The Ten Month Mama Page
Compiled by LLM
My Ten Month Baby Sean at about 4 months
old (he was born at 46 weeks gestation at home).
Ten month pregnancies can be tiring and eroding,
but for some women- it is simply how long we are
intended to gestate.
Think of it this way: I was 11 when I got my
first period; my best friend was 13. We "ripened"
at different ages. People ripen prenatally at
different ages, too: some women take as long as
46 weeks before their babies are ready to come
out. (Women like me.)
In healthy, well-fed women long pregnancies don't
lead to brain damaged, nutrient-starved babies!
It's actually the opposite: my own "late"
babies- my 6th and 7th children- are bright, precocious,
healthy, darling, uniquely gifted in language-
it would have been unthinkable to steal away their
precious pregnancy time for my own convenience,
or to follow some ridiculous, arbitrary medical
timetable. (It would have been equally unthinkable
to "naturally induce"- an oxymoron if
there ever was one.)
And even though these babies were my biggest
(10.8 lbs and 12.6 lbs respectively), their births
were my least painful, most straightforward, and
quickest: my body had lots of time to soften and
prepare for birth, and when my time came, I was
ready (as were my babies).
My Ten Month Baby Skye at 3 years old (he
was born at 44 weeks gestation at home).
It is normal, natural and healthy to be a Ten
Month Mama. (I myself am a child born when my
mother was ten months pregnant!) I will always
deeply regret once believing otherwise- and allowing
four of my five hospital-borne children to be
taken from me by induction drugs and manipulations
before their true birthing times came. (The only
child who was not induced was removed by cesaran
section.)
My Ten Month Babies together in a box...
(3 1/2 and 1 1/2) To see more pictures
of Sean and Skye, go here.
On this page (click to go to the desired section):
Also see: Induction
Dangers and Ten Month
Mamas Rule.
Poems, Birth Stories and
Pregnancy Journals
LLM's Ten Month Mama Stories
- Rape of the Twentieth
Century -this includes the story of
my sixth child's ten month pregnancy. (Learning
to trust my body before his birth was the trial
of my life- and an act of faith that changed
my life forever.)
- It Hurts
to be a Ten Month Mama- written in my 7th's
child laaaaaate pregnancy- at about 44 weeks.
- I'm Proud to be a Ten
Month Mama Ten month pregnancies are to
be celebrated! Inducing birth is like destroying
an ancient forest: a crass, petty manipulation
of Nature's beauty and resources that will haunt
humanity forever. This was written when my seventh
baby was about six weeks old.
- Sean Christopher
McCracken A page my husband created just
hours after our 7th child's birth. (Women: know
that if your partners assume their full places
in the birth experience, they will become better
fathers.)
- This One's
For the Babies This is the title of
my 7th child's birth story. It discusses not
only what happened in his birth, but how his
46 week, unassisted homebirth actually saved
his life.
Chandler's
Birth Story Kymberli's fifth baby is born
blissfully and unassisted at home in the water.
Kymberli was 26 days "overdue"! (Way
to go ten month mama Kymberli!)
Nykki's Birth
Story Erin's first baby was born at 46 weeks
gestation at home with her midwife attending.
Way to go Erin!!! Erin had felt discouraged at
how slowly everything seemed to be going, but
the speed of her birth accelerated when her cervix
was 5cm dilated.
The
Arrival (at last!) Of Tabitha Cerys King Tabitha
was born at 43 1/2 weeks at home in England; her
birth was beautifully emotional for Joanne- she
was so happy to have a little girl. Noteworthy:
Joanne refused hospital induction on the grounds
that an induction would lead to more complications
than waiting it out, and that she "fibbed"-
to great result- about her due date to her midwives.
Ten month baby genius
"My first child was due Oct 1, and I did
not have him until Oct. 31. He is a gifted child,
teaching himself walk at seven months and to
read at two, and scoring in the 99th percentile
on intelligence tests. Recently I have heard
stories that premature babies are developmentally
benign and never do fully catch up. I was so
shocked when my hours-old newborn I was holding
lifted up his own head and learned back to look
at me! Just a theory!!!
