Pain during labor is different for everyone. Some women go through the delievery process very easily while many others say it is the most painful experience they have ever endured. Labor pain varies dramatically from woman to woman, and even from pregnancy to pregnancy. This means that with one pregnancy the pain can be minimal but with the next one it can become very painful. Until a woman goes through childbirth, they will not know where on the spectrum they will fall. Many women wonder why labor hurts so much and what the cause is of the pain they are experiencing or will experience during childbirth. The uterus is a muscular organ that contracts powerfully to squeeze your baby out, and those contractions are the primary source of labor pain. How much pain you experience depends on a variety of factors. One factor can be the strength of your contractions which increases during labor. Another factor is whether the women have had Pitocin, which causes stronger contractions to occur. The size of the baby and position in your pelvis can be a direct cause of labor pain. Whether the child is faceup or facedown which is the ideal birth position can also be a factor in child birth pains and the speed of your labor. Besides intense muscle tightening throughout your abdomen and, sometimes, your entire torso and pelvic area, you may feel pressure on your back, perineum, bladder and bowels. A combination of genetics and life experiences determines your pain threshold, or ability to withstand pain, and this also plays a part. Social support (or lack of it), fear, anxiety and even the positive or negative labor stories you’ve heard can contribute to your perception of pain. What’s more, you probably can’t change your inborn capacity to withstand pain. Labor pain usually comes on gradually and builds up as you progress through the stages of labor. Some women feel guilty if they opt for labor-pain medication, as though they’ve somehow failed or put their babies’ or their own well-being at risk. In fact, epidurals and other pain-relief drugs are quite safe, says William Camann, M.D., director of obstetric anesthesia at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and co-author of Easy Labor: Every Woman’s Guide to Choosing Less Pain and More Joy During Childbirth (Ballantine Books).
Friday, March 23, 2012
Friday, March 16, 2012
What do you think?
I believe that it is very possible that doctors are pushing cesareans in order to save time. It is much easier and takes much less time to have the surgery rather than have to wait for a number of hours and then have to go through the process of actually birthing the baby. However, I think cesarean’s are sometimes very necessary which is why I am against home births or birthing centers because it would be dangerous to not have a doctor nearby to do the surgery if it is necessary if not you are risking your life and your child’s. If I was told I had to use the medication I would take it. The doctor knows what is best for my baby and since I am not a doctor I am not at liberty to judge what is best. If my baby needs the drugs then I will take them without any conflict. The benefits of using a midwife as opposed to a doctor are few. Aside from being in a more comfortable environment and really having a personal relationship with the person who will deliver your baby I see no other benefits. The midwife is not a doctor and therefore if something goes wrong during the labor or the baby is in distress the midwife would be useless and the doctors would have to be called but by then it may be too late. I would rather have a doctor in immediate range incase something goes wrong. There are different methods of natural birth. It is possible to have a natural birth in a hospital and I believe this is the safest way to have a natural birth. If one has a natural birth in the hospital they can have the drug free birth they want for themselves and their child but the also have the safety of having a doctor close by incase something goes wrong or if they decide they would actually like to have the drugs. I think the main reason that causes women to use medication or drugs is the pain. Labor is called labor for a reason it is very hard work. It is a very painful experience and sometimes women simply cannot handle the pain of delivering their child or they are afraid of it. Pain relief drugs and medications can make the birth a much less scary experience and also much less stressful because for many women the pain that occurs during labor is the one of the main sources of anxiety. I do believe with the research that says women are having babies in the worst possible position lying down. It makes more sense to be upright or standing up to make it easier on both the mother and the child to give birth. I think that women should change the position they are in when they give birth because it may make their labor go much faster and with less effort on both the mother and her child.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Natural Vrs Medicated Birth
Natural childbirth is a very beneficial method of labor that many women choose to undergo. If you want to remain in control of your body as much as possible, be an active participant throughout labor, and have minimal routine interventions such as fetal monitoring in the birth process, then a natural, unmediated approach to controlling labor pain will suit you best. Many women have a strong feeling of empowerment during labor and a sense of accomplishment afterward. And despite having to endure pain, many report that they'd want an unmediated birth again the next time. For some women, being in charge helps lessen their perception of pain. There's no loss of sensation or alertness. You'll be awake and active during labor and birth — so you can move around more freely and find positions that help you stay comfortable during labor and remain able to aid the delivery process when it's time to push your baby out. Faster postpartum recovery because the woman is not recovering from major abdominal surgery and/or the side effects from epidural anesthesia, she has a faster recovery time. Better breastfeeding babies of medicated mothers are less alert and have more difficulty initiating breastfeeding than babies born naturally. Naturally born babies are more likely to have immediate skin-to-skin contact, which also helps to facilitate breastfeeding. Labor is often shorter because epidurals and other pain relieving medications often lead to a slower delivery. Pain medications often interfere with the body’s natural way of laboring and can slow down contractions. This increases total laboring periods.
