There's a Midwife in the Government! What's Next?

Back in 1995, I was one of many pregnant college students in Provo, UT.  I was pregnant with my first baby and making my next CNM prenatal appointment when I picked up the top card from a short stack for Holly Richardson.  I subsequently took her childbirth education classes, hired her to be my doula, and had a birth at American Fork Hospital in Utah.

Soon after I moved back to my hometown Las Vegas, pursued my own path in childbirth education and becoming a doula, once or twice touching base with Holly over the next 12 years.  I followed her blog as she fought hard on Utah's capital hill to keep midwifery and homebirth in Utah legal and safe and was always constantly impressed, but not surprised, at the dedication she had and the respect she commanded.  Holly is someone not to contend with...she was an L&D RN for years, then became a doula and childbirth educator, then became a midwife and then became a political activist - all this while raising a brood of 24 children, 20 of which are adopted special needs children from foreign countries. If anyone can get something done, it's Holly.

Shortly after I moved back to Utah, I met up with Holly again at the Midwifery College of Utah's President's Banquet, where I was getting my feet wet as a new board member.  I fully didn't expect Holly to recognize me or even recall my name at first, but when I went up to re-introduce myself, I stopped 3 words in as she threw her arms around me and said, "Amy!  How have you been!"

Midwives in the state of Utah, and possibly in the country, couldn't stop grinning last Jan 31 as they heard that Holly - or Holly on the Hill - was sworn in as a Utah state representative. 

Congratulations to Holly and her family and we all look forward to what is sure to be some great strides for our state government and midwifery!

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To learn more about Midwives, please visit Birthologie.com

One Way to Possibly Avoid Autism: Test for Mitochondrial Dysfunction before Vaccinating

You may not have head of Hannah Poling, but the vaccine manufacturer's have.  Her case is one of many that was awarded compensation by the US Government in vaccine court because it was proven that her autism was caused by vaccines.

What was it that was the bullet that loaded the autism gun?  Mitochondrial Dysfunction.

A newly released study proves that children with Mitochondrial Dysfunction are at greater risk for developing autism when exposed to environmental toxins.  

"...mitochondrial dysfunction could be the final common disease pathway that results in brain dysfunction as a consequence of many divergent causes.  This can explain how the various different physiological and genetic abnormalities and toxic exposures, which have all been linked to autism, could result in the same disease,"

What are the 'toxic exposures' spoken of?  While although not clearly defined in the study, it is common knowledge that vaccines have a slew of neurotoxic ingredients, such as heavy metals and MSG.  Other toxins come in our food supply, in the form of artificial colors, flavors, and sugars as well as those from over the counter medicines and personal care items.

What are your odds?

The investigators found that 1 out of 20 children with autism have been found to have severe mitochondrial disease, compared to approximately 1 out of 10,000 individuals in the general population.  In addition, the study points out that a much wider number of children with autism, possibly one-third of children with autism, might have milder mitochondrial dysfunction.

So how do you know if your child has a Mitochondrial Dysfunction? 

The review also identified the wide array of blood markers that have been used to identify children with autism and mitochondrial dysfunction.  These blood markers may help physicians identify mitochondrial dysfunction in children with autism.  

The review also found that only 19% of children with autism and mitochondrial dysfunction had an identifiable genetic abnormality that could account for the dysfunction.  This finding suggests that other factors, such as toxins found in the environment and other stressors, contribute to mitochondrial dysfunction in children with autism.

So, while although testing for blood markers can be one way of assessing your risk, it's not a 100% guarantee.   But certainly, it's better to investigate than not look at all before you vaccinate or feed your child junk food.

To learn more about vaccines, please visit Birthologie.com

U.S. Scores Poorly in World Motherhood Rankings

Yes, the U.S. is lagging far behind many 2nd and 3rd world countries when it comes to maternal and child health.

According to the "Mothers Index" done by the charity Save the Children

The U.S. showing put it behind countries such as the Baltic states, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania; and eastern and central European states such as Croatia and Slovenia.Even debt-plagued Greece came in four places higher at 24.

Save the Children compiled the index after analyzing a range of factors affecting the health and well-being of women and children, including access to health care, education and economic opportunities.

