OB/gyn is a surgical speciality. They are all surgeons. Family practice doctors used to deliver babies but I haven't heard of that for years and years. Maybe in some rural areas it is still true. And sure there are lots of female ob/gyns but they are still surgeons. It isnt the best use of their training and education to use them for routine pregnancies and deliveries. It just isn't. And we have learned this the hard way by the fact that way too many women are delivering by c section. Midwives of the CNMs variety deliver in hospitals and can call in an OB if a c section becomes needed. The vast majority of women believe that their c section was needed but the truth is that most were not. Of course I have no idea if yours was or wasn't and I'm not addressing that, but many many many are not. I know dozens of women told their pelvis was too small or they just couldn't dilate and they had to have a c section who went on to have future babies with no issues. Of course there will be need for some c sections. Things do not always work as they should. But 40% is unacceptable and completely indefensible. Midwives receive different training and much more training on normal birth. They need to be the primary caregivers of normal pregnancy with a good back up of doctors who can step in when things don't go as hoped.

This is so strange. My husband was worried about the mess as he had seen my hospital births but was pleasantly surprised to realize that there was none. I have had other clients have the same surprise over how nice and neat we keep it. I have attended over 200 home births. Not once has there been any kind of mess left for the family. We are super careful to protect everything and instruct the family how to do so if they are going fast and we aren't there yet. Sounds like some serious incompetence to leave a mess for a family to deal with.

Argh I can't figure out how to delete the tag This is why I believe men and surgeons should get out of the baby birthing realm. Let midwives manage all low risk women and bring in the surgeon only when someome competent and trained in normal physiological birth determines it is necessary. Women are NOT well served by doctors with that kind of attitude. Quit going to doctors for normal birth! Save them for the complications that happen and when their skills are greatly needed. But anyone who thinks 30% of women *need* a cesarean shouldn't be caring for routine pregnancies.

I think one thing that some people don't realize is that now is pretty much the best time in history to have a home birth. It is often compared to "women on the plains" who "died all the time" (they didn't) but now we have the benefit of pitocin, antibiotics, c sections etc when they are needed. The key though is only using these tools when they are actually needed. Current c section rates are around 35-40%(varied by area but that is what it is here) That is outrageous and no where near evidence based. When I chose to have a home birth it was because I couldn't trust an OB to tell me if a c section was *actually* needed since the vast majority of the ones they were doing were not. Or at least wouldn't be if they hadn't intervened so much leading up to it. Inappropriately using medical tools for child birth has actually lead to *more* maternal deaths. But this was about unassisted and that really is a different situation. But again, midwives are in short supply in many areas and non medical midwives who aren't controlled by the medical system are even more rare. So women are in fact forced into unassisted in some cases although some do so for other reasons.

Yes of course. But the standard of care for birthing women in the US is NOT an birth that is only intervened in when it is necessary. They have done to them the exact opposite of what we are told to do with other birthing mammals (removed from nest, bright lights, routine vaginal exams, strangers in and out, strapped to the bed with the monitors so they can't move around as their body is telling them etc) I, of course believe in midwives and fully understand why someone knowledgeable could become necessary. But many complications we currently have are caused by the way birthing women are treated and the system in which they give birth. Not ALL, but many. As women learn more about the mechanics of birth and the cascade of hormones necessary for a successful birth and 3rd stage, they realize how they will not get that with a regular hospital birth. So some seek midwives and some can't find one who is a good match so they opt to go it alone.

I am a homebirth midwife, apprentice trained not CNM. By virtue of that I know plenty of unassisted birthers. They are both very well educated AND very in tune with their own intuition. It's not a choice I made for any of my own 7 home births but I do understand it. Complications aside, the vast majority of births go best when left completely alone. The unassisted birthers are often reacting to a maternity care system in which it is nearly impossible to find an attendant who will truly not interfer with the natural process. We understand this in our society for pet cats or horses or cows but somehow forget that human birth is the same way.

My youngest is 6 and I still miss breastfeeding 😔. It was my very favorite part of mothering. Reading aloud comes a close second and luckily I can still do that for a very long time 😉

Have you seen the Fighting Preacher? So good and sounds similar to this man's story.

