My Token Christmas post

That is my favorite 'Christmas' song.

Nanny State Gone Mad

Drop-down side cribs banned.

"'These products are deadly'

In all, drop-side cribs have been blamed in the deaths of at least 32 infants and toddlers since 2000 and are suspected in another 14 infant fatalities. "

This is utterly ridiculous! For fewer than 4 deaths per year they are banning a very useful product. Insane. If we were to outlaw every thing that could potentially kill a child there would be precious little left to do in the world.

Let's put some perspective on the 4 deaths per year.

Statistics on accidental deaths per year

We need to outlaw swimming and bathing because over 3,000 die from drowning each year.

We need to outlaw every chemical cleaner and pharmacuetical because over 9,000 die from poisoning each year.

Electricity should be done away with because over 400 are killed each year from electrical shock.

Modern medicine should also be banned because complications from medical procedures kill nearly 3,000 each year.

And above all motor vehicles should be banned, they kill over 45,000 each year.

Vaccines kill as well. According to this page, in two years over 70 infants died within a day of vaccination. And the controversy surrounding Gardasil is growing.

I am sorry for those who lost children because of faulty parts, truly I am. The loss of a child, no matter the reason, is sad. This over zealous effort to make the children 'safe' however, is not the way to handle it.

Americans have been seduced by the idea that bad things will never happen to them. They somehow think that it is possible to never have an accident happen. Life is fraught with peril. There is no guarantee that one will live to see the sun come up tomorrow or even go down tonight. Accidents happen. They are always sad, but they will happen.

So what will happen now that the evil drop-side cribs are done away with? Well, there are plenty of them still out there and I doubt those who use them will be wanting to give them up.

For those who will have no choice but to use a stationary side crib they will do one of two things. They will not put the matteress down as far as it should be so they will be able to reach to put their child in it safely or they will use some alternate sleeping arrangement.

For the first option, that could be dangerous once the baby starts pulling up (as early as 7 mos). The baby could fall out of the crib and then end up with a broken head, neck, or extremity and perhaps even die.

For the second, while I am an advocate for cosleeping (have with all eight of my kids), not everyone does it correctly and it can be dangerous in certain circumstances. People might choose to use playards/pens instead. That would be okay, that is what we use for Edward when he isn't in bed with us.

The point is, the alternatives are not perfectly safe either, accidents can, and will, happen. There will always be dangers. And putting our energy into removing a very minor danger as the drop-side crib is wasteful when there are so many other things that kill far more.

Here We Go Again!

Recieved this morning from AFA"Here it is - AFA's 2010 Christmas 'Naughty or Nice' store listing
Which stores recognize Christmas in their advertising...and who's the Scrooge?
November 17, 2010Dear Trina,As the Christmas shopping season begins full swing, AFA has prepared its annual "Naughty or Nice" retailer list. We have taken the top 100 national retailers and reviewed their websites, media advertising and in-store signage in an effort to help you know which companies are Christmas-friendly.
Over the past five years, your AFA has stood firm in the "War on Christmas." Companies who used to refuse to acknowledge Christmas now have Christmas "shops" inside their stores. Many of them now liberally use "Christmas" in their advertising and in-store signage. Sadly, there are still some companies which refuse to use "Christmas." They continue to insult and offend Christian shoppers by sticking with their politically correct "holiday" term.
On Friday, November 19, AFA will announce a "Christmas shopping boycott" of a well-known major retailer who doesn't deserve your business. This particular company has ignored yours and AFA's pleas for years. We will be asking you to tell this company that you will not do any "Christmas" shopping in its stores this year. Watch for the AFA Action Alert coming to your In-box this Friday!
Time is running out! Supplies are now limited on AFA's beautiful Christmas buttons.
I'm asking individuals like you in thousands of communities across the nation to head up this project in their local churches. Your willingness to underwrite the cost for your church and enthusiastically promote this project is the key to making an impact in your area.
Order your personal pack of 10 or 30 buttons today, or, sponsor your entire church by choosing a Large or Small Church Packet or the NEW Display Box of 250 buttons. And, we will include FREE SHIPPING on all Christmas buttons and stickers."I've blogged about this before and my opinion hasn't changed, except perhaps that I am more disgusted with Christians' materialism.

I Despise Voter Guides!

Talk about a senseless killing of trees! They are absolutely useless. Unless of course you are a one, two, or three issue voter and you don't really care what a person actually does in office and care only for their rhetoric.

And tell me why the Commissioner of Agriculture's or the Commissioner of the General Land Office's or the Railroad Commissioner's position on abortion, gambling, divorce reform, sex education, or marriage has anything to do with the office they may hold.

The overly simplistic information provided doesn't tell the whole story and it doesn't surprise me that some candidates don't respond. I wouldn't.

If the 'Voters Guide' is your main source of information about candidates, do us all a favor and DON'T VOTE!!!

Perpetuating Lies

Lots of that going on these days.

The one that irritates my political bones the most is the, "Obama is a Muslim.". The convoluted logic that backs up this assertion is ridiculous. Blogs like this one proliferate the myth as well. I won't bother refuting many of the points in that one. A serious, objective reader with even the smallest ability to reason will see the lack of basis there is in the 'proof'.

Obama has repeatedly said that he is a Christian. In an interview with Christianity Today Obama said, "I am a Christian, and I am a devout Christian. I believe in the redemptive death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I believe that that faith gives me a path to be cleansed of sin and have eternal life. " One would be hard pressed to get a clearer declaration of salvation than that.

Now on to Franklin Graham's comments about Obama's faith. Graham clearly says the Obama professed to be a Christian and that we must take Obama's word on that (which we really must do with anyone professing Christianity because we cannot see into another man's heart). So that part is cool.

The part that bugs me is the, "Obama was born a Muslim." No. Obama was born to a father who was a Muslim, and not even a practicing Muslim. Graham asserts that one can be 'born a Jew or born a Muslim' but not a Christian. Islam is a religion, not an ethnicity. Obama's father was from Kenya (Brief Kenyan history). If, Islam is to be considered an ethnicity it would be Arabs that fit the bill since Muhammad claimed to be descended from Abraham and Ishmael. There is a difference also in being born an Hebrew and being born into a Jewish family. The same principle applies to Obama. His father was a Muslim, but his father was not an Ishmaelite. See the difference? I hope so.

I beg of all the Republicans out there that don't like Obama that you quit using the argument that Obama is a Muslim as a campaign issue and wedge to further divide America. According to our Constitution there is no religious test for those who would hold public office in this country. Constitutionally Obama's faith is completely irrelevant. Get over it and quit chasing red herrings and beating straw men to death. Can't you see that this is a distraction? There are so many issues that need our attention and propagating this falsehood does nothing but divide and distract.