A medicated birth also called an epidural birth is also very beneficial during labor and many women decide to choose this route. An epidural is the only labour pain relief technique that can completely eliminate pain. A plain epidural, without narcotics doesn’t affect consciousness. Epidural anesthesia is the most popular method of pain relief during labor. More women request an epidural by name than any other method of pain relief. More than 50% of women giving birth at hospitals use epidural anesthesia. It allows you to rest if your labor is prolonged. By reducing the discomfort of childbirth, some women have a more positive birth experience. Normally, an epidural will allow you to remain alert and be an active participant in your birth. If you deliver by cesarean, an epidural anesthesia will allow you to stay awake and also provide effective pain relief during recovery. When other types of coping mechanisms are no longer helping, an epidural can help you deal with exhaustion, irritability, and fatigue. An epidural can allow you to rest, relax, get focused and give you the strength to move forward as an active participant in your birth experience. The use of epidural anesthesia during childbirth is continually being refined and much of its success depends on the skill with which it is administered.
http://www.babycenter.com/natural-childbirth
http://www.novabirthcenter.com/Birth/NaturalBirth/Benefits.aspx
http://www.naturallysavvy.com/natural-pregnancy/the-benefits-of-natural-childbirth
http://www.motherinstinct.co.za/childbirth-options-and-information/pain-management/medicated-pain-relief-methods-during-childbirth/
http://www.americanpregnancy.org/firstyearoflife/breastfeedingandbottle.html
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=5&cts=1331299624750&ved=0CEwQFjAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.womenfitness.net%2Fweighing_the_benefits_of_natural_birth.htm&ei=ewVaT4nYGYLn0QGkncDfDw&usg=AFQjCNFH5wX6rNawd5vknddGNzcdotQAgw&sig2=v7pqi3l9geHzwv51ignIMQ
Friday, March 2, 2012
Getting ready for birth
1. Identify at least four ways that parents can help children adjust to the arrival of a new sibling.
Discussing the pregnancy in terms that make sense to kids will help the older child understand what is happening. Including kids in the care of the newborn will help the siblings bond and to prevent sibling rivalry or jealousy. Visiting friends who have infants wil allow older siblings to have practice with being around newborns. Allowing the child to go to the doctor to hear the baby's heartbeat and other exciteing appointments will allow the older sibling to realize that the baby is alive and it needs love and attention.
http://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/feelings/sibling_prep.html
2. What is a birthing room?
Birthing rooms are small maternity units which are staffed and, in most cases, run by midwives. They offer a homely rather than a clinical environment. They are good at supporting women who want a birth with no or few medical interventions.Most birth centres are stand-alone, and are separate from a hospital. However, many hospitals now have midwife-led birth centres alongside their conventional maternity units. They are a kind of halfway house between home and hospital. They offer a relaxed atmosphere, but are also well-equipped and staffed with highly skilled midwives.
http://www.babycentre.co.uk/pregnancy/labourandbirth/planningyourbabysbirth/birthcentre/allaboutbirthc/
3.Compare hospital birthing facilities, birthing centers, and home births.
