Education
Don't Induce Without Knowing Your Bishop's Score
In a perfect world, if I could choose the birth I wanted without needing to take medical issues into consideration, I would avoid being induced. I have never really had a non-pitocin-helped labor, my first birth -- I did go into labor on my own, but labor was progressed with the synthetic drug, and my last two births were fully-induced using pitocin.
Hyperemesis Gravidarum: When Pregnancy Nausea Is a Medical Emergency
Morning sickness can be the bane of many the pregnant woman’s first trimester, and for some women, the whole pregnancy. However, for some, it’s not just an irritant, but their morning sickness is so extreme that they end up in the hospital, often multiple times, and on many medications just so they can drink water without vomiting.
The Importance of Drinking Water During Pregnancy
It is no secret that water is one of the best things for our body, yet many of us still find that we don’t drink enough during the day, leaving us open to dehydration. Even just being mildly dehydrated can cause you to feel tired and drain you from the energy you need just to get through the day, so you could imagine what being chronically dehydrated could do to your body over time.
Christine's Birth Story at a Freestanding Birth Center
After doing a lot of research, my husband and I decided to have our baby at our local freestanding birth center.
How to Avoid a Fight or Flight Response During Birth
Have you ever been in a stressful or dangerous situation that left you with that clenched feeling in your stomach (and probably clenched fists as well), gritted teeth, a pounding heart, rapid breathing, and flushed cheeks? Most of us have experienced this feeling after a near-miss accident, a frightening event, or a fight.
Natural Birth Advocacy: Assume the Best Instead of Fearing the Worst
When people advocate for natural birth, some interesting things happen in response. People applaud, people think, but also, people have a tendency to get up in arms about "how this promotion of natural birth is dangerous, careless, and disregards life-saving medical advancements."
That last one is what I want to address. Let’s first give a scenario:
3 Questions You Need To Ask About Any Birth Intervention
“My doctor won’t let me go more than a week past my due date.”
“I’m going to try to have a natural birth, if my doctor will let me.”
“My doctor already scheduled my induction.”
Jaimie's Scheduled Induction Turned C-Section
Summary: Medically indicated induction -> 17 hours in Pitocin -> 4 epidurals -> C-section birth -> 2.5 days in Nicu -> no Breastfeeding latch -> extra day in hospital due to jaundice -> home.
10 Things You Should Talk to Your Doctor About Before You Get Pregnant
While sometimes pregnancy isn’t planned, there are some very compelling reasons you should not leave it all up to chance. Even if you're not actively trying to conceive, if there's a chance you choice, it's wise to take steps to make sure your body would be ready for a baby.
4 Myths About Newborns Your Grandma Probably Thinks Are True
Ah, family. A source of love, caring, comfort… and sometimes some absolutely horrible parenting advice. Now, don’t get me wrong – chances are what our grandmothers and even our mothers did were what doctors told them to do at the time, what science of their day believed was the best idea, or what was common knowledge among laypersons (even if it wasn’t true).
