The mission of ICAN of Jackson, MS is to educate and empower women to prevent unecessary cesareans, support those who are healing emotionally and physically from a cesarean or traumatic vaginal birth and advocate for VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean). We meet monthly. Please email jackson.ms@ican-online.org if you are interested in attending a meeting.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Some Questions answered
ICAN White Papers
http://ican-online.org/ican-white-papers
Pregnancy
* Breech
* Breech Presentation Fact Sheet
* Cesarean Fact Card
* Cesarean Fact Sheet
* Choosing a Birthplace
* Choosing a Primary Caregiver
* Elective Cesareans: Patient Choice or Doctor Coerced
* En Espanol: Lo Que Puedes Hacer Para Evitar Una Cesárea Innecesaria
* Epidurals—Real Risks for Mother and Baby
* Exercise in Pregnancy
* Family Centered Cesarean
* Herpes in Pregnancy
* How to Choose a Doctor or Midwife
* Induced Labor and Informed Consent in Canada
* Induction of Labor
* Legal Rights of the Pregnant Woman
* Misoprostol (Cytotec) for Labor Induction: A Cautionary Tale
* Patient Choice Cesarean
* Professional Labor Support
* Pushing Positions
* Reading List
* Things a Careprovider Can Do to Avoid Unnecessary Cesareans
* Things You Can Do to Avoid an Unnecessary Cesarean
* What is ICAN?
Recovery
* Breastfeeding After Cesarean
* Cesarean Section - What Happens During Surgery
* El Impacto de la Cesarea o Despues de la Cesarea
* Postpartum Depression and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
* Recovering from a Cesarean: Tips on Healing
* Recovering from a Cesarean Birth
* Summary of Books on Postpartum Depression
* The Emotional Impact of Cesarean
VBAC
* Cephalopelvic Disproportion (CPD)
* Critique of ACOG Practice Bulletin # 5, July 1999, "Vaginal birth after previous cesarean section"
* En Espanol: Contra el retroceso de los PVDC: crítica de la investigación actual
* Enforcing and Promoting Women’s Rights
* Fighting VBAC-Lash: Critiquing Current Research
* Induction of Labor
* Issues and Procedures in Women’s Health
* My Hospital Is Currently Not Allowing VBAC
* Position Statement: Elective Cesarean Sections Riskier than Vaginal Birth
* Reading List
* The Suture Debate
* Uterine Rupture: A 10-year population-based study of uterine rupture
* Vaginal Birth After 2 or More Cesareans
* Vaginal Birth After Cesarean Checklist
* VBAC and Pharmaceutical Induction: Help or Hindrance?
* VBAC Fact Sheet
* VBAC Policy Database
* What to Do if Your Hospital Has "Banned" VBAC
http://ican-online.org/ican-white-papers
Pregnancy
* Breech
* Breech Presentation Fact Sheet
* Cesarean Fact Card
* Cesarean Fact Sheet
* Choosing a Birthplace
* Choosing a Primary Caregiver
* Elective Cesareans: Patient Choice or Doctor Coerced
* En Espanol: Lo Que Puedes Hacer Para Evitar Una Cesárea Innecesaria
* Epidurals—Real Risks for Mother and Baby
* Exercise in Pregnancy
* Family Centered Cesarean
* Herpes in Pregnancy
* How to Choose a Doctor or Midwife
* Induced Labor and Informed Consent in Canada
* Induction of Labor
* Legal Rights of the Pregnant Woman
* Misoprostol (Cytotec) for Labor Induction: A Cautionary Tale
* Patient Choice Cesarean
* Professional Labor Support
* Pushing Positions
* Reading List
* Things a Careprovider Can Do to Avoid Unnecessary Cesareans
* Things You Can Do to Avoid an Unnecessary Cesarean
* What is ICAN?
Recovery
* Breastfeeding After Cesarean
* Cesarean Section - What Happens During Surgery
* El Impacto de la Cesarea o Despues de la Cesarea
* Postpartum Depression and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
* Recovering from a Cesarean: Tips on Healing
* Recovering from a Cesarean Birth
* Summary of Books on Postpartum Depression
* The Emotional Impact of Cesarean
VBAC
* Cephalopelvic Disproportion (CPD)
* Critique of ACOG Practice Bulletin # 5, July 1999, "Vaginal birth after previous cesarean section"
* En Espanol: Contra el retroceso de los PVDC: crítica de la investigación actual
* Enforcing and Promoting Women’s Rights
* Fighting VBAC-Lash: Critiquing Current Research
* Induction of Labor
* Issues and Procedures in Women’s Health
* My Hospital Is Currently Not Allowing VBAC
* Position Statement: Elective Cesarean Sections Riskier than Vaginal Birth
* Reading List
* The Suture Debate
* Uterine Rupture: A 10-year population-based study of uterine rupture
* Vaginal Birth After 2 or More Cesareans
* Vaginal Birth After Cesarean Checklist
* VBAC and Pharmaceutical Induction: Help or Hindrance?
