Lady Parts

I know that this post may ruffle some feathers from my more conservative readers, so I am giving you a head's up now: both videos contain non-birth related nudity.

How many women are familiar with their body's sexual organs? How many of you have seen your cervix or can name your anatomy correctly?

I wish that we, as a society, were more understanding of our bodies. I wish that American women had shows like the one below, which would give us confidence in our body, the originality of our own body and it's beauty...



And, here is a video to give you a look at what your midwife or doctor is seeing when you have a vaginal exam/pap smear.



We have amazing bodies and it is about time that we know them better!

If you are comfortable doing so, grab a mirror and have some 'personal time' getting to know your own body. Even consider asking your doc or midwife to help you see your own cervix at your next visit. It sounds loony, but it is very empowering to know your own body better.














Anatomy

The proper name for the outer female genitals is the vulva.

Looking downward, where your pubic hair is (or normally grows if you are a trimmer/shaver), below your belly button, there is a fatty area called the The mons veneris, Latin for "hill of Venus" (Roman Goddess of love). I have heard it called 'mounds' before, because that is very much what it looks like, your mound. :)

Further down, between your legs, you will find, first, the fatty outer folds of skin protecting the inner folds of more sensitive tissue. This outer fold of skin is called the labia majora (lay-bee-ah) or "lips." These are normally covered with hair as well.

If you were to pull your outer labia open, you would find your labia minora, (aka lips), which are not covered with hair. These inner lips have been likened to the petals of a flower, small tongues, wings of a butterfly... and other such romantic imagery. These labia minora vary in size, length, color, and texture from woman to woman. Some women have very small, barely visible labia, while other women have very long labia. They can be thick or thin, purple, pink, brown, red, smooth edged, ruffle edged, bulbous, uneven, or even. Each and every one of these variations are normal and beautiful - your own personalized body that is as original as you are. The purpose of your labia minora are two-fold: they are very sensitive and play a part in sexual arousal, as well as they protect your more inner sexual anatomy (vestibule) from bacteria/infection/desensitization.

Opening the labia minora, you will be looking at the vestibule. Where the labia minora come together at the top (below the mons), you will find a skin fold called the clitoral hood. This hood protects the tip of the clitoris from drying out and becoming desensitized. If you pull up the hood with your fingers, you will find a small, shiny bulb. This is the glans, or tip of the clitoris. If you were able to see the part of the clitoris that is hidden within your body, you would find that the clitoris is almost the same size as the average penis. This is the focus of many women's orgasms as it wraps around both sides of the inner vestibule, coming to an apex at the clitoral glans visible externally.

"The clitoris and vagina embracing the penis during intercourse as seen facing toward the woman. The outer layers of skin, fat, and muscle have been dissected away, and the penis is shown in simplified cross-section for position only. Atop the pea-shaped clitoral glans, normally the only part visible outside the body, you can see the ascending portion of the clitoral shaft. Upon reaching its apex (which Dickinson calls "the clitoral knee"), the shaft bends downward and divides into the two "legs" or crura which encircle the vaginal opening." Drawing by Robert Latou Dickinson, in "Human Sex Anatomy," 1949.

Looking within the vestibule, below the clitoral hood, you will find two openings. The first opening is the urethral opening. This opening is where you urinate from. The second opening is the opening to your vagina. The opening to the vagina differs from woman to woman as well. It is normally circular in a woman who has not given birth, whereas tends to be more irregular after birth (see below).

(the first is the vaginal opening of a woman who has not had a baby, whereas the second is the vaginal opening of a woman who has given birth).

The vagina is, on average, 3 inches deep. During arousal, it elongates and expands open, like a barrel. This is the area which, during labor and birth, is referred to as the birth canal. This vaginal barrel is made of extremely elastic tissue that have varying folds and textures.

If you were to place your finger into the vaginal opening and then do, what my kids call, the 'pee squeeze' (what you engage when you are trying to stop the flow of urine or are attempting not to urinate), you would feel the pubococcygeus (PC) muscles flex. This muscular hammock holds up the internal organs, and has an opening for the urethral, vaginal, and anal cavities - allowing you control over any matter passing in or out of those orifices. Flexing the PC muscle stimulates many nerve endings in all three openings and can cause intense pleasure and pressure if strong enough of a flex. The PC muscle helps to enable a woman to pass feces and urine, clench a penis, hold in a tampon, and relax to bring down a baby.

At the very most inner part of your vagina is something that feels a little like a nose tip. You should be able to reach it externally. This is the cervix. The cervix is the doorway from the vagina to the uterus. The cervix will gradually open to allow baby to descend. Before pregnancy, the cervix is firm and closed. Throughout pregnancy and into labor, the cervix becomes softer and more pliable. Before birth, the opening in the cervix is a small, nearly perfect hole. After birth, the opening is more vertical or oblong. There is a great site I would recommend visiting to learn more about your cervix here.

