A childbirth teacher in my local birth circle posted a hilarious story yesterday in which her first-grade daughter, when asked what a contraction (as in "can't" or "won't") was, said, "it is when your belly hurts really bad and you scream and then you have a baby!" I love it.
Our three year old has been learning a lot about birth in preparation for our birth, and some of his renditions of the process are similarly amusing. Right now his version of the whole thing is, "Miss Wendi comes over, and then you get in the bath, and then the baby comes out of your rump, and then we have cake." (I made a birthday cake for the baby and froze it for birth-day. The cake, by the way, is obviously the most impressive part of the story.) I can't wait to hear him telling people about the experience! That may definitely raise a few eyebrows.
Cheers!
Friday, August 28, 2009
ACOG: At It Again
As most of you know, a couple of days ago ACOG posted a "tell us about your unsuccessful homebirth transports" page on their website - a page which was immediately flooded by stories of successful and wonderful homebirths.... twenty-four hours later, the site was changed to be password-protected so that only ACOG members could leave their input. Hmmm.
Anyhow, Enjoy Birth has posted a "Response to ACOG Homebirth Survey" that is hilarious! Check it out and enjoy the brilliant writing.
Anyhow, Enjoy Birth has posted a "Response to ACOG Homebirth Survey" that is hilarious! Check it out and enjoy the brilliant writing.
Celebrating.... with Exasperation: ACOG's New Policy on Liquids in Labor
Most people have already blogged on this one, but I couldn't resist adding my own two cents....
Recommendations Relax on Liquid Intake During Labor
The long and short of it - ACOG (The American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists) has reversed its previous policy and now conceeds that laboring women may be "allowed" to drink during labor. No solid foods, because, after all,
"As for the continued restriction on food, the reality is that eating is the last thing most women are going to want to do since nausea and vomiting during labor is quite common."
However, liquids by mouth are now no-longer forbidden.
So.... Good or bad?
Both, I suppose. It is progress in the right direction, at least, which is more than one can say for a lot of ACOG's decisions.
However, the following come to mind:
(1) Ummm..... Sorry to inform you guys of this, but midwives have known this for years. Decades. Centuries. Millenia. In fact, I don't think midwives (on the whole) have ever been foolish enough to restrict liquids from laboring women. Not to mention the fact that many sensible doctors and nurses have also promoted liquids by mouth for years. You're sadly behind the times, my friends.
(2) Similarly, midwives (on the whole) are way ahead of you on solid foods... Midwives do (and always have) encouraged eating during labor when the mother wants to eat. (Same goes for forward-thinking docs and nurses.) No athletic feat (especially one that can span hours or days) should be attempted on a fast, least of all labor.
(3) To tell a laboring woman what she is "allowed" and "not allowed" to do is absolutely demeaning, degrading and despicable. I personally would not be abiding by these rules just because "doctor said" any more than other unreasonable rules.
(4) Most women, being sensible beings, are already ahead of you on this one - they simply bring their own food and drink to the hospital and eat when caregivers are out of the room, or they eat before going to the hospital.
Of course, laboring women don't always want to eat during labor. I didn't. But some do, and they shouldn't be restricted from doing so.
So... This is a call both for a pat on the back and a slap upside the head. Thanks for your efforts, ACOG - but I know you can do better!
Thoughts, anyone?
Recommendations Relax on Liquid Intake During Labor
The long and short of it - ACOG (The American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists) has reversed its previous policy and now conceeds that laboring women may be "allowed" to drink during labor. No solid foods, because, after all,
"As for the continued restriction on food, the reality is that eating is the last thing most women are going to want to do since nausea and vomiting during labor is quite common."
However, liquids by mouth are now no-longer forbidden.
So.... Good or bad?
Both, I suppose. It is progress in the right direction, at least, which is more than one can say for a lot of ACOG's decisions.
However, the following come to mind:
(1) Ummm..... Sorry to inform you guys of this, but midwives have known this for years. Decades. Centuries. Millenia. In fact, I don't think midwives (on the whole) have ever been foolish enough to restrict liquids from laboring women. Not to mention the fact that many sensible doctors and nurses have also promoted liquids by mouth for years. You're sadly behind the times, my friends.
(2) Similarly, midwives (on the whole) are way ahead of you on solid foods... Midwives do (and always have) encouraged eating during labor when the mother wants to eat. (Same goes for forward-thinking docs and nurses.) No athletic feat (especially one that can span hours or days) should be attempted on a fast, least of all labor.
