Thursday, March 31, 2011

Thankful Thursday: Bountiful Baskets

As a mom who is working and trying to keep my household on a budget... not to mention trying to feed my family healthy food(!) I am thankful for Bountiful Baskets!

Bountiful baskets is not a business, they are a Co-op, which is a group of volunteers working together to make sure we have some of the best, freshest, cheapest, local produce we can find. You need to check out their website for all the information.

Basically you place your order, show up on Saturday mornings at your pick up location and bring all your globs of produce home. You never know what you are going to get, but that keeps it interesting! I have come home with so many different things, it is great to search for new recipes and invent your own. 2 weeks ago we had some of the best asparagus ever! And can you believe that my 4 year old can eat her weight in asparagus, mushrooms, and spinach? I totally think she can.

This group started in Arizona and they have spread to Utah, Idaho, Texas, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Montana, Nevada, and Wyoming. Seriously, something this amazing doesn't spread this fast unless it is really good. Basket prices start at $15 for way more produce than a family of 4 can handle in a week (we usually share our basket with a friend every week) so it is a screaming deal.

Check it out, you will be THANKFUL you did.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Wild Wednesday: Miracle Tsunami Baby

What an amazing miracle! These Japanese parents whose 4 month old baby was swept out of their arms during the tsunami and earthquake were reunited.
Article found HERE

Miracles in Japan: Four-Month-Old Baby, 70-Year-Old Woman Found Alive

A Japanese officer smiles as he holds a 4-month-old baby girl who was rescued in Ishinomaki, in Miyagi prefecture, on March 14, 2011

A Japanese officer smiles as he holds a 4-month-old baby girl who was rescued in Ishinomaki, in Miyagi prefecture, on March 14, 2011

Yomiuri Shimbun / Reuters

On March 14, soldiers from Japan's Self-Defense Forces went door to door in Ishinomaki, a coastal town northeast of Senda, pulling bodies from homes that had been flattened by the earthquake and tsunami. More accustomed to hearing the crunching of rubble and the sloshing of mud than sounds of life, they dismissed the baby's cry as a mistake. Until they heard it again.Amid the silent corpses a baby cried out—and Japan met its tiniest miracle.

(More on TIME.com: See seven ways to help the victims in Japan.)

They made their way to a pile of debris and carefully removed fragments of wood and slate, shattered glass and rock. And then they saw her: a 4-month-old baby girl in a pink woolen bear suit.

A tidal wave literally swept the baby from her parents' arms when it hit their home on March 11. Afterward, her parents — both of whom survived the disaster — took refuge in their wrecked house, worried that their little girl was dead. Soldiers managed to reunite the baby with her overjoyed father shortly after the rescue.

"Her discovery has put a new energy into the search," a civil defense official told a local news crew. "We will listen, look and dig with even more diligence after this." Ahead of the baby's rescue, officials reported finding at least 2,000 bodies washed up on the shoreline of Miyagi prefecture. How the child survived drowning — or being crushed by fallen trees and houses — remains a mystery.




Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Trusting Tuesdays: American Academy of Pediatrics

Sorry to skip a week on posting about inductions, but I think this is an important post.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has recently come out with a new statement on car seat safety. It recommends that children stay in rear facing car seats until the age of 2.

This is not a new law, however, I am sure it will quickly be put into law within the next year or two. This is a huge change. Most parents are turning their babies forward facing as soon as they hit 20lbs or turn one year. I waited until 14 months to turn my youngest forward facing, so now I need to get it into my mind that this really is safer.

We are often worried about what these changes will do to our kids- they will be upset facing backwards, it is harder to see them, how do we know if they are okay? Well I am sure these thoughts happened to moms who were told they have to put their kids in carseats, and again when they were told they couldn't put babies in the front seat, and again when they were told about rear facing, and so on.

This is just a change that will come about to make our children safer. We can resist all we want, but when we sit down and think about it, we can do this. It is proven to be safer for our babies and toddlers.



AAP UPDATES RECOMMENDATION ON CAR SEATS
Children should ride rear-facing to age 2, use a booster until at least age 8


Below is a policy appearing in the April issue of Pediatrics, the peer-reviewed, scientific journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

For Release: Monday, March 21 , 2011 12:01 am (ET)

New advice from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) will change the way many parents buckle up their children for a drive.

