The decison to circumcise your son or not is a decision that must be yours alone. Although I may be an advocate of natural pregnancy, labor and birth, and holistic health I do however choose to circumcise my son and any future sons. (I'm a bit of an oddball in my community lol. Im a conservative christian republican in a field mostly dominated by liberals and hippies lol)
I feel God made us perfect, but in the Bible he never instructs us to do something like circumcise or not to eat unclean meats if he didnt have a reason. The reason we circumcise on the eigth day is becaus ethat is the only time in a males life his vitamin k (the clotting factor in our blood) will ever be that high. prior to the eigth day a baby cannot effectivly clot blood. God's pretty smart, huh?
That is my opinion. But here is a break down of both sides of the argument for those who will be needing to consider what they want to do with their child.
ABOUT CIRCUMCISION
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, parents should be presented with unbiased materials concerning circumcision and make the decision for themselves. This, of course, is after examining the newborn male and determining that it is not medically necessary to go ahead and circumcise.
Biblically speaking, God implemented circumcision with Abraham as a sign of the covenant between God and man. This cutting away of the foreskin represented the cutting away of the flesh and submission to God and His will. Interestingly enough, every “law” that God implemented in the Old Testament of the Bible usually had a “health” reason to back it up. Circumcision served as a mark of the covenant and also served the same purposes that people today choose it: for cleanliness and hygiene. Jews and Christians both circumcise their baby boys, though in the past couple of decades the number of uncircumcised males is increasing with Christians and non Christians alike.
The circumcision procedure is when the foreskin of the penis is removed or cut away. The area around the penis is cleansed, and an anesthetic may be injected into the base of the penis. This injection stings a little but will block further pain. The doctor places a clamp designed for newborn circumcision around the foreskin or uses a specially made plastic ring. After the removal of the foreskin the tip of the penis appears red and is sore. Ointment medications are applied, and a gauze strip is loosely placed around the area. If the plastic ring is used, it will remain on the penis until the area is healed, usually within a week.
There are several disadvantages of circumcision, and these make up some of the reasons parents choose not to circumcise. This section could also be titled the advantages of uncircumcision.
CONS
EXCESSIVE BLEEDING & PAIN
During the procedure, there is some bleeding as the foreskin is cut away. Out of 1,000 patients one is treated with pressure or locally acting agents. Out of 4,000 patients one may require a ligature, and out of 20,000 one may require a blood transfusion. In most of the cases of a blood transfusion, a pre-existing blood condition was found to have caused the excessive bleeding. Also, it’s a given that a baby will feel either the pain of the procedure itself or the needle stick of the anesthesia.
INFECTION
As with any surgical procedure, there is a small risk of infection. Statistically only 1 in 500 get infected and need antibiotics. One in 4,000 need antibiotics via intravenous or intramuscular injection.
REPAIR OF DAMAGED CIRCUMCISION
The percentage of those needing a repair surgery after a circumcision is very small. Only one in 1,000 are needed for skin repair (from either too much or too little skin removed). One in 15,000 have a damaged penis, and very rarely one in 1,000,000 will loose the entire penis due to an incompetent doctor. On the side of uncircumcised, if the parents make a conscious effort to keep the penis clean and teach the child as he gets older, this will improve his chances of staying healthy throughout his life with his foreskin intact.
PROS
CLEANLINESS
It is easier to keep a circumcised penis clean. You don’t have to pull back the foreskin, which can’t be forced back until a male child is older. Good hygiene is a must for both the circumcised and uncircumcised.
URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS
Circumcision helps prevent urinary tract infections in both males and their female partners. Urinary tract infections early in life can lead to kidney problems later. Urinary tract infections account for a large percentage of “unexplained” fevers in uncircumcised males. It is a documented fact that uncircumcised males are 10 times more likely to come down with a urinary track infection than circumcised males.
SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES AND HIV
Studies in recent years have shown that the percentage of HIV and sexually transmitted diseases are lower in circumcised males. This is due to the fact that the foreskin causes an environment conducive to germs if germs are introduced.
