Alternative Remedy?

Well, I don’t know if it is necessarily an alternative, but the following abstract (linked) suggests that manually stripping the breast/s of pus (mastitis) is helpful in preventing abscess. Actually, to quote it says:

…manual stripping of pus from the infected breasts of lactating women appears to be effective in preventing breast abscesses.

As a breastfeeding supporter and soon to be breastfeeding again (I’m due November 25th, 2009), I think this is a good tidbit to know. As a dairy farmer’s daughter, I can also tell you that this method is used for the cows too; in efforts to keep antibiotic use down in the herd as well (antibiotics in the milk mean the milk should not go in the tank for sale, which means the farmer looses precious income).
Manual stripping isn’t really easy, but when it comes to the health of me and my baby, I’ll do it.

• I find it helpful to find a quiet, private place to be for a length of time because sometimes it’s hard to get started. The let down (getting the milk to come out) can be very different manually than it is when your baby is requiring it from you.
• Relax as best you can, and if necessary, find humor in the situation rather than embarrassment. It is a helpful and necessary remedy, no reason for embarrassment at all actually. (I’ll admit though, I have gotten a touch pink before; like the first time my hubby walked in and had a surprised expression on his face. )

Other helpful tidbits

The bottom of the 18th page of this PDF excerpt discusses mastitis causes and management.
They wisely suggest
• warm compress to help stimulate let down,
• soothing showers, and
• gentle massage as well.

These things can help if you are having a hard time with manually stripping pus out.

Later in the same section, they also discuss the use of antibiotics, and it seems my opinion does not stand alone. (That is because I do my research folks. It pays to do good research, really.)

Now, because I like what I have read in the excerpted chapter linked above, I’m going to go look for the remainder of that book. If anyone has it or knows what it is, please let me know in case I don’t find it. As you know, I love a good resource.

Keep on learning.
*Sheilah*

Well, it’s really something I just learned more about today. The technology has been around for a few years I believe, but I was just talking with the folks at Delhi Women’s Medical Services today and they were explaining the new

3D/4D machine

to me.

This is an awesome piece of technology. One of the doctor’s favorite things to do with it is ultrasound for prenatal patients. He has plans to be certified for nuchal translucency scans by the end of the year. That means that he will be able to use the 3-D/4-D machine to do a very detailed ultrasound and he will be able to scan for possible abnormalities, without doing invasive testing such as amniocentesis (where a large needle is inserted into the amniotic sac to extract fluid for screening).

Nuchal translucency thickness is found in the neck of the fetus. By measuring this, the possibility of Down Syndrome (also known as trisomy 21) can often be detected. So far as I can find in a quick search for you, this screening is usually done between 11 and 13 weeks of gestation (pregnancy).

For more information, check out this research in

The Green Journal

. The researching doctors explain that

increased nuchal translucency thickness is the most important ultrasonographic marker of trisomy 21.

If you have any further questions, ask away and I’ll see what else I can find for you. What cool technology and I’m so excited that it’s available in our little ole rural area here!

Be well and Birth well.
Sheilah

Preventative measures:

The best things is to ensure you never have back pain in the first place. When you are pregnant and/or nursing, back pain is common, but if your back and stomach muscles are in shape beforehand, your chances of suffering may be greatly reduced.

• One very simple and light exercise to do is sometimes referred to as the “cat stretch.” It is where you get on your hands and knees with your back level. Arch your back up like a cat would, hold it for a count of 8 or 10. Then you can let it relax for a few seconds, gently flex the other way, and repeat the procedure again. All the while though, focus on your stomach muscles and holding them in tight, sucking in your gut and all the stomach muscles you possibly can. Start out with just a couple of reps, and work up until you are satisfied.
• Having a strong stomach helps you to have a strong back.
• Unless otherwise instructed by your physician, this exercise should be safe for you to do pre-pregnancy, prenatal, and postnatal. I will warn you though that just after you’ve had your baby will most likely hurt so you’ll probably want to take at least a few days off before resuming, and then work back into it slowly. Also seek your physician’s advice if you had a cesarean section.

