-breastfeeding research? Almost nobody stands to profit if the breastfeeding relationship is encouraged. In fact, many people stand to lose money, from the formula companies themselves, to baby food companies, to pharmaceutical companies that profit from childhood illnesses that could be prevented through breastfeeding. Even medical doctors will see less of their patients if the benefits of breastfeeding are real. As you probably know, pharmaceutical companies can actually speed approval of their drugs by making large donations to the FDA. (I am not making this up!). If a study is done on said drug and the findings are negative, it will simply not be published. This is not conspiracy theory, this is fact and it is not even illegal, it is just done. Given all of this information can we really believe that even if there are few good studies about the benefits of breastfeeding, that this is actually an accurate portrayal of the truth? I do not believe we can.
When I talked to my mother about this article she said she didn't need a research study to tell her that breastfeeding was better! IT'S OBVIOUS! She went on to say that we wouldn't have been designed to nurse if it was not superior. How could an impostor created in a lab from low grade vitamins, corn syrup, cow milk or soy milk powder and who knows what else, be superior to the perfection that our body creates miraculously at the birth of a child? It simply blows me away that we are still or have ever heard the argument that anything else could possibly come anywhere close to being as good.
Why does this idea continue and prevail? I know I start to sound more like a ranting woman when I say this but I believe the answer lies deep within our cultural biases against women. The fact that a currently breastfeeding mother could buy into this herself is proof of the pervasiveness of misogyny in our culture. Women are constantly told that there is nothing they can do that a man can not do just as well. I am all for equality, but I do believe that men and women and different and have distinct and perfect roles. For a woman the beauty and power of her is that she can bring forth and nourish life. There is nothing that compares to this in scope and feeling. Birth and breastfeeding are female power made real and raw. If you do not believe that there is a deep seated hatred of women's peculiar and elusive powers then take a second look at what is going on concerning these things in this country. The c-section rate is at one third! One THIRD of women and doctors do not believe that their VAGINA'S WORK. Many obstetric surgeons believe, I kid you not, that it is simply a design flaw and that surgery is a better option.
When it comes to feeding our babies, there are huge problems. Many women do not receive the support they need, do not value it, or simply are fighting an uphill battle and fail to breastfeed. In countries where breastfeeding is supported the breastfeeding rates are around 98%. To say that some women can not breastfeed is true, we just think that far fewer women are capable than really are. Formula feeding again shows our belief that something made in a lab by a bunch of men is just as good or better than something that a mother makes on her own. Why do we buy these lies! Is it because we believe them ourselves? Do we really have confidence in our bodies and our innate abilities? Do we even believe that it matters? Or do we only value the work that we do that can be measured by monetary means? That is how men measure their value, but it does not have to be how we measure ours. We can believe that we matter based on anther scale. We can believe that our work is real even if nobody else does. We can be stronger and more confident than we have been and we can share this power with other women.
I encourage you to read the below article and write a letter to the editor- I did!
Below is the link to the article in the Atlantic titled "The Case Against Breastfeeding" and the next post has a video link of an interview with the author.
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200904/case-against-breastfeeding
In the article she states that upon reviewing the research she found that the evidence touting the benefits of breastfeeding is thin and has been overinflated. As a mother, simply based on what I see around me I believe this is false. I can look at a baby and tell if they are being breast or bottle fed. Their skin looks different, their fat looks different, they smell different. But- the author, Hannah Rosen claims that the evidence is thin and has been inflated by various groups.
Even if this is the case (and lets assume for a moment that it is) this is easily explainable by a few things. First, it is difficult at best to get a good sample group of breastfed infants. Children nurse for various lengths of time, mothers supplement, some start solids earlier, family history and other environmental factors can certainly play a role in allergies, diabetes, and disease that is believed to be prevented by breastfeeding. So when doing a study, it is hard to find a group that have all the same factors. Are studies including a child breastfed for 3 days with one who is nursed for 3 years and considering both in the breastfeeding group? It is hard to get a perfect sample group, if not impossible. Second, where is the funding for massive amounts of pro-breastfeeding research? Almost nobody stands to profit if the breastfeeding relationship is encouraged. In fact, many people stand to lose money, from the formula companies themselves, to baby food companies, to pharmaceutical companies that profit from childhood illnesses that could be prevented through breastfeeding. Even medical doctors will see less of their patients if the benefits of breastfeeding are real. As you probably know, pharmaceutical companies can actually speed approval of their drugs by making large donations to the FDA. (I am not making this up!). If a study is done on said drug and the findings are negative, it will simply not be published. This is not conspiracy theory, this is fact and it is not even illegal, it is just done. Given all of this information can we really believe that even if there are few good studies about the benefits of breastfeeding, that this is actually an accurate portrayal of the truth? I do not believe we can.