Beyond the cervix is the uterus. Uteri are large bags of muscles that run both horizontally and vertically. This is the place where you will/did carry your baby and where your body stores blood before the onset of every menstruation (period).

Trailing off on both the right and left of the uterus are fallopian tubes. These tubes connect your uterus to the ovaries, where you have stored all of the eggs you will ever have in a lifetime.

Outside again, below the vaginal opening, toward the anus, is a stretch of skin called the perineum. The perineum is another stretch of tissue that is very sensitive in many women. This tissue is very elastic and, during labor and birth, stretches to accommodate baby's entrance to the world.

So, there you have it. The beautiful anatomy of a woman's sexual (and childbearing) anatomy. Knowing the miraculous nature of your body, the intricate and intimate parts that are so often never known, is empowering.

Home Births on Youtube

Here are quite a few new home birth videos found on YouTube.







Love 'Em All!

Accidently Born At Home

I love this video:



And here is the accompanying birth story. How peaceful and normal they make it look. Lovin' it!

May is International Doula Month

I am so excited! Next month, the month of May, is International Doula Month - a time to raise awareness of these wonderful women and the role they play, a time to show your appreciation for those doulas who have attended you, or to show appreciation for those doulas whom you work with on a regular basis.

For this reason, I am hosting an amazing, 2 week long, giveaway extravaganza. This giveaway is open to:

• Doulas
• Women who have had/have a doula whom they want to show appreciation by winning a gift for them
• Professionals who work with doulas whom they would like to show appreciation by winning a gift for them

If you fall into one of these categories, then, in the first two weeks of May, be sure to check on this blog for numerous chances to win. AND, in the spirit of giveaways, please feel free to take advantage of these three ‘early bird’ entries...

The three early bird entries are simple:

• Post on your Facebook wall, with a link back for my blog, talking about the upcoming giveaway, then comment below... 1 early bird entry to be redeemed at your discretion (further details will follow)
• Post on your own blog, with a link back to my blog, talking about the upcoming giveaway, then comment below with a copy of your posts link location... 1 early bird entry to be redeemed at your discretion (further details will follow)
• Email me at deelahthedoula (at) gmail.com (if you are a mama) your birth story with your doula or (if you are a doula) a birth story from one of your clients, then comment below. I will post the story you share sometime in the week of May... 1 early birth entry to be redeemed at your discretion (further details will follow)

Please note, you must submit a separate comment for each early bird entry for each to be counted.

The early bird entries will close on April 30th at 11:59pm Pacific.

We will have a total of 13 different vendors giving some awesome, birthy stuff away, so be sure to check back in the first two weeks of May for these great items! We will have magazine subscriptions, slings, balms, Doula bag accessories, Doula accessories, and more!

I am looking forward to gifting back to all of you wonderful doulas out there, and remember, mamas and professionals, hug your doula!

Amazing Birth

This is honestly one of the most peaceful, hand's off births I have ever seen on film. Check out the birth story first, then check out her link to the video (password protected). I just, *sigh*, it is too cool!

A Cord of Three Strands...

The umbilical cord is an amazing object!

Often disregarded at birth, the most notoriety that it receives is when someone proudly exclaims "I cut the cord"!

There is so much more value to the umbilical cord than that, though, both in utero and after birth.





Normally, an umbilical cord has two arteries and one vein and, at term, is around 22-24 inches long. These are all wrapped up in a beautifully plump, purple, rich cord of three. Surrounding, insulating, and protecting everything is a substance called Wharton's Jelly. The arteries return deoxygenated, nutrient-depleted blood from babe to the placenta, where it will be reoxygenated and replenished with vital nutrients to be recirculated through the one vein back to babe again.

Wharton's Jelly is a substance that, when exposed to extreme changes in temperature, begins to expand and, as a result, occludes and collapses the vein and arteries... physiologically clamping the cord within an average of 5-20 minutes after birth. Wharton's Jelly contains a great many types of stem cells.

The umbilical cord is attached to the placenta 'on the maternal side'. The placenta (loosely translated as cake) is another amazing organ that allows for nutrient uptake, waste elimination and gas exchange via the mother's blood supply, which is then transferred to the fetal circulatory system via villi; thus, the maternal and fetal circulatory systems do not meld.

The umbilical cord is attached, on the fetal side, through the umbilicus (this will, after birth, become the navel). Within babe, while in utero, the umbilical vein continues on to the transverse fissure of the liver, where it splits. One of the two branches joins with a vein that carries blood directly into the liver. The other branch (ductus venosus) directs about 80% of the incoming blood to the left hepatic vein into the inferior vena cava, which carries blood towards the heart.