CANCER
A circumcised male is virtually risk-free for penile cancer. However, for the uncircumcised male the chances of coming down with penile cancer are fewer than one in 100,000. Studies have also shown that women are at a greater risk of cervical cancer with an uncircumcised male partner. Another advantage to being circumcised as a baby is that an average of 4% of all uncircumcised males will have to undergo circumcision later in life due to inflammation of the foreskin or the foreskin adhering to the tip of the penis.
Once circumcision has taken place and the penis has healed, the risks of the procedure itself are completely gone. However, the uncircumcised male has to be concerned with the issues mentioned above, though those risks are minimal. Of course, there are many men both circumcised and uncircumcised who live their entire lives with no problems. Ultimately, the decision to circumcise a baby boy lies in the hands of his parents.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Is There Any Excuse? Our Babies Lives Are In Our Hands...
God made us perfectly to provide what our babies really need. Before formula, women nursed. Regardless of the issues when they were learning, regardless of the eventual saggier breasts, regardless of the inconvenience or number of children. If they literally COULDN'T, They found someone who could because babies NEED breastmilk. I'll break it down later in a post dedicated to breastfeeding information.
Report Finds that Using Formula Doubles the Death Rate for U.S. Infants
[Press Release]
© 2004 Midwifery Today, Inc. All rights reserved.
The December issue of Natural Family Online magazine (http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/) features a new analysis which finds that formula feeding doubles infant death rates for babies in the United States. Health educator and author Dr. Linda Folden Palmer's report, based on several decades of research from the U.S. and across the world, reveals that the use of infant formula costs the lives of an estimated 9,335 U.S. babies each year.
According to the report, formula feeding costs U.S. babies more than four additional lives per thousand. The final relative risk for formula feeding comes to double the risk of death for U.S. infants who are fed with formula, compared with babies who are fed naturally.
Based on the current U.S. infant death rate of 6.7 and an average breastfeeding rate of 50 percent, the report shows that the U.S. infant mortality rate would climb to 9.4 if all infants were formula-fed and would drop to 4.7 if all were breastfed.
"Infant formula was designed to be a medical nutritional tool for babies who are unable to breastfeed," Palmer said. "Formula does not fully meet the nutritional and immunity needs of infants. It leaves their immune systems flailing."
The report's conclusions are derived from an examination of the available scientific research on infant mortality in the U.S. and across the world. Research included in Palmer's report includes studies showing artificial feeding's impact on overall infant death rates in developing and undeveloped countries; studies providing comparative illness occurrence rates for many illnesses and disorders in the U.S. and other industrialized nations; and reports examining superior survival rates and decreased illness rates among breastfed infants. The report assembles these statistics to build a firm picture of the ratio of infant deaths for U.S. formula-fed babies against those who are breastfed.
The report cites results from numerous studies illustrating the negative impact of formula feeding on the health and survival of infants with various illnesses and health problems, including Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS); heart, circulatory and respiratory failure; diarrhea; respiratory illnesses; cancer; and low birth-weight and preterm babies.
Illness and death rates of breastfed babies who receive formula supplementation are much closer to those of fully formula-fed babies, Palmer's report notes. Numerous studies referenced in the report reveal conclusively that the longer breastfeeding lasts, the greater the measurable difference in illness and death rates.
Available evidence strongly contradicts commonly made assertions that formula feeding does not risk lives in industrialized nations where education and medical advances prevent increased deaths, Palmer said.
"Some insist that the blame for the United States' relatively high infant death rate lies with underprivileged communities," Palmer said. "But after examining the available research, we see that elevated death rates among U.S. blacks cannot be attributed to poverty. Hispanic Americans rank similarly to African American populations for socioeconomic factors, but they match non-Hispanic whites in their lower infant mortality rates. The difference is not socioeconomic; the difference is in rates of formula use versus breastfeeding."
For both condensed and full, referenced versions of Dr. Palmer's report, visit http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/BF/200312-formula-report.htm
Report Finds that Using Formula Doubles the Death Rate for U.S. Infants
[Press Release]
© 2004 Midwifery Today, Inc. All rights reserved.