One factor that dragged the U.S. ranking down was its maternal mortality rate, which at one in 4,800 is one of the highest in the developed world.

"A woman in the Unites States is more than five times as likely as a woman in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece or Italy to die from pregnancy-related causes in her lifetime and her risk of maternal death is nearly 10-fold that of a woman in Ireland," the report said.

It also scored poorly on under-five mortality, its rate of eight per 1,000 births putting it on a par with Slovakia and Montenegro.

"At this rate, a child in the U.S. is more than twice as likely as a child in Finland, Iceland, Sweden or Singapore to die before his or her fifth birthday," the report noted

It is obvious that we need to do better.  Making healthier choices is a grass roots movement in the U.S.  You can't afford to wait for the government and medical institutions to do that for you.

My advice to you is to look at the countries who have the highest rankings in mortality and other health arenas and mimic what they are doing.  Clearly, they have it more figured out than we do.

For more information on a healthy pregnancy, please visit Birthologie.com

CDC to Parents: Never Ever Use Fluoridated Tap Water to Make Baby Formula

Two questions are at the forefront of the latest flouride controversy:

1.  Have the benefits of fluoride been hyped for the past 5 decades?
2.  Are infants and toddlers at increased risk for tooth decay and brain damage when fluoridated tap water is used to make their baby formula?

In the past few days, researched has surfaced to confirm that the answer to both these questions are yes.

In November of 2006, the American Dental Association (ADA) sent out an email to alert its members of their recommendation to parents to not use fluoridated tap water to make infant formula. A few days later, the CDC followed suit.

But neither of them openly informed the public!  Why they didn't notify the public is still a mystery, but why have the ADA and CDC both advised parents not to use fluoridated tap water in formula?

Fluorosis, which causes white spots and streaks as well as tooth decay, was their main reason why, but other reasons include reduced IQ and brain damage.

Additionally, science has emerged proving that fluoride doesn't protect your teeth at all from decay.  

[The study] has uncovered that the fluorapatite layer formed on your teeth from fluoride is a mere six nanometers thick. To understand just how thin this is, you'd need 10,000 of these layers to get the width of a strand of your hair! Scientists now question whether this ultra-thin layer can actually protect your enamel and provide any discernible benefit, considering the fact that it is quickly eliminated by simple chewing.

Is the risk of brain damage and lowered IQ worth the 6 nanometers?

To learn more about infant health, please visit Birthologie.com

Kate Winslet on Her "Triumphant" Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC)

I've never met a women who went into her birth experience excited to be possibly having a cesarean - major abdominal surgery, and celebrities are no different.

Not too many celebrities will open up about their disappointment that resulted from an unplanned c section, so when Kate Winslet gave us a peak into the roller coaster of her unplanned c section and subsequent vaginal birth, I think it really did a world of good for other women seeking VBAC.

In her March 2004 interview in an Australian publication she said:

"I've never talked about this - I've gone to great pains to cover it up. But Mia was an emergency C-section.

I just said I had a natural birth because I was so completely traumatised by the fact that I hadn't given birth. I felt like a complete failure.

My whole life, I'd been told I had great child-bearing hips.

There's this thing among women that if you can handle childbirth you can handle anything. I had never handled childbirth and I felt like in some way I couldn't enter the 'powerful women's club'.

It was an amazing feeling having Joe naturally - Fourteen hours with no drugs at all, but then I had to have an epidural because I was so tired. I honestly thought I’d never be able to do it. It was an incredible birth. It laid all the ghosts to rest. It was really triumphant. "

Whether the surgery was life saving or elective, many women who have had a c section can identify with Kate.  To go on to give birth under your own power can have a transformation effect on a woman that can spill over into all other aspects of her life, not to mention that it is safer for both mother and baby.

Never once have I heard a woman say she has regretted at least attempting a VBAC, and with all the new studies out confirming the safety of VBAC for women who have had up to 3 cesareans, there is no reason why you should seek out information and research to support this decision. 

You really owe it to yourself and your baby.

To learn more about VBAC, please visit Birthologie.com

Circumcision: Having a Difficult Time Deciding?

