Birth

I know I've posted about this before, but I have more to say. ;)  

It saddens me how little confidence women have in their bodies, that are made to give birth, and themselves to birth a child. It is especially disturbing how Christian women who rail against 'science' when it attacks creation blindly follow the dictates of the 'scientist' obstetrician.                                        

A woman's body has an amazing capacity to carry and grow and birth and then sustain that new life. God made her that way. Sure, sometimes things don't go perfectly; but those times are much more rare than the doctors would have a pregnant woman believe. Birth is not 'an accident waiting to happen' it is a normal biological function and a woman's body knows how to do it.   

 

 

I have heard so many women say how they wouldn't even try to birth without drugs, usually the epidural. They would not say that if they truly understood the mechanism of birth. All that intense sensation has a purpose. The hormones and chemicals released by a mother in labor signal the baby to release sympathetic hormones and chemicals that get baby ready to breathe and eat and survive. Those things don't happen if a woman is induced or drugged.                                                                                  

I don't want to sound like a self-righteous birth snob, but I know that's how this is going to sound. Oh well.

I have birthed 8 babies. Yes 8. Two inductions, two posterior (one of those an induction), three homebirths, five with no drugs at all. With my induced posterior I didn't have any pain meds. That was a monster of a labor! I am not a masochist. I am really quite a wimp. I don't have easy labor, as someone once suggested. And no, the babies don't just fall out after having so many. I have labors that last days, weeks even. And even my transition phase is a bit of a marathon.

I know from all of that experience is that a woman's body needs time and rest and to be left alone to birth. Labor, contrary to what the books will tell you, can start and then stop and then pick up again right where it left off. That 'stop' is a necessary rest that mama needs to get the hard work of labor done.

The most striking example of that from my personal experience was with babe #3. I woke to contractions at about 1 am. They slowly got stronger and closer. I went and ate breakfast and lunch, did some walking. Then about 12 pm the contractions slowed down to about every 30 to 45 minutes and during that time I got some much needed sleep. When I got up at about 3:30pm the contractions picked up again at about every 4 min. It was still 6 hours before that baby made her appearance. If I had been in the hospital and the contractions had slowed that way they would have wanted to give me pitocin. My body would have been shoved into overdrive and I would have been exhausted and probably sectioned for 'failure to progress'. So praise God I stayed home as long as I did.

Women, we must change the way birth is viewed. We must stop telling 'horror' stories. We must objectively consider what happened to us in labor and birth and be honest with ourselves and others. So, stop justifying the interventions that were unnecessary. If the OB induced you with no clear medical reason (and no, a 'big' baby doesn't count as a good reason, nor is being 40 weeks or even having 'low fluid') it was wrong. If the OB broke your water without a good reason, that was also wrong. If you were sectioned for 'failure to progress' and were stuck in a bed with an epidural that was most likely unnecessary. If you were sectioned because of a breech most likely that was wrong too. If you were sectioned after a previous c-section and no other reason it was unnecessary. If you were forbidden to eat or drink they were torturing you. Okay, so that last one is slightly hyperbolic, but you get the idea.

THINK ladies! PLEASE! For the sake of yourselves, your babies, your friends, your sisters, and your daughters. Let us stop the fear-mongering in birth.

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!!!