Cesarean Section
Mamas on Bedrest: Don’t Miss the Boat! There is no shame in “Assisted” Childbirth
November 14th, 2011
Click to take the postpartum depression survey conducted by Case Western Reserve University http://filer.case.edu/~axp335/postpartdep.htm Thank you very much for your consideration.
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A man was advised to leave his home as a storm was coming and everyone was to evacuate. He refused, but as the storm swelled, he found himself trapped. In an effort to “go above the rising waters”, he climbed up on his roof and begged God to help him. Not long after, a boat came by. The driver told the man to climb in and he’d take him to safety. The man refused saying, “God is going to save me.” The man in the boat continued on. After another couple of hours with the water reaching the eaves of his roof, the man again pleaded, “God, Please Save Me!” Then Emergency rescue personnel arrived and offered to help the man down and take him to safety. Again, he refused stating, “God is going to save me.” Shortly thereafter, the man perished. When he arrived in heaven, he asked God, “God, I begged and pleaded for you to save me. Why didn’t you?” God replied, “I sent you a man in a boat and a rescue squad, what more did you want?”
As humans, we often question and wonder why things happen the way that they do. When I was struggling to have my children, I often cried out to God, “Why can’t I have my children normally like every one else?” Normal is a very relative term.
There is a movement within the birth world to “return birth to its natural state”. I’m all for that. But not all women are going to be able to have the picture perfect pregnancy and birth. Some of us will require medication to become pregnant. Some of us, like me, will require medication (progesterone in my case) to remain pregnant. Others will require assistance to deliver their children. For example, my sister was a preemie born at 6 1/2 months. When she was having her children, she never went into labor. Her obstetrician “learned” (and I have no idea how they figured this out) that she did not receive the “signals” from her babies that would initiate labor. They summized that due to the fact that she was born early certain systems didn’t develop. (She was also born without a common Bile duct, so when she had her gall bladder out, they had to “reconstruct” one for her!) No matter what the reason, she has two healthy grown men now, thanks to “God’s provision” in the form of obstetrical care.
Sometimes life just doesn’t go as planned. I am so thankful that there are skilled physicians because without them, I would not have my children. While I wonder about the effects of bed rest on a mama’s body, I also know that in certain cases, it is the one thing standing between life and death for both mother and baby. We do far too many cesarean sections in this (United States) country, yet, had I even tried to deliver my daughter, she likely would not have survived, I likely would have hemorrhaged to death and my son wouldn’t exist either. Three people now live and are able to bless this world because there are skilled physicians who intervened on our behalf. They were blessed with skills. We are blessed with life.
Recently I posted a message about classes that I am offering for mamas on bed rest. I got this response from a CPM (Certified Professional Midwife):
I don’t believe in bedrest, so none of my clients would be on it. I believe it only prolongs the inevitable. Barring an incompetent cx, if the baby is healthy, it will stay in until its ready, if its not, might as well let nature take its course and get it over with.
Wow. That’s all that I can say. According to this woman, nature will always work and when it doesn’t, we should just let it go. I am here to say that I wholeheartedly disagree!! For me, the difference between having two healthy children and losing two pregnancies was progesterone. The difference between hemorrhaging to death and surviving were the skillful hands of my obstetrician who was able to manage my bleeding so that I live today! The difference between many women having children and not is the skills and care that many obstetricians and reproductive endocrinologists provide for them. So now it is wrong, somehow “unnatural” for those of us who need that assistance to forgo it, demanding instead “God’s provision in the form of a “natural” pregnancy and birth?
Every one is entitled to their opinion and this CPM is certainly entitled to hers. But I want to reach out to Mamas on Bedrest and to mamas who may not be on bed rest, but needed “a little help” to conceive or to deliver. There is no shame in assisted reproduction or in assisted childbirth! I am sure that like me, many of you prayed long and hard for your children. Are we now to refute them or the methods used to get them here? Of course not!
