Pain: There will be pain. Rather than be terrified and crumble in fear about it- let’s face it, learn how to cope with it and remember that there are pain management options.

Panic: The muscle that I become most concerned about as labor intensifies is the brain…it has a need to be in control-not possible in labor. Reassuring her that she is OK, that she is doing well and steadily guiding her through one contraction at a time is key.

Partner: You are essential in labor. No one can take your place. You are the only one in the building that loves her head to toe. In between contractions you are the one to wrap your arms around her and love her.

Passenger: The baby is the one that actually call the shots in labor. Intermittent monitoring of the fetal heart rate (FHR) provides a snapshot of how the baby is tolerating labor. It is not uncommon during a long labor for the FHR to show signs of stress, requiring additional monitoring, IV fluids and possibly a cesarean birth.

Process: Labor unfolds. Think of it like a road trip: You have a good vehicle with gas in the car, a reliable roadmap or (GPS system!) You begin at point ‘A’ with the goal of getting to point ‘B.’ What happens as you make your way across country remains to be seen. You cannot control the weather, the road conditions, the other drivers etc. etc.
You make decisions along the way, based on your experience…just like the day you are in labor.

Dr. Brian Linde, Pediatric Hospitalist has provided the following insight:

We fear what we don’t know rather than the devil we know. Children under 5 years of age seem to be more susceptible to complications of
H1N1 or serious disease, in the USA, about 200 children will die this year from H1N1 in the USA. But, about 1,000 children under age 14 will die from traffic accidents this year, and the number increases when we add in other kinds of accidental deaths.

Why do we fear one and not the other? People are familiar with driving and we have grown calloused to the risk, we think we can control or prevent accidents because we are “in control” and use car-seats, defensive driving, etc.

The bottom line: follow these rules
1) exercise caution - use car seats, drive carefully, be judicious taking babies under 2 months of age into crowds, travel with alcohol based hand sanitizer, don’t expose your baby unnecessarily to anyone who is sick (parents excepted).
2) Keep abreast of up to date recommendations regarding flu and H1N1 at the CDC website. Here is one helpful pamphlet from the CDC:

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/freeresources/2009-10/pdf/parents_guide_flier.pdf

This will allow people to make an informed decision.

****As seen on www.giggle.com

Here is the list of the ‘Must Take’ to the hospital items that we covered on That Morning Show Wednesday, November 11th:
• Socks: She will be up and out of the bed, keeping her pelvis in motion, and helping to make progress-SO- keep her feet warm; once the baby is in her arms, toss the socks in the trash!
• Water Bottle: Take a tall sports bottle with you. Her partner can fill it in the pantry with water, juice and ice-giving her sips after each contraction. This helps keep her hydrated as well as provide a quick hit of needed sugar for energy.
• Lollipops: To cope with contractions, she will be making low moaning sounds (instead of the old fashioned, high pitched hee-hee-hee sounds-which create even more tension in the body!) These long, low sounds can make her mouth and throat dry-sweet and sour lollipops in between contractions are perfect.
• Fan: women in labor get over heated- cool her off with cold compresses-simply a hospital wash cloth in cold water, squeezed out and placed on her forehead, neck and shoulders. A piece of card stock or battery operated fan work well for actually fanning her; she’ll appreciate it so much.
• Music: Bring music that you love and that has meaning to both of you. Music will help transport her through all the hours of labor. Music also customizes your labor room, making it a more personal environment-the hospital team is now entering YOUR space….quite effective.

*As seen on www.giggle.com

Tune in tomorrow morning Wednesday, November 11th between 6:00-9:00 AM, to the Entertainment Channel’s newest addition: That Morning Show (channel 64) to catch my interview: “Five Items to Bring to the Hospital’ interview.

Spent the day in Southern California with this high energy production crew- a group of top notch professionals, as well warm and inviting people. Their new show is a combo of celebs, news, demo’s and fanciful frolic between the three hosts….quite a bit of fun for me and of course I loved the opportunity to promote the McMoyler Method Book and DVD via www.thebestbirth.com

There is already discussion for another segment…what hot topic should we cover next?

* as seen on www.giggle.com

Is it necessary or a good idea to have a crib motion detector for your newborn? I am being asked this question with more frequency-the answer is probably NOT. These devices were designed for the premature baby who is being discharged from the Intensive Care Nursery to home. Preemies often ‘forget’ to breath, medically referred to as having “apneic episodes.” Dr. Yan Chin, chief of Pediatrics with www.currenthealth.com concurred by saying: “there is no evidence to say they actually work in preventing deaths: but it seems to give everyone peace of mind (which is what you’re really buying if you purchase one of these motion detectors). Be ready for some false alarms though since many babies have some periodic breathing episodes that are harmless.”
For individual decision-making, discuss this with your pediatrician (Be forewarned- the likelihood of false alarms is likely to result in neurotic new parents rather than reassured!)

*reproduced with permission from www.giggle.com