Monday, January 22, 2007

Healthy Babies! Healthy Moms!

As seen in Having a Baby Today and New Health Digest

Healthy Babies! Healthy Moms!
(8 ways to help you be healthy and low risk during pregnancy, labor, and birth)
By Amy V. Haas, BA, BCCE

Pregnancy can be a wonderful and exciting time of life for most women. However, women in the United States receive very little information about how to stay healthy during pregnancy unless they do a lot of individual research. In fact most women don’t realize there is anything they can do to positively impact their health during pregnancy or prevent a high-risk status, with the exception of prenatal care. While proper prenatal care is important, it is not magic. Obstetricians have time constraints, and receive little or no training in nutrition, exercise, or preventative medicine. Even women who join childbirth classes may receive limited information. Below are 8 ways to help educate you in how to stay healthy and low risk during pregnancy, labor, and birth.

1) Nutrition – If you only did one thing to help yourself stay healthy during pregnancy, good nutrition would be it! It is the single most important factor in having a healthy baby and a healthy mom. Eating well in pregnancy means following the Brewer diet, which consists of 75 – 100 grams of good quality protein per day, from varied sources. Great high protein food sources include: meats, soy products, eggs, dairy, nuts, beans, and seeds. You should also be eating 5 servings of high complex carbohydrates to ensure adequate calories for energy, and an additional source of protein. In fact 1/3rd of you protein should be coming from whole grains. This would include whole grains that are not milled or processed, and will retain the most nutrients, protein, and fiber. Eating dairy, soy, nuts, and bean products, and broccoli will assist in getting enough calcium. Additional healthy foods to include would be whole, fresh fruits, and vegetables, and don’t forget to drink to thirst and salt to taste! But try to avoid desserts and junk food. Organic food sources are highly recommended when available. Think Color and Variety! This will help you obtain all the nutrients your body needs to build a healthy baby. Eating right during pregnancy can help to prevent premature labor and birth, toxemia, placental abruption, gestational diabetes, problems with breast feeding and healing, and many other serious health problems that would place a mom in the high-risk category.

2) Exercise – Pregnancy exercises can help prepare your body for the birth of your baby, by targeting specific muscles used during labor. Regular physical exercise can help to build strength and stamina. It also makes it easier to recover after birth. Check with your care provider as to any physical limitations you may have

3) Education – Educating yourself with regard to all the issues involving pregnancy and birth will help you to make responsible decisions that are right for you and your family. As the authors of A Good Birth, A Safe Birth said, “If you don’t know what your choices are, then you don’t have any!” There are many different types of childbirth classes, and you need to research to find out which one will fit your needs. A good book to help in this search is The Birth Book, by Dr. William Sears, and Martha Sears, RN. Educating yourself well will help you to avoid unnecessary health risks common in birth in the United States today. This would include educating yourself as to the necessity of routine testing and procedures during pregnancy. Before consenting to routine testing or procedures be sure that it is being done for a true medical need or problem. You need to be aware of the risks and benefits of all tests and procedures during pregnancy. Excellent sources of information on this topic include Henci Goer’s book Obstetric Myths vs. Research Realities, and Barbara Katz Rothman’s book The Tentative Pregnancy.

4) Avoidance of Harmful substances – Everyone knows that you should avoid all street drugs during pregnancy so your baby will not be harmed, but there are many other substances that should also be avoided to have a healthy pregnancy. They include tobacco, alcohol, caffeine, pollution, pesticides, household and industrial chemicals, and any medically unnecessary medications, including over-the-counter medications. According the AAP, The PDR, and The FDA there is no drug that is considered safe during pregnancy. Sadly this would also include all medications commonly giving during birth, as they all reach the baby, and can have negative side effects for both the mom and baby. Any medication given to a pregnant or laboring woman should be for a true medical problem only. All prescription medications should be taken to your care provider and checked to see if they are truly necessary during pregnancy, and if there may be a safer medication or a smaller dose might be appropriate. Before taking anything you should always check with your care provider first!

5) Choosing a Birth Attendant wisely – When choosing a Doctor or Midwife to assist at your birth, it is important you choose one who not only matches your birth philosophy, but also respects your right to make choices that are right for you. Be sure to interview all candidates before choosing. Think about what kind of a practice you would be comfortable with. Would you prefer a large practice of doctors or midwives, or a small practice of only one or two care providers? If you discover along the way that you are no longer comfortable with your original choice, it is important to know that you have the right to change care providers. Choosing wisely the first time will create less stress in your life.

