So I saw Orgasmic Birth on Saturday. I thought it was outstanding. I obviously believe that normal birth belongs at home, where women are treated as they should be - normal, healthy, strong laboring women - but this film did an excellent job at showing the stark comparison between home and hospital.
I wasn't entirely sure what to expect, given the film's title, but it was a beautiful representation of the intimacy of childbirth. Laboring and birthing is such an intimate time between a woman and her partner, or it should be anyway. The film showed how intimate birth is when they showed the scenes of the women birthing at home. Kissing passionately, slowly, seductively with her partner. Touching, cuddling, whispering, loving. The film also showed a woman who had 2 rolling orgasms during labor and birth. Now THAT'S the way to give birth! ;)
People don't realize, or don't want to see, that birth is a very intimate, even sensual and sexual thing in a woman's life. Endorphins are released, oxytocin is released. The same hormones that are released while one is making love. This idea is seen as "gross" or "weird" to so many women, and that makes me sad. If only more women could see birth as an intimate time, I believe it would make a difference in how our babies are coming into the world.
The film showed 2 hospital births. One in which the mother arrived to the hospital, after laboring beautifully and intimately at home, at the very end of labor. The nurses didn't even think that the mother was far into labor. As beautiful as the labor was, it was a typical hospital birth, just without drugs. She was in bed, delivered on her back, and baby was assaulted with gloved hands, and suction, as soon as he was out. The other hospital birth was an induction. Pitocin, eventually an epidural. Mom was on her back, now disconnected from the baby she was laboring out. In the end, because of the epidural, baby was suctioned out with a vacuum, after 2 different tries and threats of a cesarean. This baby was also assaulted upon delivery. And what did mom say? She said that as much as she wanted a natural birth, you "have" to be prepared in case things don't go as you intended them to go.
My interpretation? Stay out of the hospital if you want a shot at a normal, healthy, beautiful birth. If you're there, you are HIGHLY likely to have at LEAST one unnecessary intervention, and not likely to have your baby left the hell alone for the first hour when it's so very important. Here's the trailer:
So I bet you're wondering where the midwife-to-midwife scare tactic comes into play, right? At the screening I ran into a midwife, S, who has been around for some years. I was a doula at what was supposed to be a home VBAC ( ended up in unnecessary hospital transport ) with S. I was appalled at how she was with the laboring woman. I was appalled at the language she used during a woman's labor. I was appalled at the repetitive and unnecessary vaginal exams, followed by breaking the mother's water after the mother explicitly said NO. At some point during labor, said midwife basically accosted me ( I had never really met her before this, definitely didn't KNOW her ) by asking my intentions for midwifery. I had said that I wasn't sure yet. She went on to tell me how my preceptor was not responsible in remaining a traditional midwife, and not obtaining a license. The same midwife that S has called for help, or referred to in the past when she's had a client with twins, or a breech baby. Convenient, huh?
At the screening, she asked what I am up to. I told her what I am up to. She went on to tell me examples of midwives being interviewed over the phone, to find their licensure status, disguised as interested clients. She then asked if I'm worried over the possibility, in the future, of the risk I might take. What I wanted to say, and what I did say were slightly different. She knows, as well as every other midwife, damn well that *every* midwife takes a risk every single time she steps out of her door to attend a home birth. Licensed, not licensed, or with a dozen different title initials behind their name. And since S has been attending births recently that are outside of what her licensure allows, she is acting illegally anyway. ;)
What was more interesting to me, is that a former preceptor of mine, was once partners with S. She would tell me repeatedly of how irresponsible and dangerous S is to women, and that she regretted helping her obtain her license, which she would not have, without her help supposedly. Then S, turns and tells me, in not so many words, that I am dangerous. Funny, isn't it? I guess in the area of most midwives, you have to have had the exact same training, and the exact same credentials as the next in order to be given even the least bit of respect, or support. Everyone seems to be backstabbing everyone else. And that's sad, given that every midwife is supposed to be in it to help give women better births, and see babies come into this world in a more healthy way.
And you know, I am lonely. I wish that women weren't such women. I wish that we could support each other, lean on each other, and ask each other for advice...without having such a competitive or divided nature. My plans for the future are uncertain. But I would wish that whatever I decide, I could be supported simply because I am working towards the same goal as everyone else : Helping women have better births.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Cesarean Sections carry up to FOUR TIMES greater risk of dying...
I woke up this morning to this story in my inbox. I created a Google Alert for anything related to Cesareans.
One more woman is dead, after a "routine" cesarean section, a baby has suffered complications from the surgery...and now that baby has to grow up without a mother. Her husband has to raise a child on his own.
It absolutely blows me away that women believe that cesareans are safe. Some even say that it is safer than a vaginal birth. The risk of dying during a cesarean is roughly 1 in 2,500. The risk of dying during a vaginal birth is roughly 1 in 10,000. A cesarean carries about a 4 times greater risk of dying than a vaginal birth. So how is major surgery safer?
Women don't see it as major surgery. Hell, everyone is having a cesarean now. Most celebrities, women who elect to have one so that they don't tear ( because THAT'S a logical reason for wanting major abdominal surgery! ), or because they had a previous cesarean and their doctors scare them into believing a VBAC is too dangerous, or because they believe it's the only way to deliver breech babies or twins. Some elect for a cesarean so that they don't have to go through the pain of labor - completely forgetting or being unaware of the recovery after, oh yeah, MAJOR ABDOMINAL SURGERY. I had a relatively "easy" recovery after mine. However, you never realize just how much you use your abdominal muscles for *everything*, until they've been severed, and you can't use them without excruciating pain. ( Unless you've chosen to drug yourself through recovery ) I couldn't laugh, sneeze, cough, sit up, roll over in bed, lean over, sit up straight, without horrible pain for at least a week after my cesarean. And yet, mere hours after my HBAC I was up having dinner with my family, the next day feeling no pain whatsoever. ( After I pushed out a 10.10lb, posterior baby girl out of my vagina! )
When will women understand? What's it going to take? More women dying? More babies being left motherless? We've had several cesarean deaths in the past 2 years. Two of them, at the same hospital, only weeks apart. Most hospitals have a sky high cesarean rate, and most have a very low VBAC rate. Women think that they can go into the hospital and birth with a trained surgeon, and they'll be fine as long as they have their doctor sign their birth plan. This is naivety at best. An Obstetrician is a trained surgeon. What do you think is going to happen at the first sign of any *possible* trouble?
Roughly 1 in every 3 women who birth in the hospital, will walk out( or, more accurately, be wheeled out ) recovering from *MAJOR ABDOMINAL SURGERY*. This is why low-risk women need to stay away from the hospital for birth. It's not the right place to be if you want to give your baby the best possible birth, and give you the best possible chance to avoid major surgery.
Anyway, here is the story:
For the first time in more than 10 years, a patient at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center has died while undergoing a caesarean section, the hospital reported yesterday.
The mother died Friday, and the baby experienced complications but appears to be improving, Dr. Kenneth Sands, the hospital's senior vice president of healthcare quality, said in a brief statement.
"This sad and very rare event appears to relate to an unanticipated complication at the time the baby was delivered by caesarean section," it read.