Few topics get as emotional and heated as circumcision for parents.  This stems from ignorance and fear.  We have been handed a lot of misinformation about circumcision in the past century and it still continues today:

Lately, the media has been overflowing with misinformation about circumcision—from a new report claiming that circumcision prevents Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in women, to an episode of “The Doctors” that makes fun of intactivism. We have helped to bring the circumcision rate in the U.S. down to 33%, but we still face huge resistance within the medical community.  From IntactAmerica.org

Many parents are surprised to learn that the circumcision rates are down to only 33%!  This means that if you circumcise your boy today, he will be in the minority. 

Despite these numbers, some parents still struggle with the decision.  Luckily, there's a great new website that will quickly help you address your specific concerns and see whether or not circumcision is recommended.

It's called CircumcisionDecisionMaker.com .  In a matter of 1 minute, you can get clearer on your decision.  Visit the site today and pass it on!

To learn more about circumcision, please visit birthologie.com

OB's That Support Homebirth - Yes, They Do Exist

The words OB and Homebirth....when put together, our cultural likes to paint a black and white picture - that OB's are always at odds with homebirthers and midwives.

While our current birth climate does reflect that most OB's do not embrace homebirth and tend to become insecure and bully-ish when asked about homebirth's validity, the majority of people don't even consider that there are, in fact, some OB's who do wholeheartedly embrace homebirths.

Take, for example, Dr. Stuart James Fischbein - a Fellow of the ACOG.  Recently, ACOG released yet another statement on homebirth, basically repeating their last one.  To everyone's shock and dismay, ACOG was none too supportive of the practice.  Dr. Fischbein responded with this:

I am an obstetrician who has collaborated with both certified nurse midwives (CNM) and licensed midwives (LM/CPM) in California for more than 25 years and I am a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology. I, myself, also attend home deliveries. 

What?  He - an OB - attends homebirths?!  What ACOG doesn't want you to know if that there are a handful of OB's who do attend homebirths.  Keeping this information underground prevents the fissure in their position on homebirth from becoming a crack.  He goes on to say:

It seems the College relied heavily on a paper by Joseph R Wax, MD in formulating its opinions. I have written the college before regarding the use of level C evidence (consensus opinion) to dictate policy and recommendations. Those of us who truly support a woman’s right to choose her own path based on true, not skewed, informed consent know the damage that can be done by a legitimate organization like ours when it puts out an opinion. The paper by Wax and colleagues is an extremely flawed article. It has been reviewed extensively by many who express legitimate criticisms. None of which ACOG chooses to address. This study demands a critical reading.

The meta-analysis of Wax, et al is the weakest type of data and should never be used as an exclusive measure of a topic. The fact that the authors cherry picked this data, including the use of one tiny study with 11 women, to prove its point while ignoring the largest studies from North America and Europe on planned homebirth demonstrates the clear bias. His paper compares apples to oranges. He goes back 40 years, mixes matched cohorts with prospective cohorts and record reviews, mixes urban and rural statistics and admits to many difficulties in interpreting this information including whether an attendant was even present and excludes many legitimate studies that do not fit his theory.

This OB is in essence chastising his own organization for using skewed, flawed data to base its position on.  Sadly, professional medical organizations have a history of commissioning studies that have a predetermined outcome, or manioulating data to serve its own purposes.

It is not that ACOG puts out an opinion that matters to me. It is that this opinion lacks any foundation of solid evidenced based medicine. Truth is our most important value. ACOG should never lower its standards of excellence in research to accept evidence against home birth, HBAC and selected twin or breech vaginal delivery simply because they may disagree with these choices. 

Ouch. 

Yes, this doctor - along with *others - makes a good, and scathing point.

To learn more about different models of maternity care, please visit birthologie.com

* Christiane Northrup, Don Creed, Mayer Eisenstein - all OB's - have been very vocal supporters of homebirth

What Can We Learn From the History of Birth?

To truly understand why things are the way they are in birth today, we must take a look back at history.

History will tell us a lot about birth, women, and the factors influencing a cultures attitudes toward birth itself.

When you take a look back at the history of childbirth, you will see that much more than just the physical act of releasing a baby has influenced women's experiences of this most transformative event.

