Shut up and push

I'm very glad this woman took legal action after being told to "Shut Up and Push" by her doctor.

I kid. you. not.

Wonderful C-section Birth Story

This is a beautiful story

I think it clearly illustrates how important it is to empower yourself with information to make informed choices. This will allow you to own that experience no matter what the outcome.

Birthing From Within - Cape Town Course

I am excited to hear that a Birthing from Within mentor training course will be happening in Cape Town in January 2009! I'm already making plans to organise the money to do this.

There are still plenty of spaces left for those interested:

Introduction to Birthing From Within
Mentor and Doula workshop in Cape Town, South Africa
January 30, 31 & February 1, 2009 (Friday 9 a.m. to Sunday 6 p.m.)
$325 ($400 after 1/09/09)
Exact Location TBA
Facilitated by Britta Bushnell and Rosalia Phihajasaari
Complete details to be posted soon.

http://www.birthingfromwithin.com/workshop_schedule

Sign-up via the link above.

BirthWays Documentary

First of all, if you haven't yet seen the survey, here it is:

Childbirth in South Africa Survey

And now some excerpts from the proposal:

Background Information:

Sarah has had an interest in pregnancy and childbirth since becoming a “big sister” at the age of 3. From there her interested was limited to the arrival of other siblings and numerous cousins. At the age of 25 and living in England, more opportunities opened up to her and what had been a strong interest grew into a passion. She trained as a Doula and decided she would like to take this further by becoming a midwife. In January of 2005 she started a BCur Degree with UWC in Cape Town but by the middle of that year she discovered she was about to get some firsthand experience with pregnancy and childbirth when she found out she was expecting her first child. It was a very difficult decision to make, but she decided to put her studies on hold and focus on the pregnancy and all the preparations that needed to made for the arrival of this unexpected blessing.

After the birth of her son, she devoted herself to being a mother and realized that going back to studying nursing may not be plausible for some time, due to the enormous time commitment needed for that line of study.

Through a number of circumstances she ended up pursuing other more creative interests and was accepted to study Film at CityVarsity. Pregnancy and Childbirth issues continue to be a huge passion of Sarah’s but has been limited to maintaining her website and birth-blog. She continues to do Doula work on a very casual basis through word of mouth, and on one occasion attended a birth as a Doula at the request of a close friend.

Sarah considers herself somewhat of a feminist and takes an interest in various womens issues, but her main driving passion is those surrounding pregnancy and childbirth. She is passionate about making information surrounding this more easily available and sees activism in this area as part of her duty as a Doula. Film-making has allowed her a unique opportunity to bring this worthy cause to light, and to show the amazing work that is already being done by many others in and around Cape Town.

Introduction:

They say that the easiest way to start an argument is to start a conversation about sex, religion or politics. Perhaps pregnancy and childbirth should also be added to this list? Some people have strong opinions about how and where a baby should be born, while others who may not have an opinion on that aspect will at least have an opinion on whether “the doctor is always right” or not.

In a short documentary series, we would aim to uncover what it is that South Africans believe about childbirth and how this compares to scientific studies of childbirth. Do South Africans think that a Cesarean Section is the safest way to have a baby? This is an important question as South African private hospitals have one of the highest c-section rates in the world – being around 70-80% when a safe percentage is estimated to be between 7-15%. Yet despite this rate, the women who really need to have c-sections in state hospitals are not getting them. Newspaper reports also show that Medical Aids may also be assisting this rate by making them the most cost-effective to their members. And what role do medical professionals, such as Obstetricians play?

What is it like to have a baby in a state hospital? We hear horror stories about the lack of medication and a lack of actual care taking place in hospitals in general, and so how does this effect women in childbirth? Many of the women who have their baby’s in a state hospital are doing so because they have no other option (simply due to finances) and go there without any family members or support. At a small number of state hospitals a group of Doulas are volunteering their services and have made a huge impact on the environment in which these women give birth. Perhaps this should be something that should be rolled out on a more widespread basis?

How does South Africa compare to the rest of the world when it comes to childbirth? Holland has the lowest infant and maternal death rate in the world, whereas the United States has one of the highest. We would aim to investigate which country South Africa more closely resembles and if we are following a good example, or if we are setting our own trends.

We would also investigate a woman rights in childbirth, with regards to both her body and her baby. Are women aware of these rights, and what happens when they try to exercise these rights? Do the current laws and regulations governing medical in Childbirth adequately protect a woman’s choice? Do we have enough information available to women from independent sources, especially women from poor backgrounds?

Just remember that this is a "work in progress" and may still change.