When I talked to my mother about this article she said she didn't need a research study to tell her that breastfeeding was better! IT'S OBVIOUS! She went on to say that we wouldn't have been designed to nurse if it was not superior. How could an impostor created in a lab from low grade vitamins, corn syrup, cow milk or soy milk powder and who knows what else, be superior to the perfection that our body creates miraculously at the birth of a child? It simply blows me away that we are still or have ever heard the argument that anything else could possibly come anywhere close to being as good.
Why does this idea continue and prevail? I know I start to sound more like a ranting woman when I say this but I believe the answer lies deep within our cultural biases against women. The fact that a currently breastfeeding mother could buy into this herself is proof of the pervasiveness of misogyny in our culture. Women are constantly told that there is nothing they can do that a man can not do just as well. I am all for equality, but I do believe that men and women and different and have distinct and perfect roles. For a woman the beauty and power of her is that she can bring forth and nourish life. There is nothing that compares to this in scope and feeling. Birth and breastfeeding are female power made real and raw. If you do not believe that there is a deep seated hatred of women's peculiar and elusive powers then take a second look at what is going on concerning these things in this country. The c-section rate is at one third! One THIRD of women and doctors do not believe that their VAGINA'S WORK. Many obstetric surgeons believe, I kid you not, that it is simply a design flaw and that surgery is a better option.
When it comes to feeding our babies, there are huge problems. Many women do not receive the support they need, do not value it, or simply are fighting an uphill battle and fail to breastfeed. In countries where breastfeeding is supported the breastfeeding rates are around 98%. To say that some women can not breastfeed is true, we just think that far fewer women are capable than really are. Formula feeding again shows our belief that something made in a lab by a bunch of men is just as good or better than something that a mother makes on her own. Why do we buy these lies! Is it because we believe them ourselves? Do we really have confidence in our bodies and our innate abilities? Do we even believe that it matters? Or do we only value the work that we do that can be measured by monetary means? That is how men measure their value, but it does not have to be how we measure ours. We can believe that we matter based on anther scale. We can believe that our work is real even if nobody else does. We can be stronger and more confident than we have been and we can share this power with other women.
I encourage you to read the below article and write a letter to the editor- I did!
Below is the link to the article in the Atlantic titled "The Case Against Breastfeeding" and the next post has a video link of an interview with the author.
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200904/case-against-breastfeeding
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Breastfeeding and Formula Companies
I just discovered the Dr Jay Gordon website which has some wonderful information on many subjects. There are also a few videos of him being interviewed. This one on breastfeeding is something that every expecting mother should watch.
Here is his website:
http://www.drjaygordon.com
and here is the video:
Here is his website:
http://www.drjaygordon.com
and here is the video:
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Achieving A Natural Birth
Sounds easy enough, right?
When I talk to first time mothers to be I often find that they like the idea of natural birth, but just want to wait and see what happens and if they "can" have one. Yes- and if you are trying to lose ten pounds, are you going to go to your favorite chocolate store, on an empty stomach, hang out for a few hours, and just see how you feel about consuming 4000 calories?! Not possible!! You have to put yourself in a position of power and safety. In our current obstetric system, the fact is, most women are not going to get anywhere near a natural birth without a LOT of preparation on their part. This is a totally natural, everyday event- but it is not viewed that way in this country nor is it seen that way by many obstetric surgeons. It is viewed as a disease and treated as such. The expecting mom must prepare herself mentally, physically, and emotionally for the life-changing event of birth. Here are a few tips that might help.
1. Take a good class-
I teach the Bradley Method (www.bradleybirth.com) so I am biased toward that method and I feel like it covers pretty much everything that you might need to know. There many other methods out there and some might work better for some women than another. If you are sure you want a natural birth, check out the childbirth class you are looking at and the teacher. Bradley keeps track of their medication rates and c-section rates, as do individual teachers. Some classes are going to prepare you for a natural birth. Some, (particularly hospital classes) are going to prepare you for typical interventions. They vary a lot in length also. You probably will not get all the info you need from a brief one day or one month class.
