Archive for the ‘ Midwives & Homebirths ’ Category

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19
Aug

Correcting a Colorado Birth Certificate

Amélie’s birth certificates came in May.  They were nice and crisp and lovely new, so I filed them in the “To File” box.  Then, just recently I went to file them and realized that her middle name was spelled wrong.  Oh that silly State of Colorado – those dummies made a mistake.

Didn’t think it was much of a problem til I checked up the correction process on the Vital Records site, downloaded the correction form & WHAT WHAT?!  $20 correction fee PLUS I’ve gotta pay for all new copies ($17 for the first, $10 for additional copies)?!  But it was COLORADO’S fault, Vital Records’ fault, not mine!  I even had a copy of her birth certificate form I sent in, showing that I had spelled her middle name correct: S-O-L-E-I-L.

Finally got a hold of the vital records corrections agency & they shuffled through their files and found that my midwife had spelled Amélie’s name wrong on HER form that she sent in.  Vital records told me that I could ask my midwife to pay the correction fee, but that she doesn’t have to – and I wouldn’t ask her anyway, since she gave me a killer poverty-deal on my prenatal care/birth.  And, obviously, I probably wouldn’t ask to have her pay for the extra copies, since buying three was my choice.

IF I would have noticed that error within 30 days of receiving the 3 birth certificates, then I wouldn’t have to pay nada.  But, now I’m going to blame the English language for making “IE” look more correct than “EI”, because I certainly don’t want to take credit for overlooking my daughter’s name on the only important record I’ve been in charge of her whole life.

So, shitty-kitty, now we get to count up $57 out of our change bucket to pay for the correction.  How expensive are those thick pieces of paper with the water stamp?  Seriously?!

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5
Apr

Epidural Reminders

photo/japajoe

As I climbed up and down the stairs slowly, contracting after each trip up and town, I thought that if I wined long enough and loud enough, my midwives would let me go to the hospital.  By 8pm, 19 hours after active labor began, if my midwives had given me the option to get a C-section, I would have jumped for it.  They weren’t push-overs.

I knew that the practices hospitals commonly practice during labor were not for me, thus I went with a home-birth.  However, by the time my midwives were throwing this natural induction technique and that natural induction technique at me, just so I’d have closer excruciating contractions, an epidural didn’t sound so bad.  I’m so happy they knew that I’d forgotten what kind of birth I wanted.

Reading about epidurals again, 7 weeks after labor, I’m SO thankful for my painstaking experience and just thought I’d remind mamas and future mamas why epidurals aren’t all they’re cracked up to be:

  1. Epidural medication gets to the baby. The anesthetic crosses the placenta, is absorbed by fetal tissues, and the concentration rises with the duration of the epidural.  One group of researchers measured umbilical vein levels of anesthetic at one-third of maternal blood levels.
  2. Epidurals retard labor progress. Studies consistently show that women who have epidurals have longer labors, and as a result, they are more likely to have oxytocin, instrumental deliveries, and cesarean sections.  Epidural anesthesia disrupts labor’s feedback mechanism.  In an unanesthetized woman, messages from stretch receptors in the cervix and upper vagina stimulate the pituitary gland to secrete more oxytocin.  This increases the tempo of labor.  Later, surges of oxytocin create the urge to bear down.  Epidurals also hinder the rotation of a posterior fetus.
  3. Epidurals deprive women of a sense of mastery over labor. Studies show that the key to a positive labor experience is mastery, and that how a woman experiences her labor has a profound long-term impact on her life.  With an epidural, the woman no longer plays an active role in her labor.
  4. By minimizing the pain of labor, epidurals deprive woman of labor pains’ beneficial effects. At the time of birth, a woman’s level of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers, are found to be 30 times higher than those in non-pregnant women.  Endorphins engender feelings of pleasure and joy.  Since endorphins are secreted in response to pain,by eliminating pain, epidurals also abolish the endorphin response.  Pain also guides a woman in labor.  Typically, the positions and activities that she finds the most comfortable are also those that promote good labor progress or help shift the baby into the optimal position for birth.