I would also like to thank the wonderful, beautiful ladies who have already given me their comments and criticisms of what I have done so far. You participation is invaluable and I look forward to learning more about the unique perspectives and opinions on something that connects all women, no matter who they are or what background they come from.

Go Organic!

I found this interesting link about how to change your childrens diets over to healthy alternatives and it got me thinking :)

For me it all started in Pregnancy. I was very careful what I was eating as I was really focused on doing all that I could to grow a healthy baby. I cut out caffeine, things with added sugar, i don't eat red meat so I started eating more ostrich as a healthy alternative, I ate loads of fruit and veggies and kept away from the usual stuff like sushi (that was hard!), soft cheeses and, of course, alcohol!

I was also quite excited to see that Woolworths is really expanding on both organic foods and earth-friendly cleaning products! Staying away from poisonous cleaning products is also worth considering, not to mention hair colours. Henna is a great substitute by the way!

Once the baby is here, and you get to the point of starting solids, you can also find various organic first foods. Woolworths has a range (of course) but if you need something that can be stored for longer than their fresh foods I would suggest Olli Organic. Baby's should not be having sugar and salt when they first start solids, and you will be horrified to see that they are listed as ingredients in Purity baby food.

Anti-Abortion laws & VBAC

This just shows how important it is to realise the full and far-reaching effects anti-abortion laws can have:

Documentary Update

I've been having a good, long, hard think about the direction the birth documentary is going. I have started writing up the proposal and it sunk in that this was turning into a project of epic proportions and, quite honestly, it was going to be more than I could handle. I have a nasty habit of thinking way *way* too big! ;-)

So I'm back to the drawing board. I re-wrote the proposal from the perspective of Doula's but now I feel like it might exclude some people that I really want to interview. I guess I just need to sit down and decide what exactly each episode will cover.

I think a little research into documentary film-making might also be in order!

And sorry for the lack of posts recently - I was on a hectic shooting schedule and then editing a rather terrible movie. Things have quietened down now, so hopefully that will see me blogging more often!

SumoBaby!

Who said big babies can't be born vaginally?

Meet SUMObaby!

Birthing From Within

Since ever I can remember I have been fascinated with childbirth. My mother loves to tell the story of how when she tried to teach me about the facts of life, I really wasn't interested in anything except the part of the book she had that showed pregnancy and childbirth. I remember being in awe of the cartoon-style drawing of a woman who had just pushed out the baby's head. The mother and father were both smiling. I would read that section over and over. Being the oldest out of all my siblings, and the grandchildren on both sides, allowed me to see my mother and various relatives go through the process.

I remember in school having this thought of wanting to be a midwife. I didn't really know what it was, but there was something deep down that just told me its what I wanted to be. After school I looked forward to having a baby one day.

Then, one fateful day ;-) , I went to my local library and saw a book there called "Birthing From Within". I flipped through the pages and saw fascinating pictures drawn of birth. I took the book out and started reading. I didn't put it down. At times I was so overcome with emotion that I started crying, but I just sucked in every single word. It's like something clicked. It was like I'd been let in on this secret that was held within the pages of this book, and carried deep down in the souls of all women (whether they know it are not).

I think this book helped plant a seed that has blossomed in so many ways in my life. While my own birth story didn't go anything like I had hoped, I still haven't lost hope in what I connected to while reading Birthing From Within. I can honestly say it was a life-changing experience for me - and that was just from *reading*!

These days there is a fabulous lady I have come to know (and admire greatly) who now offers what is in the book as a course. I can't imagine how amazing it must be to have the full experience of doing all the practical exercises mentioned in the book, with other people who are also learning things about themselves. I can only imagine that the classes hold some very special memories for people, and have a profound effect on the birth of the child, and the birth of a couple as parents.

Her name is Rosalia (affectionately shortened to Lia, from what I know). So far the classes are only taught in JHB.

You can find out more on her website called Birthing in Awareness

You can also learn more about Birthing From Within on their website, as well as find the locations of classes internationally offered.

If you can't make the classes, and are expecting a baby, I highly recommend reading the book. I think that book made me loose all fear of childbirth and really just give in and be fully present in the process of natural birth.

It can be purchased on Kalahari for R220.00
Or my other favorite place to buy online, Loot, for R187.00

My New Project

I'm at film school at the moment and recently I've had the opportunity to put together a proposal for content on a local TV channel. Obviously I'm jumping at the chance to put together something about pregnancy and childbirth.

At the moment I'm in the planning stages of making a 6 part documentary series that will cover a broad variety of aspects surrounding the childbirth process from a uniquely South African perspective.