The FED has devalued our money, we are waging unconstitutional wars that are draining our treasury and robbing from our children, our liberties are being trampled upon by the government behemoth, we have politicians that are owned by big business and big pharma, we are being taxed out of our livelihood all while the politicians and pundits distract us with non-issues. Concentrate. Focus. And fight for true liberty before it is gone forever.

U.S. Funding Foreign Mosques (or "I Knew Obama Was A Muslim!!")

This article being bandied about by every conservative blogger and news outlet is getting very tiresome. And, unfortunately, it seems to be gaining steam. The senseless proliferation of the overstated implications of the funding of mosques is astounding to me. So, to bring some balance to the discussion...

First, the AFCP (Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation) was founded in 2001 under our glorious, godly President George W. Bush. And under Bush there was a lot of money donated to restore/preserve mosques and Islamic texts. Below is a link to the AFCP so that you can verify what will follow.

Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation

2001~ $14,942 for the preservation of Islamic texts; $14,500 to restore a mosque. For a total of: $29,442. Total AFCP payout for the year $2,858,662.

2002/2003~ $25,345 for mosque renovations; $24,475 repair for a Muslim mausoleum; $24,945 for restoration of a mosque/madrassa; $14,446 for mosque preservation. For a total of: $89,211. Total AFCP payout for the year $3,454,710.

2003/2004~$16,650 to preserve Islamic manuscripts; $33,310 to preserve a mosque. For a total of $49,960. Total AFCP payout for the year $2,344,815.

2004/2005~ $23,375 for exhibition of Islamic manuscripts; $9,345 to document Islamic heritage; $31,931 to restore a mosque; $16,100 to preserve Islamic culture; $31,015 for restoration of a mosque. For a total of $111766. Total AFCP payout for the year $3,261,251.

2005/2006~ $25,000 for preservation of Islamic texts; $24,000 to restore a mosque; $24,125 to restore a mosque; $24,700 to restore yet another mosque; $22,500 for a survey of Islamic architecture. For a total of $120,325. Total AFCP payout for the year $4,464,113.

2006/2007~ $25,589 to restore mosques; $60,600 to restore a mosque; $106,110 to restore a mosque; $37,676 to restore a madrassa. For a total of $229,975. Total AFCP payout for the year $5,026,328.

There was no information for 2007/2008 or 2008/2009.

Please bear in mind that these projects for mosques and Islamic texts and cultural preservation are only a small fraction of the overall money being spent.

Now I will agree that the government should not have been spending this money when we are having to borrow money from China, but to use this as an argument against Obama or to prove that Obama has Muslim sympathies is ridiculous; unless one is willing to admit that Bush also was a Muslim/Muslim sympathizer.

To my patriotic friends I say, Do not become sidetracked with this non-issue! That is exactly the kind of thing the government is hoping for so that we won't be watching what is really going on.

The Cordoba Initiative

The Cordoba Initiative got the go ahead to build the community center and mosque a couple of blocks from Ground Zero. And, not surprisingly, the Right is in uproar. The amount of vitriol coming from opponents of the mosque is really disturbing. I saw a comment on an article where the author called for all mosques to be blown up. Hateful people.

One of the arguments I hear most often is about the name of the mosque, Cordoba House. Cordoba was built, as the critics of the mosque say, as a sign of the triumph of the Muslims and that the use of that name means that the Muslims in NYC that are building this mosque are doing it as a celebration of the Islamic victory on 9/11. Maybe so, and?
History of Cordoba

I found this tidbit interesting. Quote from this article, "Ironically, Islam's roots in New York City are in the area around the site of the World Trade Center, and they predate the Twin Towers: in the late 19th century, a portion of lower Manhattan was known as Little Syria and was inhabited by Arab immigrants — Muslims and Christians — from the Ottoman Empire"

I like this video, the guy is a little annoying but makes a good point.



Jon Stewart had a great segment about this called "Municipal Land-Use Hearing Update". If you want to watch it you'll have to go look it up. He says one bad word that wasn't bleeped so I won't post it here.

If this were just about a mosque at Ground Zero I might sympathize. But there have been several instances when residents of cities all over the country have protested mosques being built, even before 9/11. And usually those protesting say they are christians and patriotic americans. Nevermind that the freedom of religion is in the 1st Amendment to the Constitution.

I had a lot more to say, but can't at the moment. Kids need tending to.

Elena Kagan and Prop 8

I must admit that I have not followed the confirmation proceedings for the newest Supreme Court Justice well. If I had wanted to be informed I am quite certain that I would not go to One News Now or any other Right-wing source for my information. This article illustrates my concern well. The 'experts' say that Kagan will be a solid vote for "homosexual 'marriage'" without bothering to give any real reason for that opinion. I have a feeling that what they mean is that she will not cast a vote to infringe upon the liberties of a segment of the population that the Christian Right disagrees with.

The whole Christian Right is in uproar over the CA judge that overturned the Prop 8 amendment. So was Judge Vaughn Walker correct? I am inclined to think that he was. And if the case does make it to the Supreme Court I hope that they will uphold his decision.

I read some of the text of the judgement, it is long, over 130 pages, so I didn't read every word. I am going to touch on some of the things I did read.

First for the conclusion drawn by Judge Walker.

"Conclusion
Proposition 8 fails to advance any rational basis in singling out gay men and lesbians for denial of a marriage license. Indeed, the evidence shows Proposition 8 does nothing more than enshrine in the California Constitution the notion that opposite-sex couples are superior to same-sex couples.Because California has no interest in discriminating against gay men and lesbians, and because Proposition 8 prevents California from fulfilling its constitutional obligation to provide marriages on an equal basis, the court concludes that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional."

The portion of the US Constitution he refers to is the 14th Amendment:
Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

If the law of CA recognizes marriage for heterosexuals it must also grant the same priviledge to homosexuals. The belief that homosexuality is sinful is a religious one. I agree with those on the right that homosexuality is wrong, but I don't want the government making moral judgements.

Part of the text in the judgement is:

"A state's interest in an enactment must of course be secular in nature. The state does not have an interest in enforcing private moral or religious beliefs without an accompanying secular purpose."

That is true.

The notion that homosexual marriage will degrade or in any other way affect heterosexual marriage is ridiculous. How can it affect my marriage? Homosexuals marrying will not change the commitment my husband and I have made. Homosexuals being allowed to have a marriage license and all of the rights, responsibilites, and privileges that go with it, "will not affect the number of opposite-sex couples who marry, divorce, cohabit, have children outside of marriage or otherwise affect the stability of opposite-sex marriages".