6) Choosing your Birth Place Wisely – When choosing where to have your baby it is good to know that home births have been shown to be as safe, if not safer, than hospital births. Think about where you will feel the safest, and most comfortable. If you feel safest in a hospital setting, then that may be a good choice for you. This of course, will depend on your health status. Only low risk women will be accepted for a homebirth. While it is possible to have a healthy natural birth in a hospital setting, it is certainly more difficult.

7) Doulas – Consider hiring a professional labor assistant to help you through your labor. Studies have shown that having a doula can reduce the need for medication, cesarean sections, pitocin to speed up labor, and other interventions common in birth today. It’s also wonderful to have backup for your primary labor support person in the event of a long labor.

8) Birth Plans – Never assume that everyone attending your birth knows what you do and don’t want! Create a birth plan that outlines your ultimate goals and priorities. To do this you will need to educate yourself with regard to all aspects of birth in the United States so that you know what your priorities are.
***

(For More information on each of these topics contact Rochester Birth Network at www.rochesterbirthnetwork.com 585- 234-0022)

Amy V. Haas, BCCE ©2002 -2006

Recommended Reading:
The Birth Book by William Sears, M.D. & Martha Sears, RN
The Thinking Woman’s Guide to a Better Birth by Henci Goer
The Brewer Pregnancy Hotline (The Brewer Diet) by Krebs and Brewer (Available on line at www.blueribbonbaby.org )
Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way by Susan McCutcheon
A Wise Birth by Armstrong & Feldman
A Good Birth, A Safe Birth by Korte & Scaer
Gentle Birth Choices by Barbara Harper
Active Birth by Janet Balaskas
Obstetric Myths vs. Research Realities by Henci Goer
The Tentative Pregnancy by Barbara Katz Rothman
Diary of A Midwife – The Power Of Positive Childbearing by Juliana Van Olphen-Fehr
Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin

Sunday, January 14, 2007

Could changing the court system help prevent unecessary cesareans?

I'm so intrigued by this:

http://cgood.org/healthcare-newscommentary-watch.html

It's Time for Special Health Courts in New York
Richard M. Peer, The Buffalo News, June 26, 2006

In an opinion piece in The Buffalo News, Dr. Richard M. Peer, president of the Medical Society of the State of New York, writes that “[i]t's time to give health courts a chance” because “[t]he current medical justice system is not working for doctors or for patients.” According to Dr. Peer, a vascular surgeon himself, some doctors,“[f]aced with increased liability and skyrocketing malpractice premiums, … are giving up the practice of medicine, especially those in high-risk specialties such as obstetrics, neuro and general surgery and emergency care.” He continues: “At the same time, the current system doesn't provide appropriate or timely compensation to patients who truly experience negligent adverse events. Instead, studies show that it rewards only a small fraction of plaintiffs with legitimate claims and those eventually compensated will have suffered an average of more than four years of litigation.” By streamlining proceedings and lowering the costs of adjudicating a claim, Dr. Peer argues that health courts would help solve these problems.


It's an interesting avenue - I have some hesitations about it, but it might be an avenue worthy of pursuit.

Study backs natural birth after C-section

Study backs natural birth after C-section
Posted 6/29/2006 9:28 PM ET

[To view this article in it's entirity, visit http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2006-06-29-vbac_x.htm]

A study out today could lead to an increase in the number of pregnant women who try for a vaginal birth after a cesarean section, a type of delivery called a VBAC.

The study, published in Obstetrics & Gynecology, involved 17,890 women with a prior C-section who delivered at one of 19 academic U.S. medical centers from 1999 through 2002.

It found that those who'd had multiple C-sections were no more likely to have a uterine tear, or rupture, than those who'd had only one C-section. Ruptures occurred in nine of 975 women with multiple previous C-sections, or 0.9%, and 115 of 16,915 women with just one prior C-section, or 0.7%. Women with multiple C-sections were more likely to need a blood transfusion or a hysterectomy if they tried for a VBAC, but their actual risk was just 3.2% and 0.6% respectively.


My favorite part of this article:
Gary Hankins, chairman of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' obstetrics practice committee, said he expects his group will now revise its VBAC advice for women who've had multiple C-sections.

In 2004, Hankins' committee said that the only women with multiple C-sections who are candidates for a VBAC are those with a prior vaginal delivery. The new study found that having a prior vaginal delivery made no difference.


And I really like this:
"I think the important message from Landon's paper, and from our work, is that VBAC in women with multiple prior C-sections is very reasonable," says George Macones, chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Washington University in St. Louis and author of a study last year that found only a small increased rupture risk in such women.

