My son turns seventeen today!

Today is my oldest son’s birthday. Seventeen years ago I became a mother and a little baby entered the world. Thank you, Jared, for helping me grow and learn.

I was in for a routine check when my ob stated he was worried because my blood pressure was going up. He asked me to come in the next day so we could check it again. On that day, he said it would be better to get baby out. My first son was born at 38 weeks by scheduled cesarean, weighing 7 pounds 3 ounces.

Six years later, I requested a copy of my hospital records of Jared’s arrival and found the “Justification for Surgery” Form which stated the cesarean was done for the following reasons:

1.       Patient Choice Elective

2.       Mild pregnancy-induced hypertension

3.       Recent herpes outbreak

Obviously, I didn’t “choose” an elective cesarean. I was told there was a medical reason for it. Even ACOG states that mild hypertension is not a reason for a cesarean, it needs to be moderate or severe. In addition, at the end of a normal pregnancy, a woman’s blood pressure can increase, as her blood volume increases, and in preparation for labor and birth. As for the herpes outbreak, yes, I do have a history of it, but do not remember an outbreak at that time. Also many obs were prescribing  medicine to prevent outbreaks (which my ob never mentioned).

My reasons the cesarean was really done:

1.       Physician Choice Elective

2.       Physician Impatience

3.       Physician Fear

4.       Patient Ignorance

I’ve learned so much since then. I hope I can share with you some of the things I’ve learned. Top three for pregnancy:

1.       Listen to your intuition.

2.       Ask questions and listen to their answers.

3.       Carefully choose your careprovider.  

The Original Dust Paw

Are you bored with your chores? Try The Original Dust Paw. My friend gave me this great duster and I had to share it with you! It is handmade by Gems by Rochelle in Portland, Oregon. She can be reached at 503.245.7297. I love it! Just for fun, I took it to work!

LDS Conference

I enjoyed listening to the LDS General Conference April 3rd and 4th. It was wonderful to hear the inspired words of a living prophet. All the talks were uplifting and strengthening. Many focused on the importance of families.
I plan to download them and listen to them again, on my Zune, in the car to and from work, which seems to be the only time it is quiet enough for me to hear anything. I also plan to read the talks when the Ensign comes. To get to this and earlier conferences, click here.

Healthy Living Tip 2: Colonoscopy

If you are over 50 or have a family history, a colonoscopy is a must. I also believe in listening to your body: if you think it might be a good idea, go do it. My niece is a nurse in this field. She tells how she just found advanced colon cancer in a woman and had to tell her she only had a few weeks to live. Colon cancer has only a few vague symptoms, which are often ignored or mistaken for something else. A colonoscopy is the best way to find and remove polyps, which often grow into cancer. I’m having mine tomorrow!

Monthly Rotating Menu

Several ladies in my neighborhood got together for lunch the other day. Two hours later, we decided we’d like to get together monthly, but for more than lunch. We made it our goal to work on our food storage. To do my part, I’ve been researching food storage options. For me, one of the biggest questions has always been, “Do we have a year’s supply of food or not?” It is hard to look at 10 pound cans of wheat, beans and oatmeal and feel you could eat that for a year. If I really had to live off this food, how long would it last? What could I make with it? So here is my plan: I’m going to make a list of a month’s worth of meals and what it would take to make them, then rotate that menu. I found one online here, as an example and here is a blank one in excel format for you to fill in. Their whole website is great! Just think what it would mean to be able to say with confidence, “Yes, we have a year’s supply of food. Normal food, food we like to eat!” Who’s with me?

Cesarean Awareness Month

April is Cesarean Awareness Month. People often ask me, "Are you for cesareans or against them?" Think cancer, it's not about being for or against, it is being aware, it is about prevention and recovery. It is about reducing your chance of getting a preventable, unnecessary surgery that could have life-long consequences. I’m tired of discussions that pretend the risks of cesareans are negligible, when the reality is that cesareans have very real risks that are probable, not just vaguely possible. Being aware of cesareans means being aware of what it takes to have healthy moms and babies. Read the ICAN Blog to read stories of women, their cesareans and their VBACs.

UDA session: Jiggling Babies

Use of the Rebozo in Pregnancy and Labor
Celeste R. Thomas, CNM and Susanna Cohen, CNM (both work at the U of U in Salt Lake City) did a great job showing us the history of the Rebozo, traditional uses of the Rebozo and different techniques regarding the Rebozo. They also showed us a youtube video of Angelina Martinez Miranda, a traditional Mexican midwife. Follow the link here to view.
Some things to remember if using the Rebozo:
Watch your posture and balance
Bend your knees
Hold the Rebozo ends like you are “milking a cow”
Always greet baby
Have faith babies know what to do, you are just encouraging them into position
Remember: Intention and Attention
After trying this a few times, I believe using the Rebozo requires trust
Linked References:
Blake, C & Blake D Abdominal Sacral Massage: Rebozo
Sotelo, D.I. & Vinaver, N. The Rebozo: A transcription of the Rebozo workshop given by dona Irene Sotelo and Naoli Vinaver. Midwifery Today, Inc.
Tully, G. Rebozo Sifting or Jiggling