"The only thing about the pregnancy was
it was long. I had a rupture in my water at
7 months. It was a tear on top so only a little
spilled out, but after that my doc had me come
in once a week for three months because they
thought the delivery could be anytime. Then
my sister who was due two weeks after me gave
birth, that was the hardest part after thinking
he would come early, watching my sister with
her baby. I was beginning to get depressed!!
I was scheduled to have a stress test (to see
how the baby was doing) and whether they were
going to induce or not, but I delivered a couple
days before the test. The labor was about 24
hours (first baby.) I did have pitocin a few
hours into labor, and had my waters broken (after
the preterm leaking!). It was a normal delivery.
"The only thing that was a little unusual
about going a month past my delivery date was
the pediatrician remarked that the baby looked
like he had been in the womb about two weeks
too long. He had sheets of skin peeling off
because he had lost his protective, water-resistant
coating and had been soaking in water all that
time. Other than that, the Apgar score was very
high and he was a very strong baby."
-Janine
Krehbiel
A Family of Ten Month Mamas
"I was born at forty-two weeks gestation,
and my sister was born at forty-five weeks.
My sister is three years younger than me; my
mum actually had a wonderful doctor in the United
Kingdom (!!!!) who despite all pressure from
his peers allowed her to go as long as she needed
to. My mother told me that her mother had long
pregnancies too.
"I was induced in my own child's birth
much against my better judgement and it ended
up in a... surprise surprise... elective caesarean
section. One of the things I will be making
clear to the midwives who attend my next pregnancy
(if I am lucky enough to have one :)) is that
I am fully expecting to go beyond the 'accepted'
term and that I will not be induced under any
circumstances other than severe danger to the
baby or myself. I am absolutely POSITIVE that
if I had been left another week my son would
have come out quite happily on his own. Never
mind :) There is always a next time :)"
-Ana Hughes
Three Strong Moms
"The young, first time mom in the middle,
Julia, 17, went 43 weeks, and 4 days. She had
a 30 hour labor, and 2 1Ê2 hours of pushing.
She gave birth without a midwife helping her.
She is quite proud of herself, and now has a
lot of self confidence. She also helped the
mom who came over to her mother's house, and
Julia, and her mother took care of the birthing
mom on the right. I call them 'Three Strong
Moms'." -Jerry
Whiting, Tijuana, Mexico
Waiting
Dear Baby, here beneath my heart,
I thought that you might come today;
The timing seemed just right.
But the stars are out
And the moon is high
And sheepishly I wonder why
I try to arrange the plans
Of God.
For now I know
You will not come
Until the One who holds eternity
Rustles your soft cocoon
And whispers in tones that I will not hear,
"It's time, precious gift."
"Now it's time."
-by Robin Jones Gunn
Waiting
for Scout Geoff writes about his family's
first homebirth (he caught the baby!). According
to the hospitals calculations, his partner was
44 weeks pregnant at the time of birth; according
to theirs, she was 42 1/2 weeks. This includes
how Geoff grew patience to "wait it out",
and the needed power to keep the "inducers"
at bay. This includes many photos.
"I have had 44 week, 43, 44, and 38 week
gestations. Each baby was very healthy."
-Dawn Cockrell
We Did it Alone! Darlene gave birth
to her fifth child unassisted at home at 44 weeks
gestation. external link
Ten Month Mama VBAC
"I had my son at exactly 44wks. Basheer
was born on 2/18/02 at 2:09am. I was in labor
for three days. I spent two of them at home,
and on the third day I was so tired that the
pain from the 'baby hugs' had me doubting myself.
I don't think I knew what to expect during a
natural birth. I would definitely like to learn
more about long pregnancies and births so that
next time I will be better prepared.
"When I got to the hospital, the one really
cool midwife was there, and there was no pressure
to do anything I didn't want to do. But eventually
the evil midwife came on shift and I had to
fight for my birth. I thwarted her diabolical
plan for another c-section by going into the
bathroom and had her under the impression that
I was only going in to use the facility.
"I pushed my 9lb 8oz son's head out and
the stupid midwife had me hobble over to a bed
where the rest of my son slithered out effortlessly!
No tears, shoulders fit fine, five pushes!"
