elective induction

I know, I know.

It's so hard to not be able to plan the day you're baby would arrive.  You're a busy gal, you've got plenty on your plate ... dropping it all and bringing a new life into the world feels impossible in our scheduled world.  I understand; I do it on a monthly basis for my clients and it is no small thing.

But there is quite a bit of research out there showing that babies do best inside their mamas.  Your baby is staying inside of you for a reason, and most of the time ... it's best to go with the flow.  Now, of course there are times where this is not at all true; and thank heaven we have technology advanced enough to help your baby!

If the word "induction" starts getting thrown around, ask your caregiver for what they would call a "risk analysis".  It's essentially a big pros and cons list; giving you a much more detailed idea of what would be best for your baby.

Be aware that most hospitals aren't even allowing elective induction any more, according to Medscape.  There is simply too much information out there supporting those last few weeks of development in the womb; enough that professional caregivers can't justify early inductions without a serious cause.

" 'Something we didn't even anticipate as a benefit of this policy, but was a delightful surprise to see, was a decreased admission rate to the neonatal intensive care unit,' Dr. Healy told Medscape Medical News at the meeting."

Read the whole article; it's not too long and quite interesting!
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/804700

Educate yourself so you can feel confident in what you chose.  If your baby needs anything, he or she needs confident, loving parents.

pitocin warning

Pitocin is overused.

It is a brand of oxytocin that doctors will use to either start contractions, or keep the ones you've got going.  In the business-world of a hospital, it is an invaluable tool for managing an event that does not work on a dependable time clock.

But you see, it's so important that we don't forget that birth is not on a time clock.  Of course averages have been measured, but who is really average?  Your body is your body, and its uniqueness combined with that of your baby results in a truly singular birth that is far from average.

It is normal for labor to pause.  In fact, it's a coping mechanism.  If you were a cave woman back in the day, laboring to bring your baby into the world and suddenly -- ack! -- a saber-toothed tiger interrupts your focus.  What would you do?  Adrenaline would kick in, oxytocin would all but stop, blood flow would leave your uterus and shoot out to your appendages to get you the crap out of there.

That hasn't changed today.  If you're stressed and that saber-toothed tiger waltzes in the room in the form of your doctor, mother-in-law, or some bizarre point in labor that you've always dreaded, you're more than likely to stall out.  It's instinct.  It's survival.

So if your doctors start throwing out the word pitocin, first ask, "Is this an emergency?"  And if the answer is no, then give yourself some time.  Relax.  Take a deep breath.  Find a way to defeat that tiger and let your body continue doing it's thing.

Not only is pitocin harder on you (inhuman contractions on a very human uterus), there are also studies finally being done on pitocin's effects on your baby.  There are some.  ACOG just released a statement about it:

http://www.acog.org/About_ACOG/News_Room/News_Releases/2013/Study_Finds_Adverse_Effects_of_Pitocin_in_Newborns

Now don't fret, of course there are risks no matter what kind of birth you have.  Do your research, have an intelligent conversation with your partner, doctor, and support people.  You need to feel good about what you experience.  Your ability to care for that baby after he or she arrives will trump any experience your baby had during birth.

a beautiful normal birth

When I went to a hypnobirthing class several months ago, I met a beautiful gal named Laura.  I could immediately sense her kindness and calmness and liked her very much.  She would be using a midwife for the birth of her second child, and was very excited about the whole prospect.  She was quite the advocate of home birth to the other couples in the group.

She also talked a lot about getting to know your baby before he or she enters this world.  Talking to him or her, using their name, and getting your husband and siblings all involved was a big deal to her, and it seemed to work wonders with her first child.  I loved the idea of it.

She wrote an article about her birth and posted it.  It is a fantastic birth story; the kind people should most definitely read as it can greatly add to your confidence in your own birthing abilities!

Read Laura's birth story here:

http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/ci_18129253

when labor stalls

I have a good friend who is worried quite a bit about her labor stalling and then ending up with a c-section.  So ... this post goes out to you!

It is quite common for labor to stall at some point.  Anxiety, exhaustion, dehydration, frustration, poor fetal positioning, and lying still for long periods of time are a few contributing factors.  Some women just have weaker contractions and are in some sort of labor for days.  Some women have not had any sleep the last few days or weeks, and so their bodies will take breaks to try to reserve energy for pushing.  Whatever the case, if the mother is coping well and the infant is tolerating the contractions just fine, there is no reason to immediately turn to a c-section.

The only problem is, some women could be in labor for days.  This is far from appealing to anyone.  The mother and her partner will be emotionally and physically exhausted, and the care provider will not only be tired, but they will be losing time they could be spending with other patients.  Everyone has their limit that they are willing to let things go naturally, and you will have to decide what yours is.  You should definitely be aware that hospitals have the shortest amount of time that labors are allowed to endure, especially as it seems so very much easier to wheel down the hall and cut the baby out.  Most hospitals have a 24 hour policy; from the moment you check in you are on a time clock.  You will also be likely to hear people saying things like, "Let's get this kid out on my shift!"  or, "Your doctor will be here in a couple more hours,"  which is kind enough, but does definitely put pressure on the mother to achieve some sort of schedule.

Birth does not happen that way.

I would suggest making a birth plan, having a good idea of what is most important to you, and then once labor starts .... just don't worry about it.  Let your partner handle schedule stuff while you go inward ... get in that mammalian brain that actually does know the best way to get that baby out.  Sometimes the less you think, the better.

Here are a couple of good articles:
http://www.spinningbabies.com/research-and-references/268-patience-when-labor-stalls
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18978113

delayed cord clamping

Delayed cord clamping is exactly that .... delaying the clamping of the cord for around two minutes; or when it stops pulsing.  This is something that is not done too often in hospitals unless the couple requests it.  It allows the last of the nutrients from the placenta to be delivered to the baby, and has some definite benefits; there was a marked improvement in the content of the babys' blood -- particularly their iron levels -- extending throughout their infancy.

I found a great medical article on it here.

The article concludes with:

"Delaying clamping of the umbilical cord in full-term neonates for a minimum of 2 minutes following birth is beneficial to the newborn, extending into infancy. Although there was an increase in polycythemia among infants in whom cord clamping was delayed, this condition appeared to be benign."
 

eating and drinking

During labor, nearly all hospitals restrict eating and drinking.  It stems from a procedure that is rarely used today, and is quite unnecessary.  Eating and drinking (juice, particularly) will boost your energy and aid you physically, and oftentimes emotionally as well.  Talk to your doctor to see if this will be a possibility.

I just read a really great article about it, and here is the first paragraph to tantalize your tastebuds ...

"The traditional practice of restricting food and fluids during labour does not provide any benefits, finds a new review co-authored by a Queen's University Associate Professor."

Read the rest of the article here.

skin to skin contact

If at all possible, try for immediate skin to skin contact with your baby.