Making Educated Choices

The Swine Flu

2009-04-27T19:05:00.000-07:00

I want to gag every time I check my mail on yahoo. There is always a pic of someone with a useless mask on their face. This whole thing is ludicrus!

So, go here and read what my hubby has to say about it. I totally agree and am wowed by the statistics he looked up!

In the meantime, we'll keep our bodies free of interference in this family and not worry about it! ;-)

Healthy Diets for Pregnant Moms and Babies

2008-09-23T09:44:00.000-07:00

I took this information from the Weston A. Price Foundation. I love their website. The nutrition information is simple, researched and helps me focus on eating for health regardless of the constant weighing down of very clever advertising, my addictions to crappy food and what everyone around me eats. I'll do a few posts. Let's start with babies!

I ate close to this way for the first 28 weeks of my pregnancy. I barely gained any weight, I felt great! The second half of my pregnancy, I ate a more SAD (Standard American Diet) and gained 60 lbs!

Diet for Pregnant and Nursing Mothers

Cod Liver Oil to supply 20,000 IU vitamin A and 2000 IU vitamin D per day

1 quart (or 32 ounces) whole milk daily, preferably raw and from pasture-fed cows (learn more about raw milk on our website, A Campaign for Real Milk, www.realmilk.com)

4 tablespoons butter daily, preferably from pasture-fed cows

2 or more eggs daily, preferably from pastured chickens

Additional egg yolks daily, added to smoothies, salad dressings, scrambled eggs, etc.

3-4 ounces fresh liver, once or twice per week (If you have been told to avoid liver for fear of getting "too much Vitamin A," be sure to read Vitamin A Saga)

Fresh seafood, 2-4 times per week, particularly wild salmon, shellfish and fish eggs

Fresh beef or lamb daily, always consumed with the fat

Oily fish or lard daily, for vitamin D

2 tablespoons coconut oil daily, used in cooking or smoothies, etc.

Lacto-fermented condiments and beverages

Bone broths used in soups, stews and sauces

Soaked whole grains

Fresh vegetables and fruits

AVOID:

Trans fatty acids (e.g., hydrogenated oils)
Junk foods
Commercial fried foods
Sugar
White flour
Soft drinks
Caffeine
Alcohol
Cigarettes
Drugs (even prescription drugs)

After you have the baby, what do you feed it? Sounds stupid actually. We feed the baby our breast milk, right? Isn't that what God made our breasts for? Isn't that what all other mammals do? Unfortunately it is no longer so. Like I said...clever advertising.

I personally had latch issues with breast feeding due to latch issues. I didn't know or look into where to turn for help. I pumped for 5 months with my first then switched to formula before I knew better. It wasn't until we learned that formula (especially soy formula) was bad for our daughter. We took her off of it, started giving her cod liver oil and cleaned up her diet. Her motor skills and learning spiked immediately. With our son, I pumped for 8 months, then made an organic, raw goat's milk formula at home. With our 3rd, I was determined to breast feed and at 11 months old her and I still enjoy nursing and the bond we share because of it.

A news article appearing after the trial quoted a juror who worked for a pet food company. "There is more quality control for pet food," she said, "than for infant formula."

Here is some more information from the Weston A. Price website about breast feeding.

If you find yourself in a situation where you can not nurse, please look into making your own formula. Do not buy into it not being safe. My son thrived on our home made formula! Here is a recipe similar to the one I made and go here for more recipes.

MILK-BASED FORMULA

Makes 36 ounces

Our milk-based formula takes account of the fact that human milk is richer in whey, lactose, vitamin C, niacin, and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids compared to cow's milk but leaner in casein (milk protein). The addition of gelatin to cow's milk formula will make it more digestible for the infant. Use only truly expeller-expressed oils in the formula recipes, otherwise they may lack vitamin E.

The ideal milk for baby, if he cannot be breastfed, is clean, whole raw milk from old-fashioned cows, certified free of disease, that feed on green pasture. For sources of good quality milk, see www.realmilk.com or contact a local chapter of the Weston A. Price Foundation.

If the only choice available to you is commercial milk, choose whole milk, preferably organic and unhomogenized, and culture it with a piima or kefir culture to restore enzymes (available from G.E.M. Cultures 253-588-2922 or http://www.gemcultures.com).

