The gentlebirth.org website is provided courtesy of
Ronnie Falcao, LM MS,
a homebirth midwife in Mountain View, CA
The gentlebirth.org website is provided courtesy of
Ronnie Falcao, LM MS,
a homebirth midwife in Mountain View, CA
|
The federal government now says it's OK for pregnant women and young children to be injected with mercury in the H1N1 vaccine. However, if there were more mercury-free vaccine available, they would recommend that pregnant women and young children get that instead. Don't be fooled! Thimerosal is a form of mercury! Autism rates dropping in California—is phase-out of thimerosal the reason? [from 2005] Current thinking is that only genetically vulnerable babies will be affected by the thimerosol . . . maybe even as low as 1 out of 200 or 0.5%. But if it's your child, it's 100%. Read this mother's story about her children's recovery from mercury-related autism. |
Just an FYI - the list of fetal risks from episiotomy includes:So what? . . . an episiotomy has NO negative consequences for the baby so what difference does it make? . . .My husband and I really feel the episiotomy wasn't necessary, when the baby would've been out with one more push. I've been brooding over this ever since. I feel as if I've failed, I didn't want any intervention.
Eyelid laceration.
Castration (in breech birth).
Methemoglobinemia (blue baby syndrome).
Lidocaine toxicity.
Beyond the obvious, immediate risks to the baby listed above, the risks to the mother also directly affect the baby. If you believe that babies deserve the best, then you probably believe this includes having the happiest, healthiest mother possible. New mothers who are battling infections in their episiotomy wound or who find it painful to sit to nurse their newborn are not going to be happy, healthy new mothers. Sleep problems caused by episiotomy pain leave the new mother more susceptible to postpartum uterine infection and mastitis. Increased difficulty nursing can be so discouraging that new mothers may abandon breastfeeding, so the newborn is deprived of the benefits of breastfeeding.
I think every newborn deserves to be nursed by a mother who is relaxed
and comfortable enough that she smiles and coos lovingly at her new baby
and kisses and cuddles her baby often. It seems a lot more likely
this is going to happen if the new mother hasn't had to have her perineum
sutured.
Relax. Enjoy the kids. I can't believe anyone would be obsessing about something so trivial 8 months later.You probably didn't mean for this to sound so harsh and uncaring.
We have a funny attitude in the U.S. that women are just supposed to "take it" regarding their birth experience, whatever "it" is. It's as if the woman has no right to complain about anything, as if it's part of the sacrifice of mothering.
Baloney.
Women are people, too, and our culture should support them in complaining about bad birth experiences and agitating to improve births for all women and babies.
Even if you believe that women should suffer to give birth, at least
you should appreciate that twins, especially, are going to get better parenting
if their mother wasn't wounded giving birth.
| About the Midwife Archives / Midwife Archives Disclaimer |