Delayed Cord Clamping

Was given the link to this nifty blog and videos:

http://academicobgyn.com/

So I watched it today at work no less, below are some notes from the video

(As my coworker says, they clamp it early to make the baby pull his own weight because they have been freeloading for 9 months… I love my job sometimes)

Iatrogenic is from Iatros in Greece http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Iatros.jpg

Mammals leave the umbilical cord alone and eventually the placenta/cord is eaten

Easmus Darwin advocated for delayed cord clamping

“Another thing very injurious to the child, is the tying and cutting of the navel string too soon; which should always be left till the child has not only repeatedly breathed but till all pulsation in the cord ceases.

As otherwise the child is much weaker than it ought to be, a portion of the blood being left in the placenta, which ought to have been in the child.”

 

Any physiological or clinical impact?

Immediate clamping causes lower blood volume. Delayed clamping causes higher blood volume, about 25% more blood in infants with delayed clamping.

At 4 days there is a 20-30% difference in blood volume

Greater then 50% increase in red blood cell volume

50% of the blood infusion from the cord is within 1 minute, the rest is in 2-5 minutes

The blood volume with the baby at the mom’s stomach or lower is the same

The umbilical artery stops pumping around 45 seconds

Bilirubin levels are under 15mg/dl in 20% of babies with delayed clamping vs 0% with immediate clamping.

A study showed that only 2% of babies with delayed cord clamping had iron deficiencies, whereas 8% with immediate clamping had an iron deficiency.

Iron amounts were higher in delayed cord clamping babies vs immediate.

Sepsis and IVH (Intraventricular hemorrhage) were both greatly lowered in premature babies who had delayed cord clamping.

Iron is essential for forming myelin.

Here are a couple of interesting articles from Midwifery Today

http://midwiferytoday.com/enews/enews0130.asp

http://midwiferytoday.com/enews/enews0343.asp

I havent made a post in a while…

Because I have been so busy getting my application ready! I sent it Tuesday! Im so nervous!!!

Placentas!

Ive been reading quite a bit about placenta services such as placenta encapsulation, tinctures, essence and prints.

Seems like an interesting thing, and something Im considering supplimenting my income with… My only worry is that the smell of steamed placenta will be gross and linger around the house.

Placentophagy, or consumption of the placenta, has been reported for decades to help stop the baby blues and diminish postpartum fatigue.  Some women have cooked the placenta in a stew, mixed it into a smoothie, or even taken it raw to tap into its powerful effects.  For many who feel squeamish about this or want to reap the benefits of placenta for more than just a day or two, there is another option: encapsulation.  Powdered placenta has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for centuries.  In the postpartum period, placenta capsules can be used to

• balance your hormones
• enhance your milk supply
• increase your energy

Although current research on human placentophagy does not exist, what we do know is that women who take placenta capsules report fewer emotional issues, have more energy and tend to enjoy a faster, more pleasant postpartum recovery.  The first few days and weeks with your new baby are precious.  Give yourself the best chance to fully enjoy your “babymoon” with placenta capsules.

http://www.vivantemidwifery.com/placenta.html

Im not sure how one gets into this kind of thing, and I wish I could get a placenta to practice on, do you think it would be weird to ask one of the preggo girls at work if I can have their placenta?

 

Tuesday’s With Morrie

So… not exactly midwifery related but for my English pre-req course I had to read Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom.

Holy cow that’s a good book!

Amazon’s description:

The titular Morrie was Morrie Schwartz, Albom’s university professor 20 years before the events being narrated. An accidental viewing of an interview with Morrie on Nightline led Albom to become reunited with his old teacher, friend, and “coach” at a time when Albom, a successful sportswriter, was struggling to define dissatisfaction with his own life and career. Morrie, on the other hand, after a rich life filled with friends, family, teaching, and music, was dying from Lou Gehrig’s disease, a crippling illness that diminished his activities daily. Albom was one of hundreds of former students and acquaintances who traveled great distances to visit Morrie in the final months of his life.

The 14 Tuesday visits that followed their reunion took Albom–and will take listeners with him–on a journey of reawakening to life’s best rewards. The story is told in a journalistic style that never crosses into pathos. That a professional writer can write well is not surprising, but Albom also reads well, with clear enunciation and a talent for mimicry. Another reader might have interpreted the professor’s aphorisms as droll humor or wrung a wrong note at an inappropriate moment, making the story a maudlin tear-jerker; instead it is read for what it is, a tribute to a remarkable teacher. (Running time: four hours, three cassettes) –Brenda Pittsley

 

Morrie was a very wise and inspirational man. Here are a few quotes from the book:

On Culture:

“The culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. And you have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn’t work, don’t buy it.” (p.42)

On Forgiveness:

“We…need to forgive ourselves…For all the things we didn’t do. All the things we should have done. You can’t get stuck on the regrets of what should have happened.” (p.166)

On Getting Meaning intoLife:

“So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they’re busy doing things they think are important. This is because they’re chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.” (p.43)

On Emotions:

“If you hold back on the emotions–if you don’t allow yourself to go all the way through them–you can never get to being detached, you’re too busy being afraid.” (p.104)

More here:http://quote2me.blogspot.com/2007/04/quotes-from-tuesdays-with-morrie.html

If you haven’t read this I highly recommend it!

Midwifery!

Applying to Midwifery in Ontario is not the most pleasant experience and I’ve just started! I filled out the initial application with the Ontario University Application Centre. Only 3 schools in Ontario offer Midwifery, Ryerson in Toronto, McMaster in Hamilton and Laurentian in Sudbury. I’ve been to school in Sudbury once, and am not keen on doing it again, plus we own a house and the bf has a good job with RIM. McMaster is very academically oriented and well, I was not exactly the best student in high school (I’m seriously being judged on something I did 10 years ago!) so Ryerson it is. However, I can only apply to 1 school at a time and each school only takes about 25-30 people per year. Ouch. So, sent in the prelim app which cost me $205! Now I have to write a personal letter, send in transcripts and the written portion of the application by February 1^st. I then have to wait until sometime in March to hear if I get an interview in April, then go to the interview and wait another month or 2 to find out if I get in. Whew, talk about a long process. The wait will kill me.

In the meantime I need to finish the pre-req courses, of which I am 1/5 of the way through English and need to start my social science. Thankfully I have until June 24^th to finish them. I also need to get my license and continue paying down my student loans.

Lots to do and it feels like there is such little time to do it!

Who am I?

Hi, I’m Cathy 27 yr old Southern Ontario girl. Doula-in-training and Aspiring Midwife.

The purpose of my blog is to write down my journey into midwifery and beyond. I will be writing about the application process, books I’ve read, forums I post on and anything else interesting I find.

Hope you enjoy!