There was one part of the argument against Prop 8 that I disagree with. "Religious beliefs that gay and lesbian relationships are sinful harm gays and lesbians." How is that? I've never harmed anyone who is homosexual. How can my belief that they are wrong for their sexual proclivity harm them unless they allow it to affect them? I know people who believe that somethings I do are 'sinful'. It does not harm me for them to hold that view.

So, to end. If Kagan would vote that a 'ban' on homosexual marriage is unconstitutional I believe that would be a good thing. If that is the only argument the Right has against her, it isn't much.

Religious Liberty- Does It Still Exist in America?

Got this in my inbox yesterday from World Net Daily

Patriotic American,

The time for the so called "religious tolerance" double standard is OVER! And that's why I am sending you this most important email today on behalf of ReAL Action – The citizen activist arm of Renewing American Leadership. We must act now before it is too late.

It appears that the man leading this initiative blames us for the attack on the World Trade Center.

Here is an exact quote from the Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf:
"The United States and the West must acknowledge
the harm they have done to Muslims before
terrorism can end." - See full article.

According to the New York Post, "The imam behind a proposed mosque near Ground Zero is a prominent member of a group that helped sponsor the pro-Palestinian activists who clashed violently with Israeli commandos at sea this week." – See full article.

The memories are still very fresh in my mind---but, more importantly, the minds of the families of the nearly 3,000 that were killed.

Even though there are more than 100 mosques in the New York City area, there are no churches and synagogues in the entire country of Saudi Arabia.

The time to end this religious double standard is now.

The very name "Cordoba House" tells us the true meaning behind the effort to build a mosque overlooking the site where thousands of Americans lost their lives. The name refers to Cordoba, Spain where Muslim conquerors symbolized their victory over Christianity by transforming a church into one of the biggest mosques in the world. To learn more about this, listen to a more detailed explanation from my good friend Dr. Jim Garlow, the President of Renewing American Leadership.

I believe that peaceful Muslims can have a place of worship – but my mind cannot even comprehend the audacity of trying to build a $100 Million mosque at Ground Zero. America is experiencing an Islamist cultural-political offensive designed to undermine and destroy our civilization. Sadly, too many of our elites are the willing apologists for those who would destroy them if they could.

Select here to read my entire statement on the Ground Zero mosque.

It is not only a slap in the face to the families of the nearly 3,000 9/11 victims, but to every patriotic American, like you.

This is a genuine, insensitive injustice.

I cannot understand why city officials are bowing to the demands of the American Society for Muslim Advancement to open this 13-story shrine to Islam on . . . of all days---September 11, 2011! Will you assist me in STOPPING this onslaught against the common decency of respecting the families of 9-11?

Thank you for your true patriotism to our great country.

Your friend,
Newt Gingrich"


I would ask Mr. Gingrich what "double standard" he is referring to. Here in America, per the 1st Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, all religions are free to worship and build places of worship if they choose. I would say from the rest of his letter that he is the one with the double standard. He wishes to infringe on the rights of Muslims to worship and build a mosque.

He goes on to say that there are over 100 mosques in the New York area. And his point is? NYC has a population of over 8 million. That gives a ratio of 1:80,000 for mosques to people. I'd be interested to know how many christian churches are in NYC. In my city of less than 200,000 there are over 200 christian churches. That gives a ratio of about 1:1,000 christian churches to people.

Later he gets to the "double standard" he is referring to. Saudi Arabia doesn't have any christian churches. Well... The Saudis are bigots what can we say? Does that mean we should be too? How utterly juvenile! The Christian Right people are always belly-aching about the 'persecution' of Christians here in America and then turn right around an wish to persecute people of another faith. What hypocrisy! And this kind of persecution predates 9/11. See this article.

Now I quote that pesky First Amendment;

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

I know it isn't Congress making a law in the case of the mosque near Ground Zero. The principle, however, is being violated by those who wish to keep the Muslims from building it.

~Rabbit~ The Right's pundits keep saying 'the mosque at Ground Zero' or 'the Ground Zero Mosque'. The proposed mosque will NOT be at Ground Zero. It is 3 city blocks away. Close, but not 'on' or 'at'. A nice example of how alarmist language is shaping this issue.

It was not the Islamic church as a whole that attacked us on 9/11. It was a group of radical Muslims. Most of which came from Saudi Arabia and not Afghanistan or Iraq (but that's another rabbit I don't have time to hunt and kill).

Newt says,"I believe that peaceful Muslims can have a place of worship" -- unless of course Newt doesn't like their choice of location.

This whole thing sickens me. If Christians are so concerned about Muslims taking over America why don't they get off their butts and do some soul-winning?! Live like a Christian and quit spouting hateful and bigoted rhetoric that only serves to offend and alienate those that the Christians perceive as their enemies but who they should be showing the love of Christ to bring them to the saving knowledge of his grace.

1 Corinthians 9:19-23, "For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you."

As for the quote by the Imam. Bin Laden's professed reasons for the 9/11 attack and other attacks was the US' interference in Middle East affairs and occupation of their countries. Unfortunately, the US will not acknowledge her part. And she should. It does not compromise our national security or degrade us or make us less to admit, "Hey, we screwed up, Sorry 'bout that."

It is what I tell my kids all the time when one of them is in trouble and the one pipes up with, "Well, she/he started it!" or "Well, they did it too!" or whatever words they use to justify themselves and lay blame on someone else. "You are only responsible for yourself. And just because someone else does wrong doesn't make it okay for you to do it."

Those on the Right are making a big stink about this to cause division. And it seems to be working quite well. They use emotional and inflammatory language to get a rise out of people. And those people are not objectively considering what is being said.

I will close with some wise words from some of America's founding period.

"If we may openly speak the truth neither Pagan nor Mahometan, nor Jew, ought to be excluded from the civil rights of the commonwealth because of his religion." John Locke

"He that would make his own liberty secure, must guard even his enemy from opposition; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will reach himself." Thomas Paine

Richard Henry Lee, who had made a motion in Congress on June 7, 1776, that the American colonies declare independence. "True freedom," Lee asserted, "embraces the Mahomitan and the Gentoo (Hindu) as well as the Christian religion."

Officials in Massachusetts were equally insistent that their influential Constitution of 1780 afforded "the most ample liberty of conscience … to Deists, Mahometans, Jews and Christians," a point that Chief Justice Theophilus Parsons resoundingly affirmed in 1810.