Birth centres can offer facilities which may not be available in your local hospital, such as: comfortable, low-tech birthing room, complementary therapies, family accommodation, and birth pools. You won't have immediate access to highly technically skilled hospital staff, such as obstetricians, anaesthetists or neonatal nurses so if you want medication, pain relied, or special care for the baby oneshould go to the hospital.Home birth may be significantly easier on your pocket book. An average uncomplicated vaginal birth costs about 60% less in a home than in a hospital. Home birth provides immediate bonding and breastfeeding. However if you are having a high risk pregancy one should not have a home birth as doctors are not close by.
http://www.babycentre.co.uk/pregnancy/labourandbirth/planningyourbabysbirth/birthcentre/allaboutbirthc/
http://www.americanpregnancy.org/labornbirth/homebirth.html
4. What are three advantages of the breathing techniques learned in prepared child birth?
Aside from relaxtion breathing techniques are very beneficial. One benefit is that breathing becomes an automatic response to pain.Also mom remains in a more relaxed state and will respond more positively to pain. Lastly it brings purpose to each contraction, making them more productive.
http://www.americanpregnancy.org/labornbirth/patternedbreathing.htm
5. What is the role of a birth coach? It is always a good idea to have a trusted person there to help support you during labor. Although most times a labor support coach is your husband, coaches can also be a friend, your Mom or Aunt, or even a hired professional doula or labor coach. Make sure that whoever your coach is that you are very comfortable with this person.Your labor support coach should be very familiar with your birth plan and/or your wishes for your labor and delivery. If you are feeling wishy-washy about something they can help remind you of what you wanted before your labor started.
http://www.amazingpregnancy.com/pregnancy-articles/275.html
6. Why do expectant couples often prepare a birth plan?
A birt irth plan is a plan for your child's birth. There are lots of options in childbirth today, and routine practices vary widely depending upon what kind of health care provider you choose and whether you decide to deliver your baby in a hospital, a birth center, or at home.Writing a plan can be a great way to start thinking about the kind of labor and delivery you would like to have. In some circumstances, a written summary of your desires really can help to ensure that you
have a positive birth experience. A birth plan is an important tool in communicating your needs.
http://parentingsquad.com/do-you-really-need-a-birth-plan
7.Identify three medical expenses related to pregnancy and child birth and three ways to pay for the expenses. To use doctors and hospitals traditional plans usually require an annual deductible of $250 or $500. Patients also pay 10% of hospital costs, 15% of imaging (for ultrasounds) and anesthesia costs, as well as a $20 co-pay per doctor's visit. The highest total amount a patient may pay (an out-of-pocket maximum) is typically $4,000. Health insurance is the biggest assistant in paying for child birth. Medicaid a federally funded program that pays for health care for those with low incomes covers more than 40% of about 4 million annual American births.
http://healthinsurance.about.com/lw/Health-Medicine/Womens-Health/Pregnancy-Health-Coverage-How-Much-of-My-Pregnancy-Costs-Will-My-Insurance-Cover-.htm
8. What is parental leave?
Any employee who is the parent of a child under the age of five has the right to take up to 13 weeks' parental leave within the first five years of the child's life. The parents of an adopted child have the right to take up to 13 weeks' parental leave before the fifth anniversary of the adoption or the child's 18th birthday, whichever occurs sooner. To qualify, the employee must have completed at least one year's continuous service with the employer. The parents of a disabled child may take up to 18 weeks' parental leave up until the child's 18th birthday.
