How many times have I said, "Birth is nothing like it is in the movies" or complained about how "A Baby Story" or "Maternity Ward" portray labor and delivery? (I just can't watch those shows any longer. I start yelling at the TV and then I have to turn it off.)
That's why the movie "Laboring Under an Illusion" looks both educational and fun. From the press release:
"There are more pregnant women watching TV birth scenes than attending childbirth classes. So when labor starts, they may be surprised by the real thing. ... A new documentary film, “Laboring Under An Illusion: Mass Media Childbirth vs. The Real Thing,” contrasts actual birth footage with the fictionalized commercial version. In over 100 video clips, anthropologist Vicki Elson explores media-generated myths about childbirth."
Here's the trailer:
This looks like a nice way - perhaps even a little more gentle than "Business of Being Born" - to introduce people to the difference between the way they perceive labor & birth and the way it actually is.
The website lists some events. I'm thinking about whether it's worth me investing in a copy (or better yet, finding some way for our breastfeeding student group to pay for it and screen it!) Has anyone seen this yet?
(h/t to Dou-la-la!)
Monday, September 28, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
Sen. Stabenow to Sen. Kyl: Oh SNAP!
United States Senator John Kyl (R. - Ariz) said in health care reform hearings: "I don't need maternity care", so health care reform should not require insurance companies to provide it.
Senator Debbie Stabenow (D. - Mich) fires back: "I think your mom probably did."
(Via Feministing.)
Sen. Kyl then snorts "Yeah, about 60 years ago." Perhaps someone should also show him the evidence that prenatal (AND preconception) health of the mother have impacts on the health of her baby, decades into the future. Or is that just an "I got mine" statement?
If we pass health care reform that does not mandate maternity coverage, we're not getting true health care reform.
Senator Debbie Stabenow (D. - Mich) fires back: "I think your mom probably did."
(Via Feministing.)
Sen. Kyl then snorts "Yeah, about 60 years ago." Perhaps someone should also show him the evidence that prenatal (AND preconception) health of the mother have impacts on the health of her baby, decades into the future. Or is that just an "I got mine" statement?
If we pass health care reform that does not mandate maternity coverage, we're not getting true health care reform.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
IBCLC training update
This semester, it is busy. As usual, there are a million things I have sitting around waiting to be linked to. I haven't even talked about the Today show home birth ridiculousness yet! (But when so many other people have done it so well, now it seems repetitive).
Today is Wednesday, which is my lactation consultant observation day at the hospital, which is one of the things that is making me so busy: I'm there all day, and by the time I get home I am zapped and don't get a lot of schoolwork done (OK, any schoolwork done). If it wasn't for that I'd have the whole day free to do all the other things I have to do, which then get shoved into the precious open time in the rest of the week. But would I trade my LC observation days for more free time? Of course not. So, I am figuring out the semester as I go along. And I thought I would shake off my Wednesday evening sluggishness long enough to update a little on my LC observation so far:
The hospital I'm observing at is the same place I work as a volunteer doula, and in general I have found them to be a fairly mother- and baby-friendly hospital (they are actually working on getting their baby-friendly certification). The nurses and the pediatricians I have seen so far are very supportive of breastfeeding, even if they aren't always fully informed.
Lactation services is, unfortunately (maybe fortunately for me) not adequately staffed and in this era of budget cuts, unlikely to be increased any time soon. The LCs I work with are on their feet every minute of their workday, and usually can't even see everyone they're supposed to. Today the LC I worked with was supposed to see something like 11 patients, and made it to 6 - and that includes going to see all of those 6 multiple times - for some of them, we went to every feeding they did during the day. If you can't see everyone, this leads to some tough choices - prioritize the mom with inverted nipples, sleepy baby, and poor family support? Or see she doesn't seem that motivated, and think you should spend your time on someone who has a greater chance of succeeding? Much as these are unpleasant choices that shouldn't have to be made, they are real.
I say that the fact it's not adequately staffed is fortunate for me, only because I get to see so much in a day. There is zero downtime, unless you count when the LC dashes to the computer to chart, and I sit next to her trying to remember what I saw and record it in my observation notebook. I am getting to see so much - just a wide range of situations, anatomies, and medical conditions. I haven't done any days in the NICU yet, but I am really looking forward to my first experiences working with preterm babies & their moms.
One thing I've noticed is that my observation days seem to run in themes. For example, last week I was with an LC who was seeing a lot of outpatients, where overfeeding was the theme. This week, we were seeing all inpatients (most less than 24 hours) and the theme was sleepiness and breast refusal. I started to get a little leery as I saw the LC put on nipple shield after nipple shield. Was this her solution to everything? Then she told me, "I usually use one a week." She said she has been seeing more and more sleepy, fussy babies in the past few weeks and is getting concerned about it. Her concern is that they have apparently changed either the epidural dose and/or the medication; this being a typical American hospital, nearly everyone has had an epidural, and if it's seriously affecting the feeding behavior of the babies it's a big problem. I still don't know how I feel about the nipple shields for every problem she applied (heh) them to, but I am curious to know what she learns about the epidural meds.
