A blog about natural birth, alternative medicine and gentle alternatives, water birth, home birth, doulas, midwifes, chiropractic, massage, kinesiology, herbal remedies, homeopathic remedies, vitamins and supplements and all other alternative medicine technologies that work and produce results as well as patient advocacy issues, patient rights and the political environment of midwifery in the United States and around the world as well as California Hospitals.
New Mother
New Mommy & Baby- Enlightened Birth & Doula Services
Many of you who are local, have heard of the famous Dr. Ronald Wu, he is the head of obstetrics at Glendale Adventist hospital. He is one of the the extremely few doctors who know how to do manual procedures and get women out of a c-section when there seems to be "no other solution". The problem lays in the fact that, unfortunately Doctors, as in OB/GYN's are no longer very well- if at all trained to do manual procedures, they are only and exclusively trained to cut women open and do c-sections. Now there are times, when a c-section is absolutely life saving, there is not doubt about this.
However, excuses for c-setions are abundant. Let me tell you this little secret, almost ANY "situation" that has become an easy excuse to c-section someone has a manual solution. That's right, there IS in fact safe an alternative technology for most issues, even "alarming" issues, such as a cord prolapse, and breech babies, etc.
Believe you me, it IS possible. As us Latinos say sometimes "Si Se Puede!". So don't get overwhelmed by the barrage of false reasons and "precautions" why a c-section is the "only" way or a v-bac is "so dangerous", etc. Just believe me when I tell you, with the correct education, information, with the properly trained professionals who are competent in the procedures called for, you can achieve a vaginal delivery,which will save your body from major surgery and a longer more painful recovery and will save your uterus for a safer future vaginal delivery without so many restrictions as unfortunately come with a VBAC- at least restrictions on paper and per hospital policy.
Back to Dr. Wu.
Doctor Wu is amazing, he helped us last week to achieve a vaginal delivery in a case where another doctor would of suggested a "quick c-section". He told me once, after many many years of knowing him that he takes the brightest Doctor of the residents that come through Glendale Adventist and gets them as trained and educated on manual procedures as he can before they move on.
He told me in this past birth he has a dream to one day find a humanitarian, benefactor, who would allow him and us to focus on vaginal delivery only, no surgery. He'd like to work with and train midwives and doctors to do all the things he knows how to do. I really liked that. So I thought I'd pass it on for the rest of you.
Now don't get me wrong, the wonderful Doctor Wu is still very much an MD and has the usual MD philosophies on epidurals and augmentation, etc. But he is amazing at achieving what others can't in regards to attaining a vaginal delivery. And just a diamond in the rough- in terms of the current society of surgery we live in today. Anyway, Hip, Hip, Hooray! Dr. Wu. Thank you for all your help.
It was a good birth last week.
I hope he's with us locally here, for many, many, many more years to come!
Much Love, Your Blogger, Student Midwife, Doula
Claudia
Pretty OK. Went in with client early in labor this week. Midwife took us in, kinda rough with her internal exams. Over all the birth was OK, they gave us many freedoms, almost didn't fight everything my client requested. The nurse helping us was very helpful. My client achieve natural birth of a very large baby, no drugs, and no unnecessary interventions. But it was a tough birth and we did have to make some decisions to safeguard her birth experience, we left and came back, because we could see there was going to be some excessive or unnecessary interventions had we stayed there. Overall, experience was certainly better than with other Kaisers I've been to, and other births I've had at this Kaiser.
Spaces were very cramped and we happen to have gone in on apparently the worst day- due to a ridiculous number of births happening all at once. The good thing, is we were able to birth basically by ourselves and at the end with nurse- which actually made the experience BETTER, not worse. LOL. Doctor came in at the tail end, and she was very supportive of my clients birth plan, even though not a midwife. So there you go. Just wish they had more amenities for guests, water, coffee, showers, etc. And certainly don't recommend coming in unprepared with a thorough birth plan and bringing a support person is a MUST. DON'T COME IN EARLY!
