To Give You YOUR Placenta Or To Keep It-That Is the Question?
Holy COW, my friends! It has been a LONG time since I have posted. WOW! Summer is FLYING by. I promise I will be posting more often from now on. I just didn't realize how much FUN I was going to have this summer. :)
I think I've posted enough on my personal opinions on placenta encapsulation. If you have yet to read them, you can read more at my PLACENTA ENCAPSULATION page. The article below seems well enough. The BIG debate, I guess, over letting parents take their placenta from the hospital to home for encapsulation.
I must say something about this word "let." Now the word "let" implies that someone else has control or authority over you or your person and has the ability to make decisions for you by "letting" you have or do something.
The word "let" reminds me of my kids. Will I "let" them do something or will I not? I think the saddest part about the word "let" is YOUR personal POWER is extended to someone else and you are told how you can or can't be and what decisions you can or can't follow through with.
Its strange to me. Really, really strange. That in ANY WAY we'd let ANY ONE tell us what we can or can't do....tell us what we can or can't have....in regards to our pregnancy, labor, birth and postpartum care. Because in MY world its MY baby and MY body! Nothing more....nothing less.
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So, I'm not quite sure why Mama's and Daddy's aren't saying VERY kindly and with the respect to their medical care provider...."We've just had our baby and we're going home now AND we're going to go ahead and take our placenta." You know, that thing....that was attached to Mom and baby for 9 months and is literally made FROM the tissues of the mother which ULTIMATELY and in EVERY way makes it HERS.
Please tell me if I'm just UP in then night here. But its strange to me we'd just "let" someone tell us whether we can or can't take home our own body tissue. I see no difference between you taking your placenta home and you taking your baby home. Both are COVERED in bacteria and could potentially carry disease and pass it onto you AND both came out of YOUR body and are CREATED by YOU! Which in reality really means they are BOTH a non threat on your health. IMO!
Anyway....this article stimulated some emotions within me. I'm just kind of sick of all the bull CRAP that is pulled on Moms, babies and families. The lies and myths that are spread that men and women, inevitably, believe.
A few weeks ago, I went to Seven Peaks, a local water park here in our area. Upon arriving, I noticed at the entrance 3 security guards searching people's bags BEFORE they entered the park. I was AGHAST! Seriously SHOCKED! All of a sudden I felt like I was at the airport. And let me tell you... I HATE the airport. You might as well just strip me down and search me with the amount of my personal privacy and freedom that is taken away.
The whole experience ended up being pretty traumatic for me. I proceeded to hassle the security guard about searching my purse. He told me we couldn't bring food into the park so we took the food back to our car. When we arrived back at the entrance, the security guard told me he had to search my bag again because I walked about. I proceeded to tell him he'd better search hard because I had stashed a gun in my purse when I went back out to my car. Ya, to say the least, he wasn't happy with that reply.
I was then shown to another security guard who requested I don't make threats about guns. I said to him..."What your doing is a TOTAL invasion of privacy?" He went on to tell me that NO ONE liked it and it was a MUST if I wanted to enter the park. I realized later that the ONLY reason they were even searching people's bags was to make sure they didn't have food. RIDICULOUS!!!
But truthfully, the saddest part about the WHOLE experience was all the people, lined up in droves, to get their bags searched. NO ONE but ME said anything about their bags being searched. Dozens of grown adult men and women consenting to "let" someone search their bags all in the name of not making a mess they don't want to hire someone to clean up in their park.
This experience reminds me of the placenta removal debate. I mean at what point do couples just stand up and say..."Hey thanks for the help with our birth but we're going home now AND we're taking our placenta." Seriously people! It scares me with where our world is at, that we've convinced ourselves that someone else has THAT much control over us. CRAZY!
Ok, I'm done ranting now. Read the article below and let me know what you think. I sure wish that, at some time in the VERY near future, Moms and Dads will take back their responsibility in pregnancy and birth and be clear with their care providers about what they want and why they want it. And the their care provider will HEAR the need and respond in kindness and understanding.
Placenta encapsulation can be a REAL need for some women who have found relief from postpartum depression or even needed an increase in breast milk. To have someone else dictate or decide the parameters around how, when and where you can deal with your placenta, seems just wrong in pretty much every way to me. But who am I? Just a no body who feels passionate about babies and personal growth and empowerment for families.
In Peace,
Rachel
Oh, BTW....if you don't have to even have to deal with a hospital or whether or not you can keep your placenta, go ahead and choose a HOME BIRTH! Your placenta will be given to you....no questions asked!
P.S. If there is anyone out there who'd like to put together a petition with me for Seven Peaks in regards to their bag searching policy, I would LOVE your help. Truth be told, if they don't change their policy, I will not be taking my family there again. That's how strongly I feel about their IDIOTIC policy!
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Debate over placenta rules continues to grow
Some moms want the tissue; some hospitals’ policies force delay.
By Peggy O’Farrell, Staff Writer 12:16 AM Sunday, June 24, 2012
A policy instituted earlier this year at Miami Valley Hospital’s Berry Birthing Center requires families to wait 72 hours before they can take home the placenta from babies born at the center.
Mothers and some health practitioners say the new policy denies women access to their own and their babies’ body parts. Some women use the placenta in cultural practices or for dietary supplements.
“It belongs to the moms, and the hospital doesn’t have any right to keep it,” said Denise Easthon, a Dayton nurse-midwife and doula, or birthing coach. “It’s the moms’, and they should be able to walk out of the hospital with it.”
Hospital officials say the waiting period is necessary in case pathologists need to conduct tests on the tissue to answer questions about the babies’ or mothers’ health. The new policy was implemented at the request of the hospital’s pathology department, said Beth Tabor-Cruea, nurse manager of the Family Beginnings program and the birthing center.
The debate over whether mothers are entitled to the tissue is becoming more common nationally as more women utilize placenta encapsulation, the practice of making supplements from placental tissue.
The placenta connects the developing fetus to its mother’s uterine wall and allows it to receive nutrients, breathe and eliminate waste via the mother’s blood supply.
Placental tissue is rich in hormones and other substances believed to alleviate postpartum depression, bleeding, fatigue and mood imbalances. Some women choose to have the tissue dehydrated and made into capsules or tinctures, which they ingest.
On average, about 30 babies a month are delivered through the birthing center. Families request the placenta “about once or twice a week,” Tabor-Cruea said.
“We’ve always had a few requests for it, like one or two a year,” she said. “But in the last year, we’ve seen an increase in patients requesting to take their placentas home for various reasons.”
Jessica Blizzard will deliver her third child in November at Miami Valley’s birthing center. Blizzard, who lives in Riverside, asked for the placenta after her second child’s birth last year and was given it immediately. She had planned to have it encapsulated, though ultimately, she didn’t.
This time, she worries the new policy will prevent her from having capsules made: Most sources recommend having them made within 48 hours of delivery. “It wasn’t an issue before with my second child. But now it is an issue. I don’t understand it,” Blizzard said.
Nancy Thickel, a spokeswoman for Miami Valley Hospital, said the pathology department will freeze the placenta if families request it, and the tissue should still be usable for encapsulation.
There’s another change Blizzard doesn’t like: Hospital staffers want to know why families want the placenta. She doesn’t think it’s anyone’s business.
But the placenta, like any tissue, could breed bacteria if it isn’t handled properly, said Tabor-Cruea, and the hospital’s legal department requires them to ask how they plan to use it. “The legal department has drafted a consent form for families since we’re allowing human tissue to leave the hospital,” she said. “Part of the process is asking how they plan to use it.”
Kettering Health Network doesn’t have a policy on giving families the placenta, though it has policies on how the tissue is handled and stored if it has to go to pathology for testing, said Miriam Cartmell, administrative director of women’s and children’s services at Kettering Medical Center.
“It’s not addressed one way or another,” she said. “It’s been about 20 years since I had somebody ask for it, so it’s not common. I believe we would work with the patient if they wanted it, unless the lab needed it. The clinical request would override the family’s request, or maybe we could return it to the patient after the testing.”
Catholic Health Partners’ policy would be to give the placenta to families on request, said Mike Boehmer, a spokesman for the network, but no one’s ever made the request.
While states regulate disposal of medical waste, few have laws addressing if families are entitled to healthy placental tissue for use in cultural ceremonies or for encapsulation, said Pamela Laufer-Ukeles, an associate professor at the University of Dayton’s School of Law.
Ohio law doesn’t address the issue, she said. Indiana prohibits hospitals from giving families the tissue, but Hawaii allows it once the tissue is examined for signs of disease or defect.
New York recently changed its law; until 2010, placental tissue was treated as human remains and had to be retrieved from hospitals by a funeral director, who then gave it to families. Now, hospitals can give healthy placenta tissue directly to families.
But some families still have to fight for it, said Grace Rice, program manager for Choices in Childbirth in New York City. “It’s kind of on a hospital-by-hospital basis, and even within hospitals, it depends on who your doctor is, who your nurse is, who your midwife is,” she said.
Much of the debate centers on whether individuals have property rights to their own organs and tissues, Laufer-Ukeles said. It’s a gray area, she said. In 1990, a California court ruled that a patient who sued a hospital for the return of cancerous tissue had no property interest in the tissue, which was used for research.
“But on the other hand, you do have property interests in some body parts,” she said. “Sperm and eggs can be sold. Blood and other organs can be donated. We do think of our bodies as belonging to us.”
Families routinely ask for their babies’ cord blood to be banked, she pointed out.
And if placental tissue is considered human remains, families have a right to those remains, she said.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-7457 or peggy.o’farrell@ coxinc.com.
You CAN Help!
I just found this website and they need your help. ONE WORLD BIRTH is doing a documentary on Agnes Gereb with the hopes the word gets out of her predicament. Each of us can do our part of help spread the information that freedom of birth is a MUST for a happy, peaceful society of people.
Watch the video below and then head over to the ONE WORLD BIRTH website to learn how YOU can help. If we all do our part.....we can truly change our world....One donation at a time.
In Peace,
Rachel
For The LOVE Of Agnes Gereb
My dear followers, (which are few but I LOVE you all)
I'm so sorry I haven't been posting this week. I come from a HUMONGOUS family with 17 brothers and sisters and many of them have come to stay in my home this week to celebrate a niece's marriage. I apologize for my lack of posts and will get back on track posting more often next week.
Also, I tend to stay away from my computer on the weekends and focus on family time so all the posts I make will be made during the week. Thank you for reading what I share and taking the time to pass it along. I LOVE the opportunity to support those who are looking to understand the importance of a women's childbearing years and how to make the MOST out of them and enjoy every minute!
Below is a video showing some of what took place at the "Human Rights in Childbirth" Conference in Hague. There was a very BIG deal this year with so many changes striving to be implemented in the world of birth.
My FAVORITE part of the video is the support, love and empathy that is shown for our DEAR Hungarian midwife, Agnes Gereb, who has been prosecuted and charged with negligent malpractice. And on February 2012, Agnes received a 2 year minimum prison security sentence without possibility of parole.
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The first video below shows Agnes in her work as a midwife helping and embracing mothers in their most intimate and vulnerable moments. How sad someone who strives so hard to make a difference in the lives of families has been torn apart and treated in such a poor and abusive manner. But HOW WONDERFUL to have such POWERFUL, STRONG, and FIRM in her beliefs women as Agnes to show the way for the rest of us on how important it is to STAND UP for ourselves and our beliefs! And that when we do stand up for what TRULY matters in our world, we make a difference for the WHOLE of humanity.... which what Agnes is doing for ALL of us. She truly sacrificed so much to do what she has done for 1000's of women. What a GIFT! I pray she is honored for that for the rest of her life.
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It is EXTREMELY unfortunate the struggle and pain Agnes has had to deal with ALL in the name of doing her job BEAUTIFULLY and aiding others in the birth creation they are longing for. My heart breaks for Agnes and her circumstances and ask that ALL of us send prayers, love and even letters/emails her way so she can feel the support and compassion she needs to get through such an OVERWHELMING ordeal.
I will be back next week. Hope everyone has an OUTSTANDING weekend! I plan on it!
In Peace,
Rachel
The Power of Creation Through Plant & Human Pollination
My Dad sent me the first video below and I fell in LOVE with it. I sat watching in AWE at the power of creation and its ability to spread itself in every way among every living thing. After watching the 1st video below, I decided I wanted to find a COOL video showing the pollination that takes place with humans and how we forward the creation of our species.
Both forms of creation whether through conception or pollination are PHENOMENAL feats... that give us each a sense of oneness and awareness with the world around us. Creation, whether its a new life or a new song or a new poem, instills in each of us a sense of reverence of the mysterious....the unknown.
Creation is a process that, I believe, can and will never be fully understood. We may know volumes about the creation of human life but the information we are currently holding is merely a drop in the bucket of what is really taking place. In our world of constant guarantees, creation brings with it....when we want to see its affects in our lives, the eyes of a child and a sense of faith that can feel hard to hold on to.
Creation teaches us that there truly is something VASTLY greater than the rest of us. That there is a DIVINE something, call it what name you want it give it, that defines itself into EVERY THING on our planet. Creation imbues our hearts and souls with a true sense of expansion and enlightenment. Creation brings with it a level of JOY and BLISS that can be found in no other endeavor. Creation is WHAT we are. Creation created us. What a POWERFUL gift creation is!
As each of you ponder, relax and enjoy your weekend break, I hope that you'll take time to be outdoors and connect with Creation, Mother Earth and God. Also, connect with Creation by taking more time to spend with your children....your FINEST creations yet. To connect with your spouse, partner, soul mate...etc. To open yourself to feeling a grand sense of ONENESS with all other living things around you. So as.... To connect, to play, to LOVE!
I pray each and every one of our hearts will be opened to the gift Creation brings and strive for a deeper understanding and connection within ourselves and with each other. When we truly gain a longing for the mysterious and desire to live in it, creation manifests in ways beyond our comprehension. When each and every baby is born, the world will never be the same place again. Now that's the POWER of Creation.
In Peace,
Rachel
P.S. As you watch the first video, watch around 2:40 for the infant bat clinging tightly to its mother while its mother is helping to pollinate and pass new plant life to beautify our world. Its BREATHTAKING... Also....
P.P.S. As you watch the second video, watch around 3:30 as the sperm releases its tail and cell growth begins. I find it fascinating that the sperm vigorously searches for the egg and once its found....it releases its tail and surrenders to the experience. I can't think of a better way to define ANY creation in a lives than with this analogy. To create is to work vigorously in deciding what your wanting and needing to create, then once the answers come....to sit back and surrender to the experience letting the universe put it all together for you.
We Are All Midwives
Co Sleeping:The FACTS & The Benefits
I have a friend who asked me to post my experiences and opinions on co sleeping. We have co slept with ALL of our children. Granted, with our first pregnancy, we did what most first time parents do and set up the crib (which I sewed all the blankets, bumpers, pillows, and valances) and bedroom for our baby to sleep in after delivery. But our plan was, most definitely, thwarted and the LOVE we felt for our newest arrival.
I distinctly remember looking down at this brand new tiny being and realizing there was NO WAY IN HELL he was ever going to leave my site. Whether it was during the day or night. I was TOTALLY and COMPLETELY in LOVE in every possible way. I was not about to disconnect myself, in any way, from this vulnerable life whom I intuitively knew, needed my presence ALL THE TIME. Especially during the night!