Here are a few of the ideas so far:

• How does government vs private care compare?
• What are the circumstance women from the lower income brackets facing when expecting, and having, a baby? (showing how they often have a baby alone, and then get kicked out of hospital mere hours after giving birth to navigate long journeys home on public transport)
• What is being done about the lack of governmental facilities? (coverage on the work of Bossom Buddies who are doing fantastic work already!)
• How does care in SA private hospitals compare to overseas?
• How does South Africa's c-section rate, and various related topics, compare to the international trends?
• Homebirth - how is it viewed, what is it like?
• Interesting and less well known aspects of childbirth such as - Lotus Birth, Unassisted/Free Birth, VBAC/HBAC, Birthing from Within, Doulas, Hypnobirth and anything else I can think of!
• A post birth episode that covers things like PND, post-natal care and how what happens in SA compares to places like the UK who have a "health visitor" program giving support to women in the months following the birth.

I'm completely overwhelmed with the amount of work this is going to be, but I am incredibly excited! I get to put my two greatest passions together :D !! I think it will also be a fantastic journey for myself and the other people involved in helping me make this.

I am hoping to put together an all female crew as well. Not that I don't think boys can't do it, but one of the things that will help me get the proposal approved is to have a high PDI rating (which means that the film is made by previously disadvantaged individuals, which women are considered to be) but I also just like the coolness factor of the "girl power" side of it. ;-)

So if you are reading and think you might be able to help in the form of information or interviews, or anything, then please contact me here or privately.

xx

Pregnancy & Skincare

I found this great article which actually explains why you shouldn't use certain skincare products during pregnancy. We all hear about various moisturisers that should be avoided during pregnancy but very little info is ever shared about *why*.

Should C-section be a choice?

Should doctors continue to allow women to have a c-section simply through choice and without any pressing medical reason to do one?

Most women would say yes. Most women would talk about how it is her body and she should have the right to control what happens to it - as many brave women have fought for the that right over the years.

However, I feel that sometimes this particular "right" becomes confused when it comes to the issue of childbirth. A woman should surely have the right to control what happens and how things happen to her body during pregnancy and birth. But should a woman really have the right to choose something that has been scientifically shown as more dangerous to both her and her baby?

I often end up thinking that because it is us, as women, who are the carriers of children, and who do the work to bring the child into the world, we assume that anything surrounding childbirth instantly qualifies as a woman's issue. Instead of childbirth being about health and safety, it becomes about oppression of women and the very un-politically correct behaviour of denying her a choice.

But lets take a step back for a moment....

During the first half of the 1900's the biggest leap in the quest for pain free childbirth was made. The Twilight Sleep was heralded as the end of woman's suffering in childbirth. Many of those involved in the Women's Sufferage called for it's widespread use. By the time of the post-war baby boom the horror stories began to surface about what it was really like. Women were strapped down as they continued to thrash about, often inflicting wounds on their wrists and ankles. It is believed that the Twilight Sleep did not really alleviate the pain, but simply erased any memory of what had happened.

As a result of this method of pain relief left women totally disconnected from childbirth and therefore bonding was very difficult. There were also serious effects on the baby that lead to extreme difficulty breathing.

At this point I would like to make it clear that I am not against C-sections. They are without a doubt a life-saving obstetrical technique that has enhanced our ability to bring babies safely into the world - when they are used appropriately.

The problem is that they are not being used appropriately. In recent studies into the rising numbers of women having c-sections, it has been found that very few of them actually choose this option outright and were in fact persuaded by their doctors into "choosing" this method.



You see, doctors have a vested interest in a nice, easy surgical birth where s/he is completely in charge of the situation. In the highly litigious society of the US, doctors are more concerned with the prospect of being sued and at the slight indication of anything untoward they will immediately start pressuring to have a c-section. I guess you could call a c-section damage control. You only need to look at the statistics to see why they would be so quick to suggest a c-section as to date the majority of doctors have been sued as a result of natural birth gone wrong and only one case is currently known of where a doctor was sued for doing a c-section.

In South Africa I'm not sure it's quite the same motivation. My experience of South African's in general is that we're quite a conservative bunch, and we're all still under the impression that the Doctor knows best and are happy to give in to their advice without much of a fight (or even a discussion). This is not to say that all women are like this - I'm basing this solely on a vast amount of conversations with women. And I think that this is slowly changing too.

