Should dependents be given the choice. . .?

When you are dependent on others for your life, that is called being a parasite. Technically then, a baby is even a parasite!

Obviously a parasite like a worm in our gut is treated differently then the dependent like a baby in the womb, but I am going somewhere with this, so hear me out. My last post was talking of those who were abnormal and unhealthy physically, and concluded with "If you can accept you are defective, unhealthy or otherwise not acceptable to society in general, and are still happy to be alive, you are in the best place. Everyone (as long as they are not dependent on others for their own life) has the right to love, live and reproduce." . .but is it best to reproduce?

Should the individual be expected to be mentally or physically mature or a certain age before they are deemed independent and given the choice to reproduce?

In the case of a dependent baby in the womb, society has deemed that it is the mothers choice of not just whether that child will reproduce, but whether they will even live! As a person has the right to chose whether they will support or kill a parasite, an unwanted baby is likewise a parasite that has no ability to live on their own, and thus has no right to a say in the matter of whether or not they live or die.

On another level, but to do with the same question: we say that a 13 year old teenage girl should not have the choice of whether or not she can love, or at least live with the 21 year old guy who just impregnated her, and that seems logical, as she is not a legal and responsible adult yet. Should a young teen under legal age be able to carry, deliver and keep a baby, or should her and her parent's first concern be with growing the teen?



If a proper full grown size is the only issue, then should a midget be able to have babies? Is it even healthy for them to have such a large bump in them?


I think it should be the choice of the midget, as they can and do have some normal children, and they should be able to make wise choices. . .if they have come to the end of their grieving stages, as I spoke of in my post: Abnormalities of the body and the connected grief stages.

Wouldn't you think whether or not a person has the right to bring a baby into the world has more to do with the ability to support yourself, and thus they are ready to support another?  While logically it should be the parent's choice about whether or not to abort the baby of a dependent 13 year old, on the other hand midgets, being thinking  and independent adults, are rarely told they couldn't have kids. (Even if it's not best for the mother, child or humanity if they do have kids that carry on the defective genes, bringing with it many health issues.)

What about the Down syndrome girl?


As sweet as people with Down's are, from what I have been told, most if not all of those with Down syndrome will never live completely independent of their caregiver, yet they are somewhat sexual. Though greatly childlike and half of them being infertile anyways, at least half of all women with Down syndrome do ovulate and are fertile. Numerous experts in physical and sexual abuse acknowledge that the mentally disabled individual is particularly vulnerable to sexual exploitation and abuse. Studies indicate that half of the mildly disabled Adults with Down's were sexually active. . . and one out of 3 were raped or a victim of incest. They do not have healthy or normal marriages, and are always highly supervised by family members, even when they marry a "normal" person. (As abuse is so common.)
Source

If and when the Down syndrome woman gets pregnant by marriage, incest or rape, between 35 and 50 percent of their children will have trisomy 21 or other developmental disabilities. Offspring without Down syndrome have an overall much greater than average number of congenital anomalies. (This chance is even higher where both parents have Down's syndrome. . .which is very rare and "troubling" to experts.) There is also a high chance that pregnancy would end in miscarriage. Women with Down's syndrome are also more likely than other women to have a premature baby, or to need a caesarian section, as they can't communicate their needs or take care of themselves in pregnancy. As they are dependent themselves, the studies show that they make clueless and neglectful parents, even if not intentionally abusive.


Considering all this, should the Down syndrome girl be told by her parents or a caregiver that she needs to get an abortion if she gets pregnant, and/or be told to get sterilized or have an IUD implanted to prevent pregnancy in the first place? Would it be more cruel to control her fertility (or strongly suggest she do it herself), or not to control it!?  

Should those who are 

1. dependent on a mother's body (fetus), 
2. dependent on their family (handicapped or teenagers with no money) 
3. or those otherwise completely dependent on others for their life and care. . .

 Even be allowed to procreate without permission from their caregiver? Do they even get a vote, as they are no different then a dependent child or a baby in the womb?

To put it another way, think of a pet who is dependent on you. Do they have the right to bring home a bunch of their stray friends for you to feed and care for? Out of mercy and kindness we may let them take advantage of us, because it feels good to be needed. . . but they do not have the right.

 I have at one time adopted 5 such abandoned large dogs when we were in the country. What happened next to them though? As we couldn't contain them, some started getting shot at. Traveling around together, the pack attracted the neighbor dogs to join, and then the dominant one got a neighbor's dog pregnant. The purebred dog then had such ugly mutts that no one wanted them. In the end few lived, and their lives were bad after we left the neighborhood.



So then one could ask, "Is it more cruel to spay or neuter the ugly mutt or a diseased or starving stray, or not to?" I think most people would admit that the average mutt should not be allowed to take over and populate the world, and only the purest, healthiest or wanted ones should not be fixed. (Sadly I did not have the money to do this for the dogs we adopted, and we should have, or taken then to a pound.) That is more humane in the end!

Some would go so far as to say that many stray dogs (like these ones to the left), would be better off being "put out of their misery". Do we shoot the horse that is in pain and suffering and call it humane? Why do we refuse to do the same for many dogs now, much less humans? We call euthanasia a bad thing, but when it involves animals we generally call it mercy. . .

Whatever the case, if an animal or human offspring doesn't have a good chance of being healthy, wanted or cared for, and is dependent on someone else, it seems to me that at very least, "fixing" the mother would be the merciful thing both for the mother, and for the miserable and dependent future generations.

One could make the argument that like with the dependent pets, it is only for the benefit of those defective and undesirables and their future generations that we would want to control their fertility, but while that sounds very altruistic and kind, there is no denying the more sinister side of the coin. . .

