Sacred Pregnancy Aptos

Believe it or not, you can decline any and all cervical checks (and anything else) offered to you during pregnancy and labor. . . . As Earthley shared: ... Most women are subject to routine pelvic exams during pregnancy...early, late, and during labor. But did you know these are often NOT necessary? Early in pregnancy, cervical exams are used to "confirm" pregnancy. A simple, non-invasive urine test can do the same thing. Late in pregnancy, cervical exams are used to "predict" labor. While a pelvic exam *may* benefit a woman who is pre-term and having signs of impending labor (via the "Bishop score"), there is no benefit to women who are full-term and simply wondering how many more days it will be! During labor, there is also little benefit. Most providers use cervical exams for their own knowledge, so that they can try to predict when they'll be needed for delivery. It doesn't impact the progress of labor or improve the outcomes for mom or baby. Pelvic exams can also introduce foreign bacteria and increase the risk of infection to both mother and baby. Some women find the exams extremely uncomfortable mentally and physically, especially if they are performed frequently or by different providers. They also immediately shift the vaginal flora, which can impact the baby's gut development (but no studies have been done to see what the long-term impact might be). One situation in pregnancy where an exam may be advised is if a woman has had a previous second-trimester loss, or is having symptoms of very pre-term labor. Cervical shortening is highly predictive of early labor, and women can get progesterone supplements to help sustain the pregnancy until they are full-term. However, "repeated" exams do not improve outcomes with pre-term labor. (An ultrasound may also work to detect a shortening cervix.) If you don't want a pelvic exam, you have the right to say NO (until or unless you change your mind or something goes wrong). You can also learn how to check yourself for dilation during labor, if you want to know. Whether or not you have an exam, baby *will* be born. Sources: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20159393 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5503468/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23857468 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3560273/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20556763 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10076131 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28475099 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21551402 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3647734/

Allowing those tender feelings to be seen and heard by those around you will be a life line during these times.

As we all know not all pregnancy’s end with a baby in arms, remember those tender pains of saying good bye to a dream

So the moms googled blogs and asked to delay baths... and then the medical professionals did a scientific study and discovered the moms and birth bloggers were ...right all along... Imagine that?! <3 #DoulasAreGreatBloggers #MidwivesTaughtTheDoulas #MidwivesAreSmart One of the most satisfying things for me to watch has been culture changing. Several years ago, I'd bring families to local hospitals and we'd get all sorts of strange looks when we asked to delay the bath. Sometimes we'd get push back or it would be implied that the decision to delay the bath was a bother to staff or "icky." But now, we often don't even have to ask to delay the bath and staff is educating parents on the benefits of delaying the bath. <3 <3 <3 That is so exciting, and it makes me smile so big inside!!! Way to go!!! #PostitiveChange #Evidence #SharingLoveAndLight https://health.clevelandclinic.org/delaying-a-newborns-fi/

I hope to see these in local hospitals!