After birth, the umbilical vein and ductus venosus close up inside the newborn, becoming the round ligament of the liver and the ligamentum venosum. Part of each umbilical artery closes up while the remaining sections continue to work as part of the circulatory system.

Variations
Some of the variations that can occur with an umbilical cord include (but are not limited to):

• Nuchal Cords - nuchal (neck) cords simply mean that the cord is wrapped around the neck. This occurs in about 25% of births. Most babies have no problems when born with the incidence of nuchal cord. The most common indicator of a nuchal cord is when babies heart rate (fetal heart tones or FHT) decrease during contractions, only to come back up after contractions. Rarely does this mean that a cesarean is indicated.
• Single Umbilical Artery - This is occurs when an umbilical cord develops with only one artery, instead of two. Single umbilical arteries occur in about 1% of singleton and 5% of multiple pregnancies. Studies show that babies with single umbilical artery have an increased risk for birth defects. These birth defects can include heart, central nervous system and urinary-tract defects. Single umbilical artery in and of itself, though, does not mean that a baby will have a birth defect.
• Knots - some knots occur when baby moves around in utero, others occur when a nuchal cord loops off of baby and into a knot. This occurs in about 1% of babies.
• Cysts - the cysts are out-pockets that form on the cord. There are two types of cysts: true cysts (lined with cells and contain remnants of early embryonic material) and false cysts (fluid filled sacs that can be related to swelling of the Wharton's Jelly). Both types are sometimes associated with chromosomal or abdomenal defects. Cysts occur in about 3% of births.

To Clamp or Not To Clamp
There are good arguments that should be considered when deciding whether to immediately clamp and cut the cord or delay the procedure. A great discussion can be found here. An additional MUST READ can be found here! You will find, for better or worse, what my stance is on the issue of cord clamping by reading the information below.

"The placental blood normally belongs to the infant, and his/her failure to get this blood is equivalent to submitting the newborn to a severe hemorrhage at birth."

The newborn receives approximately 80-100cc of blood from the placenta within the first 3-5 minutes after birth. This additional blood flow opens the lungs and 'jump starts' the intestines and kidneys, preparing them for digestion and elimination.

When a newborn's cord is quickly clamped and cut, before the bolus of oxygenated blood is adequately transfused, it creates a crisis situation in some/many situations. Instead of supplying 80-100ccs of blood to the newborns intestines, survival dictates that the blood already within the newborn be directed to the heart, lungs, and brain to preserve life. Loss of needed blood results in some pathological symptoms of shock in the newborn - hypovolemia and/or hypoxia.

"Normal blood volume is not produced by a cord clamp ... Many neonatal morbidities such as the hyperviscosity syndrome, infant respiratory distress syndrome, anemia, and hypovolemia correlate with early clamping. To avoid injury in all deliveries, especially those of neonates at risk, the cord should not be clamped until placental transfusion is complete." - George M. Morley

If the cord is cut before the baby has a chance to take a few breaths in his own time, the transition to breathing will be in fear, panic, and distress. To force a newborn to breathe independent of the bodies timing (i.e. physiological clamping) is to add risk that the baby/newborn body may not be ready. In other words, creating a crisis where the child must immediately breathe - rather than allowing adequate and safe time. As long as the cord is pulsing, the newborn is receiving oxygen - why create an emergent situation?

"Early cord clamping may impede a successful transition and contribute to hypovolemic and hypoxic damage in vulnerable newborns." - Mercer JS and Skovgaard RL.

Some doctors argue that waiting to clamp and cut will put undue stress on the newborn and create complications like shock, jaundice, or other newborn complications. But, in fact, in 1993, a study by "Kinmond et al...found no increased jaundice, plethora, hyperviscosity, or polycythemia using this method. Yet fear of late clamping persists because physicians have been conditioned to believe that these complications are caused by placental over-transfusion. Cord stripping (allowing the baby to retrieve its own blood supply) has become tantamount to malpractice."

Finally, I leave you with this: who claims right to that super-rich oxygenated blood? Of course, it is the baby's right to claim.

References:
Walsh, SZ, Maternal effects of early and late clamping of the umbilical cord, Lancet, May 11, 1968
Anne Frye, CPM, Holistic Midwifery: A Comprehensive Textbook for Midwives in Homebirth Practice, Labrys Press, 1998
George M. Morley, MB., CH. B "Cord Closure: Can Hasty Clamping Injure the Newborn?", OBG Management - July 1998
Gupta R, Ramji S. Effect of delayed cord clamping on iron stores in infants born to anemic mothers: a randomized controlled trial. Indian Pediatr 2002 Feb;39(2):130-5
Mercer JS and Skovgaard RL., Neonatal Transitional Physiology: A New Paradigm, J Perinat Neonat Nurs March 2002; 15:56-75.
Mercer, J, Bewley, S, Could early cord clamping harm neonatal stabilisation, Lancet, May 9, 2009
Dr. Sarah Buckley, Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering, One Moon Press, 2005

Opening

Birthstory of Ian (through an apprentice doula's point of view)

Ian Connor was due to join his family on April 19, 2010. His Mama was ready! She had been waddling like a duck and getting no sleep for quite some time. Therefore, when he did not make his appearance as expected, she chose his birthday. Mama’s are like that.