Once we made the conscious decision that, YES....we were one of those freaky parents who let their kids sleep in their bed, we enjoyed absolutely EVERY minute of it. In fact, we would NEVER want it any other way again. Even my husband adores sleeping with our little ones. My sister recently told me of how they when moved their daughter out of their bed and into a play pen, still in their room next to their bed, and her sweet husband was choked up about seeing their daughter leave their bed. So Loving!
So let me tell you how co sleeping has worked in our home. Now when we started co sleeping, it was 16 years ago. People have become MUCH more understanding of co sleeping and its benefits. It was really hard for my Mom to understand since her and my father had made an agreement that NO kids were to enter the bedroom which meant that the concept of co sleeping was VERY new to my husband and I.
I had done enough research to actually purchase a guard rail to place on my side of the bed. The first few nights after Dean's birth, we placed Dean between Chris and I. When I first started reading about co sleeping, the fear of rolling over on your baby was combated with the argument that you learn to not roll off the bed. Its instinctual. Not rolling over on your baby is also INSTINCTUAL! Very instinctual for women but I've learned to believe not so instinctual for men.
After a few nights of placing Dean between Chris and I, one night I awoke abruptly only to sit up and see Chris in the beginning processes of rolling over onto Dean. I hurried and pushed him back to how he was laying and gathered up Dean. I moved Dean over to the other side of me, between me and the guard rail, and never again did one of our babies spend the whole night between Chris and I in bed. It was a WONDERFUL learning experience for me.
I think co sleeping had so many WONDERFUL advantages that any disadvantage just doesn't measure up. But, I do think there is a SAFER way to co sleep and that is with the use of a guard rail or even Arms Reach Co Sleeper which I had heard LOTS of good things about though I've never tried myself.
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When we started having children, we slept in a full bed. Yes, it was quite tight for the 3 of us but I would NEVER take back the time spent in bed with my dear, sweet husband and my newest tiny addition. I have so many memories of cuddling, bonding and connecting with each baby while Chris and I laid in AWE of our most RADIANT creation.
When using a guard rail, I believe purchasing a rail that folds and bends is the easiest to use. If you notice on the picture below, the rail fits behind the bed frame and sits snug against the bed. Also, the hinges on the bottom corners of the rail, you'll see that you can actually lift and fold the rail back to make it easier to pick baby up. This is similar, if not exact, to the types of rails we used with all 5 of our kids. You can purchase more high tech ones like the Safety 1st Secure Lock Bed rail.
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I see night time parenting being JUST as important as daytime parenting. We want to live in this nice prepackaged world where our babies come fully equipped to sleep all night every night. I see this as a beautiful ideal but truthfully not reality. Unfortunately, babies/newborns sleep patterns tend to be the opposite of ours. They like to be nice and sleepy ALL day long and then wide eyed and bushy tailed when your ABSOLUTELY exhausted.
This is where co sleeping fits right in AMAZINGLY! I was always surprised at the women who thought I was just CRAZY because I slept with my babies. I gotta be honest here, I think women who are willing to fully wake themselves up, put on a robe or excess clothing, proceed to walk into a WHOLE other room and the sit down FULLY awake to breast feed your newborn for the half an hour and hour that it takes is CRAZY, but that's just my opinion! But Seriously....Who wants to do that? Mind you, I think you are courageous, strong women but doing that is not my idea of making sure my baby and I get the BEST nights sleep possible. That's my GOAL in our home.
Not only does co sleeping afford you the opportunity to bond 24/7 with the new life in your family, it gifts you the ability to stay close to baby. I know, as mothers and women, we are constantly concerned for the well being of our families, co sleeping...for us...meant I felt safer knowing I was watching and staying as close to my baby as possible.
There has been so EXCITING new research into the world of SIDS and co sleeping. I do agree that co sleeping could prevent SIDS just because of the mere approximation you have to your baby. Your ability to watch sleep patterns and keep close to your baby. I do believe though that its the touching, cuddling and closeness that actually keeps babies nervous system and body functions going, as Moms body helps to keep babies body regulated.
For those who are wondering how long our babies sleep in our beds and when we finally move them out...the answer is....when THEY are ready. We haven't had a child yet who wants to stay in our bed longer than 3 years. And their usually already half moved into their siblings rooms BEFORE their 3rd birthday. But we just don't make a big deal out of it.
In our home, what happens is the older kids WANT to sleep with their younger brother and sister. I have decided that sleeping together creates a tight knit bond between you and those you touch, lay by and take comfort with during the night. I have seen it with me and my children and my children with each other.
Once our children start talking about wanting to be a 'BIG' kid and sleep with an older sibling, we start gently making space for them to do so. With Dean, our oldest, we tried moving him out at only a year old. After he lunged his whole body off the top of his crib and actually caused himself physical pain not to be separated from us, we knew he wasn't ready. Instead, we went ahead and moved his crib mattress onto our floor. We moved our own bed mattress onto the floor and we created a NICE, LARGE family bed. We ALL LOVED it!
Our first 2 boys stay in that bed until they were ready to stay in their own room next to ours. That happened when Golden, our youngest at the time who was about 2, decided it was time and they were big boys and they wanted their own room with their own bed. It was a MOMENTOUS moment in our home. I will NEVER forget it. I cried. But was HAPPY that they were growing up.
We've found moving our younger children into the rooms of our older children, when they felt ready, was the easiest and best format for us. Our kids are EXCITED about being one of the big kids and the older kids have been waiting for their littlest sibling to share a bedroom with. Its seems to have worked our perfectly each and every time we've left the decision making up to them INSTEAD of us. THEY know when they feel safe enough in their world to leave the "bedroom nest."
I will let the articles I've posted below speak for the rest of the WONDERFULNESS of co sleeping. It is something that I would NEVER change or do it differently. My sleep and the sleep and safety of my baby were of utmost importance to me. These were really the only reasons I started co sleeping. It wasn't until I tried it for myself that I saw ALL the other AWESOME benefits!
I do believe that because of co sleeping and night time parenting, me, my husband and our children have a deeper, more enriched connection that we might not have without sharing a bed. I see co sleeping as an avenue to truly understanding your baby, yourself and life as a new parent. Nighttime parenting affords opportunities for quiet growth for all parties involved and in my world,.....connection, comfort, trust, peace and LOVE rank highest on the list.
In Peace,
Rachel
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Scientific Benefits of Co-Sleeping
Popular media has tried to discourage parents from sharing sleep with their babies, calling this worldwide practice unsafe. Medical science, however, doesn’t back this conclusion. In fact, research shows that co-sleeping is actually safer than sleeping alone. Here is what science says about sleeping with your baby:
Research shows that co-sleeping infants virtually never startle during sleep and rarely cry during the night, compared to solo sleepers who startle repeatedly throughout the night and spend 4 times the number of minutes crying 1. Startling and crying releases adrenaline, which increases heart rate and blood pressure, interferes with restful sleep and leads to long term sleep anxiety.
Stable physiology
Studies show that infants who sleep near to parents have more stable temperatures 2, regular heart rhythms, and fewer long pauses in breathing compared to babies who sleep alone 3. This means baby sleeps physiologically safer.
Decreases risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
Worldwide research shows that the SIDS rate is lowest (and even unheard of) in countries where co-sleeping is the norm, rather than the exception 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. Babies who sleep either in or next to their parents’ bed have a fourfold decrease in the chance of SIDS 10. Co-sleeping babies actually spend more time sleeping on their back or side 1 which decreases the risk of SIDS. Further research shows that the carbon dioxide exhaled by a parent actually works to stimulate baby’s breathing 11.
Long term emotional health
Co-sleeping babies grow up with a higher self-esteem, less anxiety, become independent sooner, are better behaved in school 12, and are more comfortable with affection 13. They also have less psychiatric problems 14.
Safer than crib sleeping
The Consumer Product Safety Commission published data that described infant fatalities in adult beds. These same data, however, showed more than 3 times as many crib related infant fatalities compared to adult bed accidents 15. Another recent large study concluded that bed sharing did NOT increase the risk of SIDS, unless the mom was a smoker or abused alcohol 16.
- McKenna, J., et al, "Experimental studies of infant-parent co-sleeping: Mutual physiological and behavioral influences and their relevance to SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome)." Early Human Development 38 (1994)187-201.
- C. Richard et al., “Sleeping Position, Orientation, and Proximity in Bedsharing Infants and Mothers,” Sleep 19 (1996): 667-684.
- Touch in Early Development, T. Field, ed. (Mahway, New Jersey: Lawrence Earlbaum and Assoc., 1995).
- “SIDS Global Task Force Child Care Study” E.A.S. Nelson et al., Early Human Development 62 (2001): 43-55
- A. H. Sankaran et al., “Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and Infant Care Practices in Saskatchewan, Canada,” Program and Abstracts, Sixth SIDS International Conference, Auckland, New Zealand, February 8-11, 2000.
- D. P. Davies, “Cot Death In Hong Kong: A Rare Problem?” The Lancet 2 (1985): 1346-1348.
- N. P. Lee et al., “Sudden Infant Death Syndrome in Hong Kong: Confirmation of Low Incidence,” British Medical Journal 298 (1999): 72.
- S. Fukai and F. Hiroshi, “1999 Annual Report, Japan SIDS Family Association,” Sixth SIDS International Conference, Auckland, New Zealand, 2000.
- E. A. S. Nelson et al., “International Child Care Practice Study: Infant Sleeping Environment,” Early Human Development 62 (2001): 43-55.
- P. S. Blair, P. J. Fleming, D. Bensley, et al., “Where Should Babies Sleep – Along or With Parents? Factors Influencing the Risk Of SIDS in the CESDI Study,” British Medical Journal 319 (1999): 1457-1462.
- SIDS book, page 227, #162
- P. Heron, “Non-Reactive Cosleeping and Child Behavior: Getting a Good Night’s Sleep All Night, Every Night,” Master’s thesis, Department of Psychology, University of Bristol, 1994.
- M. Crawford, “Parenting Practices in the Basque Country: Implications of Infant and Childhood Sleeping Location for Personality Development” Ethos 22, no 1 (1994): 42-82.
- J. F. Forbes et al., “The Cosleeping Habits of Military Children,” Military Medicine 157 (1992): 196-200.
- D. A. Drago and A. L. Dannenberg, “Infant Mechanical Suffocation Deaths in the United States, 1980-1997,” Pediatrics 103, no. 5 (1999): e59.
- R. G. Carpenter et al., “Sudden Unexplained Infant Death in 20 Regions in Europe: Case Control Study,” Lancet 2004; 363: 185-191.
| Cosleeping by Tami E. Breazeale | |
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Dr. Sears Addresses Recent Co-Sleeping Concerns
Since I’m a show-me-the-science doctor, consider the following:
- Cultures who traditionally practice safe co-sleeping, such as Asians, enjoy the lowest incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
- Trusted research by Dr. James McKenna, Director of the Mother-Baby Sleep Laboratory of the University of Notre Dame, showed that mothers and babies who sleep close to each other enjoy similar protective sleep patterns. Mothers enjoy a heightened awareness of their baby’s presence, what I call a “nighttime sleep harmony,” that protects baby. The co-sleeping mother is more aware if her baby’s well-being is in danger.
- Babies who sleep close to their mothers enjoy “protective arousal,” a state of sleep that enables them to more easily awaken if their health is in danger, such as breathing difficulties.
- Co-sleeping makes breastfeeding easier, which provides many health benefits for mother and baby.
- More infant deaths occur in unsafe cribs than in parents' bed.
- Co-sleeping tragedies that have occurred have nearly always been associated with dangerous practices, such as unsafe beds, or parents under the influence of substances that dampen their awareness of baby.
- Research shows that co-sleeping infants cry less during the night, compared to solo sleepers who startle repeatedly throughout the night and spend 4 times the number of minutes crying. Startling and crying releases adrenaline, which can interfere with restful sleep and leads to long term sleep anxiety.
- Infants who sleep near to parents have more stable temperatures, regular heart rhythms, and fewer long pauses in breathing compared to babies who sleep alone. This means baby sleeps physiologically safer.
- A recent large study concluded that bed sharing did NOT increase the risk of SIDS, unless the mom was a smoker or abused alcohol.
See this article for all the research references supporting the above statements.
Parents often ask me, “Where should my baby sleep?” I respond, “Wherever you and your baby enjoy the best night’s sleep.” For most parents, this will be sleeping close enough to enjoy easy access to their baby for feeding and comforting.
For safe co-sleeping:
- We recommend using a bassinet that attaches safely and securely to parents’ bed, which allows both mother and baby to have their own sleeping space, while baby still enjoys sleeping close to mommy for easier feeding and comforting.
- If bed-sharing, practice these safe precautions:
- Place babies to sleep on their backs.
- Be sure there are no crevices between the mattress and guardrail or headboard that allows baby’s head to sink into.
- Do not allow anyone but mother to sleep next to the baby, since only mothers have that protective awareness of baby. Place baby between mother and a guardrail, not between mother and father. Father should sleep on the other side of mother.
- Don’t fall asleep with baby on a cushy surface, such as a beanbag, couch, or wavy waterbed.
- Don’t bed-share if you smoke or are under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or medications that affect your sleep.
We have enjoyed sleeping close to our own babies. I have promoted safe co-sleeping in our pediatric practice for nearly 40 years and have witnessed only positive outcomes, such as: babies sleep and grow better; promotes better bonding; breastfeeding is easier; and infants grow up with a healthy sleep attitude, regarding sleep as a pleasant state to enter and a fearless state to remain in.
Finally, I would like to clarify some nighttime parenting terms: “Co-sleeping” means sleeping close enough to baby for easy comforting, such as in a bedside cosleeper. “Bed-sharing” means mother and baby sleep side-by-side in an adult bed. If bed-sharing makes you uncomfortable in any way, I recommend the use of an Arm’s Reach Co-sleeper® Bassinet so you can continue to co-sleep confidently.
Because I highly value safe sleeping arrangements, I have thoroughly researched this subject. If you wish to read my research references that go into co-sleeping and bed-sharing in scientific detail, as well as more practical and safe nighttime parenting practices, consult the following:
Scientific Benefits of Co-Sleeping
Safe Co-sleeping Habits
7 Benefits of Sleeping Close to Your Baby
Co-Sleeping: Yes, No, Sometimes?
As well as our books, which can be ordered here:
The Baby Sleep Book, by William Sears, Martha Sears, James Sears, and Robert Sears, Little Brown, 2005
The Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby From Birth to Age Two, William Sears, Martha Sears, James Sears, Robert Sears, Little Brown, 2003.
SIDS: A Parent’s Guide to Understanding and Preventing Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, William Sears, Little Brown, 1995.
From our family to your family, we wish you a safe and comfortable night’s sleep!
Dr. Bill and Martha Sears
SIDS: The Latest Research on How Sleeping With Your Baby is Safe
The conclusion that the researchers drew from this study was that sleeping with an infant in an adult bed is dangerous and should never be done. This sounds like a reasonable conclusion, until you consider the epidemic of SIDS as a whole. During the 8-year period of this study, about 34,000 total cases of SIDS occurred in the U.S. (around 4250 per year). If 65 cases of non-SIDS accidental death occurred each year in a bed, and about 4250 cases of actual SIDS occurred overall each year, then the number of accidental deaths in an adult bed is only 1.5% of the total cases of SIDS.