"We immediately launched an internal review and have reported to the Department of Public Health. This is obviously a very sad and distressing event for our staff . . . who have not experienced a loss like this for over 10 years. We continue to extend our deepest sympathy to the family."
The patient's name and other medical details were not disclosed.
The risk of death from a caesarean section is estimated at fewer than 1 in 2,500, according to information on the hospital's website.
That is significantly more than the roughly 1-in-10,000 risk of death during a vaginal birth.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/10/22/patient_undergoing_c_section_dies/
One more woman is dead, after a "routine" cesarean section, a baby has suffered complications from the surgery...and now that baby has to grow up without a mother. Her husband has to raise a child on his own.
It absolutely blows me away that women believe that cesareans are safe. Some even say that it is safer than a vaginal birth. The risk of dying during a cesarean is roughly 1 in 2,500. The risk of dying during a vaginal birth is roughly 1 in 10,000. A cesarean carries about a 4 times greater risk of dying than a vaginal birth. So how is major surgery safer?
Women don't see it as major surgery. Hell, everyone is having a cesarean now. Most celebrities, women who elect to have one so that they don't tear ( because THAT'S a logical reason for wanting major abdominal surgery! ), or because they had a previous cesarean and their doctors scare them into believing a VBAC is too dangerous, or because they believe it's the only way to deliver breech babies or twins. Some elect for a cesarean so that they don't have to go through the pain of labor - completely forgetting or being unaware of the recovery after, oh yeah, MAJOR ABDOMINAL SURGERY. I had a relatively "easy" recovery after mine. However, you never realize just how much you use your abdominal muscles for *everything*, until they've been severed, and you can't use them without excruciating pain. ( Unless you've chosen to drug yourself through recovery ) I couldn't laugh, sneeze, cough, sit up, roll over in bed, lean over, sit up straight, without horrible pain for at least a week after my cesarean. And yet, mere hours after my HBAC I was up having dinner with my family, the next day feeling no pain whatsoever. ( After I pushed out a 10.10lb, posterior baby girl out of my vagina! )
When will women understand? What's it going to take? More women dying? More babies being left motherless? We've had several cesarean deaths in the past 2 years. Two of them, at the same hospital, only weeks apart. Most hospitals have a sky high cesarean rate, and most have a very low VBAC rate. Women think that they can go into the hospital and birth with a trained surgeon, and they'll be fine as long as they have their doctor sign their birth plan. This is naivety at best. An Obstetrician is a trained surgeon. What do you think is going to happen at the first sign of any *possible* trouble?
Roughly 1 in every 3 women who birth in the hospital, will walk out( or, more accurately, be wheeled out ) recovering from *MAJOR ABDOMINAL SURGERY*. This is why low-risk women need to stay away from the hospital for birth. It's not the right place to be if you want to give your baby the best possible birth, and give you the best possible chance to avoid major surgery.
Anyway, here is the story:
For the first time in more than 10 years, a patient at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center has died while undergoing a caesarean section, the hospital reported yesterday.
The mother died Friday, and the baby experienced complications but appears to be improving, Dr. Kenneth Sands, the hospital's senior vice president of healthcare quality, said in a brief statement.
"This sad and very rare event appears to relate to an unanticipated complication at the time the baby was delivered by caesarean section," it read.
"We immediately launched an internal review and have reported to the Department of Public Health. This is obviously a very sad and distressing event for our staff . . . who have not experienced a loss like this for over 10 years. We continue to extend our deepest sympathy to the family."
The patient's name and other medical details were not disclosed.
The risk of death from a caesarean section is estimated at fewer than 1 in 2,500, according to information on the hospital's website.
That is significantly more than the roughly 1-in-10,000 risk of death during a vaginal birth.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/10/22/patient_undergoing_c_section_dies/
Monday, October 20, 2008
Risks and Side Effects of Epidural Anesthesia
I wrote this a LONG time ago, but a friend recently asked if I've ever written anything about epidurals. Amber, here ya go! :)
It always completely dumbfounds me when I hear someone say that epidurals are harmless. That if you "have" ( I'll comment on this later ) to have one, don't feel bad about it. It's no big deal. Women either don't know ( lack of education surrounding epidurals ) or don't care ( their comfort is more important than baby's safety ) about the risks and side effects of an epidural. After all, why should anyone point it out when it's not PC to do so. When you point out that it carries risk, and the motivation behind getting one is purely selfish...you're being judgemental, not factual. Sorry ladies, I'm not afraid to offend with the truth.
So, let's take a look at the risks and side effects to both mom AND baby, when an epidural is used during labor. This is a summary of a very large, recent study that was done. It has several authors, and was also done by meta-analysis. The full study summary can be found at:
http://www.transitiontoparenthood.com/ttp/foreducators/ceinfo/Side%20Effects%202.htm
Risks and Side Effects of Epidural Anesthesia During Labor:
* Limited Mobility - 100%
* Low Blood Pressure - up to 50%
* Fever, mom - up to 24%
* Urinary Retention - up to 68%
* Post Partum Urinary Incontenence - 27% with an epidural, 13% without
* Shivering - 33%
* Nausea - up to 30%
* Vomiting - up to 13%
* Itching - between 8-100% ( varying degrees )
* Backache Immediately After Birth - 53%
* Incomplete Pain Relief - up to 25%
* Slower 1st Stage of Labor - up to 4.8 hours longer
* Longer 2nd Stage ( pushing ) - up to 55 minutes longer
* Instrumental Delivery - up to 80%. 6 out of 9 studies indicate that less than 50% of women with an epidural had a spontanious vaginal delivery.
* Fever in the baby ( that result in a sepsis work up ) - 30%
* Fetal Distress - 10-15%
* Malpositioned Baby - up to 26%
* Lower Apgar Scores- up to 17%
* Baby Having to Endure Sepsis Work Up ( which includes spinal tap ) - up to 34%
* Baby Being Treated with Antibiotics - up to 15%
* Effects on Breastfeeding - Women who used epidurals were less likely to still be breastfeeding at 6 months. ( 30% vs. 50% )
* Cesarean - 2-3 times as likely with an epidural.
THESE are the reasons that I'm against epidurals. Again, the reasons behind getting an epidural are purely selfish. And why would you put your baby through these risks, just to escape the pain of labor, that only lasts a very short while in the grand scheme of things? God designed childbirth to be so very perfect. After birth, we have the highest amount of endorphins released at one point...unless there have been artificial chemicals added to the body. So we totally miss out on God's fullest blessing in birth, by numbing for labor.
It always completely dumbfounds me when I hear someone say that epidurals are harmless. That if you "have" ( I'll comment on this later ) to have one, don't feel bad about it. It's no big deal. Women either don't know ( lack of education surrounding epidurals ) or don't care ( their comfort is more important than baby's safety ) about the risks and side effects of an epidural. After all, why should anyone point it out when it's not PC to do so. When you point out that it carries risk, and the motivation behind getting one is purely selfish...you're being judgemental, not factual. Sorry ladies, I'm not afraid to offend with the truth.