(3) To tell a laboring woman what she is "allowed" and "not allowed" to do is absolutely demeaning, degrading and despicable. I personally would not be abiding by these rules just because "doctor said" any more than other unreasonable rules.
(4) Most women, being sensible beings, are already ahead of you on this one - they simply bring their own food and drink to the hospital and eat when caregivers are out of the room, or they eat before going to the hospital.
Of course, laboring women don't always want to eat during labor. I didn't. But some do, and they shouldn't be restricted from doing so.
So... This is a call both for a pat on the back and a slap upside the head. Thanks for your efforts, ACOG - but I know you can do better!
Thoughts, anyone?
Lovely Birth Story
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
38 weeks, 6 days: Waiting!
Greetings, all ye in bloggerland!
This week I find myself in an odd circumstance - that of (mentally, at least) sitting around and waiting for labor to start. Weird! Last time I didn't really even think about it - labor took me by surprise. But this time, I find myself doing a bit of clock-watching. Not that I'm anxious for this pregnancy to end, but I am curious about labor and excited to meet baby - and it will be nice to be able to walk comfortably again!
A week ago this past Sunday, three separate people told me, "Oh, you've dropped!" I hadn't noticed anything (didn't notice last time either), but the fact that non-first-time moms aren't supposed to drop until labor has already started put me into a frenzy of baby preparation - a frenzy which, though unfounded, proved extremely useful in that it helped me to finally pound through the last main items on my pre-baby to-do list. Hurray!
So as of this past weekend, our birth supplies are finally ready, our baby things are cleaned and set up, and I'm pretty much ready to go. The house isn't completely unpacked, cleaned, or organized, but it's not bad - and I've given up on any idea of EVER having the house cleaned to my level of perfect satisfaction - at least until all the kids are out of the house, LOL! For me, at least, "perfect" baby preparation was possible only for baby #1 (when there wasn't another ex-baby running about making messes as I cleaned!). But considering that all of my baby preparation from last time went down the tubes as soon as baby was born (i.e. the perfectly clean house, etc.), I don't mind too much!
I have been having minor pre-labor symptoms for the past 5 days or so (upset tummy, mild menstrual-type cramps), and that again convinced me that labor was imminent - but upon research, I discovered that these types of things can mean that labor is either hours away - or weeks away! So we may have a post-due-date baby after all.
Anyhow, having everything at least semi-ready has meant that I can relax a bit and get some much needed sleep - what a relief! So I've been indulging in super-long naps and trying to get some extra rest - anything to build up a buffer for when little one arrives and destroys any semblance of long sleep-stretches!
A quick note - Upon randomly surfing one of my blogs a while ago, I discovered that I have been receiving email notification of only some blog comments. Some are emailed to me, and some are not! I have no idea why - but I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm not receiving all blog comments, though I do my best to review entries manually to find the lost comments.
And to close (as starving hubbie is home and wanting dinner), I wanted to share this fun video! (Facebook friends have already seen this... sorry for the repetition.) This is purely personal - nothing to do with HG, pregnancy, birth, etc. - this is my sister-in-law (she's the dark-haired one) doing a commercial with Fred Willard, and it's fun! My SIL has been working with Mr. Willard for several years now, but being that we haven't been able to make it out to California for their shows, this is the first time we've gotten to see them act together. So fun!!
Love to all!
This week I find myself in an odd circumstance - that of (mentally, at least) sitting around and waiting for labor to start. Weird! Last time I didn't really even think about it - labor took me by surprise. But this time, I find myself doing a bit of clock-watching. Not that I'm anxious for this pregnancy to end, but I am curious about labor and excited to meet baby - and it will be nice to be able to walk comfortably again!
A week ago this past Sunday, three separate people told me, "Oh, you've dropped!" I hadn't noticed anything (didn't notice last time either), but the fact that non-first-time moms aren't supposed to drop until labor has already started put me into a frenzy of baby preparation - a frenzy which, though unfounded, proved extremely useful in that it helped me to finally pound through the last main items on my pre-baby to-do list. Hurray!
So as of this past weekend, our birth supplies are finally ready, our baby things are cleaned and set up, and I'm pretty much ready to go. The house isn't completely unpacked, cleaned, or organized, but it's not bad - and I've given up on any idea of EVER having the house cleaned to my level of perfect satisfaction - at least until all the kids are out of the house, LOL! For me, at least, "perfect" baby preparation was possible only for baby #1 (when there wasn't another ex-baby running about making messes as I cleaned!). But considering that all of my baby preparation from last time went down the tubes as soon as baby was born (i.e. the perfectly clean house, etc.), I don't mind too much!