* VBAC Fact Sheet
* VBAC Policy Database
* What to Do if Your Hospital Has "Banned" VBAC
Friday, September 5, 2008
What if ?
What if every woman with a scar across her belly stood up and said “NO MORE!” What if every woman with a virgin womb stood up and said “You will NOT tell me how to birth the children yet to enter this body!” What if every woman with milky breasts, crayon colored walls, stained shirts, and tangled hair said “I am in charge of my births!”
Would “they” listen? Would the men who decided we needed them to interfere in the birth process to begin with hush us back and “tsk” at our silly cries for attention? Or would they sit, wide-eyed and open-mouthed, and stare at the brazen revolutionists they’ve made us become?
I hear all of the abortion debates, “Get your laws off of my body!” and “It’s a baby, not a choice!” Why don’t I hear the birth cries, “Get your laws out of my uterus!” or “It’s MY baby, MY birth, MY body!!”
I’m screaming it. I’m screaming it to anybody that will listen.
Are you?
Written by- Candi Hilton, midwife
Would “they” listen? Would the men who decided we needed them to interfere in the birth process to begin with hush us back and “tsk” at our silly cries for attention? Or would they sit, wide-eyed and open-mouthed, and stare at the brazen revolutionists they’ve made us become?
I hear all of the abortion debates, “Get your laws off of my body!” and “It’s a baby, not a choice!” Why don’t I hear the birth cries, “Get your laws out of my uterus!” or “It’s MY baby, MY birth, MY body!!”
I’m screaming it. I’m screaming it to anybody that will listen.
Are you?
Written by- Candi Hilton, midwife
Mothers Who Push
Mothers who push to give birth may be more responsive to the cry of their babies than those mothers who elect to have a caesarean birth, a brain-scanning study suggests.
When U.S. researchers looked at functional MRI brain scans taken up to a month after mothers gave birth and heard their own babies' cries, they found more activity in areas linked to motivation and emotion among the six who had vaginal deliveries compared with six who had caesarean sections.
"We wondered which brain areas would be less active in parents who delivered by caesarean section, given that this mode of delivery has been associated with decreased maternal behaviours in animal models, and a trend for increased postpartum depression in humans," said the study's lead author, Dr. James Swain of the Child Study Centre at Yale University in Connecticut.
"Our results support the theory that variations in delivery conditions such as with caesarean section, which alters the neurohormonal experiences of childbirth, might decrease the responsiveness of the human maternal brain in the early postpartum."
The differences in brain activity were found in regions that seem to affect how a mother responds to her child and regulate her mood.
Postpartum depression risk
In natural birth, contractions help trigger the release of the hormone oxytocin, which is thought to shape a mother's behaviour. Hormones are not released in the same way during a caesarean section.
Obstetricians have long known that women who have a caesarean section sometimes have problems bonding with their baby.
That's why doctors and nurses on maternity wards commonly advise women to cuddle newborns against their skin right after birth to establish a bond, and offer support for feeding and care for the baby.
It is possible that the clinical reasons that lead women to have C-sections may play a role. To rule that out, researchers studied six mothers who opted to have C-sections, rather than cases where the procedure was medically necessary.
The study appears in the October issue of the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.
The number of women giving birth by C-section in Canada rose to 26 per cent in 2005-06 from 23 per cent in 2001-02, according to a report by the Canadian Institute for Health Information.
"As more women opt to wait until they are older to have children, and by association be more likely to have a caesarean section delivery, these results are important, because they could provide better understanding of the basic neurophysiology and psychology of parent-infant attachment," said Swain.
"This work could lead to early detection of families at risk for postpartum depression and attachment problems and form a model for testing interventions."
When U.S. researchers looked at functional MRI brain scans taken up to a month after mothers gave birth and heard their own babies' cries, they found more activity in areas linked to motivation and emotion among the six who had vaginal deliveries compared with six who had caesarean sections.
"We wondered which brain areas would be less active in parents who delivered by caesarean section, given that this mode of delivery has been associated with decreased maternal behaviours in animal models, and a trend for increased postpartum depression in humans," said the study's lead author, Dr. James Swain of the Child Study Centre at Yale University in Connecticut.
"Our results support the theory that variations in delivery conditions such as with caesarean section, which alters the neurohormonal experiences of childbirth, might decrease the responsiveness of the human maternal brain in the early postpartum."
The differences in brain activity were found in regions that seem to affect how a mother responds to her child and regulate her mood.
Postpartum depression risk
In natural birth, contractions help trigger the release of the hormone oxytocin, which is thought to shape a mother's behaviour. Hormones are not released in the same way during a caesarean section.
Obstetricians have long known that women who have a caesarean section sometimes have problems bonding with their baby.
That's why doctors and nurses on maternity wards commonly advise women to cuddle newborns against their skin right after birth to establish a bond, and offer support for feeding and care for the baby.
It is possible that the clinical reasons that lead women to have C-sections may play a role. To rule that out, researchers studied six mothers who opted to have C-sections, rather than cases where the procedure was medically necessary.
The study appears in the October issue of the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.