-Donna
Andrew's
Birth Jenny gave birth unassisted at home
after a healthy 45 week pregnancy. She encountered
problems though when she took some black and blue
cohosh to "get things going", on the
poor advice of a chiropractor.
The Story
of Kishkalena's Birth April gives birth three
weeks past her "due date" unassisted
at home with her husband and little son in attendance.
A very honestly and sweetly told story.
Oak
Loyer: The Birth of My Brother This moving
story is told by the mother, the midwife, and
the daughter, who was two when her brother was
born at ten months gestation at home. Includes
pictures.
The
Story of Jill's First Birth Jill was 45 weeks
pregnant when she gave birth to her first child.
She had an induction, which led to a lot of pain-
but she learned a lot from the experience. Note
that Jill's doctor was uncommonly positive about
"postdates", and that her ten month
baby was very healthy.
Our Journey
to Birth Freedom This birth story is so richly,
spiritually told. Marcia Carlson had three needless
cesareans, then four VBACs- one in the hospital
(at 44 weeks pregnant and in a self-determined
squat!), then three at home: her first was a homebirth
with a midwife attending, then her last two babies
were born unassisted. Note that her home-borne
babies were "late" as well. A must-read.
Ella
Mae's Birth Story This story is sweet and
touching. Ella was born at 43 weeks gestation,
in peace and beauty, unassisted at home. Note
that she was 11 lbs at birth, and that her placeenta
took three hours to be born.
Charlie's Birth
Kiley's third child was born unassisted at home
at 43 1/2 weeks gestation. (Kiley had two previous
c-sections.)
"Late"
Babies Augustine Daniels tells the stories
of her two unassisted homebirths. She was weeks
"overdue" with both babies, and had
more pain and drama in her births (one a waterbirth)
than she had counted on! She is sure she would
have had sections for both births had she chosen
to be in her local military hospital. Includes
lovely photos.
Erica Johns' Birth
Stories and Ten Month Mama Pregnancy Journal
Erica talks about her thoughts and feelings in
the tenth month of her fifth child's pregnancy;
and then about the waterbirth that came at 45
weeks gestation. Note that this page includes
the birth stories of her first four children.
Ten Month Baby Judah
at 8 months old
Articles about Long Pregnancies
The
Inducing Nightmare Ten Month Mama Erin Donnelly
Sigman writes her heart out about the perils of
being a Woman in today's world- everything from
ingrained shame about our Vaginas to being coaxed
into making our babies be born too soon. Says
Erin about the choice that all mother have about
birth:
"Your baby's birth is the most important
event in the relationship the two of you will
have. It will set the precedent for your entire
lives together. Do you really want it to be
one of fear, both on your part and your baby's?
Do you want it to be a white, lab coat, drug
induced nightmare or a soft relaxing, low lit,
waking dream? Do you want to gaze into your
baby's eyes and suckle him or her at your breast,
or do you want to lie in a bed, your ankles
in stirrups, drugged out of you mind, while
your equally drugged baby is whisked off, isolated
and treated for all the medical issues inducement
caused? Do you want him or her to deal with
those issues, those horrible subconscious memories
for the rest of his or her life? Of course any
mother would answer, "No! I want a beautiful
birth and a healthy child!" So why aren't
women being empowered? Why are babies being
harmed and even killed, why are women's uteruses
rupturing? Why, oh why on earth are we inducing?"
"Due
Date" Blues A midwife writes about the
challenges women in late pregnancy face, and the
trustworthiness of women's bodies in deciding
when babies should be born. Included: the story
of a VBAC mom who gave birth at home "postdates".
A
Look at Postdates Studies (and the fuzzy
thinking that accompanies them!) Midwife Gail
Hart looks at the bizarre thinking that fuels
much of the current induction hysteria.
The Sweetest
Month Ten Month Mama Kiley Myers writes about
how her tenth month of pregnancy brought her and
her husband closer together than they ever had
been.
Calcifications
of the Placenta: What Are They, Do They Matter?
A "calcifying placenta" is frequently
used as an excuse to pressure women into induction
of labor after 41 weeks of pregnancy. But is this
a reasonable excuse to induce?
