What to Expect When You’re Expecting Giveaway

Today we are giving away free “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” books, 4th edition, to 5 lucky people!

As the number one bestselling pregnancy book on the market, What to Expect When You’re Expecting is a great comprehensive book that covers everything from pre-conception, pregnancy month-by-month, diet, complications, labor and delivery, breastfeeding, postpartum, and more!  It literally covers pretty much every topic you can think of related to pregnancy, making it a great reference tool even before you get pregnant.

What I like about the book is that it is pretty balanced in that it offers different approaches to pregnancy, birth, and beyond without being judgmental.  I’ve read a lot of pregnancy books that were definitely bias toward a specific approach, but this one presents the information and lets you decide without slanting the evidence.

Nicknamed “America’s Pregnancy Bible,” the book answers hundreds of pregnancy questions and provides a ton of valuable content for expectant mothers. 

My Review of What to Expect When You’re Expecting:

• The “before you conceive” information.  It has a lot of practical advice that I think a lot of woman overlook when embarking on the journey of motherhood.  A little advance planning can help you make sure your health is in tip-top shape.  For example, the book recommends going to the dentist and taking care of everything in your mouth.  A lot of women forget to do this.  I had to get a filling taken care of while pregnant without the medication…and let me tell you…it wasn’t pleasant!  Do it beforehand, including any X-Rays you may need.  Did you know your dental health could impact the health of your pregnancy? 
• Section on eating well while pregnant.  This is another area of pregnancy that a lot of women tend to ignore, and it is so important not only to your unborn child, but also for your own body.  What to Expect When You’re Expecting gives food recommendations and even tells you about the foods to stay away from.  What I like is that it seems pretty current with the latest information.  For example, it tells you that spicy food poses no risk to your baby, which a lot of people mistakenly believe.  The book breaks it down to the different food groups you should be eating from, how many serving of each you should consume, and gives examples of foods for each category.  It even has information for vegetarians and vegans. 
• The Labor and Delivery Section, where different options are explored, including information about natural birth.  For example, I was happy to see that the book says that laboring on your back isn’t an efficient way to birth a baby, and that routine episiotomies aren’t recommended.  There is information about where to birth, how to birth, what to expect at hospitals, the three phases of labor, and more.  I tend to lean on the natural birth side of the spectrum, and I found this book to give an accurate and fair presentation of information for women on either side of the spectrum.  It’s so important as a pregnant woman to arm yourself with information before you give birth.   
•  Pretty decent breastfeeding section, including a picture tutorial of the different holds (and although I’ve been nursing for 6 mths now, the pictures informed me that I wasn’t holding Butterball correctly in the side-lying hold, which explains why my arm kept going numb…duh!), information about a breastfeeding diet, and even a little blurb about breastfeeding when your baby is in the NICU.  There is a ton of other information related to breastfeeding too…even something on tandem nursing.
• Pregnancy month-by-month.  There is a chapter for every month of pregnancy, including a picture of what the baby would look like, information about the baby’s current development for that month broken down week-by-week, and lots of really relevant information, including: pregnancy exercise, weight gain, what to do with unwanted advice, sex and pregnancy, taking a childbirth class, information for 2^nd time parents, what to expect during monthly check-ups, the baby’s position, what you may be feeling during different stages of your pregnancy, and many more great stuff that pops up throughout pregnancy.  You’re going to have so many moments of “Is this normal?” or “what do I do about that?” that can be answered quickly by the book.  I really view the book as an encyclopedia of sorts for pregnancy. 
• Postpartum up to six weeks.  A comprehensive overview of what to expect 24 hours after delivery, three days after delivery, and after your postpartum check-up .  The information includes issues with postpartum depression, getting back into shape, breastfeeding diet, dealing with the after-birth pain, engorgement, leaking, the first bowel movement (nobody ever told me about this worry until after I gave birth!), recovering from a c-section, bleeding, and more.  This is all of the nitty gritty they don’t show you on TV and the seasoned mamas aren’t telling you until it’s too late!  It’s a great overview of what to expect and how to deal with it. 
• Sections on more specific issues, like alternative medicine, preterm pregnancy, pregnancy with STDs, multiples, complicated pregnancies, coping with pregnancy loss, staying healthy if you have a chronic condition, what to do if you get sick during pregnancy, and even a section on fathers and pregnancy. 