So, let's take a look at the risks and side effects to both mom AND baby, when an epidural is used during labor. This is a summary of a very large, recent study that was done. It has several authors, and was also done by meta-analysis. The full study summary can be found at:
http://www.transitiontoparenthood.com/ttp/foreducators/ceinfo/Side%20Effects%202.htm
Risks and Side Effects of Epidural Anesthesia During Labor:
* Limited Mobility - 100%
* Low Blood Pressure - up to 50%
* Fever, mom - up to 24%
* Urinary Retention - up to 68%
* Post Partum Urinary Incontenence - 27% with an epidural, 13% without
* Shivering - 33%
* Nausea - up to 30%
* Vomiting - up to 13%
* Itching - between 8-100% ( varying degrees )
* Backache Immediately After Birth - 53%
* Incomplete Pain Relief - up to 25%
* Slower 1st Stage of Labor - up to 4.8 hours longer
* Longer 2nd Stage ( pushing ) - up to 55 minutes longer
* Instrumental Delivery - up to 80%. 6 out of 9 studies indicate that less than 50% of women with an epidural had a spontanious vaginal delivery.
* Fever in the baby ( that result in a sepsis work up ) - 30%
* Fetal Distress - 10-15%
* Malpositioned Baby - up to 26%
* Lower Apgar Scores- up to 17%
* Baby Having to Endure Sepsis Work Up ( which includes spinal tap ) - up to 34%
* Baby Being Treated with Antibiotics - up to 15%
* Effects on Breastfeeding - Women who used epidurals were less likely to still be breastfeeding at 6 months. ( 30% vs. 50% )
* Cesarean - 2-3 times as likely with an epidural.
THESE are the reasons that I'm against epidurals. Again, the reasons behind getting an epidural are purely selfish. And why would you put your baby through these risks, just to escape the pain of labor, that only lasts a very short while in the grand scheme of things? God designed childbirth to be so very perfect. After birth, we have the highest amount of endorphins released at one point...unless there have been artificial chemicals added to the body. So we totally miss out on God's fullest blessing in birth, by numbing for labor.
Consumer Report on Maternity Care in the US
I saw this, and found it wonderfully interesting. :)
Consumer Reports
Quiz: Maternity care, beware
Despite growing evidence of harm, many obstetricians and maternity hospitals still overuse high-tech procedures that can mean poorer outcomes for baby and Mom. Test your knowledge with our quiz below, and then learn more in our report.
1. An obstetrician will deliver better maternity care, overall, than a midwife or family doctor.
False. Studies show that the 8 percent to 9 percent of U.S. women who use midwives and the 6 to 7 percent who choose family physicians generally experienced just-as-good results as those who go to obstetricians. Those who used midwives also ended up with fewer technological interventions. For example, women who received midwifery care were less likely to experience induced labor, have their water broken for them, episiotomies, pain medications, intravenous fluids, and electronic fetal monitoring, and were more likely to give birth vaginally with no vacuum extraction or forceps, than similar women receiving medical care. Note that an obstetric specialist is best for the small proportion of women with serious health concerns.
2. Induced labor can halt fetal development.
True. The vital organs (including the brain and lungs) continue to develop beyond the 37th week of gestation. There is also a five-fold increase in the brain’s white matter volume between 35 and 41 weeks after conception. Inducing labor (with synthetic oxytocin, for example) might stop this growth if the fetus is not fully developed. Between 1990 and 2005, the number of women whose labor was induced more than doubled.
3. Due-date estimates can be off by up to two weeks.
True. This inaccuracy can lead to a baby being delivered by induction or Caesarean section up to two weeks earlier than its estimated due-date, cutting off important weeks of fetal development.
4. “Breaking the waters” helps hasten labor.
False. There is no evidence to support the fact that this common practice (about 47% of women) shortens labor, increases maternal satisfaction, or improves outcomes for newborns.
5. Induced labor increases the likelihood of Caesarean section in first-time mothers.
True. The cervix may not be ready for labor. Other effects of induced labor include an increased likelihood of an epidural, an assisted delivery with vacuum extraction or forceps, and extreme bleeding postpartum.
6. Once you’ve had a C-section, it’s best to do it again.
False. Studies show that, as the number of a woman’s previous C-sections increased, so did the likelihood of harmful conditions, including: trouble getting pregnant again, problems delivering the placenta (placenta accreta), longer hospital stays, intensive-care (ICU) admission, hysterectomy, and blood transfusion.
7.Labor itself can benefit a newborn’s immunity.
True. When babies do not experience labor (if the mother has a C-section before entering into labor, for example), they fail to benefit from changes that help to clear fluid from their lungs. That clearance can protect against serious breathing problems outside the womb. Passage through the vagina might also increase the likelihood that the newborn’s intestines will be colonized with “good” bacteria after the sterile womb environment.
8. Epidural anesthesia is a low-risk way to make labor easier.
False. Many women welcome the pain relief, but might not be well-informed about the increased risk of its side-effects, including lack of mobility, sedation, fever, longer pushing, and serious perineal tears.
9. Epidural anesthesia presents risks to newborns.
True. Babies whose mothers received epidurals during labor are at risk for rapid heart rate, hyperbilirubinemia (the presence of an excess of bilirubin in the blood), need for antibiotics, and poorer performance on newborn assessment tests.
10. Episiotomies reduce the risk of perineal tearing.
False. Evidence shows that routine use of episiotomy offers no benefits but rather increases women’s risk of experiencing perineal injury, stitches, pain and tenderness, leaking stool or gas, and pain during sexual intercourse. Yet in 2005, 25 percent of women with vaginal births continued to experience this intervention. Episiotomy is one of several obstetric practices adopted into common usage before being adequately studied.
Source: “Evidence-Based Maternity Care: What It Is and What It Can Achieve,” a detailed review of clinical evidence by Carol Sakala and Maureen P. Corry published by the Childbirth Connection, the Reforming States Group, and the Milbank Memorial Fund, October 2008.
Consumer Reports
Quiz: Maternity care, beware
Despite growing evidence of harm, many obstetricians and maternity hospitals still overuse high-tech procedures that can mean poorer outcomes for baby and Mom. Test your knowledge with our quiz below, and then learn more in our report.
1. An obstetrician will deliver better maternity care, overall, than a midwife or family doctor.
False. Studies show that the 8 percent to 9 percent of U.S. women who use midwives and the 6 to 7 percent who choose family physicians generally experienced just-as-good results as those who go to obstetricians. Those who used midwives also ended up with fewer technological interventions. For example, women who received midwifery care were less likely to experience induced labor, have their water broken for them, episiotomies, pain medications, intravenous fluids, and electronic fetal monitoring, and were more likely to give birth vaginally with no vacuum extraction or forceps, than similar women receiving medical care. Note that an obstetric specialist is best for the small proportion of women with serious health concerns.
2. Induced labor can halt fetal development.
True. The vital organs (including the brain and lungs) continue to develop beyond the 37th week of gestation. There is also a five-fold increase in the brain’s white matter volume between 35 and 41 weeks after conception. Inducing labor (with synthetic oxytocin, for example) might stop this growth if the fetus is not fully developed. Between 1990 and 2005, the number of women whose labor was induced more than doubled.
3. Due-date estimates can be off by up to two weeks.
True. This inaccuracy can lead to a baby being delivered by induction or Caesarean section up to two weeks earlier than its estimated due-date, cutting off important weeks of fetal development.
