Here's a short reply I gave to a post about credit cards and debt on a 9-12 board I'm on:
One more enormous failure of the public school system (and parents who are expecting the schools to teach) is the incredible lack of practical skills, especially financial management skills. Kids go off to college where credit card companies happily give them credit cards, and the government happily gives them student loans. When they leave school, they are usually saddled with a very depressing amount of debt. It's a sad way to start adulthood, and leaves these people with no choice but to very often live paycheck to paycheck. Most have acquired a car payment by now as well. The pattern continues with an unaffordable house payment. Banks tend to give far more credit than what can be handled, and of course people tend to spend the maximum approved loan amount for everything. Credit continues to be used to finance a lifestyle that took someone's parents a lifetime to achieve. So many look well to do, yet struggle to put food on the table. They just don't truly own much, though they are paying on much.
We are so far removed from the traditional American ethic of working hard, and saving for purchases. This collective mentality has destroyed our nation. Not only is our government now living under unsustainable debt, so are most of our citizens. This leaves the people unable to care for themselves.
Until people choose to live within their means, stay out of debt, and save money, they will remain enslaved to government, banks, jobs, etc.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
My reply to an OB's article on "unnecesareans"
Here is a reply I left to an article by an OB regarding unnecessary c-sections.
Article here:
http://academicobgyn.com/2010/07/27/the-myth-of-the-unnecessary-cesarean/
Dr. Fogelson,
I don't have time to read all the replies, but since you seem to be reading the comments, I will leave one for you. I am very happy to see you mention:
"I completely agree about looking at the factors that promote normal birth:
here’s a few:
1) avoiding unindicated inductions
2) control of gestational diabetes
3) delaying hospital admission until the onset of active labor"
In my area in WV, virtually all OB attended hospital birthing women are induced, and are thus in the hospital the entire labor. We also have the 5th highest rate of c-sections in the nation, and are running about a 50% chance of induced women getting c-sections. The only women I know who escape this are the homebirth moms I know, and the VERY rare lady who refuses induction despite enormous pressure from her doctors. These are done for the convenience and scheduling of the doctors, and always occur PRIOR to the due date!
I can not figure out why women in my area do not question the insanely high c-section rate. They happily go in for their scheduled inductions implicitly trusting that the doctor has their best interests at heart. How have humans managed to survive if so many women are incapable of birth?
I am a natural birth advocate, having had one birth center birth, and two homebirths (one unassisted.) I realize emergency care is sometimes needed, and I am very thankful we have such care available. However, treating all births like emergencies, intervening from beginning to end, causes the very problems women think they are being protected from.
If women are left alone to labor and birth as they choose, almost all will birth fine, and free from any complications. The best thing we could do to greatly minimize c-sections and other things like forceps or vacuum delivery and episiotomies, etc., for women who choose hospitals to birth, is to leave them alone! Give them peace, quiet, and privacy, and minimize interruptions. Let them labor as they choose, freely walking or moving as desired. Let them birth in whatever position desired. I've never known any women who actually chose to birth flat on their back, which hinders birthing efforts, as it narrows the pelvis and compresses blood and oxygen to the baby, often resulting in fetal distress. Keep the dreaded continuous electronic fetal machine away, shown to actually CAUSE unneeded c-sections. A doppler every 30 minutes or so should give plenty of reassurance that baby is well. Also, get rid of the timeline which says if a woman doesn't produce a baby in a certain amount of time, she has "failure to progress" and winds up with a c-section or a forced vaginal birth (forceps, etc.) Do not use pitocin to either induce or hasten labor.
The typical hospital scene however, treats women as cattle, herding them in and out as quickly as possible. Induction, pitocin, labor in bed, "failure to progress," c-section. I hear this story of induction to c-section all the time from women I know.
What's needed is a midwifery model of care for most women. Let labor begin and proceed on it's own. Let the woman do what her body innately knows it needs to do. Tragically, this scenario is the opposite of what most women encounter. Therefore, you will continue to have women who feel violated and cheated, and yes even medically raped.
Birth is a very special, sacred experience in a woman's life, which is not at all respected in our current obstetric model of childbirth care. Not only are most women cheated out of a positive birth experience, the aftercare of the newborn is deplorable. Separating the mother and baby after birth tremendously interferes with the natural bonding hormones and breastfeeding. So many women report feelings of detachment towards their infants, which they very often attribute to a labor and birth in which they were at the mercy of doctors and staff, who completely took over their labors and performed unneeded c-sections. Many of these women have found later healing in homebirth, which is infinitely more peaceful than a hospital birth.
I hope you will continue to advocate lowering c-section rates among your colleagues, and also seek to advocate for a far less interfering approach to childbirth, which will result in far fewer c-sections. Thank you.