For your pregnancy book collection, What to Expect When You’re Expecting is a wise addition, and something you can refer to even with your subsequent pregnancies.  I plan on using it when we work on our second baby.  You can check out their website here:

Pregnancy Questions Answered

The website offers a day-by-day personalized pregnancy guide, message boards and blogs, your own pregnancy scrapbook, and lots of other online tools. 

5 of you are going to get a copy of the What to Expect When You’re Expecting for FREE.  I’m even going to pay for your shipping!

To enter the free giveaway:

• Leave me a comment for 1 entry into the drawing.  It can be about how far along you are in your pregnancy, how many kids you have…whatever!
• For an extra entry, tell somebody (e-mail, blog, twitter, Facebook, in person, whatever!) about my blog and let me know in a separate comment that you did.
• For an extra entry, add me on Twitter (prepforbaby) and let me know in a separate comment on this post that you have done so.
• For three extra entries, blog about this giveaway or another one of my posts and let me know in three separate comments that you have done so with a link.

I’ll announce the randomly selected winners in a week on July 26, 2010.  Good luck!

**when you leave a comment, you are prompted for an e-mail address.  This is neither made public or shared, but rather for verification purposes.

Getting Pregnant…Again

For those of you contemplating getting pregnant again, either in the near future or down the road, there are a few things to consider before taking the plunge again, primarily as it concerns your health.

According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, it is recommended to wait at least 12 months before getting pregnant again.  This is to allow your body recovery time after your previous pregnancy.  Another reason is that women who become pregnant less than 6 months after giving birth have a 41 percent increased chance of having a preterm birth. 

There is no specific prescribed amount of time you should wait to have baby #2, but the general consensus seems to be that you should wait at least six months after giving birth to get pregnant again, and preferably wait an entire year after giving birth before getting pregnant again.

This information is particularly relevant for us, since we do want to have our children close in age (my husband is older than me, and I’d rather not be changing the kids’ diapers and his!).   However, I want to make sure that my body is healthy and given the proper amount of time to heal.  I also do not want to compromise my breastfeeding relationship with Butterball, or the time I get to spend with him as a tiny baby.  So, we have to see.  Other complicating factors are timing it to work with my work schedule as a teacher.  And I prefer not to give birth during the winter, since we had so many things to worry about this past winter (RSV, flu, etc). 

In the end, it seems to be a decision influenced by personal preference and circumstances (financial, etc).  My own mother had my brother and I 16 months apart.  I can’t see getting pregnant again when Butterball is 7 months old (that’s in 2 more months!).  And yet I know I don’t want the age gap that exists between L.P. and Butterball (about 6.5 years).  I guess in the end I’ll figure it out, as everyone does eventually 🙂 

Resources:

http://pregnancychildbirth.suite101.com/article.cfm/planning_next_pregnancy

http://www.parents.com/pregnancy/considering-baby/another/best-time-to-have-2-or-3-babies/?page=1

Labor Induction

Why Doctors Do It:

• Medical Reasons:  high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, etc.
• You’re overdue.  Up to 42 weeks is considered in the realm of normal.  If your doctor starts talking seriously about induction before your due date, BEWARE!  And prepare yourself to resist the pressure to do so. 
• Spontaneous rupture of the membranes and you’re not progressing.  Doctors fear infections if they let you go 12-24+ hours after your water breaks.
• Infection.
• Developmental problems with the baby.
• Problems with your amniotic fluid:  too much water or too little.
• Problems with your placenta (placental abruption, etc).  Induction cannot be done for placenta previa (c-section is necessary)
• Miscellaneous “stupid” reasons:  wanting the baby out because you’re tired of being pregnant, wanting the baby born on a certain day, making it more convenient for yours or the doctors calendar, etc

Why Induction is Problematic:

The main problem with induction is that in most cases it is done when the body is not ready to deliver the baby, and can often result in a caesarian section. 

