Induction: The Root of All Evil

The bible talks about the love of money being the root of all evil, but the more I learn about maternity care in the US, the more I think that in obstetrics, the root of all evil is actually labor induction.

How

Generally induction is started with the drugs pitocin or cytotec or some other kind of prostaglandin.  There are plenty of "natural" ways to induce too.  I always find it slightly riduclious for somebody devoted to the natural process to try to "naturally" induce themselves - but maybe I am a purist.

Anybody who has ever had both an induced labor and a naturally occuring one can tell you that a natural labor is generally much less painful, more comfortable, and easier to handle.

Why

There are seemingly countless reasons for a woman to be induced, big baby, small baby, toxemia, convenience (for her or her care provider) past due, and so on and so on.  It seems to me that a doctor who really wants to induce can find a "medical" reason if he wants too.

Sadly, all these add up to many inductions, probably far far more than are acutually necessary, more epidurals, more horriable birth stories, more c-sections, and more fear of birth.

And - if you manage to avoid the induction, good luck trying to avoid induction agents to "speed" up your labor.  They are so widely used that most hospitals today seem to see most every mom getting pitocin at some point in her labor.  If I never hear the phrase "I was handling my labor fine until they started the pit..." again it will be too soon.

 (When I interviewed nurses at the two closest hospitals to me in N Texas, they both had induction rates over 90% - and c-section rates 45% or higher- I think this is pretty accurate in many parts of the country but it varies everywhere I go.  ACOG claims that only about 20% of labors are induced which I find absolutely laughable.)

What Happens to You

Should you choose to be induced know this- even if you avoid pain medications your labor will no longer be natural.  In nature, labor starts when the baby is ready to be born, in an induction, it starts when your doctor says it does, probably on a Tuesday.

You will have continious fetal monitoring and all that goes along with it (restricted movement, ultrasound exposure, and people staring at your printout instead of you).

You will have an IV and all that goes along with that, namely, restriction of movement.

You will labor in the hospital if on pitocin, rather than in the comfort of your home.

You will be taking drugs into your system for which little or no research on their effect on the human fetus has been done.

Than Again.... Maybe Induction Isn't the Problem

When I started this I was thinking of how I really believe that induction is one of the great evils in obstetrics today.  So many of the horror stories that I hear about birth start with an induction or the introduction of a labor induction agent into a naturally occuring labor.

But when I think about, why are all these inductions REALLY happening?  Could it be because of money?  The money that can be saved when you know exactly how to staff a hospital because most of your labors occour between 9 and 5 Monday through Friday?  Could it have something to do with the fact that women who are induced almost NEED pain relief that costs 1000's of dollars for each one of them?  Could the encouragment that doctors get for induction have anything to do with the increase in c-sections they see after the induction (and the increased profits that go along with a c-section rather than a vaginal birth)?  Might hospitals be OK with induction rates because they know that they will have NICU's full of tiny babies that have difficulty breathing and need to stay longer, be given oxygen, tests and drugs to stay alive?

Maybe the Bible was right, the love of money is indeed the root of all evil, even in obstetrics.

Spiritual Birth

I recently had somebody ask me about the  "birth high."  I think they were interested because it sounds kind of fun to have this natural "high"- like it was some kind of harmless acid trip.  I did not know how to answer.  Yes- at the end of a natural birth, when the baby finally is here- there is a fantastic feeling, sometimes called a birth high or a birth orgasm.  It is so much more than this though.  Birth can be a spiritual experience. 

Maybe part of the reason I think this is because I am already religious.  But there is something magical about this experience.  At the moment of birth you are so close to the other side of this life and the next that the emotions are overwhelming.  Is this just hormones and endorphins?  I am sure that is part of it.  But I am convinced there is much much more. 

Birth is the act, the experience that brings a new life to meet us.  If you believe in God- then you must know that this is a moment so precious and sacred.  The first breath and the last breath on this earth are sacred and tender experiences. 

Why?

I am sure people wonder why I care so much about natural birth- and this is why.  I want to fully experience this moment.  I know that I will only have it a few times in my lifetime.  I know that it will require sacrifice and hard work, maybe even some discomfort or pain.  But I can not imagine missing it. 