At 6:30 am on Tuesday morning, April 20th, Daddy, Mama, Ethan, Andrew, and Lita (that’s me) loaded up in the van to head to the hospital. Along the way, we dropped off two-year-old Andrew to “play with friends.” Four-year-old Ethan was excited to be a part of the welcoming committee for Ian so while Daddy went to get coffee, Mama, Lita and Ethan went ahead to take care of the paperwork and get settled in Room 1138 – the birthing room.

Daddy arrived shortly thereafter with Starbucks and sweets. Everything was set. Then Mama, Daddy, and Nurse Kelly talked about needs and rules; specifically the “only 3 people in the room” rule posted on the wall. So as we counted Daddy, Ethan & Lita we realized we would be over that number when Nicole Deelah, who was the attending doula, arrived at 9:00 am. Daddy tried to convince Nurse Kelly that Ethan really shouldn’t be counted but she wouldn’t budge. She said that she didn’t make the rules but she had to enforce them. We all went into problem solving mode trying to figure out how we were going to handle this.

In the meantime, Dr. Holly had given orders to start with the breaking of the waters to see if that would get labor started. At 9:00 am, Nicole the Doula arrived to work her magic. I asked her to pray with us for a safe and wonderful birth and she led us in a powerful and beautiful prayer that was answered in full.

After a couple of hours with no significant progress, they added a little pitocin to the mix and things started to progress. Nicole and I massaged Ericka’s feet and manipulated pressure points. (Nurse Kelly didn’t throw anyone out. Maybe we were invisible. Yay, God!) Things really started heating up around 11:30 am. Ericka did some time on the birthing ball. Then she and Nicole did a few laps around the hall. Daddy took his turn praising, comforting and letting her lean on him.

Ethan who was still patiently waiting to see his brother finally decided to take a nap but woke up around 1:00 pm just as Mama was making it happen. Nicole and Lita helped Mama get into position to push. Dr. Holly was a little anxious that Ethan would be “traumatized” by Ian’s birth since she had never had children attend a birth before. Dad assured her she had no reason to be concerned. This was the moment Ethan had been waiting for!

Even though she was told she could push whenever she wanted, Ericka was in tune with her body and kept saying "I'm afraid" and "I'm not open enough." Nicole, being a firm believer in mama’s intuition, leaned in, brushed her hair back, and reminded her she would open, and when she did, to do as her body told her, pushing all the pressure out and down. A few contractions later and her body just melted into the bed, she sighed, and we could literally see her hips shift forward and open... she knew, SHE knew when her body was open enough... and with that contraction, Ian came to crowning and the head was born.

So at 1:30 pm on April 20, 2010, Ethan finally got to see his brother, Ian. Dad cut the umbilical cord after it stopped pulsating and Lita and Ethan watched as the nurse checked him and weighed him in at 9 pounds and 19 ¾ inches.

After we all got to admire Ian and his Mama for a little while, we left her to rest, picked up Andrew and went home for the night.

Daddy, Andrew and Lita picked up Mama and Ian from the hospital on Wednesday afternoon and then we all picked up Ethan from school.

This was my first experience with an un-medicated birth and it was beautiful. My beautiful daughter-in-law, Ericka is an “amazing woman” (my son Stephen’s words). In her usual way, she made quick work of it without complaint. Amazing!!

Congratulations family V! What an amazing family you are!

Happy Mama - Giveaway WINNER

Sorry it took me so long to post the winner of the Happy Mama Giveaway...

But, Terra, congratulations! I have sent you an email, so be sure to check it and Earth Mama Angel Baby will be in contact with you soon!

It's All In The Letters

I am an apprentice midwife.

*happy sigh*

I have been waiting for this phase in my career for, what feels like, a lifetime. I am so excited, and, at the same time, so saddened.

Why? Because the moment I began my apprenticeship, opposition and discouragement reared it's ugly face.


(I will try my darnedest to not disclose personal information, but if you recognize yourself and are offended, remember - your not really offended at me/my post, you are offended at your own actions.)

I am proud to say that my preceptor is a generational midwife. She has chosen to be 'non-credentialed', and has her own good reasons for it.

I am a non-certified doula, and have my own very good reasons for that, as well.