The December issue of Natural Family Online magazine (http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/) features a new analysis which finds that formula feeding doubles infant death rates for babies in the United States. Health educator and author Dr. Linda Folden Palmer's report, based on several decades of research from the U.S. and across the world, reveals that the use of infant formula costs the lives of an estimated 9,335 U.S. babies each year.
According to the report, formula feeding costs U.S. babies more than four additional lives per thousand. The final relative risk for formula feeding comes to double the risk of death for U.S. infants who are fed with formula, compared with babies who are fed naturally.
Based on the current U.S. infant death rate of 6.7 and an average breastfeeding rate of 50 percent, the report shows that the U.S. infant mortality rate would climb to 9.4 if all infants were formula-fed and would drop to 4.7 if all were breastfed.
"Infant formula was designed to be a medical nutritional tool for babies who are unable to breastfeed," Palmer said. "Formula does not fully meet the nutritional and immunity needs of infants. It leaves their immune systems flailing."
The report's conclusions are derived from an examination of the available scientific research on infant mortality in the U.S. and across the world. Research included in Palmer's report includes studies showing artificial feeding's impact on overall infant death rates in developing and undeveloped countries; studies providing comparative illness occurrence rates for many illnesses and disorders in the U.S. and other industrialized nations; and reports examining superior survival rates and decreased illness rates among breastfed infants. The report assembles these statistics to build a firm picture of the ratio of infant deaths for U.S. formula-fed babies against those who are breastfed.
The report cites results from numerous studies illustrating the negative impact of formula feeding on the health and survival of infants with various illnesses and health problems, including Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS); heart, circulatory and respiratory failure; diarrhea; respiratory illnesses; cancer; and low birth-weight and preterm babies.
Illness and death rates of breastfed babies who receive formula supplementation are much closer to those of fully formula-fed babies, Palmer's report notes. Numerous studies referenced in the report reveal conclusively that the longer breastfeeding lasts, the greater the measurable difference in illness and death rates.
Available evidence strongly contradicts commonly made assertions that formula feeding does not risk lives in industrialized nations where education and medical advances prevent increased deaths, Palmer said.
"Some insist that the blame for the United States' relatively high infant death rate lies with underprivileged communities," Palmer said. "But after examining the available research, we see that elevated death rates among U.S. blacks cannot be attributed to poverty. Hispanic Americans rank similarly to African American populations for socioeconomic factors, but they match non-Hispanic whites in their lower infant mortality rates. The difference is not socioeconomic; the difference is in rates of formula use versus breastfeeding."
For both condensed and full, referenced versions of Dr. Palmer's report, visit http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/BF/200312-formula-report.htm
Saturday, December 18, 2010
A Very Controversial Question: Should you Vaccinate Your Child?
Those who know me know that I am no longer choosing to vaccinate my son, and will not be vaccinating any future children. Not to say that there aren't few select vaccinations I may or may not choose to use, or that I will NEVER vaccinate under circumstances, but I will not be following the vaccination schedule that most people follow as recommended by most doctors. I am not a bad parent, simply an informed parent. I've had several people asking me why and why I think I know better than the doctors so here you go. This is for you. (And those who are on the fence about it or interested.)There are a quite a few reasons not to vaccinate. Here they are :
1. The majority of SIDS cases are actually vaccine-related deaths which have been “written off” as SIDS. (What damage it would do to their wallets if you were told the truth!) But the fact is that in Japan in the mid-70’s, the laws were changed that children should no longer start vaccinations at the age of 3 months but wait until after 2 years. Their rates plummeted!
“Delay of DPT immunisation until 2 years of age in Japan has resulted in a dramatic decline in adverse side effects. In the period of 1970-1974, when DPT vaccination was begun at 3 to 5 months of age, the Japanese national compensation system paid out claims for 57 permanent severe damage vaccine cases, and 37 deaths. During the ensuing six year period 1975-1980, when DPT injections were delayed to 24 months of age, severe reactions from the vaccine were reduced to a total of eight with three deaths. This represents an 85 to 90 percent reduction in severe cases of damage and death.” Raymond Obomsawin, M.D.
