The gentlebirth.org website is provided courtesy of
Ronnie Falcao, LM MS,
a homebirth midwife in Mountain View, CA
The gentlebirth.org website is provided courtesy of
Ronnie Falcao, LM MS,
a homebirth midwife in Mountain View, CA
|
If you know any birth attendants who are still practicing premature clamping and cutting of the cord, encourage them to watch this video of a grand rounds with Dr. Nicholas Fogelson at USC. It's got lots of research and an open-minded perspective. |
Our culture tends to be very undereducated about the importance of sensible postpartum recovery. Women bounce back much more quickly and easily when they are pampered for the first few weeks. And new babies are less likely to have colic.
Here's a good book to read BEFORE baby comes, because you'll be too busy afterwards:
The Keys to Postnatal Rejuvenation
How to Avoid Colic, Avoid Postpartum Depression, Experience Deep
&
Profound Rejuvenation
"Many cultural traditions use the same principles after childbirth,
the ones which statistically don't have problems. The language is the
same
- mothering the mothers with TLC, warmth, oiliness (internal and
external),
massage, simplicity, moisture, favoring sweet, sour and salty tastes,
specific
foods, freshly cooked (not raw) soupy foods, herbs, and of course rest
- these are keywords to favor. The details even of these considerations
are significantly more under guidance (and communication with/advice of
your primary care provider is essential with pre-existing medical
conditions)."
Announcing the new book and new website, www.newmothercare.com.
The website features a new e-book: New Beginnings for New Moms.
Written
by Rannie Boes, Ph. D. This book is meant as a tool for new moms to
empower
themselves during the transition into new motherhood. It provides a
powerful
self-help home care program for new mothers to start just after
childbirth
to quickly regain vitality and energy.
The
essential
elements of good postpartum care
Birth
Trauma
Revisited - Theresa Warner, DC & Stuart Warner, DC
Promoting Effective
Recovery
from Labor - The PERL Project team consists of experts in nursing,
midwifery, medicine, and bioengineering who care about safe, healthy,
and
satisfying birth. We bring a wide range of specialized knowledge
about childbirth and urinary incontinence to the project.
California Mandates Longer Hospital Stays
IMPORTANT NOTE - This law empowers consumers to negotiate for in-home
care instead of hospital care. The law requires HMOs and health
insurers
to cover at least a 48-hour hospital stay for a mother and newborn or to
provide
for a follow-up exam within two days after discharge. Astute
consumers can use this law to negotiate for care to be provided in
their
home. You can arrange for an in-home visit by a Licensed Midwife and a
week of household help for less money than it costs for a single day in
the hospital. This will allow you to recover in the comfort and safety
of your own home, away from antibiotic-resistant germs, surrounded by
the
people of your choice, while providing access to the health care and
practical
help you may need.
You can read the law in the California
Insurance
Code, section 10123.87. [You have to search for section 10123.87
on that page.]
I've found the OptiVite
multivitamin/mineral,designed actually for those with PMS to be
helpful
for women having difficulty with postpartum recovery issues.
Postpartum Surveys/Client Satisfaction
In my midwifery training, we were told that women ultimately recover better and more quickly if they rest well in the first few days. After all, their body is still "laboring" for 10-14 days after the birth, continuing to have contractions to keep the uterus well contracted. Many people don't realize that after the placenta is delivered, it leaves a placental "wound" that is as large as the placenta, usually the size of a 10-inch dinner plate. The blood flow to this site before the baby is born is about two cups per minute. If the uterus isn't able to contract and stay reasonably well contracted, the woman would have significant bleeding from this site. So when women try to "get back to normal" too soon after the birth, they run the risk of using up the energy that is supposed to be going to keep the uterus well contracted to keep her bleeding to death. I strongly encourage my clients to respect this miraculous aspect of birth and stay in bed completely until the milk is in, and then to continue resting in bed or in a relaxed environment in a common room until the baby regains the birth weight.
NOTE - I've seen the word "babymoon" co-opted to describe a pre-baby
"second honeymoon". Those are great, too, but they're a
completely
different concept. The importance of the post-birth babymoon is
for
the woman's body to recover physically, which she can't really do
before
the birth. :-)
The
babymooners - Should you rush back to work after childbirth? Vicky
Allan talks to those who prefer to take this post-natal business lying
down
Yes, I was taught in school to always take the ring forceps and sort
of pull the cervix down and take a good look to see if there were any
lacerations.
Do I do it? No way!, Unless there is unexplained bleeding, bright red,
and the uterus is nice and firm. Then I will look for a laceration. The
cervical lacerations I have seen were all done by residents using
forceps,
or vacuums incorrectly, or trying to manually dilate a slow cervix.
They
all bled like crazy and were tough to repair. Checking the cervix seems
to really hurt the mom, and I see no reason to do it unless there is a
lot of unexplained bleeding.
When I was interning, I learned a really easy way to visualize the cervix, and it didn't seem terribly uncomfortable for the mom.
You use two fingers of your non-dominant hand as though you were doing a vag exam. Slide them in gently, then turn your hand (using the whole arm) until the ulnar surface of your fingers are (is?) holding the anterior vaginal wall up, one finger on each side of the urethra. Your elbow will be pointing toward the ceiling. Two fingers of your other hand are gently pressing down. This opens up the vagina, and you can see all the way to the cervix.
This actually seems more gentle to me than gradually opening up the
vagina with a gauze pad in each hand, sort of "walking" your way up.
Something
I've seen done a lot.
[from ob-gyn-l]
I was trained to evaluate the cervix at every delivery with ring
forceps.
I stopped doing it 10 years ago after I realized that the only time I
sewed
a cervical laceration was when there was bleeding.
We are all critically evaluating everything we do, and we are all
learning
that much of the dogma we learned is just that. However, playing the
devil's
advocate, this one examination adds no expense (if ring forceps are on
your tray), takes 15 to 30 seconds, and doesn't have morbidity that I
can
figure. It may save a problem very infrequently, and prevent a return
to
the OR. Thus, my simple logic (believe me, I'm simple) dictates that
this
is cost effective. What do you think, you learned Ob-Gyn and MBA
student?
Well, your point is well taken, however, it is difficult to examine
the cervix when a patient is delivering in bed without stirrups as we
do
almost all of our deliveries. this removes the expense of drapes, etc
which
does reduce the expense. If you were to do what is called "cost
accounting"
and computed the cost of autoclaving instruments, packaging, and taking
them to central supply etc, you would see that there actually is an
expense.
Experience has shown in 15 years of practice(in which we've never had a
patient back to the OR except for 2 vulvar hematomas-probably secondary
to a vessel in spasm at the time of delivery)that cervical examination
in the absence of vaginal bleeding is probably not necessary. One could
probably argue this re: manual inspection of the endometrium.
My maternity book, dated 1996 says there are 2 theories. One is that
"this shivering response is caused by a difference in internal and
external
body temperatures(higher temp inside the body than n the outside).
Another
theory is that the women is reacting to fetal cells that have entered
the
maternal circulation at the placental site."
Many people shake after birth, whether vag. or c/s, drugs or none.
It
is my impression that it is like riding a bike or running as fast as
you
can for a long time, then stopping without a cool down. Your legs shake
like jello. That is the way the body reacts after contracting for so
long,
then stopping with the birth of the baby.
When your moms get the shakes for whatever reason, try squeezing the
arches of the feet to reduce shaking
If anyone is interested, I have a cal/mag spray that I keep in my
birth
bag for muscle cramps and shakes. It is an herbal base. You spray it
into
your client's (or your own) mouth. It has a 90% absorbency and is in
your
bloodstream in 22 sec. Because it is absorbed through the oral mucosa
it
completely bypasses the digestive tract. The ingredients (directly off
the label): calcium as calcium ascorbate, magnesium as magnesium
ascorbate,
vitamin c (ascorbic acid), vitamin d as cholecalciferol, cayenne,
fennel,
marshmallow root, sage, white oak bark, alfalfa, catnip, ginger, gota
kola,
red clover, rosemary, valerian root, wood betony, and other natural
vitamins,
minerals and herbs. To me it has a light, fruity taste.
One theory I've come across about postpartum shakiness was that it
is
caused by an infusion of fetal blood into the maternal system, but I
don't
know how it was originated.
There was a thread on the perinatal nursing list about pp shakes.
The
nurses said that they put the mom on O2 and the shakiness usually
dissipated
immediately.
I read somewhere that the pp shakiness was from adrenaline. That is
the way it is dissipated, like shaking after a scare.
I have found that getting the mom to down 2 big glasses of juice or
Gatorade immediately after the birth has virtually eliminated
postpartum
shakes in my practice. Just about the only time I see them is
when mom won't do it, or we neglect to get that second glass down.
have you tried good ald fashioned rescue remedy - i use it on ladies
who get the shakes immediately after birth - seems to have a very good
effect. whether its the remedy itself or me boring them to tears
explaining
what it is i dont know.
I think we see less postpartal bleeding, less after-cramps, and
decreased
episodes of heavy clotting , with early walking.
I was going to say the same thing about staying in bed! [Grin]
I've never tied a woman to the bed to keep her there, but most seem
to be relieved that they don't have to get up if they don't want to.
Give's
them a "prescription" from their midwife to stay in bed and be taken
care
of!
It's been years since I've encouraged a mother to get up after birth
in less than 3 hours! Before then I would let them get up to go to the
bathroom and to shower, but saw way too many fainting episodes (I don't
remember anyone jerking or seizing). Now I advise them to hang out in
bed
for a few hours (I have them urinate in the chux pads or hold it) and I
have them drinking and eating before I leave.
Gee.. I let 'em get up as soon as they feel like it -- I like to encourage it within an hour (upright and walking is said to help the uterus get rid of clots, membranes, and any other nasties -- and to promote faster return of bladder function).
we take it slow though and in stages.... sitting in bed for a moment, then at the side of the bed for a few minutes, then standing at the side of the bed for a moment, then walking slowly with one (or two ) of us beside her ... If she gets at all woozy, we go back a stage.