Cue, opposition:

As such, we are looked at, in the community, as the underdogs, the rouges, the rebels. Or, as we aptly found just recently, the 'blind leading the blind'. Because I am not certified (by choice), because she is not credentialed (by choice), we are looked at, by some in the community, as incompetent.

I have been told that, if I really knew what I was doing, I could take the ____ exam and get certified. Why, yes, I could, but I have personal and professional reasons not to and have given much thought and deliberation over this choice.

I was previously certified by XYZ and chose to decertify; I chose to.

Story time: A fellow peer in the birthing community found it necessary to 'smirk' at my preceptor when she told her I was her apprentice. This same peer has continuously challenged my preceptor with unsubstantiated scrutiny and professionally and personally deride and snub her.

Another professional in the birthing community has found it necessary to attempt to draw out of me my very personal reasons for not certifying (as well as decertifying), and has even gone as far as to 'call me out' with the comment of 'well, then you must not have a good reason if you won't share'.

Cue discouragement:

I am not discouraged at my apprenticeship. If anything, I am validated that I am making the right choice. I firmly believe in the power of apprenticeship and wise woman traditional education.

My discouragement is at the limited vision of those in our community (and beyond).

After 10 years and numerous births/variations, I am more qualified than many/most doulas in this area (I know, sounds arrogant, but is true). My training didn't touch on even a minute smidgeon of what I learned through experience, shadowing, and continuing education. I have written my own curriculum and have been published in a number of magazines.

As far as my preceptor goes, she has been attending births since she was a young girl, and has over 13 years experience as a midwife. Her experience far outweighs what she would find in the the textbooks (which, by the way, she has read and practiced) and the exams. She moves and is knownwithin the circles of Barbara Harper, Karen Strange, Elizabeth Davis, and Deb Kaylie...

Yes, there are women out there that have attended a birth or two and call themselves midwives... doulas.... but to discard a person's proficiency, their skill, because a lack of letters is not only disheartening, but proves the short-sightedness of our culture.

I understand the merit of credentials - it is a quantitative way of measuring a persons skill. It is a standard of academic proficiency to which others are held. But, I believe in some cases, just as it keeps out the under-qualified persons, it can also limit others from growing beyond their formal education. We have lost sight of women teaching women, about the merit of experience vs. formal training.

There is a great amount to be said in generational education, apprenticeship, and continuing education through non-traditional (or traditional, depending on how you look at it) means.

I worry that we are losing something in the standardization of our childbirth practices. Now, don't get me wrong, I believe in the necessity of having a standard for practice... BUT.. but...

I fear that we are replicating rather than educating. I fear that we are forgetting to 'teach' the fine balance of analyzing and intuiting. We are discrediting a person's skill based on their lack of credentialing.

When we lose sight of this, we become like the OB who looks down on the midwifery profession, we become the CNM who feels she is superior in training to the CPM, we are the CPMs and CLDs who believe themselves more skilled and thus, more qualified, than the DEMs and LDs.

I tell you - this 'standing in judgment' of one another is OLD in the birthing arena (OBs started this war a long time ago)... but it is NEW to the ranks of midwifery. There was a time when CNMs and CPMs remembered what roots they came from, when they returned to those roots, those granny midwives, generational midwives, sage women, wise women, to sit at their feet, learn, and know.



What I have touched on here is only one symptom of this disease - the professional bickering and spurning. But this disease has such deeper and more harmful side effects... it harms the women and babies we first came to serve!

I will leave you with the wise words of my own wise woman, my wonderful preceptor.

"... Nurses, CNM, CPM, and Lay midwives can't band together to help each other help these woman and babies. What happened to sisterhood,what happened to womanhood. When did we decide it was everyone for themselves? When did power take over women helping women. When did blindness set in?"

A Breech In The System

More YouTube

Another wonderful birth video of an eldest daughter catching a sibling



And another great Doula film that is being made:



Lila's Home Water Birth - 1st baby

Great New YouTube Videos

Nuchal Hands, Supportive Teaching OB, VBAC, Doula, and Paracervical block...

Very nice video (in two parts)!





In addition, this teaser looks fantastic (not biased in any way, though)...

A Fan of Jessica Simpson?

Jessica Simpson is not a celebrity I would ever say that I am actually excited to see... in ANY show... in ANY way. What she has represented up until this point is not exactly what I would call... wholesome or... dare I say it? Enlightening...

BUT, she has a new show that I have not had a chance to view, but I am excited to check it out... get more information about this campaign here and watch her trailer below:

For Cecelia

I am working with a wonderful mama who is planning on letting her baby self-attach. So, this one is for you, Lovely Mama:

Transverse Arrest... Two Stories in Comparison

Vita Maturi has an awesome birth story (congratulations mama!!!) here of a transverse arrest. It mirrors, almost to a T, the birth of Tres. Just a good comparison model to show birth pattern, cervical, and physical indicators in relation to babies position.