I have been having minor pre-labor symptoms for the past 5 days or so (upset tummy, mild menstrual-type cramps), and that again convinced me that labor was imminent - but upon research, I discovered that these types of things can mean that labor is either hours away - or weeks away! So we may have a post-due-date baby after all.
Anyhow, having everything at least semi-ready has meant that I can relax a bit and get some much needed sleep - what a relief! So I've been indulging in super-long naps and trying to get some extra rest - anything to build up a buffer for when little one arrives and destroys any semblance of long sleep-stretches!
A quick note - Upon randomly surfing one of my blogs a while ago, I discovered that I have been receiving email notification of only some blog comments. Some are emailed to me, and some are not! I have no idea why - but I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm not receiving all blog comments, though I do my best to review entries manually to find the lost comments.
And to close (as starving hubbie is home and wanting dinner), I wanted to share this fun video! (Facebook friends have already seen this... sorry for the repetition.) This is purely personal - nothing to do with HG, pregnancy, birth, etc. - this is my sister-in-law (she's the dark-haired one) doing a commercial with Fred Willard, and it's fun! My SIL has been working with Mr. Willard for several years now, but being that we haven't been able to make it out to California for their shows, this is the first time we've gotten to see them act together. So fun!!
Love to all!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Birth: Fears & Hopes
I recently read "Birthing From Within" - a great book! I couldn't write a review of it due to the fact that it was due back at the library about 15 minutes after I finished it, but I highly recommend it. (I had a hard time living through the artsy part at the beginning, but it was still great!)
Anyhow, part of her birth preparation is having mothers write out their fears about birth... and so I did! I thought I might as well share them, and I've added my "birth hopes" as well (though these are really birth fears re-written).
My Fears About Birth
Major
- Pain (I don't subscribe to the 'birth is really painless' model.... been there, done that, and it is NOT)
- Not being able to handle the pain
Minor
- Doing something that disgusts people (I won't give details... there are a lot of possibilities)
- Something happening to the baby (not that this would be minor, but I have complete trust in the competence of our midwives)
My Hopes For This Birth
- Having an easier time, pain-wise
- Being able to handle the pain better than I did last time
- Experiencing birth ecstasy/high - last time I totally missed out on this, bummer!!!
- Better bonding with baby - last time I was just in too much pain to care
- Easier start to breastfeeding
- Better connection to DH during the birth - last time I just wanted to strangle him, i.e. "You got me into this!"
- Better connection to doulas
- Easier postpartum period - I think that this will definitely happen, barring complications - last time I was so exhausted from the hyperemesis that I started out utterly exhausted pre-birth, and it just got worse from there
Anyhow, part of her birth preparation is having mothers write out their fears about birth... and so I did! I thought I might as well share them, and I've added my "birth hopes" as well (though these are really birth fears re-written).
My Fears About Birth
Major
- Pain (I don't subscribe to the 'birth is really painless' model.... been there, done that, and it is NOT)
- Not being able to handle the pain
Minor
- Doing something that disgusts people (I won't give details... there are a lot of possibilities)
- Something happening to the baby (not that this would be minor, but I have complete trust in the competence of our midwives)
My Hopes For This Birth
- Having an easier time, pain-wise
- Being able to handle the pain better than I did last time
- Experiencing birth ecstasy/high - last time I totally missed out on this, bummer!!!
- Better bonding with baby - last time I was just in too much pain to care
- Easier start to breastfeeding
- Better connection to DH during the birth - last time I just wanted to strangle him, i.e. "You got me into this!"
- Better connection to doulas
- Easier postpartum period - I think that this will definitely happen, barring complications - last time I was so exhausted from the hyperemesis that I started out utterly exhausted pre-birth, and it just got worse from there
Friday, August 21, 2009
An Additional Note on Gravidity and Parity
Over the past year, I've been trying to master that infinitely confusing subject, gravidity & parity notation. Gravidity refers to the number of pregnancies; parity to the number of births. I won't get into all the subjectivities of the subject (such as "when does a miscarriage become a stillbirth," "when does preterm become term," etc.) because we'd be here all night if I did! (Also, my friend Kathy has already covered the subject extensively here.)