2. So should you delay? I’d say yes based on these statistics. However, the fact of the matter is that nearly 100% of the children who contract an illness during an outbreak, are the vaccinated. So what does that tell us? It tells us that the vaccinated actually are not immune to these diseases for which they have been vaccinated. Why? It is because vaccinations bypass the body’s normal immuno-defense system.
When your contract a virus naturally, the virus invades your body through mucous membranes (eyes, nose, mouth). This is your body’s alarm system. A message is then sent to your brain and body to fight off the invaders. Your body reacts by producing mass amounts of antibodies. When, however, we vaccinate, that normal system of defense is bypassed completely. Instead of the virus entering through mucous membranes (our alarm system), it is injected directly into the bloodstream. Now the body has no time to react. It bypassed the alarm system and now is attacking in full-force. Not only is your body not producing the antibodies needed but your immune system is actually compromised.As you can see, the vaccines don’t really immunize at all. Which brings us directly to:
3. Low efficacy rate: There are no statistics which support the efficacy of vaccines. No proof, whatsoever, that vaccines ever got rid of anything. In fact, Measles deaths had declined by 99.4% before vaccination!
“Up to 90% of the total decline in the death rate of children between 1860-1965 because of whooping cough, scarlet fever, diphtheria, and measles occurred before the introduction of immunisations and antibiotics.”—Dr Archie Kalokerinos, M.D.
“There is no convincing scientific evidence that mass inoculations can be credited with eliminating any childhood disease.”–Dr Robert Mendelsohn MD
“It is pathetic and ludicrous to say we ever vanquished smallpox with vaccines, when only 10% of the population was ever vaccinated.” Dr Glen Dettman.
4. Another reason is the ingredients. There are many toxic substances included in the ingredients of vaccines. These include formaldehyde and mercury. Also, vaccines are grown in the cells of monkeys, guinea pigs, and chick embryos. These cells are nourished with blood serum from calves. There is no way to know what diseases these animals may have been carrying. Additional ingredients listed are listed at Dr. Mercola’s site and by typing “vaccine ingredients” in a google search. You’ll be surprised that tissues and blood from other animals that are in vaccines.
5. Increase in disease and disorders. The numbers prove that there has been a dramatic increase in disorders such as Autism, ADHD, and more. The incidence of other disease has risen.
“Vaccination programs were instituted in the late 1930s, and the first handful of autistic babies were noted in the early 1940s. When vaccination programs were expanded after the war, the number of autistic children increased greatly.”—HarrisCoulter Ph.D.
I can go on and listing reasons against vaccinations. But I can’t find one reason TO vaccinate. They do not prevent disease; weaken the immune system; cause other disorders; and places toxins into the body. Why put your children through the pain and crying? Your instincts cause you to dread taking your kids in for these shots.. follow those primal instincts. Anything nature intended for them won’t cause pain and tears.
For More Information See: http://www.alternative-doctor.com/vaccination/16reasons.html
1. The majority of SIDS cases are actually vaccine-related deaths which have been “written off” as SIDS. (What damage it would do to their wallets if you were told the truth!) But the fact is that in Japan in the mid-70’s, the laws were changed that children should no longer start vaccinations at the age of 3 months but wait until after 2 years. Their rates plummeted!
“Delay of DPT immunisation until 2 years of age in Japan has resulted in a dramatic decline in adverse side effects. In the period of 1970-1974, when DPT vaccination was begun at 3 to 5 months of age, the Japanese national compensation system paid out claims for 57 permanent severe damage vaccine cases, and 37 deaths. During the ensuing six year period 1975-1980, when DPT injections were delayed to 24 months of age, severe reactions from the vaccine were reduced to a total of eight with three deaths. This represents an 85 to 90 percent reduction in severe cases of damage and death.” Raymond Obomsawin, M.D.
