Heartbeat!

Today I went to my 12 week appointment. I got to meet with another midwive today who was also very nice.  She is also very natural-minded and I loved to talk with her.  She had some interesting things to say. Surprisingly, it made me feel pretty comfortable that labor would go the way that I wanted it to, even in a hospital setting.
She went over my lab results and everything looked great. That's always a nice reassurance. I also only gained one pound. Hooray. (Actually I must have been wearing lighter clothes, because I believe I've gained 3 pounds. Which isn't surprising since it makes me sick to move, and it helps me to not feel sick when I eat. It's pretty much a lose-lose situation.)
Then we listened to my baby's heartbeat. I love that part!  It makes you feel like everything is worth it! She let me listen to it for a long time. It's funny though, because since dopplers and monitors aren't my favorite thing, I almost told her that it was enough. I know she was trying to be nice and sensitive to the fact that this was the first time I was hearing it. It was pretty fast - in the 160's to 170's. I don't ever remember my boys being that high.  I remember 150's. So that got my hopes up a little bit. But I'm still planning on a boy and keep telling myself it would be the cheapest option since I already have everything for a boy. Plus, the third boy is supposed to be an angel child. :) Someday I would like a girl though. And if this is a girl, I wouldn't mind it. :)

Sick, Sick, Sick - 11 weeks.

Yuck. This time around is pretty miserable. I must say. I'm still trying to count my blessings that I'm not so sick that I'm hooked up to IV's and such.  I'm still able to go to church, so that is good. That's about the only place I go, besides Dr appointments. I have sent the husband grocery shopping, etc.
The ginger pills seemed to work okay, but I wasn't feeling too much relief.  I talked to a midwife who gave me instructions on a process called "Emotional Freedom Technique" which I actually really like.  It has to do with affirmations and acupressure points. If anything, it's a good distraction and helps me focus. Hypnosis worked a little bit. I'm also trying to eat the "right" foods to help settle down my stomach.
Then I just went to my Iridologist. I should have gone to him in the first place. Because of all the acid in my stomach, he put me on catnip. Who knew they sold catnip as an herb? It helps with stomach acid. He also looked at my Vitamin B6 pills and showed me that they were in combination with B12 and that sometimes that doesn't work so great when they are in a combination. So I got a plain B6 vitamin.
I've started these supplements and my stomach has calmed down a ton. I'm amazed. I still feel a little nauseous and I still have that motion sickness fuzzy feeling all day, but I'm grateful for any help. Plus, I don't know how you can get rid of the sensitive gag reflex. Not fun. My poor kids sometimes dry-heave with me cause they come in checking on me to see if I'm okay and it sets them off.  My lucky husband has missed all of the great throw up episodes. Too bad.  He just better believe me. :)
Here's to hoping that 14 weeks comes soon!

Doulas Aren't Just for Hippie Homebirths

Midwives and doulas both play important roles in a birth. A midwife can be someone with medical training who aids you at a hospital, birthing center, or even in your home. But a doula's role is much different, and often very misunderstood.

Even more misunderstood is the value of a doula.

After all, why would you want to pay hundreds of dollars for someone just to focus on YOU, especially if you're in a hospital, or even having a c-section,why would you want a doula?

Well, there are lots of reasons why ...

Well, first remember that the midwife's job is to be there for you birthing your baby. To help you move around, watch for any red flags, and know what to do if any situations NEED interference or guidance, or rarely, medical intervention (certified midwives have life-saving tools and training, much like an EMT).

Your doula's job, on the other hand, has little to do with the baby and everything to do WITH YOU. Her title translates to "servant of the mother." Her job is to focus on you, and just you. Women who use doulas often have less complications and shorter labors.

In a home birth setting, she can help gently remind you of things you wanted to try, such as a birthing ball, different pushing positions, a hot shower, or a back massage. She can start the tub for you if she sees you're getting uncomfortable. She can help you remember birth affirmations (positive phrases) such as, "My body is made to do this" and "Self-doubt is the sign that it's almost over", which you can choose ahead of time.