Anyhow, there are three main methods of notation for gravidity/parity (at least, that I know of!), which are as follows. I will use myself as an example: I have had three pregnancies, resulting in one miscarriage, one term birth and one not-yet-finished:
(1) G(x)P(y) - Number of pregnancies followed by number of births.
I am a G3P1 (three pregnancies, one birth)
(2) G(x)P(y)A(z) - Number of pregnancies, number of births, number of abortions (either spontaneous, i.e. miscarriages, or induced)
I am a G3P1A1 (three pregnancies, one birth, one spontaneous abortion)
(3) G(x)P(TPAL) - Number of pregnancies, and then "term births," "preterm births," "abortions" and "living children"
I am a G3P1011 (three pregnancies, one term birth, zero preterm births, one spontaneous abortion, one living child (counting only born children))
***
Anyhow, I am reading one of Anne Frye's midwifery texts, and she lists two further steps for individualizing this notation, both of which I find very helpful. Here is the method she lists:
G(x) P(TPAs/iL(M))
That may look confusing, but it's not! It's just the TPAL method with two additions -
(1) After the aborta notation, she adds an "s" or an "i" to indicate whether an abortion was spontaneous (miscarriage) or induced (elective). This seems eminently sensible to me, as the mental and physical history and risk factors of a woman who has had five miscarriages are completely different than one who has had five elective abortions.
(If a woman has had both types of abortions, then they would be listed separately. For example, a woman who has had one term birth, one miscarriage, and one induced abortion would be a G3P101s1i1)
(2) At the end, she adds the number of multiple births in parentheses if there have been multiple births (each set of multiples counts as one, i.e. twins count as one birth, not two)
Thus, I would be a G3P101s1 - three pregnancies, one term birth, zero preterm births, one spontaneous abortion, one living child, no multiple births
The only thing that the notation is still missing, in my humble opinion, is a notation for cesarean vs. vaginal births - a very important distinction, as a lot of risk factors and labor patterns will depend upon this! For example, a friend of mine recently had her fourth baby, a VBA3C. Thus, although she was a G4P3 (or a G4P3003) and would thus be expected to have a fast and easy labor, she in fact had a labor like a primip (first-time mom) because it was her first time through labor and birth.
Interesting stuff!!
Anyhow, there are three main methods of notation for gravidity/parity (at least, that I know of!), which are as follows. I will use myself as an example: I have had three pregnancies, resulting in one miscarriage, one term birth and one not-yet-finished:
(1) G(x)P(y) - Number of pregnancies followed by number of births.
I am a G3P1 (three pregnancies, one birth)
(2) G(x)P(y)A(z) - Number of pregnancies, number of births, number of abortions (either spontaneous, i.e. miscarriages, or induced)
I am a G3P1A1 (three pregnancies, one birth, one spontaneous abortion)
(3) G(x)P(TPAL) - Number of pregnancies, and then "term births," "preterm births," "abortions" and "living children"
I am a G3P1011 (three pregnancies, one term birth, zero preterm births, one spontaneous abortion, one living child (counting only born children))
***
Anyhow, I am reading one of Anne Frye's midwifery texts, and she lists two further steps for individualizing this notation, both of which I find very helpful. Here is the method she lists:
G(x) P(TPAs/iL(M))
That may look confusing, but it's not! It's just the TPAL method with two additions -
(1) After the aborta notation, she adds an "s" or an "i" to indicate whether an abortion was spontaneous (miscarriage) or induced (elective). This seems eminently sensible to me, as the mental and physical history and risk factors of a woman who has had five miscarriages are completely different than one who has had five elective abortions.
(If a woman has had both types of abortions, then they would be listed separately. For example, a woman who has had one term birth, one miscarriage, and one induced abortion would be a G3P101s1i1)
(2) At the end, she adds the number of multiple births in parentheses if there have been multiple births (each set of multiples counts as one, i.e. twins count as one birth, not two)
Thus, I would be a G3P101s1 - three pregnancies, one term birth, zero preterm births, one spontaneous abortion, one living child, no multiple births
The only thing that the notation is still missing, in my humble opinion, is a notation for cesarean vs. vaginal births - a very important distinction, as a lot of risk factors and labor patterns will depend upon this! For example, a friend of mine recently had her fourth baby, a VBA3C. Thus, although she was a G4P3 (or a G4P3003) and would thus be expected to have a fast and easy labor, she in fact had a labor like a primip (first-time mom) because it was her first time through labor and birth.
