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Thursday, November 20, 2008
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Baby, You’re Home
Click here to read this interesting article ran in the New York Times......
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/13/garden/13birth.html?ex=1384318800&en=78bda4306e6b4a53&ei=5124&partner=facebook&exprod=facebook
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/13/garden/13birth.html?ex=1384318800&en=78bda4306e6b4a53&ei=5124&partner=facebook&exprod=facebook
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Birth #2
The Story
Our client started having contractions on Wed. @ 38 wks
Starting out steady then tappering off.
Thursday more contractions and water broke @ 2cm.
Contractions continue off and on through the night.
Friday contractions begin to increase and become regular. She was 6cm on Fri @ 5:30 and in a good pattern.
Transitions quickly and complete by 6:30. Wants to push, still walking and rocking btw contractions.
Starts pushing, working very hard. She gets discouraged(4th baby) laboring longer than expected.
Try different positions, squatting is most beneficial, but legs are too tired. She is very weak, but still working very hard.
Needs verbal encouragement to keep pushing.
9:15 Baby boy born 9lbs 2 oz 22 in 14in molded head 15in chest!!!! He is a big guy!
Baby nurses right away, wide awake and beautiful.
Mom and baby happy and healthy!
This birth was unique in that the client was my friend...I found the atmosphere to be much different, more emotional.
After boy presented, I kinda lost myself in lala land...it was strange. I took me a minute or so to come back to myself. Weird...has anyone else experienced this? I tried to listen for resperations and couldn't hear anything or listen to his heart...it was so crazy. I was out there.
I also pushed along with her the entire night and was so sore the next day.
Our client started having contractions on Wed. @ 38 wks
Starting out steady then tappering off.
Thursday more contractions and water broke @ 2cm.
Contractions continue off and on through the night.
Friday contractions begin to increase and become regular. She was 6cm on Fri @ 5:30 and in a good pattern.
Transitions quickly and complete by 6:30. Wants to push, still walking and rocking btw contractions.
Starts pushing, working very hard. She gets discouraged(4th baby) laboring longer than expected.
Try different positions, squatting is most beneficial, but legs are too tired. She is very weak, but still working very hard.
Needs verbal encouragement to keep pushing.
9:15 Baby boy born 9lbs 2 oz 22 in 14in molded head 15in chest!!!! He is a big guy!
Baby nurses right away, wide awake and beautiful.
Mom and baby happy and healthy!
This birth was unique in that the client was my friend...I found the atmosphere to be much different, more emotional.
After boy presented, I kinda lost myself in lala land...it was strange. I took me a minute or so to come back to myself. Weird...has anyone else experienced this? I tried to listen for resperations and couldn't hear anything or listen to his heart...it was so crazy. I was out there.
I also pushed along with her the entire night and was so sore the next day.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Spiritual Midwifery
OK...I am enjoying this book so much. It's farout and totally hip man. :) I really respect the way that Ina May deals with local physicians and hospitals, it seems as though she is slowly winning them over and they respect her work. I am also impressed with the amount of self educating that they do, reading medical texts and asking Dr's advice...they are trying to approach birthing totally different, but with wisdom. Great combination.
I do not buy into the pain free labor with making out sessions. It sounds as though there might have been some other external elements not mentioned to ease the pain of "rushes." ;) I do like the breathing technique explained...holding your breath at the top of the contraction, rather than pushing all you air out.
Interesting.
More on Ina May later.
I do not buy into the pain free labor with making out sessions. It sounds as though there might have been some other external elements not mentioned to ease the pain of "rushes." ;) I do like the breathing technique explained...holding your breath at the top of the contraction, rather than pushing all you air out.
Interesting.
More on Ina May later.
Moon Cup Review
Ok...so I ordered this and I am not so sure about it. It went in just fine, but the removal is the tricky part. I thought for sure my uterus would be sucked out with it! LOL! After some wiggling and moving, I broke the suction and all was well. This will take some practice for sure.
Overall...love it.
Overall...love it.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
The Business Of Being Born
I so enjoyed watching this documentary produced by Rikki Lake. She is also working on changing legislation for midwives and promoting home birth through, "The Big Push."
I read a comment posted on a Rikki blog and had to share it...
"I am so glad that someone is able to bring this national shame to light. As a nurse who has worked in L&D, I have watched the medical community "guilt" countless numbers of women into having a surgical delivery instead of letting the body take it's time to do the work that it was meant to. I have had 3 vaginal births without medical intervention, but it took determination to do so. I have fought for my laboring patients to be allowed more time to deliver from below, and not always been successful. In today's health care scene of short staffing, I have to admit that sometimes it is easier to just be silent and "get the baby delivered" instead of being the patient advocate that I should ALWAYS be. It's also not fun being labeled "difficult and argumentative" and having this show up on a job evaluation, when you do take a stand. The insurance industry has to take a lot of blame for this situation, as the doctors have to always think about a possible lawsuit for "birth trauma" if they do not immediately call for surgical intervention at the first "non-reassuring" fetal monitor strip, whether it is an external monitor, or direct scalp monitoring. I could go on, but I'm sure you can tell this is something I am very passionate about."
