23 Flavors of Baby

UnneCessary Interventions, Please Be Patient

Ada — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 12:31:40 +0000

More and more do I hear about how women around me are going in for an induction, or a scheduled C-section. I have not heard of anyone, and I mean anyone, to let their pregnancies end naturally.

Just a couple days ago, I was talking to some friends and one of them said, “I went to see the doctor at 40 weeks and he was saying I could not go on anymore. I was too overdue and I NEEDED to have this baby, if not, the baby would die”.

I could not be more outraged, and of course, I also thought it was funny that she also had believed it. By the way, she’s in her early 40’s, not someone I would call immature or inexperienced.

The other friend in the same conversation works in a doctor’s office. She was telling me how no one, and she repeated no one, goes over their due date anymore.

As soon as they hit “full term” at 37 weeks they come in wanting baby out.

As amazed as I was at all these comments, the funniest (and stupidest) by far was one made by the wife of a doctor. She was saying how as soon as she turned 37 weeks with her last baby, born like 17 years ago, she went in for a “natural C-section”.

I wanted to drop to the floor and roll around laughing!! I have not heard of anyone say something like that but hey, there is always a first time for everything.

Since I am just sitting here waiting for this baby to arrive at her own time, everyone is acting weird and hurrying me up.

I guess it’s that abnormal to have a baby “naturally”.

I also wanted to post a video from ABC that was airing how more and more women are dying in the US after giving birth.

The report was very clear in mentioning that unnecessary interventions were the cause and how sad it was that it was happening here in one of the most advanced countries in the world.

Take a look and let me know what you think.

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Top 100 Natural Birthing Blogs

Ada — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 21:28:02 +0000

I came across this wonderful list of blogs that advocate natural birth. They come in a variety of flavors and I’m sure that there is one that really calls to you as I have found.

Check them out!

http://www.mritechnicianschools.org/top-100-natural-birthing-blogs/

Which one is your favorite?

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“The Back Up Plan”…Is That What Labor is Like?

Ada — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:44:24 +0000

A couple days ago my hubby and I were watching The Back Up Plan with Jennifer Lopez. I have got to say that it was a pretty funny movie and cute, and whatever else comes with romantic comedies. However, the way birth was portrayed was nothing less than amped up for Hollywood.

There is a girl that is having a homebirth with all her friends and sitting on a birthing pool. What should be a calm and magical moment gets turned into this weird scene with crazy chanting, distorted faces, and lots and lots of screaming and howling.

I pause and wonder if that is what my friends imagine when I tell them that I am having a waterbirth at a birthing center?

So many of them have no idea what its like and when they think they know what its like I am more than sure that they are imagining something like that scene in The Back Up Plan.

I also have to point out another scene in the movie where Jennifer’s sister is bad mouthing having babies and what they do to your bladder and surrounding organs.

It was pretty funny that she says, “Oops, I just peed a little”. As funny as that was, it seems like natural birth is portrayed in such a negative light when in reality its what our bodies were created for.

I came across an interesting blog which is also a book, Pushed Birth, that really addresses the issue or concern that most moms have about keeping healthy “down there”.

The post But My Vagina is very informative as to the real cause of many of the issues that women wonder about. Some of the ones discussed are long and painful recoveries, incontinence, severe tearing, and sexual pain.

Some of the reasons listed for the cause of these issues are caused by strict hospital policies such as:

Episiotomy
Directed pushing
The use of forceps and vacuums
Laboring and pushing on your back
Fundal pressure

Even as a tremendous amount of evidence has shown these practices to do more harm than good for a mother we have yet to see a change in rigid hospital procedures.

The more that I become informed the more sure I am of the kind of birth that I want. Even as hospitals and Hollywood have a completely different view on labor and delivery I fight to make others understand the beauty of what awaits me.

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Newborn Vaccines…A Necessary Evil Or Just Plain Wrong?

Ada — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 01:37:40 +0000

Ok, before I start, I understand that I may be opening a huge can of worms here. However, I feel that it’s an issue that I must address since it has taken up much of my research time lately.

I am 39 weeks now and as my due date approaches I find it more and more unnerving thinking that I am going to be responsible for another human being. A precious little one who is the product of the love between my husband and I.

