OB Consent

So, in being the huge birth junkie that I am, I am a member of several email groups. Today, while reading through some posts, I came across this little jewel...

A Different Kind of Consent Form

Did you know that OB's love to pull out those long and horribly written consent forms when you want to use your rights as a citizen to respectfully decline a treatment, even when that treatment might be worse than declining it in the first place?

It really gives you a lot to think about. While this may not apply to every woman, it often applies to far more than is acceptable.

Don't be a sheep! It is your body, and your baby... and your birth. Do your homework! Read some good books with real research in them. Here are a few...

Think about what your doctor says to you. Does it make sense? Is it logical? Ask questions. Remember, you hired them to be your birth attendant... you are not at their mercy.

Running out of TIME!

Childbirth Intensive!

A 3-hour intensive class on the ins and outs of labor and delivery! We'll talk about the process of labor, the risks and benefits of getting an epidural or going all natural and the real reasons for c-sections. And we'll be a peek at a birth shown in the film, The Business of Being Born.

Saturday, June 6, 2009 from 10:00am to 1:00pm

The class is for couples or moms-to-be, place to be announced.

For more information or to register, please contact Ashley by phone (334/726-9267) or email (apmotz@comcast.net).

Price: $40.00

Easy as A B C...

http://www.alabamabirthcoalition.org/

Check out the Alabama Birth Coalition! Get involved... it is YOUR right to birth!

Labor Induction

One of the most common things that I hear among pregnant women is regarding induction. My insides cringe when I hear "I was induced"...

As our society has slowly placed more and more emphasis on the "due date", we have forgotten that babies don't keep a calendar with them in your womb. Each baby is unique. It grows at it's own pace. And frankly, it should be allowed to pick its OWN birthday. Why? Because it is safer. Safer for your baby, and safer for you.

Babies that are induced before they are ready can have trouble breathing, staying warm and breastfeeding, and they often need special hospital care after birth. In fact, we are seeing a large increase in preterm births, mostly due to the fact that we are inducing and sectioning babies way before they are ready.

It's isn't devoid of risk for mothers either. Research shows that first-time moms who are induced are twice as likely to have a cesarean as one whose labor starts on its own.

Actually, I've only scratched the surface here. The other risks involved are being confined to your bed, IV fluids, continuous fetal monitoring and denial of food and drink. These often lead to epidurals, because induced labors are significantly more painful. Epidurals lead to catheters and internal monitors. They can even lead to an assisted delivery with a vacuum or forceps. AND as mentioned above, inductions often lead to a cesarean, usually for fetal distress or stalled labors. Oh, and did I mention that sometimes an induction just doesn't work at all?

My advice to any pregnant woman... skip the elective induction. No matter how miserable you think you are, no matter how many times your well meaning friends call and ask if you've had the baby yet, no matter how tempting it is to schedule when you are going to meet your baby... be strong, for yourself, for your baby and for your birth.

Fresh Bread

Freshly baked bread is a wonderful thing. My daughter and I made some today and it was wonderful, or as Sophie says "Yummy!"

Childbirth Intensive

A 3-hour intensive class on the ins and outs of labor and delivery! We'll talk about the process of labor, the risks and benefits of getting an epidural or going all natural and the real reasons for c-sections. And we'll be a peek at a birth shown in the film, The Business of Being Born.

Saturday, June 6, 2009 from 10:00am to 1:00pm

The class is for couples or moms-to-be, place to be announced.

For more information or to register, please contact Ashley by phone (334/726-9267) or email (apmotz@comcast.net).

Price: $40.00

Babypalooza

I had a booth at Babypalooza yesterday. I think it was a success! There were so many women and babies there, I ran out of brochures and flyers within the first 2 hours!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by and said hello. I met a lot of great new people and saw a ton of beautiful pregnant bellies!

I hope to hear from some of those ladies soon!

Congratulations to anyone that won a prize. That stroller and car seat was amazing!