Politics, religion, power, and greed have all played major roles in shaping our societies attitudes toward birth.  

Given all this baggage in our back maternity jean pocket, what modern women are saying is that ultimately, birth belongs to them.  Not governments, institutions or any other authority figure.

This timeline, in conjunction with the video, gives us a very clear picture of the road we are on.  It is your responsibility to form an independent lens on birth today as we know it, and decide what - if anything - you are going to do to empower yourself to put the power of birth in your hands!

To learn more about The History of Childbirth, please visit Birthologie.com

Early Deliveries...Where Does YOUR Hospital Rank?

Would you believe that there are some hospital's in this country where you have an over 90% chance of being induced or c sectioned unnecessarily?  Believe it.

In fact one Texas hospital has a 100% rate of early scheduled deliveries.  100%! 

Few women would walk into their births thinking, "Gee, I should would like some unnecessary and risky interventions done on me."

One reason why I offer childbirth education is to inform women of all their choices and the risks and benefits of those choices.

One way to gain that information is to just ask the hospital directly, "What are the percentage rates of XYZ procedure?"

I encourage you to visit this website to see where your hospital ranks in early scheduled deliveries.  These numbers are a good indicator of all the other interventions that often accompany induction and cesareans, and often reflect the hospitals in your area with highest infant and maternal death rates. 

Luckily, there are many hospitals that have very low rates of early scheduled deliveries, like Chandler Regional in Arizona.

To find out more about cesarean, please visit Birthologie.com

Owen Wilson and Girlfriend's Hawaiian Home Waterbirth

Congrats to Owen Wilson and his girlfriend on the home waterbirth of their son, 6 lb 13 oz Ford on January 14.

Owen kept the news under wraps until January 10, and its no surprise given that soon after the announcement, there came a flood of warnings from Hollywood doctors urging Owen and girlfriend to forgo their plans and go to the hospital.  

Many parents feel a backlash and withdrawal of support when they choose homebirth, but is this justified?

Not according to countless studies proving the safety of homebirth.  The US is one of the few first world countries where the majority of women shun homebirth, and our maternal and infant mortality rate reflects the toll this cultural attitude takes on society.  The US ranks 46th in infant mortality - meaning 45 other countries, including Bosnia, do better than the US - and our maternal mortality rates have actually been rising in the past few years.

Owen and girlfriend join the ranks of other celebrity homebirthers such as:

• Ricki Lake
• Gisele Bundchen
• Eryka Badu
• Kelly Preston & John Travolta
• Pamela Anderson
• Ani DiFranco

• Carol King

• Lisa Bonet and Lenny Kravitz
  

• Sherilyn Fenn,

• Kenny Loggins

• Kenny Rogers

•  Val and Joanne Whaley-Kilmer

•  Demi Moore and Bruce Willis

• Cindy Crawford

To learn more about homebirth, please visit Birthologie.com

Why Monitoring Only Sometimes In Labor is Better Than All the Time

Most people would think that having more information on their babies wellbeing during labor would equal a better outcome.

Not so when it comes to electronic fetal monitoring.
 
Electronic Fetal Monitoring (EFM) refers to taking the baby’s heart rate through using electronic devices, known as dopplers, ultrasounds, and monitoring belts. What we will be focusing on here, is the EFM with the monitoring belts done in a hospital setting during labor and delivery.

EFMs,attached to the mother by large belts or a belly band strapped around her abdomen, print out a record of both the fetal heart rate and the strength, duration, and frequency of the uterine contractions (although
the readout may not mirror how the mother is interpreting the contractions), so that deviations from normal patterns can be identified.

“If you mess around with a process that works well 98 percent of the time, there is much potential for harm. Most women in labor may be much better off at home than in the hospital with the EFM”
Dr. Hon, EFM inventor, March 1987

Most hospitals routinely use it in this way: Upon arrival at the labor and delivery unit, they will assess your progress by strapping the EFM on for 20 minutes or more, then monitor intermittently until you are at five or six centimeters, when they will want to monitor you continuously with the EFM until delivery, unless you instruct them otherwise.