After thorough research through much reliable, and I repeat reliable, sources I have decided that at the time baby Zury arrives we are going to refuse her getting the Vitamin K injection, Hepatitis B vaccine, and the antibiotic eye ointment or erythromycin.

Let me briefly explain.

The Vitamin K injection is routinely administered to newborns in case there is bleeding in the brain that cannot be stopped due to the lack of the blood clotting factor in the vitamin. This injection is, though, is 100 times the infant’s recommended daily dietary intake.

Our choice was to decline the injection and, since I will be breast feeding, opt for a diet rich in vitamin K-rich foods, like leafy greens, or taking vitamin K supplements daily or twice weekly for 10 weeks to naturally supplement the low levels in my baby. For the latter, it is recommended that I take 2.5 mg per day.

The Hepatitis B vaccine is administered to newborns to prevent a liver infection and which symptoms may include fever, malaise, fatigue, jaundice, abdominal tenderness, and elevated liver enzymes. We are told that hepatitis b is a potentially life-threatening illness.

However, we are not told that the virus is spread by coming in contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected person. There was a need to prevent babies from contracting it from their mothers who were carriers and who had refused the vaccine themselves. It became too much to decide which newborns needed it and who didn’t, and the result was vaccination for all. It being a policy based on convenience was not enough reason for us to opt for the vaccine.

The antibiotic eye ointment, or erythromycin, is given to babies who are at risk of getting an STD from the mother when coming down the birth canal. This, as doctors will tell you, is to prevent blindness.

However, I was tested and know for a fact that I do not have an STD so, consequently, my baby does not need the ointment.

All in all, I have made countless hours of research regarding this matter and found it to be our what works best for our circumstances. I also understand that you may choose to do things differently and the beauty of it all is that you are entitled to.

I have included a few links to websites where I found some useful information that you may appreciate. Feel free to also do your own research and make sure that the information that you are getting has some kind of medical background or reasoning behind it.

http://childbirth.amuchbetterway.com/newborn-baby-eye-drops-explained/
http://www.healthychild.com/vitamin-k-shots.htm
http://thebabybond.com/VitaminKinjectORnot.html
http://www.naturodoc.com/library/bio-war/HepB.htm

Happy birthing!

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Celebrating My Full Term Pregnancy!

Ada — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 03:38:03 +0000

We are nothing short of excited to make it to 37 weeks. We now have a full term baby inside of me and we decided to celebrate.

My husband decided to make me a wonderful breakfast of homemade crepes filled with Nutella, sooo yummy!

Of course, with that good of a start to the day, I was in such a good mood.

My husband then decided that he wanted to take the morning and make my belly cast. He set up the living room with a chair and started opening the package.

We got our belly cast kit at Babies R Us for 19.99. A really good price considering that we were expecting to pay double that. The kit comes with 5 rolls of plaster, vaseline, a plastic floor cover, and a bottle of vaseline.

Once the plastic was set up over my legs and all around me, I started to put vaseline all over my torso. At this point, I am in my undies only. In the meantime, Freddy started to cut pieces of the roll of plaster in different sizes to have ready to dip in water.

He started by using some the wet strips of plaster from my chest down to under my belly. The whole process took about 45 minutes from start to finish.

Once the belly cast was dry enough, we grabbed it from the sides and slowly took it off. We checked it against the light and noticed some weak spots that needed to be reinforced, which we will do in a couple of days.

The reinforcement is done by adding strips of wet plaster to the INSIDE of the belly cast.

Soon enough we we were done and 2pm rolled around. I had my weekly appointment with my midwife so we set off to see her.

After the appointment, we decided to go to the beach!! It was simply an amazing day.

Take a look.

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Birthing Around the World

Ada — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 21:00:53 +0000

I am now 38 weeks pregnant and very much feeling it. Please excuse me for not posting in quite some time, but pretty much I am taking it day by day.

This week, at out birth center, my husband and I saw a video called Birth Into Being. Feel free to check out their website. This video features the birthing choices that women have made in Russia. Childbirth has become a beautiful ritual, one that allows us to birth without suffering.