2 cups whole milk, preferably unprocessed milk from pasture-fed cows
1/4 cup homemade liquid whey (See recipe for whey, below) Note: Do NOT use whey from making cheese--it will cause the formula to curdle. Use only homemade whey made from yoghurt, kefir or separated raw milk.
4 tablespoons lactose*
1/4 teaspoon bifidobacterium infantis**
2 or more tablespoons good quality cream (not ultrapasteurized), more if you are using milk from Holstein cows
1 teaspoon regular dose cod liver oil or 1/2 teaspoon high-vitamin cod liver oil*
1 teaspoon expeller-expressed sunflower oil*
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil*
2 teaspoons coconut oil*
2 teaspoons Frontier brand nutritional yeast flakes*
2 teaspoons gelatin*
1 7/8 cups filtered water
1/4 teaspoon acerola powder*

*Available from Radiant Life 888-593-8333, www.radiantlifecatalog.com
**Available from Natren 866-462-8736, www.natren.com, or Radiant Life 888-593-8333, www.radiantlifecatalog.com. Also, please note earlier versions of this web page called for 1 tsp of bifidobacterium infantis--this was a typo.

Add gelatin to water and heat gently until gelatin is dissolved. Place all ingredients in a very clean glass or stainless steel container and mix well. To serve, pour 6 to 8 ounces into a very clean glass bottle, attach nipple and set in a pan of simmering water. Heat until warm but not hot to the touch, shake bottle well and feed baby. (Never, never heat formula in a microwave oven!) Note: If you are using the Lact-Aid, mix all ingredients well in a blender.)

Variation: Goat Milk Formula

Although goat milk is rich in fat, it must be used with caution in infant feeding as it lacks folic acid and is low in vitamin B₁₂, both of which are essential to the growth and development of the infant. Inclusion of nutritional yeast to provide folic acid is essential. To compensate for low levels of vitamin B₁₂, if preparing the Milk-Based Formula (above) with goat's milk, add 2 teaspoons organic raw chicken liver, frozen for 14 days, finely grated to the batch of formula. Be sure to begin egg-yolk feeding at four months.

Get Educated Before You Vote!

2008-09-12T14:25:00.000-07:00

FYI

2008-08-27T19:03:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let ya'all (like my Texan?!) that I am working on my VBAC story. It's longer than I thought!!! So many details. It should be up soon!

Here is a fun site about eating sustainable foods! Enjoy!

The Breakdown of Organic Food Lables

2008-08-17T11:02:00.000-07:00

Does Organic really mean organic. What exactly does 'no chemicals added' mean? Which terms are backed up legally and which terms are subject to what the company wants them to mean?

This article breaks it all down. Green Home by Huddler has a slew of resources for living green!

Food Causes Disease

2008-08-08T06:19:00.000-07:00

I will be posting much more about what we eat related to our health in general and specifically obesity, diabetes and cancer.

Here is something to open up the topic. I receive daily raw food inspiration emails. When I opened today's, this is what I read:

"The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) has filed a lawsuit to make California restaurants comply with a state law requiring businesses to warn consumers when their products contain a known carcinogen. (Jinjee's notes: The definition of carcinogen is: any substance or agent that tends to produce a cancer. According to the FDA all cooked foods contain carcinogens). The Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act, passed by voters on a ballot initiative in 1986, helps keep toxic industrial pollution out of ground water, and also protects citizens' right to know when a cancer-causing agent is present in other edibles. One of these carcinogens, PhIP, forms when animal flesh is grilled at high temperatures. The most concentrated PhIP levels are found in cooked chicken, and PCRM maintains that the law must require restaurants to post "clear and reasonable warnings" on their food. President and chief executive of the California Restaurant Association Jot Condie says enforcement of the law would cause many restaurants "to take [chicken] off the menu". (Reuters)"
-VegNews Magazine July-August issue

In Joy!
Jinjee
www.TheGardenDiet.com

How much longer are we going to deny that our food is making us sick? I guess we should truly ask, how much longer are we going to believe the mulit billion dollar advertising. How much longer will we hold on to our attachments of the food we are eating and at what cost? I can definitely relate to these feelings. I thought this poster was humorous with the chicken hiding and the title (and my kids love this movie!)

Current List of Vaccines with Aluminum

2008-08-01T05:47:00.000-07:00

This was taken from NNII. While I do not agree with their opinion that aluminum is safe just because it is found in other things in our world, it is a recent list of vaccines that contain aluminum. By the way, we do not use aluminum in my house. We do not use aluminum foil or pans, we use glass dishes and cups and aluminum free deodorant. It is not safe and I would never think of injecting my child with it. The reason they put it in vaccines is because the vaccine will not be as effective with out it. It is just one of many ingredients in vaccines that will harm our children.

