Revisiting the Past

I know this will opinion will be opposed by many of my dear friends, but I feel the need to write anyway. It has been weighing on my mind for some time now; and after a frank discussion with my older kids it rekindled the fire within me.

A year or so ago we learned about slavery. The boys were VERY upset and even spend many nights crying for those who were enslaved. They could not understand WHY. "WHY Mom?" Nothing I could say made sense to them (of course). I told them that 'back then' people had different views of other people and cared more about their own comfort and profit than another person's life.

Fast forward till a few weeks ago. We were in the car and the kids heard a commercial on the radio that mentioned the word "abortion". Having never heard it before they began to question. I tentatively answered them with vague definitions until my 2nd, always the bold speaker, asked me why I was not telling them the whole story. I did relent and go into further detail (still holding back a great deal) explaining what it was and why a mom would do it. Kell was shocked. SHOCKED. He asked if these doctors were all in prison. "No sweetheart. They are not. The government says it is legal and okay to abort living babies." Well. That opened the floodgate. Many questions and discussions later my children posed this question:

"What is the difference between slavery long ago and killing a baby"?

I had never thought of these two subjects as being relevant to one another. As I mulled over the answer it seemed to fall into place. The arguments for slavery back in the day are the same arguments we hear for the right to abort a child. One could use the term "slave" or "abortion" interchangeably in the following sentences:

Those who appose slavery/abortion do not have to participate. Only those who feel morally comfortable with their choice should own slaves/have an abortion.

Freeing slaves/having an unwanted child would flood society with social problems. A slave would not know what to do with him/herself and would put undue pressure on society as a whole to care for them. Same with those unwanted babies. They would rather be aborted than to possibly face difficult lives just like a slave feels "safer" being a slave.


Black people are not quite human. Unborn babies are not quite human. (This being the crutch of both issues it is a heinous statement and yet one that is repeated about unborn babies every single day (as it was about slaves) in order to make the crime "okay".)

Economically it is great to have slaves. Economically it is okay to abort and many times the wisest choice.





My kids brought out this comparison and I thought about it and researched it to be able to articulate the glaring similarities. Apparently these things have been debated before; I just had not seen/heard it until my logical, justice searching children mentioned them. They saw the same reasons given for slavery apply to having an abortion.


Will our grandchildren's grandchildren one day be discussing the fallacies of our past and be as horrified of abortion as we are of slavery? Will they question WHY would anyone allow such treatment of another human being simply for their own gain?
I think they will.
I know they will.

the birth of Stella Claire 7 lbs. 9 ounces

*****UPDATE******
You can watch the professional slideshow of this birth, made by my cousin Dawn by clicking HERE.
Below I tell the story and give a few pictures as well, but none like hers!!!



Ohhhh.....this was just the sweetest birth!

I met Megan several years ago through my cousin Dawn. One of the first things she said to me was, "You are that crazy girl who births at home, aren't you?!"
Guilty as charged.
I liked Megan from that first moment! She speaks her mind, is so in touch with herself and her honesty is SO refreshing. I naturally invited her to see "Business of Being Born" a few years back when it was released, and she actually agreed to go (even knowing I was trying to indoctrinate her! Brave chick!) That movie began to change the way she viewed birth.

Fast forward a few years.....she is expecting a third daughter! We talked throughout the pregnancy and she was toying with the idea of homebirth, but still not sure it was right for her. Around 33 weeks of pregnancy she and Rick decided to take the plunge into the world of homebirth, waterbirth and midwives! Scary....and yet exciting.
She asked me to be her doula and I felt so honored to be a part of this birth.

"Due date".....September 27th. It came and it went.

A week past.

Two weeks past.

Two and a half weeks past.

Megan was beginning to question it all. WHY was this happening? Through her soul searching she found the strength to trust her body and her baby and allow it to happen when/how it was supposed to happen. Each day she found new courage to continue on this path. She was amazing.

At 17 days "post dates" I got the call.....she was hesitant to say it, but she thought things were beginning to happen! I arrived around 9 pm on Wednesday, October 14th to a laboring Megan. Now, she was not so sure it was labor; I think she was in such denial because she was "going to be pregnant forever"!!! We walked around and chatted as her contractions came and went. She dealt with them so well it was hard to tell when they started and stopped!
Laura, the midwife arrived. She was an instant blessing to the house with her wit, knowledge and encouragement.
Megan's labor picked up in intensity with every contraction. We could see that she was well on her way to birth...but she was still not quite so sure. Denial can be a great thing in labor!

Meg would have a very strong contraction and immediately "fall to the floor" in her words. Wherever she happened to be standing when the contraction began she would go to the floor. She commented that it was nice being in your own home and able to do this. A hospital floor would never be so comforting...nor would the idea even cross her mind to lay down there! Rick was there for her every step of the way; encouraging her, loving her and doing some great head/feet massages!

Laura and I also noticed that Megan would have a very strong contraction (even in transition) and then end it with a little "giggle". WHAT? We asked why she would goggle like this being in "pain"......she said, "Because I just cannot believe it is happening and I am doing it"!!! So great!

Megan moved to the pool around transition and remained there until Stella was born. Meg was able to catch her own baby with her own hands and bring her to her chest. Powerful! This is one amazing family that I was privileged to work with!

