Give Me Pitocin and I Will NOT Be Nice!

C-section numbers have been growing in the last few years. At my hospital, 33.6% (was 20.7% in 1996) of all the births are done by c-section, whether emergency or planned. Why the increase? Pitocin usage. It is the synthetic version of oxytocin (the hormone pregnant women secrete during labor) used to start or speed up the process of labor

Just some of the risks of Pitocin:
For the mother: Higher rate of complicated labors and deliveries, greater need for analgesics and anesthetics, postpartum hemorrhage and a higher rate of placental rupture and separation life-threatening to both the mother and baby.
For the baby: Fetal distress, a higher rate of jaundice, low apgar scores at 5 minutes, permanent central nervous system or brain damage and fetal death.

With naturally paced contractions, there is a time interval between contractions allowing for the baby to be fully oxygenated before the next contraction. In induced or stimulated labor, the contractions are closer together and last for a longer time thus shortening the interval when the baby receives its oxygen supply. Reduced oxygen could have life-long consequences on the baby's brain.

The longer, stronger, and closer contractions directly leads to more epidurals. Epidurals tend to slow down labor and make it harder for women to push. Then the doctors finally say "there's nothing else to be done, we must do a c-section!" (emergency c-section numbers are rising)

Doctors do know best right? Actually, America has the worst infant mortality rate of the ENTIRE DEVELOPED WORLD. It also administers the most pitocin. Interventions are not needed! In fact, a controlled randomized study showed that the use of pitocin to stimulate labor was not as productive for the progression of labor as allowing mothers to change positions during labor by walking, sitting or standing.

I have decided that the only way I will be induced is if  my water breaks unexpectedly and it has been a few days. (so infection does not harm my daughter) Any other time they can kiss it! I will not be induced.

C-section risks (just a few)
1) It is major surgery and infections can occur.
2) Those who deliver by planned (no previous health problems) Cesarean are 2.3 times more likely to be re-hospitalized within 30 days
3) C-section babies have higher rates of childhood asthma. Being pushed through the birth canal squeezes fluid from their lungs, so babies delivered vaginally tend to have fewer respiratory issues.
4) They are cutting THROUGH your abdominal muscles.
5) Longer recovery time
6) The hormones that are supposed to be secreted at birth by both mother and baby are not secreted at all, making it harder to recover mentally, physically, and go through the bonding process.
7) Babies are also more noticeably aggitated and harder to console in the days following birth. (see #6)

I'm Waiting to Cut the Cord.. Are You?

                           
This is just another thing I didn't know until a couple of days ago: the importance of delayed umbilical cord clamping. Early cord clamping weakens babies and contributes to a host of illnesses later in life. It is well documented that this is so, and that babies whose cords had not been cut until they stopped pulsating are much healthier. How did I not know this?!

Before I go on, let me say this: there is absolutely no benefit to early cord clamping. Quite simply, there is only harm done. Unfortunately it is a habit that many doctors and midwifes have so if you want them to wait make sure you tell them!

If you are pregnant you know about cord blood banking. It's in every pregnancy magazine and website. So why is it available? Because umbilical cord blood really is amazing. However, we fail to notice something very important: if we deprive our babies of cord blood in the first place, we may only be contributing to them needing it later!

Early cord clamping has been associated with respiratory distress, anemia, intraventricular hemorrhage, and late-onset sepsis among others. There is even some speculation that early cord clamping contributes to autism. Delaying the cord clamping for just a few minutes decreases the chances of all of these complications!

If you think about it, it makes sense. If you cut the cord early, the infant is being deprived of nearly HALF of its blood supply! Let mother nature do her thing. She knows a thing or two.

Cord blood is not ordinary blood.

Do NOT Use Sleep Positioners for Your Baby!

Ever since I learned that babies are only supposed to sleep on their backs (it reduces the chances of SIDS by a crazy amount) and started to register at stores, I learned of sleep positioners. They are like two tubular foam pillows that are attached to each other by a piece of fabric or wedge. They are made so that babies will stay on their backs while sleeping and they seemed like a perfectly logical solution. So I registered for one.

I am taking it OFF my registry immediately!

Since the emergence of said sleep positioners, they have caused babies to die of suffocation! Both the CPSC and the FDA have issued warnings against them recently. Read more here.

SPREAD THE WORD! Never ever use a sleep positioner! All you have to do is place your beautiful baby on its back in a crib free of anything but him or her. (no pillows, blanket, toys, etc...) That baby blanket your best friend worked on for weeks from the wool that they sheared and spun into yarn themselves? Either use it to swaddle, or don't use it at all until after they have reached their first birthday. Here's an awesome guide to keeping your baby safe and your mind sane.

If you know anyone with an infant or who is pregnant, let them know. It could save their child's life.