A petition of a group of citizens of Chesterfield County, Va., to the state assembly, Nov. 14, 1785: "Let Jews, Mehometans and Christians of every denomination enjoy religious liberty…thrust them not out now by establishing the Christian religion lest thereby we become our own enemys and weaken this infant state.

Benjamin Rush, asserted that he had "rather see the opinions of Confucius or Mohammed inculcated upon our youth than see them grow up wholly devoid of a system of religious principles."

Sara is 2!

Yesterday was Sara's 2nd birthday. We don't do parties for the kids very often and we didn't yesterday, just cake with the family. :D But here's some pics from the last two years!

Some more pics of Edward! :D

Edward and Mama

Sara and Edward

Edward 1 week old

Such cute, chubby cheeks! :D

Edward Clarence (Birth Story)

Let's see... I had been having prodromal labor, as usual, for at least a week. On Wed. (June 16) evening the intensity really started to ramp up but the contractions were still irregular. Slept pretty good that night and woke at about 4:30 am unable to sleep through the contractions anymore. Below is me that morning, my last belly pic at exactly 40 weeks. :) Emma, Sara, and I went for a walk that morning. Then I laid down and tried to rest a bit. The midwife, Leah, came over and we listened to the baby's heart. He was doing good and I still felt it was going to be awhile so Leah left and I tried to rest some more.

Chelsea and Hannah came over about 5:30 and took the kids out for a few hours. Matt and I rested some and the contractions got stronger but not really any closer together. When Chels and Hannah came back with the kids we all went for a walk. It was about 9, the sun was setting and there was a nice breeze. :) I was proud of Chelsea, despite her fear of pregnant ladies, she went along and didn't seem too creeped out during contractions. ;)

After our walk, Chelsea and Hannah and Cora went to get snacks. Matt went to get me something to eat. I called the midwife while Matt was gone. By the time Matt got back I knew it was getting really close. Contractions were closer and most definitely stronger, not much talking during them anymore. Matt and the boys filled up the pool.

The midwife arrived. We listened to the baby again and he was doing good. I put off getting in the pool for as long as I could. It was about 11:30 pm when I finally got in.

I was pushing a little through a few contractions. Then everything got a lot more intense and pushing wasn't an option, it was a compulsion! It only took about three contractions

for Edward to make his entrance. He was born at 12:30 am June 18. :D eta: He was born in the caul, the bag not breaking until he was completely born. :) All of the other kids were there, Except Kyla, she was on a plane. Sara was asleep in Chelsea's arms. Cora cut the umbilical cord.

The most beautiful sound in the world-baby's first cry! :D

Cuddling my new boy and delivering the placenta. Edward's color was just beautiful! Aren't those cheeks just the most wonderful rosy red?!

My beautiful little man!

A special thanks to my helpful photographers Hannah, Emma, and Cora! :D

P.S. Edward, like all our boys, is named after grandfathers. Edward was my father's dad's name and Clarence is my father-in-law's middle name.

Frustration.

Contractions all day and night that seem to be getting slowly more intense and even a little longer and sometimes closer together but that stop every once in awhile. I know this happens every time, but I still find myself getting frustrated with it. It is discouraging! And everyone asking all the time doesn't help. My husband being the worst! LOL

On a happy note. My girl will be home on Friday! Yeah!! I've not heard much the last several days, no internet access where they are I guess. It will be so nice to have her back home! I look forward to hearing about everything she did and saw!

Not much else. Just trying to keep busy and get enough rest and keep the house in some sort of order!

How soon we forget.

Not long ago Joe Lieberman introduced the Terrorist Expatriation Act (S 3327)in Congress. The idea that a citizen of the United States could be stripped of their rights is very disturbing. Of course most of the things that would cause the loss of citizenship are understandable (i.e. swearing allegiance to or getting citizenship in an enemy state). There was one point that was still very disturbing. I did already blog about that bill here.


What seems to have gone unnoticed is John McCain's bill. The Enemy Belligerent Interrogation Detention and Prosecution Act (S 3081).


What really disturbs me is that many people seem to think this is a good idea! That taking away the rights of American citizens because they are suspected of terrorism could ever be thought a good idea is just appalling!!


After all it was only last year when the whole hullaballoo happened about the DHS report that targeted "right-wing extremists" and some other groups as potential terrorists.


So, I ask, Christians who want to deny rights to citizens and to keep even noncitizens from having legal counsel and the right to a trial, what will you do when it is YOU that is taken to a military prison to be held indefinitely without the right to know why you are being held or to have legal counsel or even the chance to defend yourself? How will you feel then? Will you still think that the terrorists are our greatest enemy? Will you still believe that non-citizens should not have Miranda rights when your citizenship is stripped from you because you are merely suspected of terrorist activity?

Christians who lament about how they are 'persecuted' here in America are embracing legislation that will make real persecution so very easy!! I know very few Christians who oppose the PATRIOT Act, and most Christians I know are all for not giving Miranda rights to those who are not citizens and/or are suspected of terrorism. (And, yep, I'm making a big deal about the term 'suspected'. A person is supposed to be innocent until proven guilty, not the other way around). In their zeal for a 'righteous government' and safety from terrorism Christians have lost sight of what America was really all about, freedom from tyranny.

When we crave 'safety' more than our liberty the terrorists win. And so I suppose they have won...

At War With Myself.

I've been doing some reading. I read "Pushed" by Jennifer Block and am currently reading "Born in the USA" by Marsden Wagner MD.

Both of these books and the stories I hear from other women, what I've seen other women go through in birth and what I have experienced myself have convinced me that the maternity care in America is a travesty!

Women have been convinced by doctors that the traditional midwife and homebirth is dangerous, when in actuality obstetricians have ever been the enemy of the healthy woman and her baby. The book "Birth" by Tina Cassidy gives a good history of obstetrics. In the book, "Born in the USA" Wagner tells how obstetricians have been experimenting on women without their knowledge, much less informed consent, since there was such a thing as an obstetrician.

Now I know there are good OBs out there and that most of them do not really set out to harm women and babies, but the sad fact is that their practices and lack of scientific method do in fact kill women and babies and have permanently harmed many many more.

The experimental use of forceps, x-rays, scolopamine, thalidomide, cytotec, unnecessary cesarean sections, constant fetal monitoring, and excessive use of ultrasound, and scare tactics to get women to have babies on the OB's schedule. It is really disgusting. And what saddens me the most is how completely most women have swallowed the lies and continue to believe them even when confronted with the truth.

So, now you're wondering where the title of the post fits. Well here it is:

1. I hate abortion. I think the way it is performed is atrocious. I believe that babies ought to be safe from such brutality.
2. I believe a woman ought to be able to choose where and how to give birth and be trusted to make the best decision for herself and her unborn child.