2. So should you delay? I’d say yes based on these statistics. However, the fact of the matter is that nearly 100% of the children who contract an illness during an outbreak, are the vaccinated. So what does that tell us? It tells us that the vaccinated actually are not immune to these diseases for which they have been vaccinated. Why? It is because vaccinations bypass the body’s normal immuno-defense system.
When your contract a virus naturally, the virus invades your body through mucous membranes (eyes, nose, mouth). This is your body’s alarm system. A message is then sent to your brain and body to fight off the invaders. Your body reacts by producing mass amounts of antibodies. When, however, we vaccinate, that normal system of defense is bypassed completely. Instead of the virus entering through mucous membranes (our alarm system), it is injected directly into the bloodstream. Now the body has no time to react. It bypassed the alarm system and now is attacking in full-force. Not only is your body not producing the antibodies needed but your immune system is actually compromised.As you can see, the vaccines don’t really immunize at all. Which brings us directly to:
3. Low efficacy rate: There are no statistics which support the efficacy of vaccines. No proof, whatsoever, that vaccines ever got rid of anything. In fact, Measles deaths had declined by 99.4% before vaccination!
“Up to 90% of the total decline in the death rate of children between 1860-1965 because of whooping cough, scarlet fever, diphtheria, and measles occurred before the introduction of immunisations and antibiotics.”—Dr Archie Kalokerinos, M.D.
“There is no convincing scientific evidence that mass inoculations can be credited with eliminating any childhood disease.”–Dr Robert Mendelsohn MD
“It is pathetic and ludicrous to say we ever vanquished smallpox with vaccines, when only 10% of the population was ever vaccinated.” Dr Glen Dettman.
4. Another reason is the ingredients. There are many toxic substances included in the ingredients of vaccines. These include formaldehyde and mercury. Also, vaccines are grown in the cells of monkeys, guinea pigs, and chick embryos. These cells are nourished with blood serum from calves. There is no way to know what diseases these animals may have been carrying. Additional ingredients listed are listed at Dr. Mercola’s site and by typing “vaccine ingredients” in a google search. You’ll be surprised that tissues and blood from other animals that are in vaccines.
5. Increase in disease and disorders. The numbers prove that there has been a dramatic increase in disorders such as Autism, ADHD, and more. The incidence of other disease has risen.
“Vaccination programs were instituted in the late 1930s, and the first handful of autistic babies were noted in the early 1940s. When vaccination programs were expanded after the war, the number of autistic children increased greatly.”—HarrisCoulter Ph.D.
I can go on and listing reasons against vaccinations. But I can’t find one reason TO vaccinate. They do not prevent disease; weaken the immune system; cause other disorders; and places toxins into the body. Why put your children through the pain and crying? Your instincts cause you to dread taking your kids in for these shots.. follow those primal instincts. Anything nature intended for them won’t cause pain and tears.
For More Information See: http://www.alternative-doctor.com/vaccination/16reasons.html
Friday, December 17, 2010
An Explanation and Break Down.
Basically no one in my family or any of my friends know the first thing about natural birth. So this blog is to inform and educate all of you. If you did not have a natural pregnancy or delivery, or didn't breastfeed--This is not to call you a bad parent. This is information, take what you want and leave the rest. But remember, this information is NOT just my opinion. It is my professional and educated opinion, and also my experience. This is my job. It is my job to know and educate women on these things and its mostly for people who are going to have children, not those who have already delivered. You can't go back. So don't take offense. I am educating everyone so those who actually care do not find out too late.
That being said, lets begin. The term "Midwife" means "with woman." It is my job to provide prenatal care and exams, to prepare and educate her and be there when the baby is delivered, and to perform the exams after delivery and post partum care. These women have made a choice to stay out of hospitals, who are only set up for "medicalized" births. Here is the difference between a home birth and hospital birth.