LifeART (and/or) MediClip image copyright 2008. Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.- Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

There are two very important key factors to giving optimal chance for baby to rotate out of a deep transverse arrest and into a better position for vaginal birth. The first key is mobility, while the other is relaxation.

Only problems?

Deep transverse arrest has such a high rate of cesarean because it is nearly impossible for a mama to relax her pelvic floor muscles without medication (because of the urge to push and pressure on the hips), and it is highly improbable for a baby to rotate if she has no mobility from an epidural.

Wow, talk about double whammy!

Anyone else have a story about Deep Transverse Arrest they would like to share?

See more information here:
Malposition and Malpresentation
Operative Vaginal Delivery: A Survey of Fellows of ACOG
Mode of Delivery in Deep Transverse Arrest

Films Worth The Wait

I am very intrigued by these films and can't wait to see them!

In the Spirit of Giveaways

I came across some GREAT giveaways online for this week/month. Check them out!!!

• BearPaw boots being given away at Leslie Loves Veggies.
• Babybear Shop recycled glass soy-wax candle at Leslie Loves Veggies.
• Thomas Paul Kabuki Tote at SparklePower
• Macrame Bracelet from Eclectic Squirrel
• $15 gift certificate to Les Bijoux Crea-Lune
• Terrabella Accents giveaway at Voleur De Bijoux
• BioGaia and Zippity Doo's giveaway at Rockin Mama
• Belleza Mia necklace giveaway from Just a Mom, Ha
• Molding Minds Homeschool is giving away a magazine subscription
• Oh Baby O gives away an EcoStore gift certificate.
• HandmadeMN has this awesome monster bag giveaway from Trigo
• Epicurean Style is giving away APRONS! I love this!

Have fun ladies (and gents)!

Happy Mama - Giveaway

Ok - fair warning, this is a gushy marketing piece - but I have good reason!!!

Oh My Goodness! I just tried the new Earth Mama Angel Baby Happy Mama Body Wash and I am in HEAVEN!!!

It is gingery, grapefruity, and simply heavenly! I get giddy just thinking about showering now! (seriously and ashamedly TMI).

The lather is rich, while the scent is invigorating. It reminds me of sunshine, picnics, and sundresses, all rolled up into a yummy, fruity, lively bottle of foamy bliss!

From the label

Happy mamas mean happy babies! With fresh Ginger to combat queasiness, and zangy organic Lime and organic pink Grapefruit essential oils to give spirits a lift, Happy Mama Body Wash is the perfect lather for those all-to-rare "me" moments.

For more information on the Happy Mama Body Wash, visit their website. And....

To commemorate their new product, I am hosting a giveaway! That's right, you can win your own bottle of Happy Mama Body Wash!

Cue applause!

Rules:

• To get one entry, comment below with your name, email, what you love about EMAB, and a link to your favorite product (or if you have never tried one, which one you would like to try) from their site.
• To get an additional entry, post on YOUR blog about this giveaway with a link back to my blog, then make an ADDITIONAL comment stating that you have done this and a link to said post. Make sure you put your name and email in this comment.
  
• To get an additional entry, share on your Facebook or Twitter, then make an ADDITIONAL comment stating that you have done this! Make sure you put your name and email in this comment.
  

Winners will be drawn randomly on 04/17 at 11pm, CST. Deadline for entries are 04/17 at 10pm, CST.

To see the press release about this new product, visit here.

Old Country Buffet is NOT family-friendly

Please take a look at Woman, Uncensored for her most recent post.

I encourage all of my readers to PLEASE contact the local police department and the corporate Old Country Buffet with a complaint.

The stories regarding this incidence can be found here and here.

My letter to OCB is as follows:

Old Country Buffet-

I was horrified to open my internet this morning and see the news that one of your "family" restaurants (in Maplewood, MN) removed a mother because she was nursing her baby. I read the follow up story that the 'true reason' was that the father was becoming agitated.

I have to ask, if your legal and civil rights were being infringed on, wouldn't you have become agitated as well to defend those rights? And yet, you are supporting the local restaurant and their decision to involve the police in this matter.

Do you understand that this is a violation of their legal rights? Minnesota law clearly protects a mother and child's right to nurse:

"Minn. Stat. § 145.905 provides that a mother may breastfeed in any location, public or private, where the mother and child are authorized to be, irrespective of whether the nipple of the mother's breast is uncovered during or incidental to the breastfeeding.

Minn. Stat. Ann. § 617.23 specifies that breastfeeding does not constitute indecent exposure."

