Birth, Breastfeeding and Beyond

May 28, 2008 at 9:42 am | In Birth, breastfeeding | Leave a Comment
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I have been looking forward to hearing Michel Odent speak about the “ormones of lorve” for ages and I was not disappointed. The Birth, Breastfeeding and Beyond conference was just wonderful and each speaker was as equally inspiring as Michel.

Michel spoke first about c-sections and how ’safe’ and easy they have become, but that this ’safety’ is measured without taking into account the effects of c-sections on the quality and duration of breastfeeding. Of course references to research into the ‘ormones’ played a big part in his presentation although he gave too many wonderful examples for me to remember or jot down, but I am now armed with pages of references to peruse.

Later he did a whole presentation on oxytocin, which did you know was discovered in 1909? Me neither. First of course they discovered and researched the mechanical effects (speeded up labour, milk ejection reflex etc). But it took a long time for scientists to start looking at the behavioral effects. And synthetic oxytocin (used in inductions, “failure to progress” – don’t get me started on that one, and in the 3rd stage of labour for delivery of the placenta) doesn’t cross the blood-brain barrier and so it has only the mechanical effects, not the lovey dovey behavioral ones.

Then came the really good stuff, which we have all read about or know instinctively, but Michel is right, if we are to get our message across, we need to be bilingual and speak in scientific language aswell as that of the heart.

So the scientists had discovered oxytocin receptors in the body, uterus etc, but in the 80s they found them in the brain. When these receptors in the brain were destroyed in rats, the rats could give birth, but they had no mothering instinct. Oxytocin is the hormone of love :) And Michel called it a ’shy’ hormone…ie there needs to be privacy for peak levels. He quoted some Swedish studies that showed that the highest levels of oxytocin EVER is in the period just after birth, which is essential not just for the physiological actions (delivery of placenta, milk ejection etc) but for that magical bonding and goey mother-love (my words, not his).

Peak levels of oxytocin cannot be reached if the mother is distracted in ANY way eg. cutting the cord, which makes her look at what’s happening rather than at her baby, or anyone talking to her, or my personal favourite, the partner calling people on his mobile. This brings her back to earth when she should be off the planet in mother-baby-bonding-land where nobody else can go, with peak levels of oxytocin (and other hormones – the ultimate cocktail, ah if we could bottle it) which has far-reaching influence on mothering, breastfeeding, baby development…you name it, this influences it.

What happens as a matter of routine in most hospitals at the moment, is that the mother is given an injection of synthetic oxytocin to “assist the delivery of the placenta” (we’ll save a full 3rd stage discussion for another day). If you introduce ANY synthetic hormone into the body, it blocks the release of the natural hormone, so what are we doing here? We’re blocking the release of the mother’s own “hormone of love” and replacing it with one that will still perform the mechanical functions of the natural hormone, but not the behavioral functions. I don’t think I need to spell that one out, it’s always always all about the love :)

Every step of the way, our modern birth culture and practice is disrupting the woman’s own hormonal symphony and the implications of this are beyond our comprehension. It will take decades for science to catch on to the heart and soul of what mothers and birthworkers intuitively know about this magical time.

As Michel said, this stuff is not just for those of us that were there at the conference, but “for all those interested in the future of humanity” because what are we doing to generations of people if we are messing with the “love” part?

After a question from the audience Michel also briefly touched on partners at birth and the often negative impact this can have. There are many many factors around this issue which could be a seminar in itself and before anyone gets their knickers in a twist, of course I recognise that not only are they an integral part but they can have a very positive influence also (sometimes they may be the only familiar, loving face a woman sees!). What Michel was referring to, was the contagiousness of adrenaline. It can be a terrifying and distressing experience for many partners and their adrenaline is transmitted and can negatively influence the delicate hormonal dance going on between mother and baby. Partners are EXPECTED to be there these days and they may not want to be. It’s not just women who need to be empowered to trust birth…and while I generally disagree with blanket policy, enforced confiscation of mobile phones in the birth room would be warmly welcomed!

A theme that kept coming up over and over again is that the women need to claim their power and not hand it over to ANYONE at anytime, this includes doctors, midwives, their mother, friends or societal expectations. Question EVERYTHING and apply the following questions to absolutely everything that your carers might suggest to help you make an informed decision. I learnt this the other night and I think it’s a great tool reminding you to use your BRAIN:

  • Benefits – what are the benefits of this procedure/drug?
  • Risks – what are the risks?
  • Alternatives – what are the alternatives?
  • Intuition – use it!
  • No – what if I say No? (Many women who birth in a hospital don’t realise that when they say “this is hospital policy” you can still negotiate! You are a paying customer in that hospital with either your tax dollars or cash and at all times you can actually just say “no”)

Trust your body, birth and your ability to breastfeed and know whats best for you and your baby.