In a new policy published in the April 2011 issue of Pediatrics (published online March 21), the AAP advises parents to keep their toddlers in rear-facing car seats until age 2, or until they reach the maximum height and weight for their seat. It also advises that most children will need to ride in a belt-positioning booster seat until they have reached 4 feet 9 inches tall and are between 8 and 12 years of age.

The previous policy, from 2002, advised that it is safest for infants and toddlers to ride rear-facing up to the limits of the car seat, but it also cited age 12 months and 20 pounds as a minimum. As a result, many parents turned the seat to face the front of the car when their child celebrated his or her first birthday.

“Parents often look forward to transitioning from one stage to the next, but these transitions should generally be delayed until they’re necessary, when the child fully outgrows the limits for his or her current stage,” said Dennis Durbin, MD, FAAP, lead author of the policy statement and accompanying technical report.

“A rear-facing child safety seat does a better job of supporting the head, neck and spine of infants and toddlers in a crash, because it distributes the force of the collision over the entire body,” Dr. Durbin said. “For larger children, a forward-facing seat with a harness is safer than a booster, and a belt-positioning booster seat provides better protection than a seat belt alone until the seat belt fits correctly.”

While the rate of deaths in motor vehicle crashes in children under age 16 has decreased substantially – dropping 45 percent between 1997 and 2009 – it is still the leading cause of death for children ages 4 and older. Counting children and teens up to age 21, there are more than 5,000 deaths each year. Fatalities are just the tip of the iceberg; for every fatality, roughly 18 children are hospitalized and more than 400 are injured seriously enough to require medical treatment.

New research has found children are safer in rear-facing car seats. A 2007 study in the journalInjury Prevention showed that children under age 2 are 75 percent less likely to die or be severely injured in a crash if they are riding rear-facing.

“The ‘age 2’ recommendation is not a deadline, but rather a guideline to help parents decide when to make the transition,” Dr. Durbin said. “Smaller children will benefit from remaining rear-facing longer, while other children may reach the maximum height or weight before 2 years of age.”

Children should transition from a rear-facing seat to a forward-facing seat with a harness, until they reach the maximum weight or height for that seat. Then a booster will make sure the vehicle’s lap-and-shoulder belt fit properly. The shoulder belt should lie across the middle of the chest and shoulder, not near the neck or face. The lap belt should fit low and snug on the hips and upper thighs, not across the belly. Most children will need a booster seat until they have reached 4 feet 9 inches tall and are between 8 and 12 years old.

Children should ride in the rear of a vehicle until they are 13 years old.

Although the Federal Aviation Administration permits children under age 2 to ride on an adult’s lap on an airplane, they are best protected by riding in an age- and size-appropriate restraint.

“Children should ride properly restrained on every trip in every type of transportation, on the road or in the air,” Dr. Durbin said.


A car seat guide for parents is available at www.healthychildren.org/carseatguide

Monday, March 28, 2011

Mommy Monday: Breastfeeding Laws



I mentioned yesterday about breastfeeding in public. There are laws that protect you and allow you to breastfeed in public.

What are the laws in your state?
I am thinking with my next baby I should move to another state... lets say one that excuses nursing mothers from JURY DUTY!
California, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon, Virginia, and Puerto Rico


I would also like to thank President Obama for his work on the Federal Health Reform for Nursing Mothers:

Federal Health Reform and Nursing Mothers

President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, H.R. 3590, on March 23 and the Reconciliation Act of 2010, H.R. 4872, on March 30, 2010. (See the combined full text of Public Laws 111-148 and 111-152 here.) Among many provisions, Section 4207 of the law amends the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 1938 (29 U.S. Code 207) to require an employer to provide reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk for her nursing child for one year after the child's birth each time such employee has need to express milk. The employer is not required to compensate an employee receiving reasonable break time for any work time spent for such purpose. The employer must also provide a place, other than a bathroom, for the employee to express breast milk. If these requirements impose undue hardship, an employer that employs fewer than 50 employees is not subject to these requirements. The federal requirements shall not preempt a state law that provides greater protections to employees. For more information, see the U.S. Department of Labor's Fact Sheet on Break Time for Nursing Mothers under the FLSA.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Special Guest Sunday: DoulaBooBees

Fashion statement? I am not sure.
Political statement? I doubt it- but could be- with Michelle Obama supporting breastfeeding and all.
Act of defiance? NO.
A way to keep your baby's head warm while you are breastfeeding? Yes.
An attempt to NORMALIZE breastfeeding in public? Of course.
These cute little crochet hats were made by my wonderful friend Michelle. She has an etsy shop at DoulaBooBees. She is a birth and post partum doula, as well as a childbirth educator in the Phoenix area. She is quite crafty and she believes KNOWS that nursing in public is a very normal and natural thing. So she decided to make these hats.