The side of the stressed out caregivers, the poor families, overtaxed middle class and bankrupt governments of the world. . .who probably all probably know that constant catering to and supporting the weak will eventually bring down the health or welfare of the caregivers or the whole group/country! Sadly, in the end, our pity and compassion for the weak, and dependents of the world is unsustainable if there are too many dependents. We are told by the Democrats to feel bad if we can't give charity to the vets, fatherless families, immigrants and poor. They push for extended medicare, housing programs, foodstamps, heating and cooling help, welfare, WIC, unemployment or retirement benefits, and even foreign aide, etc. as if our country is made out of money!

Because of our love of "diversity", our compassion and our generosity towards the underdogs of the world, the dependent, defective and vulnerable population has turned into a dependent or "parasite" problem for those having to support them. . .in the end giving the better treatment to the takers then the givers.


The tax payers are basically being told "Work hard to support those who can't or won't help themselves. . .whether or not you want to, or can afford it."



While it is obvious that the media and the mainstream (even the Republicans!) have feared the topic of controlling fertility as eugenics, as I stated earlier, it really is more humane. Similarly like pets, I think that all woman should be put on birth control unless they prove healthy, independent and mentally ready to parent. . .as they would have to show when going to adopt. This would both protect the individuals and the future generations from starvation, pain, constant abortions or being unwanted. . . simply by mandating birth control for all. 

Stopping the cycle of dependents in the world, just as we have always done with young teens by abortions and fixing pets, would be wise for our survival and our welfare as a nation and world. Those who are dependent themselves, will breed dependent and/or defective children who in the end will likely have no one to support them, so they will be on the street like a stray dog. That is cruel to all involved.

Are there others though who like the fetuses, teen and the handicapped (mentally or physically), are incapable parents, and are completely dependent on family (or often the government) for their very lives? 

Who are basically, much as I hate to say it. . . the "parasites" of our world? This question and more I will explore in my next post: The parasites of dying civilizations.

How to safely and quickly detox, even if pregnant!

In America we are bombarded by toxins, heavy metals and drugs on every corner, all of which are the cause of, or a major contributing factor to, everything from Autism to zits. Every cell in our body excretes waste material, which becomes toxic and poisonous to our bodies if it is allowed to build up faster than it can be eliminated or filtered out of the body.  The most common symptoms of toxic buildup within the body are mental dullness, aching-stiff joints, gas and bloat, high acidity, digestive problems with the stomach and colon, acid reflux and fatigue. Because of this it is imperative to naturally detox to rid yourself of the nasty effects of impurities and toxins. Resolving these primary causes of diseases by detoxing is helped by a proper diet and exercise. Some have asked whether detoxification could be the fountain of youth. An experiment was done with chicken cells put in a nutrient solution that was changed every day, and though those cells were suppose to live no more then 7 years, they lived 29! There was no sign of degeneration either, but the day they forgot to change out the solution, they died. The scientists concluded that cells themselves are immortal! (Maybe people should look more to detoxing and less to religion for life eternal;) While we may not live under such ideal lab conditions as those chicken cells, by drinking plenty of water and simply sweating you can flush your system of some of the toxins you have put in, intentionally or not (by your environment) everyday. Thankfully there are plenty of other ways people have concocted up to assist in the process of flushing out more toxins, as we have more then we can handle. Of course there are the skeptics of detoxing. . . Some claiming that you shouldn't detox at all, saying that the process is "more trouble then it's worth". They would tell you that the toxins are released into the bloodstream and only make you feel sicker. The bloodstream also allows the junk to go into the placenta of the pregnant mother to the baby as well as into the milk of the nursing mother. Consequently, many times even if a person believes detoxing is good, they would advise pregnant or nursing woman not to detox at all! It seems like getting a 2 for 1 deal would be a good idea to me though. The skeptics are actually technically partially right, as is quite often the case. . . but in no way does that justify the avoidance of detoxing. (As usual, they only look for the problems, and only see a part of the picture.) They see that some methods of detoxing do only release the toxins into the bloodstream in their original form, and similar to how we no longer recommend inducing babies to throw up after ingesting poison (because some poisons do more harm going back up then they do going on down) people shouldn't just release the toxins, they should ideally capture them too. Getting a massage, (as well as exercise) seems to detox the body in this less fun way, as it is enough to cause a headache or flu-like symptoms if you don't drink a lot of water directly afterwards. Yet we don't say that people should not get massages, EVER. The truth is, some ways of detoxing are more prone to side effects, and while beneficial, it may not be everyone's first choice to feel gross, before feeling better. So, being that I have now spent a good half of my life pregnant or nursing, I like to cater to those woman who want safe and/or slower ways of detoxing. As well as those people who want painless ways of detoxing that don't send you into a "healing crisis". The good news is you do not have to always settle for ineffective or slow to be safe or painless. Baths for instance are one notoriously effective and safe way to detox. "Detoxification of your body through bathing is an ancient remedy that anyone can perform in the comfort of their own home. In detoxification circles, your skin is known as the third kidney, and toxins are excreted through sweating." Source Having a massage opens the channels of the detoxing or nutrient absorbing properties of your skin, just as colon cleansing allows toxins to exit out other ways once it is released in the bloodstream. If your skin is hydrated and exfoliated it can eliminate toxins better. So, before or in the bath, rub down your body with a loofah or brush to help to stimulate the lymphatic system, and exfoliate your skin, which can aid with the release of toxins.Then you only need to further open up or oxygenate the pores in order to further let out more junk in a bath.  So to do that I would add hydrogen peroxide to a bath. (A small bottle of the 3% at most.) This is a time tested remedy for opening pores, oxygenating and sanitizing the body. Some will tell you that it will break down the skin with prolonged use, and in very strong doses, with a continual application, it may. This is an overkill precaution though, as no one would use it strong enough or long enough to do harm without it either being an accident or him being an idiot. Additionally, adding ginger (powdered tea or otherwise) is an excellent way to induce a profuse sweat, opening up the pores to release or accept nutrients. Adding Epsom salts to your bath is one cheap and easy way to detox from toxins, as well as a good way to add back magnesium, doing a world of good for your usually deficient body! For children under 60 lbs, add 1/2 cup to a standard bath. For children 60 lbs to 100 lbs, add 1 cup to a standard bath. For people 100 lbs and up, add 2 cups or more to a standard bath. Adding apple cider vinegar to a bath, or taking internally is also an excellent way to detox. Ancient cultures often used apple cider vinegar to purify the blood. (Taking it by the tablespoon, or bathing in a cup or two of it.)  Apple cider vinegar is rich in natural minerals, vitamins and enzymes. Supplying these nutrients to the body is crucial to purge out toxic material. The unique acids in apple cider vinegar can bind to toxins and help the body eliminate them more effectively. They also fight bacteria, fungus and Candida. Another way apple cider vinegar aids detoxification is by breaking up mucus throughout the body and cleansing the lymph nodes to allow for better lymph circulation. The ideal apple cider vinegar is in raw liquid form. It should be unprocessed and unfiltered, with plenty of "mother" in it. Any other kind of apple cider vinegar will be far less effective and may provide no benefits at all. Source Another thing which can safely be either ingested or bathed in to detox is activated charcoal. Long before the 19th century, thousands of years ago, both the ancient Egyptians and the Greeks used it as a multi-purpose poison and disease antidote. What makes charcoal so effective is its ability to attract other substances to its surface and hold them there. It is estimated to reduce up to 60% of poisonous substances, and is still used in hospitals today! There is unfortunately a misunderstanding of how it works though, and some people thus recommend against it's use with food, or using it very often. The controversy on activated charcoal being bad is based on the notion that it robs the body of nutrients, as well as toxins. According to several solid sources though, this is misinformation. The confusion comes from those defending pharmaceutical drugs. Those drugs, which tend to be toxic, are removed partially or wholly, and also "nutrients" from synthetic vitamins tend to be removed. But not food nutrients. Activated charcoal knows poison from nutrients. . .some people could learn from it's wisdom. So in other words, if it's bad for you, it takes it out of the body. If you are counting on a toxic substance to symptom control though, you won't want to take it too close to ingesting the activated charcoal, or you will get no desired effect. You could try bathing in 1/2 cup of it or in an enama though for a slower effect with the digestion of drugs. source

