Safety of Ultrasound
Mar 17, 2008
With my first pregnancy my midwife recommended that we stay away from ultrasounds. At the time I wasn’t sure why but I trusted her judgment and wasn’t that concerned with knowing the baby’s sex anyway. Now that I’m pregnant again I started investigating ultrasound to see what the issue is. What I found confirms the concerns of my midwife.
It turns out there is a strong correlation between ultrasounds and autism. I always thought vaccinations were to blame for this but the evidence is quite convincing that ultrasounds play a large part in the problem of autism. Despite Thimerosal being removed from vaccines the rates for autism are still increasing. Interestingly, there is a higher rate of autism among twins. Usually mothers carrying multiple babies are scanned more frequently. This doesn’t sound like a coincidence to me. There is enough evidence regarding the harmful effects of ultrasound to keep me away from it. It’s a shame that women aren’t informed of the risks before they choose to have an ultrasound done. That’s the way our medical system works though. They aren’t always looking out for our best interests.
You can read about ultrasound in this article from Midwifery Today.
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We’re Having a Baby!
Mar 17, 2008
I’m pleased to announce we’re having another baby! After wanting another child for quite awhile we are so thankful to be pregnant again! My four-year-old daughter has been praying for a baby and finally her prayers (and ours) were answered with a “yes!”
By my calculations I will be due in early November. We’re excited to meet our new midwife this week! Hooray! I’m so excited and thankful for this new little life.
Posted In: Pregnancy | My Life • Comments (1)
The Pregnant Patient’s Rights
Oct 15, 2007
If giving birth in a hospital or birth center, it’s important to be aware of your rights. With the birth of my daughter I had no idea that I could refuse the many monitors and wires that kept me on my back in bed. I had no idea that I was allowed to walk around freely or choose the labor position I wanted to be in. While you do have the following legal rights, keep in mind that the hospital has their own standard policies (such as wearing a hospital gown) and can refuse treatment if you do not abide by them. It’s best to find out about these in advance so you can be prepared.
Here are some of the most important of your legal rights:
You have the right to choose where you will give birth.
You have the right to be informed of the credentials of those treating you (including whether or not they are medical students)
You have the right to refuse any drugs, tests, procedures or treatments.
You have the right to be informed of the risks/benefits associated with proposed procedures or medications. Alternative options should also be disclosed. You have the right to accept or refuse the proposed procedures and then have the right to change your mind.
You have the right to access to any of your medical records.
You have the right to know why any procedure is being done.
You have the right to birth in whatever position is most comfortable (including ones that free you from the medical equipment).
You have the right to uninterrupted contact to your baby at all times unless separation is medically required (not currently entitled by the legal system but most likely upheld).
Information taken from the pamphlet: The Rights of Childbearing Women
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Interactive Birth Plan
Aug 29, 2007
When I became pregnant with our daughter Emma I knew exactly how I wanted things. I wanted to give birth naturally at home with a midwife. Due to various reasons such as stress and back labor I just couldn’t open up and ended up having a cesarean at the hospital. Despite this I am still an advocate of natural childbirth and plan to try for it with our next child. After the whole experience with the first birth though I realized I needed to be flexible. Sometimes things happen that we can’t control. A birthplan is a good way to help us aim toward the birth we’re wanting and to be aware of what our options are. We just have to keep it in perspective and not beat ourselves up about it if it doesn’t happen the way we think. The ultimate goal of birth is a healthy baby and healthy mom.
This Interactive birth plan by Childbirth.org offers a quick way to decide how you want things and gets your preferences written out for your healthcare provider. All you have to do is print!
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