My Birth Soap Box

I just had to share this email that I was sent by Lamaze International. It's really awful that we live in such a progressive country,and yet as a collective, we are so backwards about our birth practises. I don't understand why so many birthing women do not educate themselves or advocate for their own health! I wish women would at least take the time to understand why they are undergoing different medical procedures surrounding their births. It is a good thing to have knowledge, not only for ourselves, but for our babies! If more women would equip themselves with knowledge going into their birth experiences,we would see a drastic reduction in Cesarean birth, artificial induction, AROM, and other practises which should be reserved only for special circumstances. Also, I speculate that overall birth satisfaction amongst new mothers would probably skyrocket. Whew! Now having gotten that off my chest,here is what Lamaze International had to say:

Best Practices in Maternity Care Not Widely Used in the United States
WASHINGTON (January 7, 2009)—Despite best evidence, health care providers continue to perform routine procedures during labor and birth that often are unnecessary and can have harmful results for mothers and babies. The Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) most recent release of birth statistics reveals that the rate of cesarean surgery, for example, is on the rise to 31.1% of all births—50% greater than data from 1996. This information comes on the heels of The Milbank Report’s Evidence-Based Maternity Care, which confirms that beneficial, evidence-based maternity care practices are underused in the U.S. health care system.
Research indicates that routinely used procedures, such as continuous electronic fetal monitoring, labor induction for low-risk women and cesarean surgery, have not improved health outcomes for women and, in fact, can cause harm. In contrast, care practices that support a healthy labor and birth are unavailable to or underused with the majority of women in the United States.
Beneficial care practices outlined by Evidence-Based Maternity Care, a report produced by a collaboration of Childbirth Connection, the Reforming States Group and the Milbank Memorial Fund, could have a positive impact on the quality of maternity care if widely implemented throughout the United States. Suggested practices include to:
Let labor begin on its own.
Walk, move around, and change positions throughout labor.
Bring a loved one, friend, or doula to support you
Avoid interventions that are not medically necessary
Choose the most comfortable position to give birth and follow your body’s urges to push
Keep your baby with you – it's best for you, your baby and breastfeeding.
“Lamaze is alarmed by the current rate of cesarean surgery, and furthermore, by the overall poor adherence to the beneficial practices outlined above in much of the maternity care systems in the United States,” says Lamaze International President Pam Spry, PhD, CNM, FACNM, LCCE. “We are continuing to work to provide women and care providers with evidence-based information to improve the quality of care.”
Lamaze International has developed six care practice papers that are supported by research studies and represent “gold-standard” maternity care. When adopted, these care practices have a profound effect—instilling confidence in the mother, and facilitating a natural process that results in an active, healthy baby. Each one of the Lamaze care practices is cited in the Evidence-Based Maternity Care report as being underused in the U.S. maternity care system.
Debra Bingham, MS, RN, DrPH(c), Chair of the Lamaze International Institute for Normal Birth says, “As with any drug, we need to be sure that women and their babies receive the right dose of medical interventions. In the United States we are giving too high a dose of cesarean sections and other medical interventions which are causing harm to women and their babies. Yet there are many countries where life saving medical interventions are under dosed which can also cause harm. Every woman and her baby needs and deserves the right dose of medical interventions during childbirth.”
The research is clear, when medically necessary, interventions, such as cesarean surgery, can be lifesaving procedures for both mother and baby, and worth the risks involved. However, in recent years, the rate of cesarean surgeries cause more risks than benefits for mothers and babies. Cesarean surgery is a major abdominal surgery, and carries both short-term risks, such as blood loss, clotting, infection and severe pain, and poses future risks, such as infertility and complications during future pregnancies such as percreta and accreta, which can lead to excessive bleeding, bladder injury, a hysterectomy, and maternal death. Cesarean surgery also increases harm to babies including women giving birth prior to full brain development, breathing problems, surgical injury and difficulties with breastfeeding.
For more information on the Six Care Practices that Support Normal Birth, finding a health care provider and how to give birth with confidence, visit www.lamaze.org.