The current vaccines with aluminum are:

DTP (diphtheria-tetanus=pertussis vaccine)
DTaP (diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis vaccine)
Some but not all Hib (Haemophilus influenza type b) conjugate vaccines
Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine
Hepatitis B (given at birth!)
All combination DTaP, Tdap, Hib, or Hepatitis B vaccines
Hepatitis A
Human Papillomavirus (the new HPV/cervical cancer vaccine)
Anthrax
Rabies

Vaccines that do not contain aluminum (but may contain other harmful ingredients):

Inactivated Polio Virus vaccine
Measles, mumps and rubella
Varicella vaccine
Flu shots

If you are going to give your child a vaccine without the aluminum, make sure it is not combined with another aluminum filled vaccine. The combination shots(2 or more diseases in one shot) are becoming very popular. Also remember that because the vaccines are not effective, your child will get multiple doses of most vaccines with booster shots!

Pneumonia Vaccine is Killing Babies

2008-07-31T05:32:00.001-07:00

I read this on Dr. Mercola's website (an M.D. who had a change of heart about vaccines and is no longer afraid to speak out against them). Go to his article to read his comments.

Now At least 12 infants who were part of a clinical study to test a pneumonia vaccine have died in Argentina over the course of the past year.

The study was sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline, and uses children from poor families. According to the Argentine Federation of Health Professionals, the families are "pressured and forced into signing consent forms”.

The vaccine trial is still ongoing despite the denunciations.
Sources:

* Trading Markets July 10, 2008

Dr. Mercola goes on to show evidence that zinc will help pneumonia more than a vaccine ever would and it is safer!

How many more children will have to die, have learning disabilities, acquire autism and have lasting negative side effects that are not even being linked to vaccines yet, before people are going to WAKE UP AND BECOME STRONGER?! Do no let fear make your decisions. Do not let mainstream ideas make choices for you. Educate yourself and make the decision that is right for you regardless of what I say, a pharmacutical rep or vaccine company advertises, or because of what a doctor who is being pushy and putting fear tactics on you. You have a choice. Make an educated one!

Natural Remedies You Use

2008-07-30T05:48:00.000-07:00

There are a few things I have learned to do and use that will heal my body or my children without the use of anything harsh. Things that we can do that won't interfere with our bodies natural ability to heal itself from the inside out.

We do not use diaper rash cream. I'm sure I could do more research, but common sense tells me not to put something unnatural and loaded with man made ingredients on a rash or tiny open sores. So, we use olive oil. It works wonderful! We haven't had a lot of diaper rash, but when we do, we pour/rub some olive oil on and within the day we have a clear bum!

I wash my face with raw honey. I learned about this on a discussion board at mothering.com. It is gentle, kills bacteria and tastes great. My skin feels great when I used raw honey!

As a moisturizer or lotion in our home we use coconut oil. There are a numerous amount of benefits of coconut oil and this is one of them! Organic extra virgin is our first choice, but we'll use any kind. It works quickly at making dry skin soft. My skin looks much younger, healthier and shinier when I use coconut oil. I love the combination of raw honey and coconut oil. They are cheap (when compared to artificial cleaners and moisturizers on the market), natural and safe. Let's not forget that they smell and taste great too!

Lansinoh for chapped lips. I know it's a 'nipple cream', but it is a miracle for chapped lips. We lived in a house that was very dry for a few months. My oldest daughter and I had very chapped lips and nothing was helping. It was painful and annoying! I also had a newborn and one day I though, "Hey, if this works for healing chapped, cracked and sore nipples, then why not our lips?" I am so glad I did. Soft lips will be yours by the end of the day!

Aloe Vera! This is a miracle plant. Obviously it works wonders on scrapes, cut and burns. We have used the aloe from a Aloe Vera leaf to help heal a burn my daughter received on her hands and cuts, etc. Something I found it can also help with is an infected wisdom tooth! I had a problem with a wisdom tooth and did not want to have surgery. I started taking some things and then realized one day that I should use aloe to pull out the infection. So, I cut off a piece of aloe and placed it on that tooth and held it there as long as possible with my teeth. When it was pretty mushy, I just swallowed it. I did this for a few days and then infection cleared up on its own. The Aloe aided my body in healing itself. It gave me enough relief to allow my body to do its job without the use of drugs. I had to do this twice and have since then had no problems and no surgery!

Those are a few of ours. What are yours?

Does Your 9 Year Old Need a Sex Vaccine?

2008-07-25T07:50:00.000-07:00

Let us begin with this statement:

" The FDA adverse event reports on the HPV vaccine read like a catalog of horrors," stated Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. "Any state or local government now beset by Merck's lobbying campaigns to mandate this HPV vaccine for young girls ought to take a look at these adverse health reports. It looks as if an unproven vaccine with dangerous side effects is being pushed as a miracle drug."- Judicial Watch, May 23 statement"

My husband loves the Planet Chiropractic blog by Michael Dorausch. He recently wrote a post about Gardisal. It got me fired up! Do you know about this vaccine? It was made to make money, wait, I mean to help your daughters not contract HPV (Human Papillomavirus) if they are having sex. Well, call me stupid, but I rather my daughter just not have sex, then have the disease itself plus a multitude of preservatives and crap pumped into her blood stream. But that's just me.

