Silent Crys

Retrieved from http://www.hoisafefromthestart.org/data/files/brochure/index_files/Page357.htm

For a little over 6 years I was a domestic violence advocate.  I was able to witness firsthand the effects that it had on woman and their children.  For my first year working in the field I worked as a child advocate.  From my experience the children became free in a sense.  Free from witnessing violence against their mothers.  Not all saw the violence but many heard the fighting, escalating tension, saw the crying and heard excuses for the bruises.  Many were sent to their rooms and told to go to sleep but were not sleep. 

Some children have the ability to cope while experiencing violence around them.  Some don’t cope at all.  “There is no standard way in which children will react to witnessing or otherwise being victims of domestic abuse; each child will react as an individual, shaped in part by their personality and other factors influencing the environment in which they are living - , “….children respond in unique ways to living with domestic violence” (Buckley, Holt & Whelan, 2007).  The children I worked with at times blamed themselves for “not being good” and this would upset dad and therefore be taken out on mom.  I specifically remember an incident in which a little boy who had been well-behaved up until this day got up on a partial fence on the playground and started to pee on the other children.  He was acting out.  Other children in other shelters would take anger out on their mothers.  At their homes they knew they had to be well-behaved.  The fathers would also take out their aggression on the children.  The children knew their boundaries.  But in shelter it’s a safe place and they were not used to mom being the primary disciplinary.  I witnessed children becoming very abusive both verbally and physically to their mothers.  Mothers had stated this behavior had not occurred at home…….

Buckley, H., Holt, S. and Whelan, S. (2007), Listen to Me! Children's Experiences of Domestic Violence. Child Abuse Review,  Retrieved on May 30, 2014, from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/car.995/abstract

http://www.futureswithoutviolence.org/section/our_work/child_wellbeing

"In sub-Saharan Africa, one in every 10 children born still dies before their fifth birthday, nearly 16 times the average rate in high-countries" (Committing to Child Survival: A Promise Renewed).  How heart breaking is this?  This has a powerful impact on the development of children because they have not been given the opportunity to develop as naturally functioning and developing children.  Children are dying from malnutrition, disease, diarrhea, lack of access to immunizations and a combination of unsanitary conditions (Unicef, n.d.).

Unicef. (n.d.).  Why are Children Dying?. Retrieved May 31,  2014,      

from, http://www.unicef.org/immunization/index_why.html

Picture retrieved from, http://bestnet-blog.com/2012/06/29/child-mortality-in-africa-drops-big-time/

"Between 1990 and 2012, sub-Saharan Africa as a whole succeeded in reducing the mortality rate among children under five by 40 percent on average, thereby failing to meet the two-thirds goal" (DW, 2014)

“Organizations such as UNICEF are dedicated to providing assistance and developing goals to improve the quality of life for children.  Improving the health of the world's children is a core UNICEF objective. Since our founding, we have made significant progress in immunization, oral rehydration to save the lives of infants with severe diarrhoea, promoting and protecting breastfeeding, fighting HIV/AIDS, micronutrient supplementation and health education”(UNICEF, n.d.).  UNICEF also has full report on their commitment to child survival with many vital commitments and ways to address child mortality and increase child survival rates in their progress report from 2013 Committing to Child Survival Rate.  Some of the few are to:

1. Sharpen national strategies for maternal, newborn and child health.  

2. Increase efforts in the areas where the most deaths occur, prioritizing budgets and committing 

to action plans to end preventable child deaths.

3. Increasing access to safe water and improved sanitation

4. Increasing access to immunizations 

5. Providing oral re-hydration salts and zinc supplement to children suffering from diarrhea for 10-14 days.

We ask all, throughout the world, who have held a child in love, with joy for its life, with tears for its pain, to join us in developing life-saving behaviors-UNICEF

DW. (2014).  Some Progress made towards Reducing Child Mortality.  Retrieved May 31, 2014, from http://www.dw.de/some-progress-made-towards-reducing-child-mortality/a-17117416

UNICEF.(2013). Committing to Child Survival: A Promise Renewed.  Retrieved May 30, 2014, from,

            http://www.unicef.org/publications/files/APR_Progress_Report_2013_9_Sept_2013.pdf 

Breastfeeding

I am a child birth educator.  I have been one for the past 14 years.  Part of teaching a child birth series included the importance of breastfeeding.  I am a breastfeeding advocate.  I also support women who decide that breastfeeding is not their personal choice.  A woman should never be subjected to guilt because of not breastfeeding her child.  It impacts my work because I do work with families that have lower socio-economics.  Breastfeeding cost less than formula feeding.  Formula is quite expensive and WIC only covers a portion of the cost.

