This was originally posted on my old blog on April 29, 2010
I almost forgot to post this here:
In honor of Cesarean Awareness Month my gift to all of you is the NIH VBAC New Insights Conference 2010 videos split up by session so they won't crash your computer. Enjoy and share freely!
http://birthaftercesarean.com/Home/NIHVBACNewInsightsConference2010/tabid/277/Default.aspx
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Almost 40 wk Update
This was originally posted on my old blog on April 29, 2010.
I'll be 40 wks tomorrow. Can't say yet if anything exciting is going to happen or not. Doubt it given my history, but this little boy acts like he's going to be doing things his own way. I just hope that my pelvis doesn't start hurting anymore than it does right now. Feels pretty good at the moment so...
Student Midwife update: I'm on hiatus at the moment. I did finish Phase 2 and had sort of started Phase 3 before I started this hiatus. I'm still working through the Midwifery Explorations class, would have liked to have finished it before the baby came, but diapers are a little more important. lol
The diapers, well that has been a long project that started over a year ago. When I was pregnant with my nearly 3yo I had bought 36 Bum Genius (BG) cloth diapers, 12 pink, 12 white, 6 yellow and 6 green. I love them, they make cloth diapering so easy! However, after nearly 2 years of use I noticed the elastic in the legs wasn't as snappy as it used to be. Being the crafty do-it-yourselfer that I am, I took one diaper apart to see how hard it would be to change that elastic. It was fairly easy, just take out one seam and the old elastic, put in new elastic (guessing how long that should be was kind of tricky) and sew the seam back up. So, winter before last I replaced the elastic in maybe two-thirds of the diapers. My daughter was only using them about half time so I didn't really *have* to fix them all. I got pregnant again last fall and new I would have to finish fixing the rest of the diapers. I heard that you could get the new BG diapers with snaps rather than velcro and was a little jealous. The only thing I don't like about my BGs is the velcro, it's just a pain in a variety of ways. I had just bought a snap press last year for some other sewing projects.
Then I found out I was having a boy. No way! Me? A boy!? Are you sure?? lol I looked at my diapers and knew I had a lot of work to do. I ordered some fabric dye, which was tricky trying to find the right dye that would stick to a synthetic material. So now, I knew that I had to finish replacing the elastic in the legs, dye at least the pink diapers, AND take all the velcro off and put snaps in. :-) At this point, I've finished replacing all of the elastic, the last four diapers that needed to be dyed are in the dye soaking at the moment, and I only have about 12-15 that still need snaps. I'm so proud of myself, they look really nice. I just hope that the dye really does hold. We still have plenty left so we can re-dye if necessary, but I'd rather not have to do that on a frequent basis.
That's where I am for now.
P.S. A little note, there are some people that comment on my blog Anonymously, can you at least put your first name in your comment so I have some idea who you are?? lol It's bugging me that someone is talking to me and I have no clue who it is.
I'll be 40 wks tomorrow. Can't say yet if anything exciting is going to happen or not. Doubt it given my history, but this little boy acts like he's going to be doing things his own way. I just hope that my pelvis doesn't start hurting anymore than it does right now. Feels pretty good at the moment so...
Student Midwife update: I'm on hiatus at the moment. I did finish Phase 2 and had sort of started Phase 3 before I started this hiatus. I'm still working through the Midwifery Explorations class, would have liked to have finished it before the baby came, but diapers are a little more important. lol
The diapers, well that has been a long project that started over a year ago. When I was pregnant with my nearly 3yo I had bought 36 Bum Genius (BG) cloth diapers, 12 pink, 12 white, 6 yellow and 6 green. I love them, they make cloth diapering so easy! However, after nearly 2 years of use I noticed the elastic in the legs wasn't as snappy as it used to be. Being the crafty do-it-yourselfer that I am, I took one diaper apart to see how hard it would be to change that elastic. It was fairly easy, just take out one seam and the old elastic, put in new elastic (guessing how long that should be was kind of tricky) and sew the seam back up. So, winter before last I replaced the elastic in maybe two-thirds of the diapers. My daughter was only using them about half time so I didn't really *have* to fix them all. I got pregnant again last fall and new I would have to finish fixing the rest of the diapers. I heard that you could get the new BG diapers with snaps rather than velcro and was a little jealous. The only thing I don't like about my BGs is the velcro, it's just a pain in a variety of ways. I had just bought a snap press last year for some other sewing projects.