(anecdote warning!) - I think we see less postpartal bleeding, less after-cramps, and decreased episodes of heavy clotting , with early walking. I really like for moms to have an empty bladder, and getting up to the bathroom is the only way some of them will be able to pee.
Haven't had anyone get fainty when we take it slow like this. Never
seen one of these seizure things some have described....... Don't know
what they could be - - exhaustion maybe? Acidosis? Can't hazard a
guess!
See also: Medical Necessity of
Care
in the Immediate Postpartum for the United States
These are from outside the United States.
In the Netherlands, most of them are discharged these days 2 hours pp. That is after the baby has nursed, they had something to eat/drink and a shower. I like them to have urinated, but I don't make a big deal out of it if they are not bleeding too much. Quite often they cannot pee in the hospital and go first thing in their own bathroom.
The nurse has a checklist on which she ticks things off and gives to
the client when she goes home.
The freestanding birth center I worked in in the Philippines was 6
hours.
It could be longer, as there was a "checklist" of sorts that needed to
be completed before discharge. This was in one of the top 10 most
poverty-stricken areas of the world, so there were hemorrhages, IUGR,
anemia,
etc., so they were watched for quite a while to make sure all was well.
See also: Bathing with PROM
As doulas and moms, we are wondering what advice is given to mothers
about getting into a tub after birth. The common advice we are
hearing
is that a mom should not get into a tub for 6 weeks after the
birth.
Is this just a cultural thing?
25 years ago we used to tell women this. But then midwives
having
babies were getting into tubs to soak away achy joints, perineums,
etc.
So I changed and started telling women they can take baths any time
they
want to.
It was common advice in the US until the late 60s and then abandoned (in most regions) when research showed there was no risk of infection from bathing --and that water doesn't even enter the vagina -- and that healing was more rapid, and comfort was increased with bathing.
In my region doctors and hospitals haven't forbidden bathing since at least the early '70s... although a few midwives still do.
I've always encouraged my clients to bathe and soak after birth. I think it is very good and healing. (and I have NEVER had a postpartum infection). Statistically, infection is LOWER when women take baths than when they are restricted to only showers.
Some think that prolonged bathing might make absorbable sutured dissolve too quickly, but I don't think it can really affect them much if at all. Perhaps one should consider this if mom has a large repair (but then, why would a siztbath be OK if a tub bath is not?).
I find it very ironic that some would forbid bathes but encourage SITZ baths! If you think about it, a sitzbath concentrates all fluids making a prime breeding ground for bacteria -- if bacteria could breed in water - while a full bath disperses fluids and makes bacterial growth difficult. If there "was" any chance of water causing infection, it would happen much more often from sitzbaths than from tub baths. yet it doesn't' happen.
But... research is VERY clear. There is no medical reason to forbid bathing after birth. .. and there are many benefits.
If your hospital needs to see something in black and white saying it is "OK" for women to bathe, refer them to the Guide to Effective Care in Pregnancy and Childbirth. It is a handy concise reference for these common questions.
Or, just use the common sense approach. Would anyone forbid their kid to bathe if he has a scraped knee? What's the first advice we give to anyone with a wound -- "wash it". And if someone has an inflamed cut, what do we say "Soak it". Water is GOOD for healing.
When I lived in Hawaii, our aunties had one answer everytime we were
sick or sore. "Go swim", they would say. And darned if they weren't
always
right! Whether it was a migraine headache, or sore ankle, or an
infected
cut.... the ocean made it better.
The special nutritional needs of the postpartum are often ignored. This site focuses on the benefits that might be offered by nutritional supplements in the postpartum period. "A Natural Guide to Pregnancy and Postpartum Health, and they also sell the supplements, which seems to be the most important part of this site. I'm including such a commercial site in my web pages because there are so few resources about postpartum nutrition, especially for preventing or treating postpartum depression.
I personally worry about a book by doctors that downplays the
importance
of the personal attention and interest that in-home midwifery care
offers.
In particular, you can see that many of the benefits of their
supplements
were provided by placebo, so one could expect they would also be
provided
by midwifery's personal attention, in addition to the in-home lactation
assistance and attention to the various minor discomforts and
adjustments.
My second birth took place in Germany. My midwife there recommended
that I use a full dropper full of chamomile tincture in my peri bottle.
I loved it! It smelled good and felt great. When I came back to the
States
I found an article in an old "Mothering" magazine that told about the
anti-inflammatory
and healing properties of chamomile.
We make our own comfrey root decoction (simmer about 6-8 ozs of dried comfrey root for about 30 min. until the water is thickened and brownish. Strain out the root, keep the fluid, pour into a clean jar. Put in fridge. Use peri bottle when needed.)
We do this at the birth. I grow my own comfrey (plant placentas there too) and dry the root. Fresh leaves are good blended and added to the sitz bath water. What a wonderful plant. Encourages cell growth so rapidly that my herbal cautions to use on clean wounds only.
We're thinking of trying comfrey decoction also as a cold
compress...pour
a little on an ob pad and freeze (only takes about 20 min. to get
really
cold)...haven't done it yet, just an idea at this point. Traditional
Chinese
Medicine would say not to use cold, but these frozen pads (we usually
just
wet them with boiled water then freeze) really do seem to get rave
reviews...and
do prevent swelling. Anyone out there familiar with whether freezing
would
somehow damage the healing action of comfrey?
I have the mother and the baby get into an herbal bath after all the
"work" --sutures, newborn exam, etc--is done. The mother and the baby
love
it. The herbs we use are 2 cups of comfrey, 1 cup each of shepherd's
purse,
uva ursi, garlic, salt, and fourth cup of rosemary powder. I tie the
herbs
up in a knee high hose so as to not have to strain them after the
infusion.
I infuse the herbs for a while then pour that tea off. Then refill the
pot and simmer them until the baby is born. We scrub the bathtub
seriously,
rinsing even more seriously. We use candles for light so the baby will
open its eyes and relax. Herbs are good for mother's bottom and baby's
skin. Helps with swelling and aid clotting.
I found another recipe for bath-herbs in my files
Notes: garlic and sea salt-- antiseptic. Uva ursi -- healing for
female
organs. Comfrey -- soothing and is said to aid healing by causing the
edges
of wounds to grow together. Shepherd's purse, -- preventing and
controlling
heavy bleeding. though guys: I gotta confess total mystification as to
why "bathing" in shepherd's purse would help control excess bleeding! I
understand why it would work when you "drink" it as a tea or tincture
--
but why "soaking" in it? Is it one of those things which is absorbed
through
the skin? Help me someone.......
Another simpler recipe from one of my clients: 2 hands full of Comfrey, 1 handful salt tied into a clean sock... Simmer in water, throw sock and tea into the tub (well cleaned of course!). this client added a dropper of St Johns Wort oil and Arnica oil to the water when she got into the tub... Said it helped a lot with soreness......
Note: I've carried St Johns Wort oil ever since -- seems to help
pain
in labor when rubbed on back or tummy!
All of the sitzbath mixtures that you can order cost so much.
I order my herbs from Frontier herbs and make them myself. We use a
2 cups of comfrey, 1 cup of shepherd's purse, 1 cup of uva ursi, 1/4
cup
of rosemary. Mom supplies a cup of salt and a bulb of garlic. This only
costs about $5 for that large quantity. And makes a great bath.
I make LARGE quantities of post-partum herbal baths. I use 100%
Organic
Comfrey leaf and root, Shepherd's Purse, Uva Ursi, Myrrh, Lavender
Flower,
and Sea Salts. I don't like the garlic because it smells awful. So the
Myrrh replaces it. Then, because I am such a crafty lady, I sew them
into
100% natural, un-dyed, un-bleached cotton gauze like fabric, with my
serger.
(this is a huge time, and mess saver.) I then tie them with a nice
ribbon,
and a tag with the instructions on how and when to use, along with the
ingredients. You would just boil the whole bag for about 30 minutes,
and
pour the tea into the tub, and it smells mildly lovely because of the
lavender.
It can be used again the next day, except you would have to steep it
longer.
"The drugs used for surgical or dental anesthesia can linger in the
body for quite some time. One dose of homeopathic Phosphorous 30C can
help
to cleanse the body of anesthetic drugs and relieve any unwanted side
effects."
For other tips on homeopathics, see the EMAZING.com
archives of the Homeopathic Health Tip of the Day
I have a lady on baby number 7 who has a history of incredible
afterpains,
lasting 5-6 days. It is severe enough that she found herself
handing
baby off after nursing just a few minutes because of the pain. She is
into
natural remedies and has tried one herbal remedy (sorry, don't remember
the name), which didn't do anything. Does anyone have any
suggestions?
She ended up using Vicodin last time.
Afterease with liquid cal 10 minutes before nursing can ease the
after
pains and before she tries vicodin she could take the ib and Tylenol
cocktail.600-800
mg ib 2 ty in between to extend relief.
Did she use After Ease by Wishgarden Herbs? I liked it, I used
it after my 5th baby. The key though is to use enough of
it.
A lot of times I find that moms will say "it doesn't work" but only to
find out they took 1 dropperful. You have to use it to desired
effect.
I also like having them lay on the bellies for a short while with a
pillow.
Makes the afterpains hard for a short bit then better.
I second this suggestion - liquid calcium (even have had clients put a straw in it and drink it quite continuously after delivery!). And a big "yes!" to the Ibuprofen - we have our clients take 600-800 mgs. of Ibu. immediately after the placenta delivers - it seems that it works best if you get on it right away. Then they continue that amount q 4-6 hours. I also remind the client to empty her bladder, often. For some it seems to help to coax the uterus back to the center (so often we find it off to the right - even w/ an empty bladder). I have done a gentle repositioning of it and it seems to help for a while.