Preparation:

Even perfectly fit people may suffer from nursing and back pain if they are ill-prepared so here is a suggestion to help you prepare: Pillows! Have several, anyway.
• I love my Boppy Pillow, and I’ve been able to use it for more than just breast feeding. I recommend getting covers for it too. When you use it a lot, it can get kind of grubby.
• Sometimes little throw pillows come in handy to stuff under one side of the Boppy (the side you are nursing on). The main idea here is to prop the baby up adequately so that you are not slouching to meet the baby. You may have to try a few combinations before you find what works best for you, but it will help save your back, so do it. I like to have my knees up a little too.

Alleviation:

• Always have adequate support for your back, even if you must stuff pillows behind you. Don’t be lazy and slouch, that will only make matters worse.
• Heat may be comforting to you, preferably from a heat pack and not an electric source. I like to use a rice bag (a cloth bag filled with rice and heated up in the microwave for a few minutes).
• Massage is almost always good. I can only think of one instance that it might not be, and that is if something is broken. Massage helps to release and relieve tension, it increases circulation which in turn promotes healing, and it just feels good.

Live well, feel well, and be well.
Sheilah

Among other things, pregnancy hormone fluctuations can increase your risk of gum disease. This is why it is important to take very good care of your teeth during your pregnancy and have regular dental visits to ensure that your teeth are as strong and healthy as they can be.

Additionally, cravings to sugary things or morning sickness can also wreck havoc on otherwise healthy teeth and contribute to tooth decay.

You know that a good diet is important to you health as well as your baby’s, and now you know that the health of you teeth is as well. Remember that your body is carrying your baby, so it is best for both you and your baby that everything about your body is in tip-top shape, including your gums and teeth.

For a more extensive guide to oral hygiene for you and your baby, there are a number of sites. Regular dental care is always important, but even more so when you are expecting a baby. The Oral-B site has a downloadable free guide specifically related to pregnancy. Here is the link: Oral-B Pregnancy guide to oral health. That will help give you a good start to ensure healthy teeth and gums during your pregnancy.

Eat well, consider your dentist a necessary physician, smile lots, and have a beautiful baby.
-Sheilah

I’m a bit embarrassed to say that I have only recently begun to really know my entire cycle. I owe it in part to a small little “Q & A” blurb I read in Cosmopolitan (March 2008, p. 238). It talked about how you know when you are ovulating. Such information can be useful if you are trying to conceive or to help prevent conception, and it’s so simple.

What tipped me off was this thing that Cosmo called mittelschmerz. I felt a little twinge in my abdomen, so I made a note of it on my calendar. Then I started making note of other things that were cycle related, a lower back ache, abdominal cramping, menstruation, discharge changes, etc. Lo-and-behold, the twinge I felt fell about midway in my total cycle. I am still amazed by it. There really is a time frame for each little phase of a woman’s cycle. Understanding and knowing the time line of yourmenstrual cycle allows you to know what to expect and also not be alarmed when you are feeling a particular way in correspondence with each phase of your cycle.

So I want to continue to keep track of this. I just think it’s neat. I imagine that this would be an easy way for me toconceiveagain. Not that I want to though. Five kids is quite enough for me, AND my husband.

Of course, it’s nothing to rely on forbirth control, but in combination with other forms, it is useful to know and could possibly be helpful in preventing unwanted pregnancies. Remember though that when it comes to not getting pregnant, your parents are right, “No sex is the safest sex.” If you want to know why, I can tell you, but that is a story for another time.

In the mean time, do you know the stages of your menstrual cycle? Should I go over them here? Feel free to comment, leave suggestions, etc. I’d love to hear from you.