Occasionally when you breastfeed in public there are people who may get upset. Fortunately I don't see this happening very often anymore, but it certainly does. Every state has a policy on breastfeeding in public and in Arizona it is 100% legal. You do not need to hide in a bathroom and you can't kicked out of any place (that you legally can be in when you are not breastfeeding) for doing so. Tomorrow I will post more on that...back to DoulaBooBees...

When nursing in public people are soooo worried about being flashed by a breast. They think they will feel uncomfortable and it will be icky and gross and what if breast milk gets on something... eeew... (sarcasm emphasized)

To take away the fear of those around you, that fear of accidentally being flashed by a nursing mother's breast, just put the BooBee hat on your baby's head and latch them right on. All those people who were afraid of seeing a breast will get a pretty good look and hopefully chuckle- knowing that it really isn't scary.

Thank you Michelle and all you do for women, mothers, families and babies!!

Friday, March 25, 2011

Fashion Friday: Raining in NAPA

It has been raining all week in Napa and the forecast calls for continued rain through the weekend... good thing I picked up the cutest rain coat at Kohl's last week for my little girl. It cost me just under $8 (with my 15% off email and $10 coupon).






Now, she just might need some rainboots...

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Thankful Thursday: Online Photo Shops

I am not crafty... I attempt it, I mimic what others have done, I complete projects... but for the life of me I cannot dream it. I can't make it up, I can't imagine it, and I probably will never be able to.

Whew. I got that off my chest.
With that being said, I LOVE my successful attempts at being crafty, most are due to the help of online photo websites.

Where do you print of your normal photos? Where do you make cards? Scrapbooks? Blog books? Photo albums?

If I need to pick up some prints in an hour, I have a walgreens around the corner. So I use their online photo shop
If I am making a big project I often use Snapfish

However, if I need to make that very special project- not a generic, I know someone else who made it project- then I go on over to Heritage Makers. I was outraged by their p
rices and subscription fees and the constant emails from a local Heritage Makers Rep... but I will admit it was one of the cutest projects I have ever made. A card game of Old Maid using my family as all the characters.
So this Thursday I am thankful for creative people all around me, who allow me to keep track of my beautiful girls and how they grow up.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Wild Wednesday: Breast Milk Ice Cream

I think Ashley shouldn't stop nursing just yet... she needs to make us some ice cream!!

Original Article found HERE


Food & Drink

U.K. Deems Breast Milk Ice Cream Safe to Eat

Published March 09, 2011

| NewsCore

LONDON -- Breast milk ice cream was back on the menu at a London parlor Wednesday after council officials confirmed it is safe for human consumption.


The ice cream, dubbed Baby Gaga by maker Icecreamists, was confiscated by Westminster council and sent for laboratory tests after two members of the public complained that it could contain hepatitis viruses.

Richard Block, of Westminster council, told the London Evening Standard newspaper, "We have now received confirmation from the lab that the product did not contain any harmful bacteria or viruses. Our investigation into the safety of the product is now over."


However, Icecreamists founder Matt O'Connor, 44, said he was considering suing the council over the bad publicity the ban brought the product -- which is made from donated breast milk combined with vanilla pods and lemon zest.


"Breast milk is not dangerous and Westminster council confiscated our product in the full knowledge that we had done all the proper tests," he said."We are considering taking legal action because this has damaged our reputation."


"They should have waited until they got the tests back before saying our product could have been a risk to the public," he added.


The ice cream has caused controversy on both sides of the Atlantic since its launch last month, with US pop star Lady Gaga last week beginning legal proceedings against the makers.


The singer described the product as "nausea-inducing" and said it "intended to take advantage of [her] reputation and goodwill."



Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2011/03/09/uk-deems-breast-milk-ice-cream-safe-eat/#ixzz1HIIyUd4M

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Trusting Tuesday: Induction Risks

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110218111817.htm


ScienceDaily (Feb. 19, 2011) — Inducing labor without a medical reason is associated with negative outcomes for the mother, including increased rates of cesarean delivery, greater blood loss and an extended length of stay in the hospital, and does not provide any benefit for the newborn, according to a new study. As the number of scheduled deliveries continues to climb, it is important for physicians and mothers-to-be to understand the risks associated with elective induction.