You can also risk low heart rate for your baby since the medication given for induction can over-stimulate contractions, reducing your baby’s oxygen levels and consequently lowering their heart rate.

There are valid medical reasons for induction, and not all inductions fail.  But—and this is a big but—do your homework.  Don’t get bamboozled into one just because your doctor thinks it would be easier.  It is always best (except in medical emergencies) to lert your baby and body determine when birth will happen.  Trust your body 🙂

Resources:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/labor-induction/MY00642/DSECTION=risks

http://www.marchofdimes.com/pnhec/240_20202.asp

http://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/inducing-labor

18 Questions to Ask When Preparing for a Natural Hospital Birth

I was planning a homebirth when I was pregnant with Butterball.  We had already shelled out the 4K out of pocket to pay for the midwife.  The birthing center where I had my appointments was beautifully decorated, with scented candles burning and rooms that looked like they came out of a decorating catalogue.  My husband complained that it was oozing with estrogen; I was so excited.

When I went into sudden premature labor and my baby was born two hours later, all of those plans were dashed.  My worst nightmare had happened:  a hospital experience.  I was deathly afraid of hospitals with their needles and ivs and cold-looking hospital beds…but suddenly it was my reality.

As it turned out, I did better than expected in my hospital experience.  I had done my homework for a natural birth at home, so applying that knowledge to the hospital setting worked out great—even in my state of pain and trauma.  I was able to stand up for myself on a few issues, but by and large the hospital wasn’t as scary as I anticipated.

My husband, always the worry wart, does not want to attempt a homebirth for #2.  He assures me that if everything goes well with #2 (meaning, no premature deliveries), that we can have a homebirth for #3.  So, I’m left with the task of preparing (and willing to fight, if necessary) for a natural hospital birth. 

Another issue for a lot of people is the cost of midwives.  Our insurance only covered 60% of the fees, and our midwives required that we pay them upfront.  This was not easy financially, and for a lot of people this isn’t even possible. 

The thing with hospitals is that they do a lot of routine, unnecessary procedures “just in case.”  I don’t want that for my body. 

So, if you’re in the market for a natural hospital birth like I will be, here are some questions to get you started. 

1.        Do you support natural child birth?

Drug-free birth with little to no unnecessary interventions. 

 2.       What is your c-section rate?

I recommend birthing at a place with a c-section rate of less than 20%.  This may be difficult to find.  When Butterball was getting his inguinal hernia surgery, our roommates in the recovery room were being interviewed by a specialist.  I overheard the mother say, “he was born by c-section two weeks early because they didn’t want him to get too big.” ????!!!!!!!  Wow.  So, you want to avoid doctors and hospitals with that mentality. 

 3.       Can I eat and drink while in labor?  If so, what kind of food and drinks?

Staying hydrated and full of energy is essential, especially for a long labor and delivery.  Most women do not get general anesthesia anymore if they get a c-section.  Since the general puts you out, the fear is that a woman may vomit while unconscious and it may get into the lungs and pose a problem.  Most women are awake during the procedure these days, so this worry is outdated and usually not necessary.  It is usually considered safe to have small amounts of water and something to eat that is easily digested. 

 4.       Can I move around?

Moving around is a great way to get labor moving and to allow gravity to help with getting the baby in place. 

 5.       Do I have to labor on my back?  Push lying on my back?

There are many positions to push in, including:  squatting, kneeling, standing and leaning, sitting, and side-lying.  Lying flat on your back can actually stall labor and make it more difficult to push your baby out, possibly leading to more severe tearing. 

