Why The Wait? {The importance of labor}

There is a lot of evidence to demonstrate the problems with induction but I'd like to focus on the benefits of letting labor start naturally.

Spontaneous labor begins from a combination of fetal maturity and the emotional state of the mother's health. This concept makes apparent the benefit of labor in regards to neonatal health- the onset of labor demonstrates that the baby was ready to be born.

There are many benefits of labor {even if you're planning the big C}

A cesarean comes with more complications than a vaginal delivery, though may be necessary for a number of reasons. If a cesarean section is not medically imminent or you are electing a c-section, a beneficial option may be to labor prior to the cesarean.  By scheduling your cesarean you'll miss out on the many benefits of the hormones of labor.

Oxytocin is a significant hormone of labor; research shows numerous benefits such as protecting your baby's brain during birth.  Oxytocin is a key player in breastfeeding- not only facilitating bonding but also as part of the hormones of labor that influence the let-down of milk. Prolactin is the major hormone of milk synthesis and though it doesn't peak until closer to birth, it is present throughout labor. Endorphins are also released during labor. Oxytocin and endorphins are interrupted by pitocin and epidurals. [Essential oils, such as lavender, can also be used to release endorphins.]

Another benefit of labor are the contractions- which strengthen the uterus. Contractions also squeeze the babies lungs, helping to expel fluid along with the hormones that prepare the lungs for life outside of the womb. Among these hormones are catecholamines excreted by the adrenal glands of the baby, preparing them for the transition into life outside of the womb. The alertness of your newborn from these hormones also facilitates bonding, while the increase in white blood cells begins to build immunity.

Babies delivered via cesarean without labor are more likely to have respiratory problems; this could be due to not being ready for delivery, the lacking hormones and not having the lungs being squeezed by contractions.

Women undergoing cesarean deliveries without labor were more likely to develop a bacterial infection.(Resource: PubMed) 

On this Journey of Life we strive to give our babies the best start at life. One way to do that is to make educated decisions. Feet free to utilize the studies and information cited here while consulting with your preferred care provider in making the best decisions for your pregnancy and birth.

More in Why The Wait: Delayed Cord Clamping

Will you wait for labor to begin on its own?

Don't Hate, Let's Educate {Birth}

Stop the Mommy Wars is derived from the concept that the only choices we have control over are our own. What another mom chooses is her decision – who are we to judge that?  We are each free to make our own decisions and we should support another mother in her own decisions, creating a stronger community.  While I fully believe this is an excellent idea to stop the growing trend of pop culture pitting moms against each other, I also feel we have other battles placed in front of us that must be confronted. So should we fight one another, insisting that each person is in the right? No: Don't Hate, Let's Educate.

Birth

Your birth, your way. I firmly believe that and as a doula abide by that; I support whatever kind of birth my client chooses.  Here's the catch- I educate my clients. They are making informed choices.

The problem lies, once again, in our misinformed culture. Fear is rampant!  Less than half of all expectant mothers will have taken a childbirth preparation course by the time they give birth. A good majority of those who do take a course take one in a hospital setting. In a hospital course you learn how to be a good patient. You learn some basics about the stages of labor but not what you need to know; not evidence based birth. You'll learn what your [medical] pain management options are but most won't tell you all of the risks of an epidural or that a doula helps to relieve your pain naturally and is associated with a more positive birth experience. They'll tell you the process of admitting you to the hospital but not tips to keep your labor from stalling; they have pitocin for that. They don't work to undo the fear that has been bestowed upon us by our pop culture and the collective memory we've built from that culture.  It's easy and cost effective when birthing mothers can be put into the system, boxed up and released.

But we are each individual mothers with unique births, bodies and babies- we deserve to be treated as such. Don't Hate the system because it treated you unfairly, Let's Educate and spread the word that this is a human rights issue; autonomy of choice. This is what I'm talking about!

A cause that directly affects the health and well-being of millions of women around the world. That cause is human rights in childbirth.

You, mother who doesn't research and just does as your told in the birthing room, I judge you. I judge you and I apologize for that but if we are to take back birth then there is no room for mothers who don't care. We need all the support and advocacy we can get because birth matters.