Obstetricians are surgeons. Plain and simple. That is what they are trained to do. Many Obs never see a natural birth. And if they do, they don't know whats going on. Not to mention the fact that they are with several laboring women at once and all of the tracking and charting is done by nurses. Even CNMs (certified nurse-midwives) are under the supervision of a doctor and under hopital policy and regulation. In a hospital, unless you literally fight tooth and nail, sign waivers left and right and get nasty looks and treated like crap, you will be experiencing several of these "necessary" procedures. An IV line. You don't need to be hooked up to and IV! you are perfectly capable of drinking water. You are even allowed to eat during labor. Most women don't know that, because the hospital says no. Its an easy line to add drugs such as demerol, pitocin, and other things that will make your life miserable. It also is required if you choose to have and epidural, and I'll get into that later. You will be hooked up to monitors. Incredibly painful, (if you don't have an epidural) restricting and also unessesary. Intermittent checking of heart rate and observing contractions works just as well allowing a woman to move around. You can do that too, by the way. As a matter of fact, its the best thing you can do in labor. Laying on your back is not condusive to progressing labor. Hospitals like to induce. The correct time to go into labor is a four week window. Two weeks before the due date, and two weeks after. They induce as soon as the day after you are due. That is not safe! We delived a baby a few days ago that the momma was at 42 weeks. When we preformed the newborn exam and examined the placenta, she turned out to be 40 weeks gestation. Dates are not absolute. The drugs they use to induce are not good either. Pitocin is a synthetic form of oxytocin, a natural chemical the body makes when its time to go into labor. Pitocin makes unnatural contractions that distress the baby and are extremly and unnaturally painful for the mother. Here comes the epidural. They like to really push those bad boys. Because when the mother isn't in pain, they can go about doing whatever and not have to attend her constantly. Here is my beef with epidurals: First of all, epidurals are a cociane and opiate based drug. It does pass through the placenta and affect the newborn, studies have proven this. It also drops the blood pressure of the mother and drops blood flow through the placenta, which is why IVs are required. Epidurals also completly inhibits the hormones naturally produced as part of labor. These are vital and yet over 90% of women are having epidurals. You can't walk, so you are slowing labor. Sometimes women gets so anesthisized they cannot feel their perineums and cannot push effectively. Most women who reciev epidurals end up needing pitocin. Ceserean rates in hospitals have risen over 70% since 1996. Women aren't becoming less capable of delivering a child correctly, I'd say something is wrong with our medical system. This is only a brief summary of whats wrong with hospital births, over time each will be explained in detail.
newborn and postpartum care are another big issue in hospital. Right after the baby is born the umbilical cord is cut. This can cause hemmoraging from the mother, Inadequete blood supply to the infant, hormonal imblances and problems nursing. The cord needs to stop pulsing. Any question to that? look at the pictures of my son, and then look at another newborn picture. My son was beet red and most infants are slightly purple, pink with blueish extremities, etc. They also take the baby away soon after to preform the newborn exam when really there should be at least an hour before any of that is performed. Eye ointment is used to prevent infection in the babies eyes from bacteria in the birth canal, but unless you have an std, getting that ointment has proven to actually CAUSE infection instead of preventing it, and it also blurs the babies vision when its the most accute that first hour for the bonding process. All sorts of vaccinations are 'required' i'll get into that at a later time as well. Cosleeping is generally not encouraged in post partum, and some women send their babies to the nursery. If a mother has problems nursing or the baby has a high billiruben level they give you formula. Ridiculous. My milk hadn't come in, Richie was jaundiced and I refused the formula. I kept nursing and my milk came in, and he was fine. There are many other things, but lets move on.
Home births allow a mother to give birth. Midwives are only as a sort of "lifeguard" We will only interfere if there is a problem. Funny how the transfer rate of homebirth mothers and c section rate is tiny. Babies are born into a welcoming, peaceful environment and are left with their mothers the whole time. No ointments, no injections (they are available, but most opt not to) No antibiotics. Women who have delivered naturally and especially at home are found to be much closer to their children, and much more mentally and emotionally balanced as a result. Women have been delivering naturally for all of time.