In terms of the LCs I'm observing, I am learning a lot from observing different practice styles and different approaches. I try hard to check my judgment when I see something I don't want to emulate. It's so easy as an observer to think "I wouldn't do that" or "I wouldn't use that word the family probably doesn't understand" but I know how extremely hard it is to do in practice. And seeing how extremely rushed the LCs are, I can't entertain too many fantasies of long, empowering chats once my turn comes to do the consults. (Another good reason to find some LCs to shadow who are able to have a slower pace, for balance.) Still, I am trying to stay sensitive to places where I see overmedicalization, or creating dependence on the "expert". I am glad our class and professor give us space to discuss those issues.
So far, I love my LC observation days - I love working with families, having a new challenge every 20 minutes, keeping busy, and learning. And I love all those cute little babies! I know not every doula/midwife/other perinatal professional goes into the field from loving babies - sometimes they just love to work with women and don't find babies that interesting. But I have always loved babies, and I really love these tiny little newborns. It's amazing how they are simultaneously so dependent and helpless, and yet so capable. I haven't seen any true self-latching, but when a baby is hungry but not latching, the LCs will encourage the mom to put the baby upright between her breasts, skin-to-skin. The baby will right away start bobbing its head and throwing itself to the side, then move down her breast, and root for the nipple. And when they're done nursing, they'll just relax into a little pink ball on her skin and fall into the deepest sleep. It never fails to make me go "Awwww." So that's my mission these days: more empowered babies!
Today is Wednesday, which is my lactation consultant observation day at the hospital, which is one of the things that is making me so busy: I'm there all day, and by the time I get home I am zapped and don't get a lot of schoolwork done (OK, any schoolwork done). If it wasn't for that I'd have the whole day free to do all the other things I have to do, which then get shoved into the precious open time in the rest of the week. But would I trade my LC observation days for more free time? Of course not. So, I am figuring out the semester as I go along. And I thought I would shake off my Wednesday evening sluggishness long enough to update a little on my LC observation so far:
The hospital I'm observing at is the same place I work as a volunteer doula, and in general I have found them to be a fairly mother- and baby-friendly hospital (they are actually working on getting their baby-friendly certification). The nurses and the pediatricians I have seen so far are very supportive of breastfeeding, even if they aren't always fully informed.
Lactation services is, unfortunately (maybe fortunately for me) not adequately staffed and in this era of budget cuts, unlikely to be increased any time soon. The LCs I work with are on their feet every minute of their workday, and usually can't even see everyone they're supposed to. Today the LC I worked with was supposed to see something like 11 patients, and made it to 6 - and that includes going to see all of those 6 multiple times - for some of them, we went to every feeding they did during the day. If you can't see everyone, this leads to some tough choices - prioritize the mom with inverted nipples, sleepy baby, and poor family support? Or see she doesn't seem that motivated, and think you should spend your time on someone who has a greater chance of succeeding? Much as these are unpleasant choices that shouldn't have to be made, they are real.
I say that the fact it's not adequately staffed is fortunate for me, only because I get to see so much in a day. There is zero downtime, unless you count when the LC dashes to the computer to chart, and I sit next to her trying to remember what I saw and record it in my observation notebook. I am getting to see so much - just a wide range of situations, anatomies, and medical conditions. I haven't done any days in the NICU yet, but I am really looking forward to my first experiences working with preterm babies & their moms.
One thing I've noticed is that my observation days seem to run in themes. For example, last week I was with an LC who was seeing a lot of outpatients, where overfeeding was the theme. This week, we were seeing all inpatients (most less than 24 hours) and the theme was sleepiness and breast refusal. I started to get a little leery as I saw the LC put on nipple shield after nipple shield. Was this her solution to everything? Then she told me, "I usually use one a week." She said she has been seeing more and more sleepy, fussy babies in the past few weeks and is getting concerned about it. Her concern is that they have apparently changed either the epidural dose and/or the medication; this being a typical American hospital, nearly everyone has had an epidural, and if it's seriously affecting the feeding behavior of the babies it's a big problem. I still don't know how I feel about the nipple shields for every problem she applied (heh) them to, but I am curious to know what she learns about the epidural meds.
