Friday, October 23, 2009

Vitamin D and C-sections

Vitamin D deficiency may increase the risk of c-section.

http://www.webmd.com/baby/news/20081223/vitamin-d-may-lower-csection-risk

What to Ask A Potential VBAC Provider

This is a post on a blog from a mom who had a c-section with her first birth. She made a list of things to ask potential providers for the second time around. I would love to hear comments on other suggestions.


http://theduncansonline.blogspot.com/2009/10/questions-to-ask-prospective-vbac.html

The Lie of the Due Date

The following is an article about how your due date is calculated and why you may not be due on the day you think you are.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1047180/the_lie_of_the_edd_why_your_due_date.html?cat=25

Update on Abby from The Business Of Being Born

Abby Epstein from The Business Of Being Born is expecting again and hoping for a VBAC Birth.

http://www.mybestbirth.com/profiles/blogs/abbys-expecting-part-1

An Ob's Birth Plan

A blog I really like to frequent is TheUnnecesarean.com it is full of great information. She also has a great fan page on facebook. This blog post is from mom regarding the birth plan that she received from her OB and her response to it.

http://www.theunnecesarean.com/blog/2009/10/18/an-obs-birth-plan-obstetricians-disclosure-sent-one-mom-runn.html

Here is a link to her fan page on facebook

http://www.facebook.com/theunnecesarean?v=wall

All I Can Say Is Wow!

This is just crazy!

http://www.theunnecesarean.com/blog/2009/10/21/doctor-charged-woman-extra-for-asking-too-many-questions-dur.html

More Taye Diggs...

Because can you ever have too much of Taye Diggs :)

I posted the video from The Ellen Show earlier. Taye also appeared on Jimmy Kimmel talking about doulas, midwives and placenta encapsulation.

http://drmomma.blogspot.com/2009/10/taye-diggs-talks-placentas-waterbirth.html

Obstetricians: They Are Listening

This is a post on the blog birthactivist.com about a video contest that was sponsored by Birth Matters in Virginia. The contest was a national contest to encourage minimal medical intervention at birth and inspire women "to make decisions about their maternity care as carefully as they make other consumer decisions." The winning video is called "Prevent Cesarean Surgery"

The video is featured in the blog post.

http://www.birthactivist.com/2009/10/obstetricians-they-are-listening/

Perineal Care

Here's an article from Today's Parent about Peri Care. There is lots of great information in this article about how to care for your perineum throughout your pregnancy, birth and beyond.

http://www.todaysparent.com/pregnancybirth/article.jsp?content=20041125_110725_1532

Monday, October 19, 2009

Another Great Doula Article

Here is another well written article about the benefits of having a doula attend your birth.

http://www.auburnpub.com/articles/2009/10/13/lake_life/lakelife05.txt

What is Attachment Parenting?

I'll admit when I had my first child I had no idea what attachment parenting was. I just chose to breastfeed her and ended up co-sleeping which really wasn't in my plan but just came naturally to me. She is now 4 and I find that we follow mostly attachment parenting philosophies in our home. Here is a list from Dr. Sears site on what attachment parenting is.

http://askdrsears.com/html/10/t130300.asp

Article Written By Christiane Northrup MD

Excellent article written by an OB/Gyn about how all the technology we have nowadays does not mean that birth is magically safer and in fact is less safe. She talks about the results that Ina May Gaskin has at The Farm as well. Awesome read.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christiane-northrup/c-section-or-natural-birt_b_323422.html

Great Article About Doulas

This is just an awesome article about doulas.

http://www.lunch.com/reviews/UserReview-Doula-1380749-11378-A_Doula_The_MUST_HAVE_for_Expecting_Parents.html?utm_source=share&utm_medium=review&utm_campaign=share

Odd Study

I think this is an extremely odd study that they did but felt I just had to include it just for it's oddness.

http://www.gearlog.com/2009/10/report_e-zpass_reduces_preemies_low_birth_weight.php

Study on Injury to Babies During C-Sections

I am a fan of Grey's Anatomy and a couple of weeks ago they had an episode where an OB almost cut off a baby's arm during a c-section at 34 weeks. I wondered how often something like that happens and then I saw this post about a new study. It sounds like the majority of the injuries talked about here are minor but still an injury is a big deal when it happens to your baby.