The baby exam revealed that Stella was NOT 18 days "past due" at all.
On the contrary.
They said the latest gestational age she could be was 39 weeks and 1 day. So what would have happened if Megan had been induced by her OB two and a half weeks ago? Would her body have "worked" or would she have "had" to have a c-section? (if a moms body is not ready, it will not give birth).
Would Stella have had trouble breathing since she would have been 36 1/2 weeks along instead of full term? Would an NICU stay have occurred?
Thankfully the midwives were patient and carefully watched Megan and her baby (through several ultrasounds) and noted that everything looked perfectly normal. They waited until Stella was ready; not just when they were ready.



The midwife has just arrived and is listening to the baby. Megan is in denial that labor has really begun...little did she know that less than 3 hours later she would be holding her daughter!







Active labor






A nice foot massage from the Hubster while chatting with the midwives.







Rick and Megan, relaxing during active labor.






As the mother of 5 sons I just HAD to take pictures of the girlie hats!!! Adorable!!!






The birthing pool set up in Meg's bedroom.






Ahhh.....the pool. Midwives listening to baby and mom relaxing...aaahhhh.







The joys of transition.






Rick was SO awesome during the birth. He supported Megan every minute, even during the hard times.








Sleeping in between pushes.....




This Mama caught her own daughter as she was born!






Falling in love with Stella.




No caption needed....

WHY?

Why won't hospitals allow a mom to VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean)?

Why can a mom not push out her breech baby?

HERE is an interview with an OBGYN in California who is under fire for allowing hi clients to do these two things. Read it to see in the window of why hospitals and doctors do what they do...if you dare. A hint: it is not based on safety.

Placenta for dinner?!

THIS is a hysterical article written by a husband whose wife ate her placenta after it was made into pill form.

A a non-placenta eater, I found this very comical and almost sounding like a good idea.

Almost.

And do not forget to watch the little video clip. This guy cracks me up!!!

Repeat cesarean consent form for an OB

This is a FABULOUS consent form for an OB to sign if he/she is forcing a mom to undergo major abdominal surgery (cesarean) and not allowing mom to VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean). FINALLY someone can confront a doc with the risks of such a procedure.
I did not write it. A brilliant lady wrote it and is so generous to share!



A Different Kind of Consent Form
I am so irate at the lack of patient choice and the asinine mentality of doctors here. I am very, very frustrated. So, I thought I would vent some of that frustration by doing something semi-constructive. To that end, I wrote my own consent form. After all, if the doctor wants me to sign theirs, they should sign mine first.

Here 'tis.

I, the undersigned physician, have, in violation of the Consumer Bill of Rights and Responsibilities, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, the Patient Self Determination Act, the ethical guidelines of the American Medical Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Constitutional Law (the right to privacy and self determination protected by the 1st and 14th amendments), international tort law, and case law (of particular interest "In re A.C.", 1987, "In re Fetus Brown, 689 N.E.2d 397, 400 (Ill. App. Ct. 1997)", and "In re Baby Boy Doe, 632 N.E.2d 326 (Ill. App. Ct. 1994)") and the Patient Rights as determined by this institution, deprived my client,________________, of her right to self determination and her right to bodily integrity by ignoring her repeated refusal for delivery by repeat cesarean section. I acknowledge that by refusing to honor my client's denial of consent, I have not only violated the above laws, but I also affirm that I have used unwarranted and unethical pressure including emotional threats to my client's and her unborn child's life and safety, in my attempts to obtain such consent. I further affirm that I have stressed the risks of vaginal birth after cesarean, but neglected to inform my patient of the risks of delivery by repeat cesarean section. I further affirm that I understand, that should I resort to physical force, including but not limited to physical or chemical restraints to compel my client's cooperation, I will be guilty of criminal battery, which is defined as "any form of non-consensual touching or treatment that occurs in a medical setting".

In compensation for the above violations of my client's rights, I hereby guarantee the following:

a healthy baby, born in perfect condition, with no physical, mental or developmental defecits whatsoever, whether arising from surgery or any other cause

no complications for the infant, including but not limited to: persistent pulmonary hypertension, transient tachypnea of the newborn, respiratory distress syndrome, iatrogenic prematurity, lacerations, or hematoma

a speedy, uncomplicated post-operative recovery for my client. Specifically, I guarantee that my client shall not experience nerve damage, organ damage, hemorrhage (whether sufficient to require transfusion or not), disability or disfigurement, intraoperative or postoperative infection of the wound or surrounding skin and tissues, post partum depression and post partum post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other conditions not listed here.

Signed,

Families share their birth stories...SO GOOD!!!

Midwifery model of care vs.....the other 'care'

It must be that moms just DO NOT KNOW. They do not know what they are missing. 

HERE is a quick read article written by a mom who has two children. One with a typical, busy OBGYN/CNM practice (ended with a C-section) and the other baby born under the Midwifery Model of Care. Read the difference. You might be pleasantly surprised!

I am working on a post concerning my little poll to the right....but I am having trouble keeping it short, sweet and to the point! So perhaps one day I will actually post my rebuttal. 

Article's by Doctors Regarding Birth

Interesting. Two doctors, two very different points of view.

HERE is a typical MD, dishing on homebirths and 'patients' who want a say in their own medical care. (gasp!) His statement? "I often believe that patients don't have the capabilities to make proper decisions about their clinical options. When the issue is childbirth, excuse me, patients

are often nuts. Just witness the epidemic of home childbirths!"

Don't EVEN get me started on that one.

HERE is a Marsden Wagner, a Perinatologist no less, that world for the WHO (World Health Organization). Read what he is saying about births...and compare. Which guy would YOU like at your birth???