4. “Breaking the waters” helps hasten labor.
False. There is no evidence to support the fact that this common practice (about 47% of women) shortens labor, increases maternal satisfaction, or improves outcomes for newborns.
5. Induced labor increases the likelihood of Caesarean section in first-time mothers.
True. The cervix may not be ready for labor. Other effects of induced labor include an increased likelihood of an epidural, an assisted delivery with vacuum extraction or forceps, and extreme bleeding postpartum.
6. Once you’ve had a C-section, it’s best to do it again.
False. Studies show that, as the number of a woman’s previous C-sections increased, so did the likelihood of harmful conditions, including: trouble getting pregnant again, problems delivering the placenta (placenta accreta), longer hospital stays, intensive-care (ICU) admission, hysterectomy, and blood transfusion.
7.Labor itself can benefit a newborn’s immunity.
True. When babies do not experience labor (if the mother has a C-section before entering into labor, for example), they fail to benefit from changes that help to clear fluid from their lungs. That clearance can protect against serious breathing problems outside the womb. Passage through the vagina might also increase the likelihood that the newborn’s intestines will be colonized with “good” bacteria after the sterile womb environment.
8. Epidural anesthesia is a low-risk way to make labor easier.
False. Many women welcome the pain relief, but might not be well-informed about the increased risk of its side-effects, including lack of mobility, sedation, fever, longer pushing, and serious perineal tears.
9. Epidural anesthesia presents risks to newborns.
True. Babies whose mothers received epidurals during labor are at risk for rapid heart rate, hyperbilirubinemia (the presence of an excess of bilirubin in the blood), need for antibiotics, and poorer performance on newborn assessment tests.
10. Episiotomies reduce the risk of perineal tearing.
False. Evidence shows that routine use of episiotomy offers no benefits but rather increases women’s risk of experiencing perineal injury, stitches, pain and tenderness, leaking stool or gas, and pain during sexual intercourse. Yet in 2005, 25 percent of women with vaginal births continued to experience this intervention. Episiotomy is one of several obstetric practices adopted into common usage before being adequately studied.
Source: “Evidence-Based Maternity Care: What It Is and What It Can Achieve,” a detailed review of clinical evidence by Carol Sakala and Maureen P. Corry published by the Childbirth Connection, the Reforming States Group, and the Milbank Memorial Fund, October 2008.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Dear God, it's me....
I'm perfectly aware that I will sound like Job for a while. I'm a little ( okay, a lot ) frustrated that I keep ending up with things, medically, that don't really have any set "cure".
Over the past year and a half, I have put on nearly 50 pounds. When it first piled on, 25 lbs in less than a month and a half ( had my dr baffled ), I cut out soda, extra sugar, drank water like a fish, and ate really well. I was walking 2 miles a day. I GAINED 5 lbs in two weeks, in between visits. Once again, the doctor was baffled. They checked my ovaries and uterus for cysts, found nothing. I think I had 2-3 ultrasounds done within a month's period. They checked all of my labs, and all came back normal. She put me on a higher fiber diet, which I adhered to, and nada. I gave up. After that period, I gave up. And yes, probably ( certainly ) prematurely, but I gave up. I'm tired of being fat, but I don't have the motivation or will power to get up and do something about it ... because I'm terrified of working my butt off to have my butt not go anywhere again. I came to the conclusion, after having every single darn sign and symptom, that I have PCOS. Finally, after taking Vitex, my cycles are back to normal. But the pain in the ovaries/uterus is still prevalent, the acne is HORRID ( and I've ALWAYS had clear skin!! ), the weight gain is still going on, and I have a few oh-so-beautiful skin tags along my neckline.
So along with my ear problems that I've been having, I sat in the ENT's office for three hours to be seen yesterday, to find that I have yet another problem that cannot exactly be fixed. Something else that I have to "just" live with. The ENT believes that I have Meniere's Disease ( good guess, Emily! ), and possibly TMJ. He set me up for an MRI, which I am waiting to hear back about. He said that someone my age should not be experiencing all of these symptoms. Same thing I was told about my gynecological problems.
So yeah. I'm a bit frustrated, and in a bit of a pity party. I just don't understand WHY these things keep happening. I would LOVE to be totally ignorant of the risks, and go in and have gastric bypass done, and possibly a tubal/hysterectomy. I'd love to really believe that those would solve everything. But I know they won't. And that pisses me off somewhat as well! LOL
This is just me whining again. It's really, really hard to have ears that are killing me, a head that is spinning, an achey feeling in my head....and have kids running around hollering and screaming and fighting...and having no help. Well, I do have help, in the form of my husband's 67 year old Grandmother. But I feel too bad asking her to take them. I'm the last person to say that they're easy going. Which brings me to my next part...
I've been a really bad mom. And that's not said for sympathy or a pat on the hand and being told "No you're not". I'm an honest person - even when it comes to myself. I've been yelling FAR too often lately. The truth is, the kids have gotten so far out of control that I don't know how to bring the reigns in again. And I know the yelling and me being angry contributes to the pain in my head/jaw/whatever...but sometimes it seems like the only thing that gets the kids' attention. And I hate that! I don't like that we have children who I can't rely on to behave in public...I'm one of THOSE parents. :( Megan is so utterly spoiled, because we've spoiled her, with being the "baby" of the family. We've never had one child be the "baby" for this long. By this time, I would already have had a baby...probably a year old at this point.
I'm just overwhelmed all the way around. :)
A break from my midwifery rantings ( err, ramblings ) huh? LOL Gives you a little more of a personal insight to me I guess. The good, bad, and ugly. ;)
Over the past year and a half, I have put on nearly 50 pounds. When it first piled on, 25 lbs in less than a month and a half ( had my dr baffled ), I cut out soda, extra sugar, drank water like a fish, and ate really well. I was walking 2 miles a day. I GAINED 5 lbs in two weeks, in between visits. Once again, the doctor was baffled. They checked my ovaries and uterus for cysts, found nothing. I think I had 2-3 ultrasounds done within a month's period. They checked all of my labs, and all came back normal. She put me on a higher fiber diet, which I adhered to, and nada. I gave up. After that period, I gave up. And yes, probably ( certainly ) prematurely, but I gave up. I'm tired of being fat, but I don't have the motivation or will power to get up and do something about it ... because I'm terrified of working my butt off to have my butt not go anywhere again. I came to the conclusion, after having every single darn sign and symptom, that I have PCOS. Finally, after taking Vitex, my cycles are back to normal. But the pain in the ovaries/uterus is still prevalent, the acne is HORRID ( and I've ALWAYS had clear skin!! ), the weight gain is still going on, and I have a few oh-so-beautiful skin tags along my neckline.
So along with my ear problems that I've been having, I sat in the ENT's office for three hours to be seen yesterday, to find that I have yet another problem that cannot exactly be fixed. Something else that I have to "just" live with. The ENT believes that I have Meniere's Disease ( good guess, Emily! ), and possibly TMJ. He set me up for an MRI, which I am waiting to hear back about. He said that someone my age should not be experiencing all of these symptoms. Same thing I was told about my gynecological problems.