The number of women giving birth by C-section in Canada rose to 26 per cent in 2005-06 from 23 per cent in 2001-02, according to a report by the Canadian Institute for Health Information.
"As more women opt to wait until they are older to have children, and by association be more likely to have a caesarean section delivery, these results are important, because they could provide better understanding of the basic neurophysiology and psychology of parent-infant attachment," said Swain.
"This work could lead to early detection of families at risk for postpartum depression and attachment problems and form a model for testing interventions."
Thursday, September 4, 2008
How to Prevent an Unnecessary Cesarean
1) Be aware that your choices in pregnancy and labor can have a BIG impact on your chance of having a cesarean.
2) Choose a care provider with a low cesarean rate and similar birth preferences to yours.
3) Hire a doula. Studies show that this can lower your chance of a cesarean by 50%!
4) Choose positions in pregnancy and labor that help your baby to get in the best position for an easier birth.
5) Read lots of birth stories from women with atypical labors to see how wide the range of normal is in labor.
6) Trust your body to birth your baby; it's what you are designed for!
7) Switch to a new care provider if you feel you are being led toward unnecessary interventions or a scheduled cesarean.
8) Avoid common hospital procedures that increase your chances of a cesarean, like induction, epidurals, pitocin, or breaking the bag of waters.
9) Be informed. When faced with any (routine and emergency) procedure, ask: why it is being done in your case?; what are the short and long term effects on you and your baby?; and what are your other options?
10) Last but not least, contact your friendly ICAN of Jackson chapter for more information and support! Tel: (866) 377-7695 icanofjacksonms@gmail.com
2) Choose a care provider with a low cesarean rate and similar birth preferences to yours.
3) Hire a doula. Studies show that this can lower your chance of a cesarean by 50%!
4) Choose positions in pregnancy and labor that help your baby to get in the best position for an easier birth.
5) Read lots of birth stories from women with atypical labors to see how wide the range of normal is in labor.
6) Trust your body to birth your baby; it's what you are designed for!
7) Switch to a new care provider if you feel you are being led toward unnecessary interventions or a scheduled cesarean.
8) Avoid common hospital procedures that increase your chances of a cesarean, like induction, epidurals, pitocin, or breaking the bag of waters.
9) Be informed. When faced with any (routine and emergency) procedure, ask: why it is being done in your case?; what are the short and long term effects on you and your baby?; and what are your other options?
10) Last but not least, contact your friendly ICAN of Jackson chapter for more information and support! Tel: (866) 377-7695 icanofjacksonms@gmail.com
What is ICAN of Jackson, MS
ICAN of Jackson, MS is a support group for anyone interested in cesarean recovery, support, and VBAC. But mainly support for survivors of cesarean section and birth trauma. And we advocate for VBAC, prevention of cesarean, and support of natural birth as God intended.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Nourishment For Your Spirit:
May you find serenity and tranquility in a world you may not always understand.
May the pain you have known and the conflict you have experienced give you the strength to walk through life facing each new situation with optimism and courage.
Always now that there are those whose love and understanding will always be there, even when you feel most alone.
May you discover enough goodness in others to believe in a world of peace.
May a kind word, a reassuring touch, a warm smile be yours every day of your life, and may you give these gifts as well as receive them.
Remember the sunshine when the storm seems unending.
Teach love to those who know hate, and let that love embrace you as you go into the world.
May the teaching of those you admire become part of you, so that you may call upon them.
Remember, those whose lives you have touched and who have touched yours are always a part of you, even if the encounters were less than you would have wished.
May you not become too concerned with material matters, but instead place immeasurable value on the goodness in your heart.
Find time in each day to see the beauty and love in the world around you.
Realize that each person has limitless abilities, but each of us is different in our own way.
What you may feel you lack in one regard may be more than compensated for in another.
May you see your future as one filled with promise and possibility.
Learn to view everything as a worthwhile experience.
May you find enough inner strength to determine your own worth by yourself and not be dependent on another’s judgments of your accomplishments.
May you always feel loved.
– Author Unknown
May the pain you have known and the conflict you have experienced give you the strength to walk through life facing each new situation with optimism and courage.
Always now that there are those whose love and understanding will always be there, even when you feel most alone.
May you discover enough goodness in others to believe in a world of peace.
May a kind word, a reassuring touch, a warm smile be yours every day of your life, and may you give these gifts as well as receive them.
Remember the sunshine when the storm seems unending.
Teach love to those who know hate, and let that love embrace you as you go into the world.
May the teaching of those you admire become part of you, so that you may call upon them.
Remember, those whose lives you have touched and who have touched yours are always a part of you, even if the encounters were less than you would have wished.
May you not become too concerned with material matters, but instead place immeasurable value on the goodness in your heart.
Find time in each day to see the beauty and love in the world around you.
Realize that each person has limitless abilities, but each of us is different in our own way.
What you may feel you lack in one regard may be more than compensated for in another.
May you see your future as one filled with promise and possibility.
Learn to view everything as a worthwhile experience.
May you find enough inner strength to determine your own worth by yourself and not be dependent on another’s judgments of your accomplishments.
May you always feel loved.
– Author Unknown
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