Take care,
Sheilah

I drive by a huge billboard every week reminding people about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome which tells me that there are still people who apparently aren’t aware of the negative affects alcohol can have on a developing fetus. So in efforts to encourage pregnant women to stay “dry” and not drink alcohol, I asked a dear friend to share a little bit with us about what she recently learned.

We were having a conversation about her schooling and she was telling me about how she can easily recognize FAS (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome) and FAE (Fetal Alcohol Effects) now. I totally understood what she was talking about because I have seen it too. So here is what she has to share with us, I present to you, Julie Clemmer:

I’m currently a returning student working towards my degree in nursing and recently learned about something called fetal alcohol syndrome and fetal alcohol effects.

What’s the difference?

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is the results of alcohol on an unborn baby. It includes mental retardation, impairments to memory, language, attention, and motor coordination. There are physical abnormalities as well that makes these children stand out even into adulthood. Some of these abnormalities include short eyelid openings, eyes spaced far from each other, turned up nose, thin upper lip, and smaller head. There can also be noted defects in the ears, throat, heart, genitals, urinary tract, and immune system. The severity of the defects varies according the amount of alcohol consumed by the mother, and the time of pregnancy in which the baby was exposed.

But that’s just for pregnant mothers who abuse alcohol during pregnancy right?

Wrong!

Fetal alcohol effects (FAE) can display some of these same defects and abnormalities. Children born with FAE had mothers who still drank but drank less. This surprised me because even with this knowledge the doctors have today, I still hear of pregnant women who are told to drink a glass of wine every day to prevent premature labor. A glass of alcohol every day…so where does that leave the unborn child? With Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or Fetal Alcohol Effects? Both are damaging, both leave long term, life long damage to your child so why take the chance?

Additional Research

There is also research being done and it is believed that alcohol consumption of the father around the time of conception could actually alter gene expression and offer contribution to babies born with low birth weight, overactivity, heart defects, and other birth defects.

After learning about FAS and FAE, I began noticing people around me, babies, children, teens, and adults. I didn’t go out looking for them but there they were, with those exact physical characteristics. Of course I had pictures to study when I learned about this subject so I recommend doing a web search for yourselves.

I encourage readers to be responsible in planning your family and take this information into consideration. The decisions you make today could effect your child for the rest of their life and yours. It’s my opinion that there are no safe levels of alcohol when you are pregnant. And as the old saying goes, “when in doubt…don’t”.

I’d say that is very sound advice Julie, and thank you very much for sharing your learning experience with us. For additional information regarding Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and/or Fetal Alcohol Effects check out: Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: Canadian guidelines for diagnosis

It’s only nine months for the rest of your baby’s life. If you need help to not drink alcohol, ask. It is well worth the effort to not have and alcohol while pregnant.

Take care and be well.
Sheilah

Mysterious blue bottle with bowel-soothing remedy.

I know it can be embarrassing, but it is a fact of life for many people and something that is quite common during pregnancy too. Constipation, you know, that awful feeling of needing to … poop, and not being able to for some reason. So what do you do about it?

What to do:

There are a few things to try.
• First off though, don’t get stressed out or worked up about it. That will only make things worse.
• Secondly, get to the root of the problem before treating the symptom. This is very important for any illness because you may only cause more problems if you aren’t treating the source of the problem.
  What have you eaten? What are you drinking? Are you stressed about something? Have your bathroom habits been regular or interrupted? Is there any pain associated? The answers to the questions can slowly help you rule out reasons for the problem.

Remedies:

Now it is time for the third step of what to do, remedy the source.
• Something that can only help is WATER, WATER, and more WATER. Perhaps you’ve only recently gotten pregnant or maybe you are close to you due date, either way, you may be tired of having to pee all the time, but TO BAD. For your own sake and your baby’s, water if a life line, and I don’t mean the flavored stuff either. The purest most natural water you can get. Your body needs to be well hydrated at any time, and even more so when you are pregnant.
• Next, I know I have said it before in relation to other things, examine your diet. A balanced diet is your best bet to a balanced body. If you are feeling bound up though, you might want to increase your intake of natural fiber by eating more fruits, vegetables, whole-grain foods, and bran.
• Lastly, I suggest to you to relax. Take some time someplace quiet, even if all you can get is two minutes on the toilet, take some time alone to close your eyes, breath deeply and slowly, and relax your entire body as much as you can. This is good practice for childbirth anyway.