Interesting stuff!!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Birth Plans
Thought I might as well post these in case anyone was interested! These are the final versions ("final" as in next-to-last-to-last-to-last-etc.) of my homebirth birth plan and my hospital-transport birth plan. Let me know if you think I've missed anything vital!
I find that writing a transport birth plan for a hospital birth was much easier than writing a planned-hospital-birth birth plan, simply because I know that if we end up in-hospital, I will most likely need any suggested interventions. Much simpler!
So here goes (with names/numbers obscured for privacy purposes) ......
Homebirth Birth Plan:
- All coaching is welcome. I could really use it!
- I’m really interested in the red line phenomenon, so if anyone has time, see if it occurs or snap a picture
- I’m really interested in the physiology of birth, so whenever I’m lucid I’d love to know what’s going on.
- BUT please do NOT tell me my dilation unless (1) I really need to know (i.e. it’s an emergency situation), or (2) It’s super encouraging, i.e. “complete.”
- If and when anyone has free time, I would LOVE all of the pictures/video footage that can be taken (of anything and everything).
- I would love a waterbirth, if at all possible.
- Hubby would love to catch, if possible (that is, if I let him!).
- We’d love to have our son around for as much of the birth as he’s capable of handling.
- Delayed cord clamping, please!
- Please, no cord traction unless really necessary!
- Last time I had horrible afterpains, so I would like to take some Advil/Ibuprofen as soon as the cord is cut to try to get a jump-start on preventing them. (If I forget to put Advil in the birth kit, it is in the master-bath over-sink cupboard.)
- The current plan is for placentophagy, both immediate and delayed (encapsulated). Remind me if I forget.
I find that writing a transport birth plan for a hospital birth was much easier than writing a planned-hospital-birth birth plan, simply because I know that if we end up in-hospital, I will most likely need any suggested interventions. Much simpler!
So here goes (with names/numbers obscured for privacy purposes) ......
Homebirth Birth Plan:
- All coaching is welcome. I could really use it!
- I’m really interested in the red line phenomenon, so if anyone has time, see if it occurs or snap a picture
- I’m really interested in the physiology of birth, so whenever I’m lucid I’d love to know what’s going on.
- BUT please do NOT tell me my dilation unless (1) I really need to know (i.e. it’s an emergency situation), or (2) It’s super encouraging, i.e. “complete.”
- If and when anyone has free time, I would LOVE all of the pictures/video footage that can be taken (of anything and everything).
- I would love a waterbirth, if at all possible.
- Hubby would love to catch, if possible (that is, if I let him!).
- We’d love to have our son around for as much of the birth as he’s capable of handling.
- Delayed cord clamping, please!
- Please, no cord traction unless really necessary!
- Last time I had horrible afterpains, so I would like to take some Advil/Ibuprofen as soon as the cord is cut to try to get a jump-start on preventing them. (If I forget to put Advil in the birth kit, it is in the master-bath over-sink cupboard.)
- The current plan is for placentophagy, both immediate and delayed (encapsulated). Remind me if I forget.
In Case of Transport: Hospital Birth Plan
- Parents: -------- & ---------
- To our hospital caregivers: Thank you for taking care of us!
- Our midwives are ----------- and ------------ of [Midwifery Business X] (000-000-0000). We ask that at least one of them be able to stay with us at all times.
- Depending on the reason for transport, we know that medical intervention to some degree will be necessary; however, we’d love to keep our birth as natural as possible (based on the circumstances)
- Please, no Cytotec for any reason
- If I need a non-emergency cesarean, remind me that I should consider a tubal ligation at that time
- For Baby: Please, no Hep B shot, eye ointment, formula or vitamin K (except in case of a physically traumatic birth). Please make sure in case of mother-baby separation that [hubby] stays with the baby.
- In a life-and-death emergency, please always prioritize the baby’s life over D’s
- If at all possible, we would like to take our placenta home with us.
- Thank you for your kindness, support, and care!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Note on Pictures
After 30 minutes of fiddling, I finally figured out how to put these pictures on my blog (a computer genius I am not!), but I couldn't figure out how to add text! So I wanted to note that these pictures were done by my sweet friend Jennifer, who should be a professional but chooses to remain a hobbyist - thank you, Jen!! These pictures finally gave me the opportunity also to update my profile picture, which was quite inaccurate due to its being out of date by two years, a different hairstyle, and an unnamed (ahem!) amount of baby weight. Hurray!!
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