There is a cute website for Gardasil. It's all pink and pretty and inviting. On this site, right at the top, it states "the only cancer vaccine that helps against 4 types of human papillomavirus (HPV)..." So, I guess if you get another type, oh well. This vaccine protects against types 6, 11, 16 and 18 only. Sorry girls!

So, what is Gardasil? According to their maker Merck and Co. (one of the devil's right hand minions) and the website, Gardasil is for young women ages 9-26! Nine? Are you kidding me? They want to get them young before there is any chance they have sex. Nine? (That is only if they come in contact with types 6, 11, 16 and 18. Your 10 year old better ask her boyfriend if he knows what type he might have, because she will want to make sure her vaccine works. Make sure your 10 year old is on birth control too).

Now, if you are already having sex, Merck wants to assure you it is OK! You can still benefit because you might not have come in contact with their 4 types, so get the shot in case your next one night stand is a type 6. Let me just stop here and ask, "Has anyone heard of abstinence, monogamous relationships, um condoms???"

Moving on. One shot will not work by the way...or maybe by saying you or your daughter will need 3 shots in 6 months, they will make 3 times the amount of money. We are talking about a billion dollar industry here! Wait, I'm just getting started. Also, if you look at the vaccine schedules and see that many of them require boosters, it might make you stop and ask yourself, "Do these really work? Why does my child need 2 or 3 doses?"

Merck shows some caution by stating on their website, "Anyone who is allergic to the ingredients of GARDASIL should not receive the vaccine. GARDASIL is not for women who are pregnant. GARDASIL does not treat cervical cancer or genital warts." It does not treat, but it MIGHT prevent types 6, 11, 16 and 18. Well, what are the ingredients and how do you know if you are allergic without already having a reaction?

They do admit (if you can find this information on your own...they do not advertise it...that would be bad for business) that "GARDASIL may not fully protect everyone, and does not prevent all types of cervical cancer, so it’s important to continue routine cervical cancer screenings. GARDASIL will not protect against diseases caused by other HPV types or against diseases not caused by HPV." Once again, make sure your partner has type 18.

"The side effects include pain, swelling, itching, and redness at the injection site, fever, nausea, dizziness, vomiting, and fainting." "Only a doctor or healthcare professional can decide if GARDASIL is right for you or your daughter." Are those the only side effects? Oh, and by the way, only a doctor can decide if it is right for you and your daughter, NOT YOU!

Let us dig a little deeper. I loved the question and answer section and how vague it was. This was good though: "Cervical cancer can be caused by about 10 to 30 types of HPV... GARDASIL helps guard against 2 of these types—HPV Types 16 and 18." Did you read the same thing I did? There are 10 to 30 types that cause cervical cancer and Gardasil helps guard against (not fully prevent) 2 types!!!!

Let us really get into the side effects and safety here. This is the answer Merck gives to the commonly asked question of safety: "Allergic reactions that may include difficulty breathing, wheezing (bronchospasm), hives, and rash have been reported. Some of these reactions have been severe." Does "severe" mean death?

Additional side effects reported during general use include: "swollen glands (neck, armpit, or groin), Guillain-Barré syndrome, headache, joint pain, aching muscles, unusual tiredness, and generally feeling unwell."

"If you or your child has any unusual or severe symptoms after receiving GARDASIL, contact your doctor or healthcare professional right away. For a more complete list of side effects, ask your doctor or healthcare professional."

"The safety of the vaccine is something that is being followed on an ongoing basis." So is it really safe? It has only been on the market a short while and 3 doses are being recommended. Dr. Mercola recently wrote an article about this unnecessary vaccine. In it he showed us the following:

Back in June, it was reported that over 1,600 adverse reactions, including three deaths, had been linked to Gardasil, Merck’s new vaccine for human papillomavirus (HPV). It appears those reactions, and deaths, are steadily rising. A review of the National Vaccine Information Center revealed the following, quite alarming, statistic about this unnecessary vaccine: 2,207 adverse reactions to Gardasil have been reported. Among them:

5 girls died
31 were considered life-threatening
1,385 required a visit to the emergency room
451 of the girls have not recovered as of July 2007
51 of the girls were disabled

To read the full article go here.

Dr. Micheal Daroush of Planet Chiropractic reported:

According to several news reports, information regarding adverse effects (or side effects) of the vaccine jab became available via the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) thanks to the Freedom of Information Act. Watchdog websites like Judicial Watch (Judicial Watch Uncovers New FDA Records) published reports with details on vaccine adverse reactions, which included 10 deaths since September of 2007 (and possibly as many as 20), 140 "serious" reports which are categorized as "life-threatening", 10 reports of spontaneous abortions, and six cases of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (a disorder in which the body's immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system), of which there is reportedly no known cure.