Discussing the pregnancy in terms that make sense to kids will help the older child understand what is happening. Including kids in the care of the newborn will help the siblings bond and to prevent sibling rivalry or jealousy. Visiting friends who have infants wil allow older siblings to have practice with being around newborns. Allowing the child to go to the doctor to hear the baby's heartbeat and other exciteing appointments will allow the older sibling to realize that the baby is alive and it needs love and attention.
http://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/feelings/sibling_prep.html
2. What is a birthing room?
Birthing rooms are small maternity units which are staffed and, in most cases, run by midwives. They offer a homely rather than a clinical environment. They are good at supporting women who want a birth with no or few medical interventions.Most birth centres are stand-alone, and are separate from a hospital. However, many hospitals now have midwife-led birth centres alongside their conventional maternity units. They are a kind of halfway house between home and hospital. They offer a relaxed atmosphere, but are also well-equipped and staffed with highly skilled midwives.
http://www.babycentre.co.uk/pregnancy/labourandbirth/planningyourbabysbirth/birthcentre/allaboutbirthc/
3.Compare hospital birthing facilities, birthing centers, and home births.
Birth centres can offer facilities which may not be available in your local hospital, such as: comfortable, low-tech birthing room, complementary therapies, family accommodation, and birth pools. You won't have immediate access to highly technically skilled hospital staff, such as obstetricians, anaesthetists or neonatal nurses so if you want medication, pain relied, or special care for the baby oneshould go to the hospital.Home birth may be significantly easier on your pocket book. An average uncomplicated vaginal birth costs about 60% less in a home than in a hospital. Home birth provides immediate bonding and breastfeeding. However if you are having a high risk pregancy one should not have a home birth as doctors are not close by.
http://www.babycentre.co.uk/pregnancy/labourandbirth/planningyourbabysbirth/birthcentre/allaboutbirthc/
http://www.americanpregnancy.org/labornbirth/homebirth.html
4. What are three advantages of the breathing techniques learned in prepared child birth?
Aside from relaxtion breathing techniques are very beneficial. One benefit is that breathing becomes an automatic response to pain.Also mom remains in a more relaxed state and will respond more positively to pain. Lastly it brings purpose to each contraction, making them more productive.
http://www.americanpregnancy.org/labornbirth/patternedbreathing.htm
5. What is the role of a birth coach? It is always a good idea to have a trusted person there to help support you during labor. Although most times a labor support coach is your husband, coaches can also be a friend, your Mom or Aunt, or even a hired professional doula or labor coach. Make sure that whoever your coach is that you are very comfortable with this person.Your labor support coach should be very familiar with your birth plan and/or your wishes for your labor and delivery. If you are feeling wishy-washy about something they can help remind you of what you wanted before your labor started.
http://www.amazingpregnancy.com/pregnancy-articles/275.html
6. Why do expectant couples often prepare a birth plan?
A birt irth plan is a plan for your child's birth. There are lots of options in childbirth today, and routine practices vary widely depending upon what kind of health care provider you choose and whether you decide to deliver your baby in a hospital, a birth center, or at home.Writing a plan can be a great way to start thinking about the kind of labor and delivery you would like to have. In some circumstances, a written summary of your desires really can help to ensure that you
have a positive birth experience. A birth plan is an important tool in communicating your needs.
http://parentingsquad.com/do-you-really-need-a-birth-plan
7.Identify three medical expenses related to pregnancy and child birth and three ways to pay for the expenses. To use doctors and hospitals traditional plans usually require an annual deductible of $250 or $500. Patients also pay 10% of hospital costs, 15% of imaging (for ultrasounds) and anesthesia costs, as well as a $20 co-pay per doctor's visit. The highest total amount a patient may pay (an out-of-pocket maximum) is typically $4,000. Health insurance is the biggest assistant in paying for child birth. Medicaid a federally funded program that pays for health care for those with low incomes covers more than 40% of about 4 million annual American births.
http://healthinsurance.about.com/lw/Health-Medicine/Womens-Health/Pregnancy-Health-Coverage-How-Much-of-My-Pregnancy-Costs-Will-My-Insurance-Cover-.htm
8. What is parental leave?
Any employee who is the parent of a child under the age of five has the right to take up to 13 weeks' parental leave within the first five years of the child's life. The parents of an adopted child have the right to take up to 13 weeks' parental leave before the fifth anniversary of the adoption or the child's 18th birthday, whichever occurs sooner. To qualify, the employee must have completed at least one year's continuous service with the employer. The parents of a disabled child may take up to 18 weeks' parental leave up until the child's 18th birthday.
