Archive for September, 2009
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H1N1/Swine Flu Has Hit Home
Tuesday, September 29th, 2009So here is the thing about writing. Or blogging. Inspiration. At least for me it has to be. I suppose if you are a sportswriter or someone who reports information it may not be so necessary. I find it challenging to write unless I have feelings about the topic. Then the words flow freely. Isn’t that what makes writers interesting to people? What it is that they write or how they interpret something going on in people’s lives?
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H1N1(Swine) Flu and Vaccine
Thursday, September 24th, 2009It is September and that being said means that we are starting the flu season. With school only a couple of weeks along, Alexander and I are already coughing and sniffling. This flu season however, is not the same as previous ones. Swine flu (actually called “novel influenza A H1N1”) has become a household word. This is a different type of flu virus because, although it originated from pigs, it is being transmitted human to human far and wide from its original source. This is a virus that we have no natural immunity to and is especially concerning for pregnant women and young children.
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More on Homebirth
Monday, September 21st, 2009Several days ago I posted a blog about homebirth and as frequently happens with any challenging comment on it, I was slammed by some for “being part of the medical establishment and defending it”. Interestingly enough, I wonder if those same people actually even read my post or followed the links that further outlined the points I was making.
I am going to focus on the discussion of homebirth and “natural” childbirth for the next several days. For clarity, I certainly do support well-structured homebirths and I have attended numerous homebirths. There is also significant research that shows that the safety of labor and birth in a normal, uncomplicated pregnancy and birth is the same whether the baby is born at home or in a hospital. Neither being BETTER. Yes, giving birth in a hospital involves the use of such things as electronic fetal monitoring, however, the maternal/fetal outcomes (as well as the level of maternal satisfaction) have been shown to be the same. I didn’t make this up. It is solid research, not empirical data.
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Homebirth – Not Nirvana
Monday, September 14th, 2009As you know, if you have been following my blog this year, this is a subject I feel very strongly about. I’ve written about it many times. Yet another, very sad story was on MSNBC a few days ago outlining the risks of giving birth at home. Catherine and Ricardo lost their daughter because labor went on abnormally for days, without medical attention.
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Think Happy Thoughts
Thursday, September 3rd, 2009I recently came across a “method” of childbirth preparation called BornClear. This is a program developed by a woman in New York following the homebirths of her two children. Their information states that this method “ensures that the best way to give your baby the easiest birth is to be aware of your feelings and translate those into pleasant thoughts toward the baby and his or her health.” Couples are further reminded to “keep worries out of their minds and to remember to stay calm”.
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Tori Kropp’s Great Wyoming Adventure
Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009Alexander starts the first day of 3rd grade tomorrow and here we are, still in the amazing state of Wyoming. We will head back this evening. Although I had tossed the idea around over the summer, it wasn’t until last weekend that I actually decided that we would take a completely unplanned, spontaneous trip to Wyoming; Jackson Hole, The Grand Tetons and YellowStone.