Another great detoxing substance is Bentonite clay. Clay has been used for thousands of years by indigenous people around the world, and has passed the test of time to be a superior natural detoxification method. Bentonite clay has the ability to absorb harmful, toxic substances from within the body, tightly binding them within their molecule, and carry them out of the body. By absorbing toxins before they enter the bloodstream, clay reduces the overload of toxins that the liver and kidneys normally have to filter out. By eliminating the buildup of waste lodged in the lower colon, clay allows the body to absorb more nutrients, vitamins and minerals.
Most clays are naturally alkaline and as a result, balance the body's pH and reduce over acidity. (Which baking soda also does, as well as cleans the skin.) Clay in a bath (1/2 to 2 c.) will also draw out infections, gangrene, heavy metals and toxins. While taken internally, by mouth or enema, clay will also rid the body of parasites.
Source

If you've ever seen the series Monsters inside me, you might be very interested in getting rid of those monsters/parasites. Clay works if ingested to do so, but it doesn't taste that great. . .so another way people detox of internal parasites is taking foodgrade Diatomaceous earth.

Some places confuse this with diatomaceous earth that is for swimming pool filters - that is definitely what you do NOT want. Foodgrade Diatomaceous earth is very cheap, looks like flour, though is gritty and it basically tasteless.
Source

Add diatomaceous earth to your diet or an enama to detox parasites that can contribute to food intolerance, nausea, bowel discomfort, pain, itching, asthma, sinus infections, Morgellon's disease, and a host of other allergic-type reactions.


DE detoxes from mercury, cadmium, lead and other heavy metals; removes poisons from chemtrails, radiation and may alleviate the effects of GMOs. DE possesses antibacterial, anti-fungal and antiviral properties.

In addition to detoxing and destroying pathogens, diatomaceous earth helps to lower blood pressure and contributes to the production of collagen to improve skin tone, strengthening the tendons and joints.
Source


So to recap. . . If you want to detox safely and painlessly:

• Get regular massages, if you can, professional, but otherwise is good too.
• At least weekly, have a 30-40 minute medicinal bath, ideally for the best results, adding all these things to it:

1. Hydrogen peroxide (up to 1 small bottle)
2. ginger (2 T. or 2 tea bags.)
3. Epsom salt (1/2-2 c.)
4. Apple cider vinegar (1-2 c.)
5. Activated charcoal (1/2 c.)- best to carefully place it in a large closed container of hot water and shake before putting in. For a less messy application, and a better bang for your buck, try in an enema.
6. Bentonite clay (1/2 to 2 c.)- best to carefully place it in a large, closed container of hot water and shake or blend before putting in. For a less messy application, and a better bang for your buck, try in an enema.
7. Baking soda (1-2 cups in a bath or 1/4 teaspoon in milk or juice or water. Good mixed with apple juice and apple cider vinegar for a great health tonic.)

• Take Diatomaceous earth (DE) or clay orally. Starting with half a teaspoon and work up to two heaping tablespoons. Mix thoroughly in four ounces of water. Drink immediately and follow with another eight ounces of water. Take on an empty stomach. Continue drinking water throughout the day, because detoxing only orally can at first cause constipation.
• OR, if you can't stand that, take Diatomaceous earth (1 T.) and/or clay (2 T.) and/or activated charcoal (1 T.) in an enema. -Ideally with the addition of coffee (2 T.), and 2 c. water. Boiled and strained and cooled. Taken at the rate of one enema per week for 4 weeks; then 2 per week for 4 weeks to get the whole life cycle of the parasites.-

And if all that doesn't cure you of what ails ya in short order, I don't know what will!