Women have decided to use the ocean to birth their babies. As crazy as that may sound to us, it truly was beautiful to watch. They also used their 9 months of pregnancy to prepare their minds to receiving that baby with all the love and calmness in the world. There was also a technique that women use to recharge and wake up their immune systems that might seem crazy to us. These women take short dips in a frozen lake, yep, they actually have to chip off the frozen top layer, take a dunk and come out. Amazingly, this is not out of the ordinary and apparently very healthy for everyone to do. It really took my breath away.

This video also highlights how the birth of our babies has an impact on their intellectual, physical, and even moral levels. Our babies have the need to feel wanted at the time of birth and we can give them that if we have the knowledge of what to do.

Truly amazing to me was the way women view their childbirth since, in this country, we see that childbirth has been left up to the doctors. They “know best” is our excuse and we rather run away from such a momentous time in our lives by using drugs and unnecessary interventions.

However, in many places around the world, such a natural process has now become the backbone of femininity, independence, and empowerment. Women have taken back the reigns of their childbirth and have made it one of the happiest moments in their lives that also strengthens the marital bonds that created that beautiful baby.

Take back your birth and turn it into an incredibly beautiful, life changing, soul awakening, welcoming ceremony.

Join the revolution.

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A Newborn Baby Bath, A Harmless Procedure?

Ada — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 02:29:50 +0000

Vernix on a newborn

I have found that a newborn baby bath is not the harmless procedure that was once thought and is routinely followed by most hospitals.

We all have seen pictures of newborn babies with a white waxy film all over them. Not pretty by any means, in fact, you would think that washing it off would be the logical thing to do.

However, research has shown that this creamy-like substance on newborns is not only a moisturizer and skin protector but also one of the baby’s best defenses in their new environment outside the womb. In fact, it is called “Nature’s Cold Cream” since it has the same immune enhancing properties of breast milk, thus showing the continuance of development that goes beyond birth.

Vernix contains antimicrobial proteins that have shown to protect against:

E. Coli
Group B Streptococcus
Other infections caused by these bacteria

If we refrain from a newborn baby bath and keep our babies with us after birth we are able to prevent some infections that are caused by these bacteria.

It may not look very pretty but the vernix on a newborn is not only a good moisturizer but also an effective cleanser, anti-infective agent, anti-oxidant, and a wound healer.

We are wonderfully designed and created that the birth process, when left alone, is nothing less than perfect. I am not saying by any means that emergencies don’t happen, and when they do we have a good medical system in place that can save lives. However, for the healthy woman, birth is an essential part of the miracle of bringing a beautiful life to this world.

If you would like more detailed information look here to see the many reputable sources and studies that have been conducted and from which I was able to share with you.

As a side note, I have also heard that not bathing a newborn and rubbing the vernix in is actually quite fragrant, apparently it smells sweet. What do you think? Do you agree with this statement? Feel free to leave a comment. I will be updating this post when my baby is born and I am able to experience this for myself.

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Hoping For A Waterbirth, Join The Revolution!

Ada — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 21:09:58 +0000

My friends,

I am looking forward to the future in anticipation of the arrival of Baby Zury through a gentle waterbirth. I know that this might be unconventional since every time I share my hopes with those around me I get these weirded out looks.

However, my wonderful husband and I have always done things differently than most of our friends. As my husband puts it, “we like to go against the current, if everyone is doing it, we go the opposite direction”. It is this attitude that has allowed me to research the birth of our first baby to great lengths and find alternatives to the hospital, drug-driven birth everyone now considers “normal”.

After 5 years of a happy marriage, we have decided to bring a baby into our lives and do it in the most natural way possible. This led me to finding that a waterbirth has so many benefits.

We found a wonderful birthing center that has a team of Certified Nurse Midwifes, is only 20 minutes from here, have a backup hospital and doctor that has all my files, and most importantly offers and encourages waterbirth. Take a look.

In fact, I have found a really good website that lists all of the benefits. Feel free to check it out here. Some of those benefits are as follows:

Shorter labor.
More efficient cervical dilation. An average of 2.5 cm per hour compared with 1.25 per hour without the aid of water.
Babies descended twice as fast.
Women reported less pain overall.
Relaxation achieved easier.
Gentle transition for baby from utero to outside world.
Feeling of weightlessness that allowed for easy positioning when needed.