Monday, January 08, 2007

Early Registration for ICAN Conference, April 2007

ICAN Conference, Syracuse NY
April 20-22
$199 Early Registration

Heads up!!! The Early Bird deadline for conference is
fast approaching! Between now and February 28, you
can register for the low rate of only $199.
This Silver Anniversary Conference will bring
together a wide range of birth professionals, birth
advocates and consumers. It's the first time ICAN has
had an OB on the agenda.

Dr. Mark Landon, author of the first large-scale
American prospective study on VBAC, will be there to
confirm the relative safety of VBAC for most women.
We're applying for CEUs from MEAC and ICEA.
This is a terrific opportunity for birth professionals
to hear the good news about VBAC while
fulfilling professional educational requirements.

If you are a breast feeding advocate or lactation
consultant, you'll want to come hear Diane
Wiessinger's talk "What Would Mammals Do?"

If you are a birth activist, you'll want to hear
Lynn Paltrow from NAPW answer the question "Do
Pregnant Women Have Rights?" She was co-counsel
representing Angela Carder's family in the famous
1987 suit against George Washington University Medical
Center, winning a decision on appeal that held
the hospital was wrong in obtaining a court order to
perform a cesarean against the wishes of Carder (a
cancer patient), her family and the obstetrical
department.

Susun Weed, author of Wise Woman Herbal for the
Childbearing Year, will discuss "After the Cesarean:
Herbal Healing for Mother and Child."

The stellar list of speakers includes: Dr. Marsden
Wagner, Henci Goer, Sharon Storton, Esther Booth Zorn,
Nancy Wainer and many more. ICAN notables
include Kmom, Gretchen Humphries, Raechel Fredrickson,
Shannon Mitchell, Dawn Kubik and Elaine Mills.

Watch your mailbox for the latest edition of the
Clarion. It includes a four-page insert all about our
conference, "25 Years of Discovering ICAN." Or visit
our conference web site at
http://conference.ican-online.org/ .

Save money .... register today!!!

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

ICAN of Buffalo Announces 2007 Prevention Series

Hello everybody, and welcome to the new year!

My resolution for this year is to make ICAN of Buffalo an even bigger success. To do so, one of the first changes you'll see is a greater focus on the Cesarean Prevention aspect of ICAN's mission with a series of topic-driven meetings. I am pleased to announce our first two topics in our series:

February 7th - Our first meeting of the new year will be a discussion entitled "Cesarean Prevention Through Nutrition". We will focus on how nutritional choices can decrease likelihood of preeclampsia, toxemia, gestational diabetes, prematurity and more. Meeting to be held at 10:45am at HomeGrown Baby, 3111 Delaware Avenue in Kenmore. Following will be a meeting for those in need of support for cesarean recovery.

March 7th - ICAN of Buffalo presents "Can Chiropractic Care Prevent a Cesarean?" We are pleased to welcome guest speaker Dr. Jessica D'Amore, Chiropractor from Family Chiropractic in Amherst and CBE/doula. She will be discussing the benefits of prenatal chiropractic care, the Webster technique (for turning breech babies) and other ways spinal health can be beneficial to pregnancy and birth. Meeting to be held at 10:45am at HomeGrown Baby, 3111 Delaware Avenue in Kenmore. Following will be a meeting for those in need of support for cesarean recovery.


Please note, we will still offer time for women who are in need of cesarean recovery and support following each meeting.

Other topics that are planned for the year include: "How to Get Your VBAC Back", "What You Need to Know About Pain Relief in Labor", and our Healing Circle, which was postponed until the new year.

We will also be holding some fund raisers and are looking for your help. We would like to do two "Clothing Swap Nights", one for women's clothing, and one for baby and children's clothing - we are in search of a location, donations of items to be raffled, donations of food items such as h'ors d'oeuvre's [I know I have butchered the spelling there - but it doesn't come up on my spell check!] and beverages, and people to help. The other fund raiser we will be doing will be a Cookie Lee Jewelry party, which will probably be held in February. ICAN of Buffalo really needs your support with these fund raisers in order to keep providing support and education to the community!

Another way you can help support ICAN of Buffalo is by becoming a subscriber to ICAN. $30 for a basic subscription gets you discounts to our bi-annual conference (In SYRACUSE this year! Don't miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! - visit http://conference.ican-online.org for more info) as well as our quarterly newsletter, The Clarion, our newly reworked bi-weekly ICAN E-news, and access to all the latest cesarean updates. When you subscribe to ICAN through the Buffalo chapter, a portion of the dollars stay right here, so please consider subscribing today!

I'm really looking forward to the new year, and excited about our new approach! Hope to see you there!!!!