First Breath Doula Services

Toxic baby? a must watch

2012-02-26T13:20:00.000-08:00

Filmmaker Penelope Jagessar Chaffer was curious about the chemicals she was exposed to while pregnant: Could they affect her unborn child? So she asked scientist Tyrone Hayes to brief her on one he studied closely: atrazine, a herbicide used on corn. (Hayes, an expert on amphibians, is a critic of atrazine, which displays a disturbing effect on frog development.) Onstage together at TEDWomen, Hayes and Chaffer tell their story

http://www.ted.com/talks/tyrone_hayes_penelope_jagessar_chaffer_the_toxic_baby.html?source=twitter#.T0fy78mDrJd.twitter

How was I born......just for fun!

2012-02-14T10:54:00.000-08:00

Daddy , How was I Born??
A little boy goes to his father and asks 'Daddy, how was I born?'

The father answers, 'Well, son, I guess one day you

will need to find out anyway! Your Mom and I first got together in a chat room on Yahoo. Then I set up a date via e-mail with your Mom and we met at a cyber-cafe.. We sneaked into a secluded room, and googled each other. There your mother agreed to a download from my hard drive. As soon as I was ready to upload, we discovered that neither one of us had used a firewall, and since it was too late to hit the delete button, nine months later a little Pop-Up appeared that said:

Scroll down...You'll love this ....

'You Got Male!

Hilarious kudos to Doulas written by a dad ...

2012-02-08T18:14:00.000-08:00

I Challenge You To A Doula...by Daddy Confidential

February 7, 2012
No way you’re expecting a baby!? Holy crap shut up congratulations that’s awesomou’re probably freaking out in anticipation of the coming rapture. But heed one recmmendation to vastly improve everyone’s birth experience – yours, your wife’s… even your baby’s: Totally get a doula.d

http://daddyconfidential.com/2012/parenting/i-challenge-you-to-a-doula/

Posterior Labor: A Pain in the Back

2012-01-23T13:05:00.000-08:00

Great article written by a midwife on how to deal with a posterior baby...before and during labor.

http://midwiferytoday.com/articles/paininback.asp

Let's make sure we know WHY we are supplementing!

2012-01-23T08:44:00.000-08:00

http://www.drjen4kids.com/soap%20box/onebottle.htm

Foot massage great for labor!

2012-01-21T16:34:00.000-08:00

Unless you are especially ticklish, having your feet massaged or stroked is one of the most relaxing things that a woman can enjoy

http://nhslocal.nhs.uk/story/how-foot-massage-can-help-pregnant-women-deliver

Calculate your probability of a VBAC

2012-01-13T07:56:00.000-08:00

This decision tool, based on BC data over a 10 year period, calculates a woman’s chance of having a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC), given relevant individual characteristics

click on the link below :-)

http://optimalbirthbc.ca/resources/for-bc-women-families/probability-of-having-a-vbac/

Dr. Nils Bergman on the Social & Emotional Intelligence of Infants

2012-01-06T19:34:00.000-08:00

Alcohol and Breast milk

2011-12-31T12:25:00.000-08:00

This is great article on drinking alcohol and breastfeeding. Gives you the amount of time it takes for your body to metabolize the alcohol so that the next feeding you have there is none coming out in your breast milk....no more pump n dump ;-)

http://www.realtechmom.com/alcohol-and-breastfeeding/

Happy New Year!!!!

What we learn before we're born......

2011-12-12T14:33:00.000-08:00

We know that if you play the same song or read the same book over and over to a baby while in utero, once the baby is born they will react to that very song or book. They respond to the voices of their parents right after birth.....................and there is still much more to know and learn about human babies in utero.

http://www.ted.com/talks/annie_murphy_paul_what_we_learn_before_we_re_born.html?utm_source=newsletter_weekly_2011-11-29&utm_campaign=newsletter_weekly&utm_medium=email

Human Milk vs Formula...ingredient list

2011-12-12T07:32:00.000-08:00

Note that we are still discovering new 'ingredients' in human milk each year. The science of lactation is relatively new and there is still a significant amount that we do not understand, and have not yet solved.

http://www.drmomma.org/2008/01/human-milk-vs-formula-ingredient-list.html

Caesarean section....they way it NEEDS to be done everywhere!!

2011-10-27T15:04:00.000-07:00

Love this ....so respectful :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5RIcaK98Yg&feature=email

Beautiful homebirth

2011-10-20T09:09:00.000-07:00

Here is a short video on a gorgeous homebirth....love daddy's reactions ....he is so sweet!

http://vimeo.com/28343373

The Benefits of Baby Carrying

2011-10-18T08:26:00.000-07:00

The Benefits of Baby Carrying

by Elizabeth Antunovic

Horizontal transport stresses an infant’s body… while the upright position provides a variety of health benefits
read more...

http://pathwaystofamilywellness.org/component/option,com_crossjoomlaarticlemanager/Itemid,38/aid,2139/view,crossjoomlaarticlemanager/

Vital evidence based information on why it is so important to delay cord clamping of your new born

2011-09-05T14:09:00.000-07:00

Why at least 39 weeks is best for your baby.

2011-06-24T15:21:00.000-07:00

This article is for women thinking about scheduling their baby's birth.

More and more births are being scheduled a little early for non-medical reasons. Experts are learning that this can cause problems for both mom and baby. If possible, it's best to stay pregnant for at least 39 weeks. If your pregnancy is healthy, wait for labor to begin on its own.
We know you can’t wait to meet your baby face to face. But getting to at least 39 weeks gives your baby the time he needs to grow. Healthy babies are worth the wait!

to read more.......

http://www.marchofdimes.com/pregnancy/getready_atleast39weeks.html

The First Hour After Birth: A Baby’s 9 Instinctive Stages

2011-06-22T08:21:00.000-07:00

The First Hour After Birth: A Baby’s 9 Instinctive Stages

The first hours after birth are a developmentally distinct time for a baby and there are well documented short and long term physical and psychological advantages when a baby is held skin to skin during this time.

read more.......

http://magicalhour.com/aboutus.html

Circumcision.....Are You Fully Informed?

2011-06-10T10:15:00.000-07:00

To make a fully informed decision. That is what should happen among parents who still have the legal choice to decide whether or not to circumcise their newborn baby. However, studies have shown that all too often parents are simply posed with this question and nothing more:
Would you like to circumcise your son?
read more.....

http://www.drmomma.org/2010/01/are-you-fully-informed.html

Perinatal pitocin as an early ADHD biomarker: neurodevelopmental risk?

2011-06-07T10:53:00.000-07:00

Perinatal pitocin as an early ADHD biomarker: neurodevelopmental risk?

Kurth L, Haussmann R.

Risk increases in perinatal Pitocin usage and subsequent childhood ADHD ....
read more

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21527574

237 Habits of Highly Effective Mothers

2011-06-06T07:09:00.000-07:00

237 Habits of Highly Effective Mothers
by Mark Brady

I don’t find it even a little bit surprising that an internet search shows this exact title has never been written about before. I do find it surprising though, that The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Mothers hasn’t been either. I suspect there are good reasons for that, but whatever they might be, I’m willing to put on my Hubris Hat and take up the challenge and offer One Habit.

If there’s one thing the six-week teleseminar I recently presented with Jeanne Denney (Embracing Mother’s Dark Heart) has taught me, it’s that I don’t know jack about what it really means to be a mother. But I am a man after all, so I refuse to let a little detail like that stop me.

So, with that disclaimer out of the way, let’s start with Habit One. . .
Habit One: Make Your Shadow Your Bitch
Most people know what the Shadow is, but just so we’re on the same digital page, let me tell you what I mean by it – I mean precisely what Kay Plumb means by it:
the parts of a human being that a person doesn’t want to, or can’t, think about or acknowledge. It refers to the repressed, unlived side of your normal daytime personality—the stuff you don’t like about yourself, the stuff you don’t want anyone to know about you.
Thus your shadow contains negative qualities, such as envy or prejudice or insecurity. Or it could even contain positive qualities, such as compassion or artistic ability. But the qualities, whatever they are, stay in your shadow because you don’t like to—in fact most of the time you simply can’t—admit you possess them. Some parts of ourselves we like to show to others—put out into the light—and some parts of ourselves we like to hide—keep in the shadows….Your shadow can’t be smelled or tasted or touched or felt, yet it is actually hooked to you, attached to the creases and crevices and neurons of your daylight mind. And while other people can see your shadow without too much trouble, you usually have to turn your head around to see it.
The Birth of Shadow