OK, so I got a bit carried away and this is a bit of a long post, so I will save the James McKenna co-sleeping stuff for another day. Resources below:

Unbelievable! I just did a quick clipart search to look for some breastfeeding pics and there are all of 6 images, 3 of which are cartoons and none of which actually show a breast. I shouldn’t be so suprised and will remind my self of this quote that one of the midwives posted the other day:

“No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars,
or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human
spirit.”

Helen Keller

Elective c-section article

May 27, 2008 at 8:11 am | In Birth | 1 Comment
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I stumbled on this great blog post, worth a read :)

And while we’re talking c-sections, here are some links:

Link suggestions welcome

Jeff Foster

May 25, 2008 at 6:41 am | In Truth Pointers | Leave a Comment
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Writings of Jeff Foster

The reality is simple, obvious, present. Thoughts appear now: they are not “my” thoughts, they are just thoughts. They are not “my” problems, they are just problems. This is not “my” life, this is just life.

Life plays out, and I am both utterly immersed in it, and utterly absent. And these are not polar opposites: to be immersed fully, is to be fully absent.

Fully immersed, fully absent. And yet there is still the noise of traffic outside, still the click-click of the boiler switching on and off, still the sound of breathing, still the tap-tap of the rain at the windows, still the tiredness in the body, still the sensations, moment by precious moment…

And so, even though I am fully absent, life carries on.

Even though I am nowhere to be found, life cannot, will not cease, not now, not ever.

Get Active

May 25, 2008 at 4:44 am | In Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

I have just added lots of links under a new title of “Advocacy” under Resources. I’m not going to go quoting Ghandi on you or anything…but if not YOU then WHO?

If you are in Australia, then go to the Joyous Birth website to find links to members and senators and some ideas on what to write. The American group Citizens for Midwifery have an advocacy page with tonnes of useful resources no matter which country you’re in or you can check out the other links I have added.

If you don’t know why or what we are advocating for you could have a look at the Maternity Coalition site.

Blessings,

Heatherx

Epidurals and Breastfeeding

May 22, 2008 at 12:14 am | In Birth, breastfeeding | Leave a Comment

Dr Sarah Buckley is presenting an online workshop on Thursday June 12th on Epidurals: Impact on Mother and Baby. See a slide from the presentation on Conscious Woman that looks at a study on the effects of epidurals on breastfeeding. This workshop has already been presented once and on the post there is a quote from internationally renowned lactaction consultant, Diane Wiessinger, which I will put here also incase you don’t check out the post ;)

“I’m an IBCLC. But I’m more and more in awe of the effect the birth has on breastfeeding, bonding, and the future well-being of both mothers and babies. Sarah Buckley is presenting a knock-your-socks-off 6-part series on the effect of birth interventions. I’m oh-so-glad I’m seeing them all. The one on epidurals gives us the science behind our suspicions.”

Orgasmic Birth

May 21, 2008 at 1:33 am | In Birth | 1 Comment
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Check out the preview of the new movie Orgasmic Birth

Bumi Sehat Field Report – March & April 2008

May 13, 2008 at 8:47 am | In Uncategorized | 1 Comment

This is from Ibu Robin Lim in Indonesia. You can find out more about Bumi Sehat on their website: www.bumisehatbali.org