So yeah. I'm a bit frustrated, and in a bit of a pity party. I just don't understand WHY these things keep happening. I would LOVE to be totally ignorant of the risks, and go in and have gastric bypass done, and possibly a tubal/hysterectomy. I'd love to really believe that those would solve everything. But I know they won't. And that pisses me off somewhat as well! LOL
This is just me whining again. It's really, really hard to have ears that are killing me, a head that is spinning, an achey feeling in my head....and have kids running around hollering and screaming and fighting...and having no help. Well, I do have help, in the form of my husband's 67 year old Grandmother. But I feel too bad asking her to take them. I'm the last person to say that they're easy going. Which brings me to my next part...
I've been a really bad mom. And that's not said for sympathy or a pat on the hand and being told "No you're not". I'm an honest person - even when it comes to myself. I've been yelling FAR too often lately. The truth is, the kids have gotten so far out of control that I don't know how to bring the reigns in again. And I know the yelling and me being angry contributes to the pain in my head/jaw/whatever...but sometimes it seems like the only thing that gets the kids' attention. And I hate that! I don't like that we have children who I can't rely on to behave in public...I'm one of THOSE parents. :( Megan is so utterly spoiled, because we've spoiled her, with being the "baby" of the family. We've never had one child be the "baby" for this long. By this time, I would already have had a baby...probably a year old at this point.
I'm just overwhelmed all the way around. :)
A break from my midwifery rantings ( err, ramblings ) huh? LOL Gives you a little more of a personal insight to me I guess. The good, bad, and ugly. ;)
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
This is awful :(
This has absolutely nothing to do with midwifery, but I am feeling awful.
I have really bad tinnitis in my left ear. I found out almost a year ago that I have scarring on that ear drum as well. I went in to see an ENT due to vertigo ( I know, all at once, huh? ), and they gave me that news.
The ringing in my ears has progressively been getting worse, to the point where I often cannot go to sleep at night because of the seriously high pitched sound in my ear. Well lately, it's been accompanied by a cold feeling, or like a portion of my ear has gone to sleep. On Sunday I woke up and was a bit dizzy and my head just ached. I tried to shake it off, because I was going to surprise the girls with Disneyland for the day. I ate, took some extra strength tylenol, and prayed it would go away. It didn't. As we waded through the horrible crowds at Disneyland, the dizziness and headache got worse. We had to leave early, otherwise I didn't think I'd be able to drive home.
Yesterday any noise the kids made was absolutely unbearable. Each squeak felt like someone was jabbing an ice pick into my head. I now have a very congested feeling along with pain running down the left side of my neck, and little noises are still driving me crazy. I went to bed as soon as Jeramy got home last night, but even with drops and a cotton ball in my ear, my hooded sweatshirt over my ear, the blanket over that, and my door closed...the noise still hurt very much. :(
I had made an appointment with an ENT that Jeramy has seen, for Thursday afternoon. I woke up this morning to it being even worse, and was able to switch my appointment to a stand-by one this afternoon at 3:30. I was warned that I will have to wait quite a while, but I don't care at this point. I just need to know what's going on, and get some relief. I was horrible to the kids yesterday because of the pain, and the intense pain that came with noise by them. I can't keep going like this. :(
So anyway, pray that the ENT finds what's wrong, and is able to offer me some relief. You all know how I feel about drugs - but boy I wouldn't mind some good ones right about now!
I have really bad tinnitis in my left ear. I found out almost a year ago that I have scarring on that ear drum as well. I went in to see an ENT due to vertigo ( I know, all at once, huh? ), and they gave me that news.
The ringing in my ears has progressively been getting worse, to the point where I often cannot go to sleep at night because of the seriously high pitched sound in my ear. Well lately, it's been accompanied by a cold feeling, or like a portion of my ear has gone to sleep. On Sunday I woke up and was a bit dizzy and my head just ached. I tried to shake it off, because I was going to surprise the girls with Disneyland for the day. I ate, took some extra strength tylenol, and prayed it would go away. It didn't. As we waded through the horrible crowds at Disneyland, the dizziness and headache got worse. We had to leave early, otherwise I didn't think I'd be able to drive home.
Yesterday any noise the kids made was absolutely unbearable. Each squeak felt like someone was jabbing an ice pick into my head. I now have a very congested feeling along with pain running down the left side of my neck, and little noises are still driving me crazy. I went to bed as soon as Jeramy got home last night, but even with drops and a cotton ball in my ear, my hooded sweatshirt over my ear, the blanket over that, and my door closed...the noise still hurt very much. :(
I had made an appointment with an ENT that Jeramy has seen, for Thursday afternoon. I woke up this morning to it being even worse, and was able to switch my appointment to a stand-by one this afternoon at 3:30. I was warned that I will have to wait quite a while, but I don't care at this point. I just need to know what's going on, and get some relief. I was horrible to the kids yesterday because of the pain, and the intense pain that came with noise by them. I can't keep going like this. :(
So anyway, pray that the ENT finds what's wrong, and is able to offer me some relief. You all know how I feel about drugs - but boy I wouldn't mind some good ones right about now!
Monday, October 13, 2008
To echo a running theme on Grey's Anatomy:
Seriously? Seriously! Seriously?!?!
I have been totally and completely irritated with the lack of breastfeeding advocacy in the US. Especially after visiting the Philippines, and seeing pro-breastfeeding stuff EVERYWHERE. And no, that's not being overdramatic. Posters explaining the benefits were everywhere you looked.
Here? Here we're too damn PC to say "HEY! LADY! You're supposed to be giving your baby the best! There are r-e-a-s-o-n-s that there are breastfeeding slogans like 'Breast is Best', you know! There are reasons that formula companies put that on the can and in every commercial!!!" Nooo, we can't say that. Because that might undermind the decision of a woman who believes that her breasts are sexual objects only, or the woman who thinks that breastfeeding is gross, or the woman who thinks it's just too hard.
In the grocery store the other day, a woman had a Breast Cancer Awareness tote bag, and yet was buying a huge can of formula for her roughly week-old daughter sitting in her carrier, in the very back of the grocery cart.
:crickets chirping:
In the words of Homer Simpson: "DOH!". Yes, let's make sure that everyone knows about Breast Cancer...but did YOU know that breastfeeding actually reduces your risk of said cancer? Again: "DOH!"
In the past 2 days, I have seen commercials on feeding your BABY ( not toddler, not child...BABY ) the essential fatty acids such as the Omegas, and about making sure that your baby gets enough DHA in his or her diet. They mention fish sources, foods, even FORMULAS with ADDED nutrients ( because it's manufactured, processed, and preserved REMEMBER? )....but not ONCE did the damn thing mention, oh yeah, BREASTFEEDING!!!!!
Have we really gotten that PC as a society that the babies don't matter? "It's her choice, I can't make her feel bad or change her mind!". Really? What if the people who were against slavery decided that it wasn't any of their business what went on in other households? What if the civil rights activists decided that it wasn't their problem if a black person had the very same right to be in schools and buses and shops and theaters, as white people?
Now you've gone too far, Birthkeeper!