Then I found out I was having a boy. No way! Me? A boy!? Are you sure?? lol I looked at my diapers and knew I had a lot of work to do. I ordered some fabric dye, which was tricky trying to find the right dye that would stick to a synthetic material. So now, I knew that I had to finish replacing the elastic in the legs, dye at least the pink diapers, AND take all the velcro off and put snaps in. :-) At this point, I've finished replacing all of the elastic, the last four diapers that needed to be dyed are in the dye soaking at the moment, and I only have about 12-15 that still need snaps. I'm so proud of myself, they look really nice. I just hope that the dye really does hold. We still have plenty left so we can re-dye if necessary, but I'd rather not have to do that on a frequent basis.
That's where I am for now.
P.S. A little note, there are some people that comment on my blog Anonymously, can you at least put your first name in your comment so I have some idea who you are?? lol It's bugging me that someone is talking to me and I have no clue who it is.
Journey of a Student Midwife, part 1
This was originally posted on my old blog on March 17, 2010.
I started midwifery school a few months ago. I've been wanting to start a journal of my journey, but couldn't think of anything cute, witty, educational, etc., to write about. So, I'm just going to write and we'll see where it goes.
I'm already in Phase 2 in Ancient Art Midwifery's Advance Midwifery Studies course. Sometimes, it still seems surreal that I've made this monumental decision and that I'm actually walking on the path already. But here I am and loving every minute of it! :-) At times it all makes my head spin, there is so much to learn, so much to do, but I want to learn it all and then more!
On my current list of things I want to learn more about, not all necessarily directly related to midwifery:
I have books on most of these. I realize that some of these would only take a quick internet search to find the answer and some of these will be covered thoroughly in my midwifery studies. I just felt the need to make a list so that I don't forget to look them up, read more, etc.
I haven't been able to get much studying done in the last week because I had yet another cold. This one is almost over and I pray that it will be the last for the season. Please gods, let it be the last!
I started midwifery school a few months ago. I've been wanting to start a journal of my journey, but couldn't think of anything cute, witty, educational, etc., to write about. So, I'm just going to write and we'll see where it goes.
I'm already in Phase 2 in Ancient Art Midwifery's Advance Midwifery Studies course. Sometimes, it still seems surreal that I've made this monumental decision and that I'm actually walking on the path already. But here I am and loving every minute of it! :-) At times it all makes my head spin, there is so much to learn, so much to do, but I want to learn it all and then more!
On my current list of things I want to learn more about, not all necessarily directly related to midwifery:
- Myomectomy
- SCT (which I can't remember what that stands for at the moment, will have to look it up)
- Micropreemies and vaginal birth, what are the risks?
- At term, how much of the uterus is fundus? (This is related to my special incisions research, to determine what "into the fundus" means on Surgical Reports.)
- Reactive Attachment Disorder
- Dermabond (I know what this is, but want to know what the pros/cons are.)
- Accreta/Percreta
- Newborn Physiology
- Thermogenesis
- brown fat
I have books on most of these. I realize that some of these would only take a quick internet search to find the answer and some of these will be covered thoroughly in my midwifery studies. I just felt the need to make a list so that I don't forget to look them up, read more, etc.
I haven't been able to get much studying done in the last week because I had yet another cold. This one is almost over and I pray that it will be the last for the season. Please gods, let it be the last!
Pregnancy, Birth and Civil Rights
This was originally posted on October 29, 2009.
I just finished watching the movie Ghosts of Mississippi. Being an Ohioan, I still have a hard time believing that there are people in the South that still think the way that they do about people of color and of the Jewish faith. The movie is based on a true story and a man that was assassinated in 1963, only 8 years before I was born. It was horrifying to me that the man who was finally found guilty had been flaunting his proud kill for nearly 30 years before they were able to convict him.