I do not do it for the "birth orgasm"- I want to be able to feel that moment fully when I am so close to life and death that I can touch it all around me.  It would not be worth giving up some of the discomfort to miss this overpowering moment.  Believe me, I have understood why women get an epidural.  I feel my labors too!  I have understood why women get induced- I go overdue and I get uncomfortable and I have plans too!

But believe me when I say you don't want to deaden any of the sensations of birth if it means that you will miss even a tiny bit of this moment.  Birth is not just a physical passage, a way for that baby to get out of your body.  We don't just go natural because it is the best thing for the baby or because we want bragging rights.  I have my babies this way because birth is a spiritual experience beyond anything I could describe.  Allow yourself to experience it if you can.  It is worth it.  It is unforgettable.  And it is one of the most tragic things I can think of when a woman has this experience that can be spiritual defiled and turned into a horrible memory that she would rather forget.  The fact that so many women are denied this experience because of a system based on money and convenience and fear and liability makes me sick inside.  It makes me angry.  It makes me want to scream and change things and make them better. 

You can have this experience.  I believe that every woman is intended to have it if at all possible.  Thank goodness for technology when it is needed about 4% of the time.  Get rid of it when it is not. 

Our First Guest Birth Story!

I am excited to be sharing a birth story to day from a friend of mine from when my hubby was in Chiropractic college.
I love her story because it shows that a woman can have a natural birth even if she does not follow the textbook idea of laboring for 15 hours and pushing for two with her first baby.  It also shows how important the birth place we choose is and the support of a good care provider who will go the distance with you.
Enjoy!
********
A Marathon Birth
Most of Tuesday  was spent going through the early stages of labor consisting of contractions every 5 to 10 minutes.

Around 8 PM we finally decided with our midwife, D, to come to the birthing center. Once we got there we found out I was only dilated to a 2 1/2. The midwife sent us home to hopefully get some rest through the night.

After being home for a few hours, my contractions started to intensify; so we made the 25 minute drive back to the birthing center. At around 12:30 AM we discovered that I was dilated to a 3. We were somewhat discouraged with the lack of progress.

We spent the night at the birthing center. I spent most of that time laboring in a tub. It was during this time that I understood why so many women decide to go the epidural route. I somehow made it to the morning with the help of my husband.

Around 7:30 AM, D let us know that I actually made progress and was dilated to a 7. It was at that moment, I knew I could make it through the rest of labor. It was a relief to know I was progressing.

I continued through the day dancing to Bob Marley, taking a couple of relaxing showers, drinking lots of water, and moving through contractions.

Close to 3 PM I started the pushing phase.

Around 6 PM, our midwives, D and G, informed us that we may need to transfer to the hospital because I was not making much progress. Thankfully, mine and the baby's vitals were great so that was not a concern. While D worked on contacting her backup doctor, I worked on pushing.

A little after 7 PM, I had actually made enough progress that it would not be possible to transfer and D said we were staying!

 After pushing for 5 hours in almost every position possible our little baby emerged. D handed me our baby and Husband announced that we had a sweet boy.

At 8:15 PM, Baby Boy entered our world weighing 7 lbs 2 oz. and 21 in. long. As I held our boy in our arms, all I could say and think was "We did it!" Birth is truly a miraculous event. I felt so empowered by this marathon birth.

Collecting Birth Stories

Positive Birth Stories

I have been thinking a lot lately about the power of good birth stories. Every time a woman reads a positive uplifting birth story we create a little bit of change in the world. I don't know about you but as a stay at home mom I want to do something positive in the world every day. 

So- this is where you come in! Send me your positive birth story and I will try to post it. I don't care where you had your baby- just as long as the story is a positive one. We want to give women the confidence and power to birth in peace.

If you want me to link to your own website I will happily do it.

Looking forward to learning more about you and sharing your stories!

You can e-mail it to me at mamabirth09@yahoo.com

If I get enough stories coming in I will use Wednesday as birth story day.

Create the change you want to see!!!

Fear of Childbirth

If I could teach my students one thing it would be to trust their bodies. If you have that- you can do it. On the other hand- if you are fearful of the entire process all of your book knowledge about birth will do you little good. One of the most difficult things for me when I am teaching is sharing with people the info they will need to navigate today's birth system without making them so afraid of the entire process that they are unable to relax and just give birth.