Article here:
http://academicobgyn.com/2010/07/27/the-myth-of-the-unnecessary-cesarean/
Dr. Fogelson,
I don't have time to read all the replies, but since you seem to be reading the comments, I will leave one for you. I am very happy to see you mention:
"I completely agree about looking at the factors that promote normal birth:
here’s a few:
1) avoiding unindicated inductions
2) control of gestational diabetes
3) delaying hospital admission until the onset of active labor"
In my area in WV, virtually all OB attended hospital birthing women are induced, and are thus in the hospital the entire labor. We also have the 5th highest rate of c-sections in the nation, and are running about a 50% chance of induced women getting c-sections. The only women I know who escape this are the homebirth moms I know, and the VERY rare lady who refuses induction despite enormous pressure from her doctors. These are done for the convenience and scheduling of the doctors, and always occur PRIOR to the due date!
I can not figure out why women in my area do not question the insanely high c-section rate. They happily go in for their scheduled inductions implicitly trusting that the doctor has their best interests at heart. How have humans managed to survive if so many women are incapable of birth?
I am a natural birth advocate, having had one birth center birth, and two homebirths (one unassisted.) I realize emergency care is sometimes needed, and I am very thankful we have such care available. However, treating all births like emergencies, intervening from beginning to end, causes the very problems women think they are being protected from.
If women are left alone to labor and birth as they choose, almost all will birth fine, and free from any complications. The best thing we could do to greatly minimize c-sections and other things like forceps or vacuum delivery and episiotomies, etc., for women who choose hospitals to birth, is to leave them alone! Give them peace, quiet, and privacy, and minimize interruptions. Let them labor as they choose, freely walking or moving as desired. Let them birth in whatever position desired. I've never known any women who actually chose to birth flat on their back, which hinders birthing efforts, as it narrows the pelvis and compresses blood and oxygen to the baby, often resulting in fetal distress. Keep the dreaded continuous electronic fetal machine away, shown to actually CAUSE unneeded c-sections. A doppler every 30 minutes or so should give plenty of reassurance that baby is well. Also, get rid of the timeline which says if a woman doesn't produce a baby in a certain amount of time, she has "failure to progress" and winds up with a c-section or a forced vaginal birth (forceps, etc.) Do not use pitocin to either induce or hasten labor.
The typical hospital scene however, treats women as cattle, herding them in and out as quickly as possible. Induction, pitocin, labor in bed, "failure to progress," c-section. I hear this story of induction to c-section all the time from women I know.
What's needed is a midwifery model of care for most women. Let labor begin and proceed on it's own. Let the woman do what her body innately knows it needs to do. Tragically, this scenario is the opposite of what most women encounter. Therefore, you will continue to have women who feel violated and cheated, and yes even medically raped.
Birth is a very special, sacred experience in a woman's life, which is not at all respected in our current obstetric model of childbirth care. Not only are most women cheated out of a positive birth experience, the aftercare of the newborn is deplorable. Separating the mother and baby after birth tremendously interferes with the natural bonding hormones and breastfeeding. So many women report feelings of detachment towards their infants, which they very often attribute to a labor and birth in which they were at the mercy of doctors and staff, who completely took over their labors and performed unneeded c-sections. Many of these women have found later healing in homebirth, which is infinitely more peaceful than a hospital birth.
I hope you will continue to advocate lowering c-section rates among your colleagues, and also seek to advocate for a far less interfering approach to childbirth, which will result in far fewer c-sections. Thank you.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Our Second Birth (at home!)
When Joshua was three years and eight months old, I was due to give birth again. One of the midwives on staff at the birth center where he was born, Angy, had started her own practice doing homebirths! I was so excited. I looked forward to puking in my own toilet. Vomiting on oneself while having hard labor in a speeding car is no fun at all! I love her attitude as she is all about natural birth and non-intervention.
She gave me lots of choices that I was not given with the birth center, such as not making me have the IV antibiotics during labor. For every decision, she gave me the risks, pros and cons, and let me decide. I really appreciated that, and her trust in a woman's body to give birth by itself. I declined most of the routine tests, including ultrasound, so we didn't know if we were getting another boy or a girl.
Two days after my "due date," I woke up at 4 AM after only 4 hours sleep, and proceeded to pace my house for about the next 10 hours while listening to a Christian worship CD nonstop. Being January and very cold, I didn't have many options for places to walk, so I just did laps around my kitchen table and back and forth through the living room. I occasionally tried to sit down, but was very quickly pacing again. I suppose this was the early stage of labor that I didn't really experience the first time when I essentially went straight to hard labor. I wasn't in much pain at all, but just couldn't stop moving.
I then spent the next several hours in my bathtub. The tub is a regular size, (no deep jacuzzi this time), so I had to mostly lie down or lean forward while sitting to keep the water on my belly. I kept adding hot water every so often, while draining off some cold.
Joshua stayed with me practically the whole time I was in the tub. He started out on the other side, then sitting on the edge, then stuck his feet in, and eventually wound up in the tub. It was really sweet and funny. I said, "I can't even labor by myself." He would rub my back and say comforting things. I didn't mind him being there at all. I just breathed through my contractions since I didn't want to be loud and scare him.
