Bradley class #4

We had our Bradley class tonight instead of the regular Wednesday nights, because one lucky couple is leaving tomorrow to go on vacation for a few weeks, and Debbra wanted her to miss as few classes as possible.

Last week I forgot to bring my eating chart, so I didn't get to turn mine in. Tonight, when we handed our charts in, I gave her both--this week's chart and last week's chart. I was thrilled beyond thrilled when she told me to pick one chart to turn in and keep the other. I gave her last week's chart--it was muuuccch more impressive than this week's chart has been. :-/ We almost got out of having to do eating charts for this week, until one gal asked for a new one. Ooooh, if looks could kill, I'd be in trouble for murder. ;-)

I hate those dumb food charts. I know they're good for me because they keep me accountable and I actually watch what I eat and focus on healthy foods, knowing Debbra is going to look over it. But boy, it takes the fun out of eating!!! One exciting thing, regarding the chart is: I already turned my chart in for this past week. The new chart doesn't start til tomorrow. Know what that means? Tonight I'm chart free!!! Weeeeee!! :-D

Tonight's class theme was mainly on vaccines and pregnancy testing. Debbra went over the vaccines they "require" a newborn born in a hospital to have and the testing they "require" pregnant women to have. As a Bradley teacher she has to teach both sides to each coin--the pros and cons of each decision we make regarding vaccines or testing. But what I really like about her, is even though she's telling us what "could happen if we don't do _x_..." and "why we should do _x_..." She's actually more encouraging us to NOT do what ever the subject is.

For instance: Debbra is a completely hands off pregnancy person. Don't touch her. Don't test her. Don't look at her! That's what I really like about her, because I'm very much the same. To her, pregnancy is not a 9 month illness and labor isn't a medical event, like a lot of people seem to think. She's very much, "God created our bodies as women to grow babies and deliver babies. And that's what we are going to do...without the "help" from doctors."

When I opened up our book, and saw what we'd be talking about tonight, I was excited to hear her view point on it.

First she talked about the testing they will want to do on us pregnant women. A short description of how this subject went is: don't let them do sonograms, because...blah blah blah. Don't let them check you, because...blah blah blah. Don't let them do this, because...blah blah blah." Ect. But the one test she did recommend doing (not because the test is necessary, but because doing it will help the mom obtain her desired natural delivery) is the Strep B test. But, like my mom pointed out: if you are tested positive for Strep B...there goes your natural delivery you so desired. Versus, not letting them test you, they won't know if you are Strep B positive or not, and you'll be able to have the delivery you want.

Debbra somewhat agreed, in the fact that studies have shown that women who are treated for Strep B during labor (antibiotics) they themselves and their babies have no different outcome than of the woman who also has Strep B but isn't getting any antibiotics. But she did say that if you refuse the Strep B testing, they are going to want to treat you for Strep B anyways. It's one of those things where you are "darned if you do...and darned if you don't."

My answer to that problem? Stay home.

Then we moved on to the testing they do to newborns in the hospital. Debbra stressed that "none of these tests are mandatory. There are waivers to sign for everything." The one test she did say to get, just to somewhat "bend" for the hospital personnel, is the heel pricking test. Her thoughts behind that is basically to see if the baby's blood has clotted or not. (It usually always has clotted by then...and then Debbra can say, "See? I told you the vitamin K wasn't necessary...")

The testing hospital's insist on doing after a baby is born are:

The newborn eye drops
The vitamin K shot
The PKU test
and the hepititis b shot.

(I might have forgotten one or two tests...)

I'm planning a home birth, so none of these tests affect me. But say I was going to deliver in a hospital, they sure as heck aren't doing any of these to my babies.

I already knew everything Debbra taught on tonight, as I've already done my research on vaccine studies and newborn testing, but it was nice to hear everything I've learned reaffirmed.

The purpose behind the newborn eye drops, is to act as an antibiotic for the gonorrhea/chlamydia bacteria. This hospital ritual became "required" back in the 60's when everyone was sleeping around with everyone and the mothers had no idea who the fathers of the babies were. Obviously a lot of women had these diseases, and hospital were trying to protect the newborns from picking up these diseases on their way out of the birth canal.

Ok, major problem with this test:

I'm not sleeping around with anyone but Jeff. Jeff isn't sleeping around with anyone but me. Therefore, gonorrhea or chlamydia is not even a possibility. So, why would I or why should I, be bullied into giving these eye drops to my newborn when I know that this isn't an issue I even have to think about?

The main problem with this test (for those of us who KNOW this isn't a issue) is the eye drops actually can cause a bit of a blurred or hazied vision for the baby. When our babies are born, we want them to be able to see us perfectly clearly! We don't want them to have to focus or strain to try and see us through their glazed vision. Nurses routinely giving these eye drops to babies are ripping off so many new parents who want to be able to bond with their new baby (both ways) as well as putting the baby through some unnecessary frustrations as they are trying to focus on their new surroundings.

The vitamin K shot is just as ridiculous. A newborn baby doesn't start producing it's own vitamin k until it's 8 days old. So why on earth would doctors choose to shoot it up with a vit K shot before that 8 days?? Don't you think that maybe...just maybe...there is a reason they aren't born with their little bodies creating it on their own? I find it strange that for hundreds and hundreds of years babies didn't create their own Vitamin K for 8 days, yet they were all fine and healthy. But now, suddenly, it's "required" to give them a shot of it? What? Did babies just stop making vitamin k all together?

Interestingly enough, breast milk and colostrum is FULL of vitamin K. So why not just let the baby nurse and get it's needed vitamin K on it's own...instead of shooting it's perfect little body up with it?

