Pregnant and raw support group

Ok I admit that starting this topic was more for selfish reasons than not but it’s also a great way to share tips and information for us moms-to-be about being pregnant and raw.

I actually never thought that the hardest time of being pregnant was the last few weeks of waiting.. I’m now 39 weeks and wishing day in and day out that the “finale” would come (I want to see my baby so much and I’m quite uncomfortable a combination that is starting to take it’s toll). I guess this proves that the diagnosis of incompetent cervix was incorrect, wish I would have known that 6 months ago when they knocked me out and put the cerclage in.. But live and learn and move on I guess. By the way just incase any other ladies get told you have an incompetent cervix.. it’s almost impossible to truely diagnose, they just go by exams and ultrasounds and make judgements based on that and usually 90-95% of the time will put in a cerclage “in case” it gets worse. If after the cerclage comes out you have your baby right away then it was actually a I.C., if you don’t then it was something else and the doctor probably isn’t going to try to figure out what that somthing else was and will tell you that you need to have a cerclage for every pregnancy. What don’t tell you is that chances are you don’t really need it (usually just bed rest and some medicines will do just fine) and unless you decide to get a permanent cerclage (which will require a c-section for every following birth) the scaring from repeated cerclages will eventually leave you unable to birth naturally and you’ll need a c-section anyways.

Oh the things you learn on you own…

ok well I hope that this topic is something that will blossom into a helpful sharing post. Good luck to everyone (even the non-pregnant ones) love, K-Mom

Comments

  • germin8germin8 Raw Master

    Hi KurdishMom, you have just a few more weeks! How exciting.

    I’m not pregnant… but, I do have questions (for some-time-in-the-future).

    I asked my gyno if I “had” to take that “drink” to test for gestational diabetes. She said “yes”. So, how important is it to know this… and what are the chances? Well, really… I just want to know how to say “no” to all these “drugs” that aren’t “necessary”. After all, in the case of the gestational diabetes test, couldn’t I just monitor my sugar levels?

    Also! For those on natural birth control (or who gave birth already), are there “pre-natal” vitamins or certain foods that should be eaten more often… to make sure you get your dosage of folate/folic acid and such (for the baby)? I’m not 100% raw… and I’m not taking supplements either… but, I often wonder if I’m getting what I need.

  • spiritedmamaspiritedmama Raw Newbie

    Hi germin8! I hope it is o.k. that I step in before KurdishMom…I am a birth/postpartum doula (labor support for mom), and I am also studying to be a midwife assistant. As far as the glucose testing goes, it is a wise decision to have a glucose test. They are usually given in the 2-3 trimester depending on your history. If in fact it turns out that you do have gestational diabetes, then one of your options is ALWAYS to just monitor it by checking your levels, in fact many women do just that and nothing more during their pregnancy. Also, always remember that you do have the right to refuse any procedure at anytime, but make sure you are truly informed when you do. (Of course that goes for accepting any procedure as well).

    As far as making sure that you can say “no” to all the drugs and interventions that unfortunately can go along with pregnancy/birth, the best way is, again, inform yourself and also take exceptional care of yourself during your pregnancy with good diet and exercise. And, of course, GET A DOULA!!! They are an invaluable resource of information and emotional support throughout pregnancy and birth and can help you and your partner achieve the birht that you want…not to mention significantly decrease your chances of interventions of all kinds.

    For the pre-natal vitamins, it is really dependent on the person. If you are eating very well, a pre-natal will just offer you another “layer of protection” to make sure your baby is getting all it needs. If you are not eating well, it is more important. Folate is actually most critical BEFORE you get pregnant, but of course is needed during the pregnancy as well. It is important before you get pregnant so that you body has enough available when the neural tube is forming, which happens very early in pregnancy, sometimes before women even know they are pregnant.

    Hope this helps! If you need info. on how to contact a doula in your area, please let me know and I can help!

  • I can only give you second-rate advice compared to spiritedmama, but I can tell you that I didn’t have any glucose testing at all during both of my pregnancies, for two reasons, firstly it’s not really tested for here in KRG unless there’s an obvious problem and secondly I didn’t feel it was necessary as my family doesn’t have a history of diabetis and I was watching what I ate pretty well.

    I did however take prenatal vitamins for both my pregnancies and will for any future ones.. I just feel better knowing I’m taking them and don’t have to worry so much if I’m lacking in any nutrients.. and like spiritedmama said it’s really important to be getting folate/folic acid before you even try to get pregnant because it’s in the first month-month and a half that it’s the most crutial and very few women know before this time that they are pregnant.