And about the Afterease, they need to take a nice amount of it and
often.
I may have to try the idea of having them lie on their tummies - sounds
interesting and its good to know that it may make them worse before
better.
I wonder if this helps the uterus get repositioned?
I recommend After Ease if they are prone to herbal things. I have
them
take two dropper full every 15 to 20 minutes the first few hours. I
also
highly recommend them to check uterus for blood clots and making sure
bladder
is empty. The more blood clots released and bladder empty will help
reduce
after pains. If not I recommend Motrin.
Did she use After Ease by Wishgarden Herbs? I liked it, I used
it after my 5th baby. The key though is to use enough of it.
A
lot of times I find that moms will say "it doesn't work" but only to
find out they took 1 dropperful. You have to use it to desired
effect.
I also like having them lay on the bellies for a short while with a
pillow.
Makes the afterpains hard for a short bit then better.
That is what we do and has tremendously reduced the afterpains. We begin the Afterease, Crampbark & liq Cal/Mag, immediately after birth plus sit the women up and immediately begin with the ib/ty which they make take every 5-6 hrs. The cal/mag, Afterease and Crampbark are taken every 20 minutes. And be aggressive the first day and then they won't have a problem.
We go back for a 12 hr pp visit at which time we put them on their
bellies
and give them a good back rub. Besides working with the whole pelvis
are
during the back rub, I rub out from the spine out to the right side,
just
under the ribs. Why that helps I am not sure. Read about it
to help relieve menstrual cramps. During the back rub I ask how
it
is going with the afterpains and all say "surprisingly quite well'.
I have had several women over the yrs with this kind of pain for
Afterbirth.
This is what I have used and it works well. Advil 800 mg, & Loratab
500mg and an extremely snug postpartum belt. Repositioning that uterus
is a bigggg help. They take the combo of meds within 20 minutes after
the
birth. retake every 6 to 8hrs. The belly belt within the same amount of
time. Time is of the essence with these moms.
What about giving the ibuprofen immediately after delivery of baby,
prior to placenta? I've got a client who gets violently ill as
soon
as placenta delivers. Has happened with her two previous
deliveries
and she's pg again. We'd like to get something in her before this
hits this time. I'm afraid that if I wait for placenta, the
ibuprofen
won't have time to take effect.
I use any Cal/Mag (liq prob abs sl quicker) and take 400-500mg
4-6x/dy (unless diarrhea) Herbs: Piscidia, Cimicifuga, Trillium,
Spikenard,
Viburnum op., Hypericum is what I was taught - I don't think I have
spikenard
or trillium these days, though... and I agree - lots. along with
the ibu/tyl is what i recommend - plus urinate before nursing and belly
binding.
I have a lady on baby number 7 who has a history of incredible
afterpains,
lasting 5-6 days. It is severe enough that she found herself handing
baby
off after nursing just a few minutes because of the pain.
We have a few ladies like this. I think tight abdominal
binding,
or resting a large weight on the uterus constantly helps, as well as
lying
on the belly whenever possible. And I think if you need an Rx I
think
Toradol is more helpful than narcs without the side effects for both
mom
and baby.
I use several things, 30c Arnica works for most but when it doesn't
we make a strong tea out of valerian, chamomile, shepherds purse that
seems
to work great.
I recently started using homeopathic Mag. Phos. for afterpains and
been
very pleased with the results.
Mountain Meadow Herbs
makes
an After-Pain Relief formula that they say "really works"!, partly
because the Crampbark relieves spasms and cramping. If you have
good
results with this, please send e-mail to username "midwife" at this
domain.
Thank you!
Chamomile is quite amazing for helping with afterbirth pains and
menstrual
cramps. The results are almost immediate. It is also useful for cranky
babies. Caution: Don't use too soon after birth as it relaxes the
uterus
and can cause an increase in bleeding. Usually, I don't give my mothers
chamomile until about 8 to 12 hours after the birth, depending on need
and bleeding.
I've got a client who gets violently ill as soon as placenta
delivers.
Has happened with her two previous deliveries and she's pg again. We'd
like to get something in her before this hits this time. I'm afraid
that
if I wait for placenta, the ibuprofen won't have time to take effect.
A compounding pharmacy can also make ibuprofen into a topical cream,
to be applied to "thin skin" spots like the inner wrists. It
works
more quickly and avoids the nausea, especially for women not used to
taking
high doses.
for severe afterpains especially with a grand multip i often give
her
methergine tab q 6 hrs for the first 24 hours..i know it sounds like it
would make it worse but it keeps the uterus "clamped down" and
therefore
does not get soft and then have to work real hard to get hard
again...works
very well
I have found that when I need to give misoprostol postpartum to
control
a severe bleed, the mom seems to have fewer afterpains that you would
expect.
This must be working on the same principle as the methergine. It
would be great if there were some research about this! Until
then,
I tell them they can take 200 mcg misoprostol every 6 hours. She
might have a slightly elevated temperature without feeling
uncomfortable,
and they may have softer stools, but I've never heard a postpartum mom
complain about loose stools!
I have always used Motherwort tincture for after-birth pains. The
mothers
think it really helps better than the drugs.
Have used St. John's Wort tincture or tea for after pains with good
results, dosage varies, some women I know used only about 8-10 drops of
tincture every few hrs., another used 15-20 drops every few hrs., Have
only had maybe 3 women drink the tea one drank it 1/2cup just about
every
hour, others drank it at no set intervals but did have some already
steeped
waiting for the times they needed it, mixed with raspberry leaf tea.
We use
Afterbirth pains, in fact any fixed, stabbing pain, is characterized in Chinese medicine as blood stasis. There is a saying in Chinese that translates as "Where there is pain there is no free flow, where there is no free flow there is pain."
The cause of afterbirth pains is the blocked flow of lochia (even though you see some). Other symptoms will include dark purplish-red or clotted discharge, and a purplish hue to the tongue body, often in the center only. These women may be the ones that have heavy lochia a few days with clots, and then it stops before 10 days and you think it's normal. It's blood stasis. The menses may also have exhibited some signs of stasis.
The drugs, valerian, shepherd's purse, chamomile, all might lend symptomatic pain relief, but they do nothing to correct the pattern by resolving stasis. Therefore, they are only symptomatic and not curative. Red raspberry and St. John's Wort have secondary properties that likely move blood a little, and are therefore more effective, but are still not directly curative. Most of the herbs, even St. John's Wort, have sedative effects as their primary action. While this is helpful symptomatically, the mother doesn't need sedating; this does not correct the flow.
What is called for are techniques described as moving blood to breaking blood stasis. The herb midwives know for this condition is motherwort. It is a moving blood herb, and I can guarantee that drinking 1/2 cup of motherwort as a tea will stop afterbirth contractions 95% of the time. For severe cases, a few days doses may have to be given. To make two days worth, simmer 15 grams of motherwort in about 3 cups water. Simmer down by 1/2 (about 45 minutes). Take 3 oz. 2 times a day. It is really vile.
Other herbs that move along these lines are safflower (also vile), peach seed, calendula, and for very intense cases, frankincense and myrrh. (These latter two seem poetically like just the right thing, but again, are vile tasting, and should be used for only the most severe cases, and then only for perhaps one dose or so. They are very dispersing, and not exactly the kind of action you want to promote postpartum.)
Often the herbs that are best for fixed stabbing pain are the ones with emmenagogue properties. And you are thinking, "promote flow after the blood loss of birth?" to which my answer is "Yes! The pain is CAUSED by stasis, and until you remove the cause, you have not effected a cure, and may be setting the woman up for more pain next time. Where there is pain...there is stasis, and it is appropriate to move stasis where there is pain. Motherwort is one of the safest of these emmenagogues (Western parlance)/ blood movers (Asian parlance).
This question illustrates my perhaps overemphasized point on line. There is no system in Western herbology for describing or understanding the underlying patterns of disorder. I really wish there were. I believe that we need to consider our herbs as pharmaceuticals, and we need to know more about how to apply them, why they work, which ones to choose than to say, "this is good for that." I realize fully that this is an enormous study, but if you're using herbs, you can be more exact by learning the Asian medicine descriptions. Best place I know of to start is with Michael Tierra's work. His book Planetary Herbology should be a standard for anyone using herbs in their practice. A home study course is available through him and advertised in the book.
Try the motherwort, and let me know your results (and remember, it
tastes
really vile, but it really works).
Suggest 2 extra strength Tylenol and 2 ibuprofen (Advil) at the same
time, then reduce dosage. They seem to provide good pain relief togeth.
Also, lay on her tummy, maybe with hot water bottle under tummy too.
This
really helps, more than you would believe. And keep that bladder
empty!
More ibuprofen....800mg. every 4-6 hours....I've never seen it not
work!
The obvious:
The homeopathic Sabina is very good for some. Also the herb
liferoot.
Is she having worse cramps after eating?
My strategies (depending in some degree on setting and mom's preference):
I personally found that having good calcium supplements made a world
of difference. I use arnica and an afterbirth tincture for afterpains
and
rarely have them so bad it can't be handled.
In lieu of or in addition to Tylenol, I find lying on the stomach with a pillow under the abdomen helps immensely. I guess it puts pressure on the fundus and keeps the uterus well contracted.
Worked great last week on a primip who was shaking and sweating the pain was so great. Ruled out other pathology and it seemed simply to be cramps. Never had a first timer seem to feel so much pain without retained tissue or clots, but never mind it worked and she was happy with in 10 minutes.
Also an ice pack on the fundus helps to keep it well contracted.
I didn't have any with the first two - maybe I had so much perineal pain because the nice man in the white coat did a hummer of a job with his scalpel, that I didn't notice the afterbirth pains.