Angy came over after I was in the tub, and I asked her to check my cervix, which she only does upon request, not routinely. She says dilation is not a good indication of when the baby will be born, so there is really no reason to check. Plus, it can introduce germs. A woman can very quickly fully dilate from 0 to 10 cm., or walk around for weeks very dilated like I did with my first baby.
I should have left well enough alone, because after an already lengthy labor, I was discouraged to hear I was only 2 cm. I had her check me once or twice more during my very long soak, and don't really remember what I was, but it wasn't enough to make me get excited. She even wanted to feel my belly once during a contraction to make sure they were the strong, productive ones since I was being the silent type. I just breathed through each contraction, concentrating on them one at a time, and reminding myself I was that much closer. As during my first labor, I allowed myself to squeeze my hands together, but made the rest of my body stay relaxed, as I didn't want to fight my body's efforts by tensing up. Angy reminded me to keep my face relaxed along with my body and not to grimace. I asked her at one point how much longer did she think it would be, and I think she said an hour. I can't quite remember when I asked her, though, so I'm not sure of her accuracy!
Everyone always said that second babies come faster, so I was discouraged with how long this was taking, and after my lack of sleep, many miles walked, and then the harder stage of labor, I was so tired, and just wanted to go to sleep, which of course is not possible when you are getting ready to have a baby.
My husband, Matt, would pop in and out of the bathroom checking on me, as would Angy. It was mostly just me and my little boy. Right when it got tough, Matt came in and stayed. He seemed to know when I needed him, and when I was ok alone. I basically wanted to be alone. We had called our families around 4 PM, but I had them all stay out of the bathroom. I told our family that I wanted to labor alone, but they could come in for the birth. Labor is an unbelievably intense time, and I didn't want to be distracted. I needed my full concentration for each contraction. I kept the lights off and burned candles and continued to listen to the same worship CD, (Russ Jones: The Worship Project), which was a huge help. It kept my mind focused on God.
I remember an intense mixture of emotions of pain, and love for my family, and God's presence just before transition. I cried from these overwhelming feelings of love. One song (Revelation Song) I repeatedly listened to that has been so special to me ever since. The chorus says, "Holy! Holy! Holy! is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come. With all creation I sing praise to the King of kings, You are my everything, and I will adore You."
Angy had come in to stay about then, and I needed to get out of the tub to throw up. Angy said that getting out of the tub would help move things along, too. It really did, as now the contractions came one on top of the other. I was on the floor, the toilet, leaning on Matt, all over the place. Transition was a blur, it was so intense and painful, though quick. I finally wound up on the toilet again, and my mom came in. She couldn't take being outside anymore, and held one hand, and Matt held the other. I had maybe a couple more contractions like this.
I felt the baby coming, and then squatted in the floor in front of the toilet, and said Matt's mom and sister better get in here, as I knew they were hoping to watch the birth. So, crowded into our tiny bathroom was me, Matt, his sister, our moms, Angy, and her assistant Jennifer, who is also a midwife.
Birth was quick and seemingly effortless. I say that because I didn't have to push hard like I did before. In fact, I didn't push at all. After all that long labor, it only took three contractions as my body pushed our baby out. He was ready to be born, and I squatted in the floor, and out he came.
I did get noisy during birth and I think it scared Joshua, so my father in law took him outside. He had left the bathroom before transition, and I'm glad since I was obviously in pain. I was crying out to Jesus when the baby came out!
I caught our baby's head and Matt caught his body. He turned him over and announced, "It's a boy!" It was very special with Matt and I catching our son. I had a very tiny tear, but we were in great shape. I liked it a lot better being in my own house doing whatever I wanted. Even though I had a midwife there, she watched the birth unobtrusively.
We didn't cut the cord until after it stopped pulsating, and I donated the cord blood. I wanted to do these with my first birth, but didn't get to. I sat on the toilet holding our new son until after we cut the cord and I birthed the placenta, then I got in the shower and felt great.
Everyone was surprised that he weighed 8 pounds and 6 ounces, and that he had a head full of very dark hair. He was 21 inches long, born on 1-16 at 6:48 PM. He was very content while we all loved on him, and welcomed him.
He was a little slow to get the hang of nursing, but caught on sometime that first week, and just like Joshua, nursed strong for almost two years. I've thought that lots of women would have thought something was wrong and just used formula instead. Especially since hospitals often push formula instead of encouraging breastfeeding.
We debated for a week on his name, and finally decided on Matt's original first choice, Daniel Isaiah.
I have a stepson, too, Gabriel, so Matt has had one in a hospital, one in a birth center, and one at home. Home is his favorite and mine. He was serving up pie and coffee during my labor! I cannot fathom trying to labor and birth in a hospital. I pray I never have anything to cause me to have that experience.
For something so incredibly private and intense, home is definitely the place to be.
Our firstborn's birth story!
I had said for years that I was never going to get married or have kids. I always loved children, but didn't want to bring kids into an evil world, and felt I'd rather take in kids already here who needed a loving home. I still want to do this, and have since told God that I want what He wants for me, and will gladly take the children He gives, whether biological or adopted.