Source

How to Avoid Most pregnancy, Birth & Baby Problems.

How to Avoid Most pregnancy, Birth & Baby Problems  
1. Stay away from people and places that stress you out. Pain is a function of tension, particularly during childbirth. Doctors, Midwives, friends and even family can complicate delivery by closing the birth canal by up to 30%. 

2. Avoid drugs of all kinds. Alcohol, cigarettes, caffeine and all but the most essential medications should be avoided completely, as they inevitably have side effects. This includes while nursing. . .as I got into in my post called :Prednisone- our story made public.

 3. Plan to breastfeed no matter what! Make a point to read the latest volume of THE WOMANLY ART OF BREASTFEEDING before the birth of your first child. It is put out by the La Leche League. Also make it a point to go to as many meetings as you can of your towns local chapter's LLL meetings. Robert Mendelssohn, M.D.,author of MALEpractice says "The only women who cannot breastfeed are those who have had bilateral radical mastectomies...or those who go to pediatricians." Support for childraising and nursing coming from lactation consultants or LLL leaders is way superior to that coming from Pediatricians BTW. (The latter of which I see rare use for personally.)

 4. Don't get pregnant too early or late. It is best to be pregnant when you are an adult. Better not to be an old woman, nor a girl. Risks to mother and child are greatly increased among very young and very old mothers. Also, if you are older but have already had numerous pregnancies and babies, you will have more healthy eggs longer. (Just think of all the periods you didn't have wasting your good eggs!) 
5. And speaking of timing, have a healthy space in between your children. Historically that has been a minimum of 2 years before you get pregnant. (Preferably 3 though.) Depending on how pregnancy goes, that insures enough time with the first in a crucial stage of life (presuming you are with them) and consequently no jealousy or rivalry about the new intruder. . .as well as your calcium and iron stores to be rebuilt.

 6. This is a tough order, but try to put your spouse FIRST so you will not harm your baby with the stress of a break up or emotional arguments.

 7. Go for massages and chiropractic adjustments regularly.(In my experience, the good masseuse is worth more to your health and a better bang for your buck for both preventative and not then the chiropractor. . .but should be able to tell you if the other is needed.)

 8. Take wild yam progesterone cream if you don't want miscarriages, PMS, stretch marks or baby blues. This is a wonder cream, and I have personally had it work for infertility caused from stress twice! (As stress causes a depletion in progesterone.)
 9. Eat whole foods to hunger, and very moderate amounts of anything processed. (Like canned stuff, or pre packaged stuff with more then a few ingredients.) Most pregnancy issues and defects of baby can be traced to a poor diet, which is evidenced by a fat malnourished body. Those very overweight people who start eating a good diet in pregnancy often instead of gaining weight, they actually loose it!
 10. Supplement with good stuff like kelp, herbal teas, whole salts, green drinks, Floradix iron and herbs liquid iron supplement, blackstrap molasses, and krill oil as often as your symptoms say you need or can afford, instead of the synthetic prenatals. If you want to take herbs, try to take them individually, so you can tell what works for one thing. Herbalists now say they probably work best if not combined.
11. Don't over exercise! Those who do, often have low birth weight or early babies.  Most often unless it's just because those woman are not from European descent, those woman with small or early babies are very thin and are habitual joggers or the like. They often cannot carry the baby to term if they do manage to get pregnant at all.
12. Avoid putting any foreign and unnatural substance into or on you, or your child's system or skin. This includes drugs, vaccines, soaps, lotions, ointments, herbicides and pesticides. Read up on everything, and don't trust studies that are backed by the very people who put out the junk, they are WRONG! Use natural methods and preventative instead, and avoid or if they are open to it, confront with info anyone who would challenge you to otherwise hurt your baby. . .
13 Have a competent caregiver for your pregnancy if needed, but especially the birth and postpartum. Not everyone needs help with the pregnancy, but you cannot be your own caregiver at the birth of your baby without a lot of risks. You need a caregiver who can deal with but also avoid the emergencies. Like I mentioned in #1 just feeling out of your element can cause problems, but having procedures forced onto you by caregivers looking for convenience and treating you as a number is a classic cause of problems as well. The definition of a competent caregiver is IMO, one knows how to deliver most malpositioned or large babies without the use of a knife. Sadly, you will not find that level of training in any but the specialists of natural birth: homebirth Midwives (CPM's, lay Midwives or some Doulas ). So if you feel you need the hospital, just know that their training is inferior in natural birth, and so you will likely not have one.
14. Lastly, make friends with medicinal baths, they can add to your body what tastes bad, so you don't need to eat it. They can also take away what you shouldn't have put in there in the first place. I will get into my favorite medicinal baths, and all the many options in my next post called the wonders of medicinal baths.

Considering an "Unassisted childbirth"?

In dedication to my little (actually, 10 lbs. 5 oz. at birth) newborn Jayson, I want to educate the world on unassisted birth. (How he was brought into the world.)

Like me, more and more women are choosing to give birth at home without the assistance of doctors or certified midwives. And although this may shock and frighten some people, contrary to popular opinion, unassisted birth can actually be safer than assisted birth. When a woman is not interfered with, either physically by the assistant's hand (constant checking, monitoring, drugs, etc.) or psychologically by her own mind (fear, shame, and guilt), babies are often born quickly and easily.