These two things are in conflict, at least according to some courts. There have been numerous cases where women have been court ordered to undergo a cesarean to 'save the baby'. Just Google "court ordered cesarean" (link to another blog post) and you will see many articles and blogs about the subject.
I believe it is dangerous to confer rights on the unborn for that reason. The issue of abortion and birth choice are inextricably intertwined, at least from a legal standpoint.

I find myself in an uncomfortable place. I want elective abortions to be done away with. The idea that a woman would willingly subject her baby to the torture of an abortion is just awful. But, I also want every woman to be able to choose where and how she births her child. The latter is in danger if pro-life advocates get their way and rights are conferred on the unborn.

I can see the difference, but that is because I believe certain things. I have a moral code that tells me that an unborn baby is indeed a life. Others do not believe the same. They have a different moral code than me. I suppose that answers my dilemma. I have no right to use the government to force others to believe, or even act as though the believe, the same way I do.

It was the last chapter of "Pushed" that really got me thinking about this. Reading about women who were forced in to major surgery for dubious reasons just sickened me. One woman was actually at the point of giving birth vaginally and the OB still cut her open!! It angers me to think that because some doctor thinks he knows better than the mother what is best for her and her baby the woman, and the baby, were subjected to the risks of major surgery. Of course I suppose that many people don't see cesarean as it really is, major abdominal surgery that carries great risk to mother and baby and even more risk in the event of a repeat cesarean.

Well, that's all for now.

I will be blogging later about the maternity system in America, it really is awful, but I just had to get this little bit out.

Essential Liberty

“Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” Benjamin Franklin

So. The wonderful Congressman from Connecticut, Joe Lieberman, has introduced the "Terrorism Expatriation Act". This act modifies another passed years ago while McCarthyism was still alive and well.

The text of the original is:

§ 1481. Loss of nationality by native-born or naturalized citizen; voluntary action; burden of proof; presumptions

(a) A person who is a national of the United States whether by birth or naturalization, shall lose his nationality by voluntarily performing any of the following acts with the intention of relinquishing United States nationality—

(1) obtaining naturalization in a foreign state upon his own application or upon an application filed by a duly authorized agent, after having attained the age of eighteen years; or

(2) taking an oath or making an affirmation or other formal declaration of allegiance to a foreign state or a political subdivision thereof, after having attained the age of eighteen years; or

(3) entering, or serving in, the armed forces of a foreign state if

(A) such armed forces are engaged in hostilities against the United States, or

(B) such persons serve as a commissioned or non-commissioned officer; or

(4)

(A) accepting, serving in, or performing the duties of any office, post, or employment under the government of a foreign state or a political subdivision thereof, after attaining the age of eighteen years if he has or acquires the nationality of such foreign state; or

(B) accepting, serving in, or performing the duties of any office, post, or employment under the government of a foreign state or a political subdivision thereof, after attaining the age of eighteen years for which office, post, or employment an oath, affirmation, or declaration of allegiance is required; or

(5) making a formal renunciation of nationality before a diplomatic or consular officer of the United States in a foreign state, in such form as may be prescribed by the Secretary of State; or

(6) making in the United States a formal written renunciation of nationality in such form as may be prescribed by, and before such officer as may be designated by, the Attorney General, whenever the United States shall be in a state of war and the Attorney General shall approve such renunciation as not contrary to the interests of national defense; or

(7) committing any act of treason against, or attempting by force to overthrow, or bearing arms against, the United States, violating or conspiring to violate any of the provisions of section 2383 of title 18, or willfully performing any act in violation of section 2385 of title 18, or violating section 2384 of title 18 by engaging in a conspiracy to overthrow, put down, or to destroy by force the Government of the United States, or to levy war against them, if and when he is convicted thereof by a court martial or by a court of competent jurisdiction.

(b) Whenever the loss of United States nationality is put in issue in any action or proceeding commenced on or after September 26, 1961 under, or by virtue of, the provisions of this chapter or any other Act, the burden shall be upon the person or party claiming that such loss occurred, to establish such claim by a preponderance of the evidence. Any person who commits or performs, or who has committed or performed, any act of expatriation under the provisions of this chapter or any other Act shall be presumed to have done so voluntarily, but such presumption may be rebutted upon a showing, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the act or acts committed or performed were not done voluntarily.

Okay. So I can see the expatriation of those described in section 1-6. Those have renounced their citizenship by swearing allegiance to another state. But section 7 I have a problem with. Those sections of the US code that it modifies give stipulations on how long someone can be incarcerated and say nothing of expatriating them.

Now Lieberman's proposal would expand that to include terrorists, domestic ones. The biggest problem with that is that if we expatriate citizens what becomes of them once they are released from jail? If they have no citizenship here or in another country what are they to do? Can they be re-naturalized? Will they be deported? and if so to where?

I see this as an open door to stifle dissent and to criminalize and strip of their rights American citizens at the whim of the state. The burden of proving, or rather disproving, the state's accusations lies with the one accused. That is not right! In this country we are supposed to be innocent until proven guilty, not the other way around!

This quote sums up my fears on that point, "While the burden would be on the State Department and you would have access to court review, the agency process could make it difficult to contest such findings -- particularly with the use of secret evidence (and barring the use of evidence by the defendant on national security grounds)," [Jonathan] Turley wrote on his blog."

Of course I saw this one coming. All the debate about whether or not to 'mirandize' those suspected of terrorism and whether non-citizens deserve those rights. I believe we must extend the rights of our legal system to include those that are terror suspects. We must prove that they are what the authorities say they are before we incarcerate them. If they are not part of an organized military, that belonging to a sovereign state, then we must treat them as individuals guilty of a crime. As individuals they must be proven guilty, not proven innocent. We cannot abandon justice to procure some illusion of safety.

Its Getting Close!

It is less than 4 weeks now until Kyla leaves for Zambia!! I am starting to get nervous. I can't believe I am sending my 15 yo half way around the world!! The worst part is that I won't be able to stay in touch with her very well. No talking on the phone every day or chatting on the computer. She has been working hard to prepare for this though. Monday was her last class for the Teaching Children Effectively through CEF. Now she'll go to Africa and teach little kids about Jesus! :D She had to get a bunch of shots too. She didn't like that part, but I was proud of her for being a grown up about it! :)

And it is just over 6 weeks until the baby is due. I am honestly hoping that babe will wait until July, but I am not very confident that will happen since that would mean babe being over 2 weeks overdue. We still haven't decided on names, my husband is being difficult! When did he get to be so opinionated?! LOL I have been doing some crochetting, hoping that would make me feel a little more excited. I'll have to post pics of what I've made... sometime! LOL

Carseat Safety (for all my mommy friends!)