God opened my heart to marriage, which is another story I definitely need to share! My husband, Matt, had one son already and wanted more children, but he married me anyway, knowing I was adamantly against having biological children. For the first two years of marriage, he often talked about wanting a baby. That second year, I secretly considered bringing forth a child, while God worked on my heart. I finally decided to give him his heart's desire, and secretly quit taking birth control pills. I never took them again as I later discovered they can cause abortions by not allowing a fertilized egg to implant.
I quickly became pregnant only a couple of months later, but didn't tell anyone, not even Matt, until I was about four months along. It had been such a big deal for me to decide to have a child that I wanted time to myself to process and get more used to my new life, about to be forever radically altered.
I told my husband on the anniversary of our first kiss, my mom on her 50th birthday, and my in law family at Thanksgiving. My mother and sister in law still say they didn't taste their meal that day, as they were so shocked! Matt announced our news at church when people were telling what they were thankful for. Everyone was so thrilled and excited!
I was blessed with an easy pregnancy, and continued to daily cut grass in our lawn care business and give massages. I used the midwives from our local birth center for my prenatal care. I wanted to have a homebirth, but did not know any midwives who would come to my house.
Overall, I was very pleased with the birth center and all their midwives. They were always so warm, friendly, and caring. One thing I didn't like was the one time I saw their on staff OB a few days before labor, only because all the midwives and nurses were gone that day. He painfully jabbed my belly one time, and sat down across the room. Thank God he didn't do an internal exam! This was not the gentle palpating I was used to from the midwives.
I had been quite dilated for weeks before labor, (at my first 37 week internal check, I was already 3 cm. dilated). A midwife had offered to break my water when I was a few days "overdue," but I believe in letting nature take its course. I also wanted to cut grass that day!
Despite my working hard as usual, he was still busy "cooking" in there! I had an internal exam when I was a week over my due date, and I think the nurse stripped my membranes, but she did not say so. I just know that she was feeling around for a while, and it was uncomfortable. She did say I was about 4.5 to 5 cm. dilated. Now, I was still not in labor and had no signs of labor, although I did have a few days of "bloody show" by this time, so I knew labor would soon commence.
I was actually getting ready to go to Lowe's for supplies for one of our many home renovations, when the first real contraction hit about 8:15 PM that evening, and dropped me to my knees. Within an hour, they were coming fast and hard. Around 9:30, we left for the birth center, about 20 minutes away. I threw up many times, including all over myself while hanging my head out the car window. When I got back in the car, I told Matt, "This sucks!" Puking out the car window at high speed, and the wind just blowing it all over me, while in hard labor was no fun! I got to the center before the midwife, and vomited off their porch. As soon as they arrived around 10 PM, and I could get inside, I ripped off my vomit clothes, and got in their very large bath tub.
We had a midwife, nurse, doula, our parents, and Matt's sister all there, but our dads stayed in another room. I had read it was very important to keep relaxed, so I passed contractions by looking in the doula's eyes, and keeping all my muscles relaxed, except for squeezing Matt's hand. I had to poop and got on the toilet, a position I liked. My water broke, and the midwife suggested I try the bed. They had me on my back with legs up, which I hated, but was too tired to tell anyone. In between contractions, all I could do was rest, not talk.
Finally, I managed to tell them, and they helped me up to my knees, but I don't remember being on my knees for very long at all. It seemed like all my pushing efforts were done in that horrendous lying on back position. They told me I pushed for an hour. I don't even remember this, but they told me I had Matt in a headlock at some point! I only remember having three contractions on my back before being able to tell them I wanted to be upright, and I don't remember doing any pushing while on my knees. Time can be difficult to judge when in hard labor!
They told us our baby's heart rate was getting low and they were worried, so my midwife said I needed an episiotomy to get him out fast. It seemed like it was no time at all once I got back upright that she wanted to cut me, and I was back down on my back giving one last great unsuccessful effort to birth our baby, who had been crowning for a while. His head kept coming out a little, then back in. As soon as she cut me, he shot out at 1 AM. I'm sure I could have birthed him fine if I would have had more time, but I didn't want to chance damaging my baby to avoid an episiotomy.
I will also mention that against my desire, which unfortunately I had not verbally stated or written, they immediately clamped his cord, and had my husband cut it. I was too exhausted to stop them. If I would have known the clamp can be removed prior to cutting, I may have been able to muster the energy to have stopped the cutting, and given instruction to remove the clamp. This is something I only recently discovered. I always thought that once the cord is clamped, that it's as good as cut, which isn't true. As long as the cord is still pulsating, the clamp can be removed, and baby will get his blood flow from the cord again.
Even though I had researched and knew the cord should not be cut (or clamped) until after pulsing has ceased, I suppose the midwife didn't know this. She was such a wonderful lady, and I don't think she would have intentionally done something harmful. I don't dwell on it, and he is certainly healthy, but it still disappoints me when I think about it. All babies need their oxygen rich cord blood, and since he had a dangerously low heart rate, he especially needed all the blood his body wanted to take from the cord.
