I manage a country homestead and the lives of my 4 babies ages 10,8,5 and 3. I LOVE TO RUN and NEED to keep healthy and fit for my SANITY!! Seriously....All problems are solved when I am running.

Making MY health a priority allows me to be the mother and wife that I need to be for them.

Friday, September 18, 2009

More Ranting...because it is better than counting contractions.

Had the biophysical ultrasound today. All is well with baby. At this point they do ultrasounds twice a week to make sure there is enough fluid around the baby, there is a heart rate, there is movement and the baby is making breathing motions. Nearing 42 weeks the chance of stillbirth increases so they like to make sure all is well. Fine with me. Just another chance to see my little monkey before holding her in my arms.

I had discussed with my midwife last night what my options are for the induction. Whether or not I would like another stretch and sweep, whether or not I would want to go to the hospital the night before for the cervical gel, or whether or not I would wait until Wednesday morning.

She knows that I'm pretty leary about doing anything unnatural to induce this labor because of my own impatience or desire to have this baby.

So today she called me to let me know of a few other options she was thinking about. This included using a breast pump (nipple stimulation..kinda weird), homeopathics and finally a castor oil cocktail.

Regardless of what I decide and don't decide I love that I was able to have these conversations over the phone. I love that she cares enough about me and has got to know me so well that she knows my needs and fears. THAT kind of care is something I have NEVER received from any doctor in any type of practice and don't expect to see. Wouldn't it be nice if psychiatrists phoned you at home and asked how you were doing instead of not giving a hoot that you just stopped coming???

What I want to know is...Why don't all the books on pregnancy and birth include the stuff that works? The cocktails and tried true and tested stuff? Like putting menstrual pads in the freezer to help ease discomfort after birth? Or herbal sitz bath recipes that help to heal? Or the lanolin cream idea that helps heal sore cracking nipples?
I was looking through all my free books and pamphlets and old health Canada guide stuff that was given to me at the doctors office and hospital when I delivered my first. Why is none of THAT stuff in there???? Enough about Kegel exercises and how to get my stomach back in tone (can you tell it was written by a man??) ....I want to know what to put in my bath to help heal the tearing!!!!

It makes me sad that this information is out there but we women are deprived of the knowledge. We go into labor thinking that if we breathe correctly it won't hurt as much. We are not told that if we squat to give birth that our pelvis opens another 28%!!!! Are you serious?

Why can't the doctors just say to us that LABOR f...ing hurts BUT WE CAN DO IT!!!!!! Instead all we get is don't gain too much weight, your uterus is measuring normally, and I'll see you in the end when you are ready to push.

O.K so I'm sure SOME of you out there had/have great doctors. Maybe even a few have lucked out and had a female one that GETS IT!! But in general, I would love to write the book, 'DON'T GO THROUGH PREGNANCY AND LABOR WITHOUT ME' It would be chalk full of all the information needed to survive this amazing adventure and come out strong. It would be written by women FOR women. It would be the advice that our grandmothers and mothers never had the chance to give us because they were deprived of the information themselves....and you would not have to go to Chapters to find it. It would be ready handy in the doctors office and health clinics all over Canada.

Because after all...we are growing human beings in our bellies and deserve it.

Rah Rah....

O.K I'm finished. Now I need to run upstairs to try to get my kids to actually listen to me, stop playing around and go to bed...Anyone know of a good book to help with that ??? ;)

7 comments:

Carey said...

I think you should write a book. Women would probably be less stressed/scared if they know all this stuff the works...heres another: if your not nursing..cabbage leaves in your bra helps dry up your milk and make you not as sore..really does work.
Anyway. glad everything is going well with the baby. Hang in there..its all in Gods timing. Praying for you.

Stacey said...

You should totally write that book! Maybe you could do a poll on twitter, your blog, and facebook, asking moms what advice they found the most helpful. It might be something to think about while you wait for that sweet baby to come :)

Anonymous said...

some of the things you mention are considered "wives tales" and as such are discarded in today's society. Too bad

Anita said...

Amen sista ;)

Erin said...

no kidding!
i didn't find out about the frozen pad until baby #3. what an ingenious invention!

Nancy said...

Oh yes! Oh yes! Oh yes!

We SO need info like what you mention, in book(lets) which would be available to all women and would NOT be written by men.

Unfortunately, the lack of info re our bodies and their function doesn't end there. Those of us who have had to have baby nests (read, uteruses) removed, are given a next-to-useless booklet (written by a man) that tells us we will be fine if we do lots of kegels and avoid lifting 10-lb. bags of potatoes for a few weeks!

I need more info! I want more info! And it's not there. . . .

I'm just thankful that I had a woman surgeon. . .

Nancy said...

P.S. Loved your remark about psychiatrists!