Have I? Really? Is it so far fetched for someone to worry about the babies who have the misfortune of being born to mothers who obviously don't care enough about their well being to simply breastfeed? I'm not asking for the woman to sign her breasts up for the next 3 years. But one year?!?!? Six months?!?! I advocate for longer than that, as does many health organizations, but I'd be happy if babies got at least 6 months to a year.
But that's not going to happen unless women start their selfless portion of motherhood during pregnancy.
I have been totally and completely irritated with the lack of breastfeeding advocacy in the US. Especially after visiting the Philippines, and seeing pro-breastfeeding stuff EVERYWHERE. And no, that's not being overdramatic. Posters explaining the benefits were everywhere you looked.
Here? Here we're too damn PC to say "HEY! LADY! You're supposed to be giving your baby the best! There are r-e-a-s-o-n-s that there are breastfeeding slogans like 'Breast is Best', you know! There are reasons that formula companies put that on the can and in every commercial!!!" Nooo, we can't say that. Because that might undermind the decision of a woman who believes that her breasts are sexual objects only, or the woman who thinks that breastfeeding is gross, or the woman who thinks it's just too hard.
In the grocery store the other day, a woman had a Breast Cancer Awareness tote bag, and yet was buying a huge can of formula for her roughly week-old daughter sitting in her carrier, in the very back of the grocery cart.
:crickets chirping:
In the words of Homer Simpson: "DOH!". Yes, let's make sure that everyone knows about Breast Cancer...but did YOU know that breastfeeding actually reduces your risk of said cancer? Again: "DOH!"
In the past 2 days, I have seen commercials on feeding your BABY ( not toddler, not child...BABY ) the essential fatty acids such as the Omegas, and about making sure that your baby gets enough DHA in his or her diet. They mention fish sources, foods, even FORMULAS with ADDED nutrients ( because it's manufactured, processed, and preserved REMEMBER? )....but not ONCE did the damn thing mention, oh yeah, BREASTFEEDING!!!!!
Have we really gotten that PC as a society that the babies don't matter? "It's her choice, I can't make her feel bad or change her mind!". Really? What if the people who were against slavery decided that it wasn't any of their business what went on in other households? What if the civil rights activists decided that it wasn't their problem if a black person had the very same right to be in schools and buses and shops and theaters, as white people?
Now you've gone too far, Birthkeeper!
Have I? Really? Is it so far fetched for someone to worry about the babies who have the misfortune of being born to mothers who obviously don't care enough about their well being to simply breastfeed? I'm not asking for the woman to sign her breasts up for the next 3 years. But one year?!?!? Six months?!?! I advocate for longer than that, as does many health organizations, but I'd be happy if babies got at least 6 months to a year.
But that's not going to happen unless women start their selfless portion of motherhood during pregnancy.
Friday, October 10, 2008
It Only Takes One
To be honest, I’m not entirely sure why I am writing this. Therapeutic? Maybe. To possibly help some other woman along the way, somewhere? Maybe. But maybe I am doing this for my daughters. It terrifies me to think that unless our birth environment changes, that they will be faced with the same misinformation and fear in childbirth that I faced in the very start of my childbearing years. The very same that caused me to end up on an operating table, being cut open, having my son removed from my body. The faith in my body and the faith in my Maker were blacked out by one single, smooth talking authority figure. Who was I to question him? It only takes one sometimes. Even when you have one hundred telling you the truth…sometimes it only takes the one.
So this might be my way of being a “one”. Certainly not for every woman. I can be far too controversial for that. And not every woman wants change. Some women want to remain in the place that they are in, because it means that the responsibility lies on someone else’s shoulders. But if my passion, my heart, my advocacy changes things for even one woman, then I have done a good job. I always tell people that I am the furthest from a feminist that they will ever meet … except when it comes to childbirth. We NEED strong women to stand up against what is being done to other women, for what has been done to us. Our babies. Our bodies. We NEED strong women to make a change, now, so that our daughters don’t have to fight…and face losing as we did. This is OUR responsibility. Not just the outspoken advocates who have already been heard, and labeled an activist. It is OUR responsibility, the average woman’s, to fight against the damage being done to women as a whole. If we don’t, then our daughters face the same.
I hear from women all the time, “I know that a home birth is probably the best way to have a natural birth, but my husband would never go for it.” We place the responsibility on our husbands or partners for something that they will never physically experience. Our husbands do not feel what we feel during childbirth. The hard work, the pain, the joy, and the utter empowerment. They will never know what it feels like to constantly have their body violated by unwanted vaginal exams, or checkups done without prior permission. They will never know how it feels to have the baby that they just worked so hard for, taken away by a stranger with gloves on. They will never feel that pull. It’s not instinctual for them. Stress can completely interfere with labor, and this is a fact that many women do not know. I don’t think I can even count on one hand, the women that I have come across that actually knows what goes on inside of our body during labor. Why? Why is this not known? Why is it not known how routine practices in childbirth can damage the hormonal flow?
So far, I have never come across a woman who has been unable to labor effectively in their home. Some don’t understand why their labor at home was shorter than their labor in the hospital. This all points back to the beautifully choreographed dance of hormones in labor. But women are not educated about hormones. They are not educated about what goes on inside of their body, and inside of their baby, during labor and childbirth. Seldom do I come across a woman who knows WHY inductions are not good, and even more seldom do I find a woman who knows that when an induction “fails”, the body was doing its job beautifully – protecting the baby who is not ready to be born.
For most women, it is simple. She goes to her routine prenatal appointments, and doesn’t ask too many questions. After all, her doctor or midwife is a doctor or midwife, and knows what s/he is doing. She goes in for any and all tests and screenings that are recommended. As she gets to 36 weeks, she prepares for weekly vaginal exams to see what her body is doing, if anything. At 38/39 weeks, she is offered a membrane sweep, since her cervix doesn’t seem to be cooperating. And since she trusts her care provider fully, she does not question this, or ask about potential risks and side effects. She becomes discouraged that her cervix has not yet begun to dilate, and asks her care provider what will happen if she gets to the next appointment and has not yet had her baby. She does not do her own independent research, because after all, she is not the one with the medical degree. Her care provider discusses the possibility of induction, and tells her that she can then pick her baby’s birth date. No more waiting! No more discomfort of pregnancy! She can plan her baby’s birth date, and have her family in town to do so, if she wishes. And to the average woman, this sounds great. Why wouldn’t it? She has not been told any differently, and she has not researched her options. She has not researched each thing that has been done, and has not been able to give true informed consent for anything. Why?
With books like What To Expect When You’re Expecting, it walks her though all of what is mentioned above. Why would she think to ask questions? Her expert pregnancy book has groomed her for these appointments, and she has been expecting them for a while. Popular pregnancy sites like BabyCenter.com, and AmazingPregnancy.com, all include the same phrase ( possibly worded differently, but all meaning the same ) sprinkled through every article : “Depending on what your doctor decides is best…”. Where is the advice about researching every prenatal/labor/birth option thoroughly and make an informed decision? Where is the information that shows both sides of the coin on a wide variety of prenatal, labor, and birth topics? Where is the responsibility?
Some women say it lies with their care provider. The care provider says it lies within the patients.