FEAR-TENSION-PAIN

In Bradley (TM) we call this the fear- tension- pain cycle. When we are afraid our bodies react by tensing up, increased tension (especially when trying to relax through labor contractions) will greatly increase pain during labor. This cycle is vicious and feeds itself, the more fear, the more pain, the more pain, the more fear, and around and round we go until we are begging for the savior epidural.

Becoming Fearful of Birth

How did we get so scared to death of birth? Right now, most modern American women grow up being scared to death of birth. We rarely hear a good birth story. Women almost joking refer to how awful birth is, the need for their c-section, their induction, their bottle feeding, their pain in breastfeeding, hemorrhage, length of labor, every thing that went wrong at every turn and on and on- with all this, it is no wonder that most of us have a hard time relaxing through birth. We have been taught that we could literally explode at any moment.

To add to the sheer volume of negative cultural ideas about birth, far too many women have bad experiences through the life cycle that make the whole process of letting go difficult. What can cause us to be afraid and stop relaxing? I regret that it is a pretty long list: sexual abuse, rape, infertility, previous negative birth(s), mothers' horrible birth stories, and the list goes on.

Moving On

Sometimes I wish I was a therapist because I feel so inadequate when it comes to helping women deal with these issues in relation to childbirth. Inevitably, any issue that causes fear of birth or a deep distrust of our bodies needs to be dealt with prior to birth as much as possible. Here are some things that might be helpful- (and PLEASE- if you have more resources to add, please comment and let me know):

-Read positive birth stories-
+Mothering Magazine, Ina May Gaskin's Guide to Childbirth and Spiritual Midwifery by Ina May Gaskin are all good resources for positive birth stories. I also love my midwife Claudette and she has some great stories on her website

-Visualize your birth-
+Take some time to visualize your "perfect birth." It won't turn out this way- birth is beyond our control- but taking the time to imagine everything going well helps in two ways. First, it gives you your own good birth story in your head, and second, it will help you make choices about care providers and birth places, that will help you accomplish what you want. For example, if you imagine your birth quiet, uninterrupted, and just you and your husband, then maybe a busy teaching hospital isn't your ideal birth place.

-Practice Relaxation-
+This might just be key to a good birth. But you do need to practice it. Take a good out of hospital birth class that focuses on relaxation and then do it every night. Mind Over Labor and 25 Ways to Awaken Your Birth Power are good books (and the last link also links to birth stories.)

-Face your fears, and let them go-
+This might be easier said than done, but do your best. Talk about things with your partner, and work out what you can. Know that you can do this but there might be some moments in labor where you have to face your fears.

Your Body is Perfect

I know we hear over and over again in the media and in our own heads about the imperfections of the female body. But our bodies are perfect for what they are meant to do- give birth and feed our babies. Tell yourself this over and over again. My mantra while pregnant with my first was "I am not afraid, I am not afraid" and the birth was virtually painless. You were designed to do this. Your body is perfect for birth and mothering.

Coming Home

Sometimes I come across a woman contemplating a home birth but still unsure of the decision.  I always want to express to them the joy that this can bring without being pushy and pushing my values onto them.  These are simply the reasons why I loved my home birth.  

Thrice Blessed

I have been lucky enough to have had three wonderful natural births in three different places.  My first was born in a hospital, my second in a free standing birth center, and most recently, my third at home.  

All were wonderful experiences, which sadly is more than most women can say.  I do feel like I could have a natural birth in a hospital pretty easily.  Many women can if they have enough knowledge, speak up for themselves, are dedicated, and arrive at the hospital very close to delivery.  I felt like I could birth in a hospital again, but knew that I definitely did not want to.  

Why?

Choose Your Friends-

I think that the scariest thing about a hospital birth for many women attempting to go all natural is the fear of things that will be done to you.  You can choose a natural friendly hospital and care provider and all of that, but unfortunatly, almost every OB or midwife in a hospital works shift work.  Your care provider will only be there if it is their shift.  Essentially you don't know who you are going to end up with.  

Step back from our culture and think about that for a minute.