Induced Labor and
Informed Consent in Canada by Gail J. Dahl.
This is the story of how one woman's hospital
birth experience turned her from a real estate
agent into a bestselling author and childbirth
and midwifery activist. Includes mention of how
there is no good proof at all that babies must
be born at a certain time. A must-read!
Induction Dangers
Chemical labor inductions are dangerous to both
mother and child, and can lead to even more interventions.
Mothers Who Carry Longer
Than Is Accepted Midwife Mary Ann Watson shares
her wisdom and experiences about "post term"
pregnancies. Note that she has attended women
who have gone to 47 weeks pregnant- both women
had radiant, healthy babies.
Tips for Ten Month Mamas
-by LLM and Gloria Lemay
- AVOID SUGAR. This cannot be overstressed-
sudden drastic peaks in maternal blood sugar
can harm a baby. (I even know of one baby who
died in utero after his mom, at 43 weeks with
undiagnosed gestational diabetes, ate two ice
cream sundaes). Drink no fruit juice either,
and avoid the simple sugars found in refined
foods, like white flour products.
- Eat lots of high quality protein foods, and
keep your blood iron levels high.
- Eat lots of dark leafy greens for the nutrients,
and to fight constipation.
- No drugs!!! (Including alcohol and "natural
herbals" that are smoked.)
- Remember to exercise- swimming is best. Exercise
has been shown to reduce the likelihood of developing
gestational diabetes by HALF.
- If you can't sleep, use that time to write,
draw, paint, look at the night sky- connect
with your creative and spiritual side.
- Remember that the fruit that is taken before
it is ripe is hard, bitter, and not able to
bear seeds well that will propagate new life.
Adding chemicals to ripen fruit leads to an
inferior product as well. And when fruit is
chemically treated to appear ripe, it tends
to rot from the inside (right at the pit) outwards.
This bizarre process is like how the effect
of induction agents eat right through the posterior
fornix of the cervix, causing back wall ruptures
of the uterus.
- Trust in your body, trust in your birth. Nature
is brilliant; human minds are flawed.
- Avoid people who give you fear "vibes"-
even your mother.
- Set your answering machine so your phone only
rings once, and give updates in your message,
if you like. DON'T PICK UP THE PHONE if you're
feeling weak and sad inside- an invitation to
callous people to start to hassle you!
- Connect with other ten month mamas- we are
few and far between with the current induction
epidemic, but we do exist- and can offer great
support to each other.
- Rest if you want, walk if you want, eat if
you want- do what feels right (as long as that
doesn't involve chocolate bars).
- Have lots of orgasms. They are relaxing, and
wonderful for preparing your body for birth.
- Some women like to drink red raspberry leaf
tea (I never bother, personally.)
- For most women, long pregnancies are safer
and healthier than labor inductions- which carry
far greater risks in and of themselves. If confronted
by hostile people, tell them that labor inductions
are dangerous, unproven, and put you and your
baby at risk of a hazardous cascade of interventions-
possibly leading to c-section. Also tell them
that your baby is smart enough to pick her own
birthday.
- Remember that your body was smart enough to
conceive, and then grow a child beautifully;
it is also smart enough to know when it is the
right time to give birth.
How can you tell your baby is doing well past
40 weeks of pregnancy?
Two ways.
- One: heart rate- and you don't need a fetoscope.
Have your partner put his ear to your lower
belly with a toilet paper roll- let him move
around from place to place to find a good spot.
The baby's heart rate, if he is listening carefully
and patiently, should be evident. 140-160 beats
per minute is good.
- Two: do the Cardiff fetal movement test. From
9am to 3pm count each of your baby's movements-
there should be 10 movements at least in that
time frame.
Quotes and Wisdom about
Long Pregnancies
"Postdates" does not mean "postmature",
and ensuring a good outcome
"Maternal weight loss is the key: it can
tell us if the placenta is beginning to lose
function (which causes the baby's rate of growth
to slow, and the amniotic fluid to decrease.