One particular close friend of mine, T, fought better part of her pregnancy to avoid as much intervention as much as possible, and boy was it a fight. T was threatened into getting an ultra-sound even though it was against her express wishes. One always has "the right" to turn down any medical procedure, but what good is this right if your doctor can turn around and refuse to treat you in the case of you refusing? The most ironic thing is that T had done everything she was supposed to in order to achieve her goals, like seeking the care of a midwife - but sadly this midwife was on the side of the doctor and also hinted at refusing care if T disobeyed.

Being the classy, ballsy chick that she is, she dropped said midwife and found another that seemed way more on-board with what she wanted. Not the easiest decision to make from my experience. In the end she had a beautiful homebirth, due in most part to her serious dedication to achieving that.

My own story seems like a very typical pattern to most women I know in SA who have ended up with c-sections. They get pressured into an induction and get left no choice but to have the c-section when it fails. It was even admitted to me that the problems that motivated the induction were found to be magically non-existent once my son was born. I too went with a midwife - something I thought would be a guarantee of a vaginal birth at the very least.

So back to the issue of c-section as a choice!

I personally feel that Doctors are abusing their position by insisting on c-sections, for whatever (personal)reasons. There really is no defense for an 80% c-section rate in South African private hospitals. The rate in government hospitals is still much higher than the WHO recommended rate of 15%, but it is far, far lower than 80% (maybe around 40-60%, depending on the province).

Women are being strong-armed into unnecessary major surgery, with the threat of denial of care if they exercise their right to informed consent (in the case of a private patient). Government Hospitals are not somewhere anyone wants to give birth - and I can say this from having worked in one while studying nursing.

I honestly feel that the only way to prevent doctors from doing this for their own convenience is to no longer allow it as a choice. It needs to be something that is medically necessary before someone is allowed to consider it to be an option. Having an extreme phobia about pain is quite obviously a good reason to have a c-section, but seeing as a c-section can also involve a fair amount of pain then surely counseling is in order?

Women in South Africa are being denied choice under the current laws. They are told they have the right to informed consent and informed refusal, but information about the risks of c-section is rarely, if ever, given to them. In the case of a private patient refusing a procedure she can be denied care and are left with finding another care provider (and there are only rare gems who favour vaginal birth) or going to a government hospital where the most extravagant pain relief you are given is two paracetamol tablets in the case of a vaginal birth.

Medical Aids also have to be considered in all of this, as they also have a fair amount of persuasion when it comes to doctors. And pretty much all private patients will have medical aid. Medical Aids are currently structured in favour of planned c-section births where they will cover the entire procedure 100% whereas a vaginal birth will end up with the member having to pay in money from their own pocket!!

C-section is the only on-demand major surgery a person can have. It carries the same risks as all other major abdominal surgeries, yet despite the fact that doctors are supposed to seek surgery as a last resort, it has become the first choice for them. It's "no big deal" and women are lead to believe that it's easier and safer.

Currently there is no independent source of information in South Africa about childbirth other than one's own doctor. This needs to change, and so do laws so that women are given back the control over their bodies and their babies. They also need to be able to do with without fear of being refused care.

The other side of the glass

I found this rather interesting trailer for a movie in the making which comes from the perspective of the father. Not many films seek to address this aspect, despite many fathers being an important part of the whole childbirth process.

It also delves into the idea of the baby as being a conscious part of the process, and how the experiences during the birth process can affect the psyche (and it's ongoing development). This isn't a new idea, as can be seen with the work of Frederick Leboyer and Elena Tonetti. It will also be most interesting to see what literature and studies they base their claims on, as this to me is always a very important aspect to include!



On a more disturbing note, it would appear that good ol' Dr Phil is set to be recording a show about homebirth but will be approaching it from a very negative angle. On his website the questions appear to be aimed at finding people who had a bad homebirth experience and with a little more research it also seems like some people that were approached were turned down because of a lack of conflict surrounding their choice of having a homebirth (ie turned down because husband and family *shock horror* actually supported them in this choice)

As Dr Phil airs regularly in South Africa I feel this is a particularly relevent piece of information. I have a funny feeling that this show may be in response to the documentary by Ricki Lake on her experience of homebirth. Sadly The Business of Being Born has not been widely shown at South African Cinema's and so I can only see a show like the one Dr Phil is showing to provide more "amo" to those who are all to quick to tell the homebirth horror stories they know.

I know in my local area there are quite a few natural birth stories that get fed to pregnant women on an almost religious basis! By this I mean people will go out of their way to approach a women (whom they may not even know) and passionately "show her the light" about how horiffic childbirth is. (this also based on personal experience)

Hopefully I will have the opportunity next year to make something in the medium of film that is pro-homebirth pro-natural pro-midwife and all that! :)

Snuggles

So when I was expecting my son, I was already imagining how I would carry him around. I had seen people with a very "hippie" looking contraption and I really loved the way it looked, and the fact that the babe was carried so close to mum/dad.