In their seminal book, Trauma Through a Child’s Eyes, Peter Levine and Maggie Kline encourage us to look with new eyes at all the many things we adults take for granted that can easily overwhelm a child. Any number of those early experiences can end up in the alchemical mix that make up parts of the Grand Delusions underlying each of our unique Shadows.
Because of its alternating hemispheric development, our brain begins recording overwhelming events and storing them as shadow experiences on the right side long before we ever learn to speak – The Unthought Known. Beginning in utero, things that scare us stay with us and work to disrupt, delay and disorganize neural development. A noise in the dead of night, prolonged maternal stress, food that we gag on, loud or scary voices on the radio or television – all stored as sensation and image in the right brain for years.
And all of it making us uneasy over and over again down the developmental road. And the things that disturb us most are usually things having to do with … Those People. Those people who don’t share our love of nature. Those people who crashed the economy. Those people who raise their kids and puppies wrong. Those people who don’t and who should.
Ignoring the Yucky Parts

What happens if I simply decide to ignore my shadow? Turns out I’m not too well-served doing that, and Kay has some spot-on insights about that strategy as well. (I should have asked her guest-write this blog! I can at least suggest you buy her award-winning book: Using Beauty and her Beast to Introduce the Human Shadow).
Shadows get projected out onto other people. You can’t avoid running into parts of your own psyche. Since the things in your shadow are a part of your own psychological make-up they have to and they will show up somewhere in your life. In other words, if you just can’t stand to face some of your own stuff, you will end up seeing your own stuff on someone else’s face.
The word projection is very apt. We’re all familiar with movie projectors. . . . With unacknowledged shadow material you’re the projector. You’re that little machine in the back creating the image. The image is coming from you. But the place where you see the image is on the screen in front of you. You see it in another person, or group of people. Causes a lot of heartache in the world.
What’s for Breakfast?
Eating our Shadow, as the poet Robert Bly has suggested, is not the most delicious meal on wheels. It often requires us to trace back present-moment upsets to their earlier, painful roots. Who in their right mind happily descends back to the future of such memories? Better to let sleeping dogs and early abuse be, or simply cast present-moment transgressors into purgatory. Except that any time we find ourselves emotionally upset or speaking in generalities or stereotypes, we can be pretty sure our Shadow is making US its bitch. And as it does, you can be equally sure it will wreak havoc with all the personal relationships in our lives, especially the relationship with our kids.

First Breath Doula Services: NEW SERVICE....Private In Home Prenatal

2011-06-01T16:52:00.000-07:00

First Breath Doula Services: NEW SERVICE....Private In Home Prenatal

Testimonial......

We are so happy that we chose private prenatal classes with Cindy Hansen!

She came to our house at times that worked best for us and our two 2hr sessions were very informative filled with lots of tips and tricks that we will use for our baby's birth.

Cindy made my husband and I feel very comfortable and confident about giving birth and being first time parents.

We are forever thankful to have had her teach our prenatal classes and highly recommend her.
~Colleen and Dan Neels

Why Home births are becoming more popular.

2011-05-25T13:28:00.000-07:00

In the birthing world, it was big news: After a 15-year decline, home births in the U.S. rose 20 percent between 2004-2008. Though the actual numbers remain tiny — out of about 4 million births, 28,357 happened at home in 2008 — the reversal of the long downward trend is notable. So are the demographics: much of the increase was driven by highly educated white women. A full 1 percent of them decided to forgo the hospital and give birth at home.....
read more

http://commonhealth.wbur.org/2011/05/home-births-popular/

Fetal lungs produce protein that triggers labor!

2011-05-24T09:18:00.000-07:00

, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas researchers have found that it is in fact the fetal lungs themselves which provide the signal to initiate labor

read more

http://www.drmomma.org/2008/01/fetal-lungs-protein-release-triggers.html

NEW SERVICE....Private In Home Prenatal

2011-05-02T08:13:00.000-07:00

I am now offering convenient and comprehensive in home prenatal classes!

Relax in the privacy and comfort of your own home and learn all about labor and delivery!

~Your time ...your place~

at your convenience!
Call today and book your In Home Prenatal with me!

email for details
cindyhansen@shaw.ca

References availiable upon request

Ultrasound Scans- Cause for Concern

2011-04-20T12:42:00.000-07:00

Ultrasound Scans- Cause for Concern

Dr Sarah J. Buckley MD

When I was pregnant with my first baby in 1990, I decided against having a scan. This was a rather unusual decision, as my partner and I are both doctors and had even done pregnancy scans ourselves- rather ineptly, but sometimes usefully- while training in GP/family physician obstetrics a few years earlier

read more....click on link
http://www.sarahbuckley.com/ultrasound-scans-cause-for-concern/

A must read for newly pregnant women......

Skin to skin in OR after C-section....make it happen!!!

2011-04-11T15:31:00.000-07:00

The video that is included in this article is fabulous and should be the norm in all our B.C. hospitals!!! Where is the expert and excellent care our governments brag about having in Canada? Ladies if you are doing up a birth plan ( and you should be!!!) add into it in "case of a c-section" wanting this to be what you receive in your care....dont let a doctor tell you we dont do this!!! write a letter to your hospital administration, or email the letter adding this video with it. supply and demand!!!!
Let's move forward with women's care!!!

http://obnurse35yrs.wordpress.com/2010/06/03/skin-to-skin-minutes-after-cs-in-the-or-speaking-up-and-making-it-happen/

"birth isn't something we suffer but something we actively do and exalt in!"

2011-04-09T08:02:00.000-07:00

"birth isn't something we suffer but something we actively do and exalt in!"

Sheila Kitzinger

Birth today.....women must be the ones to be strong and make the change.....it is their bodies....their babies ...and their lives.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCPZrK8C2ZY&feature=player_embedded#at=147

Midwives in Chilliwack!

2011-04-04T14:24:00.000-07:00

We now have 2 much needed midwives practicing in Chilliwack!!
Welcome Joy and Cheryl of Cheam Midwifery!!!!
All you home-birthers sing praises and to those who want to deliver in hospital they work out of both Abby and Chilliwack hospitals :-)
We LOVE midwives!!!!

http://www.cheam-midwifery.com/

Weighing the Pros and Cons of the Epidural

2011-04-03T11:02:00.000-07:00

Weighing the Pros and Cons of the Epidural
by Penny Simpkin

The epidural block has been used increasingly over the past 50 years. Childbirth educators across the country are finding that more and more women plan–even demand–an epidural in order to avoid labor pain.

Why the popularity? Are there any significant disadvantages to epidurals? Are they safe enough for routine use?
Risk Versus Benefit

There is almost always a trade-off when medications and interventions are used during labor. Each woman must know and consider the potential benefits and risks and apply them to her own circumstances.
When the mother is managing her pain well and progress is normal, the risks of an epidural outweigh the benefits. If, however, she is exhausted, in extreme pain or requires painful interventions, the benefits may outweigh the risks.

What Is an Epidural?

Epidural anesthesia or analgesia refers to total or partial loss of sensation in the trunk between the fundus and the pubis or lower. An anesthetic agent (such as Marcaine, Lidocaine or Carbocaine), a narcotic (such as Demerol, Morphine, or Fentanyl), or a combination of the two, is injected in the lower back in the epidural space between lumbar vertebrae two and five (L-2 andL-5).

Some use the terms anesthesia and analgesia to refer to the agents used: anesthetic agents or analgesics (narcotics). Anesthetic agents numb the area; epidural narcotics, if used alone, diminish but do not completely eliminate labor pain. Others use the terms to describe the amount of pain relief. Anesthesia, as with a standard epidural, is the total loss of the sensations of labor. Analgesia, as with a light epidural is the partial loss.

Epidural narcotics are being used for labor in some centers, but are presently less available than the anesthetics.1 Today, epidural narcotics are more often used for post-cesarean pain; a single dose administered in the delivery room provides approximately 24 hours of pain relief. The cost of an epidural, including the anesthesiologist and hospital fees, ranges between $700 and $1,200.

Potential Benefits of Epidurals

Epidural anesthesia or analgesia provides relief or reduction of labor pain without affecting the mother’s mental state. It enables an exhausted mother to relax or sleep during labor and calms the woman who is anxious and tense because of pain. Once an epidural catheter is in place, additional medication can easily be administered as needed, providing prolonged and consistent pain relief.

Some prolonged labors, probably those slowed by anxiety, speed up with an epidural. Anxiety can cause excessive production of the mother’s stress hormones such as epinephrine and norepinephrine, which slow contractions. By allowing the mother to rest without pain, the epidural removes her anxiety and her labor progress may improve.2 If not, Pitocin may be administered painlessly. Since epidurals often lower blood pressure, this may benefit some women with pregnancy induced hypertension.3

Epidurals are also useful for cesarean births, making it possible for the mother to remain alert and involved while free from pain. They enable her to avoid general anesthesia, which is considered to carry greater risks.
Epidural narcotics reduce pain without reducing other sensations or muscle function. Women can change positions more easily than with anesthetics. They remain aware of their contractions and often continue to participate; using breathing patterns and other comfort measures. For those women who wish to remain aware of their labors, epidural narcotics are often quite acceptable.

