Studies have determined that women are strongly affected by their childbirth experience, even long after the event has passed. If you’re a mother, you probably remember everything about your birthing experience down to the smallest detail- regardless of whether it took place 2 weeks ago or twenty years ago. Why is it then that so many women are pushed through an unnatural birthing process? We end up being pumped full of drugs to speed labor up or take away pain being told that the side effects aren’t anything to worry about. Well the next thing you know, the baby’s heart rate has dropped and you find yourself on a table under bright lights being sliced open…what went wrong?
Childbirth doesn’t have to be like this. Educate yourself before it’s too late. Hire a doula to help you through your fears before your labor and to help advocate for you during your labor. Yes, cesareans are sometimes necessary (and can still be beautiful birthing experiences), but they are becoming an all too common way we’re forced to give birth. Take a stand and take back your birth experience ladies!
-Danielle Griffin
www.Holistic-Doula.com
Tampilkan postingan dengan label childbirth. Tampilkan semua postingan
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Jumat, 02 Mei 2008
Rabu, 30 Januari 2008
Epidural Anesthesia- Worth the Risk?
So you’re pregnant! It seems that one of the first things that a woman thinks about upon finding out she is pregnant is the pain of childbirth. It’s the first thing that popped into my mind when I found out I was pregnant with my first son. It seems that it is brushed aside quite easily though, once we remind ourselves that we have the option of epidural anesthesia. It’s safe, and everyone gets one, right? Wrong. If you find yourself considering an epidural, please make sure you are fully aware of all risks and side effects associated with it before committing to the decision of having one.
An epidural is a drug cocktail of opioids that is administered into the ‘epidural space’ which is a part of the spine. It causes a loss of sensation and a loss of pain by blocking the nerves near the spinal cord.
Quick Facts:
Women who receive an epidural are more likely to experience a longer labor, increasing the likelihood of them receiving pitocin to augment labor.
Pitocin highly increases the risk of the baby showing signs of distress (depressed fetal heart tones, decreased oxygen, etc) as well as possible mal-presentation, which can lead to a cesarean birth.
Epidurals increase the risk of a posterior baby not rotating (due to the mother being confined to the bed and unable to labor in different positions), which increases the risk of cesarean section.
The mother will almost certainly be given a bladder catheter which can cause bladder infection.
There is the possibility that your epidural will have ‘block failure’ leading to no pain relief whatsoever (statistics state this is a 1/20 chance).
When it comes time to push, the mother cannot feel the ‘urge’ that she would feel naturally, increasing the risk of vacuum and/or forceps extraction, as well as cesarean section.
There can be loss of function of the sympathetic nervous system, which can cause respiratory paralysis in the mother (which would also cause lack of oxygen to the baby).
Epidural has been known to cause cardiac arrest (although quite rare).
Opioids in the epidural cross the placenta and get to the baby causing it to be drowsy and disassociated following birth. This can severely disrupt the breastfeeding relationship.
All women go into motherhood with the best of intentions, and yet I see so many that do not research their childbirth. An unmedicated childbirth is an amazing and beautiful thing. It’s a rite of passage and something you will truly never forget- and not only that, it’s completely doable!!!! Women have been giving birth since the beginning of time! During an unmedicated childbirth, your body releases endorphins, which is nature’s pain killer. Your brain will also releases a chemical called oxytocin (the love hormone). The release of oxytocin causes your uterus to contract, and it also initiates the bonding process with your baby. The baby being more alert after birth will help to cement the breastfeeding relationship more quickly which helps with bonding. Oxytocin and endorphin production are blocked when you receive medication.
On the flip side of things, there is a time and a place for epidural anesthesia in my opinion. I believe if a laboring mother is at a point where she is exhausted from a very long and drawn out labor, an epidural may be what she needs in having a successful vaginal birth. There are exceptions to everything of course. I encourage you all to do the research yourself and see what you come up with.
If you wish to have an unmedicated childbirth, consider taking action ahead of time! Consider hiring a midwife in a birth center or for a home birth. You drastically reduce your chances of asking for anesthesia if there’s none around! Hiring a doula will also reduce your chances of epidural in any situation. According to Childbirth.Org, having a doula will reduce your risk of requesting an epidural by 60%. I also strongly encourage childbirth education classes where you can learn coping techniques for your birth.
Above all, have a beautiful birth and make it exactly what you want it to be.
See more birth articles.
Danielle Griffin
Holistic Doula Services
www.holistic-doula.com
An epidural is a drug cocktail of opioids that is administered into the ‘epidural space’ which is a part of the spine. It causes a loss of sensation and a loss of pain by blocking the nerves near the spinal cord.
