Sunday, July 15, 2012

Breastfeeding... NOT REALLY Beneficial ~ MORE of Dr. Farts-from-her-Mouth's Propaganda ...


There she goes again! The notorious and unethical "Dr" Farts-from-her-Mouth is spewing her hatred towards all things natural and nurturing. This time, diminishing the important benefits of breastfeeding, all the while acknowledging that she, herself (supposedly), breastfed her four children.


“When it comes to opinions on parenting practices, where you stand often depends on where you sit. That's not the case for my views on breastfeeding. I successfully breastfed all four of my children until they weaned themselves. Although it was painful and difficult getting started with my first child, I ultimately found breastfeeding easy and enjoyable; my children enjoyed it and they grew like weeds.
… Yes, breastfeeding has real benefits over formula feeding, but, in first world countries, those benefits are actually small and not particularly clinically relevant. Lactivists ignore the fact that the scientific evidence about the benefits of breastfeeding is weak and conflicting, and much of it is rendered meaningless by the many confounding variables.
For example, breastfeeding in contemporary American society is more common among women of higher educational levels and higher economic classes. Therefore, it is often impossible to determine whether benefits in health and on tests that measure IQ may be the result of the improved social conditions in breastfeeding families, not breastfeeding itself.”
WHAT FREAKIN' ROCK DID SHE CRAWL OUT FROM UNDER??? Is she a NUT?

"Dr"... Good grief, you don't even DESERVE to be referred to as such... There is NO DEBATE over the SINGULAR FACT that human breastmilk is THE most SUPERIOR food to feed to the human infant/toddler/child. 

There is also NO DEBATE that there are times when an appropriate breastmilk supplement (formula or other mammalian milk) may be an important and necessary option for feeding human babies.

There is no ostracizing, no finger-pointing; there is no “breast-is-best war” against the mother who cannot or chooses not to breastfeed. But, breastfeeding, indeed, SHOULD be strongly encouraged, supported and promoted, with ALL communities doing EVERYTHING they can to help mothers to nurture their babies by breastfeeding whenever they can!

Keep in mind too that, according to Unicef’s Breastfeeding Research Division,
Carrying out randomised controlled trials which are clearly recognised as the “gold standard” is not always possible as it is not ethical to randomly allocate mothers in a way which arbitrarily may decide that half of the group will bottle feed.[underline emphasis mine]
So, just for the record, "Dr" Farts-from-her-Mouth, let us review the benefits and importance of breastfeeding for baby, for mother, and for society:


What are the Benefits of Breastfeeding My Toddler?


Really "Dr" Farts-from-her-Mouth? Do you really want to get into a war on breasts with the breastfeeding mothers of the world?

Might I simply suggest that you... SHUT the hell up !!

Try a gag. We'd ALL LOVE it if you would!

Credit given to:  KAZ Zorpal


Thursday, January 12, 2012

The Captain of Her Own Ship


Can you believe that WOMEN want CONTROL over their own birth environment? NO-ooooo... they shouldn't DO that, they should lie back with morphine-type drugs infused into the epidural space of their spines, quiet... not requiring anything from the doctors, nurses or other hospital staff.


Check out THIS load of fecal matter from "Dr" Fart's Phhhlog:

"By all means share your most important preferences with your providers, but think long and hard before you present your provider with a list of refusals and ultimatums. Birth plans have been encouraged by ancillary birth personnel (childbirth educators, doulas) as a thumb in the eye of obstetricians. They accomplish nothing besides gratifying a desire to defy authority."


So... YOUR Birth Plan, which respectfully outlines the important care issues regarding YOUR and your BABY'S birth & postpartum, IS... (per her majesty, "Dr" Fart-from-her-Mouth) a frivolous, self-serving rebellion, causing pain and anguish to the doctor... >cough, gag, vomit<

"...gratifying a desire to defy authority."

REALLY?? ... WHO is the BOSS, "Dr" Fart?
DARE I suggest that the MOTHER (OMG!) is the Captain of her Own Ship? That SHE carries the ULTIMATE responsibility to safeguard her ship and it's precious cargo? That the Birth Attendant is, both, the Navigator & the Engineer assisting the Captain, TOGETHER, through the course of the birth... all the while with the safety of mother and baby as the PRIORITY. What Captain purposefully runs her ship a-ground or into uncharted, dangerous waters?



"...thumb in the eye..."

Hmmmm, isn't that what you are SUPPOSED to do if you are being ATTACKED by a SHARK?

Ah ha! Actually quiet a clever analogy!

But seriously, Friends...

YOUR Birth Plan is a valuable piece of communication between you and your birth provider(s). Both midwives AND doctors value and respect that you have specific desires, wishes, and yes, perhaps some things you don't want, too! Even when planning a home birth, where you'd think that a Birth Plan essentially isn't necessary, it can serve to open the lines of communication with client and midwife.

Write down your specific needs, wishes & desires!
MAKE that LIST, so that you and your provider can discuss these important matters ahead of time. If you have the potential to be cared for by someone you don't know and who doesn't know you or your wishes... the Birth Plan becomes an ESSENTIAL component of your care plan between you and that provider.

