So for the next few blog posts I'm gonna do a little of history, of why I am the way I am. Oh come on, it'll be fun. So sit down, strap on yer snuggie, and be prepared to laugh...cry....or just shake your head in disbelief. O_o

When I was little, and when I say little, I wasn't actually little, I was a giant in a tiny body. Chub-ster. N-E-ways, when I was little, I used to fake a tummy ache, so I could get a baby chewable Tylenol, because those things were shiztastic! I also always loved Triaminic, it was medicine ya know, but oh so tasty. If there was anything good about having a cold, it was the sweet taste of the purpley, sugary, high fructose corn syrupy cough medicine. *SLURP* Ahhhh...


Then, my mom, bless her <3, went all crazy, and decided to go "natural".  Umm, WTHeck Mom? Baby Tylenol, Triaminic, and cough drops that were pure sugary goodness went bye-bye, and was replaced with....*insert dry heaving*....Rosemary Tincture.  You know that taste in your mouth that you get right before you ralph?  Thinking about this stuff stimulates that reflex. *dry heave*  Oh, what is it, you ask?  Oh-ho-ho-ho, it is a TOXIC, vomitous combination of fresh Rosemary, and Vodka. No lie. WTHeck Mom?  You put the Rosemary sprigs in a large jar with the vodka, seal it, and put in a cool dark place for like 6 weeks. *heave* Then, you scrape the nasty, soggy, Vodka soaked Rosemary off, and you have Rosemary Tincture. This stuff is awful! So, before I would fake sick to get the yummy medicine, now, I faked health, so I wouldn't have to drink that crud. So I guess it worked. You mix it with juice of some sort, and then slam it like a shot. Pinching your nose and holding your head back to help it go down more smoothly. This stuff is about as smooth as a freshly graveled road. Guh-ross!

Now I know, you are thinking, surely that is all! But nay, nay I say. There is more. Ohhhh yeah.  So, my mom's mom, lovingly known as 'Pitty Pat', had a sister, 'Aunt Carol, who brewed her own wine in their double wide in Bates City. Heh heh heh...yeah.  She would go a-hunting for elderberry's. Bitter little berry thingies that grow in the butt wild. Now elderberries are actually very good for you, and aren't too terrible as a juice. But it wouldn't be my family if it wasn't weird. So, my Aunt Carol made elderberry wine, which is of course, elderberry juice that you place in large glass jugs, put a balloon over the mouth of the jug and wait for the balloons to fill with toxic, rancid air from the juice, which can take some time; and when the balloons are large enough to burst, the wine is ready. Mmmmmmm.

My first encounter with this stuff, was about 12 years ago, so I was about 11. I was sick and had stayed home from school. My sweet Pitty Pat came to nurse me back to health. I was greeted by her with a glass of "juice". Evil. Pure Evil.  Its deep purple hue, made me think it was grape juice. Score! Nope, wine....WINE! AND I'm pretty sure it had a shot o' tincture in it. Dirty dirty trick. It was about an 8 ounce glass, and of course, I had to drink, "Every last drop". *Heave* If nothing else, it is sure to make you sleep.

To this day, my mom and Pitty Pat swear that that stuff works. Um, no. I don't believe them.  It was probably, likely, definitely one of those things people did because they loved to watch their kids reaction to it. They were undoubtedly trying to win the $10,000 grand prize on America's Funniest Home Videos with our full body-dry-heaving-convulsions. Dirty dirty trick.

However, little did I realize how much all this home-brewing dookie would shape the crazy I am today...

I'll be back later with part 2 of my wild and wacky childhood. If I had a functioning camera, you might even get some pix. We'll see. Until next time....Peace, Love, and Alcoholic Remedies.

Did you know that it is standard practice for many OB's to give episiotomies to first time mother's. Um, what the honk is an episiotomy, you ask? It is a cut in the perinuem, the tissue between the vagina and the rectum. This area of the female anatomy receives quite a bit of tension during childbirth, as the baby is passing through the vaginal opening. Don't you think you should have some say in when your privates are cut open? I think so too. So, here is some info on the procedure, so you can make an informed decision, which is what I am all about.


Advantages of episiotomy:
*Widen the vaginal outlet (necessary for quick delivery of baby if serious complications arise, and sometimes used with forceps and vacuum extractions)
*Prevent a tear upwards (towards the clitoris, we don't want that for sure)
*May prevent a larger tear....may. (The problem with this is, if you take a sheet of paper and pull on opposites edges the paper is extremely strong, however, if you make a tiny cut in the paper and then pull on the opposite ends, RIP, you have taken a pretty strong tissue, and weakened it.)
*Some people believe it is easier to repair than a tear (which may be true, however, an episiotomy cuts through fat, muscle, and blood vessels, while a tear goes with the grain of the muscle, and rarely tears through a blood vessel.)

Disadvantages
*More blood loss (because of likelihood of cutting through blood vessels)
*Creates a birth that is too quick for the baby
*Baby will not receive the affects of the Fetal Heimlich Manuever (a natural phenomenon, where the mother's intact perineum pushes on the baby's rib cage as it is being born, causing a natural Heimlich manuever to expel the contents of the baby's nose, mouth and throat, making routine suctioning unnecessary in most cases).
* High risk of bladder incontinence (Snissing...peeing when you sneeze, cough, laugh, etc)
*High risk of fecal incontinence (having a small bowel movement when you sneeze, cough, laugh, etc)
*Painful sex, and/or sexual dysfunction
*Can create a larger tear by weakening the tissue of the perineum.