There are two pieces of critical data that are missing that would allow us to determine the risk of SIDS or any cause of death in a bed versus a crib.
- How many cases of actual SIDS occur in an adult bed versus in a crib?
- How many babies sleep with their parents in the U.S., and how many sleep in cribs?
The data on the first question is available, but has anyone examined it? In fact, one independent researcher examined the CPSC's data and came to the opposite conclusion than did the CPSC - this data supports the conclusion that sleeping with your baby is actually SAFER than not sleeping with your baby (see Mothering Magazine Sept/Oct 2002).
As for the second question, many people may think that very few babies sleep with their parents, but we shouldn't be too quick to assume this. The number of parents that bring their babies into their bed at 4 am is probably quite high. Some studies have shown that over half of parents bring their baby into bed with them at least part of the night. And the number that sleep with their infants the whole night is probably considerable as well. In fact, in most countries around the world sleeping with your baby is the norm, not the exception. And what is the incidence of SIDS in these countries?
During the 1990s, in Japan the rate was only one tenth of the U.S. rate, and in Hong Kong, it was only 3% of the U.S. rate. These are just two examples. Some countries do have a higher rate of SIDS, depending on how SIDS is defined.
Until a legitimate survey is done to determine how many babies sleep with their parents, and this is factored into the rate of SIDS in a bed versus a crib, it is unwarranted to state that sleeping in a crib is safer than a bed.
If the incidence of SIDS is dramatically higher in crib versus a parent's bed, and because the cases of accidental smothering and entrapment are only 1.5% of the total SIDS cases, then sleeping with a baby in your bed would be far safer than putting baby in a crib.
The answer is not to tell parents they shouldn't sleep with their baby, but rather to educate them on how to sleep with their infants safely.
Now the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Juvenile Products Manufacturer's Association are launching a campaign based on research data from 1999, 2000, and 2001. During these three years, there have been 180 cases of non-SIDS accidental deaths occurring in an adult bed. Again, that's around 60 per year, similar to statistics from 1990 to 1997. How many total cases of SIDS have occurred during these 3 years? Around 2600 per year. This decline from the previous decade is thought to be due to the "back to sleep" campaign - educating parents to place their babies on their back to sleep. So looking at the past three years, the number of non-SIDS accidental deaths is only 2% of the total cases of SIDS.
A conflict of interest?
Who is behind this new national campaign to warn parents not to sleep with their babies? In addition to the USCPSC, the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) is co-sponsoring this campaign. The JPMA? An association of crib manufacturers. This is a huge conflict of interest. Actually, this campaign is exactly in the interest of the JPMA.
What does the research say? The September/October 2002 issue of Mothering Magazine presents research done throughout the whole world on the issue of safe sleep. Numerous studies are presented by experts of excellent reputation. And what is the magazine's conclusion based on all this research? That not only is sleeping with your baby safe, but it is actually much safer than having your baby sleep in a crib. Research shows that infants who sleep in a crib are twice as likely to suffer a sleep related fatality (including SIDS) than infants who sleep in bed with their parents.
Education on safe sleep. I do support the USCPSC's efforts to research sleep safety and to decrease the incidence of SIDS, but I feel they should go about it differently. Instead of launching a national campaign to discourage parents from sleeping with their infants, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission should educate parents on how to sleep safely with their infants if they choose to do so.
Here are some ways to educate parents on how to sleep safely with their baby:
- Use an Arm's Reach® Co-Sleeper® Bassinet. An alternative to
sleeping with baby in your bed is the Arm's Reach® Co-Sleeper®. This crib-like bed fits safely and snuggly adjacent to parent's bed. The co-sleeper® arrangement gives parents and baby their own separate sleeping spaces yet, keeps baby within arm's reach for easy nighttime care. To learn more about the Arm's Reach® Co-Sleeper® Bassinet visit www.armsreach.com. - Take precautions to prevent baby from rolling out of bed, even though it is unlikely when baby is sleeping next to mother. Like heat-seeking missiles, babies automatically gravitate toward a warm body. Yet, to be safe, place baby between mother and a guardrail or push the mattress flush against the wall and position baby between mother and the wall. Guardrails enclosed with plastic mesh are safer than those with slats, which can entrap baby's limbs or head. Be sure the guardrail is flush against the mattress so there is no crevice that baby could sink into.
- Place baby adjacent to mother, rather than between mother and father. Mothers we have interviewed on the subject of sharing sleep feel they are so physically and mentally aware of their baby's presence even while sleeping, that it's extremely unlikely they would roll over onto their baby. Some fathers, on the other hand, may not enjoy the same sensitivity of baby's presence while asleep; so it is possible they might roll over on or throw out an arm onto baby. After a few months of sleep-sharing, most dads seem to develop a keen awareness of their baby's presence.
- Place baby to sleep on his back.
- Use a large bed, preferably a queen-size or king-size. A king-size bed may wind up being your most useful piece of "baby furniture." If you only have a cozy double bed, use the money that you would ordinarily spend on a fancy crib and other less necessary baby furniture and treat yourselves to a safe and comfortable king-size bed.
- Some parents and babies sleep better if baby is still in touching and hearing distance, but not in the same bed. For them, a bedside co-sleeper is a safe option.
Here are some things to avoid:
- Do not sleep with your baby if:
- You are under the influence of any drug (such as alcohol or tranquilizing medications) that diminishes your sensitivity to your baby's presence. If you are drunk or drugged, these chemicals lessen your arousability from sleep.
- You are extremely obese. Obesity itself may cause sleep apnea in the mother, in addition to the smothering danger of pendulous breasts and large fat rolls.
- You are exhausted from sleep deprivation. This lessens your awareness of your baby and your arousability from sleep.
- You are breastfeeding a baby on a cushiony surface, such as a waterbed or couch. An exhausted mother could fall asleep breastfeeding and roll over on the baby.
- You are the child's baby-sitter. A baby-sitter's awareness and arousability is unlikely to be as acute as a mother's.
- Don't allow older siblings to sleep with a baby under nine months. Sleeping children do not have the same awareness of tiny babies as do parents, and too small or too crowded a bed space is an unsafe sleeping arrangement for a tiny baby.
- Don't fall asleep with baby on a couch. Baby may get wedged between the back of the couch and the larger person's body, or baby's head may become buried in cushion crevices or soft cushions.
- Do not sleep with baby on a free-floating, wavy waterbed or similar "sinky" surface in which baby could suffocate.
- Don't overheat or overbundle baby. Be particularly aware of overbundling if baby is sleeping with a parent. Other warm bodies are an added heat source.
- Don't wear lingerie with string ties longer than eight inches. Ditto for dangling jewelry. Baby may get caught in these entrapments.
- Avoid pungent hair sprays, deodorants, and perfumes. Not only will these camouflage the natural maternal smells that baby is used to and attracted to, but foreign odors may irritate and clog baby's tiny nasal passages. Reserve these enticements for sleeping alone with your spouse.
Parents should use common sense when sharing sleep. Anything that could cause you to sleep more soundly than usual or that alters your sleep patterns can affect your baby's safety. Nearly all the highly suspected (but seldom proven) cases of fatal "overlying" I could find in the literature could have been avoided if parents had observed common sense sleeping practices.
The bottom line is that many parents share sleep with their babies. It can be done safely if the proper precautions are observed. The question shouldn't be "is it safe to sleep with my baby?", but rather "how can I sleep with my baby safely." The data on the incidence of SIDS in a bed versus a crib must be examined before the medical community can make a judgment on sleep safety in a bed.
To read more about SIDS, click here
Whapio's Words On 'The Holistic Stages of Labor'
Below is one of the more BEAUTIFUL articles I've read. I had to share it with all of you. I harken with Whapio in her vision of labor and the holistic processes for Moms and babies. The article is so inspiring and uplifting, I'm going to let it speak for itself.
Whapio has done AMAZING things in the world of birth to take on teaching a holistic approach to midwifery. Where the physical, emotional and spiritual sides of birth are discussed and taken into account in each and every pregnancy and birth. Please take the time to visit her The Matrona website where she has a midwifery correspondence program and LOADS more information about abstract perspectives on birth. INSPIRING information I think every person working in the world of birth should know about. Please spread along the work she is doing for others. I see it ONLY as vital work to help heal birth and heal our planet.
I am so EXCITED that today is Friday and we are entering another weekend. Here's to all of us having a BLISSFUL weekend and connecting and loving each other beyond levels of comprehension.
In Peace,
Rachel
Beyond Biology: The Holistic Stages of Labor
Posted in Birth, Positive Birth Stories on 05/07/2010 10:14 pm by Lea Mock, CD(DONA)
Below is a beautiful, poetic article written by Traditional Midwife Whapio Diane Bartlett. She shares what she has learned over many years of observing women give birth. She refers to the woman’s journey into an altered state as the “holistic stages of labor”. A friend shared it with me while I was pregnant with Paloma, my second daughter, and it made me truly look forward to giving birth. Enjoy!
Labor is a Journey. The preparation has often been elaborate, conscious and consuming. There is usually an all-important ritual of Arrangement preceding the actual event. We call it nesting and Mother has moved about in a final flurry of activity, taking care of all last details…clothes are washed, food fills the freezer, house is ship-shape…all is in order.
Nesting is part of Embarkation. Mother senses that labor is soon. Perhaps contractions and the loss of a bit of the cervical mucus has offered a hint that the journey is about to commence.
Then it does begin and Embarkation is also the time when a woman realizes that labor is truly here. Mother is excited, maybe a bit nervous, concerned for the welfare of her loved ones having made sure that they will be well taken care of while she is gone. As the Journey is launched she may call all her family to her to bid them goodbye or, depending on her custom and constitution, she may silently take leave with her partner and companions.
Usually, at this time she alerts her chosen caretaker. If she is birthing at home, she notifies her midwife who may or may not arrive immediately depending on the mother’s preference. If she is planning to give birth in a hospital or birthing center, she may notify her chosen caregivers and remain at home until other changes occur. Often, moms wish to spend time acclimatizing to the sensations the body offers before they actually connect with their birth attendants. Most moms are aware that labor is still in early phases and are excited and managing their energy very well.
During this time the Mother often feels like talking and sharing impressions as she is pulled away from ordinary reality. She may be chatty and relate information about each contraction or each sensation. She usually stays centered as she is stretched and molded; her sensations become stronger, more intense, powerful. Most Moms experience this as varying degrees of pain. The waves of contractions repeat with increasing intensity and frequency and the Mother is swept toward the Unknown.
In modern parlance this time would be considered pre-labor and the latent stage of the First Stage of Labor. Physically, the cervix is beginning to efface and dilate and this stage lasts until the Mother reaches 4 to 5 cm dilation. Contractions are usually 30 to 45 seconds long and 5 to 10 minutes apart. As Mother comes closer to the chasm that separates her from ordinary reality, contractions build in intensity and become coordinated and rhythmic. It becomes apparent that the Mother is being called away – she is less and less present in ordinary reality with each successive contraction. Her chatty persona disappears, replaced with a growing seriousness.
As she feels herself pulled toward the Veil she will probably want to connect with her caregivers. She may feel the need for the presence of the midwife or doctor because she understands that she will be leaving ordinary reality, taking a definitive step into the unknown, and she wants her caregivers to be aware and ready to witness.
The Mother reaches a point in her traveling where it is time for her to go alone. The endorphins released by her body during her embarking have begun to change her consciousness and she enters, more deeply, the realm of the altered state. She travels to the edge of her normal reality, parts the Veil and goes beyond. The Veil is my nomenclature for the curtain that separates ordinary reality from the deep altered state. Brain wave patterns have begun to slow down and change from Beta (ordinary reality) to Alpha (the bridge into the subconscious) in the Embarkation phase.
Now, in the next stage of labor, brain wave patterns slow down even more and mother has access deep into Theta (the subconscious). The aloneness reflects the fact that women move into a place of self-direction that seems to emanate from a grounded yet altered place in them. The Veil is that stage of labor that heralds the change to this new place. This doesn’t mean that a mother wishes to be alone and that others are not relevant. Rather, it signals the shift into a more self-directed realm.
Mothers may approach the Veil several times before deciding to move through. Circumstances may also prevent the mother from moving through. Constant questioning, especially about mundane affairs, and interruptions in mother’s rhythm serve to bring mother back to ordinary reality.
At the Veil, Mom no longer feels chatty and often the experience of something more serious and profound presents itself. She begins the process of separation and while the mom is aware of details and specifics occurring in the room, she becomes less interested in them.
There is often a palpable smell in the air or a subtle but perceptible color change in the room that marks the presence of the mother at the Veil. Many caregivers can calculate the flow of labor by these signposts, making yoni exams redundant at this point. I have experienced color changes and find this to be very reliable and helpful for me as I witness a mother’s journey.
In conventional terms, the Mother has achieved 4 or 5 cm dilation and the character of the labor changes. Contractions begin to be about 60 seconds long and about 5 minutes apart. Mother may seem to act a bit more spacey and unfocused to caregivers in the beta mindset.
During this time the Mother craves privacy, silence, warmth and the intimacy of the dark. She looks to her Guardian to know that she is safe and that no one will breach the sacredness of her travels by distracting her or leveling any expectations on her. But most importantly, she looks to her Partner to see if he* is with her. She reaches for him to bring him into the vortex and together they speak a silent language as the sensations between them become more powerful and intense. No one may disturb them; they are Between the Worlds. They become tuned to rhythm of this process and perhaps to the spirit and soul of their child. They may have visions, see colors, hear the voice of their child. Whatever their experience, it is unique and relevant to them as partners, parents and family.
This place Between the Worlds is the trance-like altered state where the opportunity exists to access the mystical state of transformation. Profound realizations may occur; new truths may become evident. Non ordinary reality may bring forth new information and new perspectives that forever alter the consciousness of the individual and the family. Mother is no longer in Beta, way past Alpha and moving through the deepest states of consciousness…Theta and Delta (beyond the subconscious to unconscious). It is important not to interfere with the birthing couple and it is seldom necessary.
Mother stays upright, moving with her labor, moving with her contractions. They become longer and stronger – from 60 seconds to 75 seconds, almost to 90 seconds.
At this time her dilation moves from 5 cm to 8 or 9 cm. Labor is considered hard now and often painful…at the least, strong and intense. Mother has coping strategies. She is not lost. She has what it takes to find her way. She doesn’t usually need words…simple reassurance in the form of present companions who give her privacy and offer safety, although sometimes quiet murmurings of respect and affirmation may afford the mom an understanding that you are there if needed. Sometimes humming or soft singing, from another room, may provide the mom with any needed reassurance. Mother may wish touch, eye contact, the healing powers of water…or none of the above. I’ve learned to make no assumptions. Now, I follow the mother and the journey.
Again, the Art of Midwifery is inherent in being able to provide for the needs of any women, whether she wishes company or aloneness, eye contact or someone in the next room. The Art is being able to individualize your presence to the preferences of each woman. I often take a position in the corner, quietly witnessing, though not observing or intruding on the birthing couple‘s privacy. After all, what could possibly be wrong if the caregiver is knitting in the corner.