Why do women all of a sudden think that they "can't do it" . If it is'nt natural, there is risk. Why would someone knowingly risk their child or even themselves just to be more comfortable. It is doable. It isn't hard. Your body knows what to do and it takes over. Trust it, Trust yourself and trust birth. We were made perfectly. God doesnt make mistakes. Every part of birth is vital. The pain has purpose. He wouldn't have made it so if it didn't. Todays society see the pain as a mistake, as something wrong and fixable, and it isnt. Animals who deliver under anesthesia or csection abandon their offspring. That is purely instinctual. Of course humans are much smarter and we can reason and have common sense, But if an animal naturally refuses her babies on a purely instinctual level, what does that have to say about what happens to us? Sure, you love your babies. Sure, they turned out fine. But think back. Did you get pitocin? Did your labor stall at any point? Did you need forceps or vacuum? How long did you push? Did your bag of waters have meconium in it? What was your childs APGAR score? How did they nurse? have any problems that first 24 hours? All of these can be directly linked to the way your labor was. Sometimes not, but generally, almost everytime. So labor DOES matter. Just because you have a healthy baby now does not mean the way in which you had them doesn't matter. It does on a basic, natural, emotional and physical way, not only for the infant, but for the mother. The bible says "and through child-bearing she shall be saved" (1 Tim 2:15) And we really are. Women who go through the process of natural labor are more stable, have less postpartum depression, and are truely more balanced as a whole.
Again-- This is not a "shame on you" but information for those planning on having a first or more children. This is what I do, and Why I do it. I am a guradian of natural birth. I will like I said get copies of studies, delve into things much extensively later, this is just a summary. So now you know what I do, and why it is so important. And I love all of you and want you to know because when I was pregnant, I didnt know until I was having to fight for my choice birth in the hospital. I thought it was safer, and man was I wrong.
That being said, lets begin. The term "Midwife" means "with woman." It is my job to provide prenatal care and exams, to prepare and educate her and be there when the baby is delivered, and to perform the exams after delivery and post partum care. These women have made a choice to stay out of hospitals, who are only set up for "medicalized" births. Here is the difference between a home birth and hospital birth.
Obstetricians are surgeons. Plain and simple. That is what they are trained to do. Many Obs never see a natural birth. And if they do, they don't know whats going on. Not to mention the fact that they are with several laboring women at once and all of the tracking and charting is done by nurses. Even CNMs (certified nurse-midwives) are under the supervision of a doctor and under hopital policy and regulation. In a hospital, unless you literally fight tooth and nail, sign waivers left and right and get nasty looks and treated like crap, you will be experiencing several of these "necessary" procedures. An IV line. You don't need to be hooked up to and IV! you are perfectly capable of drinking water. You are even allowed to eat during labor. Most women don't know that, because the hospital says no. Its an easy line to add drugs such as demerol, pitocin, and other things that will make your life miserable. It also is required if you choose to have and epidural, and I'll get into that later. You will be hooked up to monitors. Incredibly painful, (if you don't have an epidural) restricting and also unessesary. Intermittent checking of heart rate and observing contractions works just as well allowing a woman to move around. You can do that too, by the way. As a matter of fact, its the best thing you can do in labor. Laying on your back is not condusive to progressing labor. Hospitals like to induce. The correct time to go into labor is a four week window. Two weeks before the due date, and two weeks after. They induce as soon as the day after you are due. That is not safe! We delived a baby a few days ago that the momma was at 42 weeks. When we preformed the newborn exam and examined the placenta, she turned out to be 40 weeks gestation. Dates are not absolute. The drugs they use to induce are not good either. Pitocin is a synthetic form of oxytocin, a natural chemical the body makes when its time to go into labor. Pitocin makes unnatural contractions that distress the baby and are extremly and unnaturally painful for the mother. Here comes the epidural. They like to really push those bad boys. Because when the mother isn't in pain, they can go about doing whatever and not have to attend her constantly. Here is my beef with epidurals: First of all, epidurals are a cociane and opiate based drug. It does pass through the placenta and affect the newborn, studies have proven this. It also drops the blood pressure of the mother and drops blood flow through the placenta, which is why IVs are required. Epidurals also completly inhibits the hormones naturally produced as part of labor. These are vital and yet over 90% of women are having epidurals. You can't walk, so you are slowing labor. Sometimes women gets so anesthisized they cannot feel their perineums and cannot push effectively. Most women who reciev epidurals end up needing pitocin. Ceserean rates in hospitals have risen over 70% since 1996. Women aren't becoming less capable of delivering a child correctly, I'd say something is wrong with our medical system. This is only a brief summary of whats wrong with hospital births, over time each will be explained in detail.