 6.       Is there a birthing tub?

My hospital doesn’t have one, but it sure would’ve been cool!  It’s definitely worth asking.

 7.       Can I wear my own clothes?

Hospital clothes can be uncomfortable in the sense that they don’t fit properly.  Check out my post on hospital gowns. 

 8.       Are episiotomies routine?  If so, can I decline?

When I was pushing, I remember the doctor saying, “okay, I’m going to cut you now!”  I shot my head up so fast it wasn’t even funny.  “No!” I said firmly through clenched teeth.  “Don’t cut me.”  The doctor agreed to let me go a few more minutes pushing, and I was able to successfully birth my son…with absolutely no tears.  If I hadn’t said anything, she would have cut me for no reason! 

 9.       What is your policy on going past your due date?  What is the induction policy?

According to the Mayo Clinic, rarely is being overdue due to a problem with the placenta.  In fact, it is perfectly natural and normal for many moms to go past their due date.  It is important to point out that you may have an incorrect due date if you do not know exactly when the baby was conceived.  This could alter things a bit.  At any rate, it is considered safe to wait up to two weeks past your due date (42 weeks).  Do not accept a doctor who is talking mandatory induction before then unless it is for a legitimate health concern. 

 10.   Can I have my baby on my chest for skin-to-skin immediately after delivery?

Bathing the baby can be delayed, so there is no excuse for taking the baby away unless it is a medical emergency (like it was with my son who was born at 29.5 weeks). 

 11.   Can my baby room-in with me? 

You should be able to keep your baby at your side the entire time. 

 12.   Do I have to have an IV?

I would push for being able to hydrate yourself by drinking.  However, if an IV is required for whatever reason (GBS+, dehydration, etc), ask for a heparin-lock that will allow you to be mobile instead of being tied and confined to your bed.

13.   How many people can be in the room with me? 

 14.   How much fetal monitoring is done?  Can I limit the monitoring? 

Internal exams and anything too intrusive are generally unnecessary unless there is something wrong with the baby. 

 15.   Do you allow spontaneous rupture of the membranes (water breaking on its own)?  If so, when do you require I come into the hospital after they have ruptured?

 16.   Do I have to have a catheter?

After I gave birth, the nurse said she was going to insert a catheter.  “Why?” I asked rather incredulously.  “To prevent infection,” she said.  Luckily my busy-body mother was there and piped up, “when I had your brother, they gave me a catheter and I got the worst infection of my life and it took me forever to get off the catheter! Don’t accept it!”  I wasn’t going to anyway, but that validated my thoughts.  I didn’t get it, I didn’t have an infection, and all was well.  It’s okay to say no to the unnecessary. 

 17.   Can we wait until the umbilical cords stops pulsing to cut it?

http://www.empoweredchildbirth.com/articles/birth/noclamp.html

 18.   Can I deliver my placenta naturally?

http://www.homebirth.org.uk/thirdstage.htm

I actually did not, and I didn’t mind the experience, so it is up to you.

***

Interview doctors until you find one that is satisfactory to your overall birthing plans.  It may also help to get referrals from other moms who have birthed with a doctor and/or at a particular hospital.  Some hospitals have reputations for being intervention-happy, while others do not. 

Also, it’s a great idea to make sure you have an advocate in the room with you, like your husband.  For me, I’m very opinionated and able to stand up for myself, so I called all the shots with my delivery.  But I know a lot of women who aren’t able to do that, and that’s okay.  Pick somebody who can do it for you. 

As always, use your best judgment, research the issues, and listen to the expertise of the professionals.  Keep your eyes open and take their advice with a grain a salt; however, they are the trained experts, so in case of emergency even your best laid plans may not pan out. 

Resources:

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/1/t010900.asp

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/overdue-pregnancy/PR00116

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/inducing-labor/pr00117

10 Pieces of Advice for Going to the Dentist Before, During, and After Pregnancy

1.   Go! 

Dental care while pregnant (and after) is very important.  In fact, gum disease can affect the health of your baby.  Studies suggest that it can even lead to preterm labor.  So, definitely make sure you keep up with your regular cleanings and check-ups. 