So for my first baby, labor took less than 5 hours. I'm sure I went practically straight into hard labor since I was already so dilated. I could hardly move my legs afterward, which I felt was do to the position I was put in and did not like. It seemed to really fatigue my thigh muscles. In the pictures we took with our family just after his birth, my legs are still spread open under the sheet. I didn't even have the strength to move them! After our families left, I got stitched up and nursed our new baby, then was able to take a shower and felt fine by the next morning when we went home.
It never even occurred to me to want pain relief. I just felt this is what you had to go through to have a baby. I was so glad to have had a natural childbirth and knew I would choose to do so again. We were blessed with a son, who weighed in at 7lbs, 7.75 ounces, and 21 inches long, born on 5-7, the day before his daddy's birthday! Thank You Jesus!!! Seven is my favorite number, by the way.
We named him Joshua Matthew, taken from the hand carved wood plaque Matt's dad had made for us and given to us for Christmas while I was pregnant. Oak leaves, acorns, and a Bible verse are inscribed on it. "As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:15 When we opened our gift, Matt saw the name Joshua and knew that was to be our son's name.
God opened my heart to marriage, which is another story I definitely need to share! My husband, Matt, had one son already and wanted more children, but he married me anyway, knowing I was adamantly against having biological children. For the first two years of marriage, he often talked about wanting a baby. That second year, I secretly considered bringing forth a child, while God worked on my heart. I finally decided to give him his heart's desire, and secretly quit taking birth control pills. I never took them again as I later discovered they can cause abortions by not allowing a fertilized egg to implant.
I quickly became pregnant only a couple of months later, but didn't tell anyone, not even Matt, until I was about four months along. It had been such a big deal for me to decide to have a child that I wanted time to myself to process and get more used to my new life, about to be forever radically altered.
I told my husband on the anniversary of our first kiss, my mom on her 50th birthday, and my in law family at Thanksgiving. My mother and sister in law still say they didn't taste their meal that day, as they were so shocked! Matt announced our news at church when people were telling what they were thankful for. Everyone was so thrilled and excited!
I was blessed with an easy pregnancy, and continued to daily cut grass in our lawn care business and give massages. I used the midwives from our local birth center for my prenatal care. I wanted to have a homebirth, but did not know any midwives who would come to my house.
Overall, I was very pleased with the birth center and all their midwives. They were always so warm, friendly, and caring. One thing I didn't like was the one time I saw their on staff OB a few days before labor, only because all the midwives and nurses were gone that day. He painfully jabbed my belly one time, and sat down across the room. Thank God he didn't do an internal exam! This was not the gentle palpating I was used to from the midwives.
I had been quite dilated for weeks before labor, (at my first 37 week internal check, I was already 3 cm. dilated). A midwife had offered to break my water when I was a few days "overdue," but I believe in letting nature take its course. I also wanted to cut grass that day!
Despite my working hard as usual, he was still busy "cooking" in there! I had an internal exam when I was a week over my due date, and I think the nurse stripped my membranes, but she did not say so. I just know that she was feeling around for a while, and it was uncomfortable. She did say I was about 4.5 to 5 cm. dilated. Now, I was still not in labor and had no signs of labor, although I did have a few days of "bloody show" by this time, so I knew labor would soon commence.
I was actually getting ready to go to Lowe's for supplies for one of our many home renovations, when the first real contraction hit about 8:15 PM that evening, and dropped me to my knees. Within an hour, they were coming fast and hard. Around 9:30, we left for the birth center, about 20 minutes away. I threw up many times, including all over myself while hanging my head out the car window. When I got back in the car, I told Matt, "This sucks!" Puking out the car window at high speed, and the wind just blowing it all over me, while in hard labor was no fun! I got to the center before the midwife, and vomited off their porch. As soon as they arrived around 10 PM, and I could get inside, I ripped off my vomit clothes, and got in their very large bath tub.
We had a midwife, nurse, doula, our parents, and Matt's sister all there, but our dads stayed in another room. I had read it was very important to keep relaxed, so I passed contractions by looking in the doula's eyes, and keeping all my muscles relaxed, except for squeezing Matt's hand. I had to poop and got on the toilet, a position I liked. My water broke, and the midwife suggested I try the bed. They had me on my back with legs up, which I hated, but was too tired to tell anyone. In between contractions, all I could do was rest, not talk.
Finally, I managed to tell them, and they helped me up to my knees, but I don't remember being on my knees for very long at all. It seemed like all my pushing efforts were done in that horrendous lying on back position. They told me I pushed for an hour. I don't even remember this, but they told me I had Matt in a headlock at some point! I only remember having three contractions on my back before being able to tell them I wanted to be upright, and I don't remember doing any pushing while on my knees. Time can be difficult to judge when in hard labor!
