Your Unborn Child: Epidural Epidemic

Epidurals during birthing have become so routine, as mothers are being convinced that pain during labor is unnatural. Many mothers believe more in a drug instead of their body’s own natural capabilities. Sixty four percent of certified midwifes reported concern over the increased number of their clients who desire epidural anesthesia, and a majority of certified midwifes (53%) reported a negative attitude toward the increased use of epidurals.

What is not being provided to the parents is the increased complications which are the result of epidural usage. The Physicians Desk Reference cautions that “ local anesthesia rapidly crosses the placenta...and when used for epidural blocks, anesthesia can cause varying degrees of maternal, fetal, and neonatal toxicity”. If it continues, “this toxicity can result in the following side effects: hypotension, urinary retention, fecal and urinary incontinence, paralysis of lower extremities, loss of feeling in limbs, headache, backache, septic meningitis, slowing of labor, increased need for forceps and vacuum deliveries, cranial nerve palsies, allergic reactions, respiratory depression, nausea, vomiting and seizures”. Many of these side effects result in multiple complications. For example, maternal hypotension causes a decreased heart rate in the fetus. This altered heart rate can lead to fetal distress and therefore an increase in operative deliveries. This has led doctors to warn that high concentration anesthetics should be avoided because they may influence labor and may lead to birth trauma.

Things to know about epidurals:

• Causes longer labor with slower progress.
• Can cause fevers in mothers during childbirth.
• Increase use of pitocin by as much as 3 times, which causes slow and irregular contractions.
• Increase the use of antibiotics in your baby by as much as 4 times.
• Increase the use of forceps 4-20 times.
• Causes neonatal jaundice due to altered red blood cells.
• Increases the incidence of birth trauma due to the use of mechanically assisted devises.
• Adverse behavioral effects of neonate.

Healing Diaper Rash with Natural Remedies

There is nothing more precious than a baby’s butt. Diaper rash can ruin that perfect picture and everybody’s attitude. Diaper rash comes from moisture contacting with warm skin. Urine and feces break down the protective barrier on the skin that occurs naturally.

To heal diaper rash first give the bum some air. Keeping the bottom exposed for 20-30 minutes will help a great deal. Changing diapers often, washing with a pure soap and water, are also suggested. In fact a pure goat milk soap is said to help replace the skins natural acid mantle which fights bacteria and protects the skin. Don’t use disposable diaper wipes because they have alcohol and other chemicals that cause discomfort. If a baby is a real mess just rinse the bottom off in the sink or bath water, try not to scrub the area, soak it off. If you are using cloth diapers try 1 tablespoon of vinegar to a gallon of water, in the final rinse cycle. This brings the pH of the diaper up to the level of the baby which helps to fight the rash.

Try giving the baby some cranberry juice especially when there is a bad outbreak, because it will neutralize the acid in the urine. You can easily make a healing balm for your baby.

Gently heat together
1 oz of calendula petals
1 oz of comfrey root cut in small pieces
1 oz of chickweed
1 cup of sweet almond oil or olive oil
Heat this together over a double boiler for 40 -50 minutes. Strain the herbs out using cheesecloth and then add the herbal oil to a pan to warm and add 2 -4 teaspoons of beeswax. Stir until the wax is melted , spoon into a clean jar and add one vitamin E capsule.

Sound and the Unborn

The unborn child can remember sounds and respond to them. From 20 weeks gestation onward, the unborn hears sounds of low vibrational frequency. Studies have shown that if the mother or father hums the same tune to the child every day while it is in the womb, after the baby is born, it will immediately stop crying if it hears the tune again. The baby is also attuned to the voices of the mother and father.

In addition, the baby can respond to external music while in the womb. As many mothers know, the baby will kick with glee or make contented movements in response to music it likes, or squirm in response to music it dislikes. Mothers learn to distinguish the two types of music.

Researchers at USC listened to babies in the womb. By using specifically designed microphones, they were amazed at the intensity of the sounds they heard. “we heard almost everything,” said co-researcher, Dr. Satt, “from people talking twelve feet away, to a door opening in another room, to a cart going down the hall, with the door closed.”

D. Phelan admits their work raises a whole lot of questions. “We protect our ears from loud noises but what about the baby? No one knows at this point whether prolonged noise can be harmful to the baby.