The new findings, published in the February issue of the Journal of Reproductive Medicine, only apply to women having their first child, and may not pertain to women having their second or third child.

"The benefits of a procedure should always outweigh the risks. If there aren't any medical benefits to inducing labor, it is hard to justify doing it electively when we know it increases the risks for the mother and the baby," said Christopher Glantz, M.D., M.P.H., study author and professor of Maternal Fetal Medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

In the past decade, scheduled deliveries have become commonplace, with physicians making elective inductions part of their routine obstetric care. Study authors cite social reasons, such as convenience and patient requests to deliver with "their" physician, for the ongoing increase in purely elective inductions.

While physicians and patients alike may assume that inducing labor is harmless, it does not work as well as natural labor: Since you are essentially starting the birthing process from ground zero, more problems are likely to arise.

"As a working professional and a mother, I know how tempting it can be to schedule a delivery to try to get your life in order, but there is a reason that babies stay in the womb for the full term," said Loralei Thornburg, M.D., an assistant professor who specializes in maternal fetal medicine. "Why put you and your newborn at risk if you don't have to?"

Researchers found that approximately 34 percent of women who opted for elective induction of labor ultimately had a cesarean section, while only 20 percent of women who labored naturally underwent a cesarean delivery. Like elective induction, cesarean delivery naïvely may be seen as routine and risk-free, when in fact it is a major surgery and like all surgeries increases the risk of infection, respiratory complications, the need for additional surgeries, and results in longer recovery times.

Additionally, women who were induced had more bleeding -- even after taking cesarean deliveries into account -- and stayed in the hospital longer than women who delivered vaginally. Study authors calculate that for every 100 women who undergo elective induction, they spend an additional 88 days in the hospital compared to the same number of women who labor spontaneously. Although this may translate into only a matter of hours for some women, it represents increased costs for both the mother and the hospital when multiplied by large numbers of induced labors.

"Counseling women to steer clear of an elective induction can be challenging, but the bottom line is that medical reasons trump social reasons," said Eva Pressman, M.D., director of Maternal Fetal Medicine at the Medical Center. "If physicians are armed with information about the risks associated with elective induction they have a better chance of convincing their patients to avoid this route."

While scheduled deliveries present multiple risks for the mother, researchers also found that they did not improve the health of newborns either. When women were induced, their babies were more likely to need oxygen immediately following delivery. They were also more likely to require specialized attention from members of the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

The study included 485 women who delivered their first child between January and December of 2007 at the University of Rochester Medical Center. The major strength of this study is that, unlike most prior studies, researchers reviewed each mother's and baby's medical chart, as opposed to relying on medical coding. Evaluating each chart allowed researchers to figure out exactly why women were induced and what the complications were, catching subtle details that may have otherwise been overlooked.

As opposed to women having their first baby, women who have already had a child may actually respond more favorably to induction. "If you've delivered once before, your body knows the drill and can do it again," said Glantz.

Though elective inductions are not outside the standard of care, physicians should be cognizant of the associated risks and communicate these risks to women considering the procedure. In an effort to better address this issue at the University of Rochester Medical Center, the department of Maternal Fetal Medicine is applying for a grant to help put procedures in place that will prevent elective induction of labor before 39 weeks.

"Past research has shown that inducing labor early without a legitimate medical reason is risky, and this study further validates these findings" said Thornburg.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Mommy Monday: Little Girls

Did anyone look at the moon this past weekend? I saw this print and it inspired me to take my 4 year old out in the backyard on a blanket and look at the moon. I tried to make it a special moment and cuddle with her as she squirmed and wanted me to push her on the swing.

So my relaxing bonding moment didn't work yet with my 4 year old little girl.
Maybe when she is 5?
or 8?
but probably not when she is 15... because why would she want to spend time with her mommy then?
I promise to always try to talk to my little girls, even when they are getting big. I will hug them and squeeze them and they may hate me for it, but I am sure that I will be able to convince them to hug me by making threats of talking about STD's and weird smells I smell at my job.

Too much? Yes. Sorry.
Let me just say, it is never to early to start making these "special moments" with your little girls. (Or little boys for that matter- I just don't have any so I can't give a good opinion on it.) I love my little girls and I am so thankful for the bond and love we have for each other. There is nothing better than being a mommy.