They told us our baby's heart rate was getting low and they were worried, so my midwife said I needed an episiotomy to get him out fast. It seemed like it was no time at all once I got back upright that she wanted to cut me, and I was back down on my back giving one last great unsuccessful effort to birth our baby, who had been crowning for a while. His head kept coming out a little, then back in. As soon as she cut me, he shot out at 1 AM. I'm sure I could have birthed him fine if I would have had more time, but I didn't want to chance damaging my baby to avoid an episiotomy.
I will also mention that against my desire, which unfortunately I had not verbally stated or written, they immediately clamped his cord, and had my husband cut it. I was too exhausted to stop them. If I would have known the clamp can be removed prior to cutting, I may have been able to muster the energy to have stopped the cutting, and given instruction to remove the clamp. This is something I only recently discovered. I always thought that once the cord is clamped, that it's as good as cut, which isn't true. As long as the cord is still pulsating, the clamp can be removed, and baby will get his blood flow from the cord again.
Even though I had researched and knew the cord should not be cut (or clamped) until after pulsing has ceased, I suppose the midwife didn't know this. She was such a wonderful lady, and I don't think she would have intentionally done something harmful. I don't dwell on it, and he is certainly healthy, but it still disappoints me when I think about it. All babies need their oxygen rich cord blood, and since he had a dangerously low heart rate, he especially needed all the blood his body wanted to take from the cord.
So for my first baby, labor took less than 5 hours. I'm sure I went practically straight into hard labor since I was already so dilated. I could hardly move my legs afterward, which I felt was do to the position I was put in and did not like. It seemed to really fatigue my thigh muscles. In the pictures we took with our family just after his birth, my legs are still spread open under the sheet. I didn't even have the strength to move them! After our families left, I got stitched up and nursed our new baby, then was able to take a shower and felt fine by the next morning when we went home.
It never even occurred to me to want pain relief. I just felt this is what you had to go through to have a baby. I was so glad to have had a natural childbirth and knew I would choose to do so again. We were blessed with a son, who weighed in at 7lbs, 7.75 ounces, and 21 inches long, born on 5-7, the day before his daddy's birthday! Thank You Jesus!!! Seven is my favorite number, by the way.
We named him Joshua Matthew, taken from the hand carved wood plaque Matt's dad had made for us and given to us for Christmas while I was pregnant. Oak leaves, acorns, and a Bible verse are inscribed on it. "As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:15 When we opened our gift, Matt saw the name Joshua and knew that was to be our son's name.
Our Third Birth (at home unassisted!)
Our third birth was by far my easiest and fastest labor, and my favorite birth. Since our older boys were overdue, one by a week and one by 2 days, I figured this one would be late, too. I had a thought about this one coming a week early, but I must have forgotten that because I decided to replace my bathroom floor the week before he was due. My nesting instinct always seems to manifest itself in major home repairs. Our floor was rotted and we had a sewer smell at times. The smell got really bad, and I did not want to be in labor with that nasty odor.
I was planning a homebirth like I had with my last son. About ten days before my "due date," we took out the sink and toilet, and I spent the next couple of days ripping out the old floor and rotten wood. We live in an old house, and with each pregnancy I was doing lots of major renovations.
On Monday morning, (all my labors started on Mondays), I went to Lowe's to buy new wood. While there, I began to have back pains. Although they were mild, I had not previously had back pains. All my braxton-hicks contractions were always just in my belly. I even cried a little, hoping I wasn't going into labor at Lowe's. I was there about an hour and a half and had to ask questions of various salespeople about our project. I was really distracted trying to talk to these people, and when I finally checked out, I tried to give the cashier both cash and a debit card. I told her I was sorry, and that I had a lot on my mind.
I went home and carried my wood up my 38 steps, and then asked my husband, Matt, if he thought he would have cell phone service where he would be working that day. I told him I didn't think I was in labor, but I kept having these back pains. I told him several times to go on to work as I didn't think it was labor.
Actually, I was in denial. He knew I was in labor before I did. He said he could see it in my eyes. He stayed home and began urgently cutting boards for the floor, which is what I had planned to do that day. I remembered the acupressure points for labor I had found on the internet and decided to try them just in case I was really in labor. The first points I saw were for hastening labor. Since I did not want to be in labor, I passed on those and found some for pain relief. I was not in much pain, but I began to press on those points every time I had a back pain. The back pains kept coming, but I kept hoping I was not in labor. I did really like those points though. They made the back pains really short and they never got very painful. I was way too busy to try and time them.
I cooked breakfast and helped Matt with the floor, even going under the house through a hole in the floor to help hold some boards. The whole time, I just kept holding the points for the pains, which kept coming. I began to think maybe I was in labor and was not sure what to do. We were so unprepared to have a baby that day. We had no bathroom, the house was in shambles, the kids were sick, and I had not been to the store and was out of many basic food items. There was so much to do. The nest was not ready!