This incident is an embarrassment on your local management, the local police department, and your corporate business. I will be boycotting your restaurants and will be encouraging my readers and family to do the same until a public, official apology is made as well as employees in all of your locations are trained in local laws supporting a mother and child's legal right to not be harassed, embarrassed, or removed for breastfeeding.

As a friend and mother stated: "you can count my household as" seven "less customers until you are truly "family" friendly."

Sincerely,
Cole Deelah

My letter to the police department was as follows:

To the Maplewood Police Department,

I was recently made aware of an incident that occurred at your local Old Country Buffet restaurant. During this incidence, a mother was nursing discreetly, was told numerous times to cover up, and as such, police were summoned to escort the family out after the father allegedly became 'hostile' in defending his wife's right to nurse whether covered up or not.

I further understand that you sided with the restaurant rather than support the legal right of the family, who had every right to become upset - as would you if your rights were being infringed on.

Perhaps you are not even aware that Minnesota law states that a woman has the right to nurse her child in public whether she covers up or not?

"Minn. Stat. § 145.905 provides that a mother may breastfeed in any location, public or private, where the mother and child are authorized to be, irrespective of whether the nipple of the mother's breast is uncovered during or incidental to the breastfeeding.
Minn. Stat. Ann. § 617.23 specifies that breastfeeding does not constitute indecent exposure."

Unfortunately, this breech in legal rights has been shown to support the wrong party and, sadly, you may find yourselves contacted by numerous parties throughout the United States that agree with the laws that you failed to uphold on that day and time.

I sincerely hope that, at this point in the story, your department makes a formal, public apology to the family so that they community knows that you will uphold their legal rights and are not supportive of this behavior from business in your area. I think that your community would like to see their law enforcement officials enforce the law.

Join me please, it only takes a moment. Change only occurs when the public raises it's voice!

Your Best Birth vs. Dr. Lisa

Just in case anyone missed it way back when it first aired. ;)

High Dives and Finding Center

"The next contraction came grinding down on me, but it felt different. A white-hot hole of knowledge opened in my pain. I saw that in my effort to get around or under the pain, I'd been avoiding that central point of intensity, staying on the bring of the primitive surrender that's required to get a stubborn baby out. I'd talked hundreds of women into taking that leap of faith, that shut-your-eyes-and-jump moment of bravery. Like a girl standing on the high dive, walking back and forth the length of the board, shivering, going to the brink again to stare down into the water so far below - and then she's off, airborne. Free.

With sudden clarity, I knew it would have to hurt more before it got better. I wouldn't be able to circumvent the pain. I had to go through it, enter willingly into the void, holding nothing back. I had to jump off the diving board."

- Baby Catcher: Chronicles of a Modern Midwife by Peggy Vincent.

I believe most every woman comes to this point in their labor.. this... "finding the center"... the place where you cannot go around, above, or below your labor. You cannot hide from it, hold back from it, or hold off from it - you need to give in and go through it!

As a support person, invited to the birthing time of a pregnant mother, it is a wonderfully key component to your support - this time of finding the center - and how to help her through it.

Often times, this occurs during transition. Sometimes, such as when a baby is not 'in the optimal position', a woman can experience two of these transition-like times. The good news is it tends to be the shortest part of labor and birth. The support person's helping a woman to succeed in giving over wholly is two part:

• allowing the mom to work on her internal, non-spoken dialog without condemnation and without outside suggestion.
• helping her to feel protected and safe in the environment she has chosen for birth.

The worst thing to do for a woman at this time is to suggest anything that is not what she originally wanted or intended for her birthing time (pain killers, an escape, etc...) because, the closer she gets to center, the more vulnerable she comes to suggestion from outside sources.

The second worst thing to do for a woman during this time is to NOT validate her feelings. She will, often times, blurt out fears. As a support person, it is your job to validate those emotions, fears, etc... and then help her work through them in her time and through her choices (i.e. I understand you are afraid of the next stage, I know, I have felt that too. No matter what the next step brings, I believe you are strong, beautiful, and able to let your body bring this baby forth!).

Some of the best support you can give a mom during this time is to wrap her in a hug, let her cry, and let her know you understand and she is not alone.

When a woman finally comes to that center point, the inhibitions fall off like cumbersome clothing and she literally transforms before your eyes! Strong, wild, purposeful, and able. And she births life!

Cesarean Awareness Month

Yesterday was the first day of Cesarean Awareness Month! Coincidentally, this post was supposed to go out yesterday, but I was called away, mid-post, to a beautiful mamas birthing time (and again, coincidentally, she was working toward a VBAC). So, a day late for good reason!

Did you know that, in 2007, the last year that has been reported and released to the public, nearly 32% of births were via cesarean?

In honor of this month, I would like to point you in the direction of other blogs/posts on the internet:

Emjaybee writes on the Unnecesarean -

The most common thing I heard from everyone, doctors, nurses, midwives, friends and relatives, when I told them my awful c/section story, was, “Well, next time you can have a VBAC!”