I love the 12 week format that Bradley promotes. Yes, yes, I know, that takes so much time, and you're broke, and it is a long drive to your teacher. Do not let yourself make excuses. A good class is worth it. Why? Your birth will change you forever. I promise you this. If it goes well you will start your mothering career out with confidence, a partner that admires your hard work and worked right along side you, and an alert and healthy baby that got the best start it could have in life. If it is a horrible and traumatic experience you will possibly, feel depressed and less confident in your mothering abilities and face a longer recovery. Many mom's who have traumatic birth's are injured and exhausted from the ordeal for many months. It takes many, many weeks to recover from surgical birth or a bad tear, sometimes even months. This is no fun when trying to deal with the 24 hour demands of a newborn who needs you even when you need sleep. Let us not forget also, that the first birth is going to effect our subsequent births. Not only may you have negative memories and emotional baggage to work through, if your birth ended in cesarean, it is incredibly difficult to v-bac in this country right now. Many Ob's and hospitals simply refuse to do it. Even many midwives are nervous about it. So, your first birth is important and worth the effort.
So- spend the money (or find a newer, less expensive teacher, or one who is willing to do trade or take payments) and take the time to take a good class. It takes time to make the good habits and lifestyle changes that you need to to be prepared for a natural birth. It also takes time to forget all the wrong things you have learned and to grow in confidence. Mom- if you are gung-ho and have read everything- still take a class!! It will give you a network of support in a world where very few mothers are knowledgeable about birth, it makes your husband learn, and it gives you time to incorporate relaxation, exercise, and diet into your life before you become high risk.
2. Read good birth books-
There is no excuse for not getting this information because it is out there. I have a list of my favorite books on my blog and many are available at the library or can be borrowed by you childbirth educator if you can't buy them.
3. Eat right
Becoming 'mysteriously' high risk (usually climbing blood pressure) is a very common reason for induction and everything that goes along with it. I have a link to the Brewer diet which will almost magically help you stay healthy, grow a healthy baby, and stay low risk. If you take a Bradley class you will learn about this in every class and get lots of tips. Most Americans eat like crap and do not even know how to eat right. This is worth learning and I believe it makes a huge difference in the health of the pregnancy and baby. You will probably not get this info from your care provider. I actually had a MD tell me that the only thing you needed to prevent birth defects was folic acid!!!! This is simply not true. A high protein diet (80-100 grams per day), rich in green vegetables, fruit and health whole grains will make you feel better, look better and grow a baby that is getting what it needs. Many of us are under the impression that the baby will "get what it needs" no matter what we do. The baby can't get something that is not there, and you will become high risk if you eat badly enough.
4. Carefully choose your care provider and birth place-
Take the time to research your OB or Midwife. Ask them specific questions. (Again, a good class will help you know what to ask) What is your c-section rate?- they usually know or at least should! Legally, hospitals have to publish their c-section rates so you can access that info. (Be careful as you read though, they often make the c-section rate look lower by not including repeat section, or c-sections for "good" reason. The overall rate is usually higher.) Ask around about them. Just because your sister loved Dr X does not mean you will. Many women like to schedule their births by induction or c-section or just like to be told what to do. They may love him, but you may hate him. Even with a midwife, check credentials, ask around, and pick one you like. This person is going to share an intimate memory with your family. I also like to have a midwife that gets along with my husband so there is no tension in the room when I am trying to have a baby!
Check out your place of birth too- For example, I lived very near a beautiful hospital in Dallas. It was in a wealthy area, and very clean and organized and well decorated. The staff was nice. They had a 95% induction rate, and a 50% cesarean rate (highest in the state) and everybody got continuous fetal monitoring, delivered on their back in stirrups, was not permitted to move, and had an IV. I do not know how many women I talked to who had their babies there because they just did not think it could happen to them. It can happen to you. Chances are, it will in our current system. If you are going to a hospital just because it is convenient, then you should seriously consider how convenient major abdominal surgery is. It is worth it to drive a ways for good care from somebody you trust who is practicing evidence based obstetrics.
Just a little plug- midwives have about a 10% transport rate for home births while the epidural rate in most hospitals is near 100% and the c-section rate is over 30% nationally. Where you choose to have your baby and who helps you have it is one of the biggest factors in determining how your baby will be born. It is not too late to switch providers until the cord is cut. Your birth is worth it and so are you and your baby.
Relax and believe!-
I know, I just scared you to death. But- your best friend is just being able to relax through labor and believe that you can do it. The belief that birth is painful and scary is so ingrained in our society that we really need to work through that. Even women who have had no bad experience with birth have internalized a lot of these negative ideas. As a culture we do not value women and their unique gifts- learn to value them and grow in confidence. And- practice relaxation every day!
