I'm having trouble understanding how most people's reaction to the possibility of a c-section is mostly that of "meh."
its a devastating thought to me.
one is every 3-4 American births ends in major abdominal surgery.
what?
there is NO way this is necessary. Induit women would dig a hollow in the snow, squat above it and birth their children unattended.
tribal african and south american women are EXPECTED to birth alone...not waking their husbands until the baby had arrived, then returning to the fields (forests, etc) within a day or two.
of the industrialized nations...the united states has THE WORST infant mortality rates.
what are we doing wrong?
worrying about liability. losing the art of natural birthing. disregarding the fact that women were BUILT to do this...and instead considering everything a complication, hindrance or a "medical issue.". last I checked...women gave birth well before doctors even existed.
birthing a breech baby is becoming a completely lost art in our culture, because no practioner can get malpractice insurance to do it.
a study conducted in Canada within the last few years showed elevated risks to both mother and fetus when the baby was breech and delivered vaginally. the study did not discount first time, at risk mothers or those with other complications or previous c-sections.
in other words...it was biased, uncontrolled and incorrectly interpreted and its now the basis for 'standard' practice in our country.
and its becoming a real pain in my ass (and emotional state).
I'm petrified and incensed that I may be forced to subject myself to major surgery, compromise initial bonding with my child and once again, have my wishes to see this through...completely...without unnecessary intervention or meddling.
I'm capable of this. all women are. why do they keep telling us we aren't???
I'm in the process of writing two birth plans. one for at home...proceeding at home, without intervention. it'll go something like this:
-catch the baby
-give him to me
-have a brownie and a safe trip home
the end.
the second birth plan (the one where we have to go to the hospital) will read more like a protection order, ticking off all the intrusive "preventative measures" I don't want them to subject my child to.
instead of being able to bond with his brand new family...oqui will be forced to assume the role of protector and armed guard assuring that the child never leaves his sight, lest they decide to innoculate, circumcise or give him a bottle...
and I'll be vomitting from anesthesia...
for days.
I feel violated already.
Dr. Elizabeth is confident she'll get the booger turned around...which will be a moot point if today's lab work doesn't bode favorably for me.
I feel beaten up, tired and sore...and as much as I want to focus on the positive, I can't help but be concerned that it's acceptable to unnecessarily cut women in this country.
how can that be?
why are we (women...and all the men who happen to know and care for one) standing for this sort of treatment?
10 comments:
why don't you want your baby getting shots? i'm not disagreeing with you at all...just wondering why not. we have given our first two all of the ones they say you "have" to have but i'm thinking about skipping that on our third child. my family never got them and i'm becoming more and more uncomfortable with the idea and wondered if you have any good info on why we should skip the next rounds of shots.
Andy,
we're not actually sure, yet, what our stance on vaccination really is.
there is research that suggests that some of the preservatives used in the vaccinations are linked to autism. (there is, of course, also research that says they aren't). the problem I find with the "research" available to me is that it isn't actually the study...but someone's interpretation of it. I'm much more comfortable making my decisions devoid of someone else's opinion.
but mostly for us...its a distrust for the FDA (I'll find a link to a book that will absolutely PETRIFY you) and some modern medical practices...
we live in a country that allows the sale of tobacco products and artificial sweeteners, that is also preparing to allow genetically engineered meat products to hit the market WITHOUT labeling restrictions. drugs hit the market all the time that have already been "tested, proven safe and effective" and then kill hundreds of people before being taken off the market.
we just don't get it.
we want the option of accessing the REAL information and making our choices for ourselves.
at birth, infants are routinely given injections to prevent a complication that occurs in less than 1 in 15,000 births...
but then allowed to go home to smoking families or be prescribed antibiotics unnecessarily.
I'm just not sure how acceptable risk is determined in medicine sometimes...
but I wouldn't dare try to convince you one way or the other...after all, I was exposed to Mumps a few weeks ago and can't imagine how terrified I'd be if my child were in that class and unvaccinated.
here's a great book to help you to decide about vaccines:
http://www.askdrsears.com/thevaccinebook/
I read the dr. Sears vaccinations thing too, memorized it. The hub just listens to me quote that stuff now.
More OT- I had the bebe in the hospital and well, it was quick labor. My first and I lucked out. UI was in utter fear of a C section. It is major surgery and I read it's not even possible to life the baby yourself right away. Um, what?
I am gonna say a prayer or 10 that he turns in time so you won;t go the hospital route. I have a feeling you're going to be ok and it will work itself out.
Thank god for the chiro having a good attitude too.
I wrote my birthplan and made sure it was adhered to. I lucked out as the hospital was breastfeeding friendly. I roomed in with my baby and Brian slept in the room for the 3 days too but we did send him to the nursery for a few hours at night the second day (no sleep was killing us) and they brought him to me as soon as he c r ied. No bottle. I think hospitals are pretty good about adhering to your wishes as long as you are forceful from the go (ah, you won;t have a problem with that haha) and have an ever present advocate (hello, Oqui!) so.
Me? I watched too many damned Lifetime movies and was skeered they'd switch my baby or some Meredith Baxter Birney Lifetime shit. Seriously. Brian went to watch them washh the baby off adterwards and then assured me it was indeed our baby and not the chick down the hall! I swear I was barking orders at him 'GO GO GO CHECK THE NURSSSESSsssssssssssss! See what they're doing with the baby!!" It was like I was a wild animal. Ahhhh, I so miss it. Almost a year ago now. I want another now! Damn you!