Quick Facts:
Women who receive an epidural are more likely to experience a longer labor, increasing the likelihood of them receiving pitocin to augment labor.
Pitocin highly increases the risk of the baby showing signs of distress (depressed fetal heart tones, decreased oxygen, etc) as well as possible mal-presentation, which can lead to a cesarean birth.
Epidurals increase the risk of a posterior baby not rotating (due to the mother being confined to the bed and unable to labor in different positions), which increases the risk of cesarean section.
The mother will almost certainly be given a bladder catheter which can cause bladder infection.
There is the possibility that your epidural will have ‘block failure’ leading to no pain relief whatsoever (statistics state this is a 1/20 chance).
When it comes time to push, the mother cannot feel the ‘urge’ that she would feel naturally, increasing the risk of vacuum and/or forceps extraction, as well as cesarean section.
There can be loss of function of the sympathetic nervous system, which can cause respiratory paralysis in the mother (which would also cause lack of oxygen to the baby).
Epidural has been known to cause cardiac arrest (although quite rare).
Opioids in the epidural cross the placenta and get to the baby causing it to be drowsy and disassociated following birth. This can severely disrupt the breastfeeding relationship.
All women go into motherhood with the best of intentions, and yet I see so many that do not research their childbirth. An unmedicated childbirth is an amazing and beautiful thing. It’s a rite of passage and something you will truly never forget- and not only that, it’s completely doable!!!! Women have been giving birth since the beginning of time! During an unmedicated childbirth, your body releases endorphins, which is nature’s pain killer. Your brain will also releases a chemical called oxytocin (the love hormone). The release of oxytocin causes your uterus to contract, and it also initiates the bonding process with your baby. The baby being more alert after birth will help to cement the breastfeeding relationship more quickly which helps with bonding. Oxytocin and endorphin production are blocked when you receive medication.
On the flip side of things, there is a time and a place for epidural anesthesia in my opinion. I believe if a laboring mother is at a point where she is exhausted from a very long and drawn out labor, an epidural may be what she needs in having a successful vaginal birth. There are exceptions to everything of course. I encourage you all to do the research yourself and see what you come up with.
If you wish to have an unmedicated childbirth, consider taking action ahead of time! Consider hiring a midwife in a birth center or for a home birth. You drastically reduce your chances of asking for anesthesia if there’s none around! Hiring a doula will also reduce your chances of epidural in any situation. According to Childbirth.Org, having a doula will reduce your risk of requesting an epidural by 60%. I also strongly encourage childbirth education classes where you can learn coping techniques for your birth.
Above all, have a beautiful birth and make it exactly what you want it to be.
See more birth articles.
Danielle Griffin
Holistic Doula Services
www.holistic-doula.com
Sabtu, 10 November 2007
CephaloPelvic Disproportion: AKA Will my baby fit through my pelvis?
I wanted to write about this because I am a bit shocked as to how many women I've met whose physicians have told them they have cephalopelvic disproportion, OR they think they can't push a baby through their pelvic bones and out of their vagina because they themselves are of a small size. Let's start by clarifying- Cephalopelvic disproportion (CPD): A baby having a head too large to fit through the mothers pelvis- therefore causing her to need a cesarian. CPD does exist, but it is far more rare than people think.
Let's start with some common misconceptions.
Miconception:
If one of my babies was delivered via cesarian birth due to CPD, all of my babies will be CPD.
Truth:
While it may be possible that CPD is due to an abnormally shaped pelvis which can make it difficult to ever be able to push a baby out (rare indeed-and still wont necessarily mean you have CPD), most reasons a woman is diagnosed with CPD is 1. A very large baby that is having a hard time coming through the pelvic bones, and 2. stalled labor (which can be normal for SO many reasons and still turn into a CPD c/s).
Now, the truth of the matter is simply this: Every baby will have his/her own birth. Every baby is going to be a different size and have a different sized head. Every baby will mold differently while coming through the birth canal. I think it's a little known fact (I could be wrong- but I didn't know in the beginning with my first son!), that a babies head is made up of five plates rather than one bony structure. The plates overlap one another while the baby is being pushed through the birth canal, and UNTIL labor is happening, there is not really a true way to tell if your baby will fit or not (which it most likely will- even sometimes if you've been told otherwise).
Misconception:
If you are a small woman, you will have a harder time pushing a baby out and are more likely going to have CPD.
Truth:
Au contraire, my good friends. I have a fantastic example of this (and actually the inspiration for writing this article).
