Postdates: Separating Fact from Fiction

So I am now 41 weeks pregnant, and the most common question I am getting is ‘so when are you being induced?’  On facebook, I answered that question ten times over a period of 3 days, so ended up making a new status message that consisted of this:

 

Thankyou for all your questions, thoughts and concerns regarding induction. I am comfortable, and bub is comfortable. I still have 1 more week before I am officially post-term. I will not be getting induced naturally or medically at any stage unless medically indicated. Now no more talk of induction! 😀

But I know that the people who were asking, were only asking and suggesting things because they care about me.  So I looked around and found this fantastic article that has some great research and simple facts that you can share with others.  This link was my status update this morning. This is how I introduced it:

 

Here’s some interesting research regarding ‘late babies’:
“Facts:
• A pregnancy is NOT “Postdates” until after 42 weeks.
• The risk of stillbirth is nearly a flat line between 38 weeks and 43.
• Amniotic fluid is dependent on maternal hydration, in the absence of congenital abnormalities.
• A baby’s weight virtually plateaus after 40 weeks.”
Good to know hey! 🙂

 

Why I won’t leave my births up to chance

This is a great article by The Feminist Breeder.  She totally explains how I feel about why you have to prepare for a natural birth, and what you can do to get the birth you want.  I didn’t do the courses she recommends, but I read sooooo many good quality birth books while pregnant, which of course has an impact on your mental preparation.  Birth is probably the most vulnerable time in a woman’s life, and I don’t think you can be too prepared.

 

[edit] I’ve had to take down most of this article, as apparently having more than 100 words on here would actually violate her copyright and impact on her income.  And I don’t want to do that!  So to read her fantastic article go to her blog!

 

http://thefeministbreeder.com/why-i-wont-leave-my-births-up-to-chance/
May 29th 2010

The Feminist Breeder came across a Mumma’s website where she was asking people if they thought she was crazy for wanting a natural birth…

“There were around a dozen interviews with different mothers, and every single one of the moms supported her decision to have a natural birth. In fact, every single one of the moms said they had planned to go natural as well.  However, out of all the moms, only ONE mentioned taking a 12-week intensive natural birth class … only that mom actually reported getting the birth she wanted.

Coincidence? I think not.

What happens during a woman’s birth is not all up to chance. Maybe some of it, but certainly not all of it.”

To read the rest of this article go to The Feminist Breeder’s website: http://thefeministbreeder.com/why-i-wont-leave-my-births-up-to-chance/

 

What if…

You MUST read this!  If there is nothing else you read during your whole pregnancy, read this one.  And give it out to all your pregnant friends too. Not only does it help prepare you just in case you have an a ’emergency’ childbirth situation, but it helps you to understand that birth is not scary, but pretty straightforward.

This is a booklet called Emergency Childbirth by Dr Gregory White.  It is written for emergency services workers, who may come across a woman about to give birth as they go about their duties.  It covers quite a few different birthing ’emergencies’ and what to do about them.

Here it is:
Emergency Childbirth

I just love this quote “In over 95% of cases of emergency childbirth though the emergency attendant will be overwhelmed with gratitude, and widely praised as a hero or heroine, he or she can smile within themselves at the knowledge that their simple tasks could have been performed by any bright eight-year-old.”  I know my hubby felt that way after my accidental unassisted homebirth!  Everyone congratulated him, and he said ‘but all I did was catch!’  He said, he had so much adrenaline pumping through his system, and all he had to do was stand by and watch and wait (and run to the bedroom to get my printed out copy of this booklet!)

 

 

Hints for Pushing

I love this article!  It has so many helpful hints and tips for how to let your pushing stage be straightforward and productive!  I wish I had read it when pregnant with my first!  This article talks a lot about primips – primips are women having their first babies, and multips are women who have already had one.  But either way, the advice in here is great. 🙂

http://www.glorialemay.com/blog/?p=72

Pushing for Primips

Posted on December 30, 2008 by gloria

This article originally appeared in Midwifery Today Magazine, Issue 55 (Winter, 2000). “Primips”-women having their first babies.

-by Gloria Lemay
The expulsion of a first baby from a woman’s body is a space in time for much mischief and mishap to occur. It is also a space in time where her obstetrical future often gets decided and where she can be well served by a patient, rested midwife. Why do I make the distinction between primip pushing and multip pushing? The multiparous uterus is faster and more efficient at pushing babies out and the multiparous woman can often bypass obstetrical mismanagement simply because she is too quick to get any.