2.       Tell your dentist you are pregnant. 

This will allow the dentist to plan your care accordingly in terms of medication and whether or not x-rays are necessary. 

3.       Make an appointment before you get pregnant, if possible.

Definitely try to get anything major done before you get pregnant.  If you can get any fillings or other procedures out of the way, you will eliminate a lot of worry and problems during pregnancy, when you are not as able to undergo these procedures.

4.       Avoid  X-rays while pregnant. 

This is especially true for the first trimester.

5.       Go to dental cleanings and check-ups even if you are pregnant.

6.       Post-baby check-up and cleaning. 

For me, this was hard because I didn’t want to be separated from my newborn and I was busy in the throes of motherhood.  What I did was arrange for my husband to meet me there.  I fed the baby before the appointment and he took him for a walk while I got my teeth checked and cleaned.  Easy! 

 A lot of women experience tooth decay and gum inflammation during pregnancy, so you definitely want this taken care of. 

7.       Save all unnecessary dental procedures for after the pregnancy.

8.       Most dental procedures and medication are compatible with breastfeeding.  Always check with your doctor, though.  I was surprised to discover this…so don’t let breastfeeding dissuade you from taking care of your teeth. 

9.       If you must have a dental procedure done, go after the first trimester.  The first trimester is the most important in terms of development, and when your baby is most susceptible to the things you put into your body.

10.   Brush and floss regularly.  If you are having morning sickness and it is interfering with your brushing, try to find a bland toothpaste to use to avoid the gagging.   

Resources:

http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/dental-care-pregnancy

http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/dentalwork.html

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/dental-health-during-pregnancy/MY00719

http://www.kellymom.com/health/illness/dentalwork.html

http://www.mother-2-mother.com/mh1.htm#Dental

Prenatal Vitamin Recommendation: Prenatal One Multivitamin

Rainbow Light Just Once Prenatal One Multivitamin Tablets, 90-Count Bottle  

$31.95  $13.31 (58% savings!)

I still take these prenatal pills since I’m breastfeeding.  I have had a great experience with Rainbow Light Just Once Prenatals.  They were recommended to me by my midwife and I have not regretted it one bit.  This is a great deal!

I recommend taking them after a meal (especially when you are pregnant).

The Business of Being Born

Whether you have a hospital birth, birthing center birth, or a home birth, this documentary is EXTREMELY enlightening.  I think it’s super important to go into birth educated and empowered about your chances, and also empowered about your body.  My husband, who is rather squeamish about the whole birthing process, also enjoyed watching this movie.  Really, it’s about time women take their health into their hands and realize that birth is a natural process.  Highly, highly recommend it.  Let me know what you think!

Check it out:

The Business of Being Born

I’m going to start posting a lot of information about the birthing process.  I know people have different opinions and I respect that.  I do not, however respect people who do not make an effort to learn about their birth options.  To really dig in deep and do the research beyond what is presented to you on the surface.  If you do that, then I fully respect your decision to have a hospital birth or a natural birth.  It is, after all, a free country.

But whether or not you choose to go natural vs. hospital, I wanted to present you with some information I stumbled upon today.  The article explores the issue of pitocin and how it is administered to pregnant women in labor. 

To make a long story short, it seems there is a trend of doctors giving “pit to distress” orders.  What this means is that they actually order lots of pitocin for a patient with the intent to delay/slow labor, giving them leverage to convince the expectant mother that her baby is in distress and an emergency c-section is necessary. 

Their motives are usually simple:  convenience.  Maybe they have dinner plans.  Maybe your labor is taking too long.  Whatever the reason, this tactic has no place in the delivery room.  It is not in the best interest of moms and their babies. 