I managed to track this down and it was a godsend! When my grandfather passed away, at the glorious age of 92, I had to travel from South Africa to Ireland for the funeral. There was never any question of whether I would go or not, and I had no choice but to take my 4 month old baby with me. Flying to Ireland also involves a change-over at London Heathrow and I was going to be doing this on my own.

I remember sitting on the plane and thinking "What on earth am i doing?!" while I pondered how I would cope with making bottles during a 12 hour flight, with no help from anyone. It turned out my son was a complete angel and I was complimented a number of times on how "well behaved" he was (um... yeah... because a crying baby is misbehaving!).

Anyway, the baby wrap that I used was brilliant because it allowed me to be able to collect luggage, wrestle my passport out of my bag and even fill in a form at one point, while keeping my son perfectly happy.

On the way home I stayed with my sister in London for a week and we did some traveling while my son happily slept in the wrap!

On days when he really struggled to sleep, it was also a great way to settle him. I'd stick him in the wrap and walk into the back garden and before I'd reached the other end of the garden he'd be out cold. Magic!

So now I recommend this handy (oft "life saving") device to anyone I know who is having a baby. I also mention that I have back problems (from being thrown from a horse) and this is one thing that was comfortable to use do to the way the weight is distributed. You can continue to use it until the child is quite old as there are different methods of using it that allow you to use it as extra support for carrying a toddler on your hip.

My one is a Yazo Wrap

but you also get one's from overseas called:

Moby Stretchy Wrap

Alternatively I know of another cool way to snuggle your baby called The African Baby Carrier which I might try next time around (i didn't know about when I was having my son). It also looks like a good one for people who might struggle with back problems (depending on what those problems are obviously).

Natural Vaginal Birth vs C-section

I came across the SA-based article and found the following quite interesting

"Like Catherine's doctor, Dr Jack Pretorius, an obstetrician and gynaecologist in private practice, believes that a woman should have a caesarean section if she wants one. 'I'm easily persuaded,' he admits. 'If a girl says she's too scared, I'll do a caesar. A birth without pain relief is idiotic, and the idea that you don't bond with your baby without pain is absurd; there's no logic in it.

'Long labours went out with the Boer War. A doctor has to be gentle with his patients; it's a joint decision. I'd put all the options to her, but it's her body. A caesarean section is quick and easy; there's no doubt that it's the ideal way to have a baby.'"

And this about sums up why we have such a horrendously high c-section rate! This man obviously has no clue about research by people like Michel Odent which shows there is clearly a link between the hormones of childbirth and the effect on bonding. And to call it "idiotic".... well that just takes the cake.

I'm glad they had a midwife to give her views on natural childbirth but it's really sad that the focus of her comments came across as rather new-agey:

'Natural birth is better for the mom and the baby,' she asserts. 'There's no satisfaction in having an epidural caesar. Birth is a right of passage, an adventure, a journey that a woman takes to become a mother. It's not just a physical experience; it encompasses the heart, the spirit and the psyche. How you give birth affects your relationship with your baby, your mother, your partner and yourself.

'It's a battle and it's painful but afterwards you can look back and say "Look what I did!" After a water birth at home the woman can get out of the pool, have a pee, eat something and get into bed with her baby. It's a family event; a celebration. An epidural isn't a spiritual experience!'

She could have said *why* natural childbirth is better for the mother, instead of just having an open-ended statement like that. As so many women are scared of pain in childbirth, why not rather talk about the importance of pain and how it can be managed? What women, terrified of pain and that she'll never have sex again, is going to be persuaded by the idea of it being a spiritual experience?

The most ridiculous comment of all?

And, indeed, horror stories abound of women whose babies were born prematurely because the doctor induced labour before leaving for Mauritius on holiday, or performed a caesar because he was due on the golf course at 2.00pm. But the blame for unnecessary inductions can't be laid solely on the doctors who perform them.

'Many girls say they don't want to be induced,' says Dr Jack Pretorius, 'And I have no problem with getting up at night to deliver a baby. But at least 50% of my patients are dying to get it over by 38 weeks.'

Of course the blame is solely the doctors! What the hell?! It is the doctors responsibility to do things that are best for the mother and baby, and inducing at 38 weeks just because of the mothers preference is downright irresponsible! It is his responsibilty as care provider to explain why it is important to wait and to help the woman find ways to cope. If midwives can do this, then why can't he?!