Impact on child survival and global situation

Optimal breastfeeding of infants under two years of age has the greatest potential impact on child survival of all preventive interventions, with the potential to prevent over 800,000 deaths (13 per cent of all deaths) in children under five in the developing world (Lancet 2013). 

Breastfed children have at least six times greater chance of survival in the early months than non-breastfed children.  An exclusively breastfed child is 14 times less likely to die in the first six months than a non-breastfed child, and breastfeeding drastically reduces deaths from acute respiratory infection and diarrhea, two major child killers (Lancet 2008). The potential impact of optimal breastfeeding practices is especially important in developing country situations with a high burden of disease and low access to clean water and sanitation. But non-breastfed children in industrialized countries are also at greater risk of dying - a recent study of post-neonatal mortality in the United States found a 25% increase in mortality among non-breastfed infants. In the UK Millennium Cohort Survey, six months of exclusive breast feeding was associated with a 53% decrease in hospital admissions for diarrhea and a 27% decrease in respiratory tract infections.

Nutrition: Breastfeeding.  (2013).  Retrieved  May 15, 2014, from http://www.unicef.org/nutrition/index_24824.html

Breastfeeding Saves More Lives Than Any Other Preventive Intervention!-Unicef

Breastfeeding Around the World

Namibia

Seventy-one percent of Namibian babies are breastfed at birth. Exclusive breastfeeding in an infant’s first month of life has increased from just under 30% in 1992 to over 50% in 2007 but begins to taper off by four to five months. Of those who breastfeed, 65% continue to breastfeed their children at 12 to 15 months of age.

Sierra Leone

Perhaps best remembered for the commotion around Selma Hayek breastfeeding one of its children, Sierra Leone has some of the highest infant mortality rates in the world, as well as the lowest rates of exclusive breastfeeding. There is a deeply held belief among many that colostrum, or first milk, is poisonous and that breastmilk doesn’t provide enough food for a baby, resulting in the introduction of solid foods often too early. While 51% of infants are breastfed at birth, only 11% are exclusively breastfed in the first five months of life

Breastfeeding Around the World.  (2012). Retrieved May 15, 2012, from http://www.incultureparent.com/2012/03/breastfeeding-around-the-world/#slide0

Childbirth In Your Life and Around the World

My Personal Birth Story….

My Personal Birth Story….

I received a call at work on December 3^rd, 2002 about 3 p.m. that a space opened up at the hospital and I was going to be induced.  Mind you I was still at work and had not adequately prepared for going on maternity leave that day.  I rushed around finishing up at duties and arrived home.  I was to be at Swedish Medical Center at 8:00 p.m. 

My parents had arrived about 2 weeks before Cailin was born.  I had just finished closing on my new home as the house I lived in was not large enough for my new coming addition.  Life was happening way too fast and I had not packed a bag for the hospital.  I knew I was being induced at approx. 38 weeks due to a high risk pregnancy.  I also knew better because I am a child birth educator and I teach my students to have their bags packed.

Excitedly I arrived at the hospital and my mom videotaped me as I walked in.  I was beyond excited to meet Cailin and anxiously discussed my excitement on the video tape.  Not long after arrival the nurse prepared me in my birthing suite for induction.  Prostaglandin gel was placed in my cervix to ripen my cervix.  It was successful in putting me into full blow labor without the need for pitocin.  This all happened within a few hours.  My contractions started at 2 minutes apart.  Not much time for the body to prepare itself like a natural labor beginning at 20 minutes apart.  I moved around as much as I was able.  I was connected to an IV which does not allow for a woman to completely labor naturally due to its restrictions.  I got on all fours and rocked my pelvis and then proceeded to the jacuzzi tub where I labored for many, many hours.  The nurse was able to monitor me in the tub.  The tub was very relaxing and decreased the amount of pain I was experiencing. 

About 7 am I called my doula and my parents to let them know I was in labor.  They all arrived at the hospital.  8 a.m. the Dr. arrived to check my cervix for dilation.  No progress….  For seven hours I had contractions still 2 minutes apart and only 1 centimeter dilated.  She decided she was going to break my bag of waters.  It was the most painful pain I had ever had in my life because she also decided to massage my cervix at that time to increase progress.  I remember arching my back and screaming.  Pain increased 200%!  She then suggested I get an epidural and said it was my only choice.  Being a childbirth educator I felt at that time that just was not an option.  I was supposed to be stronger and have the ability to birth naturally.  I had taught countless women about birthing naturally and they were successful.  I simply could not fail.  What kind of educator would I then be?  I had taught to re-evaluate your pain level every 15 minutes and tell yourself you can go another 15 minutes.  I asked to go to the tub again as I had found so much comfort in it the hours before.  I remember getting in, sitting down and getting right back up requesting pain medication.  My goal of natural delivery faded just that quickly.  My doula had even stated after birth that she had never seen any other woman’s contraction intensity has high as mine had been.  Lasting seven hours with no relief was admirable. 