 If you didn't already know this, an unassisted homebirth, otherwise known as a "traditional homebirth" , freebirth or "Unassisted childbirth"( "UC" for short) is not actually always totally unassisted, but is simply a birth not assisted by a licensed and certified professional. Most cases of UC that I have heard of have experienced or trained help though. Sometimes that help comes in the form of lay or training Midwives, Doulas or even nurses. . .often as well as a Mother or Mother in law, friend and usually the husband as well.

Some people do just UC at the birth, and get prenatal care, others do both unassisted pregnancy and childbirth. I only felt comfortable doing this now on my 5th baby, and frankly don't understand the mindset that wants to be completely alone the first time. Unassisted pregnancy and childbirth, especially the truly alone type, is definitely not for everyone, and I would be very concerned if many of you tried it! That said, you might be one of those who are ready to consider it as an option, so first let's talk about the legal ramifications. . .

While in some backwards states homebirth with even certified professional Midwives (CPM's) is still unregulated or even illegal, UC is surprisingly legal in every state! (As there is no way to prove that it didn't happen accidentally with a short labor.) So while you could not be prosecuted for neglect in the case of an emergency hospital transfer, or a bad outcome, often a certified or even lay Midwife is. Strangely though the line between lay Midwife (illegal in most states) and Doula (legal everywhere) is very fine and sketchy. Because of this, woman get away with their caregiver/Midwife coming with them to the hospital (unpersecuted) IF they are named as the mothers' Doula, and don't have a bunch of equipment with them.

Considering the legal issues and controversy surrounding CPM's and certified nurse midwives (CNM's) in some States, some choose to go solo simply based on this. Others, feeling they have no choice, because they cannot have the natural birth they want in a small local hospital (or even at home with some CPM's or CNM's) simply because they had a c-section before choose an UC. Other times the location a person is in just may not have a close enough Midwife, of any sort. Or the person wants more control, or they feel that intervention is dangerous or unneeded. Sometimes they are a professional themselves, or feel that they are good at caring for their own health themselves. Sometimes it is a case of cost being the issue as well. So for these reasons, and many more, people have had Unassisted childbirth (UC).

 I was one of those who simply saw no need for extra certified help in either the pregnancy or birth. I am also a bit of a control freak, and was not about to give control of my life or baby this last time to anyone else if I could help it. . .

 I nonetheless consider myself both well connected to and supported by the midwifery community, as well as well informed, and very healthy.  I have also seen numerous other homebirths (besides my own), studied Midwifery for many years (alone and with a study group) and am CPR and first aid certified, so was very well prepared. . .not everyone cares to be so involved and take that much responsibility though I understand.

 I also have a very knowledgable Doula friend who had assisted alongside a homebirth Midwife for years before starting nursing school. (She was at my birth, along with others and was very good. If you are in the VA area, and want an assistant, look her up through messaging me.) I had my cheat sheets, lists of supplies, herbals and descriptions and usages and individualized assistant instructions written out to the smallest details, (forms, lists and plans that I can also send in a message or e-mail if anyone needs them.) and with slight exceptions they were followed to a tee. (And also a transfer plan for both me and baby, with a birth plan written out for that case too.)

 I was done with feeling like a sick patient in labor, and like the baby and I had to be checked for position and life constantly. (It seemed very untrusting and pessimistic and the worry and stress it all caused was doing no good I knew.) I was in charge of nothing in labor it seemed in the past, even to some extent in my Homebirths with a CPM. So now finally with my last baby (my 5th living one) I struck out with an UC. My birth went unhindered, and better then any of my others at the hospital or home with a hired professional. I have no regrets.


What was the big deal you ask, that i would choose such an unconventional birth? What was even different about the birth then with an assisted birth with a CPM or CNM you ask? Well, for those curious of UC and pregnancy, I'll give you the nitty gritty of what I did, and why.

 In pregnancy I charted my typical signs and symptoms, but honestly only for accountability and curiosity. I also wanted to look legit in filling in the blanks on a sheet I got from a friend CPM. . . To tell the truth though, I really saw no need for any of it!

So what do your typical caregivers normally check that I now did?

1. Checking for weight.

Think about it, why worry about your weight gain if you are eating healthy food, and you are growing? If you are not gaining by the second trimester, that is an issue, but other then not gaining enough, a healthy woman  with a good diet should not be concerned with gaining too much. I have gained 45 to 50 lbs each time and just had big babies.

    2. urine sticks.

If you feel no issues with your bladder and feel good, why check your urine? I have had a few CPM's now tell me that the urine sticks are an old formality that rarely help with diagnosing anything, so I believe them. That said, I happen to have bought them in the past to check the PH of my family, so I did use them occasionally.

   3. Taking my blood pressure.

My blood pressure is classically low. . .too low, so I have had no worries about high BP and didn't take it more then when I visited Walmart a few times, and when a few of my friends wanted practice.

  4. Measuring my fundus.

So if I measured a little small (which I never do) I would know I might be a little off my mark on the bottom or top, or it's not a growth spurt time for baby. If I measured a little big, I would know that it is normal for me and likely not twins. Either way, as I do the fertility charting, I know my dates, and have never been off them much. (Though classically I was around 2 weeks late of my due date.) At worst case scenario, if the measurements were more then a little off, I would simply take myself in for an ultrasound to confirm life, growth and or twins. (The same thing a Midwife or doctor has and would do.)

   5. Ultrasounds.

There is no evidence that regular and routine ultrasounds help a pregnancy in any way, and to the contrary, there is evidence that they harm some cells in their formative stages. Particularly the ones in a baby girls ovaries, effecting the next generation. Though the studies have been covered up and people have been silenced. . .because the tests are a huge money maker! (In my area, each one not covered by insurance costs $800.00)

   6. Listening for babies heart tones.

This I could do (with borrowed equipment) but mostly others did with a fetoscope (for practice) but honestly I saw little use in it either. . . Besides after a diagnosis of a live baby, only in the rare case of distress in the womb before a miscarriage (because of a cord or placenta hemorrhage or some strange thing) does measuring heart tones actually give a better survival rate for the baby. . . but only if you just happen to check at the exact time it was happening. . .which is usually pretty sudden. So in the end, up until labor it is pretty much only good for connecting with baby and to tell us it's alive. . .something most mom's can feel pretty well from week 15 or so.