Hope this helps- there is much more to know- but the info is out there- go find it!
When I talk to first time mothers to be I often find that they like the idea of natural birth, but just want to wait and see what happens and if they "can" have one. Yes- and if you are trying to lose ten pounds, are you going to go to your favorite chocolate store, on an empty stomach, hang out for a few hours, and just see how you feel about consuming 4000 calories?! Not possible!! You have to put yourself in a position of power and safety. In our current obstetric system, the fact is, most women are not going to get anywhere near a natural birth without a LOT of preparation on their part. This is a totally natural, everyday event- but it is not viewed that way in this country nor is it seen that way by many obstetric surgeons. It is viewed as a disease and treated as such. The expecting mom must prepare herself mentally, physically, and emotionally for the life-changing event of birth. Here are a few tips that might help.
1. Take a good class-
I teach the Bradley Method (www.bradleybirth.com) so I am biased toward that method and I feel like it covers pretty much everything that you might need to know. There many other methods out there and some might work better for some women than another. If you are sure you want a natural birth, check out the childbirth class you are looking at and the teacher. Bradley keeps track of their medication rates and c-section rates, as do individual teachers. Some classes are going to prepare you for a natural birth. Some, (particularly hospital classes) are going to prepare you for typical interventions. They vary a lot in length also. You probably will not get all the info you need from a brief one day or one month class.
I love the 12 week format that Bradley promotes. Yes, yes, I know, that takes so much time, and you're broke, and it is a long drive to your teacher. Do not let yourself make excuses. A good class is worth it. Why? Your birth will change you forever. I promise you this. If it goes well you will start your mothering career out with confidence, a partner that admires your hard work and worked right along side you, and an alert and healthy baby that got the best start it could have in life. If it is a horrible and traumatic experience you will possibly, feel depressed and less confident in your mothering abilities and face a longer recovery. Many mom's who have traumatic birth's are injured and exhausted from the ordeal for many months. It takes many, many weeks to recover from surgical birth or a bad tear, sometimes even months. This is no fun when trying to deal with the 24 hour demands of a newborn who needs you even when you need sleep. Let us not forget also, that the first birth is going to effect our subsequent births. Not only may you have negative memories and emotional baggage to work through, if your birth ended in cesarean, it is incredibly difficult to v-bac in this country right now. Many Ob's and hospitals simply refuse to do it. Even many midwives are nervous about it. So, your first birth is important and worth the effort.
So- spend the money (or find a newer, less expensive teacher, or one who is willing to do trade or take payments) and take the time to take a good class. It takes time to make the good habits and lifestyle changes that you need to to be prepared for a natural birth. It also takes time to forget all the wrong things you have learned and to grow in confidence. Mom- if you are gung-ho and have read everything- still take a class!! It will give you a network of support in a world where very few mothers are knowledgeable about birth, it makes your husband learn, and it gives you time to incorporate relaxation, exercise, and diet into your life before you become high risk.
2. Read good birth books-
There is no excuse for not getting this information because it is out there. I have a list of my favorite books on my blog and many are available at the library or can be borrowed by you childbirth educator if you can't buy them.
3. Eat right
Becoming 'mysteriously' high risk (usually climbing blood pressure) is a very common reason for induction and everything that goes along with it. I have a link to the Brewer diet which will almost magically help you stay healthy, grow a healthy baby, and stay low risk. If you take a Bradley class you will learn about this in every class and get lots of tips. Most Americans eat like crap and do not even know how to eat right. This is worth learning and I believe it makes a huge difference in the health of the pregnancy and baby. You will probably not get this info from your care provider. I actually had a MD tell me that the only thing you needed to prevent birth defects was folic acid!!!! This is simply not true. A high protein diet (80-100 grams per day), rich in green vegetables, fruit and health whole grains will make you feel better, look better and grow a baby that is getting what it needs. Many of us are under the impression that the baby will "get what it needs" no matter what we do. The baby can't get something that is not there, and you will become high risk if you eat badly enough.