But as long as the baby is still gaining wieght,
and there is plenty of amniotic fluid. then
the kids can go a long time over dates. The
little bit of weight a kid gains each week after
40 weeks isn't likely to be a factor on birth
(rate of growth slows to about 4 - 6 oz a week
after 39/40 weeks). A kid who is big at 41 is
still going to be big at 43, and that little
bit extra won't be a factor then- unless the
fit was so tight it would have been a factor
earlier. Only in the most rare case is 'size'-
by itself- a factor in birth.
"But we need to watch kids after 43 weeks.
The rate of stillbirth does start to rise- very
slowly- after 43 weeks (NOT 'after forty' as
some have been taught!). The rate rises more
steeply with later dates- post 44, 45. We need
to be watchful for signs of dysmaturity. The
kid who has little amniotic fluid and is sort
of 'shrink wrapped' in the womb may be in big
big trouble within a few days, if not hours!
He needs to get born! But most kids aren't like
that. Most kids do great- and the calendar means
nothing to them. Our job as midwives is to find
the ones who are getting sick. I've had a good
number of moms over the years go to 43 weeks-
and a few over that- with no problems. I've
also had the occasional kid who had GOOD dates
and was on-time, yet looked like the baby we
call 'post-dates' (clearly lost weight, little
water and meconium stained).
"I think we should follow the lead of
some texts which advocate using the term 'dysmature'
for baby's who show that syndrome- because it
can happen at any point, and the great majority
of babies who are 'post-dates' are not 'post-mature'
or 'dysmature'. The stats point out that less
than 10% of babies at 43 completed weeks show
any signs of 'post-maturity'."
Gail Hart, Midwife, Oregon
www.midwiferyeducation.org
Every
Mom is different and has varied gestation cycles
"Most births that I attend end on their
own from 40-42 weeks. I have done a few that
were 43-44 weeks. In my opinion, let the Mom
go unless there is a cause to intervene, besides
the normal, 'I want to have my baby now'. :
) Remembering that two weeks either way of the
'estimated' due date is very normal. Then add
that every Mom is different and has varied gestation
cycles. Who are we to say in a normal healthy
pregnancy: 'you need to have your baby now'?
In most cases, it takes a lot of encouragement
from me for the moms. As we all know, the last
weeks and days feel like forever and when there
was still no babe, moms would be very anxious
(to have babe in arms). So, lots of encouraging
words, lots of humor, and lots of patience!"
-Jill Peck-Colin,
CPM Las Vegas, NV
Prond Mama Apple Tree, letting her babies grow
"Babies really need to 'ripen' in their
own way- regardless of whether that fits an
arbitrary timetable or not.
"Imagine a tree filled with apples. Now
we all know that some apples ripen early, many
at the same time, some much later- we all know
about how one apple will just stay on the tree
for days and days- even weeks- after all the
others have fallen off. I have personally waited
for apples like that- and gently shaking the
tree has no effect on getting them to come off.
Whacking the apple with a stick would make it
fall off... but the apple would not be at its
most delectable. So- I wait, and my reward is
a sweet, big, juicy apple.
"Well hitting the apple to get it off
before its ripe time is like inducing a baby
because of 'postdates'- making it be born just
because other babies mature earlier. And I would
rather get hit as a baby than be made to be
born before my time, before my systems and brain
have 'ripened' to what they need to be for my
own optimal health and wellbeing. Induction
is a grave insult to the baby.
"My own babies are like those apples that
take so long to come off. I wait and I wait-
and when the time is right, my babies come down
to me- as perfect as their internal schedules
dictate they should be. And, writing this in
my tenth month of my tenth pregnancy, I'm proud
to be that strong, healthy mama apple tree-
and I will nourish my newest baby as long as
he or she needs." -LLM,
March, 2002
Lots of late babies in her practice
"I have a good number of late for dates
babies every year and that I find a healthy,
well-fed woman usually grows a baby longer,
and that's not necessarily all bad. Women just
need and want reassurance that it's OK. I've
assisted women as late as 43 and 44 weeks at
home with no repercussions, but I think it's
a good idea to have a good score with a biophysical
profile and/or non stress test. I have also
seen women birth in hospitals on my L&D
unit (years before my midwifery calling) birth
that late both fine and not so fine, yet most
did birth without a hitch.