   7. Testing

The tests doctors put you through are predominantly about how good your diet and health is, which if you already know your issues, or don't have them, you can feel free to skip. For first babies, or if you aren't in a stable relationship, you may want some of those tests once at least, but they are something you can get yourself through a clinic or doctors office usually. Sometimes the pregnancy crisis centers offer them for free! I got my iron checked in all of my pregnancies, as that tends to be my issue, but I would think a test for all the vitamins and minerals you can do would be ideal! The better you can eat, and follow your actual needs and symptoms, the better off you and baby will be.

   8. Interventions.

From position checks, sweeping the membranes, cervical checks and breaking the bag of waters to shots of pitocin, oxygen, or tests and procedures for baby; all are at best useless or controversial and at worst dangerous.
   9. palpitation.

Checking for position, or two babies is unreliable at best (As I found putting myself in the hands of numerous assistants and Midwives one night and not telling them what the others felt.) It is somewhat reliable and useful in labor, but hopefully if you have been paying attention, and are at all good at feeling baby parts yourself, you will be just as good as the Midwife for telling where feet are and where the head is. . .though even when the baby is in a good position in labor it can change. (And vise versa.) So basically, it is simply for fun or curiosity and out of tradition that people do it. . .doctors do not do it at all.

 10. Advice

I found Midwives to know a lot about herbs, natural fixes and give good counsel as a general rule, but through a few good online resources I could also save myself the trouble of remembering to ask them stuff at the appointment time.

So, speaking of resources, If (preferably after having one or more assisted homebirths) you are considering going without professional help for your next pregnancy and/or birth, you will want many resources at your finger tips, much like I gave in my last post What you need for homebirth to be safe.


Some skills and things you will need for starters are:

1.  A knowledge of how and what to google when you have a question. As well as sources to trust. . .
2.  Wise (usually) older woman friends or family to ask counsel of or be a part of a study group for midwifery, etc.
3.  You and (one of) your planned birth assistant(s) being trained somewhat, having taken at least a course in baby CPR/first aid and preferably Neonatal Resuscitation. Also having some knowledge of Emergency Childbirth.  (Preferably like knowing warning signs and how to assist to deliver stuck babies.)
4. A few basic supplies (Everyone has different ideas of what one's are best, but the basics are really mostly for comfort for mom and cleanliness for the area in my opinion.)
5.  Natural remedies on hand for energy, electrolyte balance, blood loss, hemorrhage, trauma of tissue. . .these do no good though without well written out instructions for the assistant if they don't know their use, and you aren't in a frame of mind to tell her/him or remember.
6. A good chiropractor, massage therapist, acupuncturist or herbalist friend to run things by and get help from in the case of a breech baby, hips or tailbone out (hampering the decent of the baby) or otherwise before the birth. They can also be important in helping with recovery for you AND the baby and with signing some forms to get a birth certificate afterwards.
7. A plan for in the case of a hospital transfer, and a willingness to go if needed.
8. Good sites for info to assist you in both prenatal and your overall health like:

• Do-it-Yourself Prenatal Care
• Born Free! - "Laura Shanley's Unassisted Childbirth page." 
• Cure Zone.com and Cure Zone.org "Educating instead of Medicating" - Pages and pages of information, forums, articles and downloads about cleansing and curing an enormous array of conditions. Lots of info about iodine, mercury fillings, liver cleanses, parasites and so on. On the day I happened to add these links, these two sites had 7,566 and 11,188 visitors respectively online at that moment! Lots of activity and sharing of information.
• Dr. Joseph Mercola - His web site is over 10 years old and contains a true wealth of health related information. His newsletter has over 800,000 subscribers and brings a broad range of up to the minute health news, research and analysis to your inbox. Dr. Mercola's web site also now delivers a blog, videos, offers a few select products and maintains a community dedicated to creating health. This is a great resource.
• Earth Clinic - Folk Remedies and Holistic Cures - This large and informative site is one of the top ten most viewed alternative health sites on the web. What is very interesting and refreshing here is that much of the information comes from people writing in. You aren't just reading "expert opinions" here. What you are reading is reports of actual experiences of actual people actually using these remedies.
•  And don't forget, I have a ton more good sites specifically geared for educating people on homebirth in my last post called:  What you need for homebirth to be safe.

What you don't need is permission from your friends, or family, even your husband. (I know, those religious people will hate this lack of submission here, but as you can see in the rest of my blog, that didn't work for me.) This is your birth, and just as all mammals do, you need to be in a comfortable place, and doing what you need to do to feel safe. If that's being alone, with hubby or just a few good friends, it's the most relaxed and that makes it the safest place for you to birth.

What you need for homebirth to be safe.

I have come to see pregnancy and birth as a beautiful and natural time. I have seen that when in the familiar and calm setting birth deserves, it can be not just rewarding and memorable, but bonding, and as a general rule, safe.  Honestly, the more interventions from caregivers, and thus the more unnatural you get, the higher the risks are. Sometimes people or their caregivers suspect they are (or actually are) high risk, and it justifies a few of the interventions, but in most cases, the intervention may be the cause of you being high risk in the first place! Those rare cases of actual high risk are: 

1.  usually preventable with a good diet, and safe habits and/or practices.
2. usually genetic or unavoidable if they are't fixed with diet and good habits. (Knowing about the rare chances of real problems, and worrying about them happening though, is more likely to cause the problem.)

