whine whine whine… and nary a drop to drink!

I am soaked.  The kids are soaked.  The stroller is soaked.  My shoes are totally soaked.

bah.

I will whine about the snow and the cold later… but right at this moment.  I’ll take snow over rain!  At least you don’t get so wet!  bah.

I’ve got ground beef thawing.  I’m going to make monstrous meatballs à la Old Spaghetti Factory tonight.  I am craving something warm and spicy and filling.  I might even get off my butt and make some french bread so we can have garlic bread too.  maybe… meh.

I spent the weekend in fits of financial hell.  Then I had to take a step back and realize that there is NOTHING I can do!  Nothing!  So just suck it up and move forward.

Speaking of forward.  I am doing a presentation?  Lecture?  talk? on the much awaited payday.  I’ve been sitting on the details since late last week.  I’ve been staring at the computer screen and  wondering what the heck to do… who am I?  What are my credentials?  wait… do I have any?

I’m feeling very unqualified.  I’m feeling quite terrified.  I’m feeling waaaay tooooo much.  I just need to sit back and tell them what I know.  What I believe and how what I am saying could impact their work lives in a positive way.

Who am I talking to and what am I talking about?

Doulas in a midwifery model of care.

yup… I’m talking about why I believe that even though women are getting superior care during their childbearing year from a midwifery model of care.  I believe that a doula can be a valuable asset to the woman, her family and the care providers (midwives).

Granted I don’t live in that kind of Nirvana… nor should I assume that a midwifery based maternity system like in New Zealand/Australia/most European countries is perfect.  It isn’t.  Though, one has to take in to account that these are the countries with the best maternal/neonatal outcomes.   Lower caesarean rates=healthier moms and babies!  simple math it seems.

So, I’m going to plod forward and do the best I can.  I’m not working on my doctorate, I’m not a midwife, I’m not a researcher… I’m just me.  I’m a caesarean survivor (yes, another elective c/s death made the news this weekend!) a home birthing with midwives mother, I’m a lactivist, I am an avid fan of Harry Potter, I knit, I sew, I cook and bake, soon I will be a spinner too.  I used doulas in both my births, I advocate for womens rights to be truely educated… not just making fear based / doctor advised me to decisions.

I hope that I am enough…

Oh and there is wine around.  People just tend to frown upon women who drink alone, in the afternoon, while the children are napping.  bad idea really.

more eloquent than I’d ever be able to say…

Rather a good article about surgical birth in the USA. Skip it if you aren’t interested. Be fairly warned. I am going on a rant here. In the last week, I’ve read/had people decompress with me over scheduled sections… 5 of them. FIVE babies who were not ’safer and healthier’ for that decision. see I’m ranting already. Apologies.

and I can’t speak for Canadian stats… I can only relay that

A) more cesareans seem to happen in the late afternoon and weekends

B) holiday weekends have a frightening amount of surgical births and interventions (I’m including vacuum and forcept deliveries!)

C) I’m ashamed of our medical system where doctors are telling women that ‘lets just schedule a repeat c/s so that you don’t have to ‘go through that again’… especially when it was an iotrogenic issue that led to the cesarean.

D) I’m so tired of women believing that they ‘aren’t made to have a baby that way‘. Since when? Since the doctors decided that you should follow their calendar and rules?

E) I hate reading, and lately there seems to be a spate of them, moms who are shocked and horrified that their ‘big’ babies are actually tiny and have to spend time with specialists, because of course…. they have to be sectioned before there is a chance to go in to labour… and well, who would have thought that this might affect lung function in a baby who ISN’T READY TO BE BORN? ahem…. what the _____? If you are desperate to preserve your pelvic floor? or ‘not go through that pain‘ then let your body go in to labour first… THEN go get the major abdominal surgery… screw the ’system’. At least give your baby a fighting chance if you are going to rip them out of your abdomen for no other reason!

so freaking sad.

Anyway, I’m off to find statistics on cesarean rates in New Zealand. More on that later. I might have to not open the computer at the end of October… seeing as our friend is coming back for another visit then… and she brings pomegranate Smirnoff Ice…. that stuff sails down REALLY smooooooth. ahem. Which means I get all cocky and agree to things.

yikes.

damn damn double damn…

Hello,

I am working on today’s World Have Your Say programme and we have decided to dedicate half the programme to the experiences of childbirth around the world. We are asking the question “Should all births be natural?”.

Having read your comment on the blog, I wanted to invite you to take part in the on-air discussion today.

If you’re happy to take part, could you please email me a number I can call you on (or you can reach us at ________)

Thanks, I look forward to hearing from you and wish you all a good day!

The Producer of the show.
Producer - show name here
BBC World Service

WHY DIDN’T  I READ MY E-MAIL EARLIER…… WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!

sobs in a corner…

Sheer brilliance

This post is sheer brilliance in my blah day…

Check out this well thought out and beautifully written post on the state of postpartum care for MOTHERS!

A doula?

Yeah, still get that reaction a lot.  As well as the whole… why would someone need a doula?  That is what the doctor and nurses are for isn’t it?

yeah, doctor will show up once the baby is crowning, or if they want to leave for the night and need to hurry you along… ahem.  Anyway.

Nurses.  Most L&D floors are understaffed and under regulated.  Sometimes there is one nurse for X amount of patients.  And X does NOT equal one.

The title of this post caught me off guard. Then I read it.

Then I read it again.

Then I realized it was only about three minutes up and out here on the internet.

Then I cried.  Because I did grow up with birth as a perfectly normal thing.  I grew up with midwives and unassisted birth as a norm.  I grew up with my mother telling me they strapped down her hands when she was in labour with us… shudder. I grew up knowing that my best bet, was to stay home and give birth with a midwife.  Which is only what happened with the last two… not for lack of trying with my first pregnancy… but there you have it.

Yeah, I wish there weren’t doula’s too.

What happened?

Here is hoping that there is a pingback on this bloggers site.

I miss the House of Harris!

What happened? Where are you!  Any one else fill me in?

sigh….