Kailee D Stephens

Anemia in Pregnancy: Get Iron!

2011-03-29T23:27:00.006-05:00

Anemia occurs when the number or size of a person’s red blood cells are too low. Red blood cells are important because they carry oxygen from your lungs to all parts of your body. Without enough oxygen, your body cannot work as well as it should, and you feel tired and run down. Anemia can affect anyone, but women are at greater risk for this condition. In women, iron and red blood cells are lost when bleeding occurs from very heavy or long periods.

Anemia is common in pregnancy because a woman needs to have enough red blood cells to carry oxygen around her body and to her baby. So it's important for women to prevent anemia before, during and after pregnancy. Usually, a woman becomes anemic because her body isn’t getting enough iron. Iron is a mineral that helps to create red blood cells. About half of all pregnant women don’t have enough iron in their body. In pregnancy, iron deficiency has been linked to an increased risk of preterm birth and low birthweight.

You can help lower your risk of anemia by eating foods that contain iron during your entire pregnancy. These foods include:

Poultry (dark meat)
Dried fruits (apricots, prunes, figs, raisins)
Oatmeal
Whole grains
Blackstrap molasses
Liver
Seafood (learn about the safe kinds of seafood you can eat during pregnancy)
Spinach, broccoli, kale and other dark green leafy vegetables
Baked potato with skin
Beans and peas
Nuts and seeds

Foods containing vitamin C can increase the amount of iron your body absorbs. So it's a good idea to include these in your new daily diet:
Orange juice
Tomatoes
Strawberries
Grapefruit

Coffee, tea, egg yolks, milk, fiber and soy protein can block your body from absorbing iron. So during pregnancy, it's also a good idea to avoid consuming too much.

The Doula & The Husband

2011-03-03T22:57:00.002-06:00

I'm often questioned when recommending the service of a Doula to an expecting woman, with primarily one question- “Why can’t my husband just do it?” And from the men, “If there is a doula there, I won’t be needed, so why should I even go?”

The couple has probably taken childbirth classes, and feel decently prepared for labor and birth. The one problem: Neither person has been present at birth before (this is the majority, a few have actually attended and helped a births before they themselves have children).

No matter how much you prepare, the woman will more than likely be completely centered inward and trying to work through her labor and won’t remember much from the classes. Her body will instinctively tell her what positions work and what don’t by decreasing her pain, but she will still be in some level of pain.

What husband do you know isn’t concerned when his wife is in pain? What husband would be completely okay with seeing their wife in the most pain she has been in in her entire life, and working harder than she has ever worked? I know very few that are completely level-headed when their wives are in pain. Even if they truly want to help, sometimes their protective nature overcomes their logic and they try to control the problem rather than work with it.

Another problem is that when you are in the heat of the moment, you forget the important things. In labor, you are tired, hungry, and worried. The husband forgets what positions are good for labor and pushing, what things help with pain relief, what can truly help their wives or partners get through labor and birth the way they want to.

In addition to forgetting this, what partner truly knows the ins and outs of every intervention and pain medication that a doctor would advise so as to make an informed decision with the laboring woman?

There is truly a difference between preparing for labor and truly experiencing labor. You do not know how your contractions will feel or what will help you the most. It is a completely new sphere.

With that being said, a doula is not there just to help the mother cope with her labor. The doula is also there to help the partner or husband so that he is able to completely help his wife or partner in the way that is best suited to him.

A doula can help a husband by:

1. Reaffirming that labor truly is normal. The body does an incredible amount of work during labor and delivery. The uterus contracts at amazing strengths to dilate and push a baby out. If you have never experienced labor before, the strength and power of the contractions can quickly overcome anyone and have them wonder if this truly is normal. A doula makes sure the couple knows that this truly is a normal, natural body function and also recognizes when things truly do get out of hand.

2. Helping keep the privacy of the room during labor by dealing with the hospital staff. In the hospital, most nurses and doctors will not knock before entering a room. Imagine you are in the bathroom at your house and someone you probably do not know just walks in in the middle of you having a bowel movement. You would be very embarrassed and most likely unable to finish while they are there. It is the same during labor. If you are interrupted during this process, it can slow or stop completely. Another issue is nurses or doctors trying to talk to a laboring woman during a contraction, whether it is just beginning or just ending it is still distracting. If you lose your concentration during a contraction, it is incredibly hard getting it back. The doula can occupy the nurse’s or doctor’s time during the contraction so the woman isn’t interrupted (and the husband can help without worrying about the nurse or doctor) and after they can discuss the options the nurse or doctor came to talk about.

