Doula videos

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The Birth Survey

I ran across this site today.  You can go here and take a survey about  your birth You can also get information on local midwives, doctors, and birthing facilities.

The Birth Survey

I also found this brochure. It lists 10 questions you should ask your care provider/birthing facility to find out if it’s mother friendly.

10 Questions to ask.

I LOVE this birth video.

Patience is a Virtue…

I’ve been thinking a lot about labor induction. It almost seems that everyone is being induced these days. With this in mind I wanted to post the risks of induction with pitocin.

Risks for Mother

• Mothers using Pitocin frequently report increased pain with contractions. Most mothers using Pitocin also use pain medication to handle the increased pain.

• Pitocin use requires continuous monitoring to detect complications and/or progress which interferes with mobility.

• Pitocin use requires an IV for administration.

• Pitocin use can cause long contractions and contractions with double peaks.

• Pitocin use slightly increases the possibility of a uterine rupture.

• Pitocin use increases the likelihood of a fetal malpresentation or malposition.

• Pitocin use is associated with an increased need for cesarean surgery for distocia and fetal distress.

Risks for Baby

• Pitocin use increases the likelihood of depressed fetal heart rate patterns.

• Pitocin use increases the chances of Fetal Distress due to decreased oxygen availability.

• There are increased risks to your baby if you have a cesarean surgery.

I also ran across this article. It lists a few more risks to pitocin use. Here is a portion that I found particularly interesting.

It is interesting to note that the national autism rate is 1 person per 100-200 persons. However, in a study of 15,000 babies delivered naturally by midwives, not one of those babies was found to develop autism in childhood. Note: See http://www.autismtoday.com/articles/ATTN_Researchers.htm for more information. Another interesting aspect of this discussion is that autism rates have soared over the last 20 years- the same length of time in which pitocin use has dramatically increased.

Bottom line…BE PATIENT! The risks just aren’t worth it!

Homebirth Article

This is a really good article about homebirth.

The Other Side of the Glass

This is a new documentary on birth coming out for fathers.

Classes are over!

I’m now finished with my classes. Which means I can now work. YAY! I won’t have my certificate until I complete a few more things, but we were told we can go ahead and start working. I’m so excited!

This is all I have left. I have two years to complete these.

~Attend 3 births
~Attend a series of childbirth classes
~Complete the CAPPA Certification Packet

The Business of Being Born

Every expectant parent should see this film.

http://www.thebusinessofbeingborn.com/

classes have begun

I started my classes last week. It went really well. It’s only me and two other ladies. We all seem very educated on birth, so it’s going by very easily. We had to draw a scene from one of our births. Sadly I’m a terrible artist, so I drew some stick figures. I may post it on here soon. It’s quite funny. Susan(teacher) gave us homework. I had to write a commercial for my business. I hope it turned out ok. I’m always so unsure of myself. I really need to get over that.