While I was watching the movie an email showed up on my phone from one of the lists that I’m on. A woman who is 39 weeks along and wanting to attempt a VBAC was told by her doctor today (a Saturday!) that she had scheduled a c-section for this woman next Wednesday unless she went into labor before then. The doctor also informed her that if she did not show up for the surgical removal of her new baby she would be recorded as non-compliant and would be reported to Child Protective Services. Civil rights? Since when did we hand over the right for our child to choose his or her own birth to these “care providers”? Why do these “care providers” think that they know better than our babies when it is time for them to come out? There are times when a baby needs to be removed early – but they are RARE and not just because the mother happened to have a previous cesarean. Why isn’t anyone (except for the women that these crimes are perpetrated on and sometimes their families) outraged at their behavior? Judges sign court orders for completely unnecessary surgeries before the mother even has a chance to get an atty, the surgery is done and over before she can argue her case or rebut the orders. How is that NOT a violation of our civil rights?? Why aren’t civil rights attorneys lining up to take these cases to court?
Why? Because they are un-winnable cases. The doctors have medical-ease that the judge and jury (if there is one) aren’t likely to understand. The doctors will make sure to explain it skewed in their favor. They claim the need for cesareans because of unstable heart tones as shown on the external fetal monitor. However, they don’t explain that the pitocin they insisted the patient needed may have caused those heart tones. Or the epidural that was necessitated by the pitocin may have caused those heart tone. Or simply the fact that the mother has been kept in a bed flat on her back with nothing to eat or drink for hours!
The doctors claim they are only operating in the best interest of the child. How is evicting a newborn baby from the womb of his or her mother before that baby is ready? Labor starts on it’s own exactly when the baby is ready. When the baby’s lungs are ready they release a hormone that sends a signal to the mother’s body that it time for labor to start. During labor the baby and the mother both receive a variation of hormones designed specifically for labor and birth. If you skip that entire process by removing the baby surgically before labor begins they both loose out on those beneficial hormones and the baby’s lungs may not be ready. If you interrupt that process by insisting that it isn’t moving fast enough they both loose out on those beneficial hormones and the mother’s body may not be ready to give birth.
Why can’t these “care providers” be patient?
“Midwives see birth as a miracle and only mess with it if there is a problem; doctors see birth as a problem and if they don’t mess with it, it’s a miracle!” - Barbara Harper, Gentle Birth Choices
I just finished watching the movie Ghosts of Mississippi. Being an Ohioan, I still have a hard time believing that there are people in the South that still think the way that they do about people of color and of the Jewish faith. The movie is based on a true story and a man that was assassinated in 1963, only 8 years before I was born. It was horrifying to me that the man who was finally found guilty had been flaunting his proud kill for nearly 30 years before they were able to convict him.
While I was watching the movie an email showed up on my phone from one of the lists that I’m on. A woman who is 39 weeks along and wanting to attempt a VBAC was told by her doctor today (a Saturday!) that she had scheduled a c-section for this woman next Wednesday unless she went into labor before then. The doctor also informed her that if she did not show up for the surgical removal of her new baby she would be recorded as non-compliant and would be reported to Child Protective Services. Civil rights? Since when did we hand over the right for our child to choose his or her own birth to these “care providers”? Why do these “care providers” think that they know better than our babies when it is time for them to come out? There are times when a baby needs to be removed early – but they are RARE and not just because the mother happened to have a previous cesarean. Why isn’t anyone (except for the women that these crimes are perpetrated on and sometimes their families) outraged at their behavior? Judges sign court orders for completely unnecessary surgeries before the mother even has a chance to get an atty, the surgery is done and over before she can argue her case or rebut the orders. How is that NOT a violation of our civil rights?? Why aren’t civil rights attorneys lining up to take these cases to court?
Why? Because they are un-winnable cases. The doctors have medical-ease that the judge and jury (if there is one) aren’t likely to understand. The doctors will make sure to explain it skewed in their favor. They claim the need for cesareans because of unstable heart tones as shown on the external fetal monitor. However, they don’t explain that the pitocin they insisted the patient needed may have caused those heart tones. Or the epidural that was necessitated by the pitocin may have caused those heart tone. Or simply the fact that the mother has been kept in a bed flat on her back with nothing to eat or drink for hours!