Aceh and Bali, Indonesia… Ibu Robin Lim

Tsunami Orphans send a greeting of peace with Ibu Robin in Aceh

In the Spider’s words… “I don’t know how… But I’ll help” Wilbur says, “But you’re so small and they’re so big.” Charlotte replies, “That may be so, but I’ll think of something by morning, now you get some rest.” Later Wilbur asks, “Charlotte, should I be worried?” She simply says, “Of course not. What good would that do?”
~~~ E. B. White… Charlotte’s Web


ACEH…
Upon my return from the Bumi Sehat Tsunami Relief clinic in Aceh, I sent these words to Midwife Katherine Bramhall. Katherine has been right beside me, even when she is ‘home’ in Vermont, and I am in Aceh or Bali; she is raising funds, finding ways to get the (NEW CHAPTER) vitamins into Indonesia… she works everyday toward infant survival and safe motherhood for Indonesia. And Katherine is just one of so many many strong good hearts out in the world who are making this service, this miracle possible. I so am really trying not to worry anymore.

Many of you are wondering how the healing of Aceh is going… It is coming along, in baby steps, and I have come to trust baby steps. The clinic that SE Asia and Ubud Rotary built is busy and beautiful. We were warned that installing a solar power system would just not work, that the maintenance would be impossible. Yet, being where we are in the Tsunami zone, PLN electricity was still a long time coming. So, David Kuper of Ubud Rotary, believing in sustaining the Mother Earth, backed me up on the decision/dream to light the Bumi Sehat clinic with the power of the sun. Many many a night, when PLN and gas generators fail, one can look up and down the west coast of Aceh and see one well lit building, the Bumi Sehat solar powered clinic! Maintenance is not a problem, as Pak Sudung of our permanent team is well trained in keeping it all working well.


I wish everyone reading this could experience the joy I do when team Bumi Sehat Aceh works in the vegetable garden there. Thanks to 108 people who bought tree certificates, we have planted a fruit orchard in Aceh! Three of our team members, Sudung, Marlin and Adi will soon be taking the IDEP Foundation Green Hands Field training 50 km outside of Banda Aceh. This means that our dream of a medical relief clinic that is sustainable and Mother Earth friendly is fully blossoming. Global warming seems to be affecting the Aceh coastal regions, as all over Samatiga we see new houses built for Tsunami survivors, ankle deep in water. These homes were purposely built on raised land, to avoid the high tides, but alas… the water comes higher and higher with each moon. Roads are constantly flooded. People are constructing little sleeping shacks on stilts, and each rain brings hardship. We are blessed that the Bumi Sehat clinic land remains high and dry. This may be due to the fact that we are just beside a small lake, and the water drains into the wetlands, leaving us well out of the mud. And yes,(Ibu Paula – who purchased the land for us) there are fish in the little lake, blue herons, wild ducks, kingfishers and all sorts of small yellow birds to cheer the women in labor.
In Aceh our capacity building program for local midwives supported by Direct Relief International and BCC is in full swing. The bi-weekly pregnancy exercise, yoga, and nutrition education meetings are attended by pregnant women, by local area midwives, and traditional birth attendants.


In the beginning of April Bumi Sehat hosted an Exclusive Breastfeeding all-day workshop for 40 Acehnese midwives. The Bumi Sehat Exclusive breastfeeding film, sponsored by Body Shop, was aired. The ASI Esklusif Book (thank you Australian Direct Aid Program) was distributed. Our staff cooked a healthy meal for the midwives as an example of sustainable nutrition, it was a huge success.

Other Capacity building successes; our donor sponsored student midwives are blossoming. Yenni is in her second year and spends each vacation day at Bumi Aceh, helping and learning. We have added Dahlia a young Tsunami survivor who lost her father and all her siblings Her mother had borrowed money to begin Dahlia’s midwifery education, when we found them there was no money for Dahlia to continue. Thanks to generous donors from Japan, her education is sponsored for the entire duration of her midwifery training. Suastini is moving into her advanced midwifery courses and her sponsor Ibu Janet of Gemala is so proud. Bidan Budi Astuti was also sponsored by Gemala to achieve her midwifery teaching degree.


Capacity Building Workshop with pregnant women,
midwives and traditional birth attendants at Bumi Sehat Aceh

Other Capacity Building intensives: Two midwives from RS Bunda were trained in a two-week course by our Bumi Sehat midwives in January. Again we trained five midwives in a one-week intensive in March. In April we did the same training for a young Javanese Doctor. The focus of the in-residence midwifery trainings has been naturallY sustainable, culturally-sensitive birth practices that work in the field. Support of Exclusive Breastfeeding for 6 months, as per the WHO and Indonesian Government mandate. Our hope is to increase the ability of Indonesian midwives to help high-risk women and babies in times of crisis and/or disaster. With evidence of the (“SLOW TSUNAMI”)World Food crisis upon us, we feel this is essential training for the people who will help receive the coming generation at their births.
The NYC Rotary ambulance is in use at Bumi Aceh every single day and night. We are praying for an ambulance for Bumi Sehat Bali.

BALI…
