Man's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.
– Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.
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Man's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.
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Musings on my beliefs on parenting and health. Fertility, Pregnancy and Childbirth Circumcision Breastfeeding and Nutrition Attachment Parenting, Positive Parenting and Gentle Discipline Vaccines Homeschooling and Unschooling Fertility, Pregnancy and ChildbirthThe most valuable book about female health I have ever read is Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler. It let me know that my menstrual cycles are normal even though they aren't 28 days long. 28 days is only an average. This book helped me avoid pregnancy without birth control and helped me get pregnant within two cycles when I was ready for a baby. The book clearly and concisely describes how to chart basal body temperature, cervical mucus and cervical fluid. All of which indicate when ovulation occurs. To get my body ready to make a baby, I drink an herbal tea blend comprised of red raspberry leaves, red clover, nettles and alfalfa. I also take a multi vitamin/mineral and get at least 800 mcg. of folic acid a day. I believe pregnancy is a normal life function, not an illness or medical emergency. As such, I feel that a midwife is the person to see for prenatal care. An OB is trained in disease, malfunction and surgery. Therefore, that's what they are looking for. A midwife is trained to sit back and wait for nature to take it's course. There are many options and tests during pregnancy. Before deciding on anything, I asked myself 1)What are the risks of this procedure/test? 2)How accurate is the test? 3)Is there a less invasive test that can give me the same information? 4)Will the results of the test change my course of action? Most tests seem to create worry without giving any real answers, so I pass on most of them. I check for glucose and protein in my urine, monitor my blood pressure and have my iron levels checked. I believe due dates should be abolished. The mythical 40-week gestation has caused more pain and heartache than any other intervention. First, not all women ovulate on the 14th day of their cycle. Second, 40 weeks is an average. A normal, full-term pregnancy lasts 38 thru 42 weeks. Every woman that has been induced at less than 42 weeks has a baby that was not ready to be born. Many healthy babies are born at 44 and 46 weeks. True postmaturity is rare. This is a perfect example of the "one size fits all" mentality of obsetric care. Many OBs induce because the "baby is too big". This is usually pronounced after an ultrasound. Ultrasounds are notorious for being inaccurate at estimating weight. And if you stop and think about it, would the human race have survived if so many women grew babies that were too big to be birthed? In 1970 the c-section rate (USA) was 7%, in 2005 it reached a peak of 30%. Did women's pelvises (pelvi?) suddenly shrink in one generation? Are babies heads suddenly larger? Women Can
I don't want strangers, bright lights, steel, vinyl, latex, knives, needles, super-bacteria, clocks, noise, or the machine that goes "ping". I want friends, family, peace, silence, skin, water, eternity, power. I don't want anyone trying to put their fingers in me. I don't want anyone yelling at me to push. I don't want to have my baby whisked away to be assessed. I want to let my body do what it knows how to do. I want to follow the rhythms of my instinct. I want to welcome my babe in my arms and at my breast. But, most of all, I want to experience labor and birth. It is a portion of my life and I don't want to cut myself off from it by being drugged, or by allowing someone else to tell me I am doing it wrong based on the amount of noise I am making or the time I am taking. Birth matters. The Chemical Symphony of Birth Recommended ReadingTaking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni WeschlerThe Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth by Henci Goer Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year by Susun Weed Active Birth by Janet Balaskas The Complete Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth by Sheila Kitzinger The Natural Pregnancy Book by Aviva Jill Romm Birthing From Within by Pam England The Birth Book by William Sears and Martha Sears Resexualizing Childbirth by Leilah McCracken Birth Reborn by Michel Odent Entering the World by Michel Odent The American Way of Birth by Jessica Mitford Unassisted Childbirth by Laura Kaplan Shanley LinksBirth Love, this is a subscription site ($25US lifetime) but it is well worth the moneyChildbirth.org The Safety and Cost Effectiveness of the Midwifery Model of Care Sheila Kitzinger's website Active Birth Centre The Water Birth Website Waterbirth International Having a Baby Today Birth Psychology Gentle Birth - Midwife archives Plus-Size Pregnancy Fertility Friend |