Now there, you can decide if you are ok, or not, with your Doc cuttin' on your lady parts. It's your decision, be informed. If your Doc has an episiotomy rate above 10%, and you're not ok with routine perineal cutting, then I would...RUN. It is never too late to switch care providers. Never.

Nothing But Love For Ya -
Brianna

I think all pregnant women should read at least one book on pregnancy, childbirth, and post partum. EXCLUDING 'What To Expect When You're Expecting'. Some of my faves are:

Pushed - Jennifer Block
Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering - Sara Buckley
Born in the USA - Mardsen Wagner
Birthing From Within - Pam England
Husband Coached Childbirth - Robert Bradley

and many many more. What are your favorite books?

So this is not what you think it is. I have them. But not what you are thinking. A cold sore has spread itself across my top lip. It stings, it itches, and it looks just awful. I hate cold sores, mine get so huge that I have to quarantine myself, so that no one sees it; because it is fugly. Usually, when I feel the little buttmunch appearing I zap the crud out of it with Bactine; takes care of no problemo. But yesterday, when I first felt the stingy, itchy sensation, it was during nap time, and I can't just leave the kids, and there ain't no chance in ,you know where, that I am waking them. By the time they woke up, it was too late. The enemy had made it's mark, and has continued to grow. So, while I sit at home, afraid to go anywhere, and actually feeling kinda ill. What do you do to get rid of/ease your cold sores? Please.Help.

Brianna

Where did you choose to have your youngin's? In my very personal opinion, there really is 'no place like home'. I know it's not for everyone, and don't expect people to share my feelings in that regard. So where did you give birth? Why? Did you enjoy your experience? Spare no details, I wanna know!

P-p-p-p-itocin. A synthetic form of the hormone Oxytocin. Our body naturally produces Oxytocin. It's the hormone that makes us bond deeply with someone. It is the hormone surge we receive, ladies, immediately following.....orgasm (Yesssss!) The moment our child is born, we receive the most hugest, ginormous rush of it. More than when we score the big O. However, when we take meds in labor, such as an Epidural, Demerol, Stadol, Pitocin, etc; we jack up the beautiful, harmonious production and distribution of hormones. The hormones that propel labor, the hormones that make magic happen. Wreaking all kinds of havoc on your labor. Now unlike Oxytocin, Pitocin can not cross the blood brain barrier. This is where, with naturally occurring contractions, all those feelings of love and bonding occur. So we receive more intense contractions, a harder labor, but without the calming, coping hormone of Oxytocin that helps us deal with a natural labor. See it just fouls everything up. Now now, before anyone gets all hot and bothered; ALL, let me say again ALL, medical interventions have their place, where the benefits truly outweight the risks. HOWEVER, not every pregnant woman needs to be intervened upon. I am not pointing fingers, or trying to make anyone feel upset or angry. Just providing some facts. I ain't even playing, here's a link, read for yourself. http://doulamomma.wordpress.com/2009/06/09/the-truth-about-pitocin-and-labor-induction/
Or go to the FDA's website, www.drugs.com, you can type in any medication, and it will pop up a list of benefits, risks, and uses. Nothin but love here.

Brianna

Can I get a holla' from all those parents out there who have little one's that don't sleep through the night? My dear son who just turned 3, will sometimes sleep all night. My daughter, 16 months, never sleeps through the night. In fact she wakes just as often now as she did as a newborn, and nurses just as much. I just figured it was the motherly duty, to deal with it, I can not do the CIO (cry it out) method. It breaks my heart. So I had succommed (spelling fail) myself to as long as it would take, to get my darling daughter to sleep soundly. But hoh, oh, oh, it need not be so. Nay. My mother, seeing that I was losing my marbles, dug deeper and found *insert trumpet blast* The Sleep Lady's Good Night Sleep Tight book. And oh my-lanta. Where has this Sleep Lady been hiding the last 3years?! I highly recommend it to every parent...in the world! It's a gentle approach, that allows you to customize it to your specific comfort levels. So if you are perfectly fine with CIO, or like me, if you aren't; it can work for you! Last night was our first go at it, and WOOWEE, last night was a good night fo' sho'. I'll keep ya updated as we make our journey. But for now check it out for yourself. Here ya go http://www.sleeplady.com/.

Happy Sleeping!

Breastfeeding. http://www.bestforbabes.org/ This website has tons o' good information on breastfeeding. Including the risks involved for mom and baby when you do not breastfeed. http://www.bestforbabes.org/help-i-dont-want-to-breastfeed Check it out! I first decided to breastfeed, not entirely because of the health benefits, but because it was free, convenient, and darn it, I might as well use those things for the purpose they were made! As I learned more about breastfeeding, I became more and more passionate about the subject. So, why do you breastfeed? Or why did you decide not to? There are no right or wrong answers here!

So initally, I created this blog to archive my crafty ideas and sewing dealies. But alas, I have no time for that. So instead, this will be my birthin' blog. A place to share thoughts, ideas, opinions; in a loving sort of manner of course. Nothing to fancy shmancy, just a sidekick for my website www.birthau-naturel.com, which still happens to be under construction. Or gestation, since this is a birth blog. Hyuck hyuck. So for a kick off here is a link to a site that talks about the risks of epidurals http://www.sarahbuckley.com/epidurals-risks-and-concerns-for-mother-and-baby/. Alright, let me know what yer thinking!

Brianna Out!