4. Carefully choose your care provider and birth place-
Take the time to research your OB or Midwife. Ask them specific questions. (Again, a good class will help you know what to ask) What is your c-section rate?- they usually know or at least should! Legally, hospitals have to publish their c-section rates so you can access that info. (Be careful as you read though, they often make the c-section rate look lower by not including repeat section, or c-sections for "good" reason. The overall rate is usually higher.) Ask around about them. Just because your sister loved Dr X does not mean you will. Many women like to schedule their births by induction or c-section or just like to be told what to do. They may love him, but you may hate him. Even with a midwife, check credentials, ask around, and pick one you like. This person is going to share an intimate memory with your family. I also like to have a midwife that gets along with my husband so there is no tension in the room when I am trying to have a baby!
Check out your place of birth too- For example, I lived very near a beautiful hospital in Dallas. It was in a wealthy area, and very clean and organized and well decorated. The staff was nice. They had a 95% induction rate, and a 50% cesarean rate (highest in the state) and everybody got continuous fetal monitoring, delivered on their back in stirrups, was not permitted to move, and had an IV. I do not know how many women I talked to who had their babies there because they just did not think it could happen to them. It can happen to you. Chances are, it will in our current system. If you are going to a hospital just because it is convenient, then you should seriously consider how convenient major abdominal surgery is. It is worth it to drive a ways for good care from somebody you trust who is practicing evidence based obstetrics.
Just a little plug- midwives have about a 10% transport rate for home births while the epidural rate in most hospitals is near 100% and the c-section rate is over 30% nationally. Where you choose to have your baby and who helps you have it is one of the biggest factors in determining how your baby will be born. It is not too late to switch providers until the cord is cut. Your birth is worth it and so are you and your baby.
Relax and believe!-
I know, I just scared you to death. But- your best friend is just being able to relax through labor and believe that you can do it. The belief that birth is painful and scary is so ingrained in our society that we really need to work through that. Even women who have had no bad experience with birth have internalized a lot of these negative ideas. As a culture we do not value women and their unique gifts- learn to value them and grow in confidence. And- practice relaxation every day!
Hope this helps- there is much more to know- but the info is out there- go find it!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Birth Matters Video Contest
Hello!
I have recently learned about an opportunity for anybody to participate in changing the way birth happens in our country. There is a birth video contest being held and it is open for anybody to enter, mom's and filmmakers alike. Ricki Lake, Abby Epstein (The Business of Being Born), and Sarah Buckley (Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering) are all judges for the contest so you could get some exposure to really influential people in the birth community.
Here are links to the website with info and a Facebook group so you can spread the word. What a wonderful opportunity! It is just a short video and anybody can do it. Content more than style and you just download it to you tube.
http://www.birthmattersva.org/videocontest.html
The Facebook group is here:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=73753459808
Thanks!
I have recently learned about an opportunity for anybody to participate in changing the way birth happens in our country. There is a birth video contest being held and it is open for anybody to enter, mom's and filmmakers alike. Ricki Lake, Abby Epstein (The Business of Being Born), and Sarah Buckley (Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering) are all judges for the contest so you could get some exposure to really influential people in the birth community.
Here are links to the website with info and a Facebook group so you can spread the word. What a wonderful opportunity! It is just a short video and anybody can do it. Content more than style and you just download it to you tube.
http://www.birthmattersva.org/videocontest.html
The Facebook group is here:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=73753459808
Thanks!
Friday, February 6, 2009
Breastfeeding-
When my first child was born, I was not even concerned about breastfeeding. I was planning a natural birth and I assumed that if I did everything "right" it would just come easily. Certainly, a natural birth makes breastfeeding easier and more likely to be successful, but it doesn't guarantee that it will be smooth sailing. What I found was that it required a lot of patience, tears and dedication. Sticking to nursing my newborn was one of the most difficult and heart-wrenching experiences I have had but I think I learned so much about being a mother from that experience that I wouldn't trade it in.
-What I learned-
I actually stayed an extra day in the hospital because the wanted to help me with nursing (more about how hospital's and their routine practices hinder breastfeeding later) because he just didn't seem interested. I had had a long labor and second stage and we were both pretty exhausted. The binding bright lights in the delivery room at the time of birth made him shriek in agony at birth rather than snuggle and nurse. Later when he was brought to me from the nursery he was asleep and would not nurse. For me this just felt terrible. Mothers who struggle with nursing often feel dejected by the baby. Here you are offering a little human your body for food and sometimes, they refuse it. This is hard, especially in the emotionally fragile state just after birth when hormones are adjusting and changing. Sometimes it just seems easier for everybody involved (shrieking baby and weeping mother) if someone just feeds it a bottle.
Why Not?