No, it isn't the Birth Plan that accomplishes the goal of having a safe and satisfying birth experience. It is the collaboration of ideals of both mother & birth provider, together with the circumstances of the actual birth event, that provides the very best possibility of a good, joyous, and healthy outcome for mother and baby.

And just in case "Dr" Fart-from-her-Mouth is reading... Natural ChildBirth Advocates (among them: Doctors, Midwives, Nurses, Doulas, Childbirth Educators, etc.) very much RESPECT the process of birth and acknowledge that there ARE inherent risks that can affect this very normal, physiologic, bodily function. We KNOW that sometimes mothers and babies need medical interventions, medications, and operative procedures to safely see them through and beyond the birth. We ACKNOWLEDGE that Cesarean Section saves lives and is, indeed, defined as giving BIRTH. We recognize that sometimes NOTHING can be done to prevent a morbidity or mortality.


HOWEVER, we also KNOW that unnecessary interference and practitioner interventions employed out of "routine use" ideology, convenience, ease, time, or other non-evidence-based rationale DO, indeed, INCREASE risk of the birth process diverging from a normal, healthy course.

Your Birth Plan serves to map out your wishes, needs, beliefs and desires for your birth care. A birth attendant who does not respect the importance of this patient/practitioner communication should not be serving birthing women.

The MOTHER is the Captain of Her Own Ship.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Options abound for moms-to-be

CLICK this LINK to read the Chesterfield Observer article featuring ME, Kim Mosny!!
Former Home Birth client, Stephanie Mazzella and
her 9-mon old daughter, Rowan, with Kim Mosny.

Monday, August 23, 2010

If ultrasound destroys sperm, why is it safe for a fetus?

If ultrasound destroys sperm, why is it safe for a fetus?

Facts VS Bias: An Analysis of the Wax Study

** sigh **

I have to completely re-write and re-compile all the information from a "Note" I posted on my HBMS FaceBook page, because FB "decided" that the content of my note "violated [their] Terms of Use." GRRrrrrr...
.
The note itself contained nothing "hateful, threatening, or obscene," nor did it "attack an individual or group, or advertise a product or service."

Thus, I must conclude that the photo, included with the note, of naked new mother holding her newly born baby was the material considered "obscene" by FB or was reported by someone who viewed my note. This is the photo that I attached to my FB Note. Obscene, isn't it?


Well, any whooooo.... on with my "Facts VS Bias: An Analysis of the Wax Study" note...

I was recently asked by a new client about the Wax Study, "Maternal and newborn outcomes in planned home birth vs planned hospital births: a metaanalysis." Am J Obstet Gynecol, 2010; 203(3) DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2010.05.028, which concludes that babies born at home have a mortality rate THREE TIMES HIGHER than babies born in hospital.

Their conclusion is controversial because many large and rigorous studies have concluded that homebirth and hospital birth have essentially the same safety for mother and baby. Some recent studies, including one from British Columbia, Canada, reported that planned homebirths actually have better outcomes for the mother compared to planned hospital births.

The study originally intended for print publication in the September 2010 issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (AJOG), was published online on July 1.  Researchers and critics suspect that the early release was politically motivated to discredit midwives who attend the majority of home births in the U.S. and to discourage legislators from passing increasingly pro-midwife state legislation such as New York State's Midwifery Modernization Act (Bill S5007a/A8117b), which passed on June 28 with overwhelming bipartisan support, providing autonomous practice for all licensed midwives working in all settings.

The Coalition for Improving in Maternity Services ~ CIMS' advisor, Dr. Michael C. Klein, a senior scientist at the Child and Family Research Institute in Vancouver and emeritus professor of family practice and pediatrics at the University of British Columbia believes this is "an unabashed attempt to have poor science cover-unsuccessfully-a political agenda.  I am very surprised that the [Journal] would publish it, let alone call it 'Editors Choice'."

So, how does one know WHAT to believe with regard to research, studies, meta-analysis, etc? How does one wade through the myriad of information available on the web to discover the FACTS and uncover BIAS, and political agendas?

Well, in THIS case, it is little 'ole ME to the rescue to help my clients and others interested in understanding quality research related to the safety of home birth. Thus, we begin with an exploration of much of the discussion surrounding this meta-analysis known as the Wax Study...


OK... So, now let us look at the research, articles, discussion and blogs regarding the Safety of Home Birth:
So... I will leave the rants and raves to the scientists, researchers, writers and other Blogsters.
I have compiled quite a bit of reading material here for those interested in learning.

What I KNOW is that home birth is SAFE. Home birth is made SAFER with one-on-one midwifery care and a skilled attendant at the birth. Safer still when a second attendant is present to assist the first.

Home birthing families do not choose home birth because it is "trendy" or "cool" or because some celebrity says they should. Women and their partners choose home birth because its their BEST CHOICE. It speaks to their sensibility, to their hearts, to their intellect, to their joy, to their minds, to their partnership, to their peace, to their spirituality, to their togetherness, to their concerns, to their interests, etc... etc... etc...