 You are going to go have a baby- something that is intensely private, sacred, incredible, and rare, and you are going to do it with whoever is on call.  Maybe somebody you have never met.  Maybe somebody you don't even like.  Or - I will go ahead and sound sexist and say it- maybe even a man.  (I personally have never really understood the desire to birth with a male attendant).  

With a home birth you choose your midwife, and she (baring some act of fate like vacation or another birth) shows up!  Not somebody you have never met, not her partner with weird breath, your midwife.  The one you have a relationship with, a person you trust to be a lifeguard at one of life's most soul changing experiences.  Small detail- but important.  

Choose YOUR Power

I don't quite know how to put this in words but when you have a baby in your home- there is a subtle (or enormous) power difference than in having a baby in the hospital.  Anybody who comes knocks on your door.  You choose to let them in.  You are on  your turf.  You are the expert and you are in charge.  Obviously, a trained midwife will make choices that may need to be made sometimes that a mother can not- but things are very different.  

Choose Your Fear

I will get slammed for this but I will say it- there is some inherent risk in birth.  Occasionally even with sanitation  and modern medicine sometimes mothers or babies die.  I truly believe that this is rare when birth is handled as little as possible and a mother takes good care of herself- but it does happen.  

Could you die having a baby at home?  Yes- you could.  Could you die having a baby in a hospital.  Most certainly.  Statistically the likelyhood of this happening is about the same no matter where a healthy mother gives birth.  

My Choice

I choose the possibility of something going wrong in my home over the one in three chance of a c- section in a hospital (and all the risks associated with that).  I choose a midwife who encourages me to make educated choices about vaccinating, circumcision, and cord clamping- and then (shocker!) respects my wishes.  I choose this over threats that child protective services will be called because I refused eye ointment in the hospital.  

I choose a midwife who is comfortable sitting in the corner and checking the babies heartbeat intermittently and then allowing me to labor how or where I would like over being strapped to a monitor and having an unfamiliar nurse look at my printout every time she comes in the room.  

I choose to deliver in whatever position feels good to me without having to worry if that is against policy.  

I choose to deliver a baby naturally- and I mean allowing the baby to come out of my body without being yanked or pulled on.  

I choose to hold my baby for two hours after birth before checks are done in the room with me by two loving women over a baby that is taken to a seperate room and poked at so I can "get some rest honey".  

I choose home birth because it is beautiful and it is worth it.  

Breastfeeding Past Six Months

Still Nursing?

My baby is now seven months old and I had the question the other day- "Are you still nursing?"
Well of course I am! I have been committed to the one year mark with all of my kids (two years with the first, 15 months with the second, and still going with number three).

After overcoming the obstacles in the beginning with my first I did not understand why somebody would quit nursing before a year- all problems solved if you get past the first month or so, right?

I was to find out that there can be problems later on that can make continued breastfeeding a challenge. This is not a judgment of any mother who is not able to make it to that magical one year mark- just some things I have found that help me and other mothers if you still wish to continue your nursing relationship.

Pay Attention Baby!

Often around 6 to 8 months babies start to get more interested in the world around them. All of a sudden, mom is not everything! It is not uncommon for women to quit around this time because they think that the baby is no longer interested.

First- all babies go through this- even bottle fed babies. They start to notice the world and start to participate in it. A bottle fed baby will throw or drop a new bottle, the breastfed baby will start to nurse, then turn away, bite or fuss.

This does not mean they want to wean- it just means they are learning about their world. If you are there when they are ready they will come back to you.

Pay Attention Mom!

Sometimes baby is just trying to tell you to pay attention to them. Yes- they need attention just like you do!

I found this to be the case with my second. Every time I sat down to nurse she would bite me (yes bite) if I wasn't staring right at her. No more watching TV, no reading, no talking, just looking at my little baby. This can seem like an annoyance for a busy multi-tasking mother, but spending a few minutes each day just focusing on baby is more of a blessing than a burden.

I think of labor, birth and mothering as a dance with your baby. Everything is a give and take. Everything you do and feel communicates back and forth with each other. Our babies talk to us and communicate their needs. When they want more attention- they tell us but not with words. Everything we do with them is an opportunity not just to teach but to learn from them also.

Every step in motherhood is an opportunity to learn (usually a hard lesson for me) and be humbled by our children. That is why I call this mama birth- because we become mothers through the journey.