Mother climbs higher as she plunges deeper.
Mother becomes aware that she is nearing the peak. She is deep in a vortex, past anything she has ever known.. She has been continuously opening to wisdom, opening to revelation and now she comes face to face with the apex of her labor. This is what she has come for – accessing the new spirit, the new person that is her child and her Partner’s child, and bringing this soul to Earth. She hears the Summons, she summons her child and together they make their way back. This is often the most precarious part of the journey. Mother must summon all her reserves and she may want to know that her Partner is totally present and supportive. She assumes her caregiver is following their course and holding everything steady on the other side of the storm. Mother is braver and more courageous than ever before in her life.
Transition is considered the most intense time for Mother. Contractions are long and hard – 90 seconds plus and coming 3 or 4 minutes apart. She is reaching toward 100% dilation or 10 cm. This is as open as a woman can be. Of course things may seem hectic and often the Mother flounders briefly during this supreme openness. She may say that she cannot go on or that she wants to go home. She may have a wild-eyed look and seek the presence of others. She may ask for help but I have noticed this is not the authentic need for someone to do something, rather it is the calling out to be witnessed in this hardest phase yet.
Sometimes the presence of another person, especially one she loves and trusts, will restore calmness. And sometimes, the presence of another will allow her to feel safe and she will then rage to the end of the universe. Her personal tempest may take her far from ordinary reality. She will become the storm, become wild and incredibly powerful. Caregivers and partners may be amazed, even intimidated. Mother will find her way however it takes.
It’s important to note that birth does not look any particular way. Some moms are calm, some are wild. Some labors are fraught with pain, some are totally bearable, some are even orgasmic. I am not suggesting that any style of birth is better or more conscious than another. What I am saying is that when the mom is in her authentic power, no matter how that may appear, her birth is normal, natural and perfect for her. I am also saying that when a mom is imprinted by cultural or caregiver mores or prevented from accessing her instinctual wisdom, her experience of birth may be unbearable, agonizing, out of control, humiliating and shameful.
At this time, a woman often needs to find her own way. She needs to hear the Summons in her own language and on her own terms. When she does, the journey toward home can be initiated. Any distraction at this time can be confusing and dangerous but I have witnessed women be flexible and powerful and rise above danger and distraction with astounding regularity. During this time of openness, women find their way, find themselves, find their power and their will and commune with forces greater than they have ever experienced.
Again, the art is to witness yet not to disturb the process.
This is the period of great stillness and peace that occurs after transition. All becomes calm and quiet and the Mother knows that IT has happened. She knows she has found what she is looking for…her still place in the tempest and access to the soul of her baby. Both mother and baby are tranquil and serene, drifting toward the shores of home. She may choose to rest in the arms of her Partner or create a still place to recoup her energy. She is not finished with her travels – she must manage the breakers ahead – but right now she is in peace. This is one of the most important parts of labor.
For many years there was no acknowledgment of this stage of labor in our culture. Once a Mother achieves complete dilation she is usually encouraged to begin to push out her baby. But in the holistic paradigm, this stage, which usually lasts about 20 to 30 minutes (but can be as short as 5 minutes or can last hours), is Mother’s time to regroup and collect her energies for delivery. Labor seems to stop; contractions literally stop or slow down and the Mother may fall asleep or fall into a quiet, meditative trance. Everyone waits in the hush until contractions resume.
What happens during the Quiescence is more than resting or regrouping. When you have climbed the highest mountain and finally reached the Summit what do you do…run right back down the other side. Of course not. Would you simply rest up for the journey down. Of course not. You may open your eyes and look! You would see what you have come this far to envision. You would possibly have a sacred and holy moment, set apart from all other moments in your life. You may receive.
This may be the pinnacle of the altered state. Brainwaves may shift to Delta, the slowest and deepest of our known patterns, which allows us access to the realms of the unconscious…the realms of profound knowing, meditative understanding and peak experiences. This is the realm of transformation.
In this case, mother receives understanding and knowing pertinent to this new human being that she is birthing. She receives wisdom that is easily accessible at this great altitude and in this momentous altered state. We lament that we are not accorded the blueprint with which to raise our children but that is not entirely true. There can be a veritable download of information about her child…the blueprint. This is a key part of the journey and mothers wish to be respected and afforded solitude to experience this phase of labor.
This stage is different for each woman and for each labor but in a labor where the Mother is not required to perform to any expectations or has any strong programming about exactly how labor should unfold, I have noticed that this interval lasts about 20 to 30 minutes. At the end of this period, contractions begin and the Mom is often startled into wakefulness. She is now ready to head down the mountain, carrying precious information. She is heading to shore on the incoming tide.
Mother puts her feet on the ground again. However, the resumption of contractions does not mean the mother is planning or ready to push out her baby at this time. During the time of the Birthing Tides the mother is alive with wonder and she is aware that her body is bringing her baby down the birth canal. She feels the sensations of baby moving, she feels a quickening and an alertness that allows her to shuttle back and forth through unconscious, subconscious and ordinary reality. She knows something is different, she knows birth is imminent but she’s not in a hurry. She is coming down the mountain with a steady step…revitalized, reflecting, remembering what she has seen.
Her contractions may become strong and intense and her uterus is doing something very different than when she was ascending to the top. Her cervix is completely open and her contractions begin moving the baby through the birth canal and closer to her perineum. She may have small urges to push with each contraction but more often than not she will just let the contractions sweep the baby down without pushing with them. She may feel the intimation of pressure and pushing but the momentous urge to fiercely bear down is usually not present yet. In her wisdom she understands that she does not need to push hard at this time. Rather she needs to wait until her baby is there. Mother is focused, receptive, alive and alert. She is still Between the Worlds, but she is a new woman. Alive and active, mother says to all – “Stand back. I’m about to have a baby.” She finds her own position, her own rhythm. Her eyes are trained on the shore; she is coming back, bearing a great gift.
The time of the Birthing Tides generally feels good to women. No matter how tiring or exhausting her journey, the Mother experiences a second wind, a new spurt of energy and excitement. The birth now becomes more of an active event – the receptive state of Between the Worlds gives way to the active state of the Birthing Tides. Most Moms are galvanized into a place of intense power. Sensations are considered strong and powerful rather than painful. A Mother who is alert, erect and under her own authority will instinctively know what to do. She will find the appropriate place, position and rhythm for the work she is doing. She will absolutely know how to birth her baby.
Mothers generally tend to vocalize during labor. In the early parts – Embarkation – the Mom is often chatty and responsive to the environment. As labor progresses and Mom reaches the Veil (active labor – 5cm) she becomes quiet and responds to her own inner environment. Her vocalization may change to sighing, humming, ohming or ahhhing. As she moves Between the Worlds these sounds escalate in their depth (not pitch) and in their intensity.
The Mother may begin to sway and moan and give herself completely to the primordial quality of this powerful experience. During the Summoning she may call out loudly to the Universe, to her partner or to the soul of her child – usually remaining deep and grounded but occasionally reaching out to share the intensity of this journey with her companions. Sometimes the Mom may ask for reassurance during this time, sometimes she goes even deeper into her own realms. During Quiescence a hush prevails. Then as the Mother begins to navigate the Breakers her sounds change. Louder and deeper still, the sounds that emanate from the birthing Mother are the sounds of opening; a channel is being cleared and everything moves out of the way.
It is also relevant to note that some women go from their Quiescence directly into the next stage, The Breakers. In some births I have noticed that women, usually moms having their second or third+ children, wake from the Quiescence already with the baby on the perineum and ready to begin pushing.
At this point the baby’s head reaches the perineum. It can be felt by the mother, it may be visible to her partner if her position makes that available. Mother knows her baby is right there. The sensation of the baby on the perineum will bring on pushing contractions from the mother if necessary. Usually mothers seem to be at one with the power of the waves and push with them but I have witnessed a few women who never actively push during their labors. The uterus does everything. Mothers articulate with these birthing contractions and the birthing song that began in early labor crescendos into magnificent aria.
The mother’s voice may actually guide the baby to the end of the tunnel. These universal sounds may spur the baby on through his or her journey and create the natural excitement and tension that comes with reaching a goal. At this point, close to Crowning, the Mother experiences a rush of adrenaline. With the speed of light she is in two worlds. Her oxytocin birth trance is still palpable and she is cognizant of her earthly reality. She is back and is ready to bring her baby to dry land. I have noticed that almost all women engage the same position for birth. Women who are left alone and not told what to do…universally and naturally seem to do this…KNEEL on one knee.
During their time Between the Worlds, most women are upright and flowing with labor. Many women sway with contractions and will lean forward during the majority of the contraction. This is natural wisdom. In labor, the uterus moves upward and forward and women naturally move with the uterus, facilitating the process. Some women will even hold their uterus up and forward with contractions…never having been guided or encouraged to do this. During Quiescence, women seem to relax. They may float in the tub or sit back. They may even lie down on the side. When contractions resume full-on during the time of the Birthing Tides, women are usually upright again…walking, swaying, leaning. As this time becomes more intense and melds into the actual Breakers a woman instinctively knows her baby is near and will begin to hunch down and get closer to the floor.
Finally, when the breakers are in full swing, women invariably bring down one knee and take a kneeling position with one knee on the floor, the other bent. A mother will never drop her baby out on the ground. She will crouch on the floor, one knee down, one bent and facilitate the birth of her child. Her partner usually crouches in front and above her, like the Archangel, protecting and witnessing, claiming his family. The caregiver is nearby…waiting to be called closer if needed. Most mothers birth their babies solo. Babies generally don’t come barreling out of the uterus when the mother is present and instinctually engaged in her birth, so no one needs to catch. Mother’s hands know what to do…as always…and assistance is seldom needed. Baby comes through mother’s hands and she places her baby gently on the birth mat prepared for the baby on the floor.
A note about other positions…
Women will sometimes go from a kneeling position during the Breakers to a hands and knees position. This is popular position because the laboring mom can get the weight of the baby off her back and has her arms to support her as she leans over. A mother will only do this if a caregiver or partner is facilitating the actual delivery because a mom instinctively knows that her baby is now behind her and she cannot receive her baby herself. Often moms confide after the birth that the hands and knees position made sense in the moment but that they were sorry to have missed the birth of their child. Someone else ended up catching the baby and many moms I have known will not choose this position again.
Women seem to dislike a supported squat. They are totally dependent on someone else to hold them up during birth, usually the partner, and then the partner does not easily see his child born. Also it often puts the mom in an awkward state…needing to depend on someone to hold them during birth when they instinctively understand that this is not really necessary. I realize that supported squat is a caregivers position for a mom rather than a position that she would naturally choose. Also, in a supported squat, I have seen women have difficulty arching their back for the fetal ejection reflex that Michel Odent speaks about.
Semi-sitting, the most culturally popular position for childbirth, is the most difficult position in which to birth a baby. It’s a matter of sacred geometry. When a women is sitting on her coccyx, which is exactly where she is sitting when leaning back, she is occluding the birth canal. In labor, the coccyx will naturally roll out of the way so the baby can fit through. When mom is sitting on it, great force may be required to move the baby over the coccyx. That translates as hard and heavy managed pushing with the legs to the ears and often a lot of yelling and coaching. Even though it is psychologically preferred to lying on the back or in stirrups I have never seen a mother choose this position, or need to. Actually, from the physiological stance, lying on the back is an easier position for labor because the coccyx can move out of the way with less effort than when the mom is sitting on it. Moms do not like lying on their backs in labor because intuitively they know it’s not natural and it creates more work for the uterus which moves forward and upward.
Women opting for a water birth may sometimes remain in the semi-sitting position. This works in water because as the baby is borning, mother can easily raise herself up and let the coccyx move and the baby come to crowning.
Lying on the left side is chosen by moms who are wanting to be in their beds or are confined to bed for some reason. It seems to work very smoothly as it equalizes pressure on mom’s bottom but women report that there’s something very awkward about needing to have your leg held up during your birth.
What I learned from birthing women is that they will instinctively find the position that works best for their labor….usually the kneeling position. Whatever position a woman chooses…semi-sitting or hands and knees or kneeling…it is the natural position in the moment. There is no one correct position for birth. It is as individual as each woman and each labor. My experiences have been that women most often choose a kneeling position when not culturally imprinted.
The distinction between the two stages of Second Stage of Labor:
In clinical practice, we have acknowledged only one aspect of second stage. In this holistic model we notice that mothers don’t usually push until the head is on the perineum and we have delineated two stages of labor. The first stage of second stage, The Tides, occurs after transition and includes the time between full dilation and the arrival of the head on the perineum. This stage encompasses the time that the uterus naturally brings the baby through the birth canal. The other stage, The Breakers, characterizes the time when the baby is visible and the mother has a compelling and involuntary urge to push.
Sometimes she will feel her uterus pushing gently during the Birthing Tides. She does not push with it…it’s not necessary. In fact, encouraging or managing a mom to push during this time before the head is on the perineum may cause undue damage to her vaginal tissues, pop capillaries and disorient the mom who instinctively knows her baby will come down with privacy, time and the ability to find the appropriate position.
During The Breakers she will use her own effort with that of the uterus to birth her baby. I have been taught by women that it is not necessary tell a mother to begin pushing or to guide or manage a mother in pushing. This overrides her instincts and unless something is terribly wrong, her instincts will always be her best guide. Pushing before the head is visible… known as managed pushing…is a dubious achievement at best. It can be humiliating to position a woman on her back or bring her legs up to her ears and exhort her to push her baby down and out. It is instinctively incorrect, it seems overbearing and generally, from my experience, unnecessary.
(Certain variations, such as moms with babies in a posterior position, often do need assistance with pain relief and with pushing techniques…more on that later.)
At the time of Crowning the largest part of the baby’s head has now passed through the Birth Gate. Mother is often ecstatic and totally energized.
She may cry out as if to announce her return. An adrenalin response occurs in the mother and she rises up slightly from her kneeling position and arches her back. This has been called the fetal ejection reflex by Michel Odent and this rising up allows her to facilitate crowning and the baby moving through the last part of the birth canal. This adrenalin surge, that co-exists with the flow of oxytocin, is responsible for the alertness of the mother and baby during this time. A mom may feel somewhat overwhelmed as she transports from one dimension to another but she is never at a loss for what to do. She simply births her baby. As she kneels to birth, her partner may be facing her, ready to catch his child. Perhaps another pair of hands, those of the midwife or caregiver, are ready to assist, and then again, perhaps not. Assistance is normally not necessary. Mother is not out of control, birth is not chaotic, there is no hysteria or confusion. Birth is accessible and a woman does what is natural.
It is an absolute fact that a woman does not particularly need anyone to catch her baby. She may desire another pair of hands in her field or she may desire someone to catch her child but women do not particularly NEED anyone to catch their babies. The myth that someone must check for the cord or perform head traction to free the baby is simply not true. Cords seem to resolve themselves…in fact one third of all babies I have seen born have had the cord around the neck and generally nothing was needed to be done. Head traction or assisting the baby is usually not necessary either and may, in fact, cause a problem or delay.