Home Birth is SAFE... otherwise I, a home birth midwife of 17 years, WOULD NOT/COULD NOT do this work. It is my calling, my job, my joy, my heart, my hands, my mind, my spirit, my responsibility, my promise, to protect mother's and baby's safe passage. Within that promise is the understanding that I am only the hand-servant through which health and life passes. I am not in control, as much as I might have thought I was in my early career, I have learned life & death's lessons, bitter-sweet and beautiful. I, too, surrender to the power of birth.

Home Birth is NOT for everyone. But for those who choose to give birth with midwives at home, let not your hearts be troubled by the controversy of biased agendas. It has and always will be YOUR RIGHT, YOUR CHOICE where and with whom to give birth.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Midwife means "with women" but wait, there's more....

NOTE: This article is not wholly my original content, but was adapted from an article shared by a student-midwife colleague (thanks Doran!) on a midwifery list serve. No authorship was offered, other than to refer to the author, "from a friend"... otherwise I would give credit where credit is due. Thus, I have "tweaked" and "fine-tuned" the original to fit my own perspective on the "job" of being a midwife. Enjoy.

Most folks would say that I "deliver" babies (though I like to say that I "catch" them) and this is true, but it is a fraction of what I do.... what this calling requires of me. The contrast between the “jobs” within my calling are surprising to me and unknown by many, if not most, who see the signs on my car and think they know who I am.

I am a teacher of an age-old "profession" which carries great responsibility. It is almost a given that a midwife will train others to be midwives, this is how midwifery has survived all of these years. Though I don't feel that I am a great teacher, I love to share what I know… there is much to glean from me and if someone is willing and observant enough, they will learn the art & skills of midwifery as they sit at my side, as they lend me a hand, and as they serve the women with me.

You'll see me at the copy place as I work for hours, making copies, putting together the information that I have been given, and that I have created, that gives the best informed consent I can provide. I want all those who hire me to know who I am and what the responsibilities are when they choose to give birth outside of a hospital. Making copies, creating folders and booklets of information, ordering books and DVDs, staying informed in all the ways available. It can be exhausting, but I know it is a necessary part of being a current midwife, one who teaches others how best to interview a midwife & plan a home birth. I need to continue to learn and to discover, especially what evidenced-based care is - and practice it.

I can find a fetus’ heartbeat and can tell if it is breech, without a doppler or an ultrasound machine. I know of many ways to cope with weeks of nausea and what is safe to take - whether herb or medication and can explain how to time contractions and what to do if your baby is jaundiced. I know many tricks to get a baby to nurse and how to make an herbal bath. I can recommend holistic treatments for a myriad of maladies and complaints for pregnancy from heartburn to urinary tract infection.

I keep my supplies stocked and inventory my bags, car, office & home supplies to ensure I have everything I need for every birth. You will sometimes find me sterilizing instruments at midnight or 1 in the morning because they didn't get done earlier in the day and a baby might decide it's not going to wait until the midwife has time the next day.

I am trained and certified to resuscitate newly born babies, the ones that seem to think that breathing is an option… I don't allow them this lazy notion and go to work, convincing them that it’s not so bad here after all. Nevertheless, the greatest teacher I have ever had was baby Caroline, who taught me that it was not MY decision whether she stayed or left and that I could do everything right and yet I was not in control. She left.

I know how to follow directions and to be more dependable than my mother ever thought I could be. The weather can have little affect on my travel - I go when I am called and it matters not how bad the roads, although I do hate the ice & snow! My partner knows and understands this, a midwife needs one of those, too - an understanding partner. In bad, icy weather, he drives me to a birth or postpartum visit, no matter the time of day or night. 

There is no job "beneath" my title - I wipe away vomit, clean toilets, and feed the family dog. I hope to never feel that I have "earned" anything better. A midwife should always know that she is there to serve, in any way that is needed, and it has nothing to do with what her needs are.

I am an ambassador for all midwives when I enter a doctor's office, clinic, or hospital and I take this responsibility very seriously. I've learned that I gain more trust and respect by saying fewer words and respectfully admitting our need for assistance and collaboration during a consult or transport. I have worked hard, for many years, but respect has been attained and my clients have received better care because of this simple principle of humility. A midwife has to be strong for her clients, they need to know she will not waiver. I have learned to have a “thick skin” when entering a hospital, while being professional and cooperative all at the same time. A midwife needs to learn from those who may not even realize that they are teaching her. There is always something to glean and take with you for another time. A midwife never stops learning. I have changed and matured over time, learning to be mindful and learning to listen to the voice of intuition.

Most of the time I truly love what I do - though my back, neck, arms and legs may ache and I have gone without food and sleep or had to miss a family celebration. I love the associations and sweet friendships I have made and the relationship that last beyond the years and the miles.

Midwifery is a precious calling and it truly can be the easiest thing in the world, but now you know that it comes with much more than just “catching babies”!