In terms of the LCs I'm observing, I am learning a lot from observing different practice styles and different approaches. I try hard to check my judgment when I see something I don't want to emulate. It's so easy as an observer to think "I wouldn't do that" or "I wouldn't use that word the family probably doesn't understand" but I know how extremely hard it is to do in practice. And seeing how extremely rushed the LCs are, I can't entertain too many fantasies of long, empowering chats once my turn comes to do the consults. (Another good reason to find some LCs to shadow who are able to have a slower pace, for balance.) Still, I am trying to stay sensitive to places where I see overmedicalization, or creating dependence on the "expert". I am glad our class and professor give us space to discuss those issues.
So far, I love my LC observation days - I love working with families, having a new challenge every 20 minutes, keeping busy, and learning. And I love all those cute little babies! I know not every doula/midwife/other perinatal professional goes into the field from loving babies - sometimes they just love to work with women and don't find babies that interesting. But I have always loved babies, and I really love these tiny little newborns. It's amazing how they are simultaneously so dependent and helpless, and yet so capable. I haven't seen any true self-latching, but when a baby is hungry but not latching, the LCs will encourage the mom to put the baby upright between her breasts, skin-to-skin. The baby will right away start bobbing its head and throwing itself to the side, then move down her breast, and root for the nipple. And when they're done nursing, they'll just relax into a little pink ball on her skin and fall into the deepest sleep. It never fails to make me go "Awwww." So that's my mission these days: more empowered babies!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
More book recs on what to read for pregnancy, birth, and beyond
I really enjoyed this post from Bellies and Babies on what to read and what not to read when you're expecting. (Sneak peek: definitely NOT What to Expect When You're Expecting"). She also breaks her "to-read" suggestions down into 3 categories: Citizen ("for the average Joanne), "Seeker" ("for the one who is definitely looking into her options"), and "Sold" ("she knows, she has researched, she is a proactive consumer"). Her recommendations are right on, too - for example, the Sears & Sears Pregnancy Book is a good "Citizen" read but the Birth Book is more for the "Seeker".
Ultimately my goal is to have a really great "doula library" of books that I can lend out to clients, and send out to friends, who are at any of those "levels". Her recommendations have definitely added some titles to my wish list!
Ultimately my goal is to have a really great "doula library" of books that I can lend out to clients, and send out to friends, who are at any of those "levels". Her recommendations have definitely added some titles to my wish list!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Where to find conferences?
My school has some travel awards and I'd like to use one before I graduate! I've been thinking about putting together a poster of my undergraduate thesis research (lo, those many years ago!) and seeing if I can be a presenter somewhere. Does anyone know of a centralized listing of birth and/or breastfeeding-related conferences? (There would need to be at least some breastfeeding.) Wish I could go to the International Breech Birth Conference but it's too soon (and hard to find a reason to present there with a poster on WIC clients' views on breastfeeding).
Kanye + VBACs
So I try not to link to the Unnecesarean aaaaall the time, and hope and trust that my readers have it in their feeds as well. But you can't miss Kanye talks VBACs. As I noted in the posts, it is right up there with Kanye interrupts Barack Obama.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Another way to build your birth(/pregnancy/breastfeeding) library
I've mentioned before that the thrift store of a college town is a great place to build my "doula shelf" of books that are useful to me and to lend out to clients and others. Last weekend I was at Barnes & Noble where they were selling "Birthing From Within" for the list price of $20. A half-hour later I found it at the thrift store for 25 cents!
Finds like that don't come along all the time, though, and lately I've become enamored of PaperBackSwap. The way it works is pretty simple: you post books you have to offer. Every time someone requests one from you, you mail it, and get a credit. When you find a book you want, you request it, and use a credit. Since every book you mail costs about $3 by media mail, each credit you use has basically cost you about $3 - not 25 cents, but not bad either.
Some books are hard to come by (I think I'm something like #171 on the wish list for "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth") but others come easy - I lent out and never got back my Sears & Sears "The Birth Book", and when I looked there was already one posted for me to request (hopefully not the one I lent out originally!) And it's a good way to get rid of books you're not going to read again! The thrift store reads I don't want to keep, I just post up there and they go to a good home.
So that's my tip for the evening. Now back to homework!
Finds like that don't come along all the time, though, and lately I've become enamored of PaperBackSwap. The way it works is pretty simple: you post books you have to offer. Every time someone requests one from you, you mail it, and get a credit. When you find a book you want, you request it, and use a credit. Since every book you mail costs about $3 by media mail, each credit you use has basically cost you about $3 - not 25 cents, but not bad either.
Some books are hard to come by (I think I'm something like #171 on the wish list for "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth") but others come easy - I lent out and never got back my Sears & Sears "The Birth Book", and when I looked there was already one posted for me to request (hopefully not the one I lent out originally!) And it's a good way to get rid of books you're not going to read again! The thrift store reads I don't want to keep, I just post up there and they go to a good home.
So that's my tip for the evening. Now back to homework!
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