3. Showing how best he can support the mother. A husband wants to help his wife, but sometimes gets stuck wondering which comfort measure can help his wife during her stage of labor. A doula, being trained in comfort measures during labor, can show the husband how best he can help his wife. This will give the husband confidence he is doing what will help rather than hinder his wife, and know that he is the one truly helping her during her labor.

4. Giving him a break during labor. Labor can last hours or even days. Even if the woman has no interest in eating, the husband still has to keep up his strength, not to mention have sleeping and bathroom breaks every once in awhile. If the woman and husband are the only two there, if he leaves, the woman will be completely alone during her labor, whether it is early labor or transition. If they have a doula with them, the husband can take breaks as needed without worrying if the laboring woman will be alone.

5. Providing truly trained “labor sitting”. Before labor and delivery moved to the hospital, doctors and midwives provided support through all of labor, not just during the last few pushes of labor. This practice has gone by the wayside so the woman is left with just her and her partner alone in a room with nurses coming every few hours to check on them. A doula provides the labor sitting that has become a forgotten art. Even if the couple has everything under control, the doula can sit by and wait until they are needed. And even if they aren’t needed to help cope with labor, they have read multiple labor and birth books so they can give trained advice and know the risks and benefits of every procedure.

6. Making sure the mother’s wishes are honored. There is a common joke with a lot of obstetricians that if a woman brings a birth plan, she is on the fast track to a cesarean section. Even if this isn’t a joke in your hospital or with your doctor, it is very hard to ‘fight’ for what you want during labor and have your wishes truly honored. A doula can help keep your birth plan. They can peacefully keep your wishes in mind of the doctor and nurses so that they do not unnecessarily do something you did not wish for, and you do not have to fight for it.

7. Knowing many comfort measures that can be used during labor. Since this is their job, they research constantly and know a plethora of comfort techniques. Even if the husband studies thoroughly, he won’t be as invested as a doula. Having a greater knowledge of comfort can only help the laboring woman and her husband.

8. Doulas have an incredible record for keeping down interventions and helping the woman have a better birth experience. The presence of a doula results in:

• Reduced cesarean birth rates by 50%
• Reduced length of labor by 25%
• Reduced use of Oxytocin by 40%
• Reduced requests for pain medication by 30%
• Reduced the rate of Epidural usage by 60%
• Babies had fewer health problems at six weeks than the infants of women who had not had a doula present during labor.
• Babies had fewer neonatal complications
• Babies had fewer workups for sepsis

This just truly stands on its own two feet.

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A doula truly is not there just for the laboring woman. They are hired by the couple, to help the couple meet their baby for the first time the way they want to. Labor and delivery is an intimate time between two people, and a doula can keep that privacy and intimacy so your baby is greeted in the atmosphere best for the family.

Prenatal Vitamins & Supplements

2010-02-24T15:00:00.003-06:00

A friend of mine who is has her B.A. in Natural Health and is currently working on her degree in Naturopathy, recently wrote a blog about Prenatal Vitamins and Supplements that she believes helped in her fast labor and deliveries of her 3 children. She delivered all 3 completely natural and her labor with each child lasted under 2 hours. She praises the aid of the following products.

1. Solaray brand Red Raspberry Leaf capsules, 2/day in 1st Trimester, 3/day in 2nd Trimester, 4/day in 3rd Trimester
(Red Raspberry can help prevent miscarriage, tones the uterus and helps with smoother contractions in labor)

2. New Chapter Prenatal, Garden of Life Raw Prenatal or Rainbow Light Prenatal, 1/day

3. Country Life Prenatal Fish Oil called Omega Mom
(It's important you get adequate DHA for the baby and yourself)

You can also take Krill Oil, it has astaxanthanin in it which is an antioxidant and will help the oil from going rancid. Krill oil absorbs much better than regular fish oil into the system. It's a bit more expensive, but worth it.

