Chandler, Arizona
Sweet Pea ​Births
Sweet Pea ​Births
...celebrating every swee​t pea their birth
...celebrating every swee​t pea their birth
Blog
Q&A with SPB: Water
Posted on March 8, 2016 at 9:22 PM |
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Water is essential for good
health. Pure water (nothing mixed in) is best for re-hydration of the body.
Bottled or filtered water may be necessary, depending on your water source at your home or workplace. In the mother, water acts as a solvent and catalyst for biological
reactions. In the baby, water accounts
for 75% of your baby's total body weight at birth. Lack of water leads to
dehydration, which can lead to over a 20% reduction of energy output (can you see why this could be a problem in pregnancy and/or labor?).
Dehydration may also contribute to the headaches some women experience as a discomfort of pregnancy. Some of the complications a water deficiency can
lead to are declined circulation (low blood flow which then affects what is *not* getting to the placenta), hypovolemia (low blood volume), and oligohydramnios (low amniotic fluid volume), which can trigger premature labor.
Note: water without adequate
salt intake leads to an imbalance, making it hard for your body to absorb and
retain fluids. Be careful about your source
of water – how much chlorine is in your municipal water? You can request a
report from your town or city if they don’t send you an annual quality report. Be careful of some bottled water.
Read the labels. Some of them have additives such as magnesium sulfate (MgSO4),
which is a laxative, muscle relaxant, and is used to stop labors. This common name for this additive is Epsom Salts. Your water needs depend on
your weight, your climate, and your energy output.
Did you know that the color of your urine could be a hydration test? If your urine is clear, pale or
straw-colored, *and* you feel well overall, there is a good probability that you are adequately hydrated. If your urine is dark yellow or even orange, it's time to start drinking up some good, clean water. Strive for even more
fluids if you have an active lifestyle, if it’s hot outside or both. Note on oligohydramnios: if
you are being told that your fluid levels are low, it might be a real
thing. Know that your amniotic fluid is
not a closed system – your body is constantly making more and replenishing amniotic fluid. I’ve read anywhere from 1 hour to every 3-4 hours for that process. So, if you drink more water, you could
potentially increase the amount of fluid in the uterus. However, if you have
been drinking a lot of water and your fluid levels are still low, then
definitely have an honest conversation with your care provider about your
options. Links to explore: Importance of Water written by my Bradley colleague Lisa Pearson, AAHCC Risk of Chlorinated Water via EWG Fluid Levels in Pregnancy via mamabirth.com Is 6-8 glasses enough? via self.com Best Sources of Drinking Water via Dr. Mercola Disclaimer: The material included in this blog and video is for informational
purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for
professional medical advice. The viewer should always consult her or his
healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for
their own situation. Krystyna and Bruss
Bowman and Bowman House, LLC accept no liability for the content of this site,
or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. This blog and video contain information about
our classes available in Chandler, AZ and Payson, AZ and is not the official
website of The Bradley Method®. The views contained in this video and on our
blog do not necessarily reflect those of The Bradley Method® or the American
Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth®. |
VBAC: The BIG picture of the risks
Posted on April 24, 2015 at 9:58 AM |
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If
you have had a previous cesarean, this is THE “drop” word for many care
providers when they have their “informed consent” talk with patients for
consequent pregnancies. Today I want to take a look at several other complications related to labor and delivery. If your care provider is expecting you to be influenced by risk factors for uterine rupture, I think it is fair to look at all the other risk factors of pregnancy and labor in order to create a bigger picture and put things into perspective. Pregnancy is generally considered a healthy time in a woman’s life. In order to make life, the woman’s body has to be able to support that life. In most cases, it is healthy women who become pregnant. What do we have to be afraid of? In most cases: nothing. However, as with many if not all things in life, there is a certain level of risk, and yes, sometimes things go wrong. So let’s start with the risk numbers for uterine rupture. Read THIS blog post for an in depth look at the numbers. Here is the summary of the incidence of uterine rupture, depending on what category you fall in:
So what are your risks of other complications of labor?