Currently there is no emergency transport service available in Ubud, except the Bumi Sehat van, our one and only automobile. This van is used for errands, daily we shuttle home the new babies and their mothers (we don’t allow the newborns to travel by motorbike.) When emergencies happen we are on edge, as the van should be on-call whenever there are women in labor. There are always women in labor at Bumi Sehat Bali.


Back in Bumi Sehat’s Mother office and clinic in Bali the birth rate is rising like the tides. This may be due to the fact that the government’s program of subsidizing partial payment for medical care for the poor has been put on hold for our island. We are so busy that there are just not enough beds. The family of Jasmine Rue, a Bumi Sehat baby, has sponsored the construction of a new birth room. Work has begun and we hope to be moving in by next week. With between 40 and 60 or more births happening here every month, we desperately need the space.


Meanwhile the clock is ticking on the leased land that Bumi Sehat Bali sits on. We are half way to our goal of being able to purchase land. Then we will actively seek funding for construction of a new clinic and permanent home for Bumi Bali. Huge thanks to Michael Franti and Oppie Andaresta for the musical fundraiser, organized by team Bali Spirit and the amazing Megan, Esti, Jen, Rob, Kadek, and so many many more angels.


Bumi Sehat Bali Youth center update… Anyi Raimondi and Sara Estrin have joined Kadek Ariawan and Yanti in developing curriculum and teaching our English and computer courses. They are very excited about teaching English with the Save the Mother Earth Program, sponsored by Bali Buddha. One dark night Sara witnessed a motorbike going down, the driver did not survive. This motivated our team to develop a Motor Cycle Safety course. The one-day intensive for teenagers will involve each of them signing a Safety Contract in exchange for receiving a proper helmet. Sara is also serving as the midwifery team’s personal assistant, which means she does everything!


I must thank all of you for keeping the dream of Bumi Sehat alive, to name a few… Liz Sinclair, Jane Fisher, Frank Wilson, Bruce Grady, Pradheep Chhalliyil, Nita Noor, Lakota, Wil, Zion, Dr. Bobbi and Dr. Soma, Irene, Leon Vrielink, Sara, Kayla, Oppie, Wayan, Chris and Lee Beckom, Katherine Bramhall… and all the amazing volunteers working behind the scenes, my gratitude for the way you keep the team going. Most notably, thank you… Rotary, Direct Relief, BCC, New Chapter Vitamins, the City of Cesano-Moderno, Alexander Langer Foundation, Sakthi Foundation, Body Shop, Australian Aid and Development, friends of “Heidi”, YKI – John Fawcette Foundation, Howard Schiffer and the Vitamin Angels, Petra Schneider and IDEP, Michael Franti and Stay Human Foundation, the many people of Fairfield Iowa sending help, Bali Spirit, the Slaughter family, and so many, many wonderful volunteers and donors who support our service. Bumi Sehat survives on donations. Every walk-in “Angel” who brings us money to keep operations going is essential to our projects. When we transport a woman in labor for a necessary cesarean birth, she may not have a floor in her kitchen, but she has the Bumi Sehat “Angels” behind her.


We are happy to congratulate Pak Sudung and Eti on their marriage. May 11th please take a moment to bless Mimi, our Aceh translator, and Leman, Bumi’s amazing nurse… it is their wedding day. These couples met and fell in love while serving on Team Bumi.
When the beautiful new Rotary sponsored clinc in Aceh was under construction, people said that we were crazy to make a birth tub, for no Tsunami survivor would want to give birth in the water. Well… our midwives from Italy, Liza Forasacco and Maria Dalle Pezze, along with Bidan Mega and Bidan Yanti of Sumatra are catching babies in the water! Yes, it is a healing, and a miracle everyday at Bumi Sehat.

Allhumdullilah, Om Shanti, Blessings and Gratitude… As I write this a new baby boy, just born in a tub of flowers is having his first go at breastfeeding. This is how we serve and love this is how we are astonished each minute at Bumi Sehat. ~~~ Ibu Robin

List of Bumi Sehat “Needs” – in order of priority:

  • Maintenance of current services ie operational funds for Bali Clinic, Aceh Clinic and Bali Youth Center.
  • On going medical supplies
  • Ambulance for Bali
  • Purchase land for new clinic
  • Find sponsors to build the new Bumi Bali clinic

Future (as soon as possible):

  • Build the “Ark” a warehouse for disaster relief supplies.
  • Consider opening a Bumi Sehat Birth Center in Timor L’Este where the maternal mortality rate is highest in Asia.

Bumi Sehat Bali Births so far in 2008 222

Jan: 34
Feb: 67
March:44
April: 77 plus we have 2 more in labor and a few days to go in the month!

Donations via Paypal… go to our website: www.BumiSehatBali.org
HOW TO MAKE A DONATION

Wayan, born into a pool of flowers at Bumi Sehat Bali
THANKs YOU!

The Pill

May 12, 2008 at 12:34 am | In Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Jane Bennett and Alexandra Pope have written a wonderful book called The Pill: Are you sure it’s for you?

www.nfmcontraception.com has lots of info on Natural Fertility Management methods which is a combination of methods INCLUDING the all important and much ignored Lunar Cycle.

The success rates of both the mucus and sympto-thermal methods are as high as 99.8 percent in user groups that are motivated and well-taught. So if you are looking for a more natural method of contraception and willing to learn and put the time and effort in, then it’s something to look at and think about. It’s empowering learning about your cycle and when you are fertile. I would recommend that you get the NFM contraception kit but if you’re not sure, get the book: Natural Fertility by Francesca Naish and learn what’s involved and if it’s for you.

Blessings,

Heatherx

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