So is this OB vs Midwife? Hospital vs home? Technology vs nature? No! We can all respect one another. I will respect your choice to birth in the hospital with an epidural if you respect my choice to birth at home without drugs. I respect yours because I've researched yours. Have you researched mine? I'm not asking if you believe it, I'm not asking you to achieve it. I'm simply asking you to be informed. Understand that home birth is a safe option for a healthy, low-risk mother. It's OK if it's not the choice for you, I don't judge you; I simply want you to know that pregnancy is not an illness. I want you to know the epidural is not free of risks. Do you know the benefits and joy of natural birth? Or are you overwhelmed by fear of the pain we have been programmed to expect in childbirth?

"So many North American women have experienced the pain of labor, and then had an epidural, that our collective memory about birth is now full of hurt but is missing the feelings of ecstasy and success that natural birth provides." -Cynthia Gabriel

Our culture has been programmed to fear birth. When birth moved out of the home and into the hospital it became a mystery. Little girls no longer see birth as a normal part of life but as an illness that needs medical care. Everywhere you turn you see complications and pain and no mother wants to be the only woman in the birth circle talking about her blissful or ecstatic birth. Are you getting your information from the media? Are your friends, coworkers and complete strangers bombarding you with horror stories? What would happen if you surrounded yourself with positive birth stories? Have you considered finding a birth circle? Do you have a doula or other caring support persons?



Midwives may provide an excellent source or childbirth education but if you're getting your information from an obstetrician, you must understand that they are trained surgeons; they are trained to manage complications in birth! Don't be ignorant when choosing your care provider. Do you know your care providers birth philosophy? This should be one of the first questions you ask when in search for a care provider. You shouldn't have to settle or compromise. [<--Trigger warning]

Why is it that we get pregnant and call the surgeon! 

The United States spends $98 billion annually on hospitalization for pregnancy and childbirth, but the US maternal mortality rate has doubled in the past 25 years. The U.S. ranks 50th in the world for maternal mortality, meaning 49 countries were better at keeping new mothers alive.

So what's different here than in those other countries? Do they have better technology than us? No. What's missing here, in the United States, is the midwifery model of care. Only 8% of mothers are seeking a midwife for their prenatal care and birth. When are we going to catch on? When are we going to realize that birth is a normal life event. Not only does birth matter, mothers matter! It's not enough to merely say "the baby's healthy, that's all that matters."

There's not near enough of a concern for the rising cesarean rate. Can a cesarean save lives? Yes. Are all  these cesareans we're having necessary- not even close. The WHO recommends a cesarean rate below 15%; anything above that and our outcomes are not improving alongside of the rise in this major abdominal surgery. We are at a national average of 32%.
 
Take charge of your birth. Know what interventions increase your likelihood of a cesarean.
It is NOT ok that we are using pitocin to elictively induce labor.

Daily Med Plus

Don't Hate, Let's Educate. Surely, a mother who knew the risks of induction to her baby and to herself would not choose this. But as a culture, we have made pitocin far too permissible in birth and ignored the dangers of it. Roberto Caldreyo-Barcia, MD said,

Pitocin is the most abused drug in the world today.

We are disregarding the importance of mother nature and creating detrimental affects.

Infographic courtesy of Plumtree Baby

Beyond all of this, it's more than just this moment, this birth; pitocin impacts so much more. Michele Odent, MD first began exploring the desensitization of oxytocin receptors.

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. Click here to read more about how pitocin impacts can be life-long. 

A recent ACOG survey found that in 43% of malpractice suits involving neurologically impaired babies, Pitocin was to blame. Is this really a risk you want to take because you're uncomfortable towards the end of your pregnancy? Of course not! But mothers are not being told of the risks and so we are overly seeking convenience. This "convenience" is affecting us as a society. This is what I am so angered by. I don't know your circumstances, I don't judge you; what I judge is ignorance. What I am enraged by is the lack of knowledge and respect for choices made surrounding birth. Why is this risk such an easy option to obtain but to VBAC you have to fight? You'll be told the risks of that and you'll be told in a way that makes you fearful, regardless that a vaginal birth may be a safer choice.

Fear mongering is not ok! Ever!

In conclusion: we must respect each women in the choices she makes for her birth and understand that she made the choice she felt best with the knowledge and support she was given. Don't Hate, Let's Educate. We need to stop bashing one another for the choices the other has already made and start reshaping the way our culture views birth. If we can influence the way we think about birth- trusting mother nature, understanding this normal life process- we can begin rethinking our choices and positively influencing future generations. But with so much negative influence from pop culture and a lack of prevalence in the midwifery model of care, where is a simple consumer to begin improving birth? [<---The answer here.]

