tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80048082361876695032011-10-21T12:38:44.367-05:00Maternity care in the US is in a crisis. Problem is very few people can see it. As Marsden Wagner says, "Fish can't see water they swim in." This blog is my attempt at shining a light on the dark depths in which we guppies swim.Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01057253043534613278noreply@blogger.comBlogger371100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8004808236187669503.post-30376400270428039702010-04-02T15:42:00.002-05:002010-04-02T15:56:01.402-05:00

My husband, Dan, and I had been preparing for the birth of our first child since before he was conceived. After months of infertility, a miscarriage, and finally a little medical help, our little miracle was finally on his way. Growing up witnessing my mother give birth at home to each of my 4 sisters, I never imagined my own birth occurring in any other setting, barring medical necessity, of

Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01057253043534613278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8004808236187669503.post-71188426550777282672010-04-02T15:37:00.003-05:002010-04-02T15:42:15.435-05:00

so i completely neglected the blog towards the end of my pregnancy...which was probably a good thing. i was cranky. i was not a happy mama. if i had made any entries, they would've been cranky and no fun to read.the crankiness finally gave way to a surprisingly fast and very intense 1-1/2 hour labor and birth. during a snowstorm. i didn't have time to use any of my comfort measures (i had

Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01057253043534613278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8004808236187669503.post-65975808808595452822010-04-02T15:29:00.002-05:002010-04-02T15:34:09.825-05:00

AJ had a GI appointment on December 6. We had waited 3 months for this appointment and I was afraid I would miss it being in labor with Evan. I was just over 38 weeks at this point, but had been in threatened labor since 34 weeks. We left the appointment at 3:30pm and I had my first contraction in the parking lot!We went to eat dinner at my mother-in-law's house that night. We were watching Wheel

Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01057253043534613278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8004808236187669503.post-49056666166310566862010-03-23T11:19:00.002-05:002010-03-23T11:22:58.290-05:00

Landon is my second child and I knew there was a chance of being induced and for an actual medical reason. I get High Blood pressure and I mean high (like 160/100). Once baby pops out, it goes back to normal, amazing I know. So, I find women who WANT to be induced somewhat crazy. Do you know how much harder an induction is on your body and your baby? The baby is more likely to be in

Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01057253043534613278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8004808236187669503.post-89752945362965844252010-03-22T23:33:00.000-05:002010-03-23T11:10:31.260-05:00

I woke up around 7:00 AM on Wednesday, April 8. Leila had just woken up and she wanted me to come snuggle in bed with her. I had a contraction as soon as I got out of bed and went into her room, and I wondered if they would be regular throughout the day. I'd been having irregular contractions, varying in intensity, for two weeks. Soon, Callum was awake and I was busy getting both kids dressed and

Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01057253043534613278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8004808236187669503.post-14231353025757129692010-03-12T12:20:00.000-06:002010-03-12T12:20:57.415-06:00

Too Many Women Dying in U.S. While Having Babies

Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01057253043534613278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8004808236187669503.post-32854667477780538062010-03-10T23:22:00.008-06:002010-03-11T10:25:45.686-06:00

Campbell's birth storyI know I'm forgetting something, so much happened in such a short time!I had been having latent labor/contractions for about a week and was getting very cranky and distracted. On Thursday I finally gave in and called the midwife and asked her to check me/strip my membranes. I was really worried that I was going to have the baby on the day her daughter was graduating, so was

Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01057253043534613278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8004808236187669503.post-58273910578800001222010-01-04T23:20:00.011-06:002010-01-05T11:06:17.867-06:00

I remember you. Your baby was tiny. Beyond that I don't know much. We never spoke and I know you'll never see this, but there is something I've been meaning to apologize to you about.I saw you walk into the lounge that day. I want to say around Jan 23, 2008 but I can't remember which one as they all sort of blur together. You were dabbing your eyes with a tissue and quietly sniffling. I wanted

Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01057253043534613278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8004808236187669503.post-44982697974831137572009-10-27T10:43:00.014-05:002010-02-09T10:04:29.166-06:00

**I know this has been translated before, but I need to get this out of my system. Here's my take on it**Translation:Because the Physicians at Aspen Women's Center feel threatened and offended by any woman deciding to educate herself and do what she feels is best for her family we have put up this sign to make you feel like shit. Silly notions such as informed consent, informed refusal, birth

Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01057253043534613278noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8004808236187669503.post-15559550856751559562009-08-19T23:01:00.003-05:002009-08-20T01:08:29.278-05:00

Before I divulge my reasoning for my natural birth, I would like to take the opportunity to dispel some myths about my motivations. I'm sure these will ring true to some of you out there. Feel free to add any that I forgot. We've all heard them before.There are many reasons why I had a natural birth, however I did not choose it to:Prove I'm stronger than you...Prove I'm a better mother than you.

Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01057253043534613278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8004808236187669503.post-33012739698498851372009-08-09T20:07:00.013-05:002009-10-27T18:11:28.928-05:00

The natural childbirth movement has been growing recently and I am constantly bombarded with questions as to why I would choose such a thing. Now, every woman has different reasons and I'd like to take the time to explain my feelings.First of all, I should define what natural childbirth means to ME. For me, natural(or perhaps more appropriately, normal physiological) childbirth is a birth that

Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01057253043534613278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8004808236187669503.post-33034718804821085862009-07-26T23:40:00.011-05:002010-03-11T00:27:33.400-06:00

My birth story actually began back in June of 2007. That is when I made the choice to allow my OB to give me an elective c-section due to both of my twins still presenting breech at 38 weeks. Little did we know that three days later one of the boys would move head down. Whether or not the other boy would have followed eventually who knows but there is a part of me that will always wish I had

Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01057253043534613278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8004808236187669503.post-1468538308032022502009-07-01T22:35:00.011-05:002009-07-02T10:47:46.584-05:00

Genius! There's a new breastfeeding campaign going on that's aiming to increase breastfeeding rates in America(apparently, we crunchy babywearing extended nursers have failed miserably in our attempts to sway opinions, lol). I do have hope for this and it seems like a brilliant campaign. Their website is cute, full of information, including a section for women who have no desire to breastfeed,

Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01057253043534613278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8004808236187669503.post-27076244634058010892009-06-20T16:18:00.006-05:002009-06-20T17:00:44.642-05:00

OMG can you imagine getting this cake at your shower? PRICELESS. It's so realistic too. That's exactly how I looked during labor. Right down to the red lipstick, silicone breasts, and the landing strip. Oh, and the birth junkie in me wonders if it hurt like a bitch pushing that occiput posterior baby out....

Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01057253043534613278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8004808236187669503.post-37476297008674650972009-06-19T12:58:00.008-05:002009-06-21T23:20:47.642-05:00

Oh my poor neglected blog! Here are a few things I wanted to share:Canada changes its position on automatic c-section for breech: Here's a link from Rixa and an excellent overview of the history behind the recommendations here. Let's hope the we see these changes on our side of the border soon(but I'm not holding my breath).Large study proving safety of homebirth published in the BJOG and here's

Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01057253043534613278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8004808236187669503.post-63762511550885552092009-04-06T22:09:00.001-05:002009-06-19T22:31:24.270-05:00

I ran into an acquaintance at my daughters dance class the other night. We've chatted a few times before and the last time I saw her, she was nine months pregnant with her third daughter. Naturally, as so often happens when two moms get together, talk turned to the topic of her impending birth. I usually try to put out my feelers early into the conversation and really try to listen before

Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01057253043534613278noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8004808236187669503.post-64107539944155887542009-03-19T13:32:00.004-05:002009-06-20T16:43:57.010-05:00

Here's the press release and a direct link to the reportOf note:The preliminary cesarean delivery rate rose 2 percent in 2007, to 31.8 percent of all births, marking the 11th consecutive year of increase and another record high for the United States (Table 8; Figure 3). This rate has climbed by more than 50 percent over the last decade (20.7 percent in 1996). Increases between 2006 and 2007 in

Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01057253043534613278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8004808236187669503.post-72400511428386286502009-03-03T14:06:00.004-06:002009-06-20T18:40:47.419-05:00

ICAN has released a new VBAC policy database. Check it out here You can search by state and then find each hospitals "policies". It's pretty depressing how vbac unfriendly most hospitals are but it's a great resource for those of you wanting a VBAC for your next birth. You can click on each hospital and see word for word the answers the callers received.In a related note, I wanted to call

Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01057253043534613278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8004808236187669503.post-41893223004823540522009-01-29T22:45:00.004-06:002009-06-20T18:39:31.701-05:00

Oh how I love Jennifer Block. In case you didn't know, Jennifer is the author of Pushed which is a must read. While you're reading this article, be sure to stop by her blog here. It's very easy to navigate and chock full of useful info. I particularly like the Start Here section. Accessible, Informative, and Entertaining.Can We Please Stop Blaming Women for C-Sections? | RHRealityCheck.orgPosted

Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01057253043534613278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8004808236187669503.post-24155911870529237452009-01-26T22:37:00.002-06:002009-01-26T22:39:53.626-06:00

"Attending births is like growing roses. You have to marvel at the ones that just open up and bloom at the first kiss of the sun but you wouldn't dream of pulling open the petals of the tightly closed buds and forcing them to blossom to your time line." ~Gloria Lemay

Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01057253043534613278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8004808236187669503.post-17838759450527035322009-01-24T20:26:00.002-06:002009-01-24T21:54:58.714-06:00

Check out this fact-filled video that details the sobering statistics about birth in our country. Sometimes, when I try to explain the situation to people and it doesn't click, I start to doubt myself. I start to doubt that there really is a problem. That maybe I'm exaggerating. Then I watch this and know I'm right. Even if only a handful of people read this little blog, it's worth it. And if

Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01057253043534613278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8004808236187669503.post-66268552408738104832009-01-16T14:47:00.002-06:002009-01-16T14:50:27.217-06:00

"Having a highly trained obstetrical surgeon attend a normal birth is analogous to having a pediatric surgeon babysit a healthy 2-year-old." ~Marsden Wagner, MD

Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01057253043534613278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8004808236187669503.post-75451938038073118582009-01-16T14:05:00.004-06:002009-01-16T14:40:08.593-06:00

Pregnant and Plus-sized? Definitely take the time to check out plus-size-pregnancy.org. Plus size women face many challenges when pregnant, and a lot of them are unnecessary and downright discriminatory. This site provides a WEALTH of information on a variety of topics including: estimating your due date, finding size friendly providers(very important!), the importance of fetal position in labor,

Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01057253043534613278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8004808236187669503.post-28030038533035190292009-01-12T14:55:00.010-06:002010-03-11T00:43:59.861-06:00

Emelia’s Birth Story. VBA2CHOMEI took a nap on the afternoon of the 11th of November almost knowing I would be going into labor that night, I could just feel it. I was almost two weeks overdue. That night I went shopping with my sister and Mother and of course they were asking if anything was happening yet and I said “Not yet” but in my mind I just knew it would start when I got home and started

Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01057253043534613278noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8004808236187669503.post-42056270191251525372009-01-04T00:12:00.003-06:002009-01-07T14:48:01.052-06:00

Happy New Year!Random Thought #1 I'm excited that I got an amazon.com giftcard for Christmas so I can build up my reading library. I have three books on their way to me: Birth as an American Rite of Passage, Heart & Hands: A Midwife's Guide to Pregnancy and Birth, and The complete Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth. I'll be posting my thoughts on them as I read them. I've been impatiently waiting

Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01057253043534613278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8004808236187669503.post-6785722281065200352008-11-28T14:30:00.004-06:002009-01-13T15:34:09.084-06:00

I am in love with this video. Isn't she beautiful? It gives me chills everytime I watch it. From reading the comments on youtube, she had her baby about two hours after this was taped. I've seen people say that there's no way she could do that during active labor but it IS possible. Especially during a homebirth, when you are secure in your surroundings and with your caregivers, it's much easier

Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01057253043534613278noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8004808236187669503.post-89203004677111449762008-10-21T10:14:00.003-05:002008-10-21T10:19:58.828-05:00

Things have been a little crazy around here lately. I've got a part time job now and am still up many times a night with my youngest baby, and I'm having a hard time finding time to blog. So I'm going on a little hiatus until I get some more energy. There will be one more post about a beautiful Blessingway that I went to but that might be it for awhile.

Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01057253043534613278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8004808236187669503.post-84472995824473607312008-09-29T08:55:00.002-05:002009-01-16T14:50:12.534-06:00

We have a secret in our culture, and it's not that birth is painful. It's that women are strong. ~Laura Stavoe Harm

Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01057253043534613278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8004808236187669503.post-44721952209737223402008-09-26T10:45:00.006-05:002009-01-13T15:30:50.360-06:00

I just came upon this homebirth article today and must say I was very pleasantly surprised at how well balanced it is. I was happy to see a full range of experiences, from OB's to midwives to women giving birth unassisted, being portrayed. So, here it is!! Home Made Inside Baltimore's Home-Birth Underground

Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01057253043534613278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8004808236187669503.post-73498762283307867672008-09-23T12:57:00.005-05:002009-01-13T15:29:48.210-06:00

Blatent breastfeeding misinformation. I only caught about ten minutes of this episode but basically what happened was a petite mom gave birth to a 9lb 1oz baby(c-section of course)and here's the wonderful advice her doctor gave her(I am para phrasing):"Well the good news is that you have a big healthy baby. But since you're so small, you will probably not be able to make enough milk for her. My

Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01057253043534613278noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8004808236187669503.post-55389475814951463982008-09-18T22:17:00.037-05:002010-03-11T00:36:42.107-06:00

When we found out we were expecting(on Mothers Day 2007), I was so excited and knew I was going to have a natural childbirth. I started going to prenatals with my OB but after doing a lot of reading and research, I was seriously doubting my chances of having a natural, physiological birth with her. After a lot of hemming and hawing, I decided to switch to a group of midwives. Like a lot of

Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01057253043534613278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8004808236187669503.post-78944576448561924832008-09-18T22:17:00.036-05:002010-03-11T00:34:47.398-06:00

During my pregnancy, I read all of the "standard" birth books, i.e. What to expect when you're expecting, Girlfriends Guide, etc.and took the hospital birthing class so I *thought* I was pretty well educated. I wanted a natural birth, but I only thought that meant no drugs. So, I will write this and try not to be too critical of myself because, for a lot of women, their first birth is where they

Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01057253043534613278noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8004808236187669503.post-15952886889130576052008-09-10T13:42:00.004-05:002008-09-15T08:22:38.927-05:00

My dear friend Brian spoke this nugget of truth on a car ride up to Maine this past summer. We had been discussing birth and out came this statement. I like to tease him, but he really is wise beyond his 26(for the last three birthdays, lol)years. Women have received so much "help" giving birth recently, that we tend to forget that we instinctively know how to do it. I remember thinking prior to

Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01057253043534613278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8004808236187669503.post-12135147343137359112008-09-04T22:44:00.003-05:002008-09-04T23:47:06.468-05:00

Someone recently asked me what I thought was so wrong with maternity care. I was stumped and truly didn't know where to start. It's such a complicated issue, but I think that the root of it all is that nobody seems to know what normal physiological birth is. If people don't know what normal birth is, how can they recognize that the births that are taking place in hospitals across the country are

Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01057253043534613278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8004808236187669503.post-3146320404956241492008-08-17T17:14:00.004-05:002008-09-03T21:13:16.220-05:00

Woo hoo! The Birth Survey has gone national!How did you feel about your birth? Loved it? Hated it? Well here's your chance to tell everyone(anonymously)! I am so super duper excited about this. This survey is for any woman who has given birth in the last three years. This fall, we will be able to see the statistics for each hospital and care provider. It's high time we have a consumer reports for

Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01057253043534613278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8004808236187669503.post-46671797436857997772008-08-06T21:40:00.002-05:002009-01-17T00:41:31.714-06:00

Look Look! It's technology! Now you can pay even less attention to the laboring woman and watch your baby be born on the monitor. You know, like that neat Santa Tracker!!Looks like the Birth Tracker will be entering L&D wards soon. Sigh. There have been plenty of great posts written about this already. I especially enjoyed Hathors comic and Rixa's scathing reviews. Honestly, when is enough enough

Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01057253043534613278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8004808236187669503.post-60080392698742817022008-08-05T22:26:00.000-05:002008-08-05T23:03:10.970-05:00

Birth...I never thought that birth would become such a passion for me. Such a passion in fact, that I had to create a blog just to get my feelings about it written down. Ironically, as I sit here, I am at a loss for words. Didn't I have an entire tirade mapped out in my head? Midwives vs. OB's, episitomies, the skyrocketing c-section rate, birth trauma, homebirths, inductions, amniotomies,

Aliciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01057253043534613278noreply@blogger.com3