Potential Risks

Epidural blocks carry some risks to the mother, fetus and newborn. Undesired effects tend to be greater with larger doses of medication, a longer interval during which the medication is in effect and immaturity or distress in the fetus.
Undesired effects on the mother:
Inadequate pain relief (up to 10%)4

Rise of the mother’s oral and vaginal temperature 5, beginning within one hour after administration of the epidural, which may lead to treatment of the mother and baby for non-existent infection. This effect may be dose-related. This recent finding from England is being investigated in the United States.6

Drop in the mother’s blood pressure treated with position changes, oxygen and possible vasopressors (less likely if a bolus of IV fluids is given before the epidural).

Short or long-term postpartum backache from bruising caused by the injection or from ligament strain caused by prolonged time spent in a damaging position or inappropriate movement (for example, extreme passive flexion of the mother’s trunk, hips and knees during the second stage, or sudden vigorous movements of the mother) while her muscles are relaxed and her back is numb (up to 19%). Long-term backache is almost twice as likely to occur with an epidural than without.7

Possible unintentional spinal block and resulting spinal headache requiring days of bed rest and a blood patch.

Shivering may be reduced with lower doses, by warming of the anesthetic before administration, or by adding narcotics to the anesthetic.8
Mild to severe itching of the skin (with narcotics)
Retention of urine, requiring a bladder catheter1

Mother feels detached from the process and becomes an observer; others may reduce emotional support. The nurse can no longer assess labor progress by observing the mother and must rely more on the monitor and vaginal exams.9

Problems caused by human error or maternal structural anomaly, such as inability to place catheter properly; inadvertent injection of anesthetic into a blood vessel; or too much anesthesia, affecting respiration and swallowing (rates vary with skill of the practitioner and anatomy of the mother).

Rare complications, such as residual numbness or weakness from needle injury to nerves (almost 1 in 10,000)10, delayed respiratory depression with epidural narcotics (up to 12 hours later)8, and brain damage and death (extremely rare)11.

Undesired effects on the labor:

May slow labor, requiring Pitocin; and has been found to increase the chances of a cesarean delivery in primigravidas by two or three times.12

Often slows second stage by reducing or eliminating the normal surge of oxytocin; and by reducing pelvic floor muscle tone, which may lead to more deep transverse arrests or persistent occiput posteriors. In addition, forceps or vacuum extractor are required more often (20-75%). Delaying pushing until the fetal head is on the perineum reduces the need for forceps. Even though this approach lengthens the second stage, it does not increase the incidence of fetal distress.13

Undesired effects on the fetus:

Abnormal heart rate patterns, requiring oxygen to the mother, position changes and possible cesarean delivery.

Increased likelihood of newborn septic workup, IV antibiotics and isolation in the nursery if the mother develops an “epidural fever” that causes fetal tachycardia or newborn fever.

If the fetus is already stressed greater amounts of the medication are “trapped” in the fetal circulation, leading to more pronounced newborn effects (see below).

Undesired effects on the newborn:

Short-term (six weeks or less) subtle neurobehavioral effects, such as irritability and inconsolability and decreased ability to track an object visually or to shut out noise, bright light.4 There are no data on potential long-term effects.

Possible less efficient or less organized initial rooting and suckling behavior. Nurses have reported more difficulties in feeding babies whose mothers had an epidural when compared to unmedicated babies.6

Decreased infant responsiveness may lead to long-term consequences for the parent-infant relationship.14 Parents should be counseled to give their babies time to recover from the birth and medication and should avoid a label of “difficult child” or “incompetent mother.”

Conclusion

The childbirth educator’s duty is to inform, not to talk women into or out of using an epidural. Many women will choose an epidural, when well informed of benefits, risks and alternatives; others will choose to avoid it if their labor allows.
When women are well informed, they will consider the information, along with other factors – such as their fears, self-perceptions, their goals for their birth experiences, their support system – and make the most suitable decision.

Penny Simkin, a physical therapist specializing in childbirth education and labor support in Seattle, Washington, is the author of The Birth Partner: Everything You Need to Know to Help a Woman Through Childbirth and co-author of Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Newborn: A Complete Guide for Expectant Parents.

References

1Dickersin, K. “Pharmacological Control of Pain During Labor.” In: Chalmers, I., Enkin, M., Keirse, M., eds, Effective Care in Pregnancy and Childbirth. New York: Oxford University Press, 1989.
2Shnider, S.M., Abbound, T.K., Artal, R., Henriksen, E.H., Stefani, S.J., Levinson, G. “Maternal Catecholamines Decrease During Labor After Lumbar Epidural Anesthesia.” American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 147(1):13-15, September 1983.
3Ramos-Santos, E., Devoe, L., Wakefield, M., Sherline, D., and Metheny, W. “The Effects of Epidural Anesthesia on the Doppler Velocimetry of Umbilical and Uterine Arteries in Normal and Hypertensive Patients During Active Term Labor.” Obstetrics and Gynecology, 77(1):20-25, January 1991.
4Avard, D.M., and Nimroof, C.M. “Risks and Benefits of Obstetrical Epidural Analgesia: A Review.” Birth 12(4):215-225, Winter, 1985.
5Fusi, L., Maresh, M., Steer, P., and Beard, R. “Maternal Pyrexia Associated With the Use of Epidural Analgesia in Labour.” The Lancet, 1250-1252, June 3, 1989.
6Reinke, C., Clinical Nurse Specialist at Virginia Mason Hospital, Seattle Washington, Personal communication, June 1991.
7MacArthur, C., Lewis, M., Knox, E.G., and Crawford, J.S. “Epidural Anesthesia and Long-Term Backache After Childbirth.” British Medical Journal, 301:9-12, July 7, 1990.
8Lui, W.H.D., and Luxton, M.C. “The Effect of Prophylactic Fentanyl on Shivering in Elective Cesarean Section Under Epidural Analgesia.” Anaesthesia 46:344-348, 1991.
9McKay, S., and Roberts, J. “Obstetrics by Ear,” American Journal of Midwifery 35(5):266-273, Sept/Oct 1990.
10Scott, D.B. and Hibbard, B.M. “Serious Non-Fatal Complications Associated With Epidural Block in Obstetric Practice.” British Journal of Anaesthesia, 64:537-541, 1990.

11Chadwick, H., Posner, K., Caplan, R., Ward, R., and Cheney, F. “A Comparison of Obstetric and Nonobstetric Anesthesia Malpractice Claims.” Anesthesiology, 74(2):242-249, February 1991.
12Thorp, J.A., Parisi, V.M., Boylan, P.C., Johnston, D.A. “The Effect of Continuous Epidural Analgesia on Cesarean Section for Dystocia in Nulliparous Women.” American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 161(3):670-675, September 1989.
13Maresh, M., Choong, K.H., and Beard, R.W. “Delayed Pushing with Lumbar Epidural Analgesia in Labour.” British Journal Obstetrics and Gynaecology 90(7):623-627, July 1983.
14Lester, B.M., Als, H., Brazelton, T.B. “Regional Obstetric Anesthesia and Newborn Behavior: A Reanalysis Toward Synergistic Effects.” Child Development 53:687-692, 1982.

Bilirubin as an Antioxidant.....

2011-04-03T10:43:00.000-07:00

Bilirubin as an Antioxidant
by Jay Gordan MD

Contrary to what you often will hear about how bilirubin levels increasing in a newborn is not a good thing, there is new research which is showing the importance of the presence of bilirubin.

Bilirubin has the ability to function as an antioxidant in the brain, scavenging free radicals and protecting the brain against oxidative damage.

“When women breastfeed, the babies have higher levels of bilirubin and are healthier. Babies with higher bilirubin levels are more disease-resistant,” said Dr. Sylvain Dore of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland. “Bilirubin also protects against retinopathy in premature babies.”

Dr. Dore has done research on the neuroprotective effect of bilirubin in the hippocampus. His studies have indicated that low concentrations of bilirubin decreased oxygen-radical mediated injury, suggesting that bilirubin could act as an antioxidant.

Dore further experimented on cultured neurons showing that bilirubin protects against oxidative stress. The enzyme hemeoxygenase is responsible for making bilirubin. In these experiments researchers prevented bilirubin synthesis by eliminating the gene for hemeoxygenase and found, as a result, twice the level of stroke damage in mice.

There is also some belief amongst medical professionals that bilirubin is a bacteriostatic compound which acts to slow or eliminate bacterial growth and therefore give an advantage to babies with higher levels of jaundice. This theory would contribute to the fewer infections in breastfed babies, whose bili counts often descend at a slower rate.