My first homebirth (#3 baby) they were horrendous. In fact, every time I put him to the breast I got very sick and threw up. I used the rice bag with lavender which helped a lot, but I ended up taking tylenol. When a pain would hit, I started shaking and sweating. Awful stuff...
With #4, I read everything i could get my hands on to prevent them
and
started taking Liferoot tincture a few weeks before my due date.
Also had catnip and motherwort on hand, too. I'm not sure which
one(s)
worked, but something did because while they were still there and I did
throw up once, they were NOTHING compared to #3 - and they didn't last
as long.
I had them with #2, 3, 4, and 5 but absolutely NONE with #6 and 7
(my
two homebirths)!!! I hope I am that lucky again this time!!!
Yes, for me the afterpains were worse than the labour itself:
I will say , that until my milk came in, laying on my belly with a hot rice sock felt wonderful. Also a nice warm tub bath was great comfort too. (Avoid these in the first 12 hours or so postpartum so they don't increase the bleeding!)
Don't be afraid of the pains, most of the time the strong ones only
last for a day or two. Keeping your bladder empty is a MUST.
I am looking after a mother G4P3 now at 36 weeks who has asked me if there is anything she can do about after birth pains. She had severe suffering after her last two and would like to avoid if possible.
Can they actually be avoided? and if so could that mean that
there
is a risk that her uterus will not contract down strongly and therefore
she may bleed heavily.
The most likely cause for the awful afterpains is that she has a
uterus
that is very efficient uterus which contracts very firmly but
painfully.
Synto of course makes this ten times worse. And nursing baby
causes
uterine contractions to increase With a woman with this history I
would advise a physiological 3rd stage and have a nice hot water bottle
or hot pad available and consider analgesics, paracetamol or ask medic
to prescribe voltarol (diclofenac) the anti-inflammatory used post CS.
which is very effective but woman may not wish to have.
I had severe afterpains with my *first*, less with my second (I know
that's not the usual way round - both physiological 3rd stages though
I'd
had syntocinon in first stage first time) Used TENS for 2 weeks post
birth
with my first, one with my second.
If she's into alternative stuff, there are various homeopathic
remedies
that are said to help - consult a homeopath for details. If she's more
into conventional medicine, she could get a prescription for voltarol
(100
mg pr is probably more effective than the 50 mg po) - she'll probably
find
she needs to use it for at least 3 or 4 days after the birth. She might
need to top up with oral analgesia shortly before a breast feed
(if
she gets enough notice that the baby's about to feed!). I have looked
after
one client who had had 11 children and who found the afterpains
stronger
than the labour pains, and used entonox after the birth rather than
before;
she also used her TENS post-natally, so that might be worth looking
into.
The problem with after pains is that they're unpredictable - while
labour
pains intensify as labour continues, after pains vary so you might get
several mild ones, then a whopper that makes you feel sick to your
stomach,
then some more mild ones and apart from the obvious link to flow of
oxytocin
with feeding, there's no particular rhythm to them which you can use to
'ride' them as you do labour pains.
One of my moms was taking Cytotec (200 mcg q 6 hours) for excessive
bleeding, and she mentioned that it also seemed to reduce the
afterpains
for her. I'd like to see a study of the use of Cytotec for
afterpains.
I have been reading a new book about herbs, this might blow you away
but they said to put a slice of an onion on a hematoma, bruise, etc.
I've
since tried it and it works also takes soreness out. The book said that
if there was a bad one then add sea salt to it and make a poultice or
tape
it in place and it doesn't matter how old the site is. This may be too
late to help your lady with the hematoma, but for future reference.
sounds
weird but there were lots of documentations.
I am tired of seeing weird, unusual things -- ok? I did a long, tedious birth today for an Amish primip -- finally gets to complete - and then pushes quickly to birth baby -- She had been complaining of a pain in her labia, that she thought her husband had caused by too vigorous perineal massage. She was separating her labia for me when i checked her so i wouldn't hit the spot -- i thought I could see a tiny purple spot --
As the head was being born, and a minute or 2 for shoulders, a huge hematoma formed before our eyes. By the time baby was out it was softball sized -- grew to be as big as my hand (I have big hands) in about 5 minutes -- We quickly put ice on it. It stopped growing, she was stable, and we transported -- haven't heard anything yet about what they did, or how they treated her, etc.
Is there anything we could have done to prevent it growing so big?-- or could we have drained it at home? -- we called a friendly doc who wouldn't drain it in his office.
It was so frustrating after this nice birth, to have to transport her -- I felt so ignorant -- have never seen anything like it -- her perineum, by the was totally intact -- no tearing as far back as I could see.
Also, by the time we got her to a friendly hospital, she was 2 hours
postpartum -- is that too late to effectively treat a hematoma?
Right after applying the ice, I would have also given her a dose of homeopathic Arnica (at least 1M potency). 10-15 mins. later I would give her another dose. If there wasn't already a big change in the size,
I would give her a third dose at 30 mins., en route to, or at the
hospital.
Even if the Arnica itself didn't take care of the hematoma (and I know
it would make a big difference!) then the doses will help insure a much
faster and easier recovery after draining and stitching it. In fact I
would
give her another dose after the procedure and again the next day.
I have used a belly binder so to speak for the mom after the birth
and
everyone that uses it just loves it. It is made by Body Glove and you
can
get them at Big 5 for about $5-8. It is velcroed and fits all. Well
worth
it. I am one that when I had my babies and would stand up my innards
felt
like they were hanging in empty space and I had a hard time breathing.
When I used some kind of binder I could stand and function. It feels
great!!!!
But for the mom not the baby. I tell all my clients about this in one
of
my hand outs and the majority get one. They all love it.
I know of a few grand multips who bellybind postpartum. They think
it
helps with diastasis recti. They also say it can't be properly done by
oneself. Does anyone know how to do this if we should be asked?
We have done it a couple times the last few years when a mom requests it ..And I still remember from the old days!
Mom usually gets cleaned/showered while you change the bed sheets, When she comes back you have a large bath towel (or a twin sheet, folded in half) laying across the bed; she lies on the towel on her back, with the bottom edge just about level with the lower edge of her pubic bone -- level with her "hips bend". You want the towel to cover from just under the breasts down, so you might need to fold the edge.
You pull the towel snugly around her tummy, usually fastening at her side with large diaper pins.. We used to start from the bottom and work our way up... It should be snug but not uncomfortable so.. If the uterus is a bit boggy or she's having lots of after cramps you can snug in a folded washcloth or baby diaper over the fundus to act as a constant irritant[Grin]and prevent relaxation and bleeding. The OB pads can be pinned to the lower edge of the binder -- nice way to get a snug fit with the pads.
If mom tore or had stitches we used to put the binder on a bit lower -- so mom had to walk as if she were wearing a tight skirt (to limit perineal movement).
Moms used to keep these on for at least 24 hours and maybe three
days...
I would greatly appreciate some help with the issue of how to teach women to tone up their abdominal muscles postpartum to close up the diastasis recti abdominis.
I learned about this in the mid-90's when Elizabeth Noble was considered the expert. She taught to lie flat, cross your arms over your belly in an X to hold your sides together, and exhale as you raise your head, not your whole upper body.
I always teach my moms while I'm holding my fingers in the diastasis, so I can be sure the exercise they're doing is toning the right muscle.
Elizabeth Noble further taught that you should bring the "long abs" together before working on the transverse or oblique muscles, as they simply pull the "long abs" (recti) further apart. This all made a lot of sense to me. (Oh, and I think it's the Pilates people who teach to start with a Kegel to stabilize the pubis symphysis as you begin the head lift.)
There is now a buzz on the web about how this is all wrong. Julie Tupler is holding herself out as the current expert on the subject, and she is teaching that crunches make the diastasis worse. Now I understand that there's a difference between the head lifts that Elizabeth Noble taught and a full out crunch, either curling the shoulders up or lifting the entire upper body.
But the teaching now seems to be to start working on the obliques
and
transverse muscles more than the "long abs". The obliques and
transverse
muscles do not cross the abdominal midline, is that right? So how
would exercising them bring the recti together?
Elizabeth Noble is the doyenne of prenatal and postpartum
exercises.
She taught that the best exercise for closing the diastasis is to lie
flat
and exhale as you raise your head, not your whole upper body.
This is how I teach it.
From a well-respected physical therapist:
Diastasis correction is a head lift technique with minimal shoulder involvement to not overuse the rectus abdominis. You need to use the exhalation muscle ( trans. abd. muscle) with this to ensure transverse closure of the abdominal wall and the slight neck flexion for the rect. to contract in combination with the cross over hand position for closure.
I like the brace idea!!! It is not that expensive and is possible more specific than the Medela postpartum brace that I used. Tummy sucks with exhale and long holds help the trans. abd. close to approximate the midline. Fast twitch ( quick holds) and slow twitch ( long holds) fibers need to be trained and training in functional positions with correct neutral spine posture is a must for true motor learning!!
Squatting, leaning over a changing table for diapering, sitting correctly upright for breast feeding and working on breathing and closing are great opportunities. Correct transfers in/out of bed are vital to recovery.
Ms. Tupler is a passionate nurse who has benefited us all through
her
research. There are not that many folks out there doing clinical
research for women's health issues. And having a diastasis can disrupt
a lot of stuff. Defecation, orgasm and pleasure, appearance and
protection
of organs.
About diastasis:
Lay on your back, and start lifting your head and shoulders as if
beginning
a sit-up.
Look at your belly. Do you see a bulge in the middle? Bad sign.
Push on your belly while keeping your abs contracted. Can you feel the two long muscles running on each side from your ribcage to your hips?Now check around your belly button for a gap between the two. If you find one (and postpartum there usually is one) see how many fingers you can fit in there (perpendicular to the gap). 3 fingers and less is fixable through PT. Above that... not good.