Baby slides into a new world. A transformation has occurred. Both mother and child experience a period of re-integration and re-organization. This stage may take about 5 to 10 minutes and is similar to the Quiescence in it’s calmness and quietude. Mother and baby are stabilizing – reorganizing molecular structure – and neither may do anything that is visibly apparent for a few moments. Baby is changing from fetal circulation to neonatal circulation, initiating respirations, smelling the environment, feeling air for the first time, listening, seeing, and experiencing his or her first impressions of this planet. Mother is seeing this planet through new eyes. She will usually sit quietly for a few moments allowing herself to return. She then reaches out to touch her baby. Usually the partner sits by, watching, with tears of awe.
This is the moment of earthly bonding. Oxytocin, the hormone of love, runs high…higher than at any other time in labor and the family falls into love with each other. Mother recognizes her child, partner claims his family. The bonding occurs first on psychic and spiritual level, then the mother reaches to pick up her baby.
Mothers have taught me that it is not appropriate to interfere with this important stage of birth. This is an incredibly high and holy moment and if we truly understood birth and the ramifications of returning from an altered state…the re-integration…we would protect the privacy of the mother and baby at this time more than any other. I have noticed that mothers are often not ready to hold their babies immediately after delivery. They need a moment, or two, or five. They need to experience their baby in an authentic and instinctive manner. We need not hand a baby to a mother and please, never remove a baby from the mothers field.
At this time Mother has picked up her baby and begun to become acquainted. Mother and Father are in awe; in awe of their baby, of each other, of the amazing realms through which they have just traveled. With a sense of wonder and reverence they approach their baby. Initially they may be crying and speechless, still wrapped in the mystical cocoon of the Vortex. This may soon give way to expressions of delight as parents caress and speak to their baby and each other. The period of Return and of Acquaintance are times when distractions should be kept to a minimum in order to respect the initial bonding between parents and baby. Stethoscopes, flashing cameras, suctioning devices, hands and voices other than the mother and father can be disruptive and inappropriate during these vital first few minutes, especially if the parents want the sanctity of the bonding process honored.
As the Acquaintance comes to an end (usually after about ten minutes) and mother and father have explored their new child, the mother may feel the placenta descend and feel that it may be ready to be birthed. If so, she will signal for the bowl and perhaps wish the caregiver to come closer. However most women I have worked with have not desired to birth their placentas until after the next stage.
From the Tao…‘The midwife does her work by doing nothing.’
From close by, without interrupting or being in the mother‘s field, the midwife or caregiver can assess the newborn, assess mom’s placental separation and bleeding, assess and meet the immediate needs of anyone in the room, stabilize the environment and be the silent witness during these first minutes and stages after the birth.
This is the point at which the parents choose to share their new baby with others in the room. Children, grandparents, friends, attendants are invited to come closer and greet the newborn. At this invitation, the caregiver may move into the space of the Mother and family. Momma and baby are alert and receptive. Father is processing the experience and claiming his family. Baby may show interest in nursing. Congratulations are offered and a quiet celebration ensues. The Return, Acquaintance and Communion together last about 20 to 30 minutes and comprise the immediate postpartum. While they are short in duration they are very different stages of birth, each with a unique and important experience that impacts the development and well-being of the family.
About 30 minutes after the birth, the mother will often turn her attention to her placenta. At this time, the placenta is out of the uterus and sitting in the yoni. It is easily birthed at this time with very little fuss and concern. The midwife may hold the bowl and assist the mother in positioning herself to release the placenta.
The mother has had her bonding time and has had initial communication with her loved ones and she now settles herself down to nurse and fortify herself with something to eat and drink. The family is stable and safe. Perhaps the midwife has finished that baby hat by now and may offer it to the parents before she withdraws.
Babies tend to be alert for the first hour or so after their birth. Then they generally drift deeply into sleep, having nursed and fallen in love. Mother has birthed her placenta and received nourishment and witnessing from her loved ones. This is now the time, after about an hour, while her baby sleeps, for the caregiver to return to the scene and assist the mother in accessing her body and her bleeding. Mother may wish to shower and assess her bottom, the birthing room is tidied, phone calls are made. Perhaps mother calls for more food and wishes to talk, perhaps she wishes to rest. As this finishing winds down over the next while, mother and partner draw together and prepare to enfold their baby, and each other, in sleep.
The midwife enfolds all as she writes her notes or closes her eyes in silent vigil.
During the next days and weeks the vortex remains open. Mamatoto…motherbaby…are establishing their relationship and rhythm. The altered state is still apparent but beginning to close. How quickly it closes depends on how soon the mother returns to her ordinary reality. During this time, family and caregiver revisit the events of the birth. This is a crucial time of witnessing and articulating the journey to each other. Mother has an opportunity to review her altered state with her companions and formulate her wisdom. Partner is incorporated into the experiences and the parents share their insights.
The Weaving goes on forever. Families and caregivers form a special bond and as time progresses and children grow often the birth wisdom continues to be revealed and understood. Being present with families in the postpartum is as relevant as being present in pregnancy and birth. Also, this is the stage when parents let me know what worked for them and what didn’t. This is time of open and candid communication as parents taught me how to better midwife them.
As I continued to facilitate women and families in birth, more was revealed. As I gave up my preconceived ideas about birth, and witnessed what actually happened, women were free and delighted to share a new paradigm with me. And while I realized that this account of birthing does not represent the mainstream in birth today, it is my experience and the experience of many of the women I have attended. As a constant student of birth, I offer thanks to them.
*While I use the pronoun ‘he’ to refer to a partner, in no way do I wish to marginalize same-sex couples. Nor do I wish to minimize single moms who have done more for liberating women than any group I can think of. My practice has been mostly with non-same-sex, married couples so I use what I am most familiar with.
Resources for this article:
Women Giving Birth by Astrid Limberg and Beatrice Smulders
The Scientification of Love by Michel Odent
Birth Reborn by Michel Odent
A Plea for the Reform of Second Stage of Labor by Constance Benyon
Doctors Say Newborns Only Feel Pain In Birth
You know, I'm just gonna say it how I see it here....Modern technology is PRETTY damn AMAZING especially when it comes to acute care. But I read the article below and think about ALL the things we REALLY think we KNOW about life and realize....I don't think we really know WHAT we think we know.
That was a LONG way to say that but I mean it. So often we jump into this world of medical beliefs and studies and tests...etc...and believe WHATEVER "they" tell us. I am ALWAYS surprised when I read how we didn't know that babies were actually feeling, sensational beings until the 1980's. What? The 1980's weren't that long ago, guys. I have distinct memories from the 1980's.
So throughout the last, who knows how many years, we've been torturing mamas and babies all in the name of saving lives. We like to stick to the old illogical ideologies that if we do something to one women, especially those women who are considered high risk, then we must do it to ALL mamas and babies.
Here I am, yet again and it won't be the LAST time, sending a SHOUT OUT to all who are willing to hear that.... BABIES FEEL BIRTH! Not only do they feel birth. But they also feel conception, pregnancy and birth. Only a mere 26 days after gestation is the limbic brain forming. It starts STORING through sensation and feeling ALL that is taking place within the location of gestation. You got it....Their MOTHER!
They experience EVERYTHING that the mother experiences. They feel EVERYTHING the mother feels. How could they not? Dig deep inside yourself and simply ask the question..."Do babies feel and comprehend on some level everything?" Just sit silently with yourself and listen to the answer. If you answer is anything other than a RESOUNDING YES....then its time for YOU to look at your own limbic imprinting and do some massive HEALING!
It is EXCITING to think we are coming to a place in our world where we are recognizing and acknowledging that our current birth practices are actually hurting and causing real trauma for the newborns entering our world. Babies nervous systems just cannot hack the intrusion of crude and cruel handling and painful poking and prodding.
Its time we all learn how to leave Mamas and babies ALONE! Just let them do their THING! Stop bombarding them with input and stimulation that is thwarting the natural and normal processes of birth. I've made a commitment to STAND UP and do my part to create change within the women and families I work with. Will YOU?
I hope you read the article below with an open heart and mind and really search your SOULS on what difference you can make TODAY to help ease the entrance of all the newest lives coming into our out of control and backwards world. Let's each open ourselves to expanding ourselves in such a way....that we EACH work out our own birth traumas so as to enlighten the new souls and truly give them wings to FLY. To connect. To feel safe. To LOVE!
In Peace,
Rachel
P.S. If you want to know more about the effects of circumcision on men in general....read my post
"New Study: Circumsized Men Unable to Process Emotion."
According To Doctors, New Born Babies Have Only Felt Pain In The Last 30 Years
Prevent Disease
Mon, 14 May 2012 13:19 CDT
Sounds ridiculous doesn't it? Read the title again. How could babies not feel pain? Your first impression may interpret this statement as absurd or illogical. Well that is precisely how conventional medical misinformation was spread (and is spread) throughout scientific literature to promote fiction as fact.
Doctors only started accepting the idea that babies experienced pain from vaccine injections and circumcision in the 1980's. Before that, medical wisdom had somehow managed to promote the myth "babies did not experience pain" to allopathic practitioners worldwide. In fact, newborns underwent many routine surgeries without anesthetic before the 1980's because of this misrepresented belief.
As every decade and century passes, the previous misconceptions of conventional medicine are seen as a complete failure, not only in its illogical interpretation of the human body and its physiology, but in the care, interest and advancement of human health.
One of my mentors used to tell me that "you can never know how far down a mountain path you've traveled until you look back." The same can be said for the conventional path to health.
Women Used To Be Put To Sleep To Deliver Babies
As a perfect example, I will remind women that after World War II and until the 1970's, women in labor in the United States (and countless other countries worldwide) were given general anesthesia to put them to sleep while they were delivering their babies. Since women were unable to push the baby out, a physician used forceps, large steel spoons, around the baby's head to pull it out. Most pregnant women would cringe today at the thought of this process, but it was a routine procedure and acceptable for the majority of deliveries. It was not questioned. It was the norm.
Thank goodness midwives started asserting their strength in the early 1970's and began educating women on the dangers of this practice.
The list of incidents and practices propagated by allopathic practitioners and scientific literature is so lengthy that it would take days to recite the countless incompetent realities experienced by millions of victims at the hands of conventional physicians throughout the past few centuries alone.
Babies Don't Feel Pain???
Perhaps the most atrocious and barbaric of these incompetencies persisted in the areas of pediatric health. Specifically, how infants were labeled as incapable of experiencing pain.
The belief was held that the smallest babies were such primitive organisms that they were oblivious to pain. It persisted for decades among many physicians who have routinely operated on these children with little or no anesthesia, including circumcisions and other surgeries.
The practice of withholding pain relief was widespread in the United States and other countries from the 1940's until at least the late 1970's. In one survey of medical literature, 77 percent of all the newborns who underwent surgery throughout the world between 1954 and 1983 to repair a serious blood vessel defect called patent ductus arteriosus received only muscle relaxants or relaxants plus intermittent nitrous oxide.
The failure to relieve pain was a ''barbarous'' and ''nasty business'', according of Dr. John W. Scanlon, director of neonatology at the Columbia Hospital for Women in Washington.
How could a profession dedicated to so-called healing end up inadvertently inflicting needless pain on tiny little babies for several decades?
They phrased the consensus in the scientific literature so it was convincing enough to medical students, who then promoted the myth to parents, families, communities and entire institutions.
A deeper reason for the failure can be found mostly in theoretical assumptions, now regarded as faulty, that allowed ill-founded beliefs about newborns to take root. The notion that babies do not feel pain stems from studies in the 1940's indicating that newborns did not respond to pinpricks by pulling their limbs away as an older infant would.
Unproven Theories
A wide range of unproven theories was voiced to ''explain'' how this was due to an immature nervous system or other physiologic factors. Today, it is recognized that these studies, and others later, had serious flaws. Now doctors know that infants utter unique cries and secrete high levels of stress hormones in response to pain, and that their pain pathways and brain functions are more mature than previously thought.
The understanding of pain in babies was that fetal and newborn unmyelinated nerve fibres were incapable of relaying information at the same speed as myelinated fibres in older children. They assumed that at birth, a baby had developed the neural pathways for nociception and for experiencing pain, but the pain responses were an immature version of older children. Thus, the assumption led to a belief that a baby's threshold for sensitization was substantially decreased because the neural pathways that descended from the brain to the spinal cord were not well developed in the newborn, resulting in the ability of the central nervous system to inhibit pain. The opposite is true today.
Only after parents and other laymen raised a cry about needless suffering, and some filed lawsuits, was there enough pressure to change.
The long failure to provide anesthesia for newborns provides a salutary reminder that medical practices are sometimes based on flimsy science and erroneous beliefs, and that outside critics can bring an important perspective.
Most pediatric specialists today know that a newborn's nervous system may be much more active than that of an adult, in terms of transforming its connections and central nerve pathways in response to stimuli. The ongoing process of neural pathway development, involving both structural and chemical changes of the nervous system, have been shown to be affected by pain events, both in the short term and potentially into adult life.
With the advent of sonograms and live-action ultrasound images, neonatologists and nurses are able to see unborn babies at 20 weeks gestation react physically to outside stimuli such as sound, light and touch. The sense of touch is so acute that even a single human hair drawn across an unborn baby's palm causes the baby to make a fist. Surgeons entering the womb to perform corrective procedures on tiny unborn babies have seen those babies flinch, jerk and recoil from sharp objects and incisions.
"The neural pathways are present for pain to be experienced quite early by unborn babies," explains Steven Calvin, M.D., perinatologist, chair of the Program in Human Rights Medicine, University of Minnesota, where he teaches obstetrics.
Medical Facts of Fetal Pain
Anatomical studies have documented that the body's pain network--the spino-thalamic pathway--is established by 20 weeks gestation.
- "At 20 weeks, the fetal brain has the full complement of brain cells present in adulthood, ready and waiting to receive pain signals from the body, and their electrical activity can be recorded by standard electroencephalography (EEG)."
~ Dr. Paul Ranalli, neurologist, University of Toronto - An unborn baby at 20 weeks gestation "is fully capable of experiencing pain...Without question, [abortion] is a dreadfully painful experience for any infant subjected to such a surgical procedure."
~ Robert J. White, M.D., PhD., professor of neurosurgery, Case Western University
Unborn babies at 20 weeks development actually feel pain more intensely than adults. This is a "uniquely vulnerable time, since the pain system is fully established, yet the higher level pain-modifying system has barely begun to develop," according to Dr. Ranalli.
How Pain From a Vaccine Needle or Circumcision Primes The Brain of Infants For Future Trauma
Newborns exposed to painful events such as vaccines or circumcision may affect future pain responses and adaptation to life experiences.
Scandinavian research concluded that trauma in newborn babies contributes to high rates of suicide and drug addiction in teenagers. "We can be imposing on babies patterns of behaviour by what we do to them," says Aynsley Green. "We ought to be looking for long-term consequences than we have been until now."
"Something as simple as a vaccine injection to a newborn creates a new pain set point for that infant...it learns what pain is at an extremely early age which sets up conditioning for the rest of its life," said pain specialist Dr. Ivan Kotchen.
Many procedures including circumcision and heel pricks are wrongly performed without anaesthesia. An international review of 40 studies involving 1157 newborn babies undergoing procedures found that 23 percent were "horrifyingly" given no anaesthesia.
Circumcising baby boys may make them more sensitive to pain. "Circumcised boys had significantly longer crying bouts and higher pain scores," said Dr. Gideon Koren from the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada. "Neo-natal circumcision may affect pain response several months after the event."