Print found HERE by KatHannah

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Special Guest Sunday: Melinda Koen Photography

I don't think a day (much less an hour) passes when I don't wish I could just freeze or capture an everyday moment in the life of my children ~ a kiss, a hug, giggling and dancing right before bedtime, tired eyes, toothless grins... this is why so many of us parents take photos, journal, blog...

A friend of mine Melinda Koen, has been doing photography in the Napa Valley for over eleven years and is truly amazing at maternity, newborn and family photography.

Just over a year ago, my entire family (mom, dad, 6 siblings, 4 spouses, 4 babies) were together over the holidays. There is no way we were all going to make it to a photo studio but we wanted some professional photographs. I contacted Melinda and she came to our home to do on-site photography of not only our entire family but also individual couples and families.

I have to say while Melinda's end results were gorgeous it was the process that I found so refreshing. It was ENJOYABLE ~ really, are family photo shoots ever enjoyable? Yes, this time they were... Melinda has a very pleasant, calming effect and was wonderful with the kids.

Did I mention that she is absolutely affordable? So many of us can't spend hundreds of dollars on a photo shoot, but we still want those on-site, unique, personal photographs. She charges a basic hourly rate and for a flat fee provides all photos from the session on a disc.

Take a look at Melinda's website.

www.melindakoenphotography.com

Here are some of my favorites from our photo session with Melinda...



Friday, March 18, 2011

Fashion Friday: Ladybug Nursery

I found this nursery HEREI can't stand how cute and simple and easy this would be to change a room into.
I am looking for ideas to simplify my daughters' room and I am in love with this one.

What does your nursery look like?
Post it on facebook for us all to see!

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Thankful Thursday: Grandparents

I am thankful for my daughter's grandparents.
There aren't many things better than grandparents.
They are willing to help, willing to share, willing to listen, and willing to snuggle on the couch and take a nap without a minute warning.

Hopefully your baby does or will have amazing grandparents like my girls have.
I know I am seriously blessed- but not only my parents but my mother in law are wonderful.

My mom and dad just spent some of last week with us out in Arizona. It was so much fun for them as it was for my girls. A grandparent is someone who will take a look at the above picture and think it is the most precious thing in the world... even with a 4 year old making a "crazy face."

Go figure.
Thanks Grandmas and Grandpas of the world.
We couldn't do it without you... well, maybe we could... but we sure don't want to.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Wild Wednesday: Why Mothers Kiss Their Babies

WHY MOTHERS KISS THEIR BABIES

BY: Judie Rall

After a baby is born, it is natural to see the mother kissing the baby. One would think this is simply because of the emotional bond that has formed between mother and child. While this is true, there are also other very compelling biochemical reasons why it occurs. These reasons reinforce the understanding that our bodies have inner wisdom which we seldom recognize or trust. Just as our bodies know how to give birth even if we don’t have intellectual knowledge of the process, our bodies’ biological systems also have reasons for the complex social interplay between mother and baby. It just goes to show that, more than ever, we should trust our mothering instincts.

Five SensesWhy mothers Kiss their babies

When an animal gives birth, you will notice that the mother spends a lot of time licking her young. This exposes her five senses to the young so that she knows the taste, smell, feel, sound and sight of her new baby. In this way, a mother claims her child as her own.

When a human mother births a baby in an environment which allows her immediate and free access to her child, you will notice that over a period of time she performs certain behaviours called “claiming behaviours.” She will caress the child, explore the softness of the baby’s skin, and probably count and fondle the unique little fingers and toes.

She probably marvels visually over how much the baby looks like her or her husband or another family member. She will notice the colour of the hair and eyes and other physical features. She hears the baby’s cries and learns to distinguish them from all other cries. As she leans down to kiss the child, she undoubtedly smells the scent of her new baby and through the actual act of kissing; she comes to know the taste of him or her.

Just like an animal mother, she has now exposed her five senses to the baby so she attaches to him or her. She now feels he or she is her own. It is not unusual to find that women who are deprived of the privacy required to create this immediate bonding right after birth often say they feel a distance between them and their baby.

Health Benefits

Claiming behaviours such as kissing provide not only emotional, but biological attachment. There is a very real health benefit for the baby who is kissed.

“When a mother kisses her baby, she ‘samples’ those pathogens that are on the baby’s face. Those are ones that the baby is about to ingest. These samples are taken up by the mother’s secondary lymphoid organs like the tonsils, and memory B cells specific for those pathogens are re-stimulated. These B cells then migrate to the mother’s breasts where they produce just those antibodies that the baby needs.” says Lauren Sompayrac, author of How The Immune System Works.