4. Country Life Evening Primrose Oil, 1000mg/day
(This helps to soften the cervix and can be inserted vaginally in 3rd Trimester)

5. Solaray Blue Cohosh, 2/day in last month of pregnancy
(Blue Cohosh helps with regular contractions and gives the uterus a final toning which makes labor easier)

You shouldn't take Blue Cohosh or any other uterine stimulates unless you first speak to your doctor or midwife.

6. Coconut Oil

You can rub it all over your body and your belly to prevent stretch marks. It also has Lauric acid which helps kill bacteria and viruses. You can take it while breastfeeding to increase the Lauric acid in your milk. 1 tablespoon and day works.

Many of these vitamins and supplements can be found at your local natural food store or online at vitacost.com or amazon.com

Bleeding in Early Pregnancy

2010-02-22T14:59:00.003-06:00

When I was pregnant with my third child, I began bleeding heavily at 12 weeks for 24hrs. After much research, a couple conversations with my midwives and a few ultrasounds later-I was fine....But what caused it? Well, in my situation the bleeding was caused by a rare condition called Subchorionic Hematoma. This condition is basically a hemorrhage within the uterus which began with the egg implantation. It can take up to 20 weeks to clot and dissolve.

When bleeding occurs in pregnancy, our first thought is miscarriage and yet spotting-heavy bleeding in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy is seen in over 20-30% of pregnant women. I have researched this common issue in order to eliminate our worst fear of a loss of the baby. It is quite normal.

Here are a few other causes of early term bleeding:

1. Leftover Cycle blood (brown blood means old blood)

2. Implantation bleeding You may have some light spotting for a day or two at about the time when the fertilized egg burrows into the wall of your uterus. This is a process that starts just six to seven days after fertilization, so you wouldn't even know you were pregnant yet.

3. Infections Spotting can also be caused by conditions unrelated to pregnancy. A vaginal infection (such as a yeast infection or bacterial vaginosis) or a sexually transmitted infection (such as trichomoniasis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, or herpes) can cause your cervix to become irritated or inflamed. An inflamed cervix is particularly prone to spotting after sex or a Pap smear. You may also spot or bleed after sex or a Pap smear if you have a cervical polyp (a benign growth).

4. Placental problems or premature labor In the second or third trimester, bleeding or spotting can be a sign of a serious condition such as placenta previa, placental abruption (in which the placenta separates from the uterus), a late miscarriage (between 13 weeks and midpregnancy), or premature labor (between midpregnancy and 37 weeks).

Even first trimester bleeding may be a sign of an underlying problem with the placenta. Research shows a link between early pregnancy bleeding and an increased risk of later complications, such as preterm delivery or placental abruption, particularly if the bleeding is heavy.

5. Miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy(1 out of 60 pregnancies)
Spotting or bleeding can be an early sign of miscarriage or an ectopic pregnancy, especially if accompanied by abdominal pain or cramping. (Bleeding can also signal a molar pregnancy, a relatively rare condition in which abnormalities in the fertilized egg at conception make it impossible for the embryo to develop or survive.)

When is it serious?
~If you have severe bleeding or cramps and contractions (call 911)
~If vaginal bleeding in pregnancy lasts for more than 24 hours and you are unable to get in touch with your health care provider or you don't have one
~If you faint (pass out) or feel very dizzy
~If you are bleeding and develop a fever over 100.5°F
~If you have pain worse than a normal period, or severe localized pain in your abdomen, pelvis, or back
~If you have undergone an abortion and develop a fever, abdominal or pelvic pain, or increased bleeding
~If you have been given medical treatment for ectopic pregnancy with methotrexate, and you develop increased abdominal or pelvic pain within the first week after the injection.

Stay Fit

2010-01-18T11:17:00.002-06:00

The recommendations for exercise in pregnancy tell us that pregnant women need to be exercising 30 minutes a day most, if not all, days of the week. The benefits of exercise are many in pregnancy including:

-Fewer physical complaints
-Decreased pregnancy weight gain
-Decreased time in average labor
-Fewer labor complications
-Faster postpartum recovery
-Faster postpartum weight loss

With these benefits in mind, many pregnant women are eager to exercise. Their problem is that they are not sure where to start. Here are some great exercises that work well for many women.

Walking
Walking is a great form of exercise and can be modified for many fitness levels, including beginners. Other than a decent pair of walking shoes you don’t need fancy equipment and it is a great workout for muscles and aerobic fitness. Many pregnant moms like to walk because the intensity is controlled by them and not someone else. Walking can also be maintained postpartum.