Other studies have shown that the body "learns" how to feel pain, and Koren says circumcision -- often a baby boy's first experience of pain -- may prime him for future trauma.
"Because memory of pain is believed to be important in subsequent pain perception it is conceivable that pain from circumcision may have long-lasting effects on pain response and/or perception," he writes.
Most people who follow my work know that I have a very strong opinion about the ineffectiveness of vaccines. What most of my readers don't know is that part of my education of childhood pain is what led me to study the realities of what vaccines do to children.
When it comes to trusting any medical system, I urge every mother, father, parent or guardian out there to please question everything you know to be true when it comes to your health and the health of your children. Never take anything at face value from any expert and always leave any conversation, lesson or reading material with doubt, including this one. Above all else, be true to yourself and trust your instincts. You are your best healer, and that will never change.
Instead of accepting information as fact, we ought to be taught that it is only a figment of knowledge on the edge of the unknown.
~ Forbes, January 11, 1999
Dave Mihalovic is a Naturopathic Doctor who specializes in vaccine research, cancer prevention and a natural approach to treatment.
The GREAT Men-Dads Who Support Breastfeeding
My post today goes out to my AMAZINGLY SUPPORTIVE husband, Chris! I watched the below video on breastfeeding and just felt this sense of adoration and appreciation for him and ALL he is for me and our children.
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| Minutes after Mabel was born |
I remember 16 years ago now when I came to him telling him that I thought I would want a home birth. His response, at the time, seemed so natural and proper. He simply stated that I could birth our baby however I felt most comfortable. He told me that he felt his role was to SUPPORT what ever I wanted and educate himself on how BEST he could serve me in our pregnancy and life after our baby was born.
This included BREASTFEEDING. I was a typical first time Mom when it came to breastfeeding. Though it felt WONDERFULLY connective and broke open EVERY nurturing, LOVING bone in my body, breastfeeding still came with its struggles.
There were times when I felt so OVERWHELMED by being a first time mother and remembering how to care for another life, that Chris' gentle reminders of why I was doing it was like music to my ears when I most needed reassurance. He would most tenderly let me know how PROUD he was of me and the care and time I took with each of our children.
When Mabel, our last, was born, I entered baby land again after 6 years. It was a stretch for me to open myself again to caring for a newborn and really pausing my life. My previous 4 children had taught me that time spent, especially when 1st arriving earthside, was the GREATEST gift I could give either of us. Mabel was a high touch, high need baby. Though I enjoyed EVERY moment of our connection, the emotions of entering new motherland came creeping in most days.
Chris worked a full time job and was very busy each and every day. BUT....daily phone calls filled with uplifting and inspirational words helped to remind me of what I was doing and, more importantly...WHY I was doing it. He reminded me of the small window of time I have with Mabel at such a fragile and vulnerable state.
He nudged me in such a way that after we talked, I always felt like WONDER WOMAN! I was doing things that seemed hard on some days but was forging a bond and future relationship of LOVE and TRUST for both of us.
My husband, MOST DEFINITELY, is not perfect. He has many weaknesses as we all do. Our husband don't have to be perfect to support and encourage us in caring for our babies and children the healthiest way possible. It really even only takes a few kind words in a moment of frustration to help affirm what, we as hippie/crunchy mamas, are really gifting to each and every one of the new little human beings entering our planet.
So here's my SHOUT OUT to all you crunchy/hippie daddy's who like to think your not really as crunchy and hippie as you really are. THANK YOU for being YOU! Thank you for loving and respecting us women enough to support and encourage our CRAZY decisions to step outside of the "NORMAL" box and let us mother the way we feel INSPIRED to do so. The truth is....we couldn't do it NOR would we want to do it WITHOUT you and your KIND words, SOFT touch and giving heart.
All be told, with everything my husband has been, as my husband and lover and father to our 5 children, my words of appreciation really aren't enough. Just know....we as loving wives and mothers...see what you do for us day in and day out...and feel BLESSED that such men are here and available to take on the responsibility of father/partner/care provider.
Please all you women out there....Let your husband's know how MUCH you LOVE them. Don't wait till Father's Day to show it. Show it EACH and everyday. I promise YOU will be HAPPIER and more CONTENT than EVER before. Plus, the LOVE your showing your lover may actually end up in the bedroom where REAL fireworks happen. :)
In Peace,
Rachel
An Introduction To Prenatal Psychology-Understanding What The Prenate Understands
One of the VERY first books I read on understanding prenatal psychology was Thomas Verny's book "The Secret Life of the Unborn Child." It was his book that convinced me more deeply of the integrity of the fetus and its ability to sense and feel all things around them. A must read for anyone interested in learning more about what information your baby gathers while gestating inside its Mama's belly.
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I'm gonna go ahead and let all of you listen to an EXPERT on the subject of perinatal behaviors, comprehension and integration. I wholeheartedly agree with his philosophies and beliefs on conception and pregnancy. How we are born is merely a mirror of how the rest of our lives will end up in regards to connection and bonding....LOVE and TRUST. In Peace, Rachel
Public Schools KILL Creativity
My 2 oldest boys asked to attend public school this year. I am still begging them daily to come back home for school. They are really enjoying the social aspects public school provides. I do believe that our current public school system is failing our children in a multitude of ways....aside from the creativity bit.
Our children enter our world with the hopes of opening themselves up to the world around them and being who they are MEANT to be while they are here. When our births are traumatic or abusive in anyway, we lessen the ability for our children to truly open themselves to their full potential.
They come into the world curious and eager to learn and grow in a healthy, balanced environment. One where they are NOT told who they are or even what we, as their parents, expect of them. Its time for us, as parents, to HEAR the words of our children and really LISTEN to what they want for THEMSELVES. They know their own path and they know how to fulfill it. We need to step out of their way and just hold a space of LOVE and DEVOTION for them as they learn and grow the way THEY know how.
I apology for my lack of new posting on Friday and again on Monday. I had an AMAZING weekend! Chris and I stayed the weekend in Salt Lake City celebrating our 17th anniversary. The first day we got married, I thought I couldn't LOVE him more. But I do! More than I EVER thought possible.
Opening my heart to the WORLD and learning more about how I can be the BEST me has been my goal for the last several years. I'm grateful for the videos like above that open my own eyes as to how I might be stifling I'm own creativity and growth for new information and for new connections.
In Peace,
Rachel
White Sugar Makes You And Your Fetus Stupid and Sick
SUGAR! ITS EVERYWHERE! and in EVERYTHING. Sugar is a DRUG! No different than heroine or cocaine. New research is actually PROVING that the body registers sugar NO different than heroine. Google it and find out for yourselves!
Funny thing is....we are actually delivering babies that are already sugar addicts at birth because of the diet we're eating during pregnancy. Then we go on to define their limbic food imprint by feeding them foods that are NOT real foods. They are processed CRAP! The majority of fast food and processed, packaged and canned items are NOT FOOD at all. They are something else entirely and, to be honest, I'm not even sure what they are.
An example would be a twinkie! Really....it actually scares me that it can sit on a shelf for YEARS and never go bad. Or hopefully all of you have seen the movie "SUPERSIZE ME." If you haven't, WATCH it. Its extremely foul to see how McDonald's french fries NEVER go bad. Days, weeks even MONTHS go by without a change in the fry. Its FOUL! There's no other word for it. Then we go on to consume these items and call them food.
Sugar effects the human system NEGATIVELY in every way possible. It affects every organ of the body but even more importantly it affects the BRAIN that sits in our digestive tracts. Yes, we actually have a digestive system brain! Its called MICROFLORA or good bacteria. Sugar kills, similar to antibiotics, our internal flora that helps to feed the rest of our bodies in a POSITIVE way. Beneficial bacteria feeds and strengthens the immune system PROFOUNDLY.
The problem we're currently at is with the rate of sugar consumption and antibiotics our health as humanity, as a whole, is decreasing in EVERY way imaginable. I still remember when I learned all the AWFUL effects of sugar on the human system and then went and looked at all the products in my kitchen. Every single that was packaged, processed or canned had some form of sugar in it. I was SHOCKED!
When people ask me what would be the #1 ingredient that I think should be completely cut out of the human diet, its SUGAR. You'd think just cutting out one ingredient wouldn't be that hard but IT IS! I was amazed how difficult it was, 12 years ago, to find products that didn't contain sugar. Luckily, now times have changed. People are wising up about the debilitating affects of sugar consumption. They are learning how to read labels and make good choices for them and their families.
I think the saddest part about the video above is when Jamie asks the school kids about different fresh foods. I know I live in a healthy eating world but I was VERY surprised to see that children didn't even know what tomatoes or potatoes were. What a SAD state for those children and their families! But I am VERY EXCITED to see Jamie striving to make a difference in public schools and around the nation.
Though I am a HUGE proponent for a raw foods diet, but I also believe we should be educating ourselves about what whole foods and raw foods are. We should KNOW where our food is coming from to guarantee freshness and high nutrient content. We should be understanding the increased health and vitality you and your family can receive by eating fresh, organic, and raw fruits and veggies. But most importantly, as we shift to a healthier way of eating, she should LISTEN to our own intuition of what foods and herbs are BEST for us and our families.
We have inside of us this WONDERFUL ability to have ALL the answers for ourselves and our lives. Intuitive living comes from self experimentation and exploration. This means TRYING new foods regularly! Educating yourself on what foods contain the HIGHEST nutrient contents and start incorporating those into our diet.
A BIG part of conscious parenting means we expand our own ideas and views of our world and think of ways we can make it better for ourselves and our children. By doing so, we create MORE conscious and aware beings who LONG to take care of themselves and the people they LOVE in a healthier way. They are willing to deepen their ability to make wise food choices, along with healthy lifestyle choices.
Its UP to US! Do what you can to make even a small change...TODAY! Cut sugar out of your diet. FOREVER! I promise you won't regret it. I haven't. Not ONE bit! In fact, as soon as I cut sugar out of my diet, my health increased GREATLY! I was surprised how much better I felt immediately. One of the most profound effects I saw was more vibrant looking skin. Any discolorations on my skin or weird bumps or acne, almost immediately cleared up. It was WONDERFUL!
Below I have posted 2 articles on sugar and the effects on the brain and the effects on baby in pregnancy. I hope you enjoy them both and feel inspired to COMPLETELY let go of your strong addiction to sugar. Oh, and don't be afraid to say it....you are an addict. But fortunately, once you make the decision to save your life and the life of your children....you'll find its the EASIEST addiction to KICK!
In Peace,
Rachel
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Sugar makes you stupid
UCLA study shows high-fructose diet sabotages learning, memory
Attention, college students cramming between midterms and finals: Binging on soda and sweets for as little as six weeks may make you stupid.
A new UCLA rat study is the first to show how a diet steadily high in fructose slows the brain, hampering memory and learning — and how omega-3 fatty acids can counteract the disruption. The peer-reviewed Journal of Physiology publishes the findings in its May 15 edition.
"Our findings illustrate that what you eat affects how you think," said Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, a professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and a professor of integrative biology and physiology in the UCLA College of Letters and Science. "Eating a high-fructose diet over the long term alters your brain's ability to learn and remember information. But adding omega-3 fatty acids to your meals can help minimize the damage."
While earlier research has revealed how fructose harms the body through its role in diabetes, obesity and fatty liver, this study is the first to uncover how the sweetener influences the brain.
The UCLA team zeroed in on high-fructose corn syrup, an inexpensive liquid six times sweeter than cane sugar, that is commonly added to processed foods, including soft drinks, condiments, applesauce and baby food. The average American consumes more than 40 pounds of high-fructose corn syrup per year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
"We're not talking about naturally occurring fructose in fruits, which also contain important antioxidants," explained Gomez-Pinilla, who is also a member of UCLA's Brain Research Institute and Brain Injury Research Center. "We're concerned about high-fructose corn syrup that is added to manufactured food products as a sweetener and preservative."
Gomez-Pinilla and study co-author Rahul Agrawal, a UCLA visiting postdoctoral fellow from India, studied two groups of rats that each consumed a fructose solution as drinking water for six weeks. The second group also received omega-3 fatty acids in the form of flaxseed oil and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which protects against damage to the synapses — the chemical connections between brain cells that enable memory and learning.
"DHA is essential for synaptic function — brain cells' ability to transmit signals to one another," Gomez-Pinilla said. "This is the mechanism that makes learning and memory possible. Our bodies can't produce enough DHA, so it must be supplemented through our diet."
The animals were fed standard rat chow and trained on a maze twice daily for five days before starting the experimental diet. The UCLA team tested how well the rats were able to navigate the maze, which contained numerous holes but only one exit. The scientists placed visual landmarks in the maze to help the rats learn and remember the way.
Six weeks later, the researchers tested the rats' ability to recall the route and escape the maze. What they saw surprised them.
"The second group of rats navigated the maze much faster than the rats that did not receive omega-3 fatty acids," Gomez-Pinilla said. "The DHA-deprived animals were slower, and their brains showed a decline in synaptic activity. Their brain cells had trouble signaling each other, disrupting the rats' ability to think clearly and recall the route they'd learned six weeks earlier."
The DHA-deprived rats also developed signs of resistance to insulin, a hormone that controls blood sugar and regulates synaptic function in the brain. A closer look at the rats' brain tissue suggested that insulin had lost much of its power to influence the brain cells.
"Because insulin can penetrate the blood–brain barrier, the hormone may signal neurons to trigger reactions that disrupt learning and cause memory loss," Gomez-Pinilla said.
He suspects that fructose is the culprit behind the DHA-deficient rats' brain dysfunction. Eating too much fructose could block insulin's ability to regulate how cells use and store sugar for the energy required for processing thoughts and emotions.
"Insulin is important in the body for controlling blood sugar, but it may play a different role in the brain, where insulin appears to disturb memory and learning," he said. "Our study shows that a high-fructose diet harms the brain as well as the body. This is something new."
Gomez-Pinilla, a native of Chile and an exercise enthusiast who practices what he preaches, advises people to keep fructose intake to a minimum and swap sugary desserts for fresh berries and Greek yogurt, which he keeps within arm's reach in a small refrigerator in his office. An occasional bar of dark chocolate that hasn't been processed with a lot of extra sweetener is fine too, he said.
Still planning to throw caution to the wind and indulge in a hot-fudge sundae? Then also eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, like salmon, walnuts and flaxseeds, or take a daily DHA capsule. Gomez-Pinilla recommends one gram of DHA per day.
"Our findings suggest that consuming DHA regularly protects the brain against fructose's harmful effects," said Gomez-Pinilla. "It's like saving money in the bank. You want to build a reserve for your brain to tap when it requires extra fuel to fight off future diseases."
The UCLA study was funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Gomez-Pinilla's lab will next examine the role of diet in recovery from brain trauma.
The UCLA Department of Neurosurgery is committed to providing the most comprehensive patient care through innovative clinical programs in minimally invasive brain and spinal surgery; neuroendoscopy; neuro-oncology for both adult and pediatric brain tumors; cerebrovascular surgery; stereotactic radiosurgery for brain and spinal disorders; surgery for movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease; and epilepsy surgery. For 20 consecutive years, the department has been ranked among the top 10 neurosurgery programs in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.