We talk a lot about breast milk and how it conveys antibodies to the infant helping to prevent illness. However antibodies made for the mother while pregnant are not what the baby needs. He or she needs antibodies for the environment around them that they are in constant contact with now. Kissing her baby is a very important activity beyond its obvious pleasurable and attachment- promoting value. It helps mother claim baby, and helps her body determine the antibodies baby needs in the breast milk.

So mothers, kiss away on those babies!

Copyright 2001 by Judie Rall of Unhindered Living. Reprinted with permission in the Winter 2007 issue of Birthing Magazine.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Trusting Tuesday: Inductions part 2

Towards the end of pregnancy women are "done". We get tired and cranky; uncomfortable and swollen; nauseated and exhausted; short of breath and just a wee bit crazy. Did I mention we start to think absurd thoughts? During my second pregnancy I remember trying to convince myself otherwise, but I truly believed that I might not ever go into labor. I hadn't even made it to my due date!!!

With that being said I knew I never wanted to be induced again. An induction is a procedure where your labor is artificially started by means of medication/physical manipulation/or breaking the bag of waters.

With my first daughter I was induced. It was not planned and I had very little warning. That morning I had woken up with contractions every 5 minutes. They weren't very strong but they were very consistent and they felt more "real" than any other contractions I had in my pregnancy. I went to my regular scheduled OB appointment and when they asked me if my baby had been moving I answered, "No." I hadn't felt her move since the night before. So the medical assistant hooked me up to the monitor and we watched for over 40 minutes, no movement or accelerations on her part, but consistent contractions. So then I was sent for an ultrasound. No movement on the ultrasound either. The doctor offered me a cesarean section right then and there.

Since I figured I was already in early labor I bargained with him a little bit. He agreed to let me try a vaginal delivery as long as I could go to the hospital right then to be induced (some people would say my labor was augmented- or sped up- but I feel it was an induction). Her heart beat was continuously monitored and I was given IV fluids. My membranes were stripped (physical manipulation to help labor progress) and then later my bag of waters was artificially ruptured by the doctor (AROM). I was fortunate enough to not have pitocin during my induction, but that labor was hard and heavy and FAST! I was completely blown away by how intense the contractions immediately happened.

After an hour of lying on my side, thinking I was peeing my pants every time more amniotic fluid leaked out, I knew it was more than I could handle. I asked for IV pain medication. This drug let my body relax enough that I was able to last another hour. During this hour I went from 4cm to 7cm and I quickly woke up in transition. Talk about another thing to not be prepared for. The pain medication left my mind in a haze, I kept shaking my head trying to clear my thoughts and think straight, but I was unable to. It made me sluggish and put my daughter's heart rate in an even more distressed state- but since I was progressing so quickly they weren't too concerned.

After my epidural my temperature started to rise. I was already being given antibiotics for GBS so I received antibiotics for 24 hours after she was born. Thankfully my daughter didn't have the GBS infection transmitted to her, it might have started because she had stopped moving, but that is just a thought. I might have also started to get a uterine infection, but thankfully it did not turn out this way.

I might want to mention the entire time I was in the hospital I was on oxygen to help my daughter's heart rate. I also was almost always on my side, and despite all of these efforts her heart rate never really looked very good. For any of you medically minded people out there- here is a picture (blurry) of one (of many) of her late decelerations



Fortunately my daughter wanted to cooperate with me. She gave my parents and sisters time to jump on the first airplane out of Oakland and make it to Phoenix with a little time to spare. My active labor was quick (about 6 hours) for a first time mom and I only pushed for a little more than 20 minutes.

Here is a very unattractive picture of me pushing- a way of pushing that I usually discourage my patients to do- but it was time for her to come out and with an epidural sometimes this is the way it has to be done.
Fortunately my first daughter was born with excellent apgars and despite her non-reassuring heart rate through most of my labor, she impressed us all. She didn't breastfeed well for the first couple of weeks- but you can hear that story another time.

So- to add to the "inductions" stream of trusting Tuesdays- sometimes inductions ok. There is a time and a place for medical indications for inductions. I never want to have an induction again, BUT at least I know that I possibly helped prevent my daughter from getting a GBS infection by being induced.

Next week we will hear another story of an induction that possibly didn't go the way it was planned.


If you are interested in sharing your induction or labor story with us for a "Trusting Tuesday" post, please email me at brittikay[at]gmail[dot]com