Childbirth is one of the most powerful experiences a woman can have and with the aid of water it can be truly enjoyed, yes enjoyed, and cherished without the blocking and debilitating use of drugs. Sadly, many mothers report that they cannot remember most of their birth and are not able to recover as fast as they would have expected!

I am not completely against all forms of medication, in fact, there are legitimate reasons why one would need them and they can even save lives. However, I have a feeling that the use of drugs and unnecessary interventions has long been abused and has interfered with the way nature intended a natural childbirth to be.

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Red Raspberry Leaf Tea Infusion During Early Labor

Ada — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 20:09:31 +0000

Hi Friends,

I came across a forum on www.mothering.com that mentioned a very interesting thing regarding a red raspberry leaf infusion during early labor. All of the mothers posting on this thread were talking about this strong infusion that was the pinnacle of the benefits of red raspberry leaf tea. Although, I did notice that it was a fairly old thread the comments all were about how much easier labor is when this infusion is drank when labor starts.

I am considering this post as an update/addition to my previous post regarding the benefits of Red Raspberry Leaf tea. I have been faithfully drinking my tea everyday about 2-3 cups after I bought it from www.bulkherbstore.com (organic loose tea, amazing taste and price). So far, I feel it has been good to me, actually I love drinking this tea cold and without added sugar, yummy!

Since I am 34 weeks along now, my Braxton Hicks contractions are very regular but I have noticed that they are pretty strong now. They definitely do seem more “focused”. I get so excited that when I am with friends I am like, “Touch my belly! It’s as hard as a basketball!” I hope they don’t get tired of me always wanting them to touch my belly.

Anyways, back to the strong red raspberry leaf tea infusion, it is supposed to really work wonders and make your labor and delivery go easier and faster. The red raspberry leaf tea infusion recipe is as follows:

One ounce of loose red raspberry leaf tea.
One pint, about 16 ounces, of boiling water.
Pour water over leaves and let it steep for 30 minutes.
Strain and, when labor starts, drink as hot as possible.

You can read all the posts on this forum from mothers who have taken the strong infusion and had great success with it.t Their birth stories will truly encourage you. I hope that I am also able to benefit from this strong infusion when the time to deliver my baby comes.

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Bye Bye Stroller, Hello Sleepy Wrap

Ada — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 19:48:44 +0000

Now that I am 33 weeks pregnant we have started to receive gifts. Yesterday, one of my best friends, and cousin, gave me a sleepy wrap and I am absolutely thrilled about it.

As soon as I opened it, I couldn’t help but notice how soft it was. The length of this thing is amazing since I did not expect it. I also had done plenty, I repeat plenty of research on an appropriate baby carrier, and found the Sleepy Wrap to fulfill all my needs, or at least the needs I think I have. The Sleepy Wrap is one of the most versatile wraps since both me and my husband can use it. And it is one of the most economical choices at about $40 each. Being a very frugal person, I also loved that I can use it for years to come since its so well made that its hard for babies to outgrow it.

For many years women have carried their babies, and in most countries they still do, that really is not a new concept. In fact, research has shown that babies who are carried learn to walk and become more independent sooner as well as the fact that they cry less. Also, I have a feeling that its a workout for mommies. Sounds like a win win for me. I even read that you are able to nurse and have your hands free to do other necessary chores. Talk about multitasking!

Of course, I have yet to use it myself, which I will post a review as soon as I am able to, but I firmly believe that this was not only an awesome choice but its benefits make it a no brainer. You can check out the benefits of the Sleepy Wrap yourself by visiting www.sleepywrap.com. Their website is also one of the most complete and informative ones I have seen.

If you are thinking of using a wrap or a sling, I suggest you do much research as to what your needs are and which is better for you.

I love the Sleepy Wrap so much and am looking forward to using it that I have deleted a baby stroller from my registry. Yes, you read correctly, I have chosen not to use a stroller with my firstborn. Why? Well, that’s a whole other post.

If you have experience using your Sleepy Wrap, I would love to hear it.