Yoga
In pregnancy the combined exercise and relaxation that yoga brings is a welcomed addition to your exercise routines. Many of the mothers that I have worked with have used yoga poses in their childbirth classes and then enjoyed it so much that they continued doing it. You may take pregnancy specific classes or modify certain poses in pregnancy, as lead by your instructor. There are also DVDs available with pregnancy specific yoga poses available. I really liked using yoga to help me stretch and focus in pregnancy.

Pilates
Pilates is a very popular form of exercise. Women who were doing pilates prior to pregnancy are asking if they can continue to do Pilates now that they are pregnant and the answer is yes. Pilates can be modified for anyone and is also great postpartum. Since the core muscles are prime in Pilates and very used in pregnancy be sure to find an instructor who is qualified to work with pregnant women.

Swimming
Many mothers enjoy swimming in pregnancy. Not only does it help you stay cool in the warm months but it also provides near immediate relief of many aches and pains in pregnancy. The water is a known comfort in pregnancy because it helps relieve stress and strain on muscles that are being stretched and challenged in pregnancy. It also helps mom deal with the added weight her body is carrying by lightening her load while she is in the water.

Water Birth & its Benefits

2009-08-17T11:47:00.003-05:00

Water birth is not a new concept. Women throughout history have given birth in water. With the advent of modern medicine, the practice became less common. In recent years, water birth is experiencing a revival as more women choose this method for giving birth. There are many benefits to giving birth in the water.

The Benefits of Water Birth

Better relaxation: Water aids in relaxation. There is a reason that many women enjoy a long, relaxing soak in the tub after a long day. As you relax in the warmth of the water, your cares seem to melt away. Relaxation is very important during labor. When the mother is tense, the tension can actually slow the progress of labor. Relaxing through the contractions is much more effective.

Pain relief: Women report that the pain is greatly reduced when they labor and deliver in the water. Some experienced mothers report that the water was nearly as effective as medicinal pain relievers or epidurals. Water works by blocking the pain impulses in the nerves of the body. Water is an effective alternative to pain medications for women wanting a drug free birth.

Reduced abdominal pressure: Much of the pain in labor is caused by increased pressure in the abdomen. As the baby moves through the pelvis, this pressure increases. The natural buoyancy that occurs from being in the water helps relieve this pressure. This results in relaxed muscles and less pain.

Greater involvement of the partner, spouse or coach:

The husband or partner often feels pushed to the side during labor and birth. Nurses, doctors, doulas and other personnel seem to take over. This doesn’t happen with a water birth. The laboring mother relies on her partner for comfort and focus. The husband often gets in the water behind his wife to offer support and encouragement.

Easier transition for the baby: Your baby has been living in an aquatic environment for the past nine months. During birth, he leaves the comfort of the womb for the cold air of the delivery room. When the baby is born in the water, the transition is easier for him. Rather than hitting the cold air, he is born into a familiar world, warm and wet. After the birth, the baby is not whisked off to a cold exam table, but allowed to be snuggled by his mother and breastfed. This is a more peaceful entrance for the baby and a special time for the new family.

If you want a water birth, the health care provider you choose will be essential. When interviewing doctors and midwives ask questions about their feelings about water birth. If the doctor doesn’t do water births or the hospital doesn’t have the necessary facilities, you may want to look for another health care provider.

Reasons to Hire a Doula

2009-08-06T10:51:00.003-05:00

Medical Benefits of Hiring a Doula

Numerous studies in the last 25 years have clearly demonstrated the value of a birth doula during the process of childbirth. Some of the evidence has shown that fewer mothers ask for medication or require medical intervention such as the use of pitocin to induce or speed up labor. Mothers who use doulas are more likely to have shorter labors and fewer cesareans compared to mothers who did not have a doula. Mothers also tend to breastfeed their babies longer and have a more satisfying birth experience if they have used a doula. In fact, a recent survey indicated that mothers gave the doulas the "highest rating" for the best supportive care over any other member of the birth team including nurses, doctors and nurse-midwives.

Parents can have many reasons for hiring a doula that may or may not have anything to do with the research results. Here are a host of reasons parents may want to use a doula.