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Sugar and Pregnancy
Everyone knows that sugar is not good for them but most people do not know the real toll that sugar can take on their health. The health effects of sugar are unfortunately compounded during pregnancy for a number of reasons. Excessive or even moderate sugar intake during pregnancy can have a very direct and negative impact on the health of you and your baby.
Why women eat sugar during pregnancy
The biggest problem with sugar intake during pregnancy is that it is socially acceptable, unlike drugs, alcohol or smoking. Many if not most women will quit drugs, alcohol, cigarettes and caffeine as soon as they find out they are pregnant due to social pressures and concern for their baby’s wellbeing. It is not only socially acceptable for pregnant women to eat sugar, but they are often encouraged by family members to eat more sugary treats and give in to their cravings.
Women also believe they are finally entitled to eat whatever they please as a benefit of being pregnant. While they may deny themselves Krispy Kremes and Haagen Daaz normally, during pregnancy anything goes because nobody will say anything and they plan on gaining weight anyway.
In addition to the lack of social restraint, pregnant women also experience powerful cravings for a variety of foods, and sugary treats are often on the list. The reason for these cravings is not a physiological need for sugar however, but a need for regular meals and snacks throughout the day. You have a much greater blood supply and extra hormones in your body during pregnancy and that means that you feel dips in your blood sugar more so than when you are not pregnant.
Skipping meals is a no-no for non-pregnant people because they will reach for the first candy bar or soda they can get their hands on a few hours later. This is even more true during pregnancy. It may feel like an overpowering craving but it is simply your body crying out for fuel. Regular, small meals are the answer, not a piece of chocolate cake.
Why Sugar is Worse During Pregnancy
Eating foods with refined sugar is bad for everyone. Even in healthy people, sugar causes weight gain, tooth decay, gum disease, rapid fluctuations in blood sugar that tax the body, reduced immunity, displaced minerals, elevated risk for cardiovascular disease and premature aging.
The sugar story gets worse for pregnant women. During pregnancy, sugar is rapidly absorbed into your blood and in order to regulate this sugar, your body requires larger amounts of insulin which is released by your pancreas. If you are eating excessive or even moderate amounts of sugar, your pancreas is going to have a difficult time keeping up. If your pancreas falls short of its job, then your blood sugar levels stay elevated. This is a problem even if you not develop full blown gestational diabetes (which is insulin intolerance).
Excessive sugar intake and elevated blood sugar levels will also cause you to gain excessive weight while pregnant. While you should gain a moderate amount of weight during pregnancy, it should be due to the weight of your fetus, increased blood volume and uterine contents, breast size and other pregnancy related weight, not just growing a fatter butt. When you are simply taking in more calories than you need, you are not the only one who gains excessive weight. Your baby may also grow too large.
Macrosomia is a condition where a baby grows excessively large due to a constantly high level of maternal blood sugar, generally due to gestational diabetes. This condition increases the risk of birth complications such as shoulder distocia and cesarean section. In addition, large babies of mothers with elevated blood sugar levels also have a higher risk of childhood obesity.
In addition to packing unnecessary pounds on yourself and complicating your pregnancy and birth with an overly large baby with a propensity for health problems, you will also run the additional risk of pregnancy related dental problems if you engage in excessive sugar consumption. Oral health during pregnancy is extremely important because toxins from periodontal disease have been proven to cross the placental barrier and reach your fetus, potentially causing both premature birth and birth defects. In fact, women with periodontal disease are seven times more likely to have a premature delivery than those with healthy gums.
In addition, women and society in general like to use the term “eating for two” which is actually nonsense. During your first trimester you do not require any extra calories and your body only needs an extra 300 calories during the second and third trimester, which should consist of high quality protein, vitamins and minerals because your body is literally building another human being. If you are not eating the proper nutrients to build a little human being’s bones, blood, fingernails and hair, then the necessary nutrients will be sucked out of your nutritional stores, putting you at risk for lifelong health problems, osteoporosis, postpartum depression and a number of other health conditions that are entirely avoidable by eating well before, during and after pregnancy.
In addition, it makes sense to get the sugar out of your house before your child is born. Children who regularly eat sugar experience raised adrenal levels, hyperactivity, anxiety, depression, concentration difficulties, low immunity, crankiness, sleep troubles, tooth decay, obesity and weight problems and lifelong health problems and disease. Do you think it is easier to get the sugar out of your home before they are born or when they are 10 and addicted to Fruit Loops or other such nonsense?
“It doesn’t matter what disease we are talking about, whether we are talking about a common cold or about cardiovascular disease, or cancer or osteoporosis, the root is always going to be at the cellular and molecular level, and more often than not insulin is going to have its hand in it, if not totally controlling it.” Healingdaily.com
Forms of Sugar
Sugar is more than that white stuff you put in your coffee. Sugar is everywhere and comes in a variety of shapes and sizes and it is imperative that you know the sneaky forms that sugar comes in if you plan on avoiding it. First and foremost, virtually anything in a bag, box or can has added sugar. There are a very few exceptions to that rule, such as a bag of frozen vegetables, but by and large, any pre-packaged, prepared food is going to have added sugar, period.
If you insist on buying packaged foods, read the labels. Anything with a label is bound to have sugar anyway, but read for yourself. Look for any ingredient ending in ‘ose’. Fructose, dextrose and glucose are all sugars. Bread has sugar. Pizza has sugar. Sodas, pastries, cakes, cookies, and other goodies all have sugar. Almost everything has some form of sugar in it.
In addition, other foods such as dairy and starches will convert to sugar in your body more rapidly than high protein foods and vegetables. It is important to become familiar with the glycemix index if you wish to lower your sugar intake.
Sugar Alternatives
Ideally you will simply forgo fast food, packaged foods, drinks and baked goods while pregnant for high quality protein and raw produce but it may be very unrealistic for you to change your eating habits cold turkey especially if your family and friends tend to indulge in the foods you are trying to avoid.
White sugar is processed with chemicals and all the good nutrients are stripped from it. It is nothing short of poison and you should not touch it. Whatever you do, do not under any circumstances, substitute chemical sweeteners. They are even worse than sugar. Nutrasweet, Aspartame, Sucralose and Splenda. Poison, poison, poison. They are man made, chemical toxins. Do not dream of touching them while you are pregnant if you value your health and the health of your unborn child. They are linked to a myriad of long term, health conditions. Don’t even think about it. If the package says, “low sugar” or “sugar free”, run don’t walk the other way.
If you would like to still have a little bit of sweetness in your life go ahead, in moderation, by choosing sweeteners made by mother nature. Enjoy these options in their raw, natural forms and keep in mind that they are still high on the glycemic index and can also contribute to tooth decay. Blackstrap molasses is exceptionally healthy and will add delicious maltiness to coffee and baked goods. Raw, organic honey with propolis is also considered an amazing health food and is an excellent sugar replacement. Stevia is another natural sugar alternative but has not been tested on pregnant women, so you may wish to err on the side of caution. Even sugar itself is loaded with nutrients if it is raw, organic and untouched. If is is just a sugar fix you crave, get some high quality organic, fair trade chocolate. It will load you up with antioxidants and potentially keep your stress level down if you are a real sugar addict.
Women quit smoking when they find out they are pregnant. Women stop drinking when they find out they are pregnant and women should also stop eating sugar when they find out they are pregnant if they value their health and the health of their beautiful, unborn child.
More resources about sugar dangers:
Healingdaily.com
Pregnancy: High-Normal Blood Sugar Risky – WebMD.com
Sugar in Urine During Pregnancy – Drspock.com
Dr. Greene recommends blood test for glucose, called HgA1C
Image source: http://flickr.com/photos/pinkspleen/471510638/
Oxytocin vs Adrenaline-Love vs Fear
I absolutely ADORE Marianne's "Spiritual Birth" website. Her insights and information are WONDERFUL! I also ADORE Oxytocin. What a REAL gift! The article below is concise of what oxytocin is and how it is VITAL for the birth environment.
Molecules of Love
Oxytocin, the hormone of love, stimulates the release of a chemical messenger called “atrial natriuretic peptide” by cells in the heart muscle. In other words, oxytocin affects the heart! Oxytocin molecules are molecules of love, the neurotransmitters of those warm feelings that make us feel warm and relaxed, kind and helpful towards others, social and friendly rather than terse
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| Skin to skin contact stimulates the release of oxytocin |
and defensive, open and receptive rather than hard and aggressive. Let’s project into the future and imagine a world where humans exist in a group state of social cohesion, mutual affection and co-operation. What are the ingredients needed in the physiology of our bodily make-up? and how do we ensure that these ingredients are available to each of us? Oxytocin is released by the hypothalamus and pituitary gland in the brain, but without oxytocin receptors in the body, it has a hard time spreading its effects around.
Apparently oxytocin receptor cells exist not only in the uterus, cervix and the breasts, but also in the particular areas of the brain, the heart, the gut, the placenta and the inner layer of the amniotic sac surrounding the baby. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research have just discovered that there are pathways or nerve connections in the brain that transport oxytocin from one part of the brain to another. The inference is that we are wired to release and transport oxytocin.
The question is, what are the behaviours that will trigger the inception of optimal neuron requirements for oxytocin in the preborn and newborn human infant. It is known that the brain is plastic and has the capacity to create and grow in leaps and bounds at particular sensitive periods of human development. Parents with high concentrations of oxytocin present in their bodies display more loving and playful attention to their babies and children.
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| An oxytocic kiss induces a blissful smile in this newborn baby |
Women need oxytocin receptors in the uterus in order to labour and give birth effectively and it has been found that oxytocin receptor density varies among women. The reasons for this are as yet unknown, however it is possible that women with a history of early traumatic childhood experiences are unable to make sufficient receptor cells for oxytocin as a result of increased levels of cortisol or catecholamines in their system. It is known that survivors of childhood abuse show a decrease in the size of the hippocampus, which is part of the brain involved in emotional responsivity. If oxytocin is such an important mediator of social behaviour then why do we routinely disturb the first contact between mother and baby as well as father and baby?
Conception, pregnancy, birth, newborn period and early childhood would seem to me to be the most critical periods of human development. The known behaviours that stimulate oxytocin release are touch, eye contact, privacy in contact, movement and dance, laughter, food, play, kindness, empathy, pleasure, togetherness. If these are the situations that create oxytocin receptivity, then our pro-action should be to empower and educate women and men everywhere, to teach young people about preconception, pregnancy, childbirth and parenting, to set up support systems that encourage non-violence and non-separation in maternity care and parenting.
It appears that the institutionalization of human beings at the most critical periods in their lives may well be a dire mistake in terms of our capacity to love each other, to care for our environment and may ultimately put our survival on earth at risk. It also appears that we have the capacity to increase our adaptivity as a species and our capacity for loving social bonds by increasing the chances for optimal oxytocin concentrations in our bodies and brains. Obstetricians, paediatricians, neuroscientists, psychiatrists, psychologists, midwives, doulas and caregivers all need to collaborate on creating a paradigm of love and utilize our inbuilt molecules of love to the fullest possible degree. To do this we will need to humanize maternity care, increase the number of practicing midwives and doulas and facilitate inter-disciplinary collaboration. It is a public health imperative and it is possible.
by Gary Wilson and Marnia Robinson |
Various spiritual teachings say that there are only two fundamental emotions: love and fear. For the body, this is true. All mammals, including humans, have two opposing hormonal responses to stimuli. Threatening stimuli cause an increase of stress hormones—adrenaline and cortisol. Soothing or reassuring stimuli cause an increase in oxytocin.
A sudden threat triggers the fight-or-flight response associated with adrenaline.
Adrenaline steps up heart rate, increases respiration, activates muscles, and promotes hyper-alertness. Longer-term stress (from a few minutes to days and weeks) increases a different stress hormone: cortisol. Cortisol, too, makes us hyper-vigilant, but its evolutionary functions are quite different than the temporary jolt of adrenaline designed to propel us out of danger.
The stress encountered by mammals—and our hunter-gatherer ancestors—was chiefly physical, not emotional. The most common physical stressors were probably starvation, long migrations, and critical injury. To cope with such emergencies, cortisol begins to break down non-essential organs and tissues to maintain blood sugar and feed vital organs. When cortisol stays at high levels, it automatically digests bones, muscles and joints to obtain these key nutrients. The result is elevated blood fats and sugar, which are related to many disorders.
Another side effect is hunger; we reach for high-calorie foods.
Today our biggest long-term stressors are emotional and mental, not physical. In effect, we are a “new” scientific experiment. We face threats in the form of potential job loss, the pressure of commuting in heavy traffic, a barrage of fear-producing media, relationship disharmony in a marriage, etc. Even though these are not physical threats, our body has only one, automatic response: more cortisol. Cortisol is very hard on the body, so all these threats indirectly become physical threats.
Fortunately, we have a built-in mechanism for countering stress, which forms the basis of our alternative response to stimuli. It entails another hormone, called oxytocin. Apart from its functions of inducing emotional bonding, labor, and lactation, oxytocin counters the effects of cortisol. This anti-stress effect of oxytocin is a recent discovery, and very exciting, because it points the way to better health by entirely natural means.
Fear - Cortisol | Love - Oxytocin |
Aggression | Anti-stress hormone |
Arousal, Anxiety, Feeling stressed-out | Feeling calm and connected, Increased curiosity |
Activates addictions | Lessens cravings & addictions |
Suppresses libido | Increases sexual receptivity |
Associated with depression | Positive feelings |
Can be toxic to brain cells | Facilitates learning |
Breaks down muscles, bones and joints | Repairs, heals and restores |
Depresses immune system | Faster wound healing |
Increases pain | Diminishes sense of pain |
Clogs arteries, Promotes heart disease and high blood pressure | Lowers blood pressure, Protects against heart disease |
Obesity, Diabetes, Osteoporosis | --- |
As you can see from the chart above, nearly all the negative effects of continued stress on the body and mind are related to elevated levels of cortisol. These include: chronic anxiety and depression, emotional over-reaction, negativity, weight gain, heart disease, high blood pressure, and weakened immunity. Oxytocin, by countering cortisol, can ameliorate all of these conditions—as well as some others (see list of recent discoveries at end of article).
Numerous activities produce more oxytocin: meditation, yoga, exercise, massage, caring for a pet, joining a support group, worshiping, and so forth. Yet one of the most important avenues for decreasing stress and increasing levels of oxytocin lies in our intimate relationships. In Love & Survival, Dr. Dean Ornish points out that love and intimacy are such powerful determinants of health that if they were produced in pill form, doctors who failed to prescribe them for unhealthy patients would be guilty of malpractice.
Incidentally, one might wonder why we can’t just take oxytocin pills to increase levels of this helpful hormone. Unfortunately, oxytocin doesn’t cross the body’s “blood/brain barrier,” except in the form of nasal sprays. However, long-term administration of oxytocin via spray has resulted in amnesia, hallucinations and imbalances in electrolytes and hormones. To gain its benefits, we must either produce it naturally in the brain (or have it injected with great precision into a tiny area of the brain using special equipment…not terribly practical).
Oxytocin has been nicknamed the “bonding hormone” and the “cuddle hormone.” We produce it naturally when we love, are loved, nurture another, give selflessly, or engage in affectionate touch. It is not the neurochemical behind lust or burning sexual desire, although it is associated with sexual responsiveness.