The PKU test is the one test that Debbra is willing to bend on, and encouraged the women to bend on as well. Her reasoning is to make sure the baby's blood is clotting properly (not to see if there are any birth defects, since the PKU test isn't even valid until after 24 hours...) She likes to know, so that she can tell the nurses, "See, I told you he didn't need the vitamin K shot." I guess if I was having a hospital birth, I'd be willing to bend on this test, just because I like using the "I told you so" line. But to me, it's unnecessary and sad to stab a newborn's foot just to make sure it's blood is clotting and be able to say, "I told you so."

Now for my favorite ridiculous "required" test...is the hepatitis b shot. The only ways to get hepatitis b is to come in contact with someone else's blood (transfusions or needles...) and to be sleeping around with anyone and everyone. Obviously, I don't have hepatitis b, and clearly my baby doesn't either.

But, its "required." (not.)

The crazy thing regarding the hepatitis b shot is, according to shot charts, children will receive this shot 4 times before they turn 2.

Let me ask you...is my one day old newborn going to be going out and shooting up drugs or having sex? I don't think so. How about my 2 month old? My 18 month old? My kindergartner?

Yea, that's what I thought. "NO."

So, what is the purpose of this shot? Honestly, in my opinion, it's just to prepare their bodies, and to give them permission from day one to go ahead, run out and do drugs and have sex once they are old enough. Why would I want to "encourage" that?

There is no reason my baby needs this vaccine, as I know I am healthy. But there are many reasons why this vaccine could be dangerous for the baby. There is a whole buttload of side effects with these vaccines.

My baby will be born with perfectly clean blood. Why would I want to shoot it with something and alter it's clean blood on day one of it's little life?

I know we covered more on vaccines, but I don't remember everything. I do wish one thing Debbra would have pointed out more strongly regarding the rest of a child's vaccines (because she didn't just cover newborn testing, she also covered childhood vaccines) is the fact that every shot we give to our children, we are supporting abortion in some form. Many many MANY vaccines have some part of an aborted baby in it or are cultured on a an aborted baby. Not to mention the other crap they put in those vaccines...such as horses' urine, monkey kidneys, ect. I think it more Christians knew what were in those vaccines, (even if they disagreed on the dangers of a vaccine) they'd choose not to use them just to not support abortion.

I'll do a separate blog post on the horrors of vaccine ingredients sometime soon.

Another thing she taught our coaches is how to massage us during labor and leading up til labor. Ok, it felt great and suuuuper relaxing...but I do not think I would want anyone touching me like that if I was in pain. I'm one of those people who if I don't feel good... "Leave me alone." I do need to show Jeff how to massage correctly to induce relaxation though, as it might be helpful at some stages during labor and even now!

Another topic we covered is: the coach's role in labor. Debbra was telling the men, "Do NOT say, "It's okay...I understand what you are going through." My mom was given the freedom to use that line, but only because she really does understand. But for guys, that is just taboo. Debbra is so funny, she said, "I don't care if you've pushed a watermelon out of your penis. It is still NOT THE SAME. Don't you dare use that line, otherwise you will be smacked." I was laughing hard, this is one thing I've really warned Jeff not to say. It's a bit of an instinct for a guy to say it, but it's the most dumb and idiotic thing they will ever say in their lives. If that sentence rolls off of Jeff's tongue while I'm in labor, once this baby pops out, I'll be carving his tongue out.

I think that is mainly all we learned tonight. It's such a bummer not having Jeff be there with me. I try to come home after classes and write down as much as I can remember that we learned, so that he can read it and know too. But it's still different from him being there and sitting on the computer just reading about it. Not to mention, it's our first baby. I love spending the time with my mom--it's been fun and helpful for both of us. But it's somewhat disappointing to be missing out on experiencing this with Jeff.

One random fact about tonight: Debbra's bathroom window was wide open. I couldn't figure out how to close it, so I had to pee with it open. Did I mention the toilet is right under the window? And it's not a high window...if anyone was outside, they saw my big glowing white bootie before I sat down. It was very awkward. Thankfully they live way out in the country and it was pitch black outside, so I'm pretty sure nobody saw me. ;-)

Oh! And a random piece of information I learned from last week's class and forgot to blog about...

Did you know that colostrum is full of antibodies that immunize our newborns? But, furthermore, as the child grows, let's say it's at the crawling stage: When it crawls around and comes in contact with a virus or germ that the baby doesn't have a antibody for, what happens is: the germ/virus gets on the baby's hand, which of course, goes to the baby's mouth. When the baby nurses, the germs or virus goes from the baby's mouth into the mother nipple and into her breast milk. The body immediately attacks the virus and provides an antibody, so next time the baby nurses, he drinks the antibody and it works as a natural vaccine.

I think this is so crazy and amazing. God created our bodies to be so perfect. Why does man (doctors) think we need vaccines and all this crap to protect our bodies? Leave them alone the way they are! God created them to take care of these problems.

One thing about the human immune system. When a person comes into contact with something they aren't immunized to, it's usually always through the mouth or nose. When the virus enters their body this way, we have natural "filters" that filter these viruses immediately and create antibodies the natural way. When a doctor gives us an antibody, he is bypassing our "filters" and inserting it straight into our blood stream. It's much harder on our body to try to build up an immunity to something that has bypassed all of our immunization filters.

Gaah!!! Doctors!! They think they are just sooo smart, yet they do the dumbest things! Why mess with something that was created to be so sufficient?

Well that is all for now! Hopefully this week I am able to get to the vaccine post. I am off to enjoy a night free from food charting. ;-)