Other Reasons Parents hire a Doula:

A desire for additional support during labor, with or without a primary labor partner.
A history of a previous long or challenging birth.
Greater access to non-pharmacologic methods of pain relief.
Mothers with special needs such as those planning a VBAC, single mothers or those who cannot use pain medications such as an epidural.
For additional help with breastfeeding techniques and postpartum support after birth.
To assist parents in having a natural or unmedicated childbirth.

How Doula Support is Unique

A common misconception is that the labor and delivery nurse with be providing the same type of support as the doula. Parents believe that the nurse will be there with them continuously and help them with pain relief techniques. The reality is that the typical labor and delivery nurse in the hospital has multiple patients. She is required to keep extensive records on all of her patients at the same time. In fact, one study showed that only about 10% of the nurse's time was spent supporting the laboring woman with her physical or emotional needs.

Doulas do not work in shifts or have multiple patients. They care for the individual needs of the mother and stay with her until the baby is born. Not only that, but the birth doula is not a stranger to the mother and therefore she can act as a familiar guide through the long and often challenging hours of labor.

Breathing thru Your Labor

2009-07-27T12:47:00.003-05:00

BREATHING THRU YOUR LABOR

Breathing often reflects our state of relaxation or excitation. When at rest, breathing is usually slow and rhythmic, (such as when asleep). When tense, breathing may be erratic, or we may hold our breath. Controlling breathing may help you become aware of your state so you can stay relaxed. Breathing techniques are helpful to many women in labor.

The theory behind childbirth breathing patterns is based on the concentration required to focus on your breathing. During a contraction, your thought process is redirected from a pain response such as tension and breath holding to a learned relaxed breathing response. The successful development of a relaxed response to painful stimuli is most effective through a lot of practice.

Allow your body to relax as completely as possible and work with the contractions while using the breathing and relaxation techniques. There is no right or wrong way to breathe. The breathing techniques are only guidelines and should be adapted to your individual preference and comfort.

Begin focusing on your breathing when you feel you need help relaxing or can no longer walk or talk through a contraction. For many women, this may be hours into labor. Your breathing should be at a comfortable rate and not cause you to feel short of breath or light-headed. Your breathing style should be your own. The breath may be taken in and out of your nose or mouth, or in your nose and out your mouth. The key is to have the breathing feel natural, relaxed and even.

Each of the breathing techniques has two common features: a cleansing breath and a focal point.

Cleansing Breath
The use of a cleansing breath before and after every contraction is important. It is an exaggerated, deep breath, usually done by breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. The purposes of this breath are to:

Allow for increased oxygen to the baby
Internally signal you that a contraction is beginning and to remind you to begin concentrating on breathing, focusing, and relaxing.
Externally signal your partner and anyone else assisting with the labor that a contraction is beginning. They can then offer assistance, such as a back massage or verbal encouragement.
Allow for blowing off residual tension after a contraction is over.
Give your baby a boost of oxygen at the end of the contraction.

Focal Point
The use of a focal point will help enhance your relaxation and increase your concentration during a contraction. An internal focal point, such as a peaceful scene or serene setting may work well for some; others may find that they need to concentrate on an object in the room or the partner's eyes. This focus may change during labor, as contractions gain strength. Practice using different focal points that enhance your contraction and help eliminate distractions. (Note: a clock is not used as a focal point.

Allow the breathing to continue on its own quietly, easily, and evenly. Concentrate on letting yourself completely relax and let your body go limp with each exhale. Picture a rag doll.
Your body may begin to feel warm and heavy.
When ready to rouse yourself, breathe in deeply, stretching arms and legs, as you exhale.

Slow Paced Breathing

Take a "cleansing" breath at the beginning of a contraction
Continue to breathe evenly in and out with slow,easy abdominal breathing.
Pace is approximately half your normal respiratory rate.
You may use Attention Focusing strategies such as:
- Inhalation/exhalation through nose
- Inhalation/exhalation through mouth
- Counting rhythms, imagery, affirming phrases, etc.
- Movement, stroking, massage, tapping, etc.
- A visual focal point
As contraction ends, take a "cleansing" breath, breathing out slowly, and relaxing completely.

Modified Paced Breathing

Easy, rhythmical breathing with a frequency of approximately twice your normal respiratory rate.
Relaxed movement in chest and abdomen with more use of intercostal (chest) muscle.
Use as needed for more challenging contractions
Use same steady rate throughout contraction or use attention focusing strategies as needed.