I remember talking to a friend who was on the fence about breastfeeding and trying to tell her how wonderful it was. She had watched her mother fail at breastfeeding with 7 children and she just was not really confident that she could do it or that it was necessary. Now- there are literally hundreds of reasons to breastfeed that can be scientifically proven. There are hundreds of ingredients found in breast milk that simply can not be duplicated and put into formula. There are scores of childhood and adult diseases avoided and prevented and reduced by breastfeeding. This info is out there and it is valid and real. But when mothers see so many women bottle feeding apparently healthy babies, when they have no support, and when they are taught from birth that their bodies don't work right, it is hard to stay committed to nursing.
Back to my friend- she had some initial trouble with nursing but worked through it and had a very successful nursing relationship with her child. A few months after he was born we were talking about it and she understood why breastfeeding was so important. It wasn't just because of all those ingredients and diseases- there is something much much deeper taught by this special bond. She knew what I meant after she had the experience for herself, but I couldn't describe it to her before. Nursing a baby is an amazing bond. It teaches mother and baby about one another in ways that almost nothing else can. The entire production is perfectly suited to strengthen the mother child bond and teach them to love each other.
How-
I had a difficult time nursing my first. He was not interested. He would not wake up. He didn't have a real strong suck. Getting a proper latch was difficult. We spent a lot off nights crying together. I felt so inadequate as a mother and a woman. Why would I encourage anybody else to do this!? For one, it was worth it. It was not easy, but I learned to serve my baby. I learned to read his signs, to put him first, to sacrifice for him. I learned to love and serve someone who showed no signs of returning the favor. This was a really hard thing for me but it is the first step towards successful motherhood. Mothers must give to their children without hope of getting back. Newborns are amazing in their pure dependence on their mother. I wonder if it is not an accident that they don't necessarily smile or laugh or talk when first born. The most you will get is a gaze at your face. They do not tell you they love you. "Thanks mom" is not a phrase you will hear for YEARS. But we are required to give to them, every few hours, sometimes more often. Even if we are tired and feeling chubby, they need us and NOW.
I think many people hear this and think- that is why breastfeeding is such a pain in the butt- just let daddy give them a bottle, take a break, rest, go out with your friends. But the newborn needs you all the time for a few months. This constant need seems like a burden, but it is a short and precious time with your infant where you are intimately interconnected with each other. It is hard but it is worth taking the few months to spend all your time with this precious person.
I honestly feel like I needed this experience to really love my baby and serve him. My second was an easy and quick nurser from birth. She weaned earlier and really was not as dependent on me. I am glad that my first was more needy and wanted constant holding, loving and nursing. Selfless service teaches love. Charity is love- and charity never fails. This is a time to learn pure charity and love for another human being. Think about the other relationships in your life. Do you expect things from those people in return for your love? Probably. We expect our husbands to remember our birthdays and perform whatever their duties are. We get mad if they fall short. Your best friend- is it OK if she blows you off and acts like you don't exist. Of course not, we have expectations of others. This is not so with our children, and the lesson is first taught when we teach them to nurse. Two people, learning together to need each other. And one mother learning to give and give and not even caring if she gets anything in return.
I am passionate about breastfeeding for many reasons, including the numerous health benefits. But I love breastfeeding because it taught me how to be a mother. I am a selfish, impatient, easily riled up person normally. My son taught me to be a little better so that I could better mother him and I will always be grateful for that experience. The fact that it was difficult is what made it worth while. If it had been easy for me, I would not have learned as much. Anything worth while in life requires sacrifice, change and pain, and this experience is no different.
If it was easy for you- awesome, it should be easier for every woman. But if it was hard for you, that is OK too- and you probably learned a lot from it, not just love, but perseverance and joy in sacrifice.
Be sure to check out my web links for breastfeeding resources. There are lots of wonderful resources out there. La Leche League is a fantastic and free resources available for women around the world. If you are pregnant, attend a meeting before you give birth so that you have a network of supportive women to help you out if you need it.
-What I learned-
I actually stayed an extra day in the hospital because the wanted to help me with nursing (more about how hospital's and their routine practices hinder breastfeeding later) because he just didn't seem interested. I had had a long labor and second stage and we were both pretty exhausted. The binding bright lights in the delivery room at the time of birth made him shriek in agony at birth rather than snuggle and nurse. Later when he was brought to me from the nursery he was asleep and would not nurse. For me this just felt terrible. Mothers who struggle with nursing often feel dejected by the baby. Here you are offering a little human your body for food and sometimes, they refuse it. This is hard, especially in the emotionally fragile state just after birth when hormones are adjusting and changing. Sometimes it just seems easier for everybody involved (shrieking baby and weeping mother) if someone just feeds it a bottle.
