A personal and human level view of how to live a more Zen life and how others have adapted their lives to become Zen.
What's your story? Share yours' and your family's experiences via ConnectionZen's blog comments.
Zen Suggestions
 | Everywhere All the Time: A New Deschooling Reader, Matt Hern, AK Press, 2008Is a school the best way to educate your children? Are governments best placed to devise curriculums? Matt Hern has some interesting points of view. |
 | Tears and Tantrums: What to Do When Babies and Children Cry, Aletha Solter, Shining Star Press, 1998 |
 | Food Rules: An Eater's Manual |
 | Holding Time, Martha Welch, Fireside Books, 1989 |
 | The New Becoming Vegetarian: The Essential Guide To A Healthy Vegetarian Diet, Vesanto Melina, Brenda Davis, Healthy Living Publications, 2003 |
| Learn more about these links | Suggest |
Inspiration
I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning.J. B. Priestly
Sign up to our Newsletter
| Yet Another Episiotomy... |
 |
 |
 |
| Written by Laurence | ||||
| Tuesday, 31 March 2009 09:44 | ||||
 So what's the issue with the episiotomy, everyone has one, right?It makes sure that you don't get torn and that's a good thing, isn't it? The episiotomy has become quite regular in western hospitals and therefore people are quite used to it happening. This is my experience and that of so many other mothers. The reasons that are given for the practice of an episiotomy are: that it enables the baby to pass through the birth canal more easily and reduces the risk of uncontrolled tears of the perineum. Medical opinion is that as there will be a tear, better that it is controlled through an episiotomy as it will heal better. For my first pregnancy, I attended a well known and well considered university hospital. When I started asking about the episiotomy a doctor explained that the probability that I would need an episiotomy were around 100%. In other words, it would be a miracle if I could escape the snip.  However, I was both lucky and tenacious. For my first birth, I did what I could to avoid the dreaded episiotomy. I really had to negotiate with the gynecologist whilst I was in the delivery room! Not an ideal situation, but I managed to preserve the integrity of my body. But the whole episode made me aware of the risks. For my second child I was followed by an independent midwife and thus there was no question of having an episiotomy. Are there real risks from refusing the episiotomy? I'm neither a doctor nor a gynecologist, but my feeling is that this practice, maybe necessary in certain cases, is systematically used too often. The midwife who accompanied me in twenty years had only seen very occasional severe tearing. In all her time practising, she performed an episiotomy only once. According to her experience, in the case of a natural childbirth that respects the natural birthing position, the risks of tearing are minimal. In my case, I only suffered from very slight scratches that required no stitches. My convalescence was rapid and my perineum is in perfect condition. On the other hand, many women who have an episiotomy complain of the after effects even several weeks after the birth, including difficulties going to the toilet and even becoming infected. Not great when you've a young baby to look after! In my opinion, future mothers should have the possibility to make a real informed decision on how their delivery will be. They really must receive this information in a balanced way from the medical staff who are following them. At the end of the day, it's your body and your perineum. It's your right to decide to keep it in one piece, reduce your convalescence time and to make the most from the first moments with your baby. Image source: Flickr - pictfactory/2888980027 For more insight into this topic, see these articles:
         |
||||
| Last Updated on Saturday, 23 January 2010 23:26 |