If we do not have more women stand up and teach other women about taking responsibility in prenatal care, labor, and birth…then this cycle will continue. Ignorance in childbirth is one of the most dangerous kinds of ignorance. It’s a failed responsibility that every woman needs to take back, if not for themselves, for their daughters. Their friends. Their sisters. Regardless of who it is done for, it needs to be done. And it needs to be done soon.
When I began writing this, I wasn’t sure who I was writing this to or for. I am sure now. I am writing this as a call for advocacy and activism. This is a call for women to use their voices, their feet, their minds. This is a call for women to take responsibility for birth, and make a change. There are so many avenues by which to do this, one only needs to ask. One woman can write dozens of letters to hospital administrators, state legislators, the state medical board. One woman can wear advocacy t-shirts, and get noticed, answer questions. One woman can pass out flyers, or lend help to local birth change organizations. One woman can spill her heart out onto a page, and have hundreds of readers who might finally question the routine practices in childbirth. One woman can begin a fight for the babies who have no choice in what is done to them at birth.
And total change can start with just one. Total change can start with you.
So this might be my way of being a “one”. Certainly not for every woman. I can be far too controversial for that. And not every woman wants change. Some women want to remain in the place that they are in, because it means that the responsibility lies on someone else’s shoulders. But if my passion, my heart, my advocacy changes things for even one woman, then I have done a good job. I always tell people that I am the furthest from a feminist that they will ever meet … except when it comes to childbirth. We NEED strong women to stand up against what is being done to other women, for what has been done to us. Our babies. Our bodies. We NEED strong women to make a change, now, so that our daughters don’t have to fight…and face losing as we did. This is OUR responsibility. Not just the outspoken advocates who have already been heard, and labeled an activist. It is OUR responsibility, the average woman’s, to fight against the damage being done to women as a whole. If we don’t, then our daughters face the same.
I hear from women all the time, “I know that a home birth is probably the best way to have a natural birth, but my husband would never go for it.” We place the responsibility on our husbands or partners for something that they will never physically experience. Our husbands do not feel what we feel during childbirth. The hard work, the pain, the joy, and the utter empowerment. They will never know what it feels like to constantly have their body violated by unwanted vaginal exams, or checkups done without prior permission. They will never know how it feels to have the baby that they just worked so hard for, taken away by a stranger with gloves on. They will never feel that pull. It’s not instinctual for them. Stress can completely interfere with labor, and this is a fact that many women do not know. I don’t think I can even count on one hand, the women that I have come across that actually knows what goes on inside of our body during labor. Why? Why is this not known? Why is it not known how routine practices in childbirth can damage the hormonal flow?
So far, I have never come across a woman who has been unable to labor effectively in their home. Some don’t understand why their labor at home was shorter than their labor in the hospital. This all points back to the beautifully choreographed dance of hormones in labor. But women are not educated about hormones. They are not educated about what goes on inside of their body, and inside of their baby, during labor and childbirth. Seldom do I come across a woman who knows WHY inductions are not good, and even more seldom do I find a woman who knows that when an induction “fails”, the body was doing its job beautifully – protecting the baby who is not ready to be born.
For most women, it is simple. She goes to her routine prenatal appointments, and doesn’t ask too many questions. After all, her doctor or midwife is a doctor or midwife, and knows what s/he is doing. She goes in for any and all tests and screenings that are recommended. As she gets to 36 weeks, she prepares for weekly vaginal exams to see what her body is doing, if anything. At 38/39 weeks, she is offered a membrane sweep, since her cervix doesn’t seem to be cooperating. And since she trusts her care provider fully, she does not question this, or ask about potential risks and side effects. She becomes discouraged that her cervix has not yet begun to dilate, and asks her care provider what will happen if she gets to the next appointment and has not yet had her baby. She does not do her own independent research, because after all, she is not the one with the medical degree. Her care provider discusses the possibility of induction, and tells her that she can then pick her baby’s birth date. No more waiting! No more discomfort of pregnancy! She can plan her baby’s birth date, and have her family in town to do so, if she wishes. And to the average woman, this sounds great. Why wouldn’t it? She has not been told any differently, and she has not researched her options. She has not researched each thing that has been done, and has not been able to give true informed consent for anything. Why?
With books like What To Expect When You’re Expecting, it walks her though all of what is mentioned above. Why would she think to ask questions? Her expert pregnancy book has groomed her for these appointments, and she has been expecting them for a while. Popular pregnancy sites like BabyCenter.com, and AmazingPregnancy.com, all include the same phrase ( possibly worded differently, but all meaning the same ) sprinkled through every article : “Depending on what your doctor decides is best…”. Where is the advice about researching every prenatal/labor/birth option thoroughly and make an informed decision? Where is the information that shows both sides of the coin on a wide variety of prenatal, labor, and birth topics? Where is the responsibility?
Some women say it lies with their care provider. The care provider says it lies within the patients.
If we do not have more women stand up and teach other women about taking responsibility in prenatal care, labor, and birth…then this cycle will continue. Ignorance in childbirth is one of the most dangerous kinds of ignorance. It’s a failed responsibility that every woman needs to take back, if not for themselves, for their daughters. Their friends. Their sisters. Regardless of who it is done for, it needs to be done. And it needs to be done soon.
When I began writing this, I wasn’t sure who I was writing this to or for. I am sure now. I am writing this as a call for advocacy and activism. This is a call for women to use their voices, their feet, their minds. This is a call for women to take responsibility for birth, and make a change. There are so many avenues by which to do this, one only needs to ask. One woman can write dozens of letters to hospital administrators, state legislators, the state medical board. One woman can wear advocacy t-shirts, and get noticed, answer questions. One woman can pass out flyers, or lend help to local birth change organizations. One woman can spill her heart out onto a page, and have hundreds of readers who might finally question the routine practices in childbirth. One woman can begin a fight for the babies who have no choice in what is done to them at birth.
And total change can start with just one. Total change can start with you.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Women Unaware of Adhesion Risks
Maybe that's because cesarean *surgery* has become so commonplace, that women don't realize that there are major risks associated with it? Maybe because women now are so conditioned to believe that a cesarean is simply another way to have a baby? It deeply, deeply saddens me that cesarean risks are so downplayed. And ahdesions may not seem like a huge deal - until you've experienced a particularly bad bout of adhesions breaking up...feeling like dozens of rubber bands snapping inside of your body. :(
And seriously? They're offering free copies of "Guide to preparing for gynecologic surgery"?!?!? How about a guide on how to PREVENT gynecologic surgery? Where's that free copy?
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Wednesday, October 1, 2008*
5:41:00 PM EDT New Survey Reveals Women Are Unaware of the Dangers of
Surgical Adhesions
*Red Bank, NJ* - Although more than half of the country's women will have
some type of pelvic surgery and are therefore at risk for surgical
adhesions, a survey released this month by the not-for-profit National
Women's Health Resource Center (NWHRC) finds that women are largely unaware
of the health risks associated with adhesions.
Surgical adhesions occur when tissue in the abdominal cavity adheres, or
gets stuck to other tissue. Adhesions commonly form following pelvic
surgeries, such as hysterectomy, tubal ligation, cesarean section, and cyst
removal. Left untreated, adhesions can cause infertility, abdominal pain,
and bowel obstruction.