Patterned Paced Breathing

Even, rhymthmical breathing approximately twice your normal respiratory rate.
Breathing pattern does not change rate or volume of air exchange.
Pattern 3 breath/1 "blow"
Use Attention Focusing strategies as needed.

Variations of Patterned Paced Breathing

Pattern can be from 1 breath/1 blow to 6 breaths/1 blow.
Can use Patterned Paced breathing in 1 breath/1 blow (He/Who)
Try pattern of 5/1, 4/1, 3/1, 2/1, 1/1, 2/1, 3/1, 4/1, 5/1
Combine paced breathing techniques in one contraction.
Use attention focusing strategies as needed.

Epidurals: Risks & Side Effects

2009-06-10T05:00:00.000-05:00

Maternal Risks

· Convulsions

· Respitory paralysis

· Cardiac arrest

· Allergic shock

· Nerve injury

· Epidural abscess

· Maternal death

Labor Side Effects

Baby Side Effects

I'm Reading a Great Book

2009-05-25T09:40:00.003-05:00

The book is called a Holistic Guide to Pregnancy and Birth by Deepak Chopra, MD. Its a little new age'y and derivies all its information from 2 sources-traditional medicine from India and the latest Western scientific prenatal research. The book is very well written and organized. It empowers the women with knowledge from conception to post partum. Its not only very informative but inspiring and expansive . The book is a must read for all women desiring to walk through the birth process naturally. I believe it can profoundly enhance the experience.

How to Choose the Right Doula for Your Birth

2009-03-30T20:17:00.001-05:00

Questions you want to ask a doula should include...

Are you taking any new doula clients for the month I'm due? (If they say no, ask them if they can refer you to any other local doulas.)
What's your experience and training as a doula?
How would you describe your approach to birth as a doula?
What's your price? And can you provide me with references?

While the answers to your questions are important, you're really looking more to see how you feel with them on the phone. Do you feel comfortable? Do they sound like someone you could relate to? Do you like the sound of their voice? (Yes, really! That is the voice you'll be listening to during birth, and you want it to be pleasant for you.) Once you go through your list, arrange to meet face to face with two or three (or four!) of them.

Even if the first doula you meet feels like the perfect match, I'd still suggest meeting with at least one other doula. Being able to compare the two will help in making your choice. Also, make sure your partner meets the doula as well. It's essential that he also feels comfortable with your chosen doula.

When deciding which doula to hire, experience and training often come second to which doula feels right. Listening to your gut is important when choosing a doula.

Also consider what you're looking for in a doula. Everyone wants something a little different. Some people want a doula who will be a strong advocate. Others feel having a doula who will be involved physically a great deal, through massage and physical support, is most important. And some want someone to just be there to provide a calm and centered atmosphere.

Another important consideration when looking for a doula is their feelings on birth and how it will affect their support. You want someone non-judgmental, who you'll feel comfortable with no matter what your requests or views on birth are.

Why Natural Birth?

2009-02-14T16:01:00.004-06:00

Having a natural birth doesn't mean choosing pain. There are a wide variety of natural comfort measures that can be employed. Women who choose natural childbirth realize that any artificial interruption in birthing, even for the best of intentions, adds risks. Whenever we interfere with the normal process of birthing, we increase the risks to both the mother and her child. None of these natural techniques carry risks.

However, the effective use of such techniques often requires diligent pre-labor practice. They are not a "quick fix". Mothers who choose natural childbirth willingly devote the necessary time to hone these skills and lessen the risks involved in choosing medicinal options. Planning a natural childbirth does not mean swearing off all interventions. Situations will always arise when interventions become life-saving necessities. These mothers carefully weigh the cost-benefit ratio of any and all interventions. The possibility of pain is never a factor in making such decisions.