I asked Matt if I should clean or work on the floor. He said clean. I wandered from room to room, not knowing what was more important, the kitchen, bedroom, laundry? I decided to make our bed and sweep our bedroom floor as I was planning to fill a pool with water for labor, and I planned to put the pool in our bedroom. I then got out the pool and began to fill it with air. I kept thinking I wished it was already filled with water as I'd really like to get in! Our boys, Joshua and Daniel, were so excited that I was inflating a swimming pool in the house, and kept chattering and peppering me with questions. I finally managed to get the thing blown up, and told Joshua to tell Dad to bring in the hose to fill the pool. I didn't feel capable of getting the hose from outside and hooking it up by that point.
I felt like things were moving fast. Matt took a break from the floor to get the hose, and he hooked it up and began filling the pool. He wanted to call his dad to come help him with the floor, but I told him I didn't care about the floor right now! I had to throw up, which I did in both my previous labors. I went outside and threw up, and then came back in. Matt asked if he should call our midwife, Angy, and I said yes. He had asked me earlier, but I had said no. She laughed and said she was an hour away and probably wouldn't make it, but we knew what to do. I managed to brush my teeth and felt like I had to poop.
I got our temporary toilet, which was a five gallon bucket with our toilet seat on top, and a garbage bag and newspapers inside. I set it in my bedroom by the pool, and sat down on it. My water broke and I felt the baby moving down. I told Matt to bring me the coconut oil, then a spoon to dig it out with, which I then rubbed on myself to help avoid tears. With each contraction, I said, "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus..." Just like my second birth, I had three contractions as the baby came down with no effort or pushing on my part. On the third one, our new baby was born! Matt turned the baby over and announced, "It's a boy!" I had not had any ultrasounds, so we didn't know what we were getting.
Matt caught our baby wearing his work boots and covered in pressure treated sawdust. We had not even washed our hands as we had no idea the baby would come so fast. He got a bulb syringe from the closet (not new or sterilized, of course) and sucked out his nose and mouth, and a bath towel, which we covered him with as he lay on my lap. I told Matt he could turn the water off now! We called Angy and our parents to share our good news.
We were shocked. I had only realized I was in labor maybe an hour or so prior, and there we were with a baby! He let out a little cry just after he came out, and then just looked at us. He also nursed, peed, and pooped.
Joshua, who was about six and a half years old at the time, went outside when I sat down on the bucket, but Daniel, who was two years and nine months old, stood there and watched the birth. He got a little scared from all the blood, but we told him I was fine, and he got in the pool to play. Then Joshua, who had been outside whooping like an Indian, came in and got in the pool. Matt boiled some scissors and string, and after the placenta came out, he cut and tied off the cord. There probably wasn't much point in sterilizing anything by this time, though. Then, I got off the bucket and got in the pool with the baby, after having the boys get out, to get cleaned up. The water felt wonderful, and the baby really seemed to like the nice, warm water. At least I got to use the pool for something!
The midwives showed up about the time I was getting in the pool, which was about 45 minutes or so after the birth. I was glad it worked out that way. I had told Angy previously that I might not call anyone until after the birth. I had been reading a lot about unassisted birth and really liked the idea of an intimate family birth.
I only had a tiny tear, more like a scrape, and didn't need any stitches. I never had any long contractions and they never got very painful. I had natural childbirth with the other boys, so I know what those long, painful contractions are like. Now, I tell pregnant women about those acupressure points! I found them at
http://childbirthsolutions.com/articles/acupressure-techniques-for-use-during-childbirth-and-pregnancy/.
Our little guy weighed 7 pounds and 4 ounces and was 21 inches long. In the midst of all the excitement, we didn't look at a clock when he made his appearance, so we tried to determine the time of birth based upon when Angy's phone showed Matt called. We put 1:25 PM on the birth certificate, but I think we were off a little. I think it was probably between 1:20 and 1:25.
When he was almost three weeks old, and after much discussion, we finally put a name on his birth certificate, Christopher Joseph. Naming a person is very difficult!
Even though I wanted him to come later so I could get the bathroom done and go to the store and have the house nice and clean, we were so thankful it all happened the way it did. We still kept working on the house, only with a new, sweet little baby in it!
I was planning a homebirth like I had with my last son. About ten days before my "due date," we took out the sink and toilet, and I spent the next couple of days ripping out the old floor and rotten wood. We live in an old house, and with each pregnancy I was doing lots of major renovations.
On Monday morning, (all my labors started on Mondays), I went to Lowe's to buy new wood. While there, I began to have back pains. Although they were mild, I had not previously had back pains. All my braxton-hicks contractions were always just in my belly. I even cried a little, hoping I wasn't going into labor at Lowe's. I was there about an hour and a half and had to ask questions of various salespeople about our project. I was really distracted trying to talk to these people, and when I finally checked out, I tried to give the cashier both cash and a debit card. I told her I was sorry, and that I had a lot on my mind.
I went home and carried my wood up my 38 steps, and then asked my husband, Matt, if he thought he would have cell phone service where he would be working that day. I told him I didn't think I was in labor, but I kept having these back pains. I told him several times to go on to work as I didn't think it was labor.