There are some things that might show a readiness for a homebirth besides having a good diet, smart lifestyle choices and good genes though. 

Those being your thought process:

• If you are constantly amazed with nature and all it's workings, trusting in the natural processes of it.
•  If you know that the body is perfectly capable of birth, as the human body has always been.
•  If you know that supporting a natural process means helping the body through and listening to your symptoms, not just symptom controlling with drugs.
•  If you trust YOUR body and your baby's to do what it needs to do to birth. . .
• A belief that your health is your responsibility. Of course, if you go far down that path, you may end up doing an "unassisted" homebirth. . . but that's getting into my next post. 

To be responsible for your own and your babies health it takes much research though, and I would highly recommend not just anyone jumping into homebirth, and certainly not lightly. . .as you will need to become an advocate, and you will likely make some enemies for your stance. So if you are up for the challenge for the good health of you and your baby you will need to do a lot of reading and have conviction and confidence in your choice. And lest you are concerned if it is legal, thankfully there is no way that the homebirth can be considered illegal or get the parent in trouble in any state. . . as it is not a preventable thing. That said, if you choose to have a certified Professional Midwife (CPM) or a Certified nurse Midwife (CNM) assisting you in some States, it can mean trouble for them if they are caught practicing without a state license. (Which they cannot get!)

Even when they are certified in legal states, they are held accountable to a board of Doctors for everything they do, and are likely to get in trouble for the least little thing that goes wrong, whether or not the family has a problem with it or blames her. The CPM and CNM's in legal states are supposedly protected from jail time, but are put through just as much stress from the scrutiny of the board from all I have heard. It's a bunch of red tape that has caused some (like myself) to not pursue the certification or license and instead call themselves a Doula or if they are brave, a direct entry, traditional or lay Midwife and hope they can get homebirth clients by word of mouth. Like I have found with massage therapy, certification doesn't equal skill. You either have what it takes, or you don't, and no amount of training can give you what it takes to be good. 

If you want more info on the numerous aspects of homebirth, the following are good resources that many people have found helpful. (Especially for convincing family members of the safety of homebirth): 

Articles & Links:
 Is Homebirth For You? 

Homebirth Safety and Benefits

But What If...? - Questions Commonly Asked of Homebirth-ers by Kim Wildner - Great list of questions and answers written by a homebirth mom.

  British Medical Journal study 
http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articl...ogyinbirth.asp
http://gentlebirth.org/archives/prntshar.html
http://www.homebirthdallas.org/HANDWebResources
http://www.texas-midwife.com/safe.htm
http://gentlebirth.org/archives/prntshar.html
http://www.geocities.com/Wellesley/5510/studies.html
http://home.earthlink.net/~eaglefalc...irthoprah.html
http://www.homebirth.org.uk/homebirthindex.htm
http://www.healthychild.com/database..._like_home.htm
http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articl...irthchoice.asp
http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articles/gracious.asp
http://www.birthpsychology.com/violence/odent1.html
http://www.acegraphics.com.au/articles/wagner01.html
http://www.birthpsychology.com/birthscene/otoday4.html
http://www.changesurfer.com/Hlth/homebirth.html
http://www.nashvillemidwife.com/safety.html

For men only:
menbirth@yahoogroups.com - This list is a place for husband's and partners to safely discuss their concerns, fears, experiences and joys concerning the births of their children.

The 7 Secrets of Being A Home Birth Dad By Ven Batista - a lovely mini-essay.
Happy Father of Home Born Babies - This is designed to be a forum for fathers who have homebirthed their children or for fathers who are contemplating the homebirth experience. 

Books: 

Immaculate Deception by Suzanne Arms
Special Delivery by Rahima Baldwin Dancy
Birth at Home by Sheila Kitzinger
The Cultural Warping of Childbirth by Doris Haire
The Home Birth Book by Charlotte and Fred Ward
Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way by Susan McCutcheon-Rosegg
Active Birth by Janet Balaskas
Birth Without Violence by Frederick Leboyer
Birth Reborn by Michael Odent
The Birth Partner by Penny Simkin
Obstetric Myths Versus Research Realities by Henci Goer
Pushed by Jennifer Block
Guide to childbirth by Ina May
Your best birth:know all your options, discover the natural choices and take back the birth experience. By Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein
Childbirth without fear by Dr. Grantly Dick Read
Gentle birth choices by Barbara Harper
Baby catcher: chronicles of a modern Midwife. By Peggy Vincent.
Birthing from Within. By Pan Egland and Rob Horowitz
Natural childbirth the Bradley way. By Susan McCutcheon

Are hot tubs or baths really bad for pregnant woman?

Recently I was kicked out of a YMCA hot tub because I could not hide the fact that I was obviously  pregnant. The sign simply said that pregnant woman should avoid exposure to extreme heat, so I figured I was not doing anything risky to be in a slightly hot tub, especially as I was only dipping my legs in! Plus, I figured that I could make that call for myself as a responsible (not drunk) adult who can follow my body's signals.

Whether it was a case of a legalistic lifeguard, or an insurance matter I don't know, but in 5 pregnancies, and lots of hot tub use over the years, I am happy to say that this was a first for me.

Anyhow, it got me thinking about the subject and as usual I will probably get myself into some hot water (no pun intended:) with doctors over my opinions on the subject, but when has that ever stopped me?

So, a little background here: hyperthermia, overheating or artificial fever therapy is an ancient technique used by the Greeks and Romans, as well as in the sweat lodges of the Indians. Hippocrates, Celus, Galen and other ancient greats of medicine praised many hot water therapies for its curative properties. From the start of human existence we have utilized this healing technique of overheating for immune defense against infection, as well as detoxing. It burns out harmful bacteria, viruses and organisms that cannot survive the heat, while keeping the healthy ones alive. It even speeds up the metabolism! In the same way that fevers work, causing an artificial fever is greatly beneficial for the health!