Monday Munchies- Hot cereal and Stevia

My friend Alison suggested that I try cracked wheat for breakfast. I love it! Since I started having it a couple weeks ago, I have branched out and started having cracked barley, spelt, and brown rice. Sometimes I mix all the grains for a multi grain cereal. It's very filling, and good for you as well. As Alison suggested, I use my personal crock pot ($10 at Wal Mart) and put 2/3 a cup of grain with 2 cups of water. Cook it on low overnight and it's ready when you wake up in the morning.

On top, I have been adding a few raw nuts and Stevia. Stevia is a sugar replacement, only it's not man made. It's actually a plant. (From the chrysanthemum family.) Anyway, I really like to sprinkle just a little over the cracked cereal. I bought 100 packets for $5 at the health food store. One envelope will last me 4 days. You only need a little. (It's really sweet.) Anyway, it only has 1 gram of carboydrate, and zero calories. Also, it contains no sugar, salt, yeast, wheat, corn, preservatives, or artificial flavors. Also, it has a lower glycemic index than eve Agave nectar.

Here's a pic:

In the past 2 weeks I have lost 3 pounds. Yeah!!! Losing weight is not easy, but I do think Alisons suggestion for hot cereal has helped me feel full longer. Thanks Alison!

Monday Munchies (on Wednesday)- Ezekiel Bread

I originally intended to post this Monday. However, I had a laboring mom which prevented my posting anything. The good news is, she and her baby are doing great. She was the picture of relaxation. I think the benefits of HypnoBirthing are really shown off with first time parents. (Even the midwife was impressed.)

The bad news, was that I was so exhausted that I pretty much accomplished nothing Monday or Tuesday. When it comes to sleep, I am a 10 hour a night type of person. After arriving home from the hospital around 7 am, I forced myself to stay up so as not to completely throw off my sleep cycle. I pretty much moved through the day like a zombie. I hung in there until around 7:30 pm, when I completely crashed and didn't wake up until Tuesday at 9 am. Although I slept for all that time, I still felt exhausted. I think being a doula takes it out of you both physically and mentally. It always takes me a few days to recover. Brian took over on the kids and gave me some time to come back to reality. He can be such a sweetie.

O.K. anyway, the purpose of this Monday Munchie is to share information about a bread I had never heard of until last week. The bread was first mentioned in the bible in Ezekiel 4:9. He was told to take unto him wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelt, and put them into one vessle and make bread. Apparently this is what he lived on in the wilderness. So, after having read about various health gurus eating it. I decided to give it a try. I have found this bread at natural grocery stores for anywhere from $4-$8 per loaf, so it's definitely worth making it if you can. I was going to post a picture of my lovely bread, but unfortunately I got distracted and forgot.

My whole family really liked the bread. I found the recipe under Ezekiel Bread at All Recipes. Here's the link: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Ezekiel-Bread-I/Detail.aspx

Be prepared to grind alot. It calls for flour from kidney beans, spelt, millett, great northern beans, barley, pinto beans, and wheat. This bread is pretty sweet. It requires a full cup of honey. Although my family loves sweet bread, I prefer a more savory variety.

I think next week when I make the bread, I'll substitute Agave nectar for the honey. That way it won't be quite so sweet, and it will have a lower glycemic index. For those of you who have never heard of Agave nectar, it's nectar from a plant. It looks similar to honey, and while it is sweet, it's not quite as sweet. It has avery low glycemic index, so you don't get the blood sugar spike that you would with regular sugar or honey. A few months ago I could only find it at health food stores, but I noticed last week that City Market (Smiths) has started carrying it. Here's a picture so you know what you're looking for:

Anyway, with all of the ingredients combined, this bread makes a complete protein. I have stored mine in the fridge, and I'm just having a slice at breakfast with a little spectrum spread.