"Historically, I've heard of fine babies
birthed at 10+ calendar months. The Christian
missionary Nora Lam from China birthed her son
after being in a concentration camp years ago
(verified by Chinese doctors at that time) at
exactly 12 months. Apparently, it wasn't 'safe'for
her to let go of her baby boy during her interment.
Once she was allowed to leave, she successfully
gave birth to him." -Lynda
Sizemore CM, RM, Colorado
Meconium in postdates babies
"The philosophy that women should be induced
to prevent having a baby with meconium in the
amniotic fluid ignores the possibility that
the induction causes the passing of meconium.
I have seen a lot of late babies in my career.
We seem to grow them big and late up here in
the Pacific Northwest, just like the trees.
I very seldom see meconium in the amniotic fluid
of 42 week plus babies.
"I associate meconium in the amniotic
fluid with smokers (dope or nicotine) in the
few cases I do see. Every time a woman smokes
a cigarette it has the effect that putting a
pillow over the face of a little baby would
have. When the baby is getting mature it can
evacuate the bowel as a response to oxygen deprivation.
You know the expression 'scared the s___ out
of him' - when we're scared, smothered or choked
we will poop or have diarrhea as a defense.
When they used to hang prisoners by the neck,
they knew that they would poop once the oxygen
was cut off.
"The thing about meconium is that it's
not really a problem. It's a wake-up sign for
the practitioner to watch for distress but it's
estimated (don't know by who) that only 10%
of the time it is distress. The other 90% of
the time it means nothing. So, to induce thinking
you're going to prevent it is ridiculous."
-Gloria Lemay, Vancouver BC. For more about
meconium, go here.
Babies mature at their own rate
"Some babies take longer to bake. Just
think about babies' development after birth:
there is great variation in when they reach
certain milestones of growth, activity, achievement,
etc. Why do we expect them to all mature at
the same rate in utero?
"I have done a birth for a woman an absolutely-known
conception date- she went 42 1/2 wks and had
a term-looking baby, clear fluid, lots of vernix.
I did a birth for a woman with twins this Spring-
Baby #1 weighed 7 lbs and looked full-term.
Baby #2 weighed 4 lbs12oz and looked about 35-36
wks. They were born at 39.1 wks. NO QUESTION
about any of those conception dates/gestational
ages." -Patrice Bobier, Midwife in Michigan
Letting births happen in their own time
"There is a sort of chemical ‘combination
lock' that starts labor. Everything has to be
lined up just right to ‘unlock' a good
labor pattern. When we interfere with that,
it can be as frustrating as using the wrong
combination of numbers to open a locked safe."
-Midwife Gail Hart, "The Birthkit",
Autumn 2000
Should women be induced when they go "postdates"?
"Women in good health (non-smokers, with
normal blood pressure, and no history of diabetes)
are best left to have the baby by Nature's clock.
There is no SAFE induction method." -Gloria
Lemay, private birth attendant
Advice for women with long pregnancies
"With my last (my 7th) I was in prodomal
labour for a good 6 weeks, and she came 4 weeks
later than all the rest. She decided to come
once I had given up watching and waiting for
her. Let yourself relax and do stuff just for
you, it may be the last time for quite a while.
Enjoy those last little kicks and movements.
I missed them almost right after the birth,
and feel some regret for not enjoying the last
days of pregnancy. It was probably my last."
-Jamie
Lovely blossoms open when they're ready
"Attending births is like growing roses.
You have to marvel at the ones that just open
up and bloom at the first kiss of the sun, but
you wouldn't dream of pulling open the petals
of the tightly closed buds, and forcing them
to blossom to your time line. " -Gloria
Lemay
From a doctor regarding postmature babies
"In the eight years when I practiced homebirths
as a registered doctor, out of the 1,190 bookings
I had 106 postmature babies (more than 42 weeks)
of which three went to 48 weeks, a few more
went to 46 weeks, and lots went to 44 weeks-
and all these babies fared very well. Of those
106 babies, only one fitted the textbook description
of postmaturity, looking like a little wrinkled
old man with stained skin, but that baby was
extremely alert, and insisted on looking around
the room instead of suckling.