When we choose to make love by avoiding the stress-producing cycle of highs and lows of conventional sex with its attendant anger, resentment and discouragement—and substitute a very selfless, affectionate, more balanced form of lovemaking such as Karezza or Taoist lovemaking—we can improve our health and wellbeing. This shift takes time, and the effects are subtle at first. Yet consistency can lead to profound improvements in wellbeing in a surprisingly short time.
Oxytocin equates with love; we could not fall in love without it. Cortisol equates with fear. These different hormones generate these opposing emotions, just as the emotions of love and fear trigger the production of these respective hormones. In other words, neurochemicals and behavior are circular. This means that with a bit of awareness and determination we can consciously direct our behavior toward the maintenance of our ideal hormonal balance.
By the way, oxytocin is a very unique neurochemical; the more oxytocin we make, the stronger our body and mind respond to it. Our nerve cells actually sprout more oxytocin receptors, making them more sensitive to its effects. It grows easier and easier to be loving. Oxytocin is the neurochemical basis for the adage, “The more you give, the more you get.”
Love tends to breed more love, and fear tends to breed more fear. It’s up to us.
Recent findings demonstrating the power of oxytocin:
- Oxytocin reduces fear. Increased levels of oxytocin inhibit the fight or flight response in the brain. (Huber, 2005)
- Oxytocin speeds healing. Wounded hamsters heal twice as fast when they are paired with a sibling, rather than left in isolation (DeVries, 2004).
- Oxytocin counters cravings for sweets. (Billings, 2006).
- Oxytocin reduces antisocial behavior. The administration of oxytocin normalized social behaviors in animals exhibiting schizophrenia. (Lee, 2005)
- Oxytocin promotes healthy social behavior. Administration of oxytocin reduces symptoms of autism. (Hollander, 2003)
- Oxytocin reduces cravings. When scientists administered it to rodents who were addicted to cocaine, morphine, or heroin, the rats opted for less drugs, or showed fewer symptoms of withdrawal. (Kovacs, 1998)
- Oxytocin calms. A single rat injected with oxytocin has a calming effect on a cage full of anxious rats. (Agren, 2002)
- Oxytocin levels were higher in both men and women who reported greater partner support. (Grewen, 2005)
- Oxytocin appears be a major reason that SSRI’s ease depression, perhaps because high levels of cortisol are the chief culprits in depression and anxiety disorders. (Uvnas-Moberg, 1999)
- Oxytocin increases sexual receptivity and counteracts impotence , which may explain why this other way of making love remains pleasurable. (Pedersen, C.A., 2002), (Arletti, 1997)
- Oxytocin counteracts the effects of cortisol, the stress hormone. Increased levels of oxytocin in the brain decrease levels of blood cortisol. (Legros, 2003)
- Oxytocin may increase longevity. Companionship can increase longevity—even among those who are HIV positive (Young, 2004). Oxytocin may also explain why, among various species of primates, care-giving parents (whether male or female) live significantly longer. (Cal Tech, 1998)
Conscious Parenting FREE Online Events
I think EVERYONE should sign up for this. Actually sign up for BOTH! They are both TOTALLY free! I am now listening to Elena Tonetti's WONDERFUL interview and think you ALL should do the same. You can look over the CONSCIOUS LEAP website and see if the WOMB conference they offer is something you might be looking for.
I'm so GRATEFUL for all the GIFTED people who take the time to put these events together and then share the information for free with the rest of us. What a BLESSING to be able to listen to world experts on the subject of conscious conception, pregnancy and birth!
You will hear me state over and over how IMPORTANT it is for you and your partner to EDUCATE yourselves all the myths and truths revolving around pregnancy and birth. Signing up for these online events is an EXCELLENT way to start that process. It will make a PHENOMENAL difference for you, your baby, and your family. I PROMISE!
In Peace,
Rachel
My LOVE for Placentas...Here's Why
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The Magical, Magnificent Placenta
In a world where women deliver their babies under the influence of drugs, flat on their backs and being either screamed at or sliced into, most women never see the beautiful, life giving organ that allowed their baby to survive nine months. Modern, detached women may view the placenta with disgust and revulsion, but it is a highly evolved, incredible organ that carries both function, spirit and yes, nutrition.
What is the placenta?
The placenta is an amazing organ unlike any other in the human body. It is a flat, circular organ that weighs approximately one pound or 1/6 the baby’s body weight at birth. The placenta has two sides, one for the baby and one for the mother. The baby’s side is smooth and the umbilical cord usually emerges directly from the center. The mothers side is attached to the wall of her uterus and after the placenta is delivered, it appears bumpy and knobby and should be intact with no missing pieces.
The placenta is formed from the same sperm and egg that eventually become the fetus so many cultures treat the placenta with respect, as they would a twin. The placenta is also unique to other human organs because not only is it the only temporary human organ but it is also the only one that is housed outside of the body.
What does the placenta do?
The placenta is a large, highly complex organ, capable of a multiplicity of synthetic, secretory, filtration, analytic, and transport functions. It serves as the interface of the maternal and fetal physiological systems. cogprints.org
The placenta does more than any other organ in the human body and it makes life possible for your baby. The placenta acts as lungs, kidney and digestive system for your baby. It takes over hormone production around 12 weeks gestation, which will trigger labor and delivery, generate relaxin to prepare your body for birth, and provides estrogen, progesterone and hCG just to name a few.
The most amazing part of the placenta is its ability to bring maternal and fetal blood right next to each other without mixing. The maternal blood enters the placenta loaded with nutrients for her baby, leaves the nutrients behind and takes away her baby’s waste products. Conversely, the baby’s blood enters the placenta with waste products and returns from the placenta with maternal nutrients.
In addition, the placenta provides valuable stem cells to the fetus, protects the fetus from infections and harmful substances, provides energy for the baby by synthesizing glycogen, cholesterol and fatty acids and also provides passive immunity to the newborn through the transfer of maternal antibodies. The placenta even secretes hormones that “cloak” it from the mother’s immune system to prevent attacks.
Mystical and Cultural Significance of the Placenta
There are a variety of rituals surrounding the placenta that vary by culture. Many cultures revere the placenta for its role in their babies life. Certain cultures consider it the baby’s older sibling, best friend or deceased twin. Burying the placenta is a common practice either to honor the placenta, to nurture a tree that is planted a year later or to have a funeral ceremony for the “relative” of the baby.
As natural childbirth takes hold in western civilizations, more women are choosing to honor their placentas with various activities rather than letting a medical provider either sell it or burn it. Many women freeze their placentas for either a future ceremony, future meal or to be dried and ground at a later date. Marci Marcari discusses the freezing of placentas in her book She Births, and refers to those who freeze their placentas as member of the frozen placenta society (FPS).
Other women are finding lotus birth to be the most natural, gentle way to “cut the cord”. In a lotus birth the cord is not touched at all and usually falls off on its own in a few days. The placenta is either kept moist in a dish next to the baby or kept salted in a little pouch. Both methods are designed to keep odors at bay. The undisputed best part of a lotus birth is that the baby gets to keep all the blood and stem cells that belong in its body but there are other benefits as well such as allowing the mother and baby to stay close, lay low and enjoy their babymoon.
One other tradition that is taking hold even if the cord is cut is placenta printing, a sweet practice in which the placenta and umbilical cord is placed against a piece of paper and a print resembling a tree is left either using paint or the remaining blood and amniotic fluid.
Eating your placenta
Eating the placenta is also known as Placentophagia. Many animals, including herbivores, routinely chew through the umbilical cord and proceed to eat the placenta after their babies are born. Instinct driven creatures, it has been said, do not make mistakes. Human beings ignore their instincts, for better or for worse, and are driven by cultural and social forces, dogma and stigma. Due to these factors, the practice of eating your own placenta is relatively rare among humans, but still practiced among a small number of people around the globe, for both nutritional and ritualistic purposes.
The human placenta is so nutrient rich that you must plant an adjacent tree a full year after you bury the placenta or the tree will die. The placenta is loaded with nutrition that can replenish what a new mother lost due to pregnancy and childbirth. Placentophagia is believed to prevent postpartum depression, postpartum hemorrhage, help shrink the uterus and helps to relieve other pregnancy related complications.
The placenta is the only meat that a person can eat without killing or maiming another living being which may appeal to vegetarians. The placenta can be eaten raw, usually by blending it with vegetable juices and spices or simply swallowing a small piece whole. If the nutrients are to be preserved, then it certainly makes sense to eat it raw and fresh the way the animals do. While this sounds great in theory, most people cannot stomach raw, red organ meat of any animal so most people will not be able to enjoy the benefits of raw placenta either.
If you want to the benefits of eating placenta in a form that mimics meat cooked the way you are accustomed to eating it, then you will be able to find a number of recipes for cooked placenta, such as lasagna, pizza, roasts and other familiar foods. You can also simply fry it up with onions and peppers or cook it any way you would cook a steak.
Many families will create a ceremony out of the placenta meal and all will partake, similar to a burial ceremony or any other ritual that celebrates the role the placenta has had in their lives. Keep in mind that the rest of the family does not have depleted nutritional stores from pregnancy and childbirth so they do not need the placenta nearly as much as you will.
Final Function
You may find it strange that some people eat their own placentas but there is a modern placenta practice that is so barbaric, cruel and wrong that it will make eating placenta seem as benign as eating birthday cake.
In a practice affectionately known as “active management of the third stage of labor”, unscrupulous doctors and midwives routinely amputate the placenta while it is still functioning in a move reminiscent of the urban legends involving kidneys and bathtubs. Like the kidney thieves, many hospitals profit from the sale of the placentas for research and cosmetic purposes, but the doctors and midwives simply do it because they are in a rush and they either do not know any better or they simply do not care.
Your birth attendant may yammer on about preventing postpartum hemorrhage, but it does not take a rocket scientist (although obstetricians can’t figure it out) that amputating one end of a live organ and then literally ripping it from the uterine wall is more likely to cause hemorrhage. These people are not only idiots, they are routinely performing one of the greatest human rights violations in modern medicine.
“The results of routinely clamping the cord after the placenta has delivered should soon persuade the birth attendant of the value of this practice – five-minute Apgar scores are routinely 10, even when one-minute Apgar scores are below 4.” Birthbraininjury.org
If someone were to drain 1/3 of your blood or harvest one of your organs without your permission, could they go to jail? Of course they would. Even if you somehow survived, no one is allowed to take what is rightfully yours, in your body without your permission. If you test the DNA of placental blood, does it belong to the midwife? the OB? the mother? No, no and no. It belongs to your baby. It is simply not the birth attendant’s choice to rob a baby of it’s own blood. As long as the umbilical cord is pulsing, the placenta is functioning and infusing the newborn with blood, oxygen, stem cells and immunity.
While removing that percentage of blood from your body would kill you, birth attendants believe it is OK to save themselves 15 lousy minutes of time with no concern whatsoever for long term injury to the baby because it does not kill them and long term effects of oxygen deprivation may not appear for years and naturally can no longer be proven. How convenient.
Not only does this oxygen rich blood belong to the baby, but this final blood transfusion serves a very important purpose in the period immediately following delivery. The placenta and umbilical cord provide oxygen to the baby prior to the baby’s first breath. Even if a baby takes its first breath immediately, it will take a few minutes for the oxygen from breathing to reach the lungs and be dispersed through the baby’s body, most importantly to the brain. Placental oxygenation is the bridge that keeps your baby’s brain and cells fully oxygenated until pulmonary oxygenation takes over. Immediate cord clamping is a heinous practice that literally deprives every single newborn baby of oxygen in that critical time period.
In addition, delayed cord clamping helps prevent postpartum hemorrhage because it allows the placenta to detach naturally when its job is over. When the cord is left open, the placenta is allowed to give up its blood which then allows it to spontaneous detach from the uterine wall, often with the aid of natural oxytocin released through breastfeeding. No ripping, tugging, pulling or manual traction is necessary. The problem is that 99% of birth attendants are not willing to wait.
Keep in mind that there are only two legitimate, scientifically based reasons for immediate cord clamping and they are a torn cord and placenta previa. A cesarean, premature delivery or severely compromised infant are never grounds for immediate cord clamping, in fact these compromised newborns are in even greater need of the life giving, oxygenated, nutrient filled blood that the placenta contains.
Unfortunately you have very few choices if you want your baby to retain life giving blood, oxygen, stem cells and immunity that the placenta carries for that final blood transfusion. Having an unassisted childbirth is the best way to 100% guarantee that no malicious cord clamping is performed on your newborn. Your second choice is a lay midwife who respects your wishes and the role of the placenta and will allow you to either have a lotus birth or wait until the placenta is delivered although they have also been known to ignore the parents request to leave the cord alone. Some midwives have to be physically blocked or placed in another room to keep them away from the cord. Do yourself a favor and get references from women who used the midwife and the cord remained intact.
If you are going to deliver in the hospital, whether it is with a certified nurse midwife or a doctor, your odds of allowing your baby to keep its blood and oxygen fall sharply. Even with written instructions via a birth plan and verbal instructions, these people are bound and determined to clamp that cord as fast as possible. If you have simply given them a written birth plan with your wishes in addition to your verbal instructions, you can pretty much count on them clamping and cutting the cord anyway.
Here is your number one takeaway “get your birthplan signed by all parties, including an attorney.”
No matter what your verbal or written instructions say, be prepared to physically stop birth attendants from both injecting you with pitocin (they can be very sneaky) and from cutting the cord (they will be very fast). It is your job to protect your baby, it is your OB’s job to get to his tee time. You very well may need to get your partner or doula to physically stop them or you have have to kick them or fight them off (don’t forget to use lawsuit threats). Get it on film if they cut the cord anyway and sue their asses off. Do not let them talk you out of it or blabber on with nonsense that has no scientific basis such as jaundice or anything else. It is all bogus and they either do not know what they are talking about or they simply care more about 20 minutes of their time than your baby’s long term health and well being.
In either event, you need to take matters into your own hands. You are a paying customer but that does not matter. They will do whatever they want to you unless you take steps to legally enforce your wishes. The best way to ensure that no one in a hospital touches the cord before the placenta is delivered is to get it in writing and signed prior to the birth. You will most likely have to get an attorney involved and have every relevant party sign the document well in advance of the birth. Threaten in advance to sue if they ignore your wishes and clamp the cord before the placenta is delivered. You can insist on keeping the cord intact for all deliveries, including cesarean births. They will hate it because they might have dinner reservations, but that isn’t your problem now is it?
Perhaps the best way to avoid any cord issues with birth providers is to insist on a lotus birth. Get it in writing, in advance with a legal document. Then you will also avoid any issues you may have with keeping your own placenta for freezing, burying, printing or even eating. Apparently hospitals tend to think of your placenta as their property as soon as it leaves your body and some women have had to take legal action after the fact in order to keep what is rightfully theirs. If you do not want a lotus birth, simply cut the cord yourself after all hospital staff leave the room or after you leave the hospital. Extreme? Absolutely. Do they leave us a choice? Unfortunately, no they don’t.
The placenta is more than a miraculous organ that sustained life for nine months, it is a bridge from the born to the unborn. Some call it disposable but that is a great insult to the friend and organ that made life possible for your little one.