I have also read about about Essene bread. It's basically the same ingredients as Ezekiel bread, only you sprout the grains before grinding them. Since I have had bad luck sprouting wheat, I am a little leary of putting in the effort. I'd love to know if anyone has made it successfully though!

Happy Holidays

Brian's sister, Melanie, came for Christmas and we had a great time. We went ice skating. (Although I forgot the camera.) Also, we took a jaunt up to the monument. Luckily, Melanie remembered her camera and was willing to share some photos. Covered in snow, the monument was breathtaking. Corbin had fun stomping around smashing things.

Mmmm . . .Tamales!

Several years ago, while living in New Mexico, a friend invited me to come to her home and make tamales. I didn't tell her I had no idea what they were. (I'm sure she figured it out quickly though, when I asked her if the corn husks really taste good.) I still remember her trying to suppress hysterical laughter while explaining to me that you don't actually eat the husks. She also asked if I wanted to make hot or mild. At the time, I was actually purchasing 'extra mild' salsa, so you can imagine my reply.

Since then, I have developed a great appreciation for spicy foods. In fact, I was very disappointed a couple weeks ago. I tried the supposed "Dragon Sauce" at a local restaurant in our town. They claim it's soo hot you'll breathe fire! Unfortunately, there wasn't even a spark.


Anyway, for the past few weeks I have been craving tamales. I think my brain has just been saying "It's Christmas. Time to eat tamales." In New Mexico, you can find them everywhere from the grocery store parking lot (women will come up and ask if you want to buy them) to church dinners. Here, I don't have that luxury. So today I made Tamales myself.


Nya helped, and we ended up with around 6 dozen (not including the ones we scarfed down as soon as they were done steaming!) We made 3 kinds: extra spicy pork in red chile sauce, vegetarian with corn, green chile's, and cheese, and mild ones for the kids.


Now that I have had a few tamales it really feels like Christmas. It has also made me a little homesick for New Mexico. It's a place so rich with tradition and culture! I feel very blessed to have lived there.
I think I am going to start making tamales every year at Christmas from now on.

Monday Munchies- Fidgeting, Kettlebells and Stride Cycles

I just wanted to share a quick post about a couple things I've been doing for the past few weeks. I don't know if I've lost any weight, (the batteries are dead on my scale) but I have noticed my jeans getting a little looser. I typically find weighing myself to be an inaccurate indication of my overall health. When I am in great shape I actually gain weight. (Probably because muscle weighs more than fat.) When I'm sedentary, I lose weight, but my body spreads out. . . .

Brian was telling me about a study he shares with his classes. The study looked at two men, roughly the same height, caloric intake, and lifestyle. For some reason, one of the men was much, much thinner than the other. The study was looking at possible reasons for this, and found that the thinner man fidgeted ALL the time. He was constantly twiddling his thumbs, bouncing his legs, crossing and uncrossing them, and just generally never sat still. The people conducting the study estimated that just by fidgeting alone, the thin man was burning an extra 300+ calories a day.

So, I have started trying to make better choices in order to burn a few extra calories. These choices include: parking further away from stores when I go shopping, using a stride cycle when I watch T.V., and consciously fidgeting more. I wanted to implement these things on top of the exercises I already do. They are not intended to replace anything. So could a Stride Cycle alone make people lose all their unwanted weight? Unless you were to cycle for the entire day, the answer is no. However, adding it to an exercise plan could help burn a few extra calories. I use it when I'm watching T.V. in the evening, and would otherwise just be sitting still. In order to get my heart rate up I have to move my arms as well. (Brian has found this amusing!) I found the Stride Cycle at a GNC store for $11.

The next thing I have recently discovered is Kettlebells. My mother in law found an article about a lady who competed in an Iron Man competition. After months of training and hundreds of miles, the woman only lost 6 pounds. I believe this. After training for my half marathon last summer, I didn't lose any additional weight. It makes me sick, ALL that running and I lost NOTHING!!!