"What decided me to do no inductions for
postmaturity was a very early mother in my homebirth
series who refused induction despite my anxiety,
went to 44 and a half weeks and gave birth to
a chubby pink, strong healthy baby, with absolutely
no sign of postmaturity. Babies mature at different
rates, not exactly at 40 weeks, just as we adults
do not become senile at seventy years."
-John Stevenson, MD, "The Birthkit",
Autumn 2000
Note that Dr. Stevenson also advises prospective
parents to not tell family and friends exact "due
dates", but to be vague, with "due seasons"
to avoid being pestered by nervous well-wishers.
God Knows Babies
"I've come to realize that a God who is
big enough to so perfectly form little eyes
and ears and a little round nose and a heart
and lungs and every single part of a little
person is certainly big enough to work out the
details of their coming into the world."
-Vicki in Mars, PA
About castor oil inductions and impatient midwives
"Inducing with castor oil isn't safe.
Once swallowed the castor oil is hydrolized
by intestinal lipases to recinoleic acid which
stimulates intestinal secretion, decreases glucose
absorption and increases intestinal motility.
Castor oil is used in lipsticks, too. Many women
who can tolerate the oil quite well on their
lips get a reaction on their mouths if the oil
converts to recinoleic acid. My question to
a midwife who says castor oil is not absorbed
is 'Would you please provide me with references
for that statement'.
"It's not so long ago that birthing women
were given soap suds enemas (high, hot and a
helluva lot) because someone started a rumour
that soap was not absorbed through the colon.
We know this is not true and that this black
page in Obstetric history is best forgotten.
Too many women have turned from saying 'My doctor
says' to saying 'My midwife says'. Take responsibility
for your and your family's health. It's fine
to respect professionals but ask for references
on everything you're not l00 % sure of and use
your internet to scope things out. There is
so much crap that passes for science without
anyone questioning it.
"On the subject of all the women in a
hurry to get their babies born: I was 3 weeks
'overdue' with my oldest daughter. What really
helped me was that I had lunch with a friend
at about 8 mos pregnancy. Her son had been born
6 months before. When she saw me walk in the
restaurant all hugely pregnant she said 'Oh,
Gloria, when I see you I miss my pregnancy so
much'. I knew that one day I'd be saying that,
too, so I made up my mind to enjoy it as long
as poss. and I'm so glad I did. Six months from
now you'll be wondering what the rush was. I
worry about women taking castor oil because
you also give your baby castor oil when you
take it through the gut. This means the baby
will get diarhea and pass mec, too. then you're
into all the transports for mec.
"The other thing about self-inducing is
that you end up with erratic labours that stop
and start and are difficult to complete. I just
attended a Coroner's inquest here into the death
of a full term baby girl. The midwife stripped
membranes and got the woman into labour but
she had no urge to push. She was in second stage
a long time and then her perineum wouldn't stretch.
They cut an episiotomy to get the baby out.
Baby had bleeding in the brain and only breathed
on life support. Later, Mom's placenta had to
be manually removed because it wouldn't come
out. It seemed to me that this woman's body
wasn't ready to give birth and that the membrane
stripping caused an emergency response in her
body that produced dilation but eventually wore
off.
"Bottom line: be patient with your little
babes and yourself." -Gloria
Lemay
A cervix isn't made "ripe" by induction
drugs or Foley catheters
"I recommend using caution with language
and question the use of the word 'ripening'
to describe the process of irritating the mother's
body by inserting a foreign object. This should
properly and descriptively be called 'Foley
catheter invasion and irritation'. Prostaglandin
gels applied to the cervix should be more honestly
described as 'chemically altering the consistency
of the cervix'. THERE IS NO RIPENING HAPPENING
WITH EITHER OF THESE METHODS.
"Midwives have used the term ripening
to describe a NATURAL process of the cervical
changes of late pregnancy. We take a word from
the plant kingdom because it is similar to the
slow, harmonious process that happens to a plum
as it turns from green and hard to darker and
darker purple, soft, mushy and sweet. If one
puts a whole bunch of plums in a box when they
are green and hard and sprays them with chemicals,
it is possible that in a few days they will
look like dark purple ripe fruit. However, one
taste will tell you that Nature had nothing
to do with the end product.
