When you know better, you do better....

Taelyn 11/14/08

I've been thinking about writing a post like this for awhile now. A lot of people I know are always curious of why I have certain ideas about unvaxing, choosing a midwife, among other things. Well, it wasn't long ago that I was pregnant with my daughter Taelyn and, although I had an idea of what I wanted, I was too afraid to stand up to my Dr. and do what I felt what right. I did some research here and there, but to tell you the truth, I felt that I couldn't say no or even say what I wanted without being offensive.

I had a very medical birth with Tae. I'm thankful it didn't end up a c-section, but I felt that everything that could have gone wrong, did. After I had her, I was determined to learn everything I could and to also not be afraid to stand up for what I believe. I thought I would make a list of things I have researched and include links to material I felt was helpful. Now I know not everyone will agree with some of the things that I believe in, but I think that you shouldn't just make a decision, especially one concerning such a precious life, because "everyone else does it" or because it is what your Dr. suggest. All I can say is research, research, and research some more. You have the right to make every decision for you and your baby.

Midwife vs. OB

I went with an OB with Taelyn. She was my regular OB that I had been seeing for years and I felt "comfortable" with her. I found out (much too late) that she had her way of doing things and nothing could change this. Let's face it, OB's are (mainly) trained to perform c-sections. This is something that they have to perfect during medical school and they feel most comfortable doing something that is "by the book". Also, Dr.'s are humans and they make mistakes. Not everything they say or do is the right thing. I feel with a midwife, they are more geared toward natural delivery and they seem to care more about what the woman wants. I feel that an OB is there to deliver the baby while a midwife is there to assist the mother with delivery. You have hired this person and are paying them a lot of money to assist you during delivery.

http://www.inspiredchildbirth.net/ob-gyn-doctors.html

Glucose test

Every pregnant woman, around 25 weeks or so, will be suggested to take a test to see if she is at risk for gestational diabetes. This test involves drinking a sugary beverage (Glucola) and then having your blood sugar tested an hour later. I did this test with Taelyn and I did not have gestational diabetes, but having to drink that artificially flavored, colored, and sweetened beverage is enough to make almost anyone sick! This time around, I spoke with my midwife about eating or drinking something as an alternative to the Glucola. She agreed that I could drink anything of my choice as long as it had 50g of carbohydrates. I have heard of some midwifes allowing you to eat something with the same equivalent, such as a banana and two pieces of toast. Also, you can refuse this test if you feel you are not at risk for gestational diabetes.

http://boston.todaysmama.com/2011/08/third-trimester-glucose-test-alternatives/

Breastfeeding

Now, I'm lucky to say that I was a breastfeeding advocate even before I was pregnant with Taelyn. My mom breastfed all five of her children and all my sisters breastfed their children. I definitely knew I was going to breastfeed and that there was no alternative for me. I ended up breastfeeding her for 2 years and have the same plans for this little gal. I strongly suggest doing tons of research and reading up on breastfeeding. I also feel it is so important to see a lactation consultant the minute something is not right.

http://www.llli.org/

Circumcision

This was another thing that I had researched before finding out Tae was a girl. My sister suggested my husband and I watch the video here. This was enough for both of us to make the decision that we would not circumcise if we had a boy. I think whatever your decision is, you should still watch this video. You shouldn't make a decision without knowing exactly what is happening to your child. If you can't watch it, you shouldn't circumcise.

http://www.circumcision.org/

http://www.drmomma.org/2010/02/christians-baptism-not-circumcision.html

Eye ointment

I think most people are aware of the eye ointment that is smeared across a babies eyes as soon as they are born, but I'm not sure most people know why this is done. The eye ointment is an antibiotic that is used to prevent the baby from contracting an STD after passing through the birth canal. Now, if you know that you don't have an STD, why would you take the risk of using this stuff on your child?

http://evidencebasedbirth.com/is-erythromycin-eye-ointment-always-necessary-for-newborns/

http://www.unhinderedliving.com/eyeointment.html

Hepatitis B shot

This shot is given to newborns to prevent them from contracting Hepatitis B. Hepatitis B is contracted by intercourse with an infected person or by infected blood. I'm pretty sure newborns are not sexually active and are not involved in risky behaviors such as needle sharing.