Anyway, the lady in the article is now a super buff, fit chick. She said she started using a kettle bell to achieve this. I had no idea what that was, so of course I turned to my trusty computer and began researching. If you've never heard of a kettlebell, here is a pic:

Basically, it's a weight with a handle. Unlike traditional dumbbells, the kettlebell is used with continuous motion. So, you are killing two birds with one stone. You're getting weight lifting with cardio at the same time. (Being cheap, I have tried to do some kettlebell exercises with a regular dumbbell and it just doesn't work.) I bought my kettlebell at Sports Authority the day after Thanksgiving for $30. I know Wal Mart has them for $30 as well. I've read that the average woman should start with 18pounds. I've been using it since the day I bought it, and I can tell a big difference already! Other than being really sore, (which I am) things are starting to tighten up a bit. There are some great exercises on YouTube if you look up Kettlebell workouts. Then you can see what I'm talking about in action.

I'll keep posting about my progress or lack of progress. Hope this wasn't a major snooze post for anyone.

Monday Munchies - Wheatgrass and Green Drinks

After Thanksgiving I decided to reflect upon my health as of recent months. Since we moved, we no longer have a garden. Also, groceries are WAY more expensive here. So, in order to accommodate our budget, I have begun including foods in my diet that I previously didn't eat. (ie. cold cereal, a variety of meats, and more refined carbs.)

I think Thanksgiving and the meals surrounding it finally called my attention to the fact that my health has been going downhill as a result of these new additions. To put it simply. . . I have felt like crap.

So in an effort to reaffirm my dedication to good health and hopefully greater longevity, I have decided to start posting "Monday Munchies." Each week I will be sharing tidbits about my trials and errors, my latest health interests, recipes, etc. I am also looking for ways to cut costs on my previously vegetarian diet. This way I can resume it guilt-free!

I know there are only about 5 of you who actually read my blog, but please feel free to share anything food/health/exercise/grocery shopping related. I would love to hear what works for you and your friends/family.

*Lurkers- I am happy to make new friends. If you have anything to add, please do so!

This week: I wanted to share a green drink recipe from a great vegetarian book called "Original Fast Foods." It's a book written from an LDS perspective. My entire family loves this drink. (Even Brian enjoys it!) It's a tasty way to incorporate fresh greens into your diet. Corbin and Nya will actually fight over this one! We usually have it for breakfast.

Green Smoothie:

4 c. Spinach, Kale, or other green leafy (if you have a small blender, reduce the greens by a little.)

2 Bananas

1 c. other fruit of your choice (These can be fresh or frozen.) You may have to reduce these as well, depending on your blender size. Hint #1: Blueberries and Blackberries will turn the drink a murky purple. This may help if your family doesn't like the green color. Hint #2 Oranges taste pretty nasty in this. I'd avoid them for this drink.

2 c. Juice (I prefer to use apple juice without any added sugar. For a special treat, Old Orchard makes an Apple, Mango, Passion juice that is divine with this recipe.) It's a concentrate, so you have to mix it separately in a pitcher and then pour what you need into the blender. It does contain a lot of sugar though, so be careful.

Instructions:

Put your greens in a blender. Next add your bananas and other fruit. Last, add juice. I usually make sure I have enough juice to cover everything else. Then blend and enjoy! You can blend to your preference. I like chunky, but my family prefers it really smooth. It's up to you.

Wheat Grass: My second agenda item is Wheat Grass. I have had great success sprouting alfalfa, and various lentils. However, for some reason, I can never get luscious wheat grass. This is what I want:
Unfortunately, this is not what I end up with. Typically nothing happens.
I have used soil, sprouting trays, even newspaper. I usually soak for 12 hours. Then rinse about every 8 hours. Have any of you ever sprouted wheat grass? I'd love to know what works for you. Wheat grass is high in antioxidants, vitamin C, and protein. It'd be great to have a healthy crop. I am determined to figure this one out.