I'm not a vegetarian, but I've started to replace some of my animal proteins with some vegan ones. I've found there are many delicious ideas that can be quickly and easily made. I'm created this simple salad out of two ingredients. Fresh crispy kale and gala apples. Simply chop the kale finely into strips for easier chewing. And slice the apples very thinly as well. Throw on a little salt, pepper and some rice wine vinegar and olive oil. You will have a delightful, refreshing salad packed with nutrients that you can savor while pregnant or breastfeeding. Enjoy!
Watching this incredibly addictive show on Netflix called "Call The Midwife" produced, I believe by the BBC, has lead me on an incredible search of some of the techniques used in the show, all this lost technology even from as recently as the 1940's made me a little sad. All these things that actually have worked for years that were lost along the hospitalization of birth, incredibly useful things such as how to deliver a breech baby and how to resolve a cord prolapse, have been successful techniques that were used in emergencies for many, many years. The question is WHY would anyone limit midwives and the Midwife license to not be able to learn, practice and use these techniques in a time of emergency?
The answer I believe is total power and control by the AMA, for many years it has been said that the AMA- American Medical Association, will "never" support midwifes in any way, specially because they are under an entirely separate licensing body. And will do everything in their power to shut down anything they don't control 100%. Sounds "paranoid"? Probably, is it true though? Yes. Unfortunately, not to be the harbinger of bad tidings or not trying to be negative as is a favorite word in my field, I have to say, you must be pretty naive if you do not know this information and you are in fact a Midwife or a Doula. Having aided in the fighting of restrictive rules and regulations, while working with a prominent birthing center in Sherman Oaks, for over 10 years, and the same in Silverlake / Atwater / and Los Feliz- since 1994. I would say you are missing a lot of information in you don't see the trend. The trend being that the Midwifery License for California and Midwifes across the US, gets smaller and smaller in scope of practice, more restricted and more contrived. The same is said for the expectations regarding Doulas. Doulas are "not recommended" to do, this entire list of items, which in my opinion and in anyone who is trained enough to see's opinion, are essentially needed to safeguard a mother and child when laboring at home- not delivering- laboring. The certification provided by DONA only supports a Doula as a Labor Coach, essentially. This in my opinion is not good enough. I'm a Certified Advanced Midwifery Assistant, Certified Master Doula by ACHI and a Student Midwife, the level of trained I've had helps me to better services the client. I wish more Doulas were to train as thoroughly. In my opinion, it's essential.
These restrictions are not productive to an educated field of practitioners by any means.
I am formulating a plan, to crack this problem, to open up the field of Midwifery. More independent licensing means should be available, all to meet the same standard of excellence in care. Doulas should be allowed more training as they so choose- not enforced- allowed to practice to the level they are in fact trained. Midwifery Assistants should be provided a recognized Federal license, as we are in fact similarly trained to RN's and have extensive natural birth training which Nurses do not have, unless they have themselves had home births or had some external training, as some of my classmates did while I was going through mine.
Anyway, there is more coming on this.
I am just now formulating a plan in my head.
Stay tuned.
Much Love, Claudia - Owner
Enlightened Birth and Doula Services.
Certified Advanced Midwifery Assistant/ Certified Master Doula & Student Midwife
I've been using this new review site called Thumbtack, it's pretty cool. It promises to hook up service providers with potential customers. If any of you wonderful mommies that I've serviced happen to be on Thumbtack, I would really appreciate a review and your wonderful words of trust and help to any mothers that may be interested in hiring me as their provider.
Recently the following news has surfaced, alike many drugs- in my personal opinion- to be claimed as "safe" and OK to use, suddenly the information surfaces that the approval that the FDA gave ALL birth control methods using the component "DRSP" or Drospirenone was based on FALSE evidence that the drug was safe! Ahhh! Commissioner for the FDA, D. Kessler has testified that the initial approval of the DRSP (DROSPIRENONE) family of pills was tainted by non-disclosure of important data or information. The pills have been confirmed as increasing the risk of blood clots in comparison to other pills and recent FDA hearings confirmed the need to update the warning label – for a 3rd time in the last 24 months – to communicate this risk to users.