Here is the source of the article:  http://www.unnecesarean.com/blog/2009/7/6/pit-to-distress-your-ticket-to-an-emergency-cesarean.html

 

“Pit to Distress”: Your Ticket to an “Emergency” Cesarean?

Monday, July 6, 2009 at 9:43PM

 

Jill from Keyboard Revolutionary wrote about a new term that she recently came across— “Pit to distress.”

“Pit to distress.” How have I not heard about this? Apparently it’s quite en vogue in many hospitals these days. Googling the term brings up a number of pages discussing the practice, which entails administering the highest possible dosage of Pitocin in order to deliberately distress the fetus, so a C-section can be performed.

 

Yes folks, you read that right. All that Pit is not to coerce mom’s body into birthing ASAP so they can turn that moneymaking bed over, but to purposefully squeeze all the oxygen out of her baby so they can put on a concerned face and say, “Oh dear, looks like we’re heading to the OR!”

 

The term is found in this 2006 article in this Wall Street Journal article:

 

Oxytocin is a hormone released during labor that causes contractions of the uterus. The most common brand name is Pitocin, which is a synthetic version. It’s often used to speed or jump-start labor, but if the contractions become too strong and frequent, the uterus becomes “hyperstimulated,” which may cause tearing and slow the supply of blood and oxygen to the fetus. Though there are no precise statistics on its use, IHI says reviews of medical-malpractice claims show oxytocin is involved in more than 50 percent of situations leading to birth trauma.

 

“Pitocin is used like candy in the OB world, and that’s one of the reasons for medical and legal risk,” says Carla Provost, assistant vice president at Baystate, who notes that in many hospitals it is common practice to “pit to distress” — or use the maximum dose of Pitocin to stimulate contractions.

 

 

It’s also used on this AllNurses forum:

I agree, and call aggressive pit protocols the “pit to distress, then cut” routine. Docs who have high c/s rates and like doing them, are the same ones that like the rapid fire knock em down/drag em out pit routines.

 

 

“Pit to distress” appears on page 182 of the textbook Labor and Delivery Nursing by Michelle Murray and Gayle Huelsmann. In this example, the onus is on the nurse to defend the patient from the doctor if he or she sees the order “pit to distress” by immediately notifying the supervisor or charge nurse.

 

  

 

Jill asks the questions, “OBs, do you still think women are choosing not to birth at your hospitals because Ricki Lake said homebirths are cool? Do you still think we are only out for a “good experience?”

 

I imagine that all of us who have openly questioned the practices of obstetricians in the U.S. have been hit with the same backlash. We must be selfish, irrational and motivated by our own personal satisfaction. We’ve been indoctrinated into a subculture of natural birth zealots and want to force pain on other women or just feel mighty and superior. We fetishize vaginal birth and attach magical powers to a so-called natural entrance to the world.

 

Nah. It’s stuff like “pit to distress” that made me run for the nearest freestanding birth center. If I had to do it all over again, I’d stay home.

 

 

 

Have you heard this term before? What is your experience with “Pit to distress?”

 

 

Before you comment here, please go applaud Jill from Keyboard Revolutionary for blogging about this term and enjoy her brilliant and honest commentary.

 

 

       Share on Facebook

Update on Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at 4:35AM by Jill–Unnecesarean

More discussion of “Pit to distress” on the Internet:

The then labor and delivery nurse who blogs at At Your Cervix wrote this in April of 2007:

I see the wide use of cytotec (misoprostil) for inductions. I see what it does to a woman’s uterus and to her baby. Not to mention – it’s not FDA approved for use as a labor induction agent in pregnant women! I see many, many women being induced with a “hospital made” form of prostaglandin gel to induce labor. I also see a HUGE number of pitocin inductions/augmentations, where pitocin is titrated at such high doses, so quickly, that it’s like we’re trying to blow the baby out of the woman’s uterus.