Well, no actually. I’m not planning to have another child, and that probably won’t change.

And even if it did, what does it do to a woman to say this to her? It tells her “OK, well, you failed, but you can try again!”

And there are so many things wrong with that attitude I hardly know where to start.

This insightful post brings tears to my eyes as I had just recently visited with a woman who is still, years and years after her 2nd cesarean, trying to work through the grief and distrust, damage, and pain of her experiences. She feels trapped in a decision that is not so much a choice as a last resort to ensure that she has every chance possible to have a vaginal birth - and that still will not erase the damage already done.

The Feminist Breeder covers all of the VBACivism around the world.

Today marks the beginning of Cesarean Awareness Month. Over the next 30 days, let’s all take a moment to raise awareness of the cesarean epidemic, increase education about normal birth, and advocate for women’s reproductive rights.

April is sure to be filled with cesarean and VBACtivism all over the world. To start, the International Cesarean Awareness Network is hosting a radio show highlighting Mother’s Stories TODAY at 2 pm Eastern Time. If you are a Cesarean mom, a VBAC mom, or a CBAC mom, please call into the show to share your story. The ICAN blog will also be posting a new birth story every day of the month of April.

Definitely check out her post on web events!

Doula Ambitions talks about the correlation of Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month and Cesarean Awareness Month.

Keyboard Revolutionary writes "Come on In To The Cesarean Factory":

How is it that a woman can waltz in off the street, say she's pregnant and wants a Cesarean, and everyone leaps to her command....yet a woman who IS pregnant has to jump through hoops and fight tooth and nail just to give birth vaginally?

Are Cesareans really so common these days that you can easily get one whether you have an actual baby inside you or not? Are hospitals so happy to do one that they won't even make sure you're really pregnant? Or even full term?

Momotics talks about VBACtivism, her own personal journey:

With the growing cesarean birth rate nationwide it is so important that we take some time and realize that the 32% numbers we are seeing are not healthy, nor are they improving maternal or neonatal outcomes. In the past month we have seen several reports in large national news sources about this, and while bringing attention to this is great, it is not going to make the change that we need.

Cesarean Awareness is important to me because of the births of my two children, so different, but much alike.

She shares her birth video (below) as well as many links to great information, articles, and activism.

My Birth Journeys from Danielle Elwood on Vimeo.

Thoughtful Mama 'rants about her opinion' on VBAC bans and frustration surrounding it.

There is so much talk about VBAC floating around on the ‘nets lately! I was going to write a long article about all the medically sound reasons for VBAC and all of the lack of evidence for VBAC bans, etc, etc but honestly, that’s all been covered by far more qualified individuals than me. So I’m going to stick with what I’m good at: Standing on my soapbox ranting about My Opinion!

All the talk of VBAC these days is just dripping in terminology that turns my stomach...

Heart and Hands blogs, in Telling The Story, about the difficulty and healing - and the subsequent 'next chapter' - that occurred when she shared her birth story.

Today, ICAN (International Cesarean Awareness Network) had a radio show about cesarean and VBAC stories. They told women to call in and share their stories, to help themselves and other women.

I listen to a lot of blog talk radio shows. I love hearing the views of the blogs I read and feeling the connection.

I have never called in though. There have been a few times when I should have, but I always chickened out.

This time, the President of ICAN (who is one of my friends on twitter that I just LOVE) asked me if I was going to call in and share my story. I knew it was time, so I said yes, and as soon as I did, I broke down.

I expect to see many more bloggers add their thoughts in the coming days and, if you happen to blog about it, feel free to post your link the comments section.

I encourage everyone, this month, to look into how to support women who have experienced a cesarean or how to bring awareness to the unnecessarily high C-section rates in the U.S. (and how to minimize those rates) in your local community.

Together, with our voices raised as one, we can make an impact in our local communities and the U.S. at large - giving women options on how to make their birthing times the lease risky and most rewarding possible.

For additional information:
The First Cut Is The...
Cesarean Education in the News
Making Cesareans Mother-Friendly
Frozen Smiles
Natural Cesareans
Scarred for Life
Cesarean Art and Awareness
Cesarean Birth in a Culture of Fear
ICAN online
What Every Pregnant Woman Needs To Know About Cesarean Section

In Honor of International Genital integrity Awareness Week, Pt. 2

Another great video that I just had to reference. This is a completely PG video on youtube, where one college student talks about his foreskin and experience being intact.



And yet another (again PG) that talks about a man's experience, sexually, before and after his circumcision.

50 Best Blogs for Midwives

Wow, what a surprise when I opened my email this morning and found a note saying that I had been listed in the 50 Best Blogs for Midwives. Thanks!!!