http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/vaccines/hepatitis-b-vaccine-and-disease-do-newborns-need-vaccine-sexually-transmitted

Vitamin K Injection

Vitamin K is given to newborns to help with blood clotting. The only reasons I could find that Vitamin K might be necessary is if you are planning on circumcising or if there was severe birth trauma (bruising). Eating a diet rich in Vitamin K several weeks before you deliver can have the same effect as this shot.

http://www.givingbirthnaturally.com/newborn-vitamin-k.html

Delayed Cord Clamping

Delayed cord clamping is something I had learned before I had Taelyn and had told my OB, to which she replied, "well, we never know what will happen". This should have been a huge red flag as her cord was clamped immediately. Delayed cord clamping is the process of waiting to clamp the cord until all the blood has gone back into the baby.

http://www.gentlebirth.org/archives/lateClamping.html

http://www.scienceandsensibility.org/?p=5730

Newborn Bath

Babies are not born dirty! Babies are born with a milky coating called vernix. This stuff is extremely nourishing to the babies skin and should be rubbed in, not washed off. This is not to mention that there are chemicals in the soap they use in the hospital. Instead of having a newborn bathed, this time can be used to bond with the mother and have very important skin-to-skin contact.

http://raisingnaturalkids.com/2012/04/13/wait-dont-wash-that-newborn/

http://birthbliss.wordpress.com/2010/09/01/benefits-of-vernix-its-amazing-stuff/

 
Skin-to-Skin

One of the biggest things that I was angry about over Tae's birth was that immediately after she was born my OB cut the cord and she was handed to the nurses where she was cleaned off, diapered, and swaddled. I didn't get to hold her for about 20 minutes. I think immediate skin-to-skin contact is so important for bonding and for success with breastfeeding. Everything that needs to be done to the baby after birth can be done on the mother. Weighing and other things can wait until breastfeeding has been established. I think the mother should be the only one to hold the baby until after breastfeeding has been initiated.

http://www.naturalchild.org/guest/jack_newman2.html

Get off your back!

The worst position to push a baby out is lying on your back. I think this has become the common position for most woman in a hospital because it is easier for the Dr delivering the baby. When you are pushing on your back, you are fighting against gravity and, therefore, are making it harder for the baby to come down the birth canal.

http://blogs.babble.com/being-pregnant/2011/04/05/worst-position-to-give-birth-on-your-back/

http://evidencebasedbirth.com/what-is-the-evidence-for-pushing-positions/

Induction

Your EDD (estimated due date) is an estimate, not an expiration date. Babies should be born when they are ready, not because a Dr doesn't want to deliver on the weekend. When you are induced, you are given pitocin to induce contractions. These contractions are much more painful and less productive than natural contractions. An induction also leads to a higher c-section rate.

http://evidencebasedbirth.com/if-you-dont-have-this-baby-by-42-weeks-we-have-to-induce/

http://news.health.com/2010/06/22/labor-induction-may-boost-c-section-risk/

Placental Encapsulation

I know this is probably the weirdest thing for some people. I thought so too before I did the research. Placental encapsulation is where your placenta is dehydrated, ground into a powder, and placed in capsules. You then take these capsules like you would take a vitamin. There are several benefits to consuming your placenta. These include lessening the risk of post partum depression, increasing milk supply, and helping heal from the birthing process. This practice has become very popular and there are several people that perform the encapsulation where I live.

http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2011/10/the-benefits-of-placenta-encapsulation-for-postpartum-healing.html

http://www.drmomma.org/2010/08/happy-pills-placenta-encapsulation.html

http://placentabenefits.info/articles.asp

There are probably a lot of things that I missed and also there are tons more resources available out there. My advice to you is to question EVERYTHING! This is just a start and I encourage everyone to do their own research and make their own decisions.

*Things expressed in this post are my own opinions. I am not a medical expert. Please conduct your own research before making any medical decision for you or your child.