Given that the DRSP(DROSPIRENONE) family of contraceptives have been available in the U.S. for a decade more lawsuits are anticipated in the future. In the past, the FDA has repeatedly allowed the manufacturer – BAYER HEALTHCARE PHARMACEUTICALS – to update or change the warning label to the pills at issue. As a result, many women were not warned of risks that have come to light in recent months!
This is why I must reemphasize the distrust in this corrupt system of mainly drug based medicine and emphasize that you do all research possible on anything that is produced by pharmaceutical companies or large corporate drug companies. BAYER HEALTHCARE PHARMACEUTICALS is one of many who produce damaging or deadly drugs without a care for the human population, but concern for the corporate billions that they gain from us and our insurance companies, every single year. Spiking the cost of insurances and actual needed health care. Hindering the way for workable alternative health technologies that actually help people, since they do not require the use of drugs and literally shattering our future potential, changing the chemistry,biology and in some cases warping and damaging the DNA structure of our bodies!
Some of these drugs pass on through the body for generations, leak into our water system, where our filtering technologies have no way of removing them, through our use of our facilities, toilets, sinks, etc. Being fed into the ocean where the fish and other oceanic life consumes it and thus coming full circle back to us accumulating and making our bodies toxic, sick and killing us either slowly or quickly.
This is no longer a mild concern! This is serious business ladies and gentlemen! Please help me spread the word.
What are the LLLI guidelines for storing my pumped milk?
Your milk is a living substance so precious some call it "white blood". It is essential to store your expressed (pumped) milk properly to maximize its nutritional and anti-infective qualities. Human milk actually has anti-bacterial properties that help it to stay fresh. Giving your baby the freshest milk you have pumped ensures its high quality.
This information is based on current research and applies to mothers who:
have healthy, full-term babies;
are storing their milk for home use (as opposed to hospital use);
wash their hands before expressing;
use containers that have been washed in hot, soapy water and rinsed.
Storage Guidelines
All milk should be dated before storing. Storing milk in 2-4 ounce amounts may reduce waste. Refrigerated milk has more anti-infective properties than frozen milk. Cool fresh milk in the refrigerator before adding it to previously frozen milk.
Preferably, human milk should be refrigerated or chilled right after it is expressed. Acceptable guidelines for storing human milk are as follows. Store milk:
at room temperature (66-78°F, 19-26°C) for 4 hours (ideal), up to 6 hours (acceptable) (Some sources use 8 hours)
in a refrigerator (<39°F, <4°C) for 72 hours (ideal), up to 8 days (acceptable if collected in a very clean, careful way)
in a freezer (-0.4 to -4°F, -18 to -20°C) for 6 months (ideal) up to 12 months (acceptable)
What Type of Container to Use
The best options for storing human milk:
are glass or hard-sided plastic containers with well-fitting tops
containers not made with the controversial chemical bisphenol A (BPA)
are containers which have been washed in hot, soapy, water, rinsed well, and allowed to air-dry before use
containers should not be filled to the top - leave an inch of space to allow the milk to expand as it freezes
freezer milk bags that are designed for storing human milk
put only 60 to 120 ml (two to four ounces) of milk in the container (the amount your baby is likely to eat in a single feeding) to avoid waste
Disposable bottle liners or plastic bags are not recommended. With these, the risk of contamination is greater. Bags are less durable and tend to leak, and some types of plastic may destroy nutrients in milk. Mark the date on the storage container. Include your baby's name on the label if your baby is in a day care setting.
How to Warm the Milk
Frozen milk: thaw in the refrigerator overnight or under cool running water. Gradually increase the temperature of the water to heat the milk to feeding temperature.
Refrigerated milk: Warm the milk under warm running water for several minutes. Or immerse the container in a pan of water that has been heated on the stove. Do not heat the milk directly on the stove. Some babies accept milk right from the refrigerator.
Do not bring temperature of milk to boiling point.
Human milk may separate into a milk layer and a cream layer when it is stored. This is normal. Swirl it gently to redistribute the cream before giving it to baby.