The doctors claim they are only operating in the best interest of the child. How is evicting a newborn baby from the womb of his or her mother before that baby is ready? Labor starts on it’s own exactly when the baby is ready. When the baby’s lungs are ready they release a hormone that sends a signal to the mother’s body that it time for labor to start. During labor the baby and the mother both receive a variation of hormones designed specifically for labor and birth. If you skip that entire process by removing the baby surgically before labor begins they both loose out on those beneficial hormones and the baby’s lungs may not be ready. If you interrupt that process by insisting that it isn’t moving fast enough they both loose out on those beneficial hormones and the mother’s body may not be ready to give birth.
Why can’t these “care providers” be patient?
“Midwives see birth as a miracle and only mess with it if there is a problem; doctors see birth as a problem and if they don’t mess with it, it’s a miracle!” - Barbara Harper, Gentle Birth Choices
It's been 8 years...
This was originally posted on my old blog on May 31, 2009.
In April of 2001, I noticed that Brittany hadn't been looking as healthy as she once did. Her face was pale and she developed circles under her eyes. I thought she needed more iron, more protein, more vitamins. Nothing helped. She was 7 and had 2 younger sisters so I hadn't helped her with a bath or shower for at least a year already. The first warm day we met my mom for dinner. Brittany accidentally caught her arm in the van when we were getting out. My mom and I checked for injuries and we both noticed how thin her arm was. There was very little muscle. Brittany had never been a skinny child, so this was unusual. I told my mom I thought she needed more iron/protein/vitamins and she agreed.
In mid-May, Shayna (almost 1) caught a flu bug. I ended up having to take her to the hospital for IV fluids overnight because she'd become so dehydrated.
On May 26th, I had taken all three of the girls to the zoo. By the time we left I was more than a little annoyed with Brittany because she had been dragging her feet through the entire visit and I kept having to wait for her to catch up. At one point I yelled at her for it.
On Memorial Day May 28th, my mom and I were planning on driving all the girls to Columbus to drop Morgan and Shayna off with their dad. On the way back, my mom and I thought it would be find to just take the scenic drive and stop to eat in a little town, get ice cream somewhere, etc. However, that morning Brittany could barely get off the couch. Her eyes were droopy, breathing was fast and shallow, her heart was racing. Instead of a nice spring drive, we got to go to the hospital. I took her to the one closest to my house because I figured she'd only be there for a few hours, maybe overnight.
I kept thinking maybe she had some kind of flu thing that was just affecting her differently than it had affected Shayna. They got her in a room at the ER, after the usual wait in the waiting room. Took a bunch of blood and did a chest x-ray. Are chest x-rays protocol? I think every single time that I've taken any of my kids to the ER they've gotten a chest x-ray, unless they needed something else x-rayed.
After an eternity, the doctor comes back with the blood work results. I don't even remember how he told me or what my reaction was. But she had Type 1 Diabetes, her blood sugar was over 500. They had already called the pediatric endocrinologist that was on call and an ambulance to come to transfer her to another hospital. The hospital that we were at didn't have a Peds facility. My head started spinning, probably why I don't remember exactly what exactly he'd said.
I called my mom and Brittany's father. Brittany's dad and his mom came up to the hospital. They brought Brittany a tray of food for lunch and we all waited for the ambulance. I really wanted to ride with her, but my van was there and her dad was going to go with her. (He'd only recently been regularly involved in her life.)
So, we all transfered to the other hospital. They admitted her to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and started getting her set up with an IV. Needless to say she was not happy.
That was the first day of our lives with Diabetes. It's been a rough road, but finally I think we are gaining the upper hand on this disease. If you are interested, the rest of the story is here.
Memorial Day has since had a whole new meaning for me.