I had a doula client that was a very small woman. She is probably a good 4'10". She seemed sure that she could push out her baby, and yet others were questioning her ability. People were saying things such as- "you're so small, don't you need a c section?" Shame shame- not only are these people undermining this womans ability to give birth, but they are planting seeds of doubt within her that could cause her to question herself. Women generally (and when I say generally I mean really MOST of the time)grow a baby that will be capable of being born to their mothers. It's really a great design...
Anywho, I wanted to note that this woman called me in labor one morning. She didn't realize she was in labor and sounded like she was calling to let me know that something weird was happening (but she wasn't convinced). I told her to contact her midwife to go in and have her fluids tested (I was under the impression her water broke). She had an appointment with her m/w within a couple of hours. (Just fyi- she said her contractions were 20 seconds long and 10 minutes apart- she's a first time mother and I assumed we'd have a baby late in the evening or early in the morning. You know what they say about assuming...).
I figured I would call her around five in the evening if she hadn't called me back needing me. I realized I had a voicemail at around three. The baby was born after 1 (she had arrived to see if the fluid was really fluid at noon!) This very tiny first time mother's baby practically fell out! And people doubted her ;)
The point is your size does not matter one bit for the most part. A small woman CAN give birth vaginally.
On an end note, I'd like to post a clip written by ICAN (international cesarian awareness network), and published by Midwifery Today:
Keep those babies coming ladies!
Blessings.
Let's start with some common misconceptions.
Miconception:
If one of my babies was delivered via cesarian birth due to CPD, all of my babies will be CPD.
Truth:
While it may be possible that CPD is due to an abnormally shaped pelvis which can make it difficult to ever be able to push a baby out (rare indeed-and still wont necessarily mean you have CPD), most reasons a woman is diagnosed with CPD is 1. A very large baby that is having a hard time coming through the pelvic bones, and 2. stalled labor (which can be normal for SO many reasons and still turn into a CPD c/s).
Now, the truth of the matter is simply this: Every baby will have his/her own birth. Every baby is going to be a different size and have a different sized head. Every baby will mold differently while coming through the birth canal. I think it's a little known fact (I could be wrong- but I didn't know in the beginning with my first son!), that a babies head is made up of five plates rather than one bony structure. The plates overlap one another while the baby is being pushed through the birth canal, and UNTIL labor is happening, there is not really a true way to tell if your baby will fit or not (which it most likely will- even sometimes if you've been told otherwise).
Misconception:
If you are a small woman, you will have a harder time pushing a baby out and are more likely going to have CPD.
Truth:
Au contraire, my good friends. I have a fantastic example of this (and actually the inspiration for writing this article).
I had a doula client that was a very small woman. She is probably a good 4'10". She seemed sure that she could push out her baby, and yet others were questioning her ability. People were saying things such as- "you're so small, don't you need a c section?" Shame shame- not only are these people undermining this womans ability to give birth, but they are planting seeds of doubt within her that could cause her to question herself. Women generally (and when I say generally I mean really MOST of the time)grow a baby that will be capable of being born to their mothers. It's really a great design...
Anywho, I wanted to note that this woman called me in labor one morning. She didn't realize she was in labor and sounded like she was calling to let me know that something weird was happening (but she wasn't convinced). I told her to contact her midwife to go in and have her fluids tested (I was under the impression her water broke). She had an appointment with her m/w within a couple of hours. (Just fyi- she said her contractions were 20 seconds long and 10 minutes apart- she's a first time mother and I assumed we'd have a baby late in the evening or early in the morning. You know what they say about assuming...).
I figured I would call her around five in the evening if she hadn't called me back needing me. I realized I had a voicemail at around three. The baby was born after 1 (she had arrived to see if the fluid was really fluid at noon!) This very tiny first time mother's baby practically fell out! And people doubted her ;)
The point is your size does not matter one bit for the most part. A small woman CAN give birth vaginally.
On an end note, I'd like to post a clip written by ICAN (international cesarian awareness network), and published by Midwifery Today:
Women have commonly been denied trials of labor if their first cesarean section was performed for failure to progress or cephalopelvic disproportion, the most common indications for primary cesarean. In a 1987 study published in the American Journal of Public Health, the largest percentage of women attempting VBAC had cephalopelvic disproportion or failure to progress cited as the primary indication for their initial cesarean. Of these women, 65 percent--almost two thirds--went on to have normal births; many of the babies were much larger than the baby for which the original cesarean section had been performed.
-ICAN Clarion, Sept. 1997
Reprinted from Midwifery Today E-News (Vol 1 Issue 50, Dec 10, 1999)
To subscribe to the E-News write: enews@midwiferytoday.com
For all other matters contact Midwifery Today:
PO Box 2672-940, Eugene OR 97402
541-344-7438, midwifery@aol.com, Midwifery Today
Keep those babies coming ladies!
Blessings.
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