These studies shed new light on the way in which bilirubin in a newborn should be viewed. There is no reason to overreact to bili counts ranging up to low 20′s as long as the mother is frequently nursing (every 60 – 90 minutes during the mother’s waking hours and no more than two stretches of four hours maximum at night), baby is wetting and the counts have begun to slow in ascension or have begun their descent.

Mother must be diligent at following a pattern of frequent nursing until jaundice is gone, even if it includes having to wake the baby, because jaundice tends to make a baby sleepy.

Delayed Cord Clamping Should Be Standard Practice in Obstetrics

2011-03-18T13:14:00.000-07:00

There are times in our medical careers where we see a shift in thought that leads to a completely different way of doing things.
click link to read more....

http://academicobgyn.com/2009/12/03/delayed-cord-clamping-should-be-standard-practice-in-obstetrics/

Your Baby’s Consciousness at Birth

2011-03-07T16:07:00.000-08:00

The healthy birth practices we support lead to mothers and babies having the safest, healthiest, most satisfying births possible. This advocacy is now more important than ever, as evidence supporting the theory that babies are conscious at birth continues to grow.

to read more click on the link below....

http://mothersadvocate.wordpress.com/2011/03/07/your-baby’s-consciousness-at-birth/

Mom-sicles!!!

2011-03-02T07:21:00.000-08:00

Breast milk popsicles!!! great idea for teething ...summer.

http://www.mother-2-mother.com/momsicles.htm

Dads and Doulas.....

2011-02-09T15:27:00.000-08:00

by KH Weiss
When my wife told me that she wanted a doula, I was hurt. I truly thought with our first baby that I’d be able to be the end all be all for my wife. She showed me the research. She let me meet some of the doulas. I still wasn’t convinced that it would be the right choice for us. I subscribed to the “If you weren’t at the conception, you shouldn’t be at the birth rule.” My wife wound up vetoing me. Here are the reasons I’m glad that she did:

1.A doula can spell you.

I really thought I’d be able to stay awake for a big event like childbirth. Who didn’t pull an all nighter in college? Bathroom breaks? Ha! I mean, if I could ride my bike for hours, drinking lots of water and not needing a bathroom break, surely I could wait a few hours while my wife was in labor, right? Wrong.

Thirty hours into my wife’s first labor and I was toast. I’d been up walking with her for what seemed like days as labor began. We’d come to the hospital and there wasn’t any sleeping for me. I was physically tired and mentally shot. The doula really helped me out. With my wife’s blessing, that 30 minute nap I caught helped me to refocus and be back on my game for the big event. And we won’t even talk about how much fun my wife made of me for my small bladder. Needless to say, having the knowledge that my wife had someone else with her while I scarfed down food, went to the bathroom and grabbed a few winks kept me sane.

2.A doula remembers what she learned in childbirth class.

I paid attention in childbirth class. I’d hear enough horror stories to realize that there was a huge, comprehensive final exam for this course – childbirth. But when push came to shove, no pun intended, the knowledge went out of my brain. Those early hours of labor I couldn’t remember if we were supposed to eat or sleep, which positions were good or not so good. Thankfully, when the doula arrived, she saved my skin and made me look like the good guy. My wife never really realized that it wasn’t my idea that she try certain positions, but that I’d been privately coached by our doula.

3.A doula knows the questions to ask.

When we arrived at the hospital, everyone was bombarding us. Questions were flying from all directions. I was busy trying to help soothe my wife, who was not happy with the bumpy car ride to the hospital. Our doula stepped in and gave them all the information that they needed. Magically doors opened and we were offered a prime birthing room.

Our doula also was very helpful in getting information. A nurse or a tech would come in and ask us if we wanted something, like a procedure or a medication. I had no clue. (See above where I forgot my childbirth class information!) Our doula would very calmly ask questions of them and of us until we had enough information to make the decision that matched what we wanted. It was never pushy or mean, just questions. She even reminded us that we could take some time alone to make a decision. That turned out to be a real blessing.

4.A doula speaks the language of labor.

Our doula was an amazing translator. I’d ask a simple question like, “How’s the baby?” And the nurse would respond with something like, “The EFM indicates that there are no decels during periods of stimulation.” I’d give her my biggest smile and nod, like I knew what she was saying. Once she left the room, I’d ask our doula, who would carefully explain each part of what had been said. She also helped us decipher what AROM was as well as second stage.

5.A doula keeps you calm.

Hard. Labor was so hard. And that’s just how it felt to me. Thankfully, when the going got tough and my wife was in hard labor, it was difficult for me to keep anything in my brain. I forgot everything from childbirth class and all I could think of was “Surely this isn’t normal!” Our doula would smile at me from across my wife on the birth ball and as if she had read my mind, would mouth the words “This is normal.” Her calm smile helped me focus again on loving on my wife and keeping her calm. She showed me how and where to touch, she modeled how to behave quietly and efficiently and she made me the star in my wife’s eyes.

When I first heard about doulas, I thought of them as birth interlopers. Now I don’t know how anyone could manage to give birth without one. Our doula really helped bring me together with my wife as she gave birth. My wife remembers my constant support and never failing love or knowledge. She remembers the doula as a nice person who did some stuff in the background. We won’t give birth without a doula :-)

White out "white food" for babies!!!!!!

2011-01-31T18:16:00.000-08:00

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/video/white-white-rice-cereal-12227710

Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering

2011-01-26T09:35:00.000-08:00

This is a wonderful opportunity for expecting moms new moms and anyone who is interested in birth!
enjoy :-)

http://www.sarahbuckley.com/

Get Off Your Back!!!!!!!

2011-01-13T16:13:00.000-08:00

AMAZING conception video

2011-01-07T19:03:00.000-08:00

Love this......birth....naturally :-)

2011-01-07T14:01:00.000-08:00

No induction for her. No epidural. Just her husband, her doula and her iPod. And at the end, her obstetrician.

click below to read more......
http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20110106/NEWS/301060022/1001/Hospital-s-new-birth-programs-a-labor-of-love

Debra Shane & the twins

2011-01-04T15:42:00.000-08:00

Well, I'll just put it this way...I CAN NOT imagine going through this experience without Cindy. I vaginally delivered two healthy twins with the assistance of Cindy mid-September. In fact my Mom convinced me to look into hiring a doula quite late in my pregnancy and like they say "Mom's are always right." Looking back I can't believe I ever waivered on this.
Even though I have an awesome husband and family they couldn't provide me with all the knowledge, support and comfort that I needed on that day. Going into this I was very nervous having not experienced childbirth and here I was about to deliver two babies.
Cindy was calming, encouraging and helped alleviate a lot of stress and confusion created by some staff at the hospital.
Since I was having twins, I delivered in the OR and initially the doctor told me I could only have one support person with me while pushing in the OR. Well, since I couldn't fathom how I was going to get thru this last stage without Cindy, my husband and I collectively decided Cindy would join me in the OR. YES, I picked Cindy over my husband! Well thankfully in the end they did allow my husband in too but it goes to show you how important she was to me in this whole process.
In fact, I often wonder if I would have gone to a C-section ( which I was strongly against) if Cindy had not been in the OR. I was told I had one more push left before a C-section and CIndy gave me this pep talk before my last push explaining to me what I was aiming for and ultimatley gave me the encouragement and support I so needed at that time to successfully deliver my two healthy babies vaginally.
Not only was she awesome throughout the labour process but she is so supportive and helpful prior to and afterwards-goes above and beyond. I'm so glad I found her and will be forever grateful she shared this experience with me.
Deb, Shane and the twins :-)

Potentially Detrimental impact of pitocin.....induction drugs

2010-12-14T09:45:00.000-08:00

Midwifery Today E-News shared a quote from Michel Odent about synthetic oxytocin and the potentially detrimental impact it can have on a fetus’s oxytocin receptors. Here’s an excerpt:

80% of the blood reaching the fetus via the umbilical vein goes directly to the inferior vena cava via the ductus venosus, bypassing the liver, and therefore immediately reaching the brain: it is all the more direct since the shunts (foramen ovale and ductus arteriosus) are not yet closed. . . . Furthermore, it appears that the permeability of the blood-brain barrier can increase in situations of oxidative stress—a situation that is common when drips of synthetic oxytocin are used during labor. We have, therefore, serious reasons to be concerned if we take into account the widely documented concept of “oxytocin-induced desensitization of the oxytocin receptors.” In other words, it is probable that, at a quasi-global level, we routinely interfere with the development of the oxytocin system of human beings at a critical phase for gene-environment interaction.

Oxytocin is the hormone of love and bonding and human connection. If the oxytocin system is damaged, or a child’s oxytocin receptors become desensitized, the ramifications are huge. A brain and body with an impaired ability to release or detect oxytocin sounds like misery to me. As more and more scientists study oxytocin’s impact, we can see how crucial our body’s oxytocin systems can be for human life, love, and happiness.