In April of 2001, I noticed that Brittany hadn't been looking as healthy as she once did. Her face was pale and she developed circles under her eyes. I thought she needed more iron, more protein, more vitamins. Nothing helped. She was 7 and had 2 younger sisters so I hadn't helped her with a bath or shower for at least a year already. The first warm day we met my mom for dinner. Brittany accidentally caught her arm in the van when we were getting out. My mom and I checked for injuries and we both noticed how thin her arm was. There was very little muscle. Brittany had never been a skinny child, so this was unusual. I told my mom I thought she needed more iron/protein/vitamins and she agreed.
In mid-May, Shayna (almost 1) caught a flu bug. I ended up having to take her to the hospital for IV fluids overnight because she'd become so dehydrated.
On May 26th, I had taken all three of the girls to the zoo. By the time we left I was more than a little annoyed with Brittany because she had been dragging her feet through the entire visit and I kept having to wait for her to catch up. At one point I yelled at her for it.
On Memorial Day May 28th, my mom and I were planning on driving all the girls to Columbus to drop Morgan and Shayna off with their dad. On the way back, my mom and I thought it would be find to just take the scenic drive and stop to eat in a little town, get ice cream somewhere, etc. However, that morning Brittany could barely get off the couch. Her eyes were droopy, breathing was fast and shallow, her heart was racing. Instead of a nice spring drive, we got to go to the hospital. I took her to the one closest to my house because I figured she'd only be there for a few hours, maybe overnight.
I kept thinking maybe she had some kind of flu thing that was just affecting her differently than it had affected Shayna. They got her in a room at the ER, after the usual wait in the waiting room. Took a bunch of blood and did a chest x-ray. Are chest x-rays protocol? I think every single time that I've taken any of my kids to the ER they've gotten a chest x-ray, unless they needed something else x-rayed.
After an eternity, the doctor comes back with the blood work results. I don't even remember how he told me or what my reaction was. But she had Type 1 Diabetes, her blood sugar was over 500. They had already called the pediatric endocrinologist that was on call and an ambulance to come to transfer her to another hospital. The hospital that we were at didn't have a Peds facility. My head started spinning, probably why I don't remember exactly what exactly he'd said.
I called my mom and Brittany's father. Brittany's dad and his mom came up to the hospital. They brought Brittany a tray of food for lunch and we all waited for the ambulance. I really wanted to ride with her, but my van was there and her dad was going to go with her. (He'd only recently been regularly involved in her life.)
So, we all transfered to the other hospital. They admitted her to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and started getting her set up with an IV. Needless to say she was not happy.
That was the first day of our lives with Diabetes. It's been a rough road, but finally I think we are gaining the upper hand on this disease. If you are interested, the rest of the story is here.
Memorial Day has since had a whole new meaning for me.
ICAN Conference - Catching Up
This was originally posted on my old blog on May 11, 2009.
I was lucky enough to get to go to the ICAN Conference in Atlanta a few weeks ago. I cannot begin to describe the experience. I finally got to give hugs to all of these women that I've shared stories with over the last few years. We've shared joys, losses, traumas, waiting, all of it. These women know me better than most of my family and I know these women better than most of my family. Finally getting to see these women in person was not like meeting them for the first time. Just getting together with them again. :-) Without these women, I would not have had any idea that a VBAC was even possible after an Inverted T incision, not to mention the courage to find a care provider that would assist me.
I was lucky enough to get to go to the ICAN Conference in Atlanta a few weeks ago. I cannot begin to describe the experience. I finally got to give hugs to all of these women that I've shared stories with over the last few years. We've shared joys, losses, traumas, waiting, all of it. These women know me better than most of my family and I know these women better than most of my family. Finally getting to see these women in person was not like meeting them for the first time. Just getting together with them again. :-) Without these women, I would not have had any idea that a VBAC was even possible after an Inverted T incision, not to mention the courage to find a care provider that would assist me.
It's been a year and two days...
This was originally posted on my old blog on April 20, 2009.
...Since I lost my little one at only 9 weeks gestation. It feels like it's been longer. I've tried to put so much distance between. I miss you little bean.
The rest of the story is here if you are interested.
...Since I lost my little one at only 9 weeks gestation. It feels like it's been longer. I've tried to put so much distance between. I miss you little bean.
The rest of the story is here if you are interested.
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