This is probably going to be mostly links, but I've seen some horrid things lately and I need to vent a little.


1. All small children need to be in proper carseats. Those children need to be fastened into those seats for them to keep them safe. Merely having them in the vehicle does the child no good!!

2. Keep your child rear facing as long as possible. There are carseats out there that are not that expensive that keep kids rear facing up to 30-35 lbs. If you really want to be safer, there are more expensive options that rear face up to 40 lbs.

3. The laws are the bare MINIMUM of safety!!! I cannot stress this enough! Just because the law says that you can turn your 20 lb 1 year old forward facing does NOT mean it is safe!! Just because the law says that your 30 lb preschooler can be in a backless booster doesn't mean that it is truly safe.

4. Belts should be tight, no more than two adult fingers should be able to fit between your child and the belt.

5. The harness clip should be even with the child's armpits.

6. A five-point harness is the best type of restraint.

Why rear facing is best. Video.

Benefits of a 5-point harness. Video.

Forward facing vs Rear facing.

Not using seatbelts or child restraint.

I shudder when I think of the horribly inadequate seats I had for my first couple of kids. And I am so very thankful that we've never had a crash. My eldest probably would have been killed in the seat she was in as a toddler if we had been. I wish I'd looked into car seats before I was having my sixth baby. It is sad to think how ignorant I was! I followed the letter of the law and the manufacturer's specifications for what size a child had to be for those seats but never really considered the actual safety of the seats. So I hope that this information will get to someone else who, like me, just has not thought about it. Not because I did not care for my kids or was unconcerned for their safety, but just plain uninformed. :D

www.car-safety.org

Church and State

US Constitution Art. 6 Sect. 3 "The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States."

That boldened part is very important; especially in light of the accusations flying around that "Obama is a Muslim" or a "Muslim sympathizer". Constitutionally it does not matter if he is or not!! Using those accusations as an argument about why one does not like him as President is just ridiculous. There are so many other things that are really worth worrying about. To constantly bring that up in discussions about Obama's qualifications or fit-ness for the Presidency is what is called an ad hominem attack or perhaps a red herring. It has no relevance.

I am tired of hearing it brought up. Of course those who do bring it up always point to the fact that Muslims are our enemy. But are they really? Are we not allies with Saudi Arabia and Egypt and Kuwait and Pakistan and UAE? All of those are Muslim nations. Are we not providing military aid (nice euphemism for war, isn't it?) to Iraq and Afghanistan? Those are also Muslim nations.

It makes no difference if Obama is a Muslim, something he has consistently denied, or not. Those who do not like Obama need to get it through their thick head that according to our Constitution it DOES NOT MATTER!! It is completely irrelevant! His, or any other elected official's, religion cannot, should not, be used as an argument against him.

Now on to the First Amendment!

The First Amendment states:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

It seems to me, judging by many of the comments I've seen of Facebook and other places, that Conservative Christians would like very much for that Amendment to not be there. They like the freedom of religion in theory, but they don't seem to like the fact that it is all inclusive. They seem to wish that Muslims were not allowed the same freedom that they claim to prize for themselves.

For example, today there was a post on FB about whether or not the US should restrict immigration of Muslims. Most of the comments ran along the theme that, Yes, the US should not let Muslims in or if the US does that they should be forced to give up their religious practices and assimilate into western society.

Those sentiments are so wrong. So detrimental to true liberty. That same liberty that so many Christians claim to stand for and be thankful for.

The ideology of many Christians, at least in the way they approach the legislation of 'values', is that only one set of beliefs should be protected and that any belief that does not fit with that is wrong and should be made illegal. Here's a post on the gay marriage issue, and how it is not really a matter for the state to decide. And here's a post on why I think that CPACs are not really a good thing. I agree with those Christian values, I just don't want my government forcing them on the rest of the population.

In matters of one's personal life I agree that the Bible is the final authority for Christians, for all men really. I also believe that in matters of state it is the Constitution of these United States, and not the Bible, that is the final authority. If Christians wish to effect a change in the moral climate of this nation let them do their Father's work and preach the gospel and let the Holy Spirit do his work and quit trying to use the US legislature to do it.

FINALLY home! (update)

Five full days in the hospital (six if you count the half day). UGH!

Do have a kidney stone, but what kept me there was a nasty bladder/kidney infection. The stone's not moving so for now there is nothing to do. I have to take 10 days of antibiotics and I have pain meds just in case.

The strange thing is I had no idea how sick I was. I didn't run a fever or even really feel that bad other than the pain in my kidney (which I thought was just back pain). And I would not have even bothered to call the midwife (my husband did that) and if she hadn't said I needed to see the doc I wouldn't have gone...

Another day though and I might have been considering it... and been much sicker. So I'm thankful my husband gets worried so easily... at least this time! :P

I actually feel more sick today than the day I went in, at least in some ways. I am SO exhausted! I feel completely wiped out! Been home since about 1 pm and I've done little more than lay around and read and I am just so tired!

Hopefully tomorrow I will feel more like myself and actually get some things done around the house (it needs cleaning in a BAD WAY!).

I am very glad that none of the nurses or docs gave me any grief over seeing a midwife. Last pregnancy when I got dehydrated and went in the one ER doc acted like I was sick because I was not seeing an OB! Yeah, because OBs are miracle workers and keep you from getting sick! :P I had a few nurses ask questions but never in a way that told me that they thought I was a complete idiot! LOL I had one really great nurse (they were all good) she was so happy and had such a sweet disposition! She was great! Too bad I slept most of the time she was there (during the night) I would have liked to chat with her more! :) Her cheerfulness was infectious!

What I would not have given for a laptop though! The insane boredom of the hospital!! It was almost unbearable!

Well I am home now and so glad to be! I hope to not ever repeat that experience!

Prayers Needed

My mom got admitted to the hospital this morning; they think she might have a kidney stone, but as of thirty minutes ago, they hadn't actually done a test yet or anything. But please just pray that it will turn out to be nothing, and if it is something, that it will be easily taken care of. :)

~Liberty

Ultrasound! :D

Yes, yes... I know! It has been two weeks since the u/s! What can I say? I'm just... busy! :P

Measurements say babe is due June 17. We did not find out the sex, we like being surprised!

So here are some of the pics. I love the 4D ones, but I do wish I'd asked for a few more prints of the regular ones.