Animal research suggests that oxytocin is one of our mind and body’s best defenses against stress, anxiety, and depression:
In a study presented at the 2007 Society for Neuroscience meeting, Grippo, Porges and Carter compared the stress reactions of female prairie voles living for four weeks either in isolation or with a female sibling and found greater levels of stress, behavioral anxiety and depression in those separated from their siblings. The team then gave the animals either oxytocin or saline every day during the last two weeks of the four-week period. The isolated animals treated with oxytocin no longer showed signs of depression, anxiety or cardiac stress. By contrast, oxytocin had no measurable effects on those paired with siblings, suggesting that “the effects of oxytocin are most apparent under stressful conditions,” Carter says. (Tori DeAngelis, “The two faces of oxytocin“)
If Michel Odent is right about prolonged Pitocin exposure desensitizing a fetus’s oxytocin receptors, then it’s possible that these children will grow up with impaired abilities to cope with stress, leading to higher rates of depression and anxiety.
Other research indicates that induction (and cesarean births) may lead to a higher incidence of autism:
A 2004 study out of Australia found that autistic children were twice as likely to have been born without natural labor, either by elective cesarean or induction. (Jennifer Block, Pushed, p. 139)
And that oxytocin administration benefits autistic individuals:
[P]sychiatrist Eric Hollander, MD, of Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and colleagues found that adults diagnosed with autism or Asperger’s disorder who received oxytocin injections showed an improved ability to identify emotional content on a speech comprehension task, while those on a placebo did not. (Tori DeAngelis, “The two faces of oxytocin“)
There are implications for drug addiction as well:
In rats, intravenous self-administration of heroin was potently decreased by [oxytocin] treatment. . . . [Oxytocin] receptors in the [central nervous system]–mainly those located in limbic and basal forebrain structures–are responsible for mediating various effects of [oxytocin] in the opiate- and cocaine-addicted organism. (Kovacs GL, Sarnyai Z, Szabo G, Oxytocin and addiction: a review)
Someone close to me was on Prozac several years ago. He told me that, while it reduced his depression, it also reduced his ability to feel any and all emotions. He felt nothing. Empty. From what I understand, his experience is not uncommon. Perhaps it’s because Prozac (fluoxetine) seems to “inhibit the action of oxytocin” (Cantor JM, Binik YM, Pfaus JG, Chronic fluoxetine inhibits sexual behavior in the male rat: reversal with oxytocin). Could that empty emotional void be what it feels like to live as a child whose oxytocin receptors were damaged at birth? I shudder to think so.
And I haven’t even touched yet on the other potential negative effects of Pitocin. All this from a drug used daily to induce labor for doctor or patient convenience (for which it has not been approved by the FDA) and far too often for less-than-concrete “medical” reasons. Jennifer Block shared these eye-opening statements in Pushed:
A recent ACOG survey found that in 43% of malpractice suits involving neurologically impaired babies, Pitocin was to blame. (p. 137)
Even Williams Obstetrics offers a sobering history: “Oxytocin is a powerful drug, and it has killed or maimed mothers through rupture of the uterus and even more babies through hypoxia from markedly hypertonic uterine contractions.” (p. 138)

The truth is that we really don’t know all the ways synthetic oxytocin might be affecting our children (or ourselves as mothers). There are certainly situations where Pitocin use is warranted and acceptable, but those cases are far less common than current use would suggest. Without a doubt our society has a Pitocin abuse problem. How many women do you know who have been given Pitocin? How many of them do you think are aware of the potentially detrimental impact of that drug? It’s sad, isn’t it?

Documentary about Doulas,who they are,what they do and how they came to be

2010-12-06T15:13:00.000-08:00

I love this informative documentary about Doulas....all that they are and what they do.....

http://www.vimeo.com/17166340

Cutting the ties that bind....the potential dangers of early cord clamping

2010-11-26T08:03:00.000-08:00

by Cory A. Mermer

Most, likely the first medical intervention to which every infant is subjected to is the clamping of his or her umbilical cord. Under normal circumstances, in most of western society, this is done almost immediately, without the matter even being given a thought and often before the infant has taken its first breath. A vast majority of parents, and possibly many doctors and midwives as well, are completely unaware or at least unfamiliar with the controversy surrounding this issue.
to read read more click on link

http://www.lightparty.com/Health/ChildbirthIntervention.html

The fathers perspective of his Doula.....

2010-11-11T15:17:00.000-08:00

http://www.salon.com/life/feature/1999/12/07/doula

The Epidural Trip...why are so many women taking dangerous drugs during labor....

2010-11-08T15:48:00.000-08:00

This year, about two million women will get an epidural legally,
but hopefully not lethally, in the US. As a result, about eight of them will never walk unassisted again....
read more....

http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articles/epiduraltrip.asp

Belly Painting....check it out...gorgeous work by Carolyn

2010-10-25T22:05:00.000-07:00

http://www.barefootbutterfly.com/

Love this video.....watch a baby grow!

2010-10-18T08:49:00.000-07:00

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1604891486832#!/video/video.php?v=1604891486832

Birthing Misconceptions....Learn the TRUTH!

2010-10-14T13:27:00.000-07:00

If I go past my baby’s due date, the labour will have to be induced
Learn the truth!!!
http://www.powertopush.ca/birth-options/birthing-misconceptions/you-can-have-as-many-cesareans-as-you-want/

For The Love of a Child.....

2010-10-11T17:15:00.000-07:00

     I had an epiphany today....coming about by a harsh cataclysmic emotional explosion... the gist of the enlightenment is this......when you think you have loved your children enough...love them more. And even though we think our hearts may break into the tiniest of pieces, never to be found again, when they move into their own lives and out of ours from the way we know it......it wont. It will find it's way back together again unlike humpty and it will love more intensely and in a much different way....

     When someone tells you to enjoy these crazy sleepless times of a new born, when they say laugh and enjoy the moments of a toddler....embrace the teen years ....trust me....believe them, believe their words. Hear and listen to what they are saying.

     Those times move so quickly it will take your breath away....one moment you are marveling at the soft and gently touch of your baby's hand as it moves across your chest as if to hug all of you into them while they nurse and in the next moment you will be looking at the most amazing young adult as they forge the path of their own time.

   I don't know how to move through this part of my life.....some days I do well....and other days I don't. and I say...I will do better next time. I have nothing to base this on, no experience in my life has prepared me for the heart ache and the loss I feel....the shear panic that they wont be fully in my life and in my home...in each moment.. like the past. The need to be needed.....to be the kisser of owies and the knower of all. Tucks into bed ,that one more hug good night and the feeling of peace as the house with all its souls in their place, falls into a bliss of ease and breath.

   I will survive....I will move with it.....it is unstoppable and I will be with them in "their" moments of their lives.....

Happy Thanksgiving

Cindy xo

Potential Dangers of Childbirth Interventions

2010-10-06T21:23:00.000-07:00

Potential Dangers of Childbirth Interventions

"Early clamping of the umbilical cord:

Cutting the ties that bind"

Most, likely the first medical intervention to which every infant is subjected to is the clamping of his or her umbilical cord. Under normal circumstances, in most of western society, this is done almost immediately, without the matter even being given a thought and often before the infant has taken its first breath. A vast majority of parents, and possibly many doctors and midwives as well, are completely unaware or at least unfamiliar with the controversy surrounding this issue. This is quite astounding when you realize that disagreement and debate has surrounded this practice for a long time, dating back at least 200 years and probably much longer.'

read more......
http://www.lightparty.com/Health/ChildbirthIntervention.html

Evening breast milk means a good sleep

2010-10-04T13:57:00.000-07:00

Evening breast milk means a good sleep

18:53 02 October 2009 by Linda Geddes

Mothers who use a breast pump to express milk during the day and then bottle-feed it to their baby at night may be letting themselves in for a sleepless night.
Naturally occurring chemicals called nucleotides that have previously been linked to sleepiness only reach their highest concentrations in human breast milk that is expressed at night.
Nucleotides are the building blocks of DNA, but they also participate in cellular signalling and metabolic processes within cells. Several of them have also been implicated in sleep.
The chemicals had already been found in breast milk, their concentrations increasing in the first few weeks after birth, so it seemed likely that they are important for tissue development. Now it seems they may have an additional role.