Need I continue? Get educated, make an educated decision and stick to it! Here in Texas they are trying to pass a law that will "force" all girls going into 6th grade to get this unnecessary, dangerous vaccine. Your daughter might become disabled or die, but at least she may have been safe from a sexually transmitted disease.

More info about the vaccine:

Jefferey Dach, M.D.

Judicial Watch

Gardisal in the UK

What a HPV researcher has to say

Can A Ceserean Birth Be Positive?

2008-07-16T10:01:00.000-07:00

Cesarean Sections are becoming more and more popular and are considered a great option for many mothers who have fears of birth. While, they are amazing for preventing death of a mother or baby in complicated, high risk situations, they shouldn't just be opted for "just because". A cesarean section is still major surgery and can have many more complications of its own (more on this later)!

This is the story of my first Surgical Birth.

My first child was born September 5th, 2003 via elective cesarean. See, when I was about 36 weeks pregnant and planning a birth center birth, I felt I needed an ultrasound. Listening to my intuition, I had one and found out my baby girl was breech. This was after four midwives told me she was head down. I was devastated I did not know much about breech babies and how it would effect a natural vaginal birth. I started to research and found that she was in a "good" breech position, being frank breech. After calming down, I decided to try whatever I could (with the knowledge I had at the time) to get her to turn. I did handstands in the pool, rocked on hands and knees, massaged my belly in a rotating motion, and even lived with chiropractors in Phoenix (I lived in Tucson at the time) for a few weeks on their son’s race car bed. I stayed with them so that every other day Dr. Ramsey could give me an adjustment and do Webster’s Technique. In the meantime at 39 weeks pregnant my husband and I decided to move from Tucson to Phoenix due to other circumstances. I had to find a provider and find one fast. Being that I had a breech baby, my options were limited. Luckily I found Dr. Foley who delivered my chiropractor’s babies. I had to get past the office staff and talk to him directly about not just doing a c-section. He agreed to see me.

Finally, at 39 weeks, I chose to have an external cephalic version (ECV) to try to get our baby girl to turn. Another doctor in the practice performed the "procedure". I wasn’t sure I wanted to do this, because of possible complications, but I really did not want a cesarean section. I was desperate. After the doctor and intern tried to turn her clockwise, the doctor said he would try one more time and then he was calling it quits. He did not want to hurt her. They decided to try counterclockwise this time. With the doctor on her head and the intern on her bum they pulled and pushed until veins were bulging in their arms. This time I jumped and screamed it hurt so bad. She was stuck and was not going to move!

I had just joined the LDS church and when we moved, we attended our new ward. I had a blessing that day by a Priesthood holder with my husband and a few other men. During this blessing, the Lord answered me and calmed my mind and lifted my burden. I knew that for some reason my baby needed to be breech, wasn’t going to turn and vaginal birth was not an option. I kept this to myself. I was at peace.

My husband and I went in to see Dr. Foley a few days past 39 weeks. He was very understanding of everything we were trying to do to turn her. He was okay with me waiting to go into labor and giving her time to turn. He offered his opinion. He did not think, with everything I had already tried, that she was going to turn. Nowadays, this would upset me, but at the time I already knew it to be true in my heart. He was worried as well that if we waited, one of the other 16 doctors in his practice would attend our birth, instead of him. We went over our wonderful birth plans (vaginal birth, c-section birth, and care of baby) and he agreed to everything. He had us sign them and he signed them as well (and later made sure to give to the nursing staff. It think this was key for our experience). He suggested we go over to the hospital and have her that day! My husband turned white and his eyes bulged out of his head. He was not ready! LOL. To this day he says he wished he could have just gotten one more great night of sleep before having children. I told them both I already knew it was going to happen and had my bags packed in the trunk of the car. My husband, was like, "Huh?". Dr. Foley said great!

We went over to the hospital, called a few family members and friends, and were soon prepped for the surgery. I was nervous when receiving my spinal, but then Dr. Foley came in and helped me. I calmed down. Brandon was still prepping himself so he could be in the 'sterile' room with me. When I was put in the surgery room as I call it, they tried strapping down both my arms. Well, because of the drugs they had already begun to give me, I was throwing up. Being numb from the chest down and throwing up is a bad combination. I felt like I was going to choke to death. All I could do was turn my head and puke into a little bin. I pulled my arms out of the straps, because that just wasn’t going to work for me!

Just as I started to panic, Brandon came into the room. His presence made all the difference. We were about to have our first baby. He had run down to the gift shop and bought this cheesy disposable camera to take pictures.