Cool pregnancy ticker I found

Make a pregnancy ticker

I'm actually finally starting to really feel pregnant! :) I was mostly feeling just fat! :P Feeling the baby move a lot more. Less tired, more headaches, eating often, and trying to keep up with the house work and school with the kids. I can't believe so much time has gone by! Before I know it babe will be here! Ugh! Too much to do between now and then!

...rehearse the righteous acts of the LORD...

So I've been a bit of a funk and having a pity party for myself way too much so I thought I would start at the beginning and recount all the things that God has given me through my life to remind myself.

1) A mom who did not have an abortion when she found herself unmarried and pregnant at 17.

2) A granddaddy who took me to church when I was little. He also let me drink coffee with him and let me splash in puddles with new shoes on!

3) Another grandpa who took me camping.

4) A grandma who loved to take road trips and was very patient with kids' silliness.

5) Another grandma who loved me and didn't let me get away with stuff at her house.

6) A stepmom in the Air Force who was stationed in Okinawa. So many fun memories from over there! Crawling through storm drains and finding that cave full of human bones! Also got two extra brothers out of that.

7) A mom who took me to church through my teen years and established a lifelong habit.

8) A father who did stuff with us. Took us camping and took us on motorcycle rides.

9) Another stepmom who taught me to crochet, something I enjoy very much today!

10) A stepdad who loves me like his own. He likes to pretend he just tolerates me but inside I know he's just a big softy!

11) The year my mom got to stay home from work. I believe that year built a relationship with my mom that made us friends.

12) A baby that got me off the destructive path I was on and brought me to a place where I could see my need for Christ's salvation.

13) A wonderful friend who taught me so much about what serving God was and showed me what a Christian marriage looked like.

14) A dear friend who is blessed with the gumption to be honest and yet still love me when I mess up.

15) A husband who loves me and puts up with my childishness and dotes on me all the time. He works hard without complaining to provide for our family.

16) Seven children that are healthy and intelligent. Each one is so unique. They each have different talents and strengths. I cannot imagine what life would be like without any one of them.

17) A church where I do not feel oppressed and condemned all the time. A church family that has been a blessing to me and my family in so many ways!

18) New friends. Friends who are there to help when I need it.

19) Hardships. They make me learn and build character. This small house with only one bathroom makes us all have to learn how to get along and compromise. Financial struggles teach us to value what is really important and realize that we can do without a lot of things many people think are necessary.

20) Salvation. Justification. Sanctification. God's word and the Holy Spirit to help me understand it. That God, the creator of the universe, looks down on me with compassion and love and calls me his child... it is humbling.

I know there are so many other things I could add, God really has been good to me, but for the sake of time and space I'll stop there.

Life with seven kids is...

if nothing else exciting! :P

Today the kids decided to "surprise" me. By painting the kitchen.

It would have been fine if they had stuck to painting the walls. But no! That was not quite enough for them. They painted the table. The cabinets. The chair. The floor. The stove. The refrigerator. Thankfully the cats were safe snoozing in some secret place.

So here's pics of the damage.

Birthing

Okay so I am pregnant again and reading about pregnancy and birth and I've had a few conversations about the subject so I thought I'd blog about it. :P

Let's start with my recommended reading list! :)

Childbirth Without Fear by Grantly Dick-Read- a wonderful book! Some of the medical advice is outdated (it was written in the 1930s) but he gives such a great perspective on birth!

Birth by Tina Cassidy- Not for the squeamish but a wealth of information about the history of obstetrics and midwifery and statistics on birth complications, interventions and outcomes. Every woman should read it, preferably before she has kids.

Hello Baby! by Liz Rockwell- A book to read to little kids who are expecting a sibling. Simple, factual information. And my personal favorite part is that the mom in the story breastfeeds! :)

A Child Is Born by Lennart Nilsson- Don't just look at the pictures! The photos are wonderful but the written information, even though he is an evolutionist, is astounding! It will make you marvel at the miraculousness of pregnancy, birth, and the human body. It truly is a wonder that a woman can even get pregnant much less carry and give birth to a baby!

I know there are others out there that are great but those are my favorites.

Now here's my disclaimer before I get to the rest:

*I know that there are times when interventions are truly necessary and that there are some women who do indeed need a doctor's care. I am glad that there are doctors who can perform c-sections when they are needed. And I am thankful that there are hospitals to provide for that care. So, if you've had to have some procedure done please do not be offended by what I will say hereafter. Do consider though if the intervention was truly warranted and be honest enough with yourself to admit if you let yourself be bullied into a bad decision.*

Some history...

I have given birth seven times. I am currently pregnant for the ninth time. I had one ectopic pregnancy that resulted in the loss of my left fallopian tube. I've had an epidural that did not work. Two inductions. Two posterior births. Two home births. Four births with no drugs at all. One water birth. One induction was also a posterior. Water Birth was at home.

First baby was the epi that didn't work. A very poorly managed birth on all counts. Ended up a forceps delivery which has left my eldest with a very bad neck. Think I was preeclamptic that time but wasn't diagnosed because I have a very low 'normal' bp. Had a rather pompous OB who disregarded my concerns and opinions because I was so young.

Second baby was an induction. Had a great OB though and that induction was nothing like the second one. Had one dose of pain meds that time so I felt groggy after the birth.

Third baby was a good hospital birth. Same OB I had with babe #2 and she let me forgo the IV and let me do intermittent monitoring (20 minutes on 40 minutes off) and was up for me squatting during delivery-which I did not do. I wasn't up to moving around when it came time but she did remember to ask if I wanted the squat bar! Loved that OB!

Fourth baby was a home birth with a midwife. Delivered on hands and knees with that one which was perfect since we had a bit of shoulder dystocia with him. The body is amazing when you listen to it, it just knows! :)

Fifth baby was a failed unassisted home birth. Nothing was wrong except that he was posterior and hubby freaked out at the end and called 911 and we went to the hospital. He was presenting weird he had his head coned out to the left. It looked ridiculous! Really wish I had pics of that.

Sixth was an induction at the hospital. That induction was horrid! He was also posterior. That experience made me firm in my resolve to never have another baby in the hospital if I can help it!

Seventh was a water birth at home. A wonderful birth where a few of the kids were present. The three year old stayed up with me all night-baby was born at 4 am- and didn't get grouchy at all and was all love for his baby sister!

Eighth will be at home, probably a water birth again.

There is this wonderful euphoria after giving birth that women who are medicated or have epidurals completely miss out on. It is like being high, but in a good, natural way. I'd not use pain meds again unless I was having to have surgery.

I have learned that a woman's body can and will give birth in its own good time and the stress of a 'due date' is really counter productive. I have learned that labor can start and stop and even be impossibly long with no visible results for days or even weeks and then get going and you have a baby in a short time. I have learned that birth is not painful, only perceived as painful because of fear and programming.