I thought this was so interesting, and it reminded me of my sister, a surgical tech who insisted on 2 natural births. She had seen the effects of drug induced deliveries and epidural mishaps. I often wonder if the medical world is secretly thankful for midwives, hoping that someday they will be able to stop this business of birth.
I highly recommend this movie to all.
I read a comment posted on a Rikki blog and had to share it...
"I am so glad that someone is able to bring this national shame to light. As a nurse who has worked in L&D, I have watched the medical community "guilt" countless numbers of women into having a surgical delivery instead of letting the body take it's time to do the work that it was meant to. I have had 3 vaginal births without medical intervention, but it took determination to do so. I have fought for my laboring patients to be allowed more time to deliver from below, and not always been successful. In today's health care scene of short staffing, I have to admit that sometimes it is easier to just be silent and "get the baby delivered" instead of being the patient advocate that I should ALWAYS be. It's also not fun being labeled "difficult and argumentative" and having this show up on a job evaluation, when you do take a stand. The insurance industry has to take a lot of blame for this situation, as the doctors have to always think about a possible lawsuit for "birth trauma" if they do not immediately call for surgical intervention at the first "non-reassuring" fetal monitor strip, whether it is an external monitor, or direct scalp monitoring. I could go on, but I'm sure you can tell this is something I am very passionate about."
I thought this was so interesting, and it reminded me of my sister, a surgical tech who insisted on 2 natural births. She had seen the effects of drug induced deliveries and epidural mishaps. I often wonder if the medical world is secretly thankful for midwives, hoping that someday they will be able to stop this business of birth.
I highly recommend this movie to all.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Holistic Midwifery: Basic Anatomy
Basic anatomy is important for midwives because the body is one massive machine made of many parts and systems that work together in quite an elaborate and delicate way. It behoves a midwife to gain a basic knowledge of the body in order to better serve her clients. For instance: understanding the workings of the digestive system allows the midwife to better understand the absorption of nutrients and vitamins that are so important before, during, and after pregnancy.
The Organ Systems
1. Integumentary System : A big word for Skin! This is how our body protects itself.
2. The Skeletal System : This is so important in understanding where the bones are and how the joints work in order to help the baby during delivery. It also assists us in determining what position the baby is in.
3. The Muscular System : Particularly the uterus and perineal muscles are important to us. The Uterus is the strongest muscle in a woman's body at the end of pregnancy. (And that would make the perineal the weakest! Or at least it fells as thought it is! LOL)
4. The Nervous System : Understanding pain...my thought on this is that all of those male OBGYN's have nervous systems and have studied them in great detail, but have no clue what pain is. :) My notes are rather caddy today.
5. The Endocrine System: Works in harmony with the nervous system and is our hormone control center. It is wise to understand hormones in the cycle of pregnancy and how the body secretes and reacts to them.
6. The Cardiovascular System : Blood and it's workings. Important to understand the clotting and circulation, both in mom and baby.
7. The Lymphatic System : This is our body's homeland defense system. It is important to understand how we fight off disease and illness.
8. The Respiratory System : Breathing is important. :) Also a knowledge of ph and oxygen saturation in newborns is important.
9. The Digestive system : The breaking down of food and how the nutrients are absorbed.
10. The Urinary System : Closely connected with blood volume and the effects of UTI on the pregnancy. I wish I had some better understanding of this while I was pregnant!
11. The Reproductive System : The baby making machine and all of it's workings are of great importance in midwifery. I did not know that I had gonads until today!
So that's it...the systems and why they are of importance to midwifery. Boring, but a great read with some classical music playing and a cup of coffee.
The Organ Systems
1. Integumentary System : A big word for Skin! This is how our body protects itself.
2. The Skeletal System : This is so important in understanding where the bones are and how the joints work in order to help the baby during delivery. It also assists us in determining what position the baby is in.
3. The Muscular System : Particularly the uterus and perineal muscles are important to us. The Uterus is the strongest muscle in a woman's body at the end of pregnancy. (And that would make the perineal the weakest! Or at least it fells as thought it is! LOL)
4. The Nervous System : Understanding pain...my thought on this is that all of those male OBGYN's have nervous systems and have studied them in great detail, but have no clue what pain is. :) My notes are rather caddy today.
5. The Endocrine System: Works in harmony with the nervous system and is our hormone control center. It is wise to understand hormones in the cycle of pregnancy and how the body secretes and reacts to them.
6. The Cardiovascular System : Blood and it's workings. Important to understand the clotting and circulation, both in mom and baby.
7. The Lymphatic System : This is our body's homeland defense system. It is important to understand how we fight off disease and illness.
8. The Respiratory System : Breathing is important. :) Also a knowledge of ph and oxygen saturation in newborns is important.
9. The Digestive system : The breaking down of food and how the nutrients are absorbed.
10. The Urinary System : Closely connected with blood volume and the effects of UTI on the pregnancy. I wish I had some better understanding of this while I was pregnant!
11. The Reproductive System : The baby making machine and all of it's workings are of great importance in midwifery. I did not know that I had gonads until today!
So that's it...the systems and why they are of importance to midwifery. Boring, but a great read with some classical music playing and a cup of coffee.
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