This woman’s words struck a cord in me because I have had many people comment that I am helping or encouraging women to go against nature. I totally disagree! I believe that if there is a path to your heart’s desire that is legal and effective, Take it! If I can help a woman to have a healthy child by supporting her through the tough patches, then I am going to do it. I see this as no different than helping families with children with special needs or helping a person with an illness manage it so that they can live a quality life. I know that I am speaking to the choir here, but for those of you feeling “less than” because you did not conceive naturally or deliver vaginally, look at it this way,
At least you didn’t miss the boat!!
Please share this with mamas who may be feeling “less than” because they had “help” having their children. If you liked this post, subscribe to this blog via the RSS feed button in the upper right hand corner of this page. Interact with us on Twitter (@mamas on Bedrest) and on Facebook.
Mamas on Bedrest: Introducing One World Birth
August 31st, 2011Mamas on Bedrest, introducing One World Birth.
is an online continuous stream documentary created and produced by Toni Harman and Alex Wakeford. The concept is to present international experts on normal birth and to make information on normal birth readily available to the public. They have created a video trailer promoting the site and the official launch is tomorrow, September 1, 2011.
So what the heck does normal birth have to do with Mamas on Bedrest??? That’s a fair question. Many of us who experience high risk pregnancies also experience the most invasive and (traumatic) mechanized births. We’re already feeling guilty for being high risk in the first place, we question ourselves incessantly as to whether or not our situation isn’t somehow our fault. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, having a high risk pregnancy is not your fault! And having a baby who has physical and/or developmental challenges as a result is also not your fault. How can videos and commentary on “normal births” pertain to us?
As I was watching the trailer I was struck by the comments that “women are losing touch with, and their confidence in, their ability to give birth.” Several women who had adverse birth outcomes spoke out about their experiences and how they felt offended by the statement. The person moderating the trailer comments says that many issues will be addressed in upcoming footage and I for one will be interested to see how they address management of high risk pregnant women and the complicated health issues that we bring to the table. I don’t believe that we Mamas on Bedrest are any less in tune with our bodies than our less complicated pregnant counterparts. If anything, we have heightened awareness of every twitter and flutter going on! I am really looking forward to the responses on this topic.
Overall, I think that this is an interesting project, worthy of a look. I can’t make any hard and fast recommendations because there really isn’t that much to comment upon in the trailer. My hope is that once the site is up and running it will be another place from which all pregnant women can gather information to make wise health care choices.
I do want to encourage Mamas on Bedrest to lend your voices to the discussion. As I said previously, we experience some of the most medically invasive pregnancies and births of all women. Ask your questions and share your concerns. See what this panel of “experts” has to say. How does their advice compare to what your OB or perinatologist has to say? How do their words resonate with you? I find that in situations such as this, where there are often such polarizing views (OB vs. Doula/midwife), you are able to glean useful information from both poles and come up with a workable solution in the middle that suites you.
Mamas on Bedrest I also hope that you will lend your voices to the discussion because so often our stories are not heard. Not everyone will have a transformative, empowering, “Lights shining from the heavens” birth experience. Heck, many of us aren’t even able to experience all of the “joys of pregnancy”! The birth world needs to hear from us.
I understand this movement to drive birth out of the hands of surgeons and back into the realm of normal (whatever that is). In uncomplicated situations birth should be a “hands off” process where nature takes its course. But if the mama is like me, someone had better intervene and pretty damned quickly or, as could have been the case during my first delivery, my daughter and I may not have made it. How do we balance the need for less intervention for the majority while making provision for those minority situations in which things just don’t go right? Are we placing too much emphasis on labor and delivery and not enough on prenatal supportive care (my personal opinion)? Yes, yes, I want to hear what these experts have to say about women like you and me.
One World Birth is going to be a useful website for thousands, maybe even millions of women to learn more about the birth process and the choices that they have. Let’s make sure that Mamas on Bedrest are included amongst that number and that our wants, needs and issues are addressed as well.