Whatever you do avoid classic ab crunches like the plague until you have talked with somebody knowledgeable about the subject. Most (all?) of the PT for ab separation revolves around strengthening the set of deep abdominal muscles going *around* your waist. Until they are back in shape getting the long abs back in shape will only increase the separation.
When carrying your baby (or your toddler, or your grocery bags, or
getting
out of bed, or... doing anything that uses those abs) remember to
contract
the deep abs first (by sucking your belly in). Contract them as much as
you can, actually.
This is exactly the opposite of what I've heard.
What I've heard is that if you exercise the muscles going *around*
your waist, they will pull the "long abs" further apart. After
all,
they are anchored to the rectus muscles. I don't see why
tightening
them isn't going to further separate the rectus muscles.
Does anybody have a good online reference about this?
I dug out my maternal fitness books, and there's a huge contradiction between teachings from before and after 1995. I am suspicious that modern teachings are focused on commercial ventures which sell special devices for closing the diastasis. (The Rehab Splint costs $38 for a band w/velcro; the whole kit costs $68 - $75.) In particular, I can't find any mention in Julie Tupler's materials about the head lift, which leaves the shoulders flat and is very different from a real crunch. The head lift is free and is very effective in my experience.
I start assessing the diastasis on Day 5 postpartum, teach the head lift exercise (different from a crunch), and reassess on Day 10 and at six weeks postpartum. I teach the exercise by holding my fingers inside the diastasis to make sure that I feel the muscles closing around my fingers as the mom lifts her head. I can assure you that this does close the muscles around my fingers, and moms who do this exercise regularly often have it close up completely by six weeks.
Note that if moms start doing this before the uterus has reduced in size, then the muscles might try to come around the outside of the uterus, which isn't good. So I don't recommend that moms start the head lifts until the uterus has shrunk at least halfway down to the pubic bone. And it can be a good idea to cross the arms over the belly button to hold the sides together.
By the way, I've also heard (from the Pilates people) that it's beneficial to start tightening the Kegels to stabilize the pubic bone before "continuing" the tightening up the recti muscles with the head lift. So this is what I've been teaching, and it seems to get good results.
The proof is in the pudding, of course, and every once in a while, I encounter a mom with musculature that allows her to lift her head without closing the recti muscles. So we keep trying until we find the movement that does close the muscles, and then she just does a lot more of those.
None of the abdominal muscles cross the midline. Although I can see that toning the obliques and transverse muscles will reduce the side diameter, how can they bring the recti muscles together?
Here a good diagram.
How is tightening the pink muscles going to bring the yellow muscles together? :-)
Julie Tupler's web pages reference some research done at Columbia
University
on this topic, but I haven't been able to find anything either in
PubMed
or on the columbia.edu web pages. If anyone else has a reference
for this, please pass it along. Thanks.
I think I finally understand the confusion about "The Tupler Technique".
This is from her article, NO MORE CRUNCHES…….EVER…. by Julie Tupler, RN
"That is why when doing backlying exercises you should just bring the head off the floor…not the shoulders. "
So, her primary beef seems to be that classic crunches can worsen the diastasis. This is consistent with what the midwifery texts say about not doing any other exercises until the diastasis is closed. But she seems to think the head lift is fine to close the diastasis. I haven't had a chance to read her book to see why classic head lifts won't do the trick to close the diastasis. The key is to feel your belly to make sure that what you're doing is, in fact, closing the muscles.
I've had plenty of clients get great results with just the head
lift.
Maybe this is because we get right on it after the first baby, or the
first
baby they have with me. Maybe moms who've had a diastasis worsen
with each of several pregnancies needs more advanced physical therapy.
OK, I got serious about this and wanted to get closer to source materials, so I poked around a bunch on the web.
The most academic material I could find about the Tupler Technique was from Julie Tupler's presentation at a breakout session at the ACNM 2009 conference in Seattle.
From the ACNM 2009 Exhibiting Companies Descriptions
Maternal Fitness Inc.
DIASTASIS REHAB: Closing the gap with the Tupler Technique, a Columbia
University Research-Based program. The program closes a Diastasis no
matter
when woman has had her baby. A Diastasis, if not corrected, can cause
low
back pain and put a woman at risk for a Ventral Hernia.
The slides from her talk are available online, which is a gift to all women! Thank you, Julie!
In these notes, Julie Tupler writes, "The Tupler Technique is
supported
by published research from Columbia University:
A RECENT STUDY
A study was conducted March 01, 2001 at Columbia University, Program
in Physical Therapy on the effect of exercise on the diastasis recti
(separation
of outermost abdominal muscles) during pregnancy. Results
demonstrated
that women who had taken the Maternal Fitness® program had a
smaller
diastasis than the control group of women who did not exercise during
their
pregnancy. This study was published in the Journal of Women’s
Health Physical Therapy, Volume 29, No.1, Spring, 2005
This study is about the effect of prenatal exercise and has nothing to do with closing the diastasis postpartum. The Tupler Technique appears to be about closing the diastasis postpartum. How, then, can she say that a study about prenatal exercise supports her program for closing the diastasis postpartum?
Although Julie Tupler has some useful information, I find that her teachings are not based on research and lack a certain rigor. I also find her focus on appearance to be a little confusing coming from a health professional. The slides from her talk include photos of body builders with a visible diastasis recti, and I'm pretty sure these people don't have any functional problems from their diastasis, and I'd be surprised if they felt the need to close them. In truth, the diastasis adds definition, which is generally considered a bonus in the body building world. And closing the diastasis would reduce their dimensions, which I think is generally not considered a bonus in the body building world.
Is Julie Tupler's material really all about vanity and not about health? It is just about trying to regain your pre-pregnancy waistline? There's nothing wrong with that, but it's not healthcare.
In her slides for the educational breakout session at the ACNM 2009 conference, Julie gets more specific about exactly which exercises can worsen the diastasis. However, the information is not consistent.
One slide says:
Types of Forward Forceful Pressure
• Doing abdominal exercises incorrectly (i.e.
crunches or Pilates hundreds)
• Performing day-to-day functional movements
(getting up and down) incorrectly
• Pressure of a growing uterus or a beer belly
Then, a later slide says:
Forward Crossover Movements
That make diastasis larger:
– Cross-over crunches
– Golf
– Tennis
Notice that she does not list standard symmetric crunches in this
more explicit slide.
She also says that an uncorrected diastasis from the first pregnancy is the reason that women show sooner in a second pregnancy. Hmmmm, I'm pretty sure that's not based on medical knowledge. It might be part of the picture, but how about the fact that the uterus itself has been tenderized by the involution process after the first pregnancy, so the uterus does not have the same firm structure as with the first pregnancy?
I think Julie Tupler's Maternal Fitness book is a great resource for
pregnant women, and I love her BAKS BAsics. I have multiple
copies
of this book in my lending library and encourage first-time mamas to
follow
the program during pregnancy. I can't say the same good things
about
her postpartum Tupler Technique. This isn't to say that it
doesn't
work. It's just that it's not clear that it has any more benefit
than simple head lifts, and it's a whole lot more expensive and
demanding
of postpartum mamas.
In poking around the web, I found some interesting mistruths about diastasis:
Not every new mom has a diastasis. In part, its pure genetics
(like
everything else). No, it's not pure genetics.
If
you have a baby that is small relative to your frame, you are much less
likely to have a diastasis than if you have a baby that is large
relative
to your frame or you have a lot of amniotic fluid or you have twins or
you have more than one baby.
I'll say it again. You need to feel the diastasis to make sure
that the exercise you're doing is actually closing it. It can be
a little tricky to do this since you need to have your arm muscles
completely
relaxed to make sure that it's the exercise that's closing the
diastasis
and not what you're doing to feel it that is activating the right
muscles.
:-) You could get someone else to help you, or you could just
keep
feeling the diastasis while you exercise. Heck, if that's what's
closing the diastasis, then just keep doing it!
Moxabustion, or moxa, is an ancient element of Chinese
Medicine.
It involves the use of artemesia, Chinese mugwort, to heat, nourish,
and
invigorate the mother's belly following a birth in order to draw energy
and help replenish the substantial loss that took place there.
Women
love the sensation of deep heat as the herb is burned over their
abdomen,
and any soreness or prolapsed sensations often disperse after just a
few
applications. Traditionally, this procedure has been called
"mother
roasting" and should take place around a week after giving birth.
I have also heard the phrase "mother roasting" used to describe
practices
that involve keeping the mother and newborn very warm after the birth,
sometimes putting hot bricks under the bed to keep them comfortably
warm
without using any energy of their own. Like moxabustion, this
helps
to restore qi or life force to the mother's body.
Mother
roasting,
belly wrapping and other restorative postpartum practices.
This also details some ways to do self massage.
I can't remember whether other people have written about this, but
hydrogen
peroxide is great for getting blood out of clothes, linens,
whatever.
Just pour it on and blot it up with paper towels or rags or regular
towels.
We use plain old peroxide, and keep pouring and blotting until it
doesn't
bubble up anymore. Then we use water to get up the peroxide so it
doesn't bleach the carpet.
Peroxide, peroxide, peroxide - if you use enough and you are
persistent
enough, you will get it all. Avoid the preparations that promise
blood removal - they set the stain -- like spray carpet cleaners - I
have
been back to houses after births where someone used a stain remover
rather
than peroxide, and there is always a big stain - peroxide works every
time,
but you have to get ALL the blood out.
Ammonia gets blood out too. My homebirth midwife swore by it--I'd never heard it before--and she said she'll leave bloodstained clothes in a pile for weeks and it'll still work! (We didn't wait quite so long.) My DH does the laundry and has for years (I am not making this up), so I'm not positive but I think he just threw it into the washer with the detergent, and maybe he soaked a few really messy things in ammonia & water. Everything that got yucky at our birth came clean with the exception of one light yellow spot from blood on my white bed skirt, which no one notices but me & I kind of like the reminder that I birthed in my own bed, right there where we started her.