Then they began the surgery. I could tell because I could smell the burning of my flesh as they cut me with their laser. It was interesting because the doctor had a hard time getting her out at first. He said she really was stuck in there! After a few minutes, Tatum Elaine was born. She came out wide-eyed looking around the room at all the bright lights and after a minute (seemed like 10) she let out a cry. He brought her to us first (like we asked). She was then handed over to the pediatric team. Our doctor made sure she was not given any eye gel or shots, etc. They did put a tube down her throat to get out any mucus since her lungs were not squeezed like in a vaginal birth. Poor baby. Finally, she was handed over to us.

We specifically put in our birth plan that she was never to leave our side, and she didn’t! The nursing staff didn’t know what to think, because never before had a baby stayed with a mom in the transition room after a c-section. HA! It was great. We stayed a few days while I healed and the staff was respectful of our wishes for the most part. It was tiring though, because they were constantly coming in and wanting to check everything. I know it’s their job, but come on, I need sleep! Tatum stayed in our room the whole stay and we began to bond right away.

Healing from this surgery was not as bad as it could have been. I had to get up and walk right away of course. I used a pillow over my abdomen because it felt like my incision would come open and my insides would fall out! It was painful. I did not want to be on drugs. By the time I got home, I was off the prescription pain pills and a few days later done with Tylenol. I was getting adjustments at the chiropractor and had positive thoughts. I knew that I could have a VBAC next time and I wasn’t going to beat myself down.

Overall, for a cesarean section, the experience was as good as it could have been. I’m thankful for prayer, the Lord, a great doctor and a detailed birth plan! I was enjoying motherhood and looked forward to a home birth for my next birth.

I do have to admit (and answer my own question that titles this post) that out of my three births, my planned c-section was my best experience. I would still do my VBA2C all over again though. I will have the stories of my 2nd surgical birth and my VBA2C posted here soon!

This Will Make You Think

2008-07-14T19:18:00.000-07:00

I was reading through the diary of Ibu Robin of Bumi Sehat in Bali. I found this frightening and interesting, but I was not surprised. They have between 40-60 births a month (there is always a woman in labor). From what I have read they are offering these beautiful Balinese women and families an amazing service!

"Bali has had so many challenged babies of late. 19 born dead in Karengasem, and 7 more born alive, all with neural tube defects.

Reportedly the mother's of these babies were given blood tests by a Canadian doctor, who found all of them had very high levels of pesticide. A Canadian doctor took blood and stool samples for testing, from over 70 mothers who had babies with birth defects. Every one of them had high levels of pesticides and contaminants."

What do you think? Do we need to be worried about pesticides? With the growing popularity of organics, the USDA and FDA are getting involved to "regulate" and "profit". We need to ask ourselves if the price of organic foods worth it? For our family, we think so. We buy as much organic as possible. Our income has allowed that to be 100% at times and other times, we just buy the things that are the most important to us. (There are many lists like this one that you can look up the "dirty dozen"). The health of ourselves and our children is that important to us.

What are your thoughts on organic vs. conventional and the effects of pesticides on our bodies and the health of our unborn children?

She went on to talk about a mom who had the Depo Provera shot while pregnant.

"They informed her that pregnancy was impossible, and told her it was now time again for her to have the Depo Provera injection. She tried to refuse, but was bullied into it. In Bali anyone in uniform can pretty easily bully people. So, though she suspected she was carrying a child, and was worried about Depo Provera side effects for that child... she was exposed to another dose of Depo.
All of us, the midwives, the family were just giving this baby good energy, hoping and praying there would be no problems from the Depo provera. Every woman using Depo Provera in Bali is told that it is safe, and that there are no side effects."

Through all of the midwifery help, love, good energy, the baby was born with many complications. The mom was dedicated in feeding her baby expressed milk and they had surgery set up to fix her palate. The baby died at 5 weeks old. But the Depo Provera causes no side effects, right?

Is Your M.D. Killing You?

2008-07-11T16:31:00.000-07:00

Get this...

(All quotes are taken from the book "Kids First: Health With No Interference" by Dr. Ogi Ressel.)

"The most striking evidence was seen in Israel though. Doctors reduced their daily patient contact from 65,000 to 7,000 for one month. According to the Jerusalem Burial Society, the Israeli death rate dropped 50 percent during that month."

"As if to reinforce the point, an on-going strike by medical doctors in Israel had put a severe economic strain on the funeral business in that country. The dramatic decline in the death rate prompted the burial association to ask the government to approve an increase in the doctors' pay."