It actually amazes me to see multips [women having second or more babies] being shouted at to “push, push, push” on the televised births on “A Baby Story”. My experience is that midwives must do everything they can to slow down the pushing in multips because the body is so good at expelling those second, third and fourth babies. In most cases with multips, having the mother do the minimum pushing possible will result in a nice intact perineum. As far as direction from the midwife goes, first babies are a different matter. I am not saying they need to be pushed out forcefully or worked hard on. Rather, I say they require more time and patience on the part of the midwife, and a smooth birth requires a dance to a different tune.

 

Red Raspberry Leaf Tea – a blessing or a danger?

A lot of people say that red raspberry leaf tea is good for inducing labour, and other people say that you should take it the whole way through your pregnancy to have an easier labour.  People say that it can cause a miscarriage if you take it too early in your pregnancy  So what is the truth?  Is this tea a blessing or a danger?

 

 

The first two articles on RRLT has been gleaned from the research completed by the lovely ladies on the  http://www.unassistedchildbirth.com/ forums.

 

Susun Weed writes in Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year (Which is currently in it’s 24th printing!!):

The benefits of drinking a raspberry leaf brew before and throughout pregnancy include:

~ Increasing fertility in both men and women. Raspberry leaf is an excellent fertility herb when combined with Red Clover.

~ Preventing miscarriage and hemorrhage. Raspberry leaf tones the uterus and helps prevent miscarriage and postpartum hemorrhage from a relaxed or atonic uterus.

~ Easing of morning sickness. Many attest to raspberry leaves’ gentle relief of nausea and stomach distress throughout pregnancy.

~ Reducing pain during labor and after birth. By toning the muscles used during labor and delivery, Raspberry leaf eliminates many of the reasons for a painful delivery and prolonged recovery. It does not, however, counter the pain of pelvic dilation.

 

What if?

So often you hear the negatives when it comes to birth, but What If things went differently from all their expectations?  What if it is perfect, with no need for any interventions at all – as well over 95% of births are.  From my wonderful UC forum www.bornfree.com.  These ladies are awesome!

taken from c-birth, by Amy:

I have this list of “What If’s” that seems to creep into my mind every so often, causing me fear. The other day I had this revelation – turn them around. IT IS WORKING GREAT! This is a MUCH better way to look at it all!
So, I thought I would share….

This is a short, non-violent birth that takes me by surprise and leaves me saying “It’s already over? That wasn’t bad” at the end

The timing is perfect, I labor at night, quietly and have the baby before morning light – by the light of my Christmas tree as my family watches in awe – nobody wakes up until the VERY end

 

Don’t stop your hormones from helping!

This article is written by the Australian Doctor Sarah J Buckley.  Her work on the function of hormones during labour is well respected around the world. 

 

Pain in Labour: Your hormones are your helpers

http://www.sarahbuckley.com/pain-in-labour-your-hormones-are-your-helpers/
@ Dr Sarah J. Buckley MD 2005 www.sarahbuckley.com
Previously published in Australia’s Parents Pregnancy magazine, Autumn 1999, as “Your Hormones are your Helpers”
An updated version is published in Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering: A Doctor’s Guide to Natural Childbirth and Gentle Early Parenting Choices (Sarah J Buckley MD, Celestial Arts, 2009).

Look out for the new Instinctive Birth ebook-audio package coming soon!
See other ebook-audio packages

Imagine this. Your cat is pregnant, due to give birth around the same time as you are. You have your bags packed for hospital, and are awaiting the first signs of labour with excitement and a little nervousness.Meanwhile your cat has been hunting for an out-of-the way place — your socks drawer or laundry basket — where she in unlikely to be disturbed. When you notice, you open the wardrobe door, but she moves again. Intrigued, you notice that your observation, even your presence, seems to disturb the whole process. And, wish as you might to get a glimpse into the mysteries of birth before it is your turn, you wake up the next morning to find her washing her four newborn kittens in the linen cupboard.

Why does birth seem so easy to our animal friends when it is so difficult for us? One obvious difference is the altered shape of the pelvis and birth outlet that is caused by our upright stance; our babies need to twist and turn to navigate these unique bends. Even our nearest cousins, the great apes, have a near-straight birth canal.

However, in every other way, human birth is like that of other mammals — those animals that suckle their young — and involves the same hormones: the body’s chemical messengers. These hormones, which originate in the deepest and oldest parts of our brain, cause the physical processes of labour and birth, as well as exerting a powerful influence on our emotions and behaviour.

 

Relative Risks of Uterine Rupture

Again, I’m going to preface this by saying that I have never had a c-section, so I have no idea of the mental games that having one plays on you.  My main aim in posting this is to encourage and help women develop their faith in their God-given bodies.  You aren’t broken! You are an amazing woman, and I have every faith that you can have the birth you want next time.