"Let's not fool ourselves in birth either.
This whole hospital induction thing has got
to stop. Whatever area we work in we can call
these invasions by their proper names- irritation
and chemical altering. Lying about what's going
on perpetuates the practice." -Gloria
Lemay
***Note- for studies about induction dangers,
go here. The
studies show that labor induction leads to c-sections,
shoulder dystocia, and instrumental deliveries.
The baby will say when it's time to be born
"Birth is more than a cervix opening and
a uterus squeezing a baby out. It's more than
the nuts and bolts mechanics of a baby exiting
a vagina- there is such a complex dance of physiological,
emotional, mental, and spiritual elements involved
in birth. And when this balance is thrown off,
distressing things begin to happen with the
baby.
"When a baby chemically announces to her
mother that it's time for the birth- and many
people believe that the signal to begin the
birth process comes from the baby- she does
it when her body systems are strong, and ready
to meet the extra-uterine world. She will not
instigate the birth process when her lungs and
digestive systems are still immature... and
even a few days of maturity will make the difference
for a baby's maturity and ableness to survive.
"It is the height of human arrogance to
dictate birth- time, mode, speed- to a baby.
They have their own needs and innate demands
(as in length of birth process); there is no
"one size fits all" in birth. It is
crucial that this is respected- especially by
mothers! We must learn to respect our babies
at birth- the most important, crucial event
of their lives. The events surrounding birth
last a lifetime... as does the respect and dignity
a mother learns to give her child."
-LLM
Postdates References
Post-term
pregnancy: what is the clinical evidence?
Rachel Westfall discusses forty-nine references
that illustrate amply that there is no definitive
reason to universally induce for "postdates"
(especially since on-time babies often have more
signs of "postmaturity" than ten month
babies do).
Meconium
Isn't the Problem; Induction Is Midwife
Gail Hart shows that even thick meconium isn't
problematic for babies, provided that the
meconium isn't a symptom of distress- and then
problem is the distress, not the mec. Included:
a large study that shows that postdates babies
are no more likely to suffer meconium aspiration
syndrome than on-time babies.
Detailed
Paper about PostDates -excellent research
from gentlbirth.org.
Postdates not associated in increased stilbirth,
meconium, or fetal distress: study
"Here's a large study that deals with almost
2000 postdates women with confirmed dates, and
compares them to over 2500 controls who are under
41 weeks. Note that incidence of stillbirth and
meconium were no different in the groups, and
that fetal distress was actually LOWER in the
postdates group!" -Gail
Hart, Midwife, Oregon
Expectant management of post-term patients:
observations and outcome.
Weinstein D, Ezra Y, Picard R, Furman M, Elchalal
U. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Hadassah University Hospital, Ein-Karem, Jerusalem,
Israel.
Post-term pregnancy is associated with increased
perinatal mortality. In a retrospective study
based on our post-term protocol from 1990 until
May 1995 1,798 post-term pregnant women with
reliable dating were evaluated for expectant
management. A group of 2,633 pregnant women
who delivered between 37 and 41 weeks during
1994 served as a control group. The perinatal
mortality (0.56 per 1,000 vs. 0.75 per 1,000
in the control group) was similar in both groups.
The incidence of induction of labor (7.45% vs.
7% in the control group), meconium of more than
+1 (5.2% vs. 4% in the control group), shoulder
dystocia (0.33% vs. 0.19%), high birthweight
(> 4,500 g) (1% vs. 1%), and cesarean section
rates (7.5% vs. 7% in the control group) were
similar. However the fetal distress rates (11.6%
vs 16%; P = .004), instrumental deliveries (10.1%
vs. 13%, P = .002), and the rate of 5-minute
Apgar score of less then 7 (1.1% vs. 5%, P =
.000001) were found to be significantly lower
in the post-date group than in the control group.
We conclude that the expectant management and
our intensive observation and follow-up in post-term
is indicated for both mother and fetus.
J Matern Fetal Med 1996 Sep-Oct;5(5):293-7
Gail Hart, Midwife
www.midwiferyeducation.org
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