"According to the newspaper, The Jerusalem Sun, strike action by doctors in Israel seemed to be good for their patients' health. A survey of burial societies revealed that death rates dropped considerably in most of the country since physicians in public hospitals implemented a program of sanctions lasting three months. Meir Adler, manager of Shaingar Funeral Parlour, which buries most of the residents of Jerusalem, declared with much more certainty, "There definitely is a connection between the doctors' sanctions and fewer deaths. We saw the same thing in 1983." (when the Israel Medical Association applied sanctions for four and one half months).

Those of you who believe that medicine represents health care may feel quiet shocked by this time-I totally understand."

Yes you read that right! By doctors going on strike, the death rate went down 50%! What is even crazier is that the morticians were losing money...big money. They are the ones that asked the government to pay these doctors more (to kill people) so that they could get back to work (to bury killed people).

Now that will make you think.

If you want to have a few more fun facts to throw around at your next poker night, check these out:

"The late Dr,. Robert Mendelsohn, M.D., a famed and self proclaimed "medical heretic," put this into an interesting context. "In 1976, physicians in Bogota, Columbia, went on a 52 day strike. The National Catholic Reporter described a string of unusual "side-effects" from the strike. The death rate went down 35 percent." A spokesman for the national Morticians Association said, "It might be coincidence, but it is fact." In Los Angeles, the death rate dropped 18 percent when doctors went on strike to protest soaring malpractice premiums. When the strike ended, the death rate once again rose to the pre-strike levels."

Once again the morticians noticed the change. It really does seem that it all comes down to money, not what is best for our health, doesn't it?

How much would the death rate in your city go down if the M.D.'s went on strike?

Now, I am not saying that M.D.'s are not valuable, but this proves medicine has it's place and it still does not know it!

One M.D.'s Response to ACOG

2008-07-09T18:55:00.000-07:00

This is a letter that is in response to the AMA's and the ACOG's release of their view on home birth. I got this letter off my friend Jen's blog that was shared through her local birth network. I was so happy to read a letter from a M.D. who is questioning what is being put forth on his behalf. This is what he wrote in response to the ACOG.

Douglas H. Kirkpatrick, MD
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
PO Box 96920
Washington, DC 20090-2188

Dear Sir:

I am a practicing OB/ GYN in southern California and Fellow of ACOG and recently was informed by midwife colleagues of your recommendation and encouragement for the AMA to lobby Congress for a law banning out of hospital birth.

Funny that I had to hear of this decision from outside sources and was never approached by my college to see how I or my local colleagues felt about it. I have grave concerns regarding my organization taking such a stand. I think we are all agreed that ACOG has a statement regarding patients¢ rights to informed consent and informed refusal. Yet, it seems with every decision our organization moves further away from that basic tenet.

ACOG's little "guideline" paper on VBAC in 2004 where the word readily was changed to immediately has had the chilling effect of doing away with VBAC options at hundreds if not more hospitals. Not due to patient safety, or the ideal of giving true informed consent but really, let's be honest, to fear of litigation. I have seen how patients have become counseled by obstetricians at facilities where VBAC has been banned. They are clearly given a skewed view of the risks of VBAC but rarely told of the risks of multiple surgeries. If you think this is untrue you are, sadly, out of touch with real clinical medicine.

As to out of hospital birthing, please give me the courtesy of an explanation as to the data you used and the process by which an organization which is supposed to represent me came to this conclusion. Any statement saying that it is as simple as patient safety and that one-size fits all hospital birth under the "obstetric model" of practice should be applied to all patients is, putting it nicely, not really in line with what best serves all our patients. In many instances, hospitals are not safe, certainly not nurturing and have a far worse track record for disasters than home birth. Even when emergency help is nearby this is true. The focus of all of us in medicine should be on reigning in trial lawyers and tort reform and lobbying Congress for that. The best interest of the college members and the patients we serve would be for my organization to spend its time and energy on something that has true benefit.

Removing choices from well-informed patients and caring doctors and midwives is wholly un-American.

So please send me detailed information on how ACOG decided outlawing home birth was a wise thing to do. You must have scientific data to take such a drastic stand. Please make it available to me so that I may share it with like-minded colleagues. I would also like to know the process by which this came to pass. Who first raised this issue and why? What committee reviewed all the data and did its due diligence in interviewing those of us with long-standing experience in backing midwives who perform out of hospital births. There must be a fine, non-confidential paper trail you can share with your members. Specific names of committee member who voted for this would be enlightening and I am requesting this information. I would like to know the background and expertise regarding out of hospital birth for each member who had a hand in the decision to go to the AMA.