    Having a doula is a good thing.. I’m what you would call a Direct-Entry midwife (meaning I learned by watching and some studying and then just started being one) not so uncommon here in KRG as 90% of all midwives are uncertified and learned by experience. But I have also been a support person for some births too and it’s a big difference having a doula and not. The biggest is having someone who knows all the special tricks to make you as comfortable as possible and the pain as little as possible at a time when all you mind is focused on one thing.. I definately encourage women to hire a doula for their births.

    As for drugs that aren’t necessary, I can’t tell you what you should or shouldn’t take for any given situations because not every drug is bad everytime. It may be something that will actually help you, who knows? I will however tell you that there are 2 drugs that you should avoid at all costs with a big “NO” these are Pictocin and painkillers (Demerol, and epidurals) during your birth. Studies have shown that women who are given drugs to speed up labor or painkillers are three times more likely to need further interventions than a woman who gives birth “naturally”. And the combination of Pictocin and painkillers is a top reason why the US and UK have seen a 300% increase of cesarean births in the last decade.

    Giving birth is not some medical crisis! It’s what a woman’s body was designed to do.. and we have a inherit knowledge of how to give birth that no doctor or scientist will ever understand, no matter how many books they read or write on the subject. And it should never be treated like a crisis either (unlike the Western “Modern” way of treating it) it’s a new beginning for the woman and a time for her to empower herself with the knowledge that she gave birth to a new person – HERSELF. Too many times a woman is robbed of this awakening because she was “outnumbered and over-ruled” by doctors, nurses and sometimes midwives who think they know more about her birth than she does and that they know better how she should have her baby. For thousands and thousands of years women have been having babies with very little or no help at all.. And the women of today are no less able or intelligent to give birth without all the medical mayham than the women of years past.. LOL do I support assisted births? Yes, of course. Do I support unassisted births? Yes, I do (and am planning to give birth to my daughter without any medical help). It’s up to the woman to decide what she feels the most comfortable and safest doing. But I do believe that a woman should be in charge of her birth and should be empowered enough with knowledge and natural wisdom to be able to do what is best for her..

    Wow sorry if this became a sounding board for me… it’s just the more I learn the less I like seeing how women are treated during their pregnancies and births and I want to give every woman a chance to learn and educate herself to have the best experience she can have.. You only have your baby once.. shouldn’t it be the most wonderful and unforgettable moment it can be? I’ll stop rambling on here and say take care!! K-Mom

  • spiritedmamaspiritedmama Raw Newbie

    Amen K-mom! I couldn’t have said it better myself!

  • germin8germin8 Raw Master

    Thank you for the advice.

    I hope not to feel like I am giving birth myself… but rather, a gift from God… with some help. The advice was great.

    Thank you, you two… I put off taking prenatal vitamins, but I will definitely look into finding some. I’m on NFP, so my body should be “ready anytime”. :o) Is there a prenatal someone recommends? My good friend recommended New Chapter’s Perfect Prenatal and someone else recommended NutriLite supplements because they use whole, organic ingredients. Any recommendations?

    No epidurals? It takes courage.

  • spiritedmamaspiritedmama Raw Newbie

    Solgar has a great pre-natal.

    Oh, and no epidural doesn’t take courage….it takes trust in the body that god gave you, trust in yourself and your birth team, and knowledge of the birthing process. Even women in comas can have babies…your body (and the baby’s) know how to do it naturally!

  • germin8germin8 Raw Master

    Thanks for the advice… and giving me some peace of mind.

  • The best “courage” for giving birth without an epidural is to know that the pains of childbirth are a natural thing and nothing you can’t handle, AND learning relaxation techniques while your pregnant so that when the time comes you can be as relaxed as possible… something that cuts the pain in half!! And like spiritedmama said having trust in yourself and your birth team is another big way to enjoy (yes you can enjoy giving birth) the experience.

    There is a great supply of natural folate in dates… they are typically perscribed as “pregnancy food” here in the East, for that reason.

    Family in Iran bought for me “Nature Made” multi-prenatal vitamins because they didn’t contain any ingrediants that I can’t have for religious reasons. They seemed just as good as the ones I saw online as far as what they contain and the amounts. I don’t know if they are available in the US (I’m guessing they are because alot of things we have here in the M.E. are imports)

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