 

After this fabulous article, I have included some research I have done regarding VBACs, and their risk factors compared to other birth complications.  I hope you find it useful and / or interesting.

 

UPDATE: I’ve updated my references to make it easier to check my facts.  I will be updating the graph soon too.  Thanks 🙂

 

http://www.gentlebirth.org/archives/vbacrisk.html
Written by Eileen Sullivan, with assistance from her husband, Patrick.

After checking, it seems I was a bit off on the frequency of deadly lightning strikes… you are more likely to suffer a rupture than to be struck and killed by lightning, by about thirty times.  Then again, how many people do you know who HAVE been struck and killed by lightning? <s>

Ruptures are also more common than dying in a plane crash.  Henci Goer’s review of the literature on VBACs found 46 ruptures in 15,154 labors.  This equates to a 0.3% rate… or 1 in 333, if you prefer. Your annual risk of dying in a plane crash is 1 in 4000, according to one source, and 1 in 700,000 according to another.  I can’t explain the massive discrepancy between the two figures, except to quote Mark Twain about “lies, damn lies, and statistics.”

Since you asked, here are some more probability statistics for you:

Your risk of dying in a car accident, over the course of your lifetime, is between 1 in 42 and 1 in 75.  This is roughly 4 to 5 times greater than the risk of uterine rupture.

You’re about twice as likely to have your car stolen (that’s an annual risk) than to experience a uterine rupture.

 

Feel guilty? Here’s why.

This is a ‘note’ off someone’s Facebook profile.  It really sums up how I feel a lot of the time.  I feel like I am insulting and / or attacking so many people when I talk about natural birth, but that’s not the case at all.  All I am trying to do is share the amazing knowledge I have gained, and help women to believe in themselves, in God, and in birth.  To let them know they are not failures.  That they are awesome, amazing women.  But all they seem to think is that I am condemning them. 😦

 

Why You Feel Guilty

https://www.facebook.com/notes/heather-barson/why-you-feel-guilty/10150170009943439
by Heather Barson on Monday, April 25, 2011 at 5:01pm

I know I make a lot of people uncomfortable with my strong opinions. When reading articles I post and the attached mini-rants, keep in mind one thing: I’m speaking of the rule, not the exception. Obviously there are situations in which nearly every procedure I rail against is necessary. They wouldn’t exist if someone somewhere didn’t think they helped something sometimes. I’m not ranting against their use under the right circumstances. But I don’t believe treating a healthy person like a sick person will prevent the healthy person from becoming ill. In fact, I have seen with my own eyes how doing so can cause medical complications which otherwise would not have existed in the previously healthy individual. I’ve also studied the research, and it continues to support my observations.

I have been informed a number of times over the past two years that I make women feel guilty for their birth choices. My stock “feel-good” response to that is if you believe you made the right decision, you probably did. Sometimes that’s exactly right. Most of the time, however, it is not.

If you want to continue to accept the “feel-good” version, and don’t want to hear something that might be difficult, or force you to strongly consider making different choices in the future, stop reading now.

No, seriously. Stop reading.

Don’t continue out of curiosity. If previous posts have made you uncomfortable, this is going to be down right offensive.

That’s right. Click the little “x” in the top corner of your screen. I do still want to have friends after this.

Alright? Is everyone left ready to hear a truth that may be life-changing? Good, then read on, brave souls!

If my expressed strong opinions make you feel guilty, you probably did make a wrong choice. You’re feeling guilty for a reason: You. Chose. Wrong.

But just because you chose wrong, doesn’t mean it’s your fault, and just because you chose wrong once/twice/many times doesn’t mean you have to choose wrong again.  Remember, unfortunately sometimes the best of all available choices is still a wrong choice.

First off, medical care providers should be trustworthy. Saving lives, easing pain, healing the sick, comforting the belabored are all parts of a very honorable trade. Our culture depicts these men and women in the light their work deserves. And most of them are good and honorable. Nearly all of them are also subject to the limits of their training, licenses, insurance companies, lawyers, and legislatures, but I’ll get to that in a minute.

First, I want to address the existence of douche-bag care providers. Yes they exist. This does not represent most of the profession, but it does represent a chunk that is too large. Unknowingly, sometimes we put our care in the hands of one of these douche-bags. Sometimes we see red flags in the course of our care and either ignore them, or think we’re too far into our care to change, but not always (FYI, it’s never too late to fire a doctor or midwife). Sometimes their sliminess doesn’t appear until the damage is already being done, and their hands are where they don’t belong doing what they shouldn’t be doing, or we’re abandoned and alone when we need support most, or we’re giving misleading information at a critical decision-making moment, or any number of other damaging and unforgivable acts.

