Do not let your caregiver bully you into giving up your rights for their convenience.
You have rights. It is important in a time where POLICIES are being placed before patient rights to know what your rights are.
Discuss your rights and your birth preferences with your caregiver early on. You may even want to interview potential caregivers before your pregnancy to determine who might be a good fit for you.
Download your free birth plan worksheet here!
**As with all procedures and interventions, please do your own research and decide if the results of the procedure outweigh the associated risks.
This week, we are going to discover that
What is Pitocin? Pitocin is a synthetic (man-made) form of Oxytocin.
Oxytocin is a hormone that is released during labor that helps the uterus contract. Oxytocin is also released during sex and breastfeeding. During breastfeeding, oxytocin promotes the movement of milk into the breasts, allowing it to be excreted by the nipple.
During labor, your doctor may suggest using Pitocin to jump start your labor or to increase the strength of your contractions.
Moms who have had pitocin in labor state that the contractions produced by Pitocin are more intense and closer together than natural contractions.
But what are the risks associated with Pitocin?
Most hospitals have a policy that once they start Pitocin, you have to progress at a set rate and must be complete within so many hours. If you do not “perform” correctly, then you will be pushed to have a C-Section.
Because the contractions are not working with your regular body rhythm, the added hormones and intensity of the contractions can cause the baby to stress out. This can result in a drop in fetal heart rate. This will likely result in more interventions and possible C-section. Risks to the baby include:
The research shows that if you are starting with an unripe cervix and no signs of labor, then using Pitocin will not shorten your labor, it may actually increase the length of time you labor. The most obvious reason for this would be that your body simply is not ready for labor.
In opposition, if your body is showing signs of early labor, then augmenting labor can be helpful if you need to get over a hump, or to get your body into a good rhythm.
Labor is HARD work. You need to stay hydrated and eat to keep your energy up for all of the work that you will need to do to bring your beautiful baby into the world!
There has been a long-standing policy in most hospitals that you cannot eat or drink anything except for ice chips while you are in the hospital.
This policy is not for your benefit.
The no food or drink policy is solely for the convenience of the hospital staff. Specifically for the anesthesiologist in CASE you have an emergency and in CASE you need anesthesia during your emergency, and in CASE the anesthesia causes you to vomit while on anesthesia.
The truth is it is VERY important that you stay hydrated during labor. This will help increase your energy and stamina.
Eating small amounts in the beginning of labor is also helpful to keep your energy levels up. I recommend a high protein snack such as cheese cubes, peanut butter and jelly sandwich, yogurt, or anything that sounds good to you.
When you are in active labor, then you won’t feel like eating much. Most likely, your mind will be on other things.
If you find yourself waning during labor, suck on a lollipop or honey stick for a quick boost of energy.
REMEMBER: Drink plenty of water!
Imagine trying to run a marathon with shackles on your ankles.
That’s kind of what it is like giving birth and being strapped to a bed- hooked up to IV’s and monitors and trying to labor a baby into the world.
It is better for both you and the baby to be able to move around and change positions frequently.
Studies show that the movement and change in position allow the baby to move into the correct position for delivery.
YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/delivery.htm
Crystal is a local portrait photographer currently residing in the Savannah, Georgia area. She loves Jesus, coffee, and her family- usually in that order. She has seven children ages 15-24 and has loved (almost) every moment of being a mom.
If you need her, she is usually at the beach.
Her love for families includes capturing every moment of motherhood, as well as educating empowering and equipping mothers to have the birth experiences that they deserve.
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Her Instagram page capturing savannah is dedicated to the journey of motherhood.
She also has a deep love of celebrating high school seniors as you can tell by her seniors only website and IG
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Copyright 2020 Crystal and Lace Photography
Among all of the beautiful wonderful things that you were created to do, you were created to become a mother.
You were created to bring this little life into this crazy world and love him like no one else can.
I want you to look back at your birth story and see how strong, beautiful and courageous you are
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