We live in an odd era where once something is said or recommended by a legitimate organization such as ACOG it has deep ramifications never intended, such as becoming fodder for trial lawyers trying to squeeze the lifeblood and dignity out of your members. Or forcing women to travel hundreds of miles in labor to find a supportive facility. Or even worse, to have them arrive in a VBAC banned hospital and refuse surgery. Can this be the best we can do for our patients? Remember, your VBAC statement was meant to be only a recommendation but quickly became the rule by which hospital administrators, risk managers and anesthesia departments of smaller hospital banned this option for thousands of women. An option, that in proper hands, was the safe and accepted standard of care for 30 years. In fact, you still have an ACOG VBAC brochure that recommends this option!

For those of us working at smaller hospitals where VBAC was banned due to lack of emergency help (anesthesia, OR crews, etc.) there is a big question that has perplexed us, that no administrator seems to be willing or able to answer. That question is: "If a hospital cannot handle an emergency c/section for VBACs, and most emergencies are for fetal bradycardia, hemorrhage (ie. abruption) or shoulder dystocia, not for ruptured uteri, then how can they do obstetrics at all?" For they seem to still be able to have a maternity ward without in house anesthesia. Will someday ACOG, in their great wisdom but seeming disconnect from reality, make a "recommendation" that little hospitals stop providing obstetric services? Will this better serve women and their communities throughout America?

I am frightened and angered by what you have done in my name. Now I ask you to defend your position in encouraging the AMA to lobby Congress for another restriction on the freedom of choice that belongs to women and their families. Those choices include midwifery and the right to have the most beautiful and life changing event occur wherever best fits their desire.

Midwives are well trained and required to have obstetrical backup. They have very special relationships with their patients and want the very best outcomes for them. They do not need me or you to police them. We have a habit in our country over the past 40 years of thinking we can legislate out stupidity. All that has done is erode the individual freedoms that belong, by birthright, to each of us. I would hope you trust your Fellows to know their specialty, their colleagues, and what is best for the patient as an individual.

These decisions do not belong to politicians or faceless committees. You should have more faith in your members to give balanced informed consent. Again, my recommendation to you is to put all your considerable energy into changing our legal malpractice system. Those of us actually practicing medicine and caring for patients know this to be the greatest threat to the
mission and responsibility we have chosen to undertake.

I look forward to your response and possibly the beginning of a meaningful dialogue.

Sincerely,

Stuart J. Fischbein, MD FACOG
Medical Advisor, Birth Action Coalition

A Fire Has Been Lit

2008-07-09T15:49:00.000-07:00

This blog has been started in response to the recent fear based "recommendations" and non-researched "opinions" of the AMA and ACOG. (Click on AMA or ACOG to read the actual statement put forth). They recently put together what seems like a last minute thought on women and where they should "be allowed" to birth. A student midwife friend of mine thought it was rather comical with the wording they used and how sloppily it was put together. It is rather ridiculous. At least that is what I thought until I recently realized there are already harmful repercussions.

A wonderful Doctor in my town is known for pushing the limit. Meaning he has not let insurance effect how he practices. Have you had 3 c-sections, or are having a footling breech, or twins? Well, no problem. He has previously shown his belief that in most cases with patience and skill these things can be worked out. Only when all other means have literally been exhausted will he talk c-section. He has also been a godsend for midwives and their clients in the area. He has backed up many of the local midwives.

Last night I was told the sad news that due to pressure from his partners and the latest statement of the ACOG on child birth, he will no longer back up our midwives! I was shocked and deeply regretful for him, our midwives and all the women that may need his assistance in the future. For those women who don't want to be treated like they are stupid, don't know how to birth, and just need surgery, now what? He will no longer be there because of hearsay that is not even backed up. I will get into this later, but research shows the opposite of what the ACOG is spewing out! As my doula friend said, "VBAC's are about to get harder in this area". As a successful VBAC mama myself, this hits me at the core of my spirit.

It's time to stand up, speak out and be heard. Are we going to wait until the AMA and ACOG strips away women's rights like in the early 1900's? When dads were pushed out of the scene because they surely are not important in their wives and children lives? When women were literally strapped down and drugged to delusion and hallucination? I certainly do not want to wait for them to put out slander (once again) against midwives and undo all the breaking down of the huge Berlin wall of fears around childbirth in our society. The wall that so many midwives, strong mamas and papas, and yes even some M.D.'s have worked so hard to tear down.

What can we do? I know that I can no longer stay silent. I am going to do my part by blogging about current research, interesting facts, and information about anything not mainstream! Chiropractic, birthing, VBAC's, vaccinations, nutrition, breastfeeding, co-sleeping, baby wearing...whatever has me fired up!

It's time to get educated and make choices based off information, not fears and hearsay! I hope that I can help at least 1 mom and/or dad out there feel they have a choice by give them the tools they need to be armed with information to back up those choices. Then, they can be happy that they chose what was best for them and their child(ren)!

-J-