I can’t wait to hear your stories and opinions. Share them below, especially if you post a comment on the One World Birth website. We Mamas on Bedrest want to support our own. Perhaps you’re more comfortable commenting amongst your peers. Feel free to do so on our Facebook Page. And as always, follow us on Twitter, @mamasonbedrest to hear what we’re up to and our perspective.
Mamas on Bedrest: Breastfeeding Kept Me From Hemorrhaging Post Partum
August 3rd, 2011Immediately after I gave birth to my son via C-section, my OB asked that my son be put to my breast to nurse. I was bleeding more than she liked and she was having some trouble stitching me up. My son, a full term, healthy baby boy latched right on and proceeded to suck my entire breast into his tiny little mouth. Meanwhile my lower abdominal organs, which seemed to be keenly attached to my breasts at that very moment, began to contract. I had never experienced such pain at both ends of my body simultaneously.
I later learned that one of the many benefits of breastfeeding for a mama is that it helps to control uterine bleeding post partum and helps the uterus contract and migrate back down into the pelvis. As such, breastfeeding helps ward off anemia in mamas. I sure could have used this benefit after the delivery of my daughter, when I practically hemorrhaged after her delivery. The attending OB had a really hard time stitching me up after the c-section. Everytime she threw a stitch, blood spurted up like Old Faithful. Add to that I was nauseated and vomiting and things were really complicted. She finally had to further sedate me and inject pitocin directly into my uterus to get it to contract and to get the bleeding under control.
So much data has been amassed on the benefits of breastfeeding that the US Surgeon General, Regina Benjamin, MD, issued a statement reported in this blog post that every effort should be made so that all infants are breastfed for their first year. There are many benefits to a mama who breastfeeds. While not every woman will experience every benefit, most women experience enough benefit to make even a trial of breastfeeding worthwhile.
Faster Return to Pre-pregnancy weight. Many women report that breastfeeding hastened weight loss. I myself found that with my daughter, I lost down to within 6 lbs of my pre-pregnancy weight and then did not lose the final 6 lbs until my daughter stopped nursing at just shy of 11 months. With my son, I actually gained weight. I can only assume that I needed the weight to keep up with his nursing demands (both breasts every 11/2 to 2 hours!). Within 3 months of stopping nursing, I did drop the weight.
Delayed Return on Menses. Again, many women have no menstrual cycles while nursing exclusively. However a word of caution, while exclusive nursing on demand has been associated with decreased fertility, many women do in fact ovulate and end up pregnant while nursing a very young child. If you are unsure, definitely use birth control if you don’t want to become pregnant right away. With both of my children, I breastfeed them both exclusively, yet with both babies my periods resumed by 3 months post partum. The effects of breastfeeding on an individual woman’s menstrual cycle can’t be predicted, so if in doubt, use a reliable form of birth control. (See our blog post, “Mamas on Bedrest: It’s Time to Consider Your Birth Control Options“)
Improved Mood/Prevention of Post Partum Depression. There is a lot of data now that supports the theory that exclusive breastfeeding helps ward off post partum depression. Researchers report that the release of hormones during breastfeeding as well as the bonding that occurs between mother and baby help alleviate (abort) many of the symptoms of post partum depression.
Reduced risk of breast, ovarian, cervical, and endometrial cancers
Protection against osteoporosis and hip fracture in later life
Reduced risk of mortality for women with rheumatoid arthritis has bee associated with total time of lactation
The benefits of breastfeeding are myriad and breastfeeding benefits both mother and baby. Medical societies including as the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Academy of Pediatrics have issued position papers stating that breastfeeding should be encouraged and supported for at least the first year post partum.
Mamas on Bedrest, please consider breastfeeding your baby. If you need support, we are here, info@mamasonbedrest.com. Let us know how we can help.
Share your breastfeeding stories and resources below. Connect with us on Twitter, @mamasonbedrest, and on Facebook.