Milk round

Cristina Sánchez at the University of Extremadura in Badajoz, Spain, and her colleagues looked at the concentrations of 5'UMP, 5'AMP and 5''GMP – the three nucleotides most strongly associated with sleep and sedation – in the breast milk of 30 healthy mothers who had been breast-feeding for at least 3 months. Samples of milk were collected before each feed over a 24-hour period, with between six and eight samples collected per mother.
They found that concentrations of 5'AMP were highest at the beginning of the night, while levels of 5'GMP and 5'UMP increased as the night wore on. These sedatives were found at much lower concentrations in milk expressed during the day.
"It is a mistake for the mother to express the milk at a certain time and then store it and feed it to the baby at a different time," says Sánchez.
She suggests that 5'AMP in breast milk might be fuelling the release of the sleep-promoting neurotransmitter GABA, while 5'GMP is involved in the secretion of melatonin,which helps regulate the natural body clock. 5'UMP is known to promote the amount of both REM and non-REM sleep.
Since previous studies have also hinted that bottle-fed infants have more problems sleeping through the night, Sánchez's colleague, Javier Cubero, has been investigating whether sleep-inducing nucleotides could be added to formula milk.

In a separate study, Sánchez and Cubero created a "night-time" milk by adding 5'AMP and 5'UMP to standard formula milk. Infants receiving this milk between 6 pm and 6 am, and normal milk during the day, fell asleep faster and spent longer sleeping than when they drank standard formula milk all the time.

Journal references: Nutritional Neuroscience, DOI: 10.1179/147683008X344174; Neuroendocrinology Letters, vol 28, p 360

Why the last weeks of pregnancy count..........

2010-10-04T13:50:00.000-07:00

This article is for women thinking about scheduling their baby’s birth, either by c-section or induction......

More and more births are being scheduled a little early for non-medical reasons. Experts are learning that this can cause problems for both mom and baby. If possible, it’s best to stay pregnant for at least 39 to 40 weeks.
There are lots of important things happening to your baby in the last few weeks of pregnancy. For example, your baby’s brain and lungs are still growing. Thirty-nine weeks gives your baby all the time she/he needs to grow before she/he’s born.
http://www.marchofdimes.com/pnhec/240_48590.asp

~Birth....in the hands of the woman~

2010-10-03T10:56:00.000-07:00

written by
Cindy Hansen

    After two weeks of feeling like labor was beginning, this lovely, intelligent client of mine, came down from her mountain top home to have her baby with her husband, midwife and doula.
It was without a doubt one of the top most gentle births I have ever had the privilege....and I mean privilege, of being raptured into witnessing.

    With lights low, door closed, mom's music sofly playing and dad humming along beside mom, we quietly chatted about baby , the meaning of the songs she chose and "wouldn't it be lovely if baby were to come now to this song" These peacful moments were just after water had broken and for the next 30 minutes mom reclines quiescent on the bed in a halo of peaceful pleasure....the room felt enveloped into it's own little bubble with calm serenity eminating from this beautiful laboring woman.

    In the world of birth we hear about this time between where a woman is fully dilated and ready to push and the actual delivery of her baby....a time where it is quiet....where everything seems to rest before the stunning appearance of this new life coming to "be" in our presence.
It is called passive decent or laboring down the baby .No pushing at this point no urgency to "get baby out" just relaxed trust in the ability of this woman's body and baby to do what it needs to do.
Small pushes ,feeling things out, she starts to allow her body's need to become more active in deliverying her baby....I suggest she moves onto her knees and up over the back of the raised bed....with pillows for her head she rests ....then her face takes on a dreamy look and her eyes unfocus as she pushes gently into her urge......"now" she says" now he is coming....." The midwife looks to see what is happening and tells her to reach down and feel her baby's head....she does and is amazed at what she feels....more stronger urges move her to push lower,  harder into her vagina and as the head slowly is born her midwife encourages her to reach down and hold her baby as he is born....with a few more natural intense pushes, she brings her baby up between her legs and sits back cradling her newest son in her arms, over come with euphoria at delivering her own baby....dad's face and eyes shine with pride at watching his wife so competently bring their son into this life...so completely in love with her and their baby.
All the while the midwife and I smile and watch and marvel at this most natural and amazing event. Within 9 minutes of being born this baby,un-handled by anyone else but mom, latched himself to her breast and began nursing on his own.

     This, is what birth is. This ,is what birth should look like for most women. Uninterrupeted, no interventions, inductions or constant monitoring....this is what birth is....pure and natural....the very way God designed it to be.

   You are thinking this must have been a home birth....in fact it was in a hosptial.....yes that is right....in a hosptial!
      It isn't so much where you are as it is the choices you make in how it is done and what you allow to be "done" to you....choose your care givers with knowledge and wisdom......understand their philosophy and that it matches your own desires and needs.
Trust your instincts...give in to your "gut feelings" and know it can be done.......naturally, peacefully, lovingly...the way it was meant to be xox

Written by Cindy Hansen
based on her experiences as a Birth Doula
Birth/Postpartum Doula

A Womb With a View.....

2010-09-29T16:31:00.000-07:00

A Womb With a View.....
by Lisa Belkin

Over the centuries, most cultures have believed — and then dismissed the belief — that what happens to you in the nine months before you are born can affect everything that you become in life.

You may have already heard about the book. It’s the one on the cover of Time magazine this week. The one that is filled with such facts as
Eating chocolate during pregnancy can lead to a happier, less fearful baby.

Eating lots of fish high in omega-3 fatty acids and low in mercury during pregnancy produces smarter kids, with better social, communication and motor skills.

“Moderate” levels of stress during pregnancy is associated with accelerated brain development at 2 weeks of age and better motor and mental development scores at age 2.
to read more click on link.....

http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/27/a-womb-with-a-view/

SIMILAC INFANT FORMULA RECALL...another reason why breast is best

2010-09-22T15:54:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Drugmaker Abbott Laboratories said Wednesday it is recalling millions of containers of its best-selling Similac infant formula that may be contaminated with insect parts.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Abbott-recalls-infant-formula-apf-3944096307.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=2&asset=&ccode

3 hugs a day....not the maximum :-) Touch those babies of yours!!

2010-09-22T08:25:00.000-07:00

Ever meet a kindergartener who seemed naturally compassionate and cared about others' feelings? Who was cooperative and didn't demand his own way? Chances are, his parents held, carried and cuddled him a lot; he most likely was breastfed; he probably routinely slept with his parents; and he likely was encouraged to play outdoors with other children, according to new research findings from the University of Notre Dame.

http://www.physorg.com/news204201579.html

Fathers to be.....:-)

2010-09-07T08:57:00.000-07:00

Dads and partners are in as much need to be educated and prepared for the birth of their babies.....here is a great site for tips and ideas!

http://www.fatherstobe.org/

Just a little sunshine...... :-)

2010-07-12T10:53:00.001-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6tV11acSRk

Why Hire a Doula? 5 Myths Debunked

2010-07-12T09:50:00.001-07:00

When I came across the following article I couldn't help but agree with all of it. So many people either have no idea what a doula is, or they have many misconceptions. The author does such a good job of clarifying the most common of these that I just had to re-post this article found originally on the Mindful Mama website
As doulas become more common on birth teams around the world, I get fewer blank stares when I tell people what I do. Most people have at least a nominal sense of what a doula does, even if the lines are a bit fuzzy for them. Over the years, however, I've noticed some common misconceptions about doulas and their role in birth. Since I hear these myths again and again, allow me to debunk a few for you.

Myth #1: A doula would interfere with the bond between me and my husband or partner in labor.

Your partner in life makes an ideal birth partner. He or she knows you best, and that bond can't be replaced by a doula—or anyone else—in labor. Doulas don't come into a birth and take over.

A good doula actually facilitates involvement. We can remind your partner about what you learned in class. Hips hurting? Here, I know a great technique for that. Dad, try this. We can also complement a partner's strengths. I've been to births where the dad fell into a really natural role as mom's physical support, and I offered more verbal reassurance. Even with great prep beforehand, he just might not know what to say.

Because we've studied and often seen a lot of births, doulas can be invaluable in unexpected situations. Has labor slowed down? Dad might not think about nipple stimulation, stair climbing, acupressure, visualization or thumb sucking (yes, thumb sucking). We also carry a great bag of tricks. My own doula bag includes goodies like tennis balls for counterpressure, peppermint oil to combat nausea, a gardening knee pad for kneeling dads, and mouthwash to refresh anyone on the birth team when mom's senses are incredibly heightened.
Doulas make sure dads take care of themselves too, with comfort measures and breaks during a long birth. Even the most amazing birth partner needs to eat and pee every once in awhile! We can reassure him when things are going normally, and help interpret and demystify hospital protocol. We're his doula too.

And finally, if the two of you are working beautifully together, we're skilled at backing off and letting that happen. I don't feel lost in moments of just observing. There's still real value in simply honoring and protecting a couple's birth space.

Myth #2: If I have a midwife, I don't need a doula.
Most of my clients birth with midwives. While it's true that doulas and midwives do share some common skills and goals, their roles are actually quite different. A doula is your sounding board from the minute you hire her. She'll help you process your hopes and fears about the pregnancy and birth, answer questions and connect you with resources. If you just need to talk every day for a week, she'll be there. You never have to wait for your next scheduled visit.