Still?

If you are still having problems after a few days, everything that I have heard or read says you should consult your physician.

Avoid taking laxatives unless you and your physician agree together that it would be best. Reliance on laxatives can sometimes actually cause constipation.

As gruesome as it may be, it’s important to tell your physician all the details associated with the problem, so don’t hold back. They don’t know your body as well as you do so they are relying on what you tell them to help you the best they can.

Now go kick that constipation, in the butt!
-Sheilah

I know, my last post was quite awhile from the one before it, and I apologize. Since having my latest baby, who turned two months old the same day her older sister turned two a few weeks ago, I’ve been working on a surprise for the world so to speak. My surprise is slow going, so I have no clue when I’ll have it ready, but you folks here will be the first to know when it’s getting close.

Also, I’ve decided to go back to school. I need to get “in” if I’m going to fix any of the things I want to fix and help out with. From the “outside,” I don’t have the leverage I need to make that much difference. What I know and who I know doesn’t make much difference without a position of higher “authority,” so that’s what I’m aiming for now. It shouldn’t take me much longer than 18 months I don’t think, but with my other work and family obligations (I care for and teach my children), well, we shall see how it works out. As I progress, I’m sure I’ll share with you now and then things I’m learning in my classes.

So here on my home front, that’s what’s happening for now, well the short of it. I’m full of surprises, aren’t I?

In the mean time, check out Kendra’s VBAC story which made my eyes water with joy. Kendra’s style of writing really hits home that her story has a happy ending which made her feel good. I don’t know if I would have done everything the same way she did, but it worked for her and that’s what is most important. We are all different and so is each labor.

Sheilah

This abstract from Green Journal titled “Use of Intrapartum Antibiotics and the Incidence of Postnatal Maternal and Neonatal Yeast Infections” says:

Neonatal thrush and maternal breast candidiasis are common early postnatal complications. The higher rates of thrush and breast candidiasis in antibiotic-exposed mother–infant pairs merits further study.

Another called “Antibiotic Use in Pregnancy and Lactation” points out:

…there is the concern of possible teratogenic and toxic effects on the developing fetus and newborn.

and encourages it health care providers to:

consider the teratogenic and toxic risk profiles of antibiotics to assist in making prescribing decisions for pregnant and lactating women.

However, this article, which reviews 11 broad spectrum antibiotics, does go on to say that most of the antibiotics reviewed are considered “compatible with breastfeeding.” I would say the uncertainty is still there though because what you take into your body, your baby also gets some of. Why risk it if you can take care of the problem a safer way?

During pregnancy and while breast feeding, I like to remedy anything that may come up as naturally as possible. I have had to take an antibiotic for a UTI (urinary tract infection) before because it was bad enough that I couldn’t remedy it naturally (I had never had one before and didn’t recognize the signs soon enough). The more natural way, which proves very effective for me now because I know the signs and signals of a UTI, would be something like cranberry juice (or capsules if you don’t like the juice) and/or uva-ursi. My favorite cranberry juice (although I don’t really like cranberry juice) is the Lakewood Organic Pure Concentrate because a lot goes a long way and since it’s unsweetened, it tends to works better. Amazon has it in six packs. Other unsweetened brands may work just as well.

Uva-ursi is an herb, and some herbs are very beneficial for pregnant and lactating women while others are not. So be sure to discuss it with a knowledgeble care provider before taking anything you are uncertain about in any way.

For after childbirth, I like to put 10 drops of tea tree oil in my peri-bottle. That way my area is cleaned every time I use it, and I’m not ingesting anything that might affect my baby’s milk.