Certainly monitoring of some sort is called for in labor and delivery, it is a matter of obtaining the appropriate type.

Risk of continuous monitoring are:

Increased Cesareans | Four studies on continuous EFM all had the same results: More cesareans were done when a woman was continuously monitored, opposed to intermittently monitored, with no improved fetal outcome. Cesarean rates ranged between 63% and 314 percent higher for continuous EFM woman intermittent EFM women(Brackbill et al. 1984:10). Even in the high risk case of prematurely, no benefits result from continuous EFM (Shy et al. 1990).

Immobilization | When continuously or even momentarily belted to the EFM, you are, in a sense, tied to the machine by the cords, rendering you somewhat immobile and certainly not free to respond to whatever position is comfortable for the mother. Being restricted can decrease the mother’s blood supply, and hence the oxygen supply to the fetus, leading to heart rate abnormalities, and therefore, EFM tends to produce the very abnormalities it is supposed to measure. (Young and Shearer 1987:10-11).

Study

Fetal Heart Fails to Signal cerebral palsy risk
Society for Gynecologic Investigation Annual Meeting: Houston, Texas; 24-7 March, 2004
 
Fetal heart monitoring used to identify babies at risk of cerebral palsy since the 1960s may be ineffective. US researchers have found evidence to suggest that fetal heart monitoring is not useful in detecting the white matter brain injury that precedes cerebral palsy (CP). White brain matter injury can occur during labor if the fetus does not receive an adequate supply of oxygen from the mother's blood. Consequently, since the 1960s, doctors have believed that fetal heart monitoring could identify babies experiencing such hypoxia, and allow them to intervene. Noting, however, that the incidence of CP has not fallen within the last 40 years, researchers from the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, compared fetal heart monitoring data for 40 babies born with white brain matter injury and 40 who were not. Data were analyzed for the final hour to delivery in cesarean sections, and in the last hour of the first stage of labor during vaginal deliveries. Finding no difference between the two groups in any of the heart parameters studied, lead author Dr. Jayne Althaus said at the annual meeting of the Society for Gynecologic Investigation in Houston, Texas, that "electronic fetal monitoring really can't tell us the status of the baby's brain. "If the fetal monitoring that we currently have doesn't help us identify those babies who are later diagnosed with these brain lesions, then we need to explore other options," she concluded.

To learn more about Avoiding Unnecessary Interventions, please visit birthologie.com

Swinging Babies...Watch This Incredible Video

I'm not going to comment on this one.  I am just interested to see what the responses are.

Here's the original link

To find out more about Infant Health, please visit Birthologie.com

Actor Orlando Bloom and Model-Wife on the Natural Birth of Their Almost 10 lb Boy and Breastfeeding in Bed!

Orlando Bloom and his wife, model Miranda Kerr joined the ranks of celebs going au naturale for their hospital birth on January 6. 

Said Miranda:

On the 6th of January I gave birth to our beautiful little son Flynn. He weighed 9lb 12 ounces (a very healthy and big baby boy). I gave birth to him naturally; without any pain medication and it was a long, arduous and difficult labour, but Orlando was with me the whole time supporting and guiding me through it.  I could not have done it without him.

We are so happy and are enjoying our time together as a family.  He is our little ray of sunshine.

The increased traffic to Miranda's website, Kora Organics, caused it to crash when Miranda posted an blog update with the photo below

Lactavists and other mother-baby friendly organizations are praising Orlando and Miranda for openly showing breastfeeding, especially breastfeeding in bed, which is a highly encouraged position to establish a strong breastfeeding relationship.

For more information on natural childbirth, please visit Birthologie.com

Why Vitamin D is Better Than Vaccines

Fresh on the heels of new research showing that newborns born with high levels of vitamin D are protected from many respiratory diseases is this fantastic video showing us how vitamin D is more protective than vaccines.

Our modern sedentary lifestyle, poor nutrition, liberal sunscreen use and shunning of the sun leads to vitamin D deficiency which is likely the biggest risk factor for illness - hence why illness is higher in the wintertime when sun exposure is at its least.

Pregnant women should definitely be getting at least 4000 IU’s of Vitamin D, although most experts agree that 10,000 IU per day is what we should be shooting for.