Fevers and all overheating therapies are indeed a great medicine, and that it can help to cure many "incurable diseases". In biological clinics in Europe, artificially induced fever, mostly in the form of overheating baths, has been used successfully to treat such conditions as rheumatic diseases, skin disorders, insomnia, arthritis - and even cancer! Dr. Josef Issels has said, "Artificially induced fever has the greatest potential in the treatment of many diseases, including cancer." This remark is made by one of the leading cancer specialists in the world! (There are many studies showing increased survival from cancer among those treated with hyperthermia.)

Such giants of medical science as Nobel Prize Winner, Dr. A. Lwoff, Dr. Werner Zabel, and Dr. Josef Issels, recommend and use fever therapies extensively. Recently, a research team under the direction of Dr. David S. Muchles, from Oxford University, reported that studies confirmed what ancient physicians and biological doctors knew all along - that fever is effective in combating many diseases.

According to a Dr. Paavo Airola, Ph.D., N.D. there is "no danger for healthy people to take sauna or other steam or hot baths. . . on a regular basis as a preventive, cleansing and health-building measure, as millions of people are doing both here and in Europe." (That said, ill patient's heart conditions, his ability to perspire and his general vitality should be checked closely.)
Source

According to the the National Institutes of Health and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists though, they discourage this wonderful therapy during pregnancy. So, why are pregnant woman banned from this health giving therapy of hot water or even steam or saunas, when it seems doubly important for them to be able to detox from the additional waste from the baby???

The reason seems obvious: The heart of the pregnant woman needs to work harder to pump blood to the skin's surface with hyperthermia, which they believe can quickly cause dehydration and dizziness or even fainting. High heat from a bath, sauna or steam room could place an extreme burden on the mother’s heart and circulation at a time when her heart is already working hard, and also consequently bring less blood to the baby they say. Some test findings do suggest an association between the use of a very hot tub or hot bath during early pregnancy and the risk of miscarriage. . .possibly because of that lacking blood.

For instance, there is some evidence that a prolonged and forced overheating (at 113 degrees Fahrenheit) of a very scared/stressed animal (rabbits) does cause the death of their 3 day embryo, those rabbits who only had 10 minutes had no ill effects even at this most susceptible stage. The study even stated that artificial fever while generally regarded as a safe form of therapy for humans even in late pregnancy, the relatively delicate and rapidly developing blastocyst at about the time of implantation seems to be most sensitive to prolonged heat.
Source

There are a number of flaws with this study though, (IMHO) for one thing, it's test subject was a very jumpy animal, who's heart would likely be racing and caused enough stress simply by being handled or immersed in any temperature water! (As opposed to it being calmed) Also, they were caged, with only their noses above water. Being left in this intensely stressful position for any length of time is cruel punishment and very stressful I'm sure!

 Also, unlike humans, rabbits pant and use their ears to cool off, (and do not sweat) so being too emerged, and maybe too stressed, they are likely going to feel even hotter then a human would in the tub. Without the choice of whether or not to get out if they start feeling too hot, or dizzy, these caged rabbits were in a much different boat then a human would ever choose to be in. (Other studies with humans though did seem to show an increase in early miscarriage (first 4 weeks or so) associated with increased hot tub use. . .Source)

Another issue with that test is that the average temperature of a hot tub is much below what was tested on the rabbits (113 degrees). The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) after some study on the subject recommended temperatures no higher then 104 degrees for hot tubs in the States, as a number of deaths have been caused by temperatures of over 110 degrees. Soon thereafter, Underwriters Laboratory wrote rules regarding saunas and spas. They mandated that any manufacturer of these types of devices that wished to display the Underwriters Laboratory label could not have a temperature control on their hot tub which exceeded a temperature greater than 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore, in the US, unless you're using an ancient hot tub or one without a Underwriters Laboratory label, the hot tub temperature is probably safe, at least in short doses, in early pregnancy. There are still some countries, (like Japan) however, where you will find hot tubs allowing temperatures far exceeding the 104 degrees Fahrenheit limit. . .
Source

Unless you are purposefully trying to make yourself miserable though, no one in their right mind would intentionally get in a bath or hot tub much over 104. Most people are comfortable at 98-103 actually, according to the people polled in one study. And even if they did like it hotter, most people would feel free to get out if they felt at all light headed. . .which is very unlikely if they limited their time in there and didn't submerge themselves up to their noses like the rabbits.

So I have personally concluded that hot baths are safe in all stages of pregnancy. On the other hand, intentionally using very hot baths (104-110 or above) to cure sickness is probably best avoided in at least the early weeks of pregnancy. That being said though, I know a lady who had been doing serious hypertherapy at home when she found out she was expecting, and never had a miscarriage or side effect happen to the baby. (Unless you count being huge a side effect!)

Still though, as a precaution, I choose to take a common sense approach to the subject, using moderation and keeping hydrated before or after a bath. I am also careful to listen to my body's signals like: fatigue, lightheadedness, or dizziness. Thus I feel confident to ignore some more of the fear mongering that pregnancy is so entrenched in.

 And while I don't claim to be a medical authority on the subject, I do feel that woman have the right to make up their own mind on the subject, (even if it is to intentionally attempt to cause a miscarriage) and not be bullied into compliance about their bathing habits! Much less by a lifeguard in late pregnancy, where there is apparently no danger of a miscarriage from hypertherapy! So next time someone tells you to avoid or get out of a hot tub/bath, tell them if they know you are pregnant, (i.e. you are showing) then you are most likely way past the (slightly) risky time anyways, and they can just rest easy. . .(and mind their own business!)