Be careful with ammonia, it's strong stuff, don't combine
with
anything containing bleach--fumes can be deadly, so I've heard.
Sharing a tip I learned last night for blood stains on fabric. We
discussed
this a while back and I don't remember this being suggested: Murphy's
Oil
Soap. Spray it on, soak in water for an hour or so, wash normally.
Baby Wipes take out almost anything, including blood, from even
white
carpets. Sparkling water works, and peroxide is pretty good, but
pretest
it on an inconspicuous area first. For the blood you don't find til the
next day, try dampening the area and sprinkling meat tenderizer on it,
let sit for 30 minutes and then start with the above list. Don't use
meat
tenderizer on wool or wool blends.
From time to time, I'll get e-mail from people looking for more
information
about placenta recipes or about eating placentas in general. This
is all the information I have. If you have more information or
additional
links to suggest, please contact me with
the info. Thanks!
Placenta
Medicine:
My Story by Tiffany Rosenbrock [2009.4.9] from Midwifery
Today
PLACENTA
PRINTS!
They start with a placenta and some sketching paper...and here's how
they
are made... the result is a beautiful "tree of life"!
What
Can
I Do With This Placenta? from virtualbirth
Medicinal Uses of the Placenta
Placenta Benefits.info
- Mother Nature, for Mothers. Avoid the baby blues and enjoy a natural,
healthy postpartum period with your new baby. "What if you could
avoid the baby blues... The placenta contains your own natural hormones
and is perfectly made for you, by you. Experts agree that the placenta
retains hormones. Reintroducing them to your system is believed to ease
postpartum and menopausal hormonal fluctuations. . . . The key to
Postpartum Wellness is inside you. Women who take placenta
capsules
report fewer emotional issues, have more energy and tend to enjoy a
faster,
more pleasant postpartum recovery.
OK, really and truly, I have NEVER known anyone to eat their
placenta,
but here's an article about it:
A
strange
cure for the baby blues - By HELEN WEATHERS [10/24/06]
Various Uses of Placenta, including as Food
I am curious to know what the taste and texture are like.
It's firm and a little rubbery, kind of bland and dry.
The hospital pamphlet listed these signs as Normal for Mother:
Vaginal Flow - (bleeding pattern):
I try to say as little as possible, so they won't get too paranoid.
I used to talk about resp distress, but clearly they had no idea what I
was talking about. Now I go over normal in detail, assuming they will
then
be able to recognize abnormal. Under resp I cover the funny sounds they
make, stuffy noses and bulb syringes/ saline drops, normal irregular
breathing,
sometimes (if the baby seems particularly strong willed) I run over
that
thing they do when they cry so much that they take a deep breath and
don't
breathe and turn blue for a second. I go over normal feeding pattern,
spitting
up, really reinforce watching poops and pees and other sings of
dehydration
(dark or crystallized urine, skin tenting, really sleepy or really
irritable
baby). We talk about best way for everyone to get some sleep (cuddled
up
in bed). Once I have covered all the usual weird baby stuff, they seem
a lot more relaxed. Oh, the first thing I tell them is hiccuping and
sneezing
(very important, they all are convinced the baby has a cold, esp. when
the baby sneezes during the bath) is normal. I also tell them to expect
cool/bluish hands and feet as a sign the baby is not over heated.
I run down a short list - advising them to watch the babies color
and
breathing - and we watch the baby together a moment --- but then tell
them
the only real thing they have to remember... "Your baby should stay as
pink and healthy as he does right now -- if anything changes -- call
me"!
It sort of puts things back into perspective[Grin] and is a way to
alert
parents to potential problems without scaring them...
If the baby is positive, then the mother's blood is tested to
determine
the amount of fetal cells. The blood bank usually does this. Then
depending
on the calculation of fetal blood that has passed to the mom, the
rhogam
dose is adjusted. The test is called Kliehauer, but I have come across
it named "fetal screen"
The test is a Kleihauer-Betke, and estimates amount of fetal blood cells in the mom's blood. One dose of Rhogam is considered sufficient to deal with 15 mg of fetal blood cells. Under most circumstances that's enough in a normal home birth. We weren't doing them for a long time because no commercial labs in the area were doing their own, and it would take 8 days to get the results back from wherever they sent them out. A bit late for our purposes. Now my lab does them in-house, so it has become doable for us. I did labor support for a gal who had been sensitised because she was not given enough Rhogam after her c-sec. Kleihauer said 57 mgs fetal cells, which works out to 4 doses. They gave her 2, said "that's all we ever need". Wrong.
Her next 2 pregnancies were nightmares of interventions, multiple
specialists,
weekly amnios for bili levels, and one induction because they couldn't
get at a pocket of AF to draw any at 38 weeks. Babies were Rh - , after
all that. [Ed: Thank goodness there
are
tests now to determine baby's blood type from the pregnant woman's
blood!]
just one little tidbit I learned a few years ago when attending a
conference
on prenatal issues where rhesus isoimmunization was discussed. The 72
hour
cutoff which is normally touted as being the cutoff for giving Rhogam
is
an artifact from the original study which was done on prisoners over a
weekend. It is felt that it is safe to give Rhogam up to about 2 weeks
which is about how long it takes for the body's immune system to
respond.
From the package insert: "If delivery occurs within three weeks
after
the last antepartum dose, the postpartum dose may be withheld, but a
test
for FMH should be performed to determine if exposure to >15 ml of
red cells
has occurred." If I am reading the package insert correctly, it
says
that the half-life is 24 days.
There are a few physiotherapy techniques for pain following coccyx injury.
There is a joint between the coccyx and the sacrum which can be damaged by trauma, usually by falling onto your bum - but some births can result in what is effectively a "sprain".
Previous injury or simply poor posture can cause stiffness of this joint (can be associated with low back pain, but is often asymptomatic)
An immobile coccyx will reduce the space in the pelvic outlet - so giving birth can cause further damage to the joint causing pain and stiffness.
It can be mobilised quite easily, either directly onto the joint or
by stretching the muscles and ligaments which attach to the bone.
The techniques are all fairly intimate and some involve a rubber glove
- but they do work, and patients are usually in such discomfort with
this
that they will try anything!
I had problems with my coccyx during last pregnancy (but not
fractured)
just all the ligaments used to go into spasm. I got some useful tips
from
a chiropractor and also homeopathic hypericum, which is
supposed
to specifically target nerve-rich areas, such as the coccyx.
St Johns Wort is good for any joint /nerve pain either in tincture
form,
as an oil for massage or as already mentioned , homeopathically as
hypericum.
If used as a tincture then adding skullcap is of additional benefit.
Both
these plants work on nerve endings and neuralgia (pain) .
It's important to avoid compounding the problem by sitting
asymmetrically.
Perhaps try one of those cushions designed for hemorrhoid use.
See also: Vulvodynia /
Vulvar
Vestibulitis / Pelvic Pain
After I had my first baby, I had some abrasions on my lateral
vaginal
walls. I chose not to have any stitches and let them heal
naturally
though my midwife said she could've put a stitch or two in. They
healed fine, but every time I had my period, I would feel a soreness in
the area where they were.
One of my clients had severe hair loss in the months after her
birth.
Any suggestions?
Long ago I knew a woman who had this problem, which she fixed by
taking
lots of extra calcium (I believe) and protein.
You know how a lot of women say that their hair gets thicker during
pregnancy? Well, eventually that extra hair starts falling
out.
And then, they have less estrogen postpartum than before pregnancy, so
the new hair growth is also less. They may feel like they're
going
bald, but this is a normal hormonal change in the postpartum period.
We do just check your Thyroid just in case but in my experience that is normally OK and it is just a case of taking time for the hormones to readjust! I promise that I have NEVER seen a bald mother! There is no harm in treating your hair gently not over washing and of course using kind ingredients that are natural rather than the high chemical shampoos and conditioners that are more usual.
De-stressing helps too - ha ha - but overall try not to worry your
hair
will come back even more beautiful once it stops falling out!
Vaginal dryness in the post partum period is associated with breastfeeding. Bottle feeding women also have low estrogen levels in the first weeks postpartum until ovulation returns. Estrogen levels can remain low during the entire period of lactation. This can cause the vaginal epithelium to be very thin and secrete less fluid - leading to atrophy of the vaginal mucosa. Women who are breastfeeding may need to use KY or other water based lubricants. Estrogen creams may also be helpful but it should be noted that estrogen may be quickly absorbed and possibly decrease milk supply. (Riordan - 1993 - in Breastfeeding and Human Lactation)
I don't think drinking extra water will increase vaginal lubrication
- although severe dehydration would of course make us all pretty dry
everywhere
I would guess. With regards to fluid intake and breastfeeding - Just
got
off the phone with Kathleen Auerbach - who assures me that women should
just be counseled to drink to thirst when lactating. The old
recommendation
of a glass an hour thing is a bit of overkill. In fact - the La Leche
League's
Breastfeeding Question and Answer Book cautions: It is not beneficial
for
the mother or her milk supply to force extra fluid. Not only is forcing
fluids uncomfortable, but one study found that mothers did not produce
any more milk when they drank 25% more fluids than when they drank to
thirst.
A good acid test of adequate hydration is the absence of concentrated
urine
and presence of regular soft formed stools.
This is something that a lady shared with me recently. I've run across this problem before and haven't known what to recommend.
This lady has had extreme vaginal dryness since her last birth. Her baby is about 7 months old, and breastfeeding. The walls of the vagina were cracked and red, very sore by her account.
She went to see an OB/GYN who recommended an estrogen cream. She didn't want to use it, so tried Replens, which didn't work so she tried the estrogen cream, which she says didn't help either. I don't know how long she used it.
She did some research on her own, and began taking flax seed oil,
and
says that now she is completely fine.
Flax seed oil is one of the ingredients in the Progesterone cream I
use. It along with other ingred. are there for balancing the hormones.