In a hospital setting, she can help you keep your mind on the goals you had in advance. A good doula will ask, "Did you want time to think about that?" if a nurse is demanding you have something done, so you can be free of pressure before making decisions, and help with reminding you and your partner of the choices you'd made ahead of time about things such as methods of pain management, positions you'd like to try. She can remind you of things you'd intented on asking for, such as no mention of an epidural being made in your presence, that the wireless fetal monitors be used before they suggest you lay down. In essence, your birth plan. For example, if you're having back labor, rocking on hands and knees can help immensely, and that can be a part of your plan that your doula reminds you of, since in labor, stress can take over ... especially if the situation isn't kept stress-free (part of her job as well).

I wish I'd had a doula during my birth, especially for the time where my husband had to leave me by myself while he took my son to my friend's to be babysat. That was when I hit transition, and freaked out. The self-doubt got to me, and I had no one to talk me down or comfort me at that point, which a doula would have done.

She can even be your support during a c-section, to help you emotionally during both the surgery prep, and during the hard time after the baby's out, where often you can't see them, and the sensations are nauseating. She can help remind you (or your spouse) that you wanted the baby brought to you as soon as possible to initiate breastfeeding, or that your husband was going to keep the baby in his sight at all times and remind doctors that no formula or glucose was to be given. Or whatever things you might choose. Everyone has preferences.

The biggest questions is: Does a doula replace your husband/partner? The answer is absolutely, positively NOT. In fact their goal is often to help your partner be MORE involved, letting him know that putting gentle pressure at this certain point on your back can help, or showing him how to support you while you squat. Her goal is never, ever to replace your partner but actually to make him feel even more useful and important.

If you're interested in a doula, interview them during your pregnancy, and be discriminate -- you need to feel very comfortable with this person, or the point is moot. Your spouse should be part of the interview process as well.

If you're a military spouse and your husband is deployed for your birth, you can actually get a doula (for free) through Operation Special Delivery.

Posted by Christie Haskell 

Delayed Cord Clamping

Delaying clamping the umbilical cord at birth may have far reaching benefits for your baby according to researchers at the University of South Florida’s Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair— and should be delayed for at least a few minutes longer after birth. This new recommendation published in the most recent Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine (14:3) notes that delaying clamping the umbilical cord allows more umbilical cord blood and crucial stem cells to transfer from mama to baby.

With this transfer of blood University of South Florida notes that babies gain many benefits. Benefits include:

• Babies receive beneficial stem cells have many therapeutic properties vs. when you clamp the cord and shut off that flow of stem cells.
• Researchers note that “In pre-term infants, delaying clamping the cord for at least 30 seconds reduced incidences of intraventricular hemorrhage, late on-set sepsis, anemia, and decreased the need for blood transfusions.“
• Receiving cord blood may also reduce a baby’s risk of other illnesses, including respiratory distress, chronic lung disease and eye disease.
• Delayed cord clamping also ensures that a baby receives important clotting factors.

This USF research may be new, but the idea of waiting to clamp the umbilical cord is anything but.Routine cord clamping has only been around since the 1930s and even since then many health care providers, midwives in particular, but many MDs as well, have disagreed with this practice. A2003 study discusses waiting to clamp the cord specifically to protect the brains of babies who suffer birth trauma or asphyxiation at birth. Sarah Buckley’s “A Natural Approach to the Third Stage of Labour,” Midwifery Today Issue 59 lists multiple studies reaching as far back as the 1960s which point to delayed cord cutting as beneficial.

So why clamp early?

Science Daily notes, “In recent Western medical practice, early clamping — from 30 seconds to one minute after birth — remains the most common practice among obstetricians and midwives, perhaps because the benefits of delaying clamping have not been clear.” However, what’s not quite clear is WHY the current research is considered unclear.  Multiple studies and books over dozens of yearshave mentioned much of what is mentioned in this new USF research. Most advocates of waiting to clamp the cord suggest waiting for more than a minute, or until the cord completely stops pulsating to cut the cord thus allowing your baby the full benefits of umbilical blood.

In the end, at least right now, why hospitals are still clamping early is a problem left to parents. As parents waiting to cut the cord is something you can include in your birth plan and an issue you should discuss with your midwife or doctor.

*Sources – Science Daily & msnbc

http://www.inhabitots.com/waiting-to-clamp-the-umbilical-cord-at-birth-shown-to-be-beneficial-for-baby/