What’s the best way to get this amount?  Ideally you should be getting 15-40 minutes of sun per day to get enough vitamin D.

Recommended time in the sun to produce about 10, 000 IU of vitamin D:

Light skin = 15-20 minutes daily
Medium Skin = 25-30 minutes daily
Dark Skin = 40-45 minutes daily

But what if it’s winter, or you live where the sun is not out that often?  Then, you need to make sure your diet is high in vitamin D and even consider taking cod liver oil supplements, preferably a fermented cod liver oil free of PBC’s and mercury, or organic.

Other naturally occurring sources of Vitamin D are brewer’s yeast, mushrooms, wheat bran, eggs, fish, and raw milk.  Pasteurized milk alters the levels of vitamin D, which is why they have to add synthetic vitamin D in the processed milk.  While these foods are great, it is nearly impossible to get adequate amounts of vitamin D from supplementation or your diet alone – the sun is essential to build adequate vitamin D levels.

Most people think that Vitamin D3 is a great source of Vitamin D, but in fact, it is derived from sheep’s wool and isn’t all that assimilated once you take it.

To learn more about Vitamin D During Pregnancy, please visit Birthologie.com

Formula Contains 40X More Aluminum Than Breastmilk

If you needed one more reason to breastfeed, this is it!

Heavy metals like Aluminum, which replaced the Thimerosol (Mercury) in Thimerosol-free, or "Preservative"-free, Vaccines has been linked to Alzheimer's and other neurological disorders in addition to other health risks.

According to the study:

'It has been linked to neurological diseases and bone defects in later life and there are even links with dementia.

'Everyone has aluminium in their bodies but infants are especially prone to absorbing it and are not so good at getting rid of it.'

To learn more about infant health, please visit Birthologie.com

FDA's Own Scientific Panel Urges Them to Stop Using 'Silver Fillings' on Children and Pregnant Women

One morning in 1984, when I was 10 years old, I woke up and couldn't put any weight on my legs nor walk.  For a few years I had been struggling with panic attacks, muscle aches labeled growing pains and fatigue.  This symptoms was the straw that broke the camel's back, though.  Luckily, my parents knew and took me to an MD, turned homeopath, who diagnosed me with a mercury allergy among others.

The next week we went to my dentist, who was also my uncle, to remove half my amalgam aka 'silver' fillings.  It was apparent he thought my mom was crazy.  Certainly there was no connection between my fillings and my muscular degeneration.  The dental industry has assured him for years that there was no harm in this material.

I walked into my uncle's office on crutches, and walked out without them.  The results were that quick for me. 

25 years later, we are one of the last industrialized countries still using silver fillings and there is still controversy around the practice.  At a recent hearing scientists concluded:

After reviewing the available scientific studies and the presentations of researchers, experts, dentists, and injured consumers, the scientists concluded that – contrary to the claims of FDA’s in-house dentist Susan Runner – amalgam is not safe for everybody.  According to the panel, FDA’s amalgam risk assessments were not adequate to protect hypersensitive adults, children, and unborn babies.  Repeatedly, panel members expressed their concern about amalgam use in children.  Pediatric neurologist Dr. Suresh Kotagal of the Mayo Clinic summed it up for the entire panel: “There is really no place for mercury in children.”  Other panelists went on to explain that dental mercury is like lead.  The panel urged FDA to quickly contraindicate amalgam for these vulnerable populations and insisted that FDA provide consumers with labeling containing clear warnings. 

The press heard the scientists loud and clear.  According to the well-respected trade publication FDA Webview, the panelists “suggested the agency should ban the device’s use in children and pregnant women.” *  Reuters announced that “Use of fillings in kids, pregnant women biggest concern…Enough uncertainty surrounds silver-colored metal dental fillings with mercury that U.S. regulators should add more cautions for dentists and patients, a U.S. advisory panel said.”

Parents, please insist on composite, tooth colored fillings for your child.  This is not a luxury or vanity item, it is a matter of neuro and muscular health!

To learn more about children's health, please visit Birthologie.com
 

Enjoy These Great Awkward Baby Photos!

Babies can provide some choice opportunities for the funniest photos ever.