I am saddened when I hear of women getting epidurals and having c-sections and always wonder if it was really necessary. I've watched so many "Baby Story" shows where they scare a woman into a c/s because of 'failure to progress' when she's only been in labor 8 hours and its her first baby. Or because of shoulder dystocia.Or because of a previous c/s. Or because of a breech presentation. Or because, the absolutely most ridiculous, of a posterior presentation.

These women, who allow themselves to be run through the baby mill of the hospital and don't question the procedures done, make me sad. They take the doctor's word that pitocin is safe, when it actually significantly increases the risk of complications (ie: uterine rupture, placental abruption, c/s etc.) and other interventions (that lead to still more interventions). And honestly they are not fully informed of the risks. If they were, far fewer would allow it to be done to them. I know I wouldn't have!

I say that with compassion because I too was led to do things that were not in my or the baby's best interests.

I cannot tell you how many times I've heard women say, "I could never have a home birth!" or "Give me the drugs (or at least that sentiment)". They rob themselves and demean the power that is within them! They unwittingly allow things that put themselves and their babies at risk. A woman's body is designed to give birth-barring any physiological problem of course. Contemplate the wonder of it! It is awe-inspiring!

I am not better or stronger or braver than any other woman because I choose to have home births or unmedicated births. I just know, from experience, that the natural way is far and away the better way! The rewards that come from the 'sorrow' of childbirth are beyond explanation.

I suppose I should discuss some of the reasons why interventions are considered necessary and then proceed to tear down those misconceptions! ;) I will be brief and give linkies.

Let's see...where to start. I guess I'll start with the scary ones!

Amniotic fluid embolism. That one just sounds scary! And it is. The mortality rate for it is as high as 86%. So if you get it you are most likely dead, whether you are at home or at the hospital. It is also very rare-as low as 1 in 80,000 births- and most of the risk factors are things that would only be happening at the hospital (pitocin-which doubles your risk of it, c/s, placental abruption). So I'm not worried about that one.

Placental abruption. This would require emergency care. But even at the hospital they will observe for hours before deciding if a c/s is necessary. Pitocin increases your risk for this as well. There is time to get to the hospital since there are signs that it is happening so I don't worry about this one with a home birth either.

Uterine rupture. Definitely a scary one. But again being in the hospital increases the chances of it happening, pitocin again being the culprit. This can cause massive hemorrhaging and definitely would require a surgeon. Still, the risk is small and would not affect my decision to birth at home.
Placenta Previa. This is present during pregnancy and would be diagnosed long before delivery and one would have to be in the hospital having a c/s.

Preeclampsia. Plenty of time to seek care for this one. It is largely preventable through diet.

Postpartum hemorrhage. I am considered higher risk for this but I've never had a problem-except after the first baby and that was only because of a burst blood vessel (actually more like a ripped vessel because of the forceps delivery). I nurse my babies within minutes of birth and that releases oxytocin that stimulates uterine contractions that stop the blood flow. A good midwife, and I have an excellent one, will recognize the signs and call for transport.

Preterm labor. Well...depending on how early babe is would determine my course of action there. I would probably defer to the midwife's judgement on this one. If midwife says go to the hospital I'd go. And I'm not worried. I don't have babies early.

Shoulder dystocia. Midwives are trained to deal with this and with good positioning it really isn't as scary as the OBs make it sound.

Nuchal cord. Not too big a deal a simple manoeuvre of pulling it over the baby's head or delivering babe through the loop. Don't think I've ever had that though. One did have the cord around his wrist though.

Breech presentation. Unless it is a transverse lie it is not a problem for a midwife. Midwives, unlike doctors, are taught how to deliver breech babies. And after watching videos of so many unassisted breach deliveries it really doesn't worry me at all!

Oh almost forgot one...

CPD (cranio pelvic disproportion)- really impossible if the mother has grown with proper nutrition.

I suppose I will add a blurb about the question of safety for the baby. In the hospital they use constant fetal monitoring (cfm) but that is mostly a CYB thing. There is no evidence that it helps babies have better outcomes actually the opposite is true. The ACOG (not an organization I have very much respect for in general) even admits that. For a healthy woman with a normal labor the cfm leads to more unnecessary interventions.

And what about if the baby is having problems after birth, like breathing difficulty. Midwives are trained in resuscitation and know the signs that would cause concern. There is time to get to the hospital with those things as well. With the exception of some very rare and serious congenital defects there is no reason to worry about the baby any more at home than at the hospital.

I like being at home with baby so much more. I really hated how often and for how long they would take the baby away for assessments at the hospital. I know the nurses were so ready for me to leave because I called every 10 minutes to see if they were done with the baby. The hospitals where I have the older girls were better in that respect than the hospitals here. "Rooming in" there actually meant that the baby did not leave your room at all unless there was a serious problem. Emma was under bili lights for 4 days and was in my room the whole time! Not the case here and it was very frustrating and tiring to have to walk to the nursery when Gilbert was in the hospital for jaundice.

I think that covers the problems that people are usually talking about when they ask if I am scared of something bad happening.

I wish more women would question the status quo when it comes to childbirth. Not doing so has led to some terrible abuses of power by OBs. X-rays. Scopolamine. Thalidomide. And abuses still happen under the guise of protecting babies and mothers. Consider that the US has one of the highest c/s rates in the developed world. So often there is no good reason for it. I found this lovely little tidbit on this website, "Up to 77% of women for whom the indication for cesarean delivery was a non-progressive labor (sometimes diagnosed as cephalopelvic disproportion or CPD) and who tried labor again, had a VBAC for a subsequent birth. Approximately one-third of these women gave birth to babies that were larger than their previous "CPD" baby" A non progressive labor is probably just prodromal labor or the woman is stressed and her body has stopped labor (the 'fight or flight' defense mechanism). And the best cure for that is to let mama rest and destress, have some dinner and a back rub without being prodded and monitored.

This got rather long. Oh well! :P

I love giving birth! Not so fond of those first months or last weeks of pregnancy or the sleepless nights after but I do love having babies! LOL I also love the sweetness of newborns. Their little hands and feet. The way the breastfed baby roots when he is hungry. The newborn cry is so sweet. Their first smile, laugh, and all the other firsts. I love that feeling, after the baby is born and everyone has gone away to leave me alone to get to know my new little one, the wonder and awe that I brought a life, a soul into the world! Ahhhh! Okay, now I'm ready to face the next five or six months of discomfort with pleasure at the prospect of that wonderful moment!