Do not use a microwave oven to heat human milk. It may cause the loss of some of the beneficial properties of the milk. Microwaves do not heat liquids evenly and may leave hot spots in the container of milk. This could be dangerous for infants.
Sometimes thawed milk may smell or taste soapy. This is due to the breakdown of milk fats. The milk is safe and most babies wil still drink it. If there is a rancid smell from high lipase (enzyme that breaks down milk fats) activity when the milk has been chilled or frozen, the milk can be heated to scalding (bubbles around the edges, not boiling) after expression, then quickly cooled and frozen. This deactivates the lipase enzyme. Scalded milk is still a healthier choice than commercial infant formula.
If you or your baby has a thrush or yeast/fungus infection, continue to breastfeed during the outbreak and treatment. While being treated, you can continue to express your milk and give it to your baby. Be aware that refrigerating or freezing milk does not kill yeast. After treatment is finished, any leftover milk that was expressed during the infection should be discarded.
Thawed Milk
Previously frozen milk that has been thawed can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. While there is limited evidence to date that milk thawed for a few hours may be refrozen, this results in further breakdown of milk components and loss of antimicrobial activity. At this time, the accepted practice is not to refreeze thawed milk. While some mothers and caregivers reheat expressed milk that was leftover and refrigerated after a previous feeding, there is no research on the safety of this practice. There is also no research about whether freshly expressed milk left unfinished at room temperature should be discarded, or can be saved for a short time (perhaps up to one hour as reported by some mothers and caregivers) to finish the feeding if the baby wakens from having fallen asleep or still appears hungry.
According to THE BREASTFEEDING ANSWER BOOK, page 228, research indicates that human milk has previously unrecognized properties that protect it from bacterial contamination. One study, Pardou 1994, found that after 8 days of refrigeration some of the milk actually had lower bacterial levels than it did on the day it was expressed.
Expressed milk can be kept in a common refrigerator at the workplace or in a day care center. The US Centers for Disease Control and the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration agree that human milk is not among the body fluids that require special handling or storage in a separate container.
Resources
Attend a La Leche League Group meeting in your area for additional information and support. To find a Leader of a local Group, visit Finding a Local LLL Group.
Additional information on pumping and milk storage can be found on our milk storage and pumping resource pages.
THE WOMANLY ART OF BREASTFEEDING, published by La Leche League International, is the most complete resource available for the breastfeeding mother.
Nursing Mother, Working Mother, by Gale Pryor: Mothers who have decided to combine breastfeeding with working will find this an immensely helpful and reassuring book. The author includes practical information about planning for and returning to employment, clear concise tips on breastfeeding, pumping, storing, and transporting milk, and possible alternatives to full time employment such as job sharing, working from home, and budgeting to stay home full time. The book suggests numerous ways that mothers can build and maintain closeness with their babies in spite of separation.
Storing Human Milk: Describes the procedures taken when storing human milk. (Pad of 50 tear-off sheets)
Expressing Your Milk: Includes two pamphlets helpful to mothers who need to pump or express their milk: "The Balancing Act" and "A Mother's Guide to Pumping Milk." Also contains two tear-off sheets: "Manual Expression of Breast Milk -- Marmet Technique" and "Working and Breastfeeding."
Our FAQs present information from La Leche League International on topics of interest to parents of breastfed children. Not all of the information may be pertinent to your family's lifestyle. This information is general in nature and not intended to be advice, medical or otherwise. If you have a serious breastfeeding problem or concern, you are strongly encouraged to talk directly to a La Leche League Leader. Please consult health care professionals on any medical issue, as La Leche League Leaders are not medical practitioners.
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Spaces were very cramped and we happen to have gone in on apparently the worst day- due to a ridiculous number of births happening all at once. The good thing, is we were able to birth basically by ourselves and at the end with nurse- which actually made the experience BETTER, not worse. LOL. Doctor came in at the tail end, and she was very supportive of my clients birth plan, even though not a midwife. So there you go. Just wish they had more amenities for guests, water, coffee, showers, etc. And certainly don't recommend coming in unprepared with a thorough birth plan and bringing a support person is a MUST. DON'T COME IN EARLY!