http://www.theunnecesarean.com/blog/2009/10/14/iatrogenic-fetal-injury-how-often-are-babies-cut-during-a-c.html

Arizona Mom Fights for Right to VBAC

Joy Szabo is pregnant with her fourth child. Her first child was born vaginally with no complications. Her second was an emergency c-section due to fetal distress. Her third was a complication free VBAC at the hospital who is now refusing to let her have a second VBAC at their hospital. They said if she showed up at their hospital in labor they would obtain a court order forcing her to have a c-section. Her answer is to spend the last few weeks of her pregnancy 350 miles from her husband and other children so that she can give birth at a hospital that will permit VBAC's. This hospital is obviously equipped to handle and emergency section because they did one for her second baby so why if she's had one successful VBAC there are they refusing to let her have another one? This story caught the attention of CNN.


http://www.ourbodiesourblog.org/blog/2009/10/arizona-mom-fights-vbac-rules-at-local-hospital

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/10/15/hospitals.ban.vbacs/

Taye Diggs on Ellen talking about his wife's unmedicated birth

Taye Diggs on Ellen. His son Walker Nathaniel was 6 weeks old at the time. His wife had an unmedicated delivery with a midwife. He says his wife was like a warrior. I loooove Taye and am so happy for he and his wife.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNpAJX0a5Xs

My OB Said What?

This is an awesome site where women can go to post the stupid things they've heard during exams, labor, c-sections etc....

I'm not sure if I find this funny or sad.

http://myobsaidwhat.com/

Angie's List

I had never heard of Angie's List before last November when a client was telling me about it. It's basically a website that you can go onto and tell about your good/bad experiences with just about any type of service provider. It lists everything from plumbers to doctors and hairdressers to auto mechanics. I've checked it out a couple of times but the Pittsburgh area doesn't have a lot of things listed yet. Here is a commercial that was made for Angie's List about a bad experience with an OB who insisted on inducing a woman and then left for a tennis game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QF9ZL57Ipw&feature=player_embedded

Tylenol Given With Vaccines May Lower Effectiveness

A study shows that giving Tylenol right before or within 24 hours of a vaccination may lower the effectiveness of the vaccines. This study showed that the lower levels of antibodies remained even after booster doses of the vaccines at 12-15 months. I personally was told my children's doctor to give them tylenol before their appointments when they were getting vaccines.



http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091016/ap_on_he_me/us_med_tylenol_vaccines

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Blogiversary at Mommy News and Views

Judy at A Mother's Boutique launched her blog in October of last year. She is celebrating her one year blogiversary the entire month of October. There are lots of great giveaways. You must go check it out. Just a few examples: an Ameda Breastpump, a nursing night gown, bras, belly bands, an Easy Expressions Bustier and Halter for hands-free pumping and more.

http://mommynewsblog.com

Friday, October 2, 2009

VBAC Facts

Here is an excellent website that a friend of mine discovered and told me about. It's all about VBAC's.

Why More Expectant Couple are Hiring Doulas

This is an article about why more couples are hiring doulas to attend the birth of their babies. Excellent article.

What do OB's Think?

The following is a link to an article about the upward spiral of interventions during labor and what OB's think about it. First of all almost half of the OB's interviewed feel a woman should be allowed to choose a c-section with no medical reason to warrant it. I think the insurance companies need to balk at this. With all the talk of health care reform don't you think eliminating unnecessary c-sections and inductions would help lower health care costs? If a woman wants and unwarranted, elective c-section make her pay for it out of her own pocket.

It also amazed me in this article how so many of the doctor's agreed about the side effects of epidurals, the overuse of electronic monitoring and that the overuse of it leads to increased c-sections for false positive readings. It also amazed me that only 8% would choose a c-section for themselves or their partners. So if only 8% would choose it why are they pushing so many women into them?

Very interesting reading, check it out.

More Wrongdoings by Formula Companies

Here is an article about how aggressive formula companies are being in Vietnam. They are breaking the International Code on the Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and breaking Vietnamese Laws yet only one fine of $200 has been levied against any of the them.

Amy