She would be having a lot of estrogen in her blood stream and body
since
she is nursing. The reason for the vag dryness. The flax seed is one of
many things that could correct this problem.
actually, nursing results in a hypoestrogenic state...that's the
reason
for the vaginal dryness..not enough estrogen.
Alternatives to Surgery for
Pelvic
Organ Prolapse or Urinary Incontinence
Pelvic Prolapse
Is Not Always Chronic and Progressive CME [Medscape
registration
is free]
Prolapse and Pelvic
Relaxation
and Prolapse Problems
Before
and after Pregnancy from
PELVIC POWER.® - We
are
the manufacturers of the audio-cassette series of guided movement
lessons
for pelvic floor awareness development.
Fembrace - A revolutionary
new
support garment for relief of the painful symptoms of Genital
Prolapse
(Prolapsed Uterus, Cystocele, Rectocele, Enterocele) and Varicose Veins
of the Vulva (Vulvar Varicosities).
For someone early postpartum we would have the woman lay on a bed
and
walk her feet up a wall, put a clean rolled up sock between the
pubis
and uterus. then belly band this on.
She can do the yoga "Bridge Pose" at bedtime to tilt the uterus back
up high again and let it sit there in the higher position while
sleeping.
The point is to position it so that the ligaments will naturally
tighten,
kind of like when a woman wears high heels all the time and eventually
the muscles, ligaments, and tendons begin to shorten and hold the foot
at the same angle as the shoes...It may take a few months, but
eventually
the uterus will return to a normal position.
Uterine rupture can happen either from obstructed labor in an unscarred uterus or for a variety of reasons in a uterus with a scar from a previous cesarean. Both are very uncommon, but they can be devastating when they happen.
Here's
a
support group for those who have experienced uterine rupture.
The
duration
and character of postpartum bleeding among breast-feeding women.
Visness CM, Kennedy KI, Ramos R.
Obstet Gynecol. 1997 Feb;89(2):159-63.
CONCLUSIONS: Lochia lasted substantially longer than the
conventional
assumption of 2 weeks. It was common for postpartum bleeding to stop
and
start again or to be characterized by intermittent spotting or
bleeding.
Return of menses is rare among fully breast-feeding women in the first
8 weeks postpartum.
I would estimate that about 25% of my clients report a sort of
mini-period
right around 6 weeks postpartum. They'll say that the bleeding
seemed
to have stopped a few weeks earlier, but then they had a period that
was
sort of 1/2 to 2/3 of a regular period for them - the bleeding had a
sudden
onset and was continuous for a few days, and then stopped completely.
Yes, the WHO references this mini-period as an "end-of-puerperium" bleeding episode.
The
World
Health Organization multinational study of breast-feeding and
lactational
amenorrhea. IV. Postpartum bleeding and lochia in breast-feeding women.
World Health Organization Task Force on Methods for the Natural
Regulation
of Fertility.
Fertil Steril. 1999 Sep;72(3):441-7.
OBJECTIVE: To describe and compare the duration of lochia in seven
groups
of women; to investigate the occurrence of a possible
"end-of-puerperium"
bleeding episode; and to determine the frequency of bleeding episodes
before
postpartum day 56, which applies to the practice of the lactational
amenorrhea
method of contraception. DESIGN: Prospective longitudinal study with
fortnightly
follow-up, beginning within 7 days of delivery. SETTING: Five
developing
and two developed countries. PATIENT(S): Four thousand one hundred
eighteen
breast-feeding women. INTERVENTION(S): Postpartum lochia and all days
of
bleeding per vaginam were recorded. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Duration
of
lochia, frequency of an end-of-puerperium bleeding episode, and
frequency
of postlochia bleeding episodes within 56 days of delivery. RESULT(S):
The median duration of lochia was 27 days; it varied significantly
among
the centers (range, 22-34 days). In 11% of the women, lochia lasted
>40
days. An end-of-puerperium bleeding episode around the 40th day
postpartum
was reported by 20.3% of the women. Bleeding within 56 days of delivery
(separated from lochia by at least 14 days) occurred in 11.3% of the
women
and usually was followed by a confirmatory bleeding episode 21-70 days
later. CONCLUSION(S): The duration of lochia varied significantly among
the study populations, and long durations were not unusual. The
significance
of the end-of-puerperium bleeding episode is unknown. Most users of the
lactational amenorrhea method will not experience a postlochia bleeding
episode before postpartum day 56.
See also: Midwife Assistance
with Postpartum Integration of Birth Experience
As
of
2005, rubella is no longer considered endemic to the United States;
you have to wonder whether it still makes sense to recommend rubella
vaccination
for those with a non-immune status.
At the six-week exam, I give my clients a Breast
Self-Exam
Shower Card (from the Komen Foundation) and a Kegels reminder
card.
Other resources for Breast Self Exam:
Sign
up
for your free L.I.F.E. kit - L.I.F.E. is a program created by The
Brookwood Women's Medical Center's Breast Health Center
Small J, Lumley J et al (2000) Randomised Controlled trial of
midwife
led debriefing to reducce maternal depression after operative
childbirth,
BMJ,
321: 1043-1047
Lavender T et al (1998) Can midwives reduce postpartum psychological
morbidity? A randomiszed trial, Birth 25:4 215-219
Postpartum Surveys/Client Satisfaction
In Ontario the midwife is the primary caregiver for mom and baby until 6 wks.
Mom, review antenatal records, i.e. ?last PAP, (we do every 2 years once a normal pap times 3) rubella immune status, discuss perineal healing (if necessary) but always review bladder control i.e. Can you stop your urine flow? If not offer to check perineal muscle tone, finger in vagina, can she squeeze? ( I am very big on keeping my clients out of ATTENDS) Assess emotional status, if I am concerned administer Edinburgh PP scale. Otherwise provide community resources. Then discuss breastfeeding resources in community, resumption of intercourse/sex, need for extra foreplay, lubrication, birth control. Handouts on birth control, PP depression, breast self examination, and baby massage.
We provide a copy of birth records to the woman. A short summary is
sent to the family MD, including the baby's measurements at birth and 6
wks, plus comments if appropriate.
We just use the 6 wks pp control for a chat. I ask if anything is OK
if she has any questions about her pregnancy or delivery, if the
stitches(
if any) are giving discomfort, how the bf is going and what kind of
contraception
she uses. If she has any trouble holding her urine or passing faeces
and
that is it. The baby is being taken care of at the babywell clinic and
paps are done her every 5 years. And gp's do that. If the stitches are
still hurting I may have a look or do an internal exam, but not as a
rule.
I was taught to delay PP paps until 3 months after birth, since so
many
will show inflammatory changes at the 6-8 week follow-up. This is not
what
my texts said, but my preceptor had vast experience, so I took her word
for it. Just have a woman come back at 12 weeks PP for the pap. Good
time
for additional check on breastfeeding and how her contraceptive choice
is working.
One local OB/GYN delays the PAP until 12 weeks; I will do it at 6
weeks
if she is comfortably having sex, but otherwise, I figure it doesn't
make
sense to use a speculum on such tender tissues!
THE CHANGING SEXUALITY SURROUNDING CHILDBEARING WOMEN - A Guide for Doulas and Families in the Postpartum Period
"When sexuality comes to the forefront, encourage partners to
communicate
their intimate needs to one another. Exploring new avenues of
gratification
with a partner in lovemaking can be fulfilling and comforting. This is
a time for compromise and emotional support. Suggest that a couple take
a few moments each day to tell each other what felt good or gratifying
in the relationship recently. The postpartum period is always a time
for
personal growth and change."
Sex
After
Children from Mother Nurture
Is There Sex after Birth? from Fathering
Right
from the Start by Jack Heinowitz
Is There Sex after Childbirth? from Becoming
a
Father - How to Nurture & Enjoy Your Family by William Sears,
M.D.
Postpartum Sex from Having
a Baby, Naturally by Peggy O'Mara, Editor and Publisher of MotheringMagazine
Please contact me with links
to more information. Thank you!
I've heard that relaxin remains in the mother's system for up to 6
months
after the birth. A Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner told
me that relaxin levels will remain elevated until the mother
weans.
Please contact me to let me
know
if you have a good source of information for this. Thanks.
Can you help me with my client. She is 11 weeks postpartum mother of
lovely twins. She has horrible night sweat problem. Is there any way to
decrease this?
Vitex can help, but it takes time to work AND it may bring back the
menses. [from a respected herbalist]
During pregnancy the mother's immune system changes the ratio of T-helper cells between Th 1 and Th 2. It's understood to reduce immune response to the fetus. When the T-helper cells are further suppressed by exogenous steroids or severe maternal stress (emotional, physical, nutritional) the immune system can have "inappropriate" responses after delivery. This would be more likely in an atopic person.
I've used herbal anti-histamines with good success. Also, the
stabilized aloe powder Mannapol helps a lot.
Urine Leakage Not Due to Childbirth - Study of Sisters: Blame Genes, Not Kids, for Later-Life Urinary Incontinence
Urinary
incontinence
in nulliparous women and their parous sisters.
Buchsbaum GM, Duecy EE, Kerr LA, Huang LS, Guzick DS.
Obstet Gynecol. 2005 Dec;106(6):1253-8.
CONCLUSION: Vaginal birth does not seem to be associated with
urinary
incontinence in postmenopausal women. Considering the high concordance
in continence status between sister pairs, and considering that the
majority
of parous women are continent, an underlying familial
predisposition
toward the development of urinary incontinence may be present.
LEVEL
OF EVIDENCE: II-2.
hab-it Pelvic Floor exerciser:
"When
I run . . . When I jump . . . When I sneeze . . . " If you're
living
with symptoms of incontinence, this is the place to start taking back
control.
Their web pages have educational and instructional video.