I requested an epidural.  It is amazing that once you hit your pain threshold you will allow someone to place the longest needle you have ever seen in your back while bending forward during a contraction.  Relief was almost immediate.  I had a room full of family and friends.  Somehow the lack of sleep the night before and having all the noise appeared to be some kind of party.  I yelled for everyone to leave the room.  Just I and the nurse remained.  I did finally ask her when she was going to leave.  I was informed that at Swedish you get 24 hour nurse assigned to you personally.  Hence the expensive bill I received.  I was able to get some rest.  I did notice that after my contractions Cailin’s heartbeat was not recovering quickly after each contraction.  Many calls were placed to the Dr.  I knew too much as an educator.

About 4:15 p.m. I began to push although due to the epidural I didn’t have the urge.  I was coached by the Dr.  Push, push, push.  Cailin was stuck in my birth canal.  Her fetal heart-rate continued to drop and not recover.  The Dr. used the vacuum, then forceps then the vacuum once again.  I knew I was moments away from an emergency C-section.  It was a violent birth as the Dr. once again used forceps but also used the weight of her body to pull her out.  She hoisted her leg up on the bed and used it for leverage and pulled. Needless to say I had issues and pain for many years to come.  Finally the sweet little baby I had longed for was placed on my chest and I wept.  It was a surreal moment.  I was in love.  Cailin Amelia had arrived.

For many years I felt the grief and loss of not having a natural childbirth especially since I teach woman about it.  I was ashamed to tell my students that I had an epidural although I had always taught them that birth is not a test to see how much pain you can endure.  I took a class years ago from Birthing from Within.  In this class it did emphasize to celebrate the birth you have regardless if it’s natural, C-section or medicated.  One day it finally clicked in that I too celebrated the birth I had regardless of the numerous medical interventions because in the end I had a beautiful healthy baby girl and that was a reason to celebrate. 

Birth Day in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico

When teaching childbirth education I liked to show a variety of videos of woman birthing in different positions as well as providing a cultural aspect to birth.  One of my favorite videos to share is titled Birth Day.  Birth Day is a beautiful video of a midwife in Mexico having a birth at home with her family.  While all births in Mexico are not the same equally are births in the United States.  This is just a wonderful cultural birth for this family.

What I learned from watching this birth is that a woman knows her body and knows how to instinctively move it in a way that provides comfort to her during labor.  Choosing to have a home-birth can relax the woman and she feels more comfortable without having medical interventions inflicted upon her.  Naoli chose to go walking down to the river.  She felt comfort sitting on a rock with her feet in the water.  After a walk back home she ate lunch.  Typically in the US eating is often restricted during labor.  She was able to have as many people present during labor and delivery.  Naoli walked freely throughout her home with her husband walking in front of her.  She described the contractions as painful when she turned away from him but felt like she was “bursting with love” when she saw his face.  Although she felt like it was too soon she decided to get into the tub.  Naoli and her husband labored together in the bathtub.  Her old son about 4 came to the tub as well.  He was naked but did not get in.  Naoli looked peaceful as she began to push her baby out.  She felt the ears, cheeks and nose of the baby and was even more excited.  She informed her husband to catch the baby and soon Tamaya was delivered.  Her son then jumped in to join the family.  Naoli requested that her younger son who was asleep to join them.  The family sat together and enjoyed the birth of their newest family member. 

My eyes filled with tears of joy while watching this DVD again today.  It is empowering that the body knows exactly what to do during labor and birth.  We just need to listen to it.  Taking out medical interventions and staff allows for some woman to have more comfort and to take control of their own labor and delivery.  For this family the process included the whole family and the younger children were able to enhance their knowledge about process of life.  It was all very natural for the little boy to watch and be excited for his mother to birth his baby sister.  In the video he was showing compassion and encouragement.  He stated to his mom you can do it!  This birth shows birth doesn’t have to be a painful and anxious process that one should fear.  It can be filled with love and joy.

If we are taught initially from early childhood that birth is a natural process then we would also view child development as a natural process as well.  The child in the video viewed his mother’s experience as something natural and desired to be apart of it.  He did not have fear listening to his mother moan nor viewing another life emerge from her body.  He was encouraging part of the natural process of labor and birth. 

2008. The Home Birth Series Volume II: Birth Day. Sage Femme