True statisticians are going to take issue with this oversimplification of
comparisons. In recognition that a
percentage is more than its face value, here are the ratios and the sources for
my information: Postpartum Hemorrhage: 1/5 – .2000 – 20% Definition: “Postpartum
hemorrhage is traditionally defined as blood loss greater than 500 mL during a
vaginal delivery or greater than 1,000 mL with a cesarean delivery. However,
significant blood loss can be well tolerated by most young healthy females, and
an uncomplicated delivery often results in blood loss of more than 500 mL
without any compromise of the mother's condition.” Quoted from Medscape “The incidence of postpartum hemorrhage is about 1 in 5 pregnancies, but this figure varies widely due to differential definitions for postpartum hemorrhage.” Stat SOURCE Preterm labor and preterm delivery: 1/9 – .1111 – 11.11% Definition: Baby born before 37 weeks Stat SOURCE Post-Maturity: 3-6% Definition: pregnancy past 42 weeks in which the placenta cannot provide the
nourishment to maintain a healthy fetus
Definitions of the types of breech:
Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes before 37 weeks: 3% 3% of all pregnancies and occurs in approximately 150,000 pregnancies yearly in the United States Definition: a condition of pregnancy in which the mother’s blood pressure
starts to rise to dangerously high levels, the indicator for possibility of
more complications that are potentially fatal to mother and/or baby; 2% to 6% in healthy, nulliparous women (women who have never given birth yet) Stat SOURCE Placenta Abruptio: 1.0% Definition: the placenta separates from the uterine wall before delivery
of the baby
Stat & Quote SOURCE UTERINE RUPTURE STATS FALL HERE Umbilical cord prolapse: 1/300 – .0033 – 0.33% Definition: the umbilical cord precedes the baby in the birth canal Definition: the placenta grows too deeply through the uterine wall July 2012 study publication Stat SOURCE What do you think now that you have seen a wide array of complications and risks? Please leave us a comment - it will be moderated and posted. *I think* that the amount of traffic you so generously generate has led to a lot of spam posting. In an effort to keep the spam to a minimum, I am taking the time to moderate comments now. For more reading: Uterine Rupture in Pregnancy: Article dated July 31, 2012 Understanding Labor and Delivery Complications – The Basics from WebMD http://www.webmd.com/baby/understanding-labor-delivery-complications-basics The Risks of Cesarean Section http://www.motherfriendly.org/Resources/Documents/TheRisksofCesareanSectionFebruary2010.pdf Disclaimer: The material included on this site is for informational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult her or his healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation. Krystyna and Bruss Bowman and Bowman House, LLC accept no liability for the content of this site, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. This blog contains information about our classes available in Chandler, AZ and Payson, AZ and is not the official website of The Bradley Method®. The views contained on this blog do not necessarily reflect those of The Bradley Method® or the American Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth®. |
Birth News
Posted on January 10, 2014 at 6:31 PM |
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These are probably going to keep being evening editions - thank you for your patience as we ramp up posting again in the New Year. I am really placing a high value on being Peaceful Mama for my kiddos, which means that being on the computer is taking a back seat to homeschooling and teaching classes this season. I will be back in full swing soon - until then, please do not hesitate to contact me via email (krystyna{at}sweetpeabirths{dot}com) if you have any pressing questions about pregnancy, natural birth or breastfeeding! Birth News FERTILITY NOTE: Please read this with a grain of salt - we have had students have beautiful, term babies even though they used IVF to attain pregnancy. Simply shared as a tool for discussion with your care providers as you weigh the benefits and the risks. IVF Pregnancies Are More Likely To Result In Stillbirth, Preterm Birth, Low
Birthweight, Or Neonatal Death
Medical Daily http://bit.ly/19V24Sc PREGNANCY NOTE:I am by no means suggesting that you *should* go get a flu shot – again, I am simply offering this as information to discuss with your care provider. See what Dr. Sears has to say about the flu shot during pregnancy HERE and HERE Flu shots in pregnancy protect babies from being born too soon, Canadian studies show
Ottowa Citizen http://bit.ly/1gqKeoL BIRTH Premature 'Water Breaking' During Pregnancy Linked to Bacteria
WebMD http://bit.ly/1d31rF3 POSTPARTUM Is Placenta Encapsulation the Answer to Postpartum Depression?
Health24 http://bit.ly/1iWKgZG Doctors report uptick in number of babies with RSV, a respiratory virus, this flu season
abc13.com http://bit.ly/1gqJ8cC BREASTFEEDING Study Links Breastfeeding to Lower Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Science World Report http://bit.ly/1iWMTKQ Disclaimer: The material included on this site is for informational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult her or his healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation. Krystyna and Bruss Bowman and Bowman House, LLC accept no liability for the content of this site, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. This blog contains information about our classes available in Chandler, AZ and Payson, AZ and is not the official website of The Bradley Method®. The views contained on this blog do not necessarily reflect those of The Bradley Method® or the American Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth®. |
Rupture of Membranes
Posted on October 16, 2012 at 5:06 PM |
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The set up: We were
reviewing information from the previous class on vaginal exams, and reminding
students that *anything* going upstream once the membranes have ruptured has the
potential to introduce infection. We
were also reviewing what the pros and cons were to having an amniotomy
(artificial rupture of membranes) performed. The question: How long is too long to have your membranes
ruptured? The answer: Our
answer was to remind our students that once the membranes rupture, care
providers do not want patients putting anything in the vagina and discourage augmenting labor with intercourse (what!?). In addition, we have the privilege of having a pediatrician
in attendance in our classes (she is going to be the assistant coach for one of
our students), and I was happy to have her input. She said that there are several studies that
cite 48 hours as the time when the risk of infection rises. So I set out to find these studies and I did not find them. I did find that the medical term for one of the infections is chorioamnionitis, and this has been tied to risk associated with the number of vaginal exams in labor: "Chorioamnionitis is an inflammation of the fetal membranes (amnion and chorion) due to a bacterial infection. It typically results from bacteria ascending into the uterus from the vagina and is most often associated with prolonged labor. The risk of developing chorioamnionitis increases with each vaginal examination that is performed in the final month of pregnancy, including during labor." From Wikipedia Here is a link
that explains the risk of infection and the signs to look for that might
indicate that the mother is developing an infection:
Here some additional links that you might also like to
review:
In conclusion, we want all of our students and readers to
remember that it is up to them to educate themselves – what are the benefits
and risks to any of the procedures or protocols of pregnancy, labor and birth? It is up to you to read up on the variations
and complications of labor. Once you are
informed, then you can decide what course of action you may want to take in
regards to your own situation and use that as a starting point for discussion
with your care provider. Disclaimer: It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult her or his healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation. Krystyna and Bruss Bowman and Bowman House, LLC accept no liability for the content of this site, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. This blog contains information about our classes available in Chandler, AZ and Payson, AZ and is not the official website of The Bradley Method®. The views contained on this blog do not necessarily reflect those of The Bradley Method® or the American Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth®. |
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