Why, oh why must nursery nurses be so rough with a newborn?  I understand being efficient.  I understand that some babies must be stimulated to breathe.  But why must a healthy newborn immediately be whisked aside, buffed vigorously with a towel until they howl in protest, suctioned repeatedly and aggressively, turned this way and that like a lump of dough, suctioned again and rubbed some more?

“Come on, get mad at me!” the nurse urges.  Where else is anger considered a sign of health and vigor?  Often the poor babe is screaming so hard that he can barely catch a breath.  He gets suctioned again.  I grit my teeth.

I have seen babies who clamped their lips shut and refused to even root for the breast after such treatment.  Others have been so upset that even their gentle mother had a hard time calming them enough to get them to latch on — 30 or more minutes after the assault.

As much as I dislike hospital births for all of the interventions that they “offer” to mothers (offer, as in “We’re going to do xyz now…”), the mother is an adult and has the ability to speak up for herself or may have a partner who will.  She has a choice.  I absolutely detest the way that new little soul is treated by the staff in the first minutes after birth.  It makes ME angry! 

Welcome to the world, sweet little one.  I’m so sorry that your first impression is one of violence.

Pelvic Floor Party:  Kegels are NOT invited

Wow.  This is interesting stuff.  Revolutionary even.

 …Could Reduce Down Syndrome Dysfunction, Guard Against Dementia

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100603132456.htm

Barbara Strupp, professor of nutritional sciences and of psychology. (Credit: Alexi Wenski-Roberts)

ScienceDaily (June 4, 2010) — More choline during pregnancy and nursing could provide lasting cognitive and emotional benefits to individuals with Down syndrome and protect against neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, suggests a new Cornell study of mice.

The findings, published June 2 in Behavioral Neuroscience, could help lead to increasing the maternal dietary recommendations for choline (currently 450 milligrams a day during pregnancy, 550 milligrams for lactation), a nutrient found in egg yolks, liver, nuts and such vegetables as broccoli and cauliflower.

“Research into the role of choline in human development casts a glimmer into the dark corners of the current paradigm. Choline is critical for good health and is especially necessary for growing children. If choline intake is too low during pregnancy and growth, brain connections cannot form. And if choline is abundant during developmental years, the individual is protected for life from developmental decline. The National Academy of Sciences recommends 375 mg per day for children nine through thirteen years of age, 450 mg for pregnant women and 550 mg for lactating women and men aged fourteen and older. These amounts are provided by four or five  egg yolks per day—but that would entail consuming 800-1000 mg cholesterol, a crime by USDA standards. The committee referred to this as the “choline problem”—I kid you not! Chicken liver and beef liver are also excellent sources of choline, but to get enough of this brain nutrient from liver, you would “poison” yourself by exceeding the maximum recommended allowance for vitamin A.”

“Brain function in baby rats was enhanced by feeding extra choline during the equivalent of the third trimester of pregnancy, according to a study at Duke University Medical Center. The offspring performed significantly better on memory tests than those of mothers with the normal intake of choline. Researchers found that choline enhanced a brain function responsible for paving the path between nerve cells, allowing electrical messages to travel more easily. The improved brain wiring persisted in the rats through early adulthood. (Neurophysiology, April 1998)”

…wanted to wish you a Happy Valentines Day by giving you a promo code for 90% off on 3 piece gift sets at www.uddercovers.com. Each 3 piece gift set includes the Udder Cover™ nursing cover of your choice, a color coordinated Milk Bands™ breastfeeding bracelet and 2 pairs of 5 ply washable 100% cotton breast pads!

If you’re not currently nursing, you probably know someone who is or shortly will be! They make great baby shower gifts! You can get any of their 3 piece gift sets (regular price $46) for only $5 + S&H!

The code is “Valentine”.

Go to www.uddercovers.com , click on “Shop Now”, scroll down to the gift sets,  select the one you would like and you will automatically be repositioned to the center of the page where you can enter in the promo code! Type in Valentine and it will bring your product total to $5! This promotion will expire on March 1^st 2010. You can use the code more than once – you just have to open a new browser/window to do so.

Full moon
(not quite)
hovering above
round and ripe
blessing the world
with her silver light
waxing, growing…
biding her time.

A woman waits
late in the night
lying in bed
her belly gets tight
and the little one kicks
marking the time
that she waits in the dark
for her babe to arrive.

The moon when she’s full
or the fullness of moons?
One never can tell
how late or how soon
the call will come
but one thing is true:
the moon will be right
and the hour will too.

–ddw

(inspired by a comment from another midwife and looking at the moon while driving home last Friday night)

I ran across a very interesting site this evening that offers some state by state statistics on birth.  The link above will take you to the Texas Peristats page, but you can change the state with a drop-down menu on the left hand side of the page.

Some highlights:

• In an average week in Texas, 7685 babies are born.
• In Texas in 2006, 33.2% of live births were cesarean deliveries.
• In 2006, 1 in 12 babies (8.4% of live births) was low birthweight (< 5.5 lbs.) in Texas.
• In 2006, 1 in 7 babies was born preterm (before 32 weeks), and between 1996 and 2006, the rate of preterm birth increased 17% in Texas.

Gloria Lemay » Licensing, registering and certifying midwives–at what cost?

“Many things are said to entice midwives into becoming part of the medical/government/pharmaceutical system. Some compelling arguments that I have been presented with include:

1. Midwives can feminize and change the system from within. We’ll take our herbs, homeopathics and loving care into the hospitals and everyone will see the healing power of midwifery.

2. If we become licensed/regulated, etc., we can work for the very poor who are now unable to access midwifery care.

3. We will be equal colleagues with physicians and will gain their respect. Then, if we need their services, our clients will be treated better and have continuity of midwifery care. We will also be more respected in the community.

These are lofty and tempting goals, especially for women who have chosen a career that is marginalized and abused in Western society. The problem is that these enticements have never been shown to actually come to fruition even years after legalization in government-funded or endorsed practice schemes…”

I just had to laugh at this one from University of Missouri Surplus:

13 Stainless Tools Medical / Surgical Instruments UMC – eBay (item 120465846125 end time Sep-10-09 09:39:32 PDT)

“Pit to Distress”: A Disturbing Reality « Nursing Birth.

I had never heard of “pit to distress” before today.  This is a blog entry by a labor and delivery nurse describing the policy of some doctors to order pitocin for a laboring woman and specify that it be increased until it reaches the maximum dosage regardless of how it affects the mother or baby.  If the baby goes into distress because the contractions are too strong–oh well!  A quick c-section and the doctor goes home.

Am I shocked?  Yes.  Am I apalled?  Definitely.  Am I surprised?  Not at all.

God bless those nurses who advocate for the women they serve as it seems NursingBirth does.

Ladies, have you ever gotten one of those emails that say “Forward this email to every woman you know.  Don’t let your mother/sister/friend become the next victim”?  Yeah, I think you see where I’m going with this.  Read the second installment on this topic and I think you’ll know what to do.