The survey of 1,000 women showed respondents strongly believe women should
be informed about surgical adhesions prior to surgery (69%). Conversely, an
overwhelming majority of women (80%) who had pelvic surgery were not
informed about adhesions prior to their surgery. Of the women in the survey
who suffer from adhesions, seven out of ten (70%) say they would have taken
special precautions to protect themselves from getting adhesions if they had
been aware of possible adhesion-related complications.
Susan Jones*, a human resources director and mother of three from McLean,
Virginia, has experience with the long-term effects adhesions can have on a
person's health. All of Jones's children were delivered by cesarean section.
Due to adhesions caused by these three surgeries, she suffers from
reoccurring abdominal pain and has been advised not to have any more
children because of the increased difficulty of delivering a baby surrounded
by such a large amount of scar tissue.
"My first c-section only took about 10 minutes for the doctor to get the
baby out," said Jones. "My second c-section took nearly 45 minutes and my
final c-section took nearly an hour and a half. My doctor had such a hard
time maneuvering around the scar tissue to get to my baby."
"If I had known about adhesions," continued Jones, "I would have talked to
my doctor about what can be done to reduce my risk for getting them."
Like Ms. Jones, half (51%) of survey respondents were not aware that
preventative measures can be taken to lower your risk of adhesions and an
even higher proportion (68%) of women that had undergone surgery did not
know if their surgeon took specific steps to guard against adhesions.
"Preventive measures to reduce the incidence of adhesions are the mainstay
of limiting the complications related to adhesions," stated Dr. Glenn
Schattman, Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Weill
Medical College of Cornell University. "These include using minimally
invasive surgical procedures, meticulous surgical technique, keeping tissues
moist, reducing bleeding and the use of adjuvant adhesions prevention
barriers to keep the tissues from sticking to each other."
"It's important to understand that once adhesions form, they are hard to get
rid of," continued Dr. Schattman. "Adhesions can cause blockages of the
intestines, fallopian tubes causing infertility and pain."
When faced with pelvic surgery, women said they were most concerned about
short-term surgical issues such as the general recovery process (60%),
immediate surgical results (59%) and post surgical pain (59%).
"Along with their immediate post-surgery concerns, women need to make
adhesions part of the pre-surgery dialogue with their health care provider,"
stated Elizabeth Battaglino Cahill, RN, executive vice president of the
NWHRC. "We hope that this adhesion awareness campaign can give women the
tools they need to understand the health risks of adhesions and how to
protect themselves from this life-long internal scarring."
To provide women the information they need about ways to minimize the risk
of surgical adhesions, the NWHRC has developed a one-page fast facts on
adhesions and an in-depth *Guide to Preparing for Gynecologic Surgery*. The
guide includes sections entitled:
- All About Adhesions
- Preparing for Surgery Checklist
- Choosing a Surgeon
- After Your Surgery
To download your complimentary online copy of the *Guide to Preparing for
Gynecologic Surgery*, "Fast Facts for Your Health: Pelvic Adhesions" or to
learn more about the adhesion survey, please visit NWHRC's award-winning Web
site, www.healthywomen.org. The survey and campaign materials were made
possible through support from Ethicon Women's Health & Urology, a division
of ETHICON, Inc.
And seriously? They're offering free copies of "Guide to preparing for gynecologic surgery"?!?!? How about a guide on how to PREVENT gynecologic surgery? Where's that free copy?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Wednesday, October 1, 2008*
5:41:00 PM EDT New Survey Reveals Women Are Unaware of the Dangers of
Surgical Adhesions
*Red Bank, NJ* - Although more than half of the country's women will have
some type of pelvic surgery and are therefore at risk for surgical
adhesions, a survey released this month by the not-for-profit National
Women's Health Resource Center (NWHRC) finds that women are largely unaware
of the health risks associated with adhesions.
Surgical adhesions occur when tissue in the abdominal cavity adheres, or
gets stuck to other tissue. Adhesions commonly form following pelvic
surgeries, such as hysterectomy, tubal ligation, cesarean section, and cyst
removal. Left untreated, adhesions can cause infertility, abdominal pain,
and bowel obstruction.
The survey of 1,000 women showed respondents strongly believe women should
be informed about surgical adhesions prior to surgery (69%). Conversely, an
overwhelming majority of women (80%) who had pelvic surgery were not
informed about adhesions prior to their surgery. Of the women in the survey
who suffer from adhesions, seven out of ten (70%) say they would have taken
special precautions to protect themselves from getting adhesions if they had
been aware of possible adhesion-related complications.
Susan Jones*, a human resources director and mother of three from McLean,
Virginia, has experience with the long-term effects adhesions can have on a
person's health. All of Jones's children were delivered by cesarean section.
Due to adhesions caused by these three surgeries, she suffers from
reoccurring abdominal pain and has been advised not to have any more
children because of the increased difficulty of delivering a baby surrounded
by such a large amount of scar tissue.
"My first c-section only took about 10 minutes for the doctor to get the
baby out," said Jones. "My second c-section took nearly 45 minutes and my
final c-section took nearly an hour and a half. My doctor had such a hard
time maneuvering around the scar tissue to get to my baby."
"If I had known about adhesions," continued Jones, "I would have talked to
my doctor about what can be done to reduce my risk for getting them."
Like Ms. Jones, half (51%) of survey respondents were not aware that
preventative measures can be taken to lower your risk of adhesions and an
even higher proportion (68%) of women that had undergone surgery did not
know if their surgeon took specific steps to guard against adhesions.
"Preventive measures to reduce the incidence of adhesions are the mainstay
of limiting the complications related to adhesions," stated Dr. Glenn
Schattman, Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Weill
Medical College of Cornell University. "These include using minimally
invasive surgical procedures, meticulous surgical technique, keeping tissues
moist, reducing bleeding and the use of adjuvant adhesions prevention
barriers to keep the tissues from sticking to each other."
"It's important to understand that once adhesions form, they are hard to get
rid of," continued Dr. Schattman. "Adhesions can cause blockages of the
intestines, fallopian tubes causing infertility and pain."
When faced with pelvic surgery, women said they were most concerned about
short-term surgical issues such as the general recovery process (60%),
immediate surgical results (59%) and post surgical pain (59%).
"Along with their immediate post-surgery concerns, women need to make
adhesions part of the pre-surgery dialogue with their health care provider,"
stated Elizabeth Battaglino Cahill, RN, executive vice president of the
NWHRC. "We hope that this adhesion awareness campaign can give women the
tools they need to understand the health risks of adhesions and how to
protect themselves from this life-long internal scarring."
To provide women the information they need about ways to minimize the risk
of surgical adhesions, the NWHRC has developed a one-page fast facts on
adhesions and an in-depth *Guide to Preparing for Gynecologic Surgery*. The
guide includes sections entitled:
- All About Adhesions
- Preparing for Surgery Checklist
- Choosing a Surgeon
- After Your Surgery
To download your complimentary online copy of the *Guide to Preparing for
Gynecologic Surgery*, "Fast Facts for Your Health: Pelvic Adhesions" or to
learn more about the adhesion survey, please visit NWHRC's award-winning Web
site, www.healthywomen.org. The survey and campaign materials were made
possible through support from Ethicon Women's Health & Urology, a division
of ETHICON, Inc.
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