And unless you're having a home birth, even the best midwife won't meet you in your living room and support you through early labor. Doulas often connect with their clients at home, laboring with them there and helping them with the transition to the hospital or birth center. After arriving at your birth place, a midwife can't guarantee you'll be her only patient in labor. Your doula is there for you, and only you.
Midwives offer birth knowledge and suggestions for coping with labor, as do doulas. However, a midwife's final responsibility rests with the health of mom and baby. At a certain point in almost every birth (and sometimes at many points), a midwife must turn her attention from support to the medical aspects of birth. She watches for complications, advises on interventions or approaches, and serves as medical guardian.

A doula doesn't perform any clinical tasks and stays focused solely on support. She nurtures you in the calm and beautiful spells, but also if there are any frantic, scary moments. "You're doing such an amazing job, this is normal." "I trust your decision-making process." "Stay strong, you're almost there." "Listen to your body." "Don't be scared, we're here with you."

Myth #3: My doula will protect me against the hospital staff
Not even the best doula can "save" a couple from an interventionist doctor, midwife or hospital. It is up to you to advocate for yourselves, and make your wishes known to the staff.

First of all, a doula can be kicked out of a birthing room very quickly if she steps on any toes. Second, we might have to work with these same people again next week or next month—to serve our clients well, it's best not to have an antagonistic relationship.

That's not to say that a doula can't play a more subtle advocacy role. The first thing we might do is to help you figure out if the practice you're with is a good match for your birth goals, and if not, help identify another provider who might be more complementary. We'll also encourage you to talk with your provider about all your hopes and expectations beforehand, so there's less chance of any surprise at the actual birth.

And during the actual birth, we can remind you of your birth plan, share what we know about options, suggest questions, and help you sort through your feelings and priorities. I've also given couples a gentle "heads up" when I've seen a medical intervention about to be performed without their consent. And when the pressure is on to make a medical decision, assuming it's not an emergency, a doula can suggest some time alone to think and talk. Just removing the pressure of someone standing over you waiting for an answer can help a couple think through their options and priorities with clearer heads.

Myth #4: I can't afford a doula.

We spend incredible amounts of money on preparing for a baby in this country. Dare I say it, many of those dollars go toward unnecessary accoutrements. Pretty much, for a newborn, you need diapers, some onesies and a breast. A sling is handy. That's it. Your baby will never miss that fancy diaper stacker, sticker-shock crib or those adorable matching baskets. By comparison, women process their births for their entire lives. And unnecessary interventions can have long-lasting emotional and physical effects for mom and baby. We get one chance to birth our babies. So for some couples, affording a doula is merely a matter of shifting priorities.

In almost every community, if you truly want birth support, there is a doula in your price range. Doula work is demanding and doesn’t usually pay very well. Still, many are willing to adjust their fees on a sliding scale for low-income mothers. Bartering and payment plans are also common. If the doula you first approach doesn't do pro bono work or has reached her limit, she can usually help connect you with a new doula who will work at a very low cost as she gains experience. Call doula certifying organizations like DONA International (www.dona.org) for a list of doulas working toward certification, or visit BellyWomen.net for connections to free or low-cost doulas.

Myth #5: All doulas wear patchouli and long skirts, and they only like natural birth.

This one's easy to debunk, since I'm living proof. Patchouli gives me a headache, and I can't remember the last time I wore a skirt. Some doulas are crunchy, some look a lot like your grandma or your banker, and some of us are more of the sensible shoes, soccer-mom set.

As for going natural, you can find doulas who themselves had medicated births or cesareans. Many doulas feel comfortable supporting any couple, no matter what kind of birth they're hoping for.

Others, and I include myself in this sect, have a true love for natural birth but also a strong sense of compassion for women faced with challenging situations or true medical complications. We're not in your body, and we can't completely know what the labor experience is like for you. Medications and interventions, while vastly overused, certainly have their place. The core of a doula's role is support—support for your decision-making process, and your innate wisdom about the best path for your birth. I've witnessed some truly beautiful births that included Pitocin, narcotics, epidurals, or even c-sections.

A good doula nurtures and supports you on your birth journey, wherever it leads you. One of my clients told me after her VBAC that during her birth she felt surrounded in love. That's much more important to me than whether someone experiences my idealized version of a "perfect birth." If every family I work with feels surrounded in love, I've done my job.

Jessica English is a doula, natural childbirth instructor.

New Breech Guidlines

2010-06-28T08:36:00.000-07:00

Canadian docs to stop automatic C-sections for breech babies
By Sharon Kirkey, Canwest News Service

Most babies are positioned in the head-down position when labour starts. With breech babies, the feet or buttocks come out first during birth. Breech babies account for about three to four per cent of all pregnancies in Canada, or about 11,000 to 14,500 pregnancies each year.Photograph by: Jenelle Schneider, Calgary HeraldIn a major shift in medical practice and another assault on Canada's rising cesarean section rate, Canada's delivery doctors are being told to stop automatically scheduling C-sections for breech babies and attempt a normal delivery instead — something significant numbers of obstetricians aren't trained to do.

New guidelines issued Wednesday by the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada say women carrying babies in the breech, or bottom-first, position should be given the right to choose to attempt a traditional delivery when possible.

The society says that women in Canada want the choice, and that some women with breech babies are delivering at home "because they knew if they went to hospital A, B or C it would not be offered," says Dr. Andre Lalonde, executive vice-president of the obstetricians' group and an adjunct professor of obstetrics and gynecology at McGill University and the University of Ottawa.

Lalonde says the group is working aggressively to ensure future specialists are trained in breech vaginal deliveries and is organizing courses across Canada for practising doctors to refresh their training.

"Paramount is the safe birth of the child," he said.

Most babies are positioned in the head-down position when labour starts. With breech babies, the feet or buttocks come out first during birth.

Breech babies account for about three to four per cent of all pregnancies in Canada, or about 11,000 to 14,500 pregnancies each year.

"Breech pregnancies are almost always delivered using a cesarean section, to the point where the practice has become somewhat automatic," Dr. Robert Gagnon, a principal author of the new guidelines and chair of The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada's maternal fetal medicine committee, said.

"What we've found is that, in some cases, vaginal breech birth is a safe option and obstetricians should be able to offer women the choice to attempt a traditional delivery."

An international, Canadian-led study reported in 2000 that the safest way for breech babies to enter the world was via C-section. The study of more than 2,000 women found babies of mothers in the cesarean group were three to four times less likely to die, or have serious problems in the first six weeks of life, compared to those in the vaginal birth group (1.6 per cent versus 5.0 per cent).

The study had widespread influence worldwide. Many doctors stopped doing vaginal deliveries for breech babies, and many medical schools stopped training doctors in how to do them.

But the doctor who led the study said the risks, while different, were never huge. "The risks were still quite low," says Dr. Mary Hannah, a professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Toronto and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.

More recent studies, including a study of more than 8,000 French and Belgian women carrying breech babies, found no significant differences in risks to babies whether they were born vaginally or via C-section.

Hannah says that a planned vaginal delivery of breech babies can be a safe and reasonable option. But, she said, most women she knows "will still want the option that is possibly safer, and that will be a planned cesarean section."

The main concern has always been delivery of the head — that the body will deliver, but that the baby's head will get caught.

"You can push the baby all the way back up into the uterus and do a cesarean section. But that's very traumatic," Hannah says. "And by the time that you are able to do that the baby may have suffered severe hypoxia," or lack of oxygen.

The new guidelines say that many breech deliveries will still require a C-section, and that a vaginal birth is not recommended for a "footling" breech, where the baby is positioned feet-first, with one or both feet pointing directly down toward the birthing canal.

Vaginal breech births also aren't recommended if the woman's pelvis is narrow or small, if the umbilical cord is likely to become entangled or compressed during delivery, or for babies that are too big (weighing more than 4,000 grams, or 8.8 pounds) or too small (less than 2,500 grams, or 5.5 pounds).

Breech deliveries are one of the main reason for C-sections, "and, if you do one (C-section), you increase the risk for another" in future pregnancies, Lalonde says. Repeat C-sections account for 30 to 40 per cent of all cesareans.

The lie of the EDD

2010-06-25T09:47:00.000-07:00

The Lie of the EDD
Why Your Due Date Isn’t when You Think
By Misha Safranski

We have it ingrained in our heads throughout our entire adult lives-pregnancy is 40 weeks. The “due date” we are given at that first prenatal visit is based upon that 40 weeks, and we look forward to it with great anticipation. When we are still pregnant after that magical date, we call ourselves “overdue” and the days seem to drag on like years. The problem with this belief about the 40 week EDD is that it is not based in fact. It is one of many pregnancy and childbirth myths which has wormed its way into the standard of practice over the years-something that is still believed because “that’s the way it’s always been done”.