Previously in Don't Hate, Let's Educate: Vaccinations and Baby Feeding

For more in evidence based birth to help you make informed choices, follow the Journey of Life.

What's important for your birth ?

Technology in Childbirth

Each new year brings new knowledge and new technologies.
From stethascopes to continuous fetal monitoring, we've come a long way in childbirth but are all these advancements helping or hurting us.  With the introduction of continuous fetal monitoring came an increase in the c-section rate but no benefit to the health of baby.  From 2D ultrasounds to 3D ultrasounds; we can see so much more detail today but at what cost?  With these advancements we are losing the art of birth.  Experienced midwives on The Farm will tell you that they can guesstimate a baby's weight by palpation alone with just as much if not more accuracy than the technology.  If you consider pain management a technology, this is another change women face; their expectations changed all together.  What many women don't realize is that we are still learning the effects of epidurals and certain narcotics.

I challenge you- with everything offered to pregnant women today it's hard to filter through it all and know what's best for you and your baby, but this is your body, you birth!  Take charge of it- do your research.  Today, women will spend more time planning for their wedding than the birth of their baby and that shouldn't be.  Some things to consider while planning your birth-  Where you will birth, who you will have there, what procedures you will have done prenatally, how you will best embrace labor, birthing positions, newborn procedures and your postnatal care plan.  All of this to come in future blogs!  This is the start to a very important someone's Journey of Life, this is very important part of your very own journey.  Birth is one of the most transformative times in the lives of at the very least two people!

Pitocin linked to Autism?

Vaccines have been around for a while and so have the controversies surrounding them.  As of late, we’ve seen a rise in the instance of Autism with many people pointing fingers at vaccinations.  I dare say, vaccinations have been around longer than the rise of Autism and today with so many parents not vaccinating we are seeing cases of polio, measles and more but will we see a decrease in Autism?- probably not.  I’m not here to say that there are no risks associated with vaccinations but I am here to assert that Autism is not one of them! 

Let’s look at some facts and comparisons being linked to Autism today:  Please note from this article the prevalence of Autism in babies born at home with midwives sans the use of Pitocin and other narcotics – 0% The natural hormone, Oxytocin, is released by the pituitary gland and triggers the onset and progression of labor and milk let-down. It is part of a complex flow of hormones, which when uninterrupted play a significant role in the bonding of mother and newborn child.  It is known as the “love hormone” and ironically or not, children with Autism display a slower ability to form attachments and interact socially.  Pitocin is given systemically, acting upon the uterus rather than realizing labor and birth are a complete body process.  Pitocin is the artificial version of this “love hormone.”   When researching this drug I noticed that Oxytocin and Pitocin are frequently used interchangeably; when this could not be farther from the truth.   It’s probably not good practice to link another blog but I simply cannot say it better than Stephanie, with Nurturing Hearts Birth Services.  I feel I should save my own rant on Pitocin for another blog and stick to the relations between Pitocin and Autism.

Now to look at some statistics by year:  In 1990 9.5% of women were induced with Pitocin.  In 2008 23.1% of women were induced with Pitocin.  -These statistics according to ACOG.  In 1990 Autism was reported in 1 in 500 children.  In 2009 Autism was reported in 1 in 88 children.   It is more common for older women to have children diagnosed with Autism, ironically or not, it is also more common for older women to have their labor augmented with Pitocin.  According to a survey done by the University of Texas, 81% of labors were either induced or augmented with Pitocin.  There are more factors than just Pitocin that relate to autism such as other chromosomal abnormalities.   There is more than one cause of Autism but for now I’ll focus on the fact that in men, Oxytocin is only released during sex from the pituitary gland.  Men don’t need an injection of Pitocin and when women receive this continuous stream of Pitocin during or at the start of labor it is in essence an overdose.  Autism is 4 times more prevalent in boys than in girls; ironic or not.  

Birth is a whole body and mind experience that begins our Journey of Life.  The hormones involved in labor are complex and work together for our body to labor the way it’s supposed to; that includes when and for how long.  The natural hormones released in labor influence not only our contractions, but our perception of “pain” and our bonding with baby as well.  Unless medically necessary, I encourage all women to stay away from this drug.  It not only negatively affects your labor but it may have more consequences than we are aware.