To read more complete information on epidurals, check out Mothering Magazine:
•  Epidural Epidemic
•  The Hidden Risk of Epidurals

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20
Mar

Happy Birthday, Amélie Soleil

On Wednesday my midwife’s apprentice said she felt Baby would be arriving any day.  “She will?” I questioned, unaware of her psychic abilities.  But Stephanie was only being practical… it was 11 days past Baby’s due date, and only 3 days were left before I had to have Baby in the hospital, by Colorado law.  Still, I had no concern that my home-birth plans wouldn’t work themselves out.  I was already 3cm dilated that Wednesday, and began having mini-contractions on Thursday.  They felt good.  Convinced that I was going to have an orgasmic labor, I looked forward to a psychedelic birth.

The entire week before Amélie was born I did everything my midwife allowed me to do in order to induce labor naturally; I ate spicy food, I walked, I took 3x the suggested dose of fish oil, and I had sex… but Baby stayed in her warm womb as long as she could.

Friday morning at 12:35 the real contractions began.  I’d hoped I wouldn’t refer to them as “contractions”, but as an “interesting sensation”… but I wasn’t that calm.  They were not orgasmic – they were not enjoyable at all – and the panic began.

This is the story of Amélie’s arrival.  These photos aren’t the pleasant homebirth pictures where mama has her sports bra on and is doing hypno-birthing breathing exercises in peace.  Read more & see more at your own risk… Read the rest of this entry »

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11
Nov

Beautiful Waterbirths

Although it’s slightly creepy that you can see people’s private births online, Youtube’s got an enormous selection so see how calm drug-free waterbirths can be. Thought I’d share:

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4
Nov

Interviewing Your Midwife

Over the next couple days I will be meeting two different midwives in town and decide who’s going to work best in delivering Chris & I’s baby.  I’m not going to lie– cost is going to be the hugest factor in choosing my midwife since I’m suspecting that both work in similar ways and believe in similar practices… however, I’ve been compiling a list of questions I want to ask, not only to be sure of their ideas, but also so I look more mature!!!

I thought I’d share these questions with anyone who’s interested in the gazillion viewpoints and options related to the birthing process, or anyone who’s searching for a good list of interview questions particularly related to midwives:

  • What kind of training do you have?  (Did you graduate from a nationally accredited midwifery program?)
  • How will you determine if I am an appropriate candidate for midwifery care?  What will happen if I need the care of a doctor?
  • Do you provide gynecological care including screening for common health problems?
  • Where will you attend births?
  • What prenatal tests do you recommend? Require?
  • Can I walk and move around during labor?  What positions can I birth in?
  • Can I eat and drink during labor?
  • How will you monitor the baby?  How often?
  • Do you do water births?
  • Do I have to have an IV?
  • In what conditions will you transfer me from home to hospital for? From birth center to hospital? Will you stay with me if I have to transfer?  What is her rate of transfer from home? From the birth center?
  • Will you provide complete prenatal care?
  • Will you stay with me continuously throughout labor and birth, or could someone else relieve you?
  • What happens if you are unable to attend the birth?
  • What is your cesarean section rate? Assisted delivery rate?
  • What is your view on episiotomy?
  • What procedures do you perform immediately on the newborn? What can wait? Will you wait if I request it?
  • Will you provide me with education as I prepare for the birth?
  • Who will you bring with you to the birth?  What will you bring?
  • How long will she stay after I deliver my baby?
  • What kind of postpartum follow-up do you give?
  • When do you recommend my baby see a pediatrician or doctor?
  • How long does an appointment normally last? What is a typical appointment like?
  • How many babies are you catching during a month?
  • What happens if two clients are in labor at the same time?
  • Have you ever missed a birth?
  • When will you come to me after I begin labor?
  • Will you do a breech delivery? Twin delivery?
  • What do you do in the event of a long labor? A “stalled” labor?
  • What do you think of premature rupture of membranes (PROM)?
  • How long do you wait to cut the cord after the baby is born?
  • What do you do if there is a post partum hemorrhage?
  • What are your fees and what do they include? What is your payment schedule?
  • What do you do if a mother goes “post dates?” What if a mother is approaching 42 weeks?
  • Why did you become a midwife?
  • How many births have you attended as primary caregiver?
  • Do you do regular continuing education?
  • Where will my prenatal visits be at?
  • What do you expect regarding self-care during pregnancy?
  • What is your view on nutrition and weight gain during pregnancy?
  • Have you ever lost a baby? What were the circumstances?
  • Will you help me with breastfeeding?
  • How do you feel about circumcision? Immunization?
  • How do I get my baby’s birth certificate?