Enjoy these great photos!

To learn more about parenting, please visit Birthologie.com

Will Your State Soon Outlaw Elective Induction Before 39 Weeks?

The U.S. has a dirty little secret.  The maternal death rate in this country is triple that of Italy, double that of the U.K. and worse than Bosnia, Croatia, and Qatar.  Yep, I have no idea where Qatar is either. 

How is it that the most advantageous country in the world is trailing behind some countries that most people haven't even heard of?  Why is it that our maternal and infant mortality INCREASES every year instead of decreases?

One reason is that we force our babies out before they are ready, all in the name of convenience or unproven fear.

The rate of induced labor has tripled in the United States since 1990.  While 37 weeks gestation is considered full term, research has shown higher rates of respiratory problems, longer hospital stays and intensive care for babies born before 39 weeks. Induced labor before 39 weeks also increases the rate of emergency C-section deliveries.

Now Minnesota might become the first state to create a policy banning elective induction prior to 39 weeks gestation in order to avoid these complications and improve the health and wellbeing of mothers and babies.  While on the surface I applaud these efforts, no where in here is it addressed that elective cesarean won't be addressed, or how to avoid caregivers working the system and creating or making up "legitimate" reasons to induce.  I, for one, will be keeping my eyes peeled on this to see how it all plays out.  

To learn more about induction, please visit Birthologie.com 

6 Important Things that Foster Compassionate Children and Teens

For over a century now, we've been getting well meaning, but harmful advice from 'parenting experts' on how to raise our children and compassionate people.  Long before Babywise, Ferber and Dr. Spock, there was no shortage of men giving advice to primarily women on how to raise their children.  Before the invention of experts, there was only one way to parent, but as inventions and experts came along, we gradually silenced what our guts were telling us and handed our hearts and brains and children over to people we thought 'knew better'.  So, how does one foster compassion in their children?  This isn't a one word answer in the least, and certainly there are many factors that go into the making a compassionate person, but according to this study it turns out that 6 essential elements of how our indigenous ancestors parented still apply today:

• Lots of positive touch – as in no spanking – but nearly constant carrying, cuddling and holding;

• Prompt response to baby’s fusses and cries. You can’t “spoil” a baby. This means meeting a child’s needs before they get upset and the brain is flooded with toxic chemicals. “Warm, responsive caregiving like this keeps the infant’s brain calm in the years it is forming its personality and response to the world,” Narvaez says.

• Breastfeeding, ideally 2 to 5 years. A child’s immune system isn’t fully formed until age 6 and breast milk provides its building blocks.

• Multiple adult caregivers – people beyond mom and dad who also love the child.

• Free play with multi-age playmates. Studies show that kids who don’t play enough are more likely to have ADHD and other mental health issues.

• Natural childbirth, which provides mothers with the hormone boosts that give the energy to care for a newborn.

The U.S. has been on a downward trajectory on all of these care characteristics, according to Narvaez. Instead of being held, infants spend much more time in carriers, car seats and strollers than they did in the past. Only about 15 percent of mothers are breastfeeding at all by 12 months, extended families are broken up, and free play allowed by parents has decreased dramatically since 1970.

“Ill advised practices and beliefs have become commonplace, such as the use of infant formula, the isolation of infants in their own rooms, or the belief that responding too quickly to a fussing baby will ‘spoil’ it,” Narvaez says.

There is a modern term coined by parents that encompasses these principles.  It's called attachment parenting.  Did we really need this study to prove that we didn't need a study telling us what we already know?  Apparently the experts do, but YOU don't.  That's right, you know more than the experts.  C'mon ladies, trust yourself, listen to your gut.  You are already hard wired for motherhood and know what to do. 

This study begs the question, though....what if you are missing one or more of these elements, does that doom your child to be a hardened criminal?  My opinion is, of course not!  But shaping your child's experience to make up for the lack of any one of these elements just makes parenting a bit more difficult, but not impossible.  Parenting is one big puzzle, and each of these elements represent one large piece of the puzzle.  Take one out and you can still tell what the picture is, but remove most or all of them and then you have set your child up for a harder time in life. 