Women who choose natural birth realize that all medications taken during pregnancy are passed to the baby to one degree or another. The majority of mothers would baulk at the idea of shooting up drugs during their pregnancy. When in labor, choosing an epidural or intravenous medication means willingly exposing the baby to any combination of opiods (narcotics) such as morphine, pethidine, and fentanyl or dissociative anesthetics such as ketamine or clonidine. The cocktail of drugs is at the discretion of the anesthesiologist and can include any of these options. These mothers choose not to expose their babies to the possibility of allergic reactions, respiratory distress or the host of other complications that can arise from exposure to such drugs.
These mothers are not seduced by the seemingly easy option of avoiding birth through an elective c-section. A major abdominal surgery is not to be taken lightly. The risks of a c-section are numerous, including risk of future ectopic pregnancy due to scar tissue, risk of uterine rupture, and placental problems. The complications also extend to the baby. Babies born by c-section are three times as likely to experience respiratory complications. They do not have the benefit of passing through the birth path, which helps to clear mucus from the mouth and nasal passages.

These women understand that the process of giving birth does not damage the body. It is the interventions, the episiotomies, the unnatural birth positions, and the purple pushing that damage the body. Not one of these is necessary for birth. They not only damage the body, but also the spirit. Some women become so phobic, so unable to trust their bodies, they choose not to have more children.

Mothers who give birth naturally understand how their actions in labor affect their birthing. They welcome contractions as the force that brings their baby to their waiting arms. The mother and her child unite in a partnership as each contraction ebbs and flows into the next. They work as one with the rhythmic cycling of birthing until finally the baby arrives.

Natural childbirth empowers women. It instills self-confidence. But this is not why women choose it. They are not trying to prove their worth or be martyrs.

It's not about them at all. It's about making the safest, gentlest choices for the well-being of their child.

Are You Eating for 2?

2009-01-15T22:41:00.000-06:00

What is a Birth Plan?

2009-01-15T09:47:00.002-06:00

Birth is a natural process that women have been successfully experiencing centuries. A birth plan can be compared to an outline of how you would like things to go. The plan itself is not an inflexible document of how events will proceed. The process of a birth plan is this: gather the information, consider your options, and write a plan.

Gather the Information
This can be done by taking a childbirth class, talking to friends and relatives, reading books, and asking your provider. Cast the net wide. Spend a few minutes looking at ALL options even if you think you are not likely to pursue them. You may need to back up and look at the big picture. Maybe you’ve been quite comfortable with the gynecologist you’ve seen for years, but now that you are expecting your needs are different. Perhaps you’d like to give birth at a particular hospital, but your provider doesn’t go there. Much of what is on a birth plan, however, does not require taking such a big picture look or major decisions. Such things include what you would like your partner to do, for example, cutting the cord or his/her presence at a cesarean birth. Another example is how you would like the birth atmosphere to be, such as dim lights, quiet music, and for caregivers to knock before entering your room.

Consider Your Options
Once you have compiled your list of potential options, cross off the options that you know you are not interested in or ones that you don’t really care about. Perhaps your partner has no interest in cutting the cord, or perhaps you’re not interested in the hospital’s water birth facilities. Next, find out what the norms are for your provider and your chosen birth hospital. Some internet based birth plan templates have drop down menus that offer choices rarely seen anymore-enemas and pubic shaving, for example. Don’t take up space on your birth plan detailing something you don’t want that isn’t done anymore anyway. It is equally important to tour the hospital where you plan to deliver. If you’d like to avoid an epidural, you may want to think twice about delivering at a hospital that has a 98 percent epidural rate.

Write Your Plan
Generally, the finished product will read, “I would prefer….” and “I would like to avoid…”. It is also very wise to include how you would like things to be handled if the unexpected occurs: “In the event of a c section, I would like….”. After the plan is written, share it with your provider. Since you have ideally already discussed some of the details with him/her, giving a copy of your birth plan will be for review and for inclusion in your chart in case another provider is on call. Bring one to the hospital for the nurses to include in your chart. While in the throes of labor is when you least want to be clarifying the details of your birth plan.

I recommend you keep these things in mind while researching and writing you birth plan.

LABOR PREFERENCES
MONITORING PREFERENCES
LABOR AUGMENTATION/INDUCTION
ANESTHESIA/PAIN MEDICATION
CESAREAN PREFERENCES
EPISIOTOMY PREFERENCES
DELIVERY PREFERENCES
IMMEDIATELY AFTER DELIVERY
POSTPARTUM
BREASTFEEDING
CIRCUMCISION PREFERENCES
PHOTO/VIDEO PREFERENCES
OTHER MISCELLANEOUS REQUESTS

You can view interactive birth plans at:
http://www.childbirth.org/interactive/ibirthplan.html