If this happened to you, you made a seriously wrong choice, but you know what? IT WAS NOT YOU’RE FAULT!!! You didn’t know he or she was a jerk, or if you caught a whiff of dirty hands, you innocently trusted them anyway, because doctors and midwives are supposed to be good people. Trusting people who should be trustworthy can sometimes be a wrong decision, but it’s never your fault when those people you trusted fail to live up to your good expectations.

As for the non-douche-bag care providers who won’t give us care in the way we need/want it, I could write a book about their motivations for doing so. Suffice it to say, these are good men and women who want to help as many people as they can. Sometimes that means they have to bend to unreasonable laws or regulations in a way that is not in everyone’s best interest. To some of their patients, it can be incredibly damaging both physically and emotionally, but it keeps them in a position to help others. If you could help 1,000 people, but only if you seriously harmed one, would you? It’s a difficult choice, and I don’t envy those who have to make it. This is one reason why I harbor no ill-will towards the doctors who are directly responsible for my two-year journey through hell. In a way, they were victims too.

Also in that category are the care providers who are limited by their education. I read somewhere (I think it was a guest-post on The Unnecesarean, but I’m not positive) about an OB reflecting on one of the first medical school experiences he had. One of his professors got up and told them that fifty percent of what he would learn in medical school was wrong, but they wouldn’t know which fifty percent was right. When I reflect on my first labor experience (and after reading a very detailed version of my medical records from that time), I can plainly see that my obstetrician tried absolutely everything he knew how to do to avoid the cesarean he eventually had to give me anyway. Knowing what I know now, I can see things he didn’t try that probably would have worked (though I’ll never know), and I see things I could have done before I ever went into labor that may have prevented the whole scenario entirely, but they weren’t techniques he would have encountered in his training as an obstetric surgeon. I can’t hold him responsible for information he never would have received.

In these cases of good and well-meaning providers who still harm us, or can’t or won’t help us, we still made a wrong decision, but again, it wasn’t our fault. These people were as trustworthy as we should expect them to be, but their hands are tied in one way or another.

So, you feel guilty when you encounter my strong opinions? You probably made a wrong choice. Are you willing to accept that? I can understand if you’re not, but don’t be angry with me. I’m just the messenger.

And I won’t stop shouting my message. I may me a tiny voice with a miniscule audience, but I can’t go back to pretending that the women I speak for don’t exist. They feel alone enough as it is. Nobody understands what they’re going through, unless they’ve experienced it for themselves. I speak out because I don’t want you to end up like one of us. I want you to learn to make the right choice the easy way. I would hate for you to have to traverse the path that brought me here. The very thought brings me to tears.

I understand that to accept that a care provider might have done something to you that was not in your best interest is an earth shaking idea. This is someone you trust that we’re talking about. They may even be a friend. As explained above, I’m not suggesting they’re bad people, or even bad doctors! But they have to make hard choices, and sometimes those choices may not be in your favor.

It reminds me of an episode in the 5th season of Angel (spoilers!), where Fred is infected with the consciousness of Illerya, a long-dead god. Angel dashes off to find a way to free his friend from the infection that will surely kill her (yes, Fred is a girl, for those of you who aren’t familiar with Angel). He finds it, and learns that the only way to save Fred’s life is to do something which will kill a large portion of the planet’s population. And so he let’s his friend die a horrible and agonizing death.

If you’ve been reading my posts, I don’t have to mention the specific things that should simply not be done to pregnant women, or women in labor, or women postpartum. If you’ve given birth or “delivered” in a hospital, you’ve had several of those things done to you. There’s no “maybe” or “most likely” about it. They have been done to you.

And I’m very sorry.

No one should be treated that way. You deserve better.

Do you believe me?

If you do, that is your call to action. You do deserve better, but I can’t just give that to you, as much as I wish I could (and I will do everything in my power to help).  Your right choices may also be different from my right choices.

In Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged, one of the answers to the oft repeated question “Who is John Galt?” is that he was a great explorer who went looking for the fountain of youth:

“’John Galt spent years looking for it. He crossed oceans, and he crossed deserts, and he went down into forgotten mines, miles under the earth. But he found it on the top of a mountain. It took him ten years to climb that mountain. It broke every bone in his body, it tore the skin off his hands, it made him lose his home, his name, his love. But he climbed it. He found the fountain of youth, which he wanted to bring down to men. Only he never came back.’

‘Why didn’t he?’…

‘Because he found that it couldn’t be brought down.’”

 

Birth Affirmations

I’ve just added a new page!  It’s got all the birth affirmations I said when I was pregnant with Will.  Enjoy 🙂

https://misskalypso.wordpress.com/birth-affirmations/