Thank you. No I haven't. I should but Im in the midst of insurance/doctor change and I just haven't mustered the energy. I also am doubtful that a PCP is going to know much about what to do because no one really does. No long covid clinic here. In the support groups no one is really getting answers even from the clinics. Just some treatment of symptoms

Oh it's fine. I appreciate that you remembered my story at all. It feels very lonely especially because I do know quite a few people who have had it and are fine.

You probably mean me. I was the absolute worst in early January. I made some improvement in mid January I think (should have written stuff down) but have stayed at that level since then. Intense brain fog, headaches, fatigue, body aches. Those are the most bothersome ongoing symptoms. I am napping daily and trying super hard to do a good job with school with my kids but it is shaky at best. They know we won't be taking the summer off and we had to drop something that was a major commitment. I have a lot of sad kids over that but I am just not myself. I had my positive covid test on November 9th.

The point is that it would work temporarily without power. It was for an emergency. Not general use when the pump was working. There was some way to switch something over so it could still draw water without the pump but was not meant to replace the pump. I guess that wasn't clear in my first post. Of course a generator would be a good option as long as you had enough fuel for it for the duration of the emergency.

My parents were on a well in their last house but they had some kind of manual option for an emergency. Obviously not able to bring up tons, but it would have been enough to sustain life. Is this not standard for backyard wells?

We used tracfones for a bit but the texting issue was difficult if you get a dumb one. We are SUPER happy with our daughters Gabb phone. Talk text camera and that is it

My kids do too but I unlock them every time and they can not play games or similar without asking every single time. Just works better for us.

I prefer my kids e readers because they can have free access to it. I don't allow internet accessing devices to be in the kids control (they are password protected). I don't want them distracted by games etc so having an e reader is awesome. So easy to get library books and be reading in 5 min with NO late fees ☺️

We buy pants from the thrift store and cut them off. Much less aggravating that way. We have even bought new pants for this purpose. ETA: I sew so can hem them nicely although sometimes they like frayed ones if they are denim. Also, good use for jeans/pants from the previous season that got holes in the knees. I just make them shorts 😜

This thread is at least as funny as the video 🤣

This is a really good idea.

I haven't posted about this because we don't know anything yet. But I have a young adult who has inexplicably lost more than 20% of their body weight since having covid 3 months ago. Extensive blood work has been done but waiting on results. One high BG reading at home but the others have been normal. This person did give up sugar after the high reading and we think has gained 2 lbs this week. So we are hopeful that it will be able to be controlled. But we are assuming that there is some form of diabetes behind the weight loss. Previously healthy and at a normal weight for height and active and fit 😢

Can you shift the schedule at all? If his can't, can you feed the kids 30 min before he comes out for his break? Then maybe you two can eat together while the kids play outside or in another room?

Noooooo!!!!! Please please don't let them screw this up 😩

If you sew, I suggest making it yourself. I have had so much drama getting dresses for our first two weddings that I've made everyone promise to not let me even try but to just start on a custom dress from the beginning. I have fit issues due to being petite (but overweight) and also strict modesty requirements per religion. Starting from scratch would have been worlds easier than what I went through. My dress from JJs house was lovely. Didn't fit, but was lovely 😬☹️

So these are actually two different issues. A frenulum that is visible at birth and can be clipped like that easily is not the same as a posterior tongue tie although they can occur concurrently. Those types should still be being evaluated and fixed. It is terrible that so many babies have trouble feeding and no one is screening for this. (well midwives and LCs are, but that doesn't catch but a minority). A posterior tie is more complicated and takes a different procedure. Both should be taken care of when diagnosed for all the reasons in the OP.

Yes it is often found in babies with breastfeeding problems and honestly all babies should be evaluated. It sounds so tough but absolutely worth it. It is only a few weeks for long term, life time really, benefits. Stock you freezer, clear your schedule and pretend you have a newborn. When my son broke his arm I was up every 3 hrs around the clock after his surgery. When my niece had hip surgery my sister in law was up every few hours all night for much longer than me. It isn't fun but at least you can know it is coming and plan for it. Good luck!