Many of the obsetricians that I work with are eager to “get her delivered” as quickly as possible. There is also the “pit to distress” or “make the baby prove itself” – in other words, keep cranking that pitocin up until the baby crumps into fetal distress and the obstetrician does a stat c-section —- all so the doctor can be done, and get out of the hospital. Why wait 12-14 hours for a natural labor, when you can be done in less than an hour?

Our induction rates are through the roof. The nurses are rarely told the unit statistics, and when we are given them, they seem grossly understated. The L&D nurses know how many patients are induced or augmented, day after day, because we are the ones there, admitting the patient, and running their pitocin. We see them in massive amounts of pain from what is a very unnatural process designed to speed up the labor process, thus leading to increased epidural rates due to the higher levels of pain from synthetic oxytocin versus natural oxytocin.

 

The term was discussed in this Alexian Brothers Medical Center Employee Newsletter

Back in 2006, our tradition, like most maternity units, was to induce mothers when the fetus reached term gestation which was 37-40 weeks gestation. The medication, oxytocin (Pitocin), was administered to high dose levels to affect delivery. At times, the over-zealous use of oxytocin led to uterine hyperstimulation (terminology changed in September, 2008 to tachysystole), where the contractions were occurring too close together to allow the fetus sufficient time to recover before the next contraction would begin. The notion of “Pit to distress” was commonplace back then.

 

It was mentioned in this Mothering message board thread about Cytotec:

With a reactive baby (either by NST or auscultation) 25 mcg cytotec can be placed in the back of the vagina for cervical ripening 24 hrs prior to hospital induction and the mom sent home to wait, after observing her and baby for an hour. The vast majority (like 90%) will go into spontaneous labor before coming in for their “scheduled” induction. My biggest problem with cytotec is that we just hit moms with it over and over again, and then , surprise, when it does kick in, there’s too much on board, sorta like “pit to distress”.

 

Pit to distress was mentioned in the comments of the post My Rant on Pitocin on Knitted in the Womb after the blog’s author, a former chemist and doula, was scolded by an anonymous OB nurse for not understanding the difference between microunits and milliliters when it came to dosing Pitocin.

I’m a trained chemist. I hold a bachelors degree in biochemistry, did some course work towards a masters in chemistry, and worked for 6 years in an R&D lab in the specialty chemicals industry. I probably know WAY more about different units of measure than you do. I used “microunits” and “milliliters” in my discussion appropriately.

I’m not sure why I have to resuscitate a newborn to have “been there,” but since it seems to be very important to you, I’ll talk about it. 90% of the time labor should go just fine, with no need for resuscitation—this according to the World Health Organization. Of the other 10%, not all of them would require newborn resuscitation. If you’ve found that a large percentage of the births you’ve been at have required resuscitation, perhaps you should look at the medical interventions that might be causing that. From my end, the only clients I’ve had who had babies who required resuscitation were cases where there had been “Pit to distress.”

 

 

 

The news just broke yesterday of the largest jury award for a medical malpractice case in Ohio history. Miami Valley Hospital was found liable for $31 million in damages, but the parties agreed to settle, according to this Dayton Daily News blog post.

VBAC is safe. VBAC with induction is not, let alone VBAC with Pit to distress.

The lawsuit also identified Dr. Kedrin E. Van Steenwyk and Contemporary Obstetrics and Gynecology as defendants, but the jury found that neither was liable for what happened to the boy.

The boy’s mother, Renetha, was a VBAC patient, meaning she would deliver the boy vaginally, though she had previously had a Caesarian section. That meant she was at a higher risk for a ruptured uterus during labor, which occurred, Lawrence said.

At that point, the mother’s body stopped providing oxygen through the placenta, though the boy was still inside her. He probably went 18 to 20 minutes without oxygen, Lawrence said.

The hospital staff, which knew Renetha Stanziano was a high-risk patient, erred by failing to monitor the labor properly, by failing to diagnosis the hyper-stimulation of her uterus, by inappropriately using the drug Pitocin and by not telling the attending physician of her “inappropriate contraction pattern,” according to the complaint.