Actually, I was in denial. He knew I was in labor before I did. He said he could see it in my eyes. He stayed home and began urgently cutting boards for the floor, which is what I had planned to do that day. I remembered the acupressure points for labor I had found on the internet and decided to try them just in case I was really in labor. The first points I saw were for hastening labor. Since I did not want to be in labor, I passed on those and found some for pain relief. I was not in much pain, but I began to press on those points every time I had a back pain. The back pains kept coming, but I kept hoping I was not in labor. I did really like those points though. They made the back pains really short and they never got very painful. I was way too busy to try and time them.
I cooked breakfast and helped Matt with the floor, even going under the house through a hole in the floor to help hold some boards. The whole time, I just kept holding the points for the pains, which kept coming. I began to think maybe I was in labor and was not sure what to do. We were so unprepared to have a baby that day. We had no bathroom, the house was in shambles, the kids were sick, and I had not been to the store and was out of many basic food items. There was so much to do. The nest was not ready!
I asked Matt if I should clean or work on the floor. He said clean. I wandered from room to room, not knowing what was more important, the kitchen, bedroom, laundry? I decided to make our bed and sweep our bedroom floor as I was planning to fill a pool with water for labor, and I planned to put the pool in our bedroom. I then got out the pool and began to fill it with air. I kept thinking I wished it was already filled with water as I'd really like to get in! Our boys, Joshua and Daniel, were so excited that I was inflating a swimming pool in the house, and kept chattering and peppering me with questions. I finally managed to get the thing blown up, and told Joshua to tell Dad to bring in the hose to fill the pool. I didn't feel capable of getting the hose from outside and hooking it up by that point.
I felt like things were moving fast. Matt took a break from the floor to get the hose, and he hooked it up and began filling the pool. He wanted to call his dad to come help him with the floor, but I told him I didn't care about the floor right now! I had to throw up, which I did in both my previous labors. I went outside and threw up, and then came back in. Matt asked if he should call our midwife, Angy, and I said yes. He had asked me earlier, but I had said no. She laughed and said she was an hour away and probably wouldn't make it, but we knew what to do. I managed to brush my teeth and felt like I had to poop.
I got our temporary toilet, which was a five gallon bucket with our toilet seat on top, and a garbage bag and newspapers inside. I set it in my bedroom by the pool, and sat down on it. My water broke and I felt the baby moving down. I told Matt to bring me the coconut oil, then a spoon to dig it out with, which I then rubbed on myself to help avoid tears. With each contraction, I said, "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus..." Just like my second birth, I had three contractions as the baby came down with no effort or pushing on my part. On the third one, our new baby was born! Matt turned the baby over and announced, "It's a boy!" I had not had any ultrasounds, so we didn't know what we were getting.
Matt caught our baby wearing his work boots and covered in pressure treated sawdust. We had not even washed our hands as we had no idea the baby would come so fast. He got a bulb syringe from the closet (not new or sterilized, of course) and sucked out his nose and mouth, and a bath towel, which we covered him with as he lay on my lap. I told Matt he could turn the water off now! We called Angy and our parents to share our good news.
We were shocked. I had only realized I was in labor maybe an hour or so prior, and there we were with a baby! He let out a little cry just after he came out, and then just looked at us. He also nursed, peed, and pooped.
Joshua, who was about six and a half years old at the time, went outside when I sat down on the bucket, but Daniel, who was two years and nine months old, stood there and watched the birth. He got a little scared from all the blood, but we told him I was fine, and he got in the pool to play. Then Joshua, who had been outside whooping like an Indian, came in and got in the pool. Matt boiled some scissors and string, and after the placenta came out, he cut and tied off the cord. There probably wasn't much point in sterilizing anything by this time, though. Then, I got off the bucket and got in the pool with the baby, after having the boys get out, to get cleaned up. The water felt wonderful, and the baby really seemed to like the nice, warm water. At least I got to use the pool for something!
The midwives showed up about the time I was getting in the pool, which was about 45 minutes or so after the birth. I was glad it worked out that way. I had told Angy previously that I might not call anyone until after the birth. I had been reading a lot about unassisted birth and really liked the idea of an intimate family birth.
I only had a tiny tear, more like a scrape, and didn't need any stitches. I never had any long contractions and they never got very painful. I had natural childbirth with the other boys, so I know what those long, painful contractions are like. Now, I tell pregnant women about those acupressure points! I found them at
http://childbirthsolutions.com/articles/acupressure-techniques-for-use-during-childbirth-and-pregnancy/.
Our little guy weighed 7 pounds and 4 ounces and was 21 inches long. In the midst of all the excitement, we didn't look at a clock when he made his appearance, so we tried to determine the time of birth based upon when Angy's phone showed Matt called. We put 1:25 PM on the birth certificate, but I think we were off a little. I think it was probably between 1:20 and 1:25.
When he was almost three weeks old, and after much discussion, we finally put a name on his birth certificate, Christopher Joseph. Naming a person is very difficult!
Even though I wanted him to come later so I could get the bathroom done and go to the store and have the house nice and clean, we were so thankful it all happened the way it did. We still kept working on the house, only with a new, sweet little baby in it!
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