Seriously I'm saying a prayer for you!
XO
Imma bust a cap in any medical professional that tries to touch my kid before me and the Mrs.
I'm a research nerd, and will have a billion questions before I let them do anything...What's that for? What are the pros and cons? Is it absoultely necessary? why? Who's paying you to say that? Are you affiliated with Merck? How did you feel about Celebrex? Feeling bad about that? Does this smell like root beer?
The reason polio and measles are making a comeback, and why smallpox will have a chance if some terrorist bastard releases it, is vaccines depend on near 100% compliance for effectiveness. Vaccines do not work 100%, they only work 70% or 80%. When a substantial chunk of the population opts out, they are opting out on behalf of the population who wishes to avoid getting that disease, but will get it since others chose not to be vaccinated.
I read recently that one of the new vectors for the return of old dread diseases is a politically progressive charter school in San Fran where none of the kids are vaccinated.
My wife and I had the same concerns but read up on it, and most of the stuff discussing vaccination, we found, was based on junk science at best.
As for the infant mortality rate, we count preemies in the calculation. Most nations don't. And if you think the record keeping everywhere else is square (Cuba? Really?) I think you're sadly mistaken.
Jim,
You had me at compliance...NOT!
Actually, as I said before...I'm not 100% certain how I feel about vaccinating. Several weeks ago there was a case of Mumps in my school...a school where every child is required to be up-to-date on the recommended schedule (San Fran's great to visit, but who would actually want to LIVE there?), in a grade where they had all had at least two rounds of MMR.
The resistance rate at that point is less than 5%...
was I scared?
yup. outta my mind.
'til I went home and researched Mumps. achiness, muscle soreness, upper respiratory symptoms...
the same way I feel after a chilly ride or a weekend climbing.
just two days ago my 13 year old had a "well visit" during which her pediatrician repeatedly mentioned ADHD, eating disorders, ADHD, depression, ADHD, more eating disorders and, oh yeah...ADHD and depression, again (didn't seem to matter that my daughter is a well-adjusted and appropriately hormonal kid).
then she insisted that she leave with 3 more vaccinations.
Varicella and Gardasil HAVE to be my favorite at this point.
Ten years ago the chicken pox vaccine was all the rage...
now it is again...because they over-estimated its effectiveness and are having break-through infections. actually, outbreaks is a more appropriate term.
lots of them.
it just didn't work the way they had planned.
I declined the booster for my child only to be told that if she had the first dose she wouldn't be able to attend school without the second.
oh. I see. so I mistakenly opted for an unnecessary innoculation the first time around, and now have to subject her to its obviously unknown effectiveness, again? ok. sign me up. in fact...let's schedule her appointment for another four years down the road when they'll once again discover its ineffectiveness and require even MORE of it.
I told the ped that I'm ok with the risk of her getting chicken pox. chicken pox didn't use to kill.
before the varicella vac...there were less than 100 chic pox fatalities a year. now they attribute over 250 deaths a year to the virus...or should I say secondary complications related to it (flesh eating bacteria, in particular).
the flesh eating bacteria are attributed to...(drum roll)...over-use of antibiotics.
who prescribes all those antibiotics?
the same entity pushing the "recommended" vaccination schedule.
I just don't have alot of faith in medical science at this point in our technological evolution. It got me A's in philosophy of science classes...and tossed out of medical school halfway into the first semester.
I'm not comfortable taking as a given, a standard of practice that is based on "scientific data" that are what I consider akin to G Dub's "fuzzy math."
I totally appreciate your mention of junk science...
in fact, it's almost precisely my point.
the truth of the matter is...we as a community of medical consumers AND providers really don't know as much as we think we do...
and are too arrogant to admit how ignorant we really are.
...stay tuned for my rant on obstetrical statistics. I'm currently well informed and justifiably angry.
"most of the stuff discussing vaccination, we found, was based on junk science at best"
Jim, what did you read? Where can we find it? How did you come to the conclusion that it is "junk science"? More specifically, based on your comment I'm reading that you are saying that the studies and reports that suggest vaccines are inaffective are junk.
All good to read both pros and cons for vaccines, but without sources for information I cannot subscribe to your position on the matter.
Regarding the infant mortality rates globally and here in the U.S., the next question for you is, how do the premature birth rates in our progressive nation compare that the rest of the world?
Are we suffering from a higher rate of premature births than other nations? And why?
As I mentioned, I'm a researcher, but without sources for your information I can only assume that, as with any person on the planet, you are voicing your opinion. All I want is the basis for your stance.
hmmm...some smart people here. =) we're done having kids so my only concern is over the vaccines.
and are too arrogant to admit how ignorant we really are.
Yeah, no shit. But when you kill off all the old gods, there's no room in life for either mystery or for admitting that maybe man isn't the measure of all things. In exchange for being ruled by an old but fairly proven values system, we're now ruled by the smug assurances of the age.
Most of what passes for the certainties we base our lives on these days taste like sand in my mouth. I don't recall ordering this dish.
***wondering if now is the time to introduce my 'bottom quartile' theory...the one in which we off the bottom 25% of peeps (humanely, of course) and get on with things without over-consuming our resources like a swarm of locusts***
I was thinking while doing the dishes...about several things (besides "ow. I can't reach the sink, anymore")...
1. that progressive school in san fran sounds like precisely the place I'd like to send my kids
2. if it came down to an immunological survivor situation, I'd most likely be eliminated in the first round by a honey bee (assuming there are still any around)
3. ow. I really can't reach the sink, anymore.
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