The folly of Naegele’s Rule
The 40 week due date is based upon Naegele’s Rule. This theory was originated by Harmanni Boerhaave, a botanist who in 1744 came up with a method of calculating the EDD based upon evidence in the Bible that human gestation lasts approximately 10 lunar months. The formula was publicized around 1812 by German obstetrician Franz Naegele and since has become the accepted norm for calculating the due date. There is one glaring flaw in Naegele’s rule. Strictly speaking, a lunar (or synodic – from new moon to new moon) month is actually 29.53 days, which makes 10 lunar months roughly 295 days, a full 15 days longer than the 280 days gestation we’ve been lead to believe is average. In fact, if left alone, 50-80% of mothers will gestate beyond 40 weeks.

Variants in cycle length
Aside from the gross miscalculation of the lunar due date, there is another common problem associated with formulating a woman’s EDD: most methods of calculating gestational length are based upon a 28 day cycle. Not all women have a 28 day cycle; some are longer, some are shorter, and even those with a 28 day cycle do not always ovulate right on day 14. If a woman has a cycle which is significantly longer than 28 days and the baby is forced out too soon because her due date is calculated according to her LMP (last menstrual period), this can result in a premature baby with potential health problems at birth.

The inaccuracy of ultrasound
First trimester: 7 days

14 – 20 weeks: 10 days

21 – 30 weeks: 14 days

31 – 42 weeks: 21 days

Calculating an accurate EDD
Recent research offers a more accurate method of approximating gestational length. In 1990 Mittendorf et Al. undertook a study to calculate the average length of uncomplicated human pregnancy. They found that for first time mothers (nulliparas) pregnancy lasted an average of 288 days (41 weeks 1 day). For multiparas, mothers who had previously given birth, the average gestational length was 283 days or 40 weeks 3 days. To easily calculate this EDD formula, a nullipara would take the LMP, subtract 3 months, then add 15 days. Multiparas start with LMP, subtract 3 months and add 10 days. The best way to determine an accurate due date, no matter which method you use, is to chart your cycles so that you know what day you ovulate. There are online programs available for this purpose (refer to links in resources section). Complete classes on tracking your cycle are also available through the Couple to Couple League.

ACOG and postdates
One of the most vital pieces of information to know when you are expecting is that ACOG itself (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) does not recommend interfering with a normal pregnancy before 42 completed weeks. This is why knowing your true conception date and EDD is very important; if you come under pressure from a care provider to deliver at a certain point, you can be armed with ACOG’s official recommendations as well as your own exact due date. This can help you and your baby avoid much unnecessary trauma throughout the labor and delivery. Remember, babies can’t read calendars; they come on their own time and almost always without complication when left alone to be born when they are truly ready.

Sources:

Mittendorf, R. et al., “The length of uncomplicated human gestation,” OB/GYN, Vol. 75, No., 6 June, 1990, pp. 907-932.

Release of protein in fetal lungs trigger labor to begin.....

2010-06-22T16:09:00.000-07:00

Babies know when and how to be born.
Each one knows when s/he is ready for life on the outside.
Let's not rush them.
Let's trust them.

We've long known that a mammal's lungs are the last organ to develop inutero before it is baby's time to exit. Disrupting this normal process (and initiating/inducing labor to start before a baby triggers labor on his/her own) frequently causes a cascade of complications - from difficulty in latch, poor breathing, increased infection, decreased immunity, under development, failure to thrive, and an increase in SIDS.

Now, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas researchers have found that it is in fact the fetal lungs themselves which provide the signal to initiate labor.

Drs. Carole Mendelson, Jennifer Condon and Pancharatnam Jeyasuria published findings that a substance secreted by the lungs of a developing fetus contains the key signal that initiates labor.

The protein released from the lungs of a developing mouse fetus initiates a cascade of chemical events leading to the mother's initiation of labor. This research, which has implications for humans, marks the first time a link between a specific fetal lung protein and labor has been identified, said Mendelson, professor of BioChemistry and Obstetrics and Gynecology and senior author of the study. Their research appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and is currently available online here.

The initiation of term labor is carefully timed to begin only after the embryo is sufficiently mature to survive outside the womb. Previous studies suggested that the signal for labor in humans may arise from the fetus, but the nature of the signal and actual mechanism was unclear. In this study, researchers found that the key labor triggering substance, surfactant, is essential for normal breathing outside the womb.

"We found that a protein within lung, surfactant, serves as a hormone of labor that signals to the mother's uterus when the fetal lungs are sufficiently mature to withstand the critical transition from life in fluid to airbreathing," said Mendelson.

"No one really understands what causes normal or preterm labor. There may be several chemical pathways that lead to labor, but we think that this surfactant protein, which is also produced by the fetal lung in humans, may be the first hormonal signal for labor to begin," reported Mendelson, who is also co-director of the North Texas March of Dimes Birth Defects Center at UT Southwestern.

In humans the signaling protein, called surfactant protein A, or SP-A, also helps immune cells, called macrophages, fight off infections in the lungs of children and adults by gobbling up bacteria, viruses and fungi that infiltrate the lung airway.

"Women who go into preterm labor frequently have an infection of the membranes that surround the fetus, and the number of macrophages in the wall of the uterus increases with the initiation of preterm labor. When women go into labor in their own time, at term, they also have an increase in macrophages in the uterus," Mendelson said.

This led the researchers to investigate whether there was a connection between what happens during normal labor at term and in infected mothers who go into early labor.

Mendelson continued, "This also raised the question: If bacterial infection can cause increased macrophage infiltration of the uterus in preterm labor, what is the signal for the enhanced macrophage migration to the uterus at term?"

In mice, the developing fetal lung starts producing SP-A at 17 days gestation; full-term delivery occurs at 19 days. The developing human fetus starts producing SP-A in increasing amounts after 32 weeks of a 40+week normal gestation, at which time the baby's lungs are essentially developed. As the fetus "breathes" amniotic fluid in the womb, the protein is released into the fluid.

"The SP-A protein binds to macrophages in the amniotic fluid, macrophages that come from the fetus itself," said Dr. Jennifer Condon, a postdoctoral researcher in BioChemistry and the study's lead author.

The macrophages, activated by the protein, make their way through the amniotic fluid to the wall of the uterus. Once embedded there, they produce a chemical that stimulates an inflammatory response in the uterus, ultimately leading to labor.

Researchers also found that injecting a pregnant mouse with SP-A before day 17 of the pregnancy caused the mouse to deliver early. Injection of pregnant mice with an antibody that blocks SP-A function caused them to deliver late. This would cause us to believe that women who carry babies post 42 weeks (as is common in some family lines) may do so because the necessary SP-A function is happening at later date in gestation (starting at 34 weeks instead of 32 weeks, for example).

Identifying the receptors on the macrophages to which the SP-A protein binds will be the next step, Mendelson said. "We think that bacteria may be binding to the same receptor on the macrophages to cause preterm labor in women. The bacteria mimic the function of SP-A, initiating the chemical reactions that lead to premature labor. If we knew more about this receptor on amniotic fluid macrophages, we may be able to design therapies or inhibitors to block preterm labor."

Other researchers participating in the study were Dr. Pancharatnam Jeyasuria, a research fellow in internal medicine and former fellow Julie Faust, now a medical student at Texas A&M University.

T

Crying it out may damage a baby's brain....

2010-06-22T08:52:00.000-07:00

By: Dr. Stephen Juan

Research suggests that allowing a baby to "cry it out" can cause brain damage. Some experts warn that allowing a baby to "cry it out" causes extreme distress to the baby. And such extreme distress in a newborn has been found to block the full development of certain areas of the brain and causes the brain to produce extra amounts of cortisol, which can be harmful.

According to a University of Pittsburgh study by Dr. M. DeBellis and seven colleagues, published in Biological Psychiatry in 2004, children who suffer early trauma generally develop smaller brains.

A Harvard University study by Dr. M. Teicher and five colleagues, also published in Biological
Psychiatry, claims that the brain areas affected by severe distress are the limbic system, the left
hemisphere, and the corpus callosum. Additional areas that may be involved are the hippocampus and the orbitofrontal cortex.

The Science of Parenting by Dr. Margot Sunderland (Dorling Kindersley, 2006) points out some of the brain damaging effects that can occur if parents fail to properly nurture a baby -- and that means not allowing them to "cry it out."

In the first parenting book to link parent behaviour with infant brain development, Dr. Sunderland
describes how the infant brain is still being "sculpted" after birth. Parents have a major role in
this brain "sculpting" process.

Dr. Sunderland argues that it is crucial that parents meet the reasonable emotional needs of the
infant. This is helped along by providing a continuously emotionally nurturant environment for the
infant.