newborn and postpartum care are another big issue in hospital. Right after the baby is born the umbilical cord is cut. This can cause hemmoraging from the mother, Inadequete blood supply to the infant, hormonal imblances and problems nursing. The cord needs to stop pulsing. Any question to that? look at the pictures of my son, and then look at another newborn picture. My son was beet red and most infants are slightly purple, pink with blueish extremities, etc. They also take the baby away soon after to preform the newborn exam when really there should be at least an hour before any of that is performed. Eye ointment is used to prevent infection in the babies eyes from bacteria in the birth canal, but unless you have an std, getting that ointment has proven to actually CAUSE infection instead of preventing it, and it also blurs the babies vision when its the most accute that first hour for the bonding process. All sorts of vaccinations are 'required' i'll get into that at a later time as well. Cosleeping is generally not encouraged in post partum, and some women send their babies to the nursery. If a mother has problems nursing or the baby has a high billiruben level they give you formula. Ridiculous. My milk hadn't come in, Richie was jaundiced and I refused the formula. I kept nursing and my milk came in, and he was fine. There are many other things, but lets move on.
Home births allow a mother to give birth. Midwives are only as a sort of "lifeguard" We will only interfere if there is a problem. Funny how the transfer rate of homebirth mothers and c section rate is tiny. Babies are born into a welcoming, peaceful environment and are left with their mothers the whole time. No ointments, no injections (they are available, but most opt not to) No antibiotics. Women who have delivered naturally and especially at home are found to be much closer to their children, and much more mentally and emotionally balanced as a result. Women have been delivering naturally for all of time.
Why do women all of a sudden think that they "can't do it" . If it is'nt natural, there is risk. Why would someone knowingly risk their child or even themselves just to be more comfortable. It is doable. It isn't hard. Your body knows what to do and it takes over. Trust it, Trust yourself and trust birth. We were made perfectly. God doesnt make mistakes. Every part of birth is vital. The pain has purpose. He wouldn't have made it so if it didn't. Todays society see the pain as a mistake, as something wrong and fixable, and it isnt. Animals who deliver under anesthesia or csection abandon their offspring. That is purely instinctual. Of course humans are much smarter and we can reason and have common sense, But if an animal naturally refuses her babies on a purely instinctual level, what does that have to say about what happens to us? Sure, you love your babies. Sure, they turned out fine. But think back. Did you get pitocin? Did your labor stall at any point? Did you need forceps or vacuum? How long did you push? Did your bag of waters have meconium in it? What was your childs APGAR score? How did they nurse? have any problems that first 24 hours? All of these can be directly linked to the way your labor was. Sometimes not, but generally, almost everytime. So labor DOES matter. Just because you have a healthy baby now does not mean the way in which you had them doesn't matter. It does on a basic, natural, emotional and physical way, not only for the infant, but for the mother. The bible says "and through child-bearing she shall be saved" (1 Tim 2:15) And we really are. Women who go through the process of natural labor are more stable, have less postpartum depression, and are truely more balanced as a whole.
Again-- This is not a "shame on you" but information for those planning on having a first or more children. This is what I do, and Why I do it. I am a guradian of natural birth. I will like I said get copies of studies, delve into things much extensively later, this is just a summary. So now you know what I do, and why it is so important. And I love all of you and want you to know because when I was pregnant, I didnt know until I was having to fight for my choice birth in the hospital. I thought it was safer, and man was I wrong.
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