The right to parental leave is an employee's right to be absent from work for the purpose of caring for a child for whom he or she has parental responsibility. Parents can use it to spend more time with their children and achieve a better balance between their work and family life.
9. Identify two ways that parents can protect thier family's financial future.
Not using a babysitter will help you save money. Not only will you save a ton of money by being able to stay at home with your children, but the quality of time is priceless.Keep Business in the Family. Probably one of the best advantages to a home online company is you can employ family members and hand down the business as children get older. Life also assists in protecting the future of a family.
10. What are four potential child care arrangements that parents might explore before the baby is born?
Some fortunate parents have friends or relatives living nearby to assist them in caring for their children in an informal and inexpensive way. Many do not and must look elsewhere in their community to locate the best available and most affordable childcare. A caregiver may tend your child in your home, in a family childcare home, or in a childcare center. However, finding a good and convenient arrangement is not easy. Daycare is also possible for those families who can afford it or work. Also it is often that one parents quits work, works part time, or from the home in order to care for the baby.
11. Why is a family's choice of health care provider for their baby so important?
All parents in search of childcare seem to want the same thing secure place that will provide consistent quality, sensitive care, learning opportunities, and expressed values that do not conflict with their own. They seek a safe, attractive place staffed with trained and caring adults who have an ample and varied supply of teaching materials, toys, and equipment. Parents prefer a sliding fee scale based on their ability to pay. Because unsatisfactory childcare arrangements can become as great an emotional problem and energy drain as finding the childcare in the first place, it is worth the time and effort to make a thorough investigation before choosing a childcare provider. Finding the situation that will make you and your child happy may take weeks of searching and visiting, but the quick solution is no solution if your peace of mind, or your child , suffers.
12. Identify at least three advantages of breast feeding and three advantages of using infant formula.
Breastfeeding is much more beneficial to both the parent and infant than instant formula. Breastfeeding is free while formula ranges from $54 to $198 per month depending on brand. Breast milk is easily digested and absorbed but with formula some babies have difficulty tolerating certain nutrients. Breast milk contains high levels of nutrients while in baby formula nutritional content depends on proper preparation.
13. What safety issues should be considered when choosing the following? a)crib b)car seat c)infant toys.
In cribs there should be a firm, tight-fitting mattress so a baby cannot get trapped between the mattress and the crib. There should be No missing, loose, broken or improperly installed screws, brackets or other hardware on the crib or mattress support. There should be no more than 2 3/8 inches (about the width of a soda can) between crib slats so a baby's body cannot fit through the slats; no missing or cracked slates. No corner posts in cribs should be over 1/16th inch high so a baby's clothing cannot catch. There should be No cutouts in the headboard or foot board of the crib so a baby's head cannot get trapped. For car seats rear-facing only seats and rear-facing convertible seats should be used. All infants and toddlers should ride in a Rear-Facing Car Safety Seat until they are 2 years of age or until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their car safety seat's manufacturer. Toys made of fabric should be labeled as flame resistant or flame retardant. All stuffed toys should be washable. Painted toys should be covered with lead-free paint and art materials should say nontoxic.Crayons and paints should say ASTM D-4236 on the package, which means that they've been evaluated by the American Society for Testing and Materials.
14. What are six actions that help a couple get ready for delivery?
First the couple should prepare a sleeping area and a place for clothes and supplies. They should purchase essential nursery equipment there are several ways to save money on baby items. Many items can be purchased second hand or through discount stores. Some items may be purchased by the case, such as disposable diapers.
Attend a newborn care class as it will be helpful if you have not had recent experience caring for newborns. Attend a breastfeeding class if you will be nursing your baby. They should prepare a basic layette of essential clothing and equipment for the baby. Purchase and learn how to use a federally approved car seat. Lastly the couple should select the physician to be their baby’s daughter.
http://www.babies.sutterhealth.org/laboranddelivery/ld_prep4b-arriv.html
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