Why Not?
I remember talking to a friend who was on the fence about breastfeeding and trying to tell her how wonderful it was. She had watched her mother fail at breastfeeding with 7 children and she just was not really confident that she could do it or that it was necessary. Now- there are literally hundreds of reasons to breastfeed that can be scientifically proven. There are hundreds of ingredients found in breast milk that simply can not be duplicated and put into formula. There are scores of childhood and adult diseases avoided and prevented and reduced by breastfeeding. This info is out there and it is valid and real. But when mothers see so many women bottle feeding apparently healthy babies, when they have no support, and when they are taught from birth that their bodies don't work right, it is hard to stay committed to nursing.
Back to my friend- she had some initial trouble with nursing but worked through it and had a very successful nursing relationship with her child. A few months after he was born we were talking about it and she understood why breastfeeding was so important. It wasn't just because of all those ingredients and diseases- there is something much much deeper taught by this special bond. She knew what I meant after she had the experience for herself, but I couldn't describe it to her before. Nursing a baby is an amazing bond. It teaches mother and baby about one another in ways that almost nothing else can. The entire production is perfectly suited to strengthen the mother child bond and teach them to love each other.
How-
I had a difficult time nursing my first. He was not interested. He would not wake up. He didn't have a real strong suck. Getting a proper latch was difficult. We spent a lot off nights crying together. I felt so inadequate as a mother and a woman. Why would I encourage anybody else to do this!? For one, it was worth it. It was not easy, but I learned to serve my baby. I learned to read his signs, to put him first, to sacrifice for him. I learned to love and serve someone who showed no signs of returning the favor. This was a really hard thing for me but it is the first step towards successful motherhood. Mothers must give to their children without hope of getting back. Newborns are amazing in their pure dependence on their mother. I wonder if it is not an accident that they don't necessarily smile or laugh or talk when first born. The most you will get is a gaze at your face. They do not tell you they love you. "Thanks mom" is not a phrase you will hear for YEARS. But we are required to give to them, every few hours, sometimes more often. Even if we are tired and feeling chubby, they need us and NOW.
I think many people hear this and think- that is why breastfeeding is such a pain in the butt- just let daddy give them a bottle, take a break, rest, go out with your friends. But the newborn needs you all the time for a few months. This constant need seems like a burden, but it is a short and precious time with your infant where you are intimately interconnected with each other. It is hard but it is worth taking the few months to spend all your time with this precious person.
I honestly feel like I needed this experience to really love my baby and serve him. My second was an easy and quick nurser from birth. She weaned earlier and really was not as dependent on me. I am glad that my first was more needy and wanted constant holding, loving and nursing. Selfless service teaches love. Charity is love- and charity never fails. This is a time to learn pure charity and love for another human being. Think about the other relationships in your life. Do you expect things from those people in return for your love? Probably. We expect our husbands to remember our birthdays and perform whatever their duties are. We get mad if they fall short. Your best friend- is it OK if she blows you off and acts like you don't exist. Of course not, we have expectations of others. This is not so with our children, and the lesson is first taught when we teach them to nurse. Two people, learning together to need each other. And one mother learning to give and give and not even caring if she gets anything in return.
I am passionate about breastfeeding for many reasons, including the numerous health benefits. But I love breastfeeding because it taught me how to be a mother. I am a selfish, impatient, easily riled up person normally. My son taught me to be a little better so that I could better mother him and I will always be grateful for that experience. The fact that it was difficult is what made it worth while. If it had been easy for me, I would not have learned as much. Anything worth while in life requires sacrifice, change and pain, and this experience is no different.
If it was easy for you- awesome, it should be easier for every woman. But if it was hard for you, that is OK too- and you probably learned a lot from it, not just love, but perseverance and joy in sacrifice.
Be sure to check out my web links for breastfeeding resources. There are lots of wonderful resources out there. La Leche League is a fantastic and free resources available for women around the world. If you are pregnant, attend a meeting before you give birth so that you have a network of supportive women to help you out if you need it.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
The Birth Climax
Today I wanted to write about the birth climax. I know- sounds weird, but it is a pretty common occurrence. There is a great movie on the subject called "Orgasmic Birth" if you are interested. I think I have a link for it, and it shows a variety of births in many different places and situations with women who experience the joy of birth.