The nurses continued to give her Pitocin, even as her contractions escalated to unsafe levels, and “they blew the uterus apart,” Lawrence said.

The boy, called “Leo,” has severe cerebral palsey [sic]. He uses a feeding tube. He cannot speak, is not ambulatory and has trouble holding anything in his hands,” Lawrence said. Though Leo is badly disabled, he is alert and can recognize family members. When he needs something, he communicates by kicking, Lawrence said.

Leo will never be able to work, and Renetha and her husband Douglas are now “24-7 health-care givers,” Lawrence said. After Leo’s birth, Renetha stopped attending college and quit her job at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base to take care of the boy, Lawrence said.

 Source:  http://www.unnecesarean.com/blog/2009/7/6/pit-to-distress-your-ticket-to-an-emergency-cesarean.html

 

Pregnant Woman’s Survival Kit

#1:  A good belly band.

 

Ingrid & Isabel Women’s Maternity Everyday BellaBand

 Ingrid & Isabel Women’s Maternity Everyday BellaBand

 It comes in many different colors and can help you extend the life of your regular clothes.  They help you save money and offer support…definitely good value. 

 

 

 

 

#2:  A Good Water Bottle

 

CamelBak BPA-Free Better Bottle with Classic Cap

CamelBak BPA-Free Better Bottle with Classic Cap,Grey,1 Liter

 

You should definitely keep yourself hydrated throughout your pregnancy (and beyond).  Having a reusable water bottle is not only environmentally-friendly, but also pretty cost-effective.  If you keep it wherever you are, it will incease your chances of remembering to drink. 

 

 

#3:  Good baby books

From the Hips: A Comprehensive, Open-Minded, Uncensored, Totally Honest Guide to Pregnancy, Birth, and Becoming a Parent

From the Hips: A Comprehensive, Open-Minded, Uncensored, Totally Honest Guide to Pregnancy, Birth, and Becoming a Parent

 I definitely recommend this one as a great introduction to pregnancy and beyond.  It’s pretty neutral, showing different perspectives.  For example, it presents the pros and cons for both breastfeeding and formula-feeding in a very non-biased way.  It’s also an easy, fun read. 

 

 

The Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby from Birth to Age Two (Revised and Updated Edition)

The Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby from Birth to Age Two (Revised and Updated Edition)

 A much more thorough approach to parenting.  Dr. Sears will cover all the bases and give you the information you need before your little one comes into this world. 

 

 

 

#4:  Body Pillow

 

Leachco Snoogle Total Body Pillow

Leachco Snoogle Total Body Pillow

 Being pregnant often means being uncomfortable.  Having one of these pillows is great to sleep with or simply use to relax.  It could make your sleepless nights much more bearable. 

 

 

 

 

#5:  Journaling

 

Maternity, My Pregnancy Journal – Yellow Hard Cover (prompts on every page, recycled paper, read more…)

Maternity, My Pregnancy Journal – Yellow Hard Cover (prompts on every page, recycled paper, read more…)

 Journaling your pregnancy is an invaluable thing you can give yourself.  Years later you will look back and see exactly what was happening to your body and life.  Even better, if you plan on having another baby it will be awesome to look back and see what was happening and compare notes. 

 

#6:  A Good Planner

 

2009 Inspirational Daily Planner (Floral Pattern) (Everyday Wisdom) (Hardcover)

2009 Inspirational Daily Planner (Floral Pattern) (Everyday Wisdom)

 Pregnancy brain can be a killer.  Having a planner will help you get organized and remember all of your appointments and important dates.  You’ll especially appreciate the organization once your baby is here. 

 

 

 

#7:  Cocoa Butter

 

Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Massage Lotion for Stretch Marks 10.6 Oz

Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Massage Lotion for Stretch Marks 10.6 Oz

Are you scared of stretch marks?  Me too!!!  That’s why taking proactive measures never killed anyone.  Slather some cocoa butter on your body everyday and help your body adjust stretch mark-free as much as possible.