As you might know, the American Academy of Pediatrics is currently re-examining its policy statement on routine infant circucision. The last two times this statement was updated, each time it stated that routine infant circumcision was not necessary.
However, this time around, a different decision might be made. Continue Reading…
Tent set up at a hospital to treat patients with flu-like symptoms
A friend alerted me to a recent LA Times article about the H1N1 flu, and wondered what I thought of it.
I told her “The Bible tells us not to worry about tomorrow for today has enough worries of its own…so if your family does not have H1N1 today, the Bible tells you not to worry about it, right? ;-)”
As a Christian, seriously, I think that should be the bottom line. But I’m a number cruncher too, so of course I didn’t leave it at that. Continue Reading…
As you may know, I’m involved on the leadership of EmPoWeReD Birth, an advocacy group for birth in Eastern PA. In that capacity, I am writing this note, and ask you to share it.
As you may have seen recently, Lehigh Valley area hospitals, along with many hospitals across the country, have made the decision to ban all children under the age of 18 from the hospital as “visitors.” This is a “temporary” ban for flu season, but as you probably know, the flu season extends until April or May, so we are looking at a ban that could easily last 6-7 months.
To be sure, we think it is a wise practice at ANY time for anyone who is exhibiting signs of the flu to avoid visiting a hospital as a visitor.
However, the EmPoWeReD Birth leadership is concerned about this ban Continue Reading…
This morning I had a prenatal appointment with a client expecting her second baby. I already knew as I headed out the door that the hospital she was planning to birth in was restricting child visitors, but that exceptions to the rule could possibly be obtained. I had planned to discuss this with her, because I very much believe that a new baby’s siblings should be among the first, if not THE first visitors to the baby. I believe it is very helpful for family bonding and integration of the new baby into the family.
During my drive to the hospital though, I heard a story on the local radio station that all of the local hospitals had decided Continue Reading…
Right now the most recent data that is availble for cesarean rates in PA is from 2007. You can find it at the PA Department of Health website.
In this day and age…when Walmart can figure out that a store in Topeka sold out 5 minutes ago of size 6X brown Hannah Montana t-shirts and load more onto a truck going to that store tomorrow morning… Continue Reading…
Saturday night in my house is often “leftover buffet” night. So Sophie, who is 11 months old now, ate a dinner that consisted of bits of pizza, cut up penne pasta with beef gravy, cut up grapes, and applesauce.
Then, as if that wasn’t enough to fill her tiny tummy, she snagged a strawberry a bit bigger than her fist from the fruit tray as I held her in one arm while picking it up to put away. So I did what any mother would do Continue Reading…
The Lake Powell Chronicle, a newspaper in Arizona, carried an article recently highlighting the plight of a woman who has had 3 previous births–the first a vaginal birth, the second a cesarean, and the 3rd a VBAC. Now, expecting her 4th child, she is being told that she must consent to a repeat cesarean because her local hospital (Page) has determined that it can not handle any possible emergencies that a VBAC might bring. Continue Reading…
Well I’ve since had 3 homebirths (Jason, Sean, Sophie). As a low risk woman who lives within a close driving distance of several hospitals, this is a safe option for me, not to mention saves valuable health care dollars. Accurate reporting on this issue is vital to break the virtual monopoly that ACOG holds on birth in America. Given this, I was appalled by the biased journalism represented in the recent Today Show story that was originally titled “The Perils of Midwifery” (the piece was retitled to “The Perils of Homebirth” after the initial airing).
So, with that background, I was please when I saw the following announcment from Marlene Gubler, a Lehigh Valley area childbirth educator and doula:
Hi all!
Choices in Childbirth has crafted a petition in response to the Today Show segment, “The Perils of Midwifery.” Our goal is to collect 5,000 signatures from all across the country by October 9th, the final day of Midwifery Week. That morning we will hand deliver the petition to the Today Show offices (y’all are invited to join us!).
Please sign the petition and forward it to your clients, family, and friends.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/accurate-reporting-in-birth-options
Thanks so much!
So please, go sign the petition, and then spread the word!
The Morning Call has a new parenting blog which has had some interesting posts. A recent one though, I found to be mildly amusing. The post, which I’d say is little more than an advertisement, gushes with enthusiasm about the new maternity unit opening at Grandview Hospital which is supposedly “spa like.” Actually, I discovered that some of the text of the blog post is lifted directly from the hospital website–without acknowledgement. Continue Reading…