For the few a birth climax is actually an almost orgasmic experience. This sounds strange, but, there are many similarities between birth and sex. Both involve the same body parts, hormones and both are greatly affected by where our mind is and if we feel safe and loved. More commonly though I think that many natural birth mothers do experience an incredible high at the birth of their baby. Pushing is a tremendous athletic effort and the climax of pushing really is the birth of the baby.
The ring of fire- more than a song-
No, I am not talking about the Johnny Cash story... Women who have experienced an unmedicated birth know that the ring of fire is an intense burning sensation as the baby crowns and emerges from your body. It is a little painful. There are some physical reasons why this could occur- mainly to tell you to lay off a bit on the pushing so that you don't push so hard you tear badly. I like to think there is another reason for it. That last little bit of pain is the last taste of bitter before the sweet arrival of your baby. Because it hurts, the birth of the baby is that much more of a relief, joy, or even a climax. Sometimes we get the bad so that we realize how good the sweet is.
The Climax-
I wanted to come of with some cool links for this- but most found really odd porn... Go figure. A sad reflection on our society because this is probably one of the best kept secrets of the modern world. For most women the birth climax is simply an overwhelming feeling of joy at the birth of your baby. The body itself releases a complex array of hormones and endorphins which both dull pain, alter memory, and make you feel good.
Some women actually experience something that looks like an orgasm, but I can't say I am one of them. I can speak to the amazing feeling that makes natural birth worth while. It is the addicting part, the part you actually remember forever (unlike any pain there may have been) and the reason some women just love to have babies.
Yes- there are women who love to have babies. When I was doing my childbirth educator training I met somebody who had had a very traumatic first birth, so much so that she didn't have another child for many years (like 12). But, after the birth of her second (with Bradley Classes- must give some credit here) she immediately asked her husband when they could have another one. And- she is not the only mom I have met like this! This is the part of birth that is so hard to explain to somebody who has never felt the baby be born. Does it hurt? Yes- but it is so incredible and it is so worth it. I just don't know if the end would be as shining if it were not for all the build up.
Why?-
Of course I am obsessed with how birth prepares us for motherhood so how does this tie in? The birth climax, if experienced, helps you love your baby. Studies have shown that there are actual physical things causing this, but the feelings are what I can vouch for, not the science. Your body wants you to love and care for this baby. We survive because mothers love their children so much that they would do anything for them. They will experience childbirth for them, they will sacrifice their bodies, their shapes, their everything for these creatures.
Physically and emotionally, what happens at the birth of a child ensures that a mother loves that baby fiercely and immediately. This is why I am such a believer in natural childbirth and it is something that is so hard to put into words. It is an amazing experience that every woman deserves to have and enjoy. One of the greatest tragedies of our modern culture is that not only do women not experience this, they often do not want to, and most don't even realize that natural birth is amazing, powerful, and climactic.
I have not attended enough births to speak for all women, and there are certainly unmedicated mothers who prefer the epidural. However, in my experience, the vast majority much prefer an unmedicated birth- and I tend to believe, that those who didn't, did not experience an undisturbed birth. You can have a traumatic and unsupported unmedicated birth too.
Watch some birth videos. There is a marked difference in the reaction an unmedicated mother has to her baby and what a medicated mother has. How can we possibly say that this doesn't matter! An unmedicated mother is ecstatic at birth. Physically and hormonally, her body is different and so is the babies. They are perfectly suited to bonding with one another. Climactic birth is birth the way every woman deserves to experience it.
As I talk to women I am amazed at how many admit to not feeling bonded to their babies at birth. This is so common and rarely talked about but I believe (and there is research to support this) that the method of birth and the climate it is experienced in have a profound effect on the mothers ability and desire to love and care for her baby.
Do elective c-section mothers still love their babies? Of course. But research supports the idea that medicated and intervened with mothers have more trouble bonding and breastfeeding with their babies. Sadly, there is little being done in this area and it may be many years before we see the adolescent effect of many millions of pitocin induced, drugged births on our culture. Some researchers believe that this is incredibly damaging to us, our children and our society as a whole and our ability to love each other.
Nature makes us love our babies with an animals fierceness at birth. Science has interrupted this process in a way that is unmeasurable and and damaging. We must believe in birth and do it fearlessly and with power.
For a fantastic article on all the physical and hormonal things that occur at birth and their side effects, please read this article. It is informative and goes way beyond anything I could explain.
http://www.sarahjbuckley.com/articles/ecstatic-birth.htm
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