A good guide for more natural remedies is: Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year. This book is great for homeopathic and natural remedies.

Sheilah

I like Kara’s point, but “Friends” happens to be our favorite show, maybe the birth scenes are part of the reason why. The labors that took place over their 10 years on the air were not without “complications” but were all natural birth (without drugs or other medical interventions). Phoebe gives birth to triplets, Rachel’s baby was breech, and Monica and Chandler adopt twins, all of which were vaginally delivered babies. They do make those birthing scenes funny while empathizing with a laboring woman. Laughs during labor can help to ease stress anyway, so it could be helpful to remember these scenes. As they say, “Laughter is the best medicine.” Russell kept me laughing and it helped a lot I think (but so did being on my own turf and doing things my way).

While these TV births aren’t exactly realistic either, I do feel they are more along the lines of what childbirth can and should be. When Rachel is in labor, we even see how labor can be different for each woman. She sits there half distraught because a few other women come in and go to the birthing room while she is waiting to do the same. (Another reason I enjoy home birth, my progress is not compared with anyone else’s.) Each one of those women handled the experience a little differently, just like we do for real. One of them appears to feel practically no pain, as she just makes little “mm” sounds during her contractions and then says, “That was a big one!” afterwards. Another woman is loud, miserable and cussing at her husband, but not because of “pain.”

Obstetricians have been trained for worst case scenarios and anything less than that is a bore to most of them. I don’t think they realize their brilliance when they help a woman successfully give birth to a baby without drugs or medical intervention. It would make all their time in med-school seem like a waste (until the rare occasion where that knowledge comes in handy despite all other efforts, to actually save lives rather than control “progress”). There is certainly a time and place for medical interventions, but the media should not promote them by showing such b.s. so often that millions of women actually expect to need those interventions.

Birth should be a time to celebrate family (like “Friends” also portrays: Ross and Susan agreeing on a baby name, Phoebe settling for being the favorite aunt when she has to “give up” the triplets, Joey promising Rachael she won’t be alone, and Monica not separating the twins),it should not be about fear of pains.

There is no cookie cutter for childbirth, but the dough is basically the same. If we are all starting out with the same kind of dough, our cookies shouldn’t be all that different, but it depends on the circumstances in the kitchen. In other words, in case you didn’t get my metaphors, women are women. We have the same parts that make us women and those parts have the same functional potential. The differences in our labors can be caused by a variety of factors like the support we have or don’t have, our comfort level in our birthing places, the attendants we have, and the tools that are or are not used and the timing of such things.

I personally hate stirrups, unless they are attached to a saddle sitting on a horses back. I feel that when my body is good and ready, it will open up, I don’t need some cold, hard, un-feeling things baring my all for somebody else’s convenience. When the baby is ready to show, the baby shows. Making a woman spread herself this way isn’t going to make childbirth happen any quicker, especially if she’s not comfortable doing such a thing in the first place. The stirrup factor is something I’ve also seen a lot in TV births, along with back laying, fear, screaming, loved ones in the waiting room instead of supporting the laboring woman, and women being portrayed as completely unreasonable, even crazy, during labor. It’s not right.

So for a more accurate portrayal of childbirth in the media, I refer you to “Friends”. Season 5 episode 3 called “The One Hundredth” (Phoebe’s birth of the triplets), season 8 the last episode called “The One Where Rachel Has a Baby”, and season 10 “The Last One” (Erica gives birth to the twins that Monica and Chandler adopt). Also, the first “Friends” childbirth scene was when Carol (Ross’ lesbian ex-wife) gives birth in season 1, the second to last episode called “The One With the Birth.”

It was a great show, well written, with a great cast and some great birth stories given a funny twist to show the lighter side of childbirth.

By the way, every one of those childbirth episodes makes me tear up because they are emotionally griping to me, in a good way. So there are your birth stories for today. Watch ‘em if you can and if you see them during your pregnancy, be aware that you may also cry.

Sheilah