To learn more about attachment parenting, please visit Birthologie.com

You Really Should Consider a Doula

"If a doula were a drug, it would be unethical not to use one."  John Kennell, Mothering the Mother

Doula's are nothing new.  Women have been attending women in birth since the beginning of time, it seems.  It wasn't until the early 1990's did we professionalize what should be common sense, but wasn't at the time.  When childbirth moved into the hospital, the U.S. all but lost this ancient female wisdom.  Technology was used in favor of one on one personal care and as a result increased rates of interventions were used to make up for the lack of this real, yet intangible care.

We are still dealing with this disconnect in the new century.  It turns out that technology can never replace real one on one caring and friendship.  The aspects of doula care, that of love, hands on comfort measures, trust and understand, translate into a safer and more satisfying birth for you.

What are the benefits of hiring a doula?*

• 60% reduction in epidural requests
• 40% reduction in pitocin use
• 50% reduction in cesarean section
• 25% reduction in labor time
• 30% reduction in additional pain drug use
• Reduced chances of maternal fever and infection
• Reduced incidence of postpartum depression
• Parents have higher regard and increased sensitivity towards babies
• Greater parental satisfaction with the birth
• Increased breastfeeding success

 

"The father-to-be' s presence during labor and delivery is important to the mother and father, but it is the presence of the doula that results in significant benefits in outcome." (10)

 To learn more about doulas, please visit Birthologie.com

 

*1. Scott KD, Berkowitz G, Klaus M. A comparison of intermittent and continuous support during labor: a meta-analysis. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1999 May 180:5 1054-9.

2. Kennell J, Klaus M, McGrath S, Robertson S, Hinkley C. Continuous emotional support during labor in a US hospital. A randomized controlled trial. JAMA 1991 May 1 265:17 2197-201

3. Scott KD, Klaus PH, Klaus MH. The obstetrical and postpartum benefits of continuous support during childbirth. J Womens Health Gend Based Med 1999 Dec;8:1257-64.

4. Keenan P. Benefits of massage therapy and use of a doula during labor and childbirth. Altern Ther Health Med 2000 Jan;6:66-74.

5. Wang D, Mao X, Qian S. Clinical observation on Doula delivery. Chung Hua Fu Chan Ko Tsa Chih 1997 Nov 32:11 659-61.

6. Zhang J, Bernasko JW, Leybovich E, Fahs M, Hatch MC. Continuous labor support from labor attendant for primiparous women: a meta-analysis. Obstet Gynecol 1996 Oct 88:4 Pt 2 739-44

7. Nolan M. Supporting women in labour: the doula's role. Mod Midwife 1995 Mar 5:3 12-5.

8. Gordon NP, Walton D, McAdam E, Derman J, Gallitero G, Garrett L. Effects of providing hospital-based doulas in health maintenance organization hospitals. Obstet Gynecol 1999 Mar 93:3 422-6.

9. Langer A, Campero L, Garcia C, Reynoso S. Effects of psychosocial support during labour and childbirth on breastfeeding, medical interventions, and mothers' wellbeing in a Mexican public hospital: a randomised clinical trial. Br J Obstet Gynaecol 1998 Oct 105:10 1056-63.

10. Klaus MH, Kennell JH. The doula: an essential ingredient of childbirth rediscovered. Acta Paediatr 1997 Oct 86:10 1034-6.

11. Raphael D. Support and variation, the needs of the breast-feeding woman. Acta Paediatr Jpn 1989 Aug 31:4 369-72.

12. Barron SP, Lane HW, Hannan TE, Struempler B, Williams JC. Factors influencing duration of breast feeding among low-income women. J Am Diet Assoc 1988 Dec 88:12 1557-61.

13. Campero L, García C, Díaz C, Ortiz O, Reynoso S, Langer A. ''Alone, I wouldn't have known what to do'': a qualitative study on social support during labor and delivery in Mexico. Soc Sci Med 1998 Aug 47:3 395-403.

14. Manning-Orenstein G. A birth intervention: the therapeutic effects of Doula support versus Lamaze preparation on first-time mothers' working models of caregiving. Altern Ther Health Med 1998 Jul 4:4 73-81.