The Hab-It and PFilates DVDS are also somewhat good. And the
exercises in "The Female Pelvis" by Blandine Calais-Germain are the
most specific I've seen - much more then lifting and squeezing, it
breaks up the PF muscles into separate components.
New
Device
is Effective for Recurrent Female Urinary Incontinence [6/2/10]
– An investigational minimally invasive device, known as the Adjustable
Continence Therapy (ACT, Uromedica, Inc.) system, seems to be an
effective
treatment for women with recurrent episodes of stress urinary
incontinence
(SUI) associated with intrinsic sphincter deficiency, researchers
reported
here at the American Urological Association 2010 Annual Scientific
Meeting.
NICE
issues
new guidance on urinary incontinence in women [10/06] - Doctors
in England and Wales have been given new guidance to improve the care
and
treatment of millions of women who have urinary incontinence.
Alternatives to Surgery for
Pelvic
Organ Prolapse or Urinary Incontinence
Using a TENS unit to help re-tone the Kegel muscles after birth can
be one of the most time-effective methods for busy moms. MamaSure
is a British unit designed for this purpose.
I am getting furious when people talk about incontinence as a result
of childbirth... yes it is a result of non physiological childbirth.
Kegels are a great way to bring things back to place... and it really
works!
I feel that women that try to avoid vaginal childbirth and try not to mess with the pelvis and the vagina as a way to restore their youth and their sexuality are actually doing the opposite, they don't develop relationship with their vagina and prefer to ignore this area. Sex is not only for young women with tight vaginas. Actually vaginas are not necessarily tighter before childbirth, it depends on how one uses those muscles.
Another thing that no one tells women is that childbirth can
actually
benefit their sexual response. Some women find their orgasmic response
much more reliable and intense after vaginal childbirth (well not
immediately
after childbirth) - but this is another topic that needs an in depth
research.
Promoting Effective
Recovery
from Labor - The PERL Project team consists of experts in nursing,
midwifery, medicine, and bioengineering who care about safe, healthy,
and
satisfying birth. We bring a wide range of specialized knowledge
about childbirth and urinary incontinence to the project.
Ankle
Dorsiflexion
May Increase Pelvic Floor Muscle Activity CME [Medscape
registration
is free]
Mode of Delivery
and Pelvic Floor Dysfunction: a Systematic Review of the Literature on
Urinary and Fecal Incontinence and Sexual Dysfunction by Mode of
Delivery
[Medscape CME/CE]
Acupuncture
May
Be Effective for Overactive Bladder - Acupuncture may be effective
therapy for overactive bladder, according to the results of a
randomized study reported in the July issue of Obstetrics &
Gynecology.
[Medscape registration is free]
Acupuncture
for
overactive bladder: a randomized controlled trial.
Emmons SL, Otto L.
Obstet Gynecol. 2005 Jul;106(1):138-43.
CONCLUSION: Women who received 4 weekly bladder-specific acupuncture
treatments had significant improvements in bladder capacity, urgency,
frequency,
and quality-of-life scores as compared with women who received placebo
acupuncture treatments.
Randomised
controlled
trial of conservative management of postnatal urinary and faecal
incontinence: six year follow up.
Glazener CM, Herbison GP, Macarthur C, Grant A, Wilson PD.
BMJ. 2004 Dec 22
"The moderate short term benefits of a brief nurse-led conservative
treatment of postnatal urinary incontinence may not persist, even among
women with no further deliveries. About three quarters of women with
urinary
incontinence three months after childbirth still have this six years
later."
[Ed. I'm not sure, but I think this means you need to keep doing
your Kegels!!!]
Physiotherapy
Helpful
for Persistent Postnatal Stress Urinary Incontinence CME
[Medscape
registration is free]
Urinary
incontinence
predictors and life impact in ethnically diverse perimenopausal
women. - Medscape
commentary [Medscape registration is free]
Sampselle CM, Harlow SD, Skurnick J, Brubaker L, Bondarenko I.
Obstet Gynecol 2002 Dec;100(6):1230-8
"Large numbers of perimenopausal women experience urinary
incontinence
with 25% wearing protection or changing undergarments on several days
per
week. Mutable factors predicting severity included body mass index and
current smoking."
Pelvic
floor
muscle training during pregnancy to prevent urinary incontinence:
a single-blind randomized controlled trial.
Morkved S, Bo K, Schei B, Salvesen KA.
Obstet Gynecol 2003 Feb;101(2):313-9
"Intensive pelvic floor muscle training during pregnancy prevents urinary incontinence during pregnancy and after delivery. Pelvic floor muscle strength improved significantly after intensive pelvic floor muscle training."
Medscape
resources
about urinary incontinence [Medscape registration is free]
PELVIC POWER.® - We
are
the manufacturers of the audio-cassette series of guided movement
lessons
for pelvic floor awareness development.
Kegelmaster
from Susan Lark's web pages - DrLark.com
Research has shown that gentle electrical stimulation can be very
effective
in toning the Kegel muscles and reducing urinary incontinence.
One
approach was to have the woman sit on a chair with gentle electrical
stimulation.
You can apparently also purchase vaginal
probes to be connected to a TENS device.
Weston's
in the UK has a Discreet
Stimulator Pre-Programmed Single Channel Pelvic Floor Stimulator.
This is just a wild guess about what might work to strengthen Kegel muscles - try taking more vitamin D!
Higher
Vitamin
D Levels Linked to Lower Risk for Female Pelvic Floor Disorders
Fecal
Incontinence
- from the AAFP
Does cesarean delivery protect the pelvic floor?
Nelson RL, Furner SE, Westercamp M, Farquhar C. Cesarean delivery for the prevention of anal incontinence. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2010, Issue 2. Art. No.: CD006756. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD006756.pub2.
Some women experience leakage of stool or gas while their perineum is healing in the postpartum period, and for some women this problem can become chronic. With age, the number of people with anal incontinence rises, and an estimated 1.4% to 11% of adults and over 50% of nursing home residents have this problem. Cesarean delivery has been proposed as a way to protect the integrity of the pelvic floor and avoid incontinence. A new systematic review explores whether cesarean section is associated with lower rates of anal incontinence than vaginal birth.
This review includes 21 observational studies that compared the odds of anal incontinence following 6,028 cesarean births with the odds of the problem following 25,170 vaginal births. No randomized controlled trials on the subject were found. The quality of the studies was assessed, and because observational studies are subject to more bias than randomized controlled trials, the authors included in their quality assessment whether the studies were prospectively designed, adjusted for maternal age, parity and delivery history, and whether incontinence was measured after 4 months postpartum when the perineum had time to heal. The studies of highest quality were also analyzed separately to see if the results differed from those of lower quality studies. No high quality studies showed any significant difference in incontinence of stool and none of the studies showed any difference in leakage of gas between women undergoing cesarean delivery and those giving birth vaginally.
The take-away: This review shows no evidence that cesarean delivery
protects a woman from future anal incontinence compared to vaginal
birth.
US cesarean rates have increased by 50% in the last decade and are
currently
at a record high of 31.8% as of 2007. Some have suggested that
"maternal
demand" cesarean section is contributing significantly to the rising
rate
of c-section, a practice associated with numerous increased risks when
compared to vaginal birth. The authors of this review cite research
that
suggests avoiding incontinence is the main reason women with no medical
indication for c-section elect to have their babies this way. Both of
these
suggestions are controversial. Just one mother out of 252 in the
Listening
to Mothers II survey reported that she had a first cesarean birth at
her
own request with no medical reason, and only one woman reported a
cesarean
delivery in the belief that it would help prevent future incontinence.
Fecal Incontinence:
Failure
of the anal sphincter to prevent involuntary expulsion of gas,
liquid, or solids from the lower bowel (Tabers Cyclopedic Medical
Dictionary,
1993).
Obstetric
events
leading to anal sphincter damage. [Related
articles]
Donnelly V, Fynes M, Campbell D, Johnson H, O'Connell PR, O'Herlihy
C
Obstet Gynecol 1998 Dec;92(6):955-61
Instrumental delivery and a second stage of labor prolonged by epidural analgesia are the obstetric factors that pose the greatest risk of injury to the anal sphincter mechanism in primiparous vaginal delivery.
I have a client who delivered almost 2 weeks ago. Her first baby, 8lbs even, 3 hours active labor, pushed 25 minutes. Baby did have a nuchal arm that was pressing right into the rectum. Other than very minor skid marks, the perineum was intact.
Since she delivered, she's had a couple of episodes of unexpectedly passing stool. Once in the bathtub, and 3 times while standing holding baby.
Her anal sphincter seems to be intact and with normal tone. Her uterus is slightly retroverted and may slide down into the rectum when she stands. She saw an MD and he didn't find anything abnormal. He actually told her that since she's asymptomatic, he wouldn't try to treat it!
I have her doing knee chest and slant board exercises and Kegels. She doesn't seem to be having trouble with the Kegels - can do 50 at a time pretty easily. I'm having her do fewer each session but holding a lot longer.
Any other ideas? She's afraid to leave the house.
I just read about this in my Nurse Midwifery Handbook by Linda
Wheeler.
She says that this is a very underreported problem and actually quite
common.
She claims "1 out of 10 primiparas and 1 out of 5 multipara who deliver
vaginally may experience fecal urgency or the involuntary loss of
flatus
or feces." She goes on to say the symptoms usually disappear after 6
mos.
and encourage Kegels. I did not see any other response to this question
on the list. Were there a lot of private responses? Now I'm really
wondering
if others have had women with this problem and if most are routinely
inquiring.
I find those #'s hard to believe, but maybe with the high rates of
epidurals,
episiotomies, forced pushing, etc., they are correct. We probably are
seeing
much less in our practices.
Homeopathic Apis Mellifica can help.
Briefcase Full of
Diapers
- The Working Woman’s Resource for Having and Nurturing Healthy
Children
by Julie Fagan
Mums
are
smarter than childless women
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