Saturday, August 25, 2007
I wanted to share this post with you...an awesome birth story (with pics) that took place in *gasp* omg! a hospital. There's a bit of a negative undertone towards CNMs which may or may not be intended. I don't know the author so can't really say. It's unfortunate that there seems to be such a need to divide LMs and CNMs. We are all midwives...why can't we support each other as such? An interesting question I plan to ponder at a later date but need to head to the gym now with my hubby.
Lotus Birth
I've just been learning about Lotus birth and thought I would share with you all...
Apparently this is a practice where instead of cutting the cord once baby is birthed, the cord is left intact ...meaning the placenta will deliver still attached to the baby. The cord and placenta are left this way until the cord detaches from baby on its own. The placenta can be treated with salt and herbs to dry it and decrease smell (although If you have a cat they may be very interested). The concept behind this practice is that the baby has a slow transition to detachment from mother's body. A midwife I spoke to has researched this and found no evidence that it has been used in other cultures nor is their any 'scientific' evidence to back the validity of the claim that it also allows baby to get maximal blood volume (beyond what is achieved with just waiting til the cord stops pulsating). But some people just like the concept, which is ok. To each his own. I'm a firm believer in delayed cord clamping/cutting...but not quite this delayed. I'm clamping that sucker once the pulsation stops (unless momma wants otherwise).
Here are some links to check out if you are interested in Lotus birthing...
Dr Sarah Buckley She has written some other great articles which you can find on her website http://www.sarahjbuckley.com/ .
Sarah Wickham
Apparently this is a practice where instead of cutting the cord once baby is birthed, the cord is left intact ...meaning the placenta will deliver still attached to the baby. The cord and placenta are left this way until the cord detaches from baby on its own. The placenta can be treated with salt and herbs to dry it and decrease smell (although If you have a cat they may be very interested). The concept behind this practice is that the baby has a slow transition to detachment from mother's body. A midwife I spoke to has researched this and found no evidence that it has been used in other cultures nor is their any 'scientific' evidence to back the validity of the claim that it also allows baby to get maximal blood volume (beyond what is achieved with just waiting til the cord stops pulsating). But some people just like the concept, which is ok. To each his own. I'm a firm believer in delayed cord clamping/cutting...but not quite this delayed. I'm clamping that sucker once the pulsation stops (unless momma wants otherwise).
Here are some links to check out if you are interested in Lotus birthing...
Dr Sarah Buckley She has written some other great articles which you can find on her website http://www.sarahjbuckley.com/ .
Sarah Wickham
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Birth I
I was just over at Sage Femme's blog checking out her latest posts and she has a really powerful story about hospital birth...it will make you uncomfortable...but being uncomfortable can lead to change I hope.
One of her readers posted a comment about the lack of requests and desire for a low intervention birth from the women she serves. I think this is interesting because I have seen it. Some women really do believe that hospitals are the safest place for having a baby. Hell, I don't even want to be in the hospital if I were sick. They are filthy, disgusting places. I shuddered at letting my kids come to visit my husband when he stayed overnight at one after his AICD was put in.
The problem is one of education...for society as well as for providers of care. I could sit here and go on and on about the awful things I have seen but there are plenty of negative stories out there. We need more women telling about their wonderful, beautiful experiences. People are always so quick to share the bad, but we need to get the good experiences out there too. We need to stop ruminating on how bad hospital birth is and figure out what are we going to do to change it.
*sigh* I've got to get off here but stay tuned for part II of Birth.
One of her readers posted a comment about the lack of requests and desire for a low intervention birth from the women she serves. I think this is interesting because I have seen it. Some women really do believe that hospitals are the safest place for having a baby. Hell, I don't even want to be in the hospital if I were sick. They are filthy, disgusting places. I shuddered at letting my kids come to visit my husband when he stayed overnight at one after his AICD was put in.
The problem is one of education...for society as well as for providers of care. I could sit here and go on and on about the awful things I have seen but there are plenty of negative stories out there. We need more women telling about their wonderful, beautiful experiences. People are always so quick to share the bad, but we need to get the good experiences out there too. We need to stop ruminating on how bad hospital birth is and figure out what are we going to do to change it.
*sigh* I've got to get off here but stay tuned for part II of Birth.
Quick thoughts
No word yet on the job.
Clinicals with the students are over! Woohoo! I get a break from trekking all over the valley, listening to whining and bitching that I could just as easily hear at home.
The most commonly heard phrases from students...
"It's too much paperwork" Well, if it was easy everyone would be doing it.
"Why do we have so many clinical hours?" Uh, because we prefer to train you sufficiently to not kill a patient.
"Why do we have to pick a patient the day before? Real nurses don't do that" Hmmm, you aren't a real nurse and it's really questionable about whether you ever will be!
Me to students asking these questions "Is it possible that maybe your faculty know something about nursing education that you don't?"
FACULTY = nurses with MSNs, BSNs, MEds, PhDs, and a combined total of like 200 years experience in various fields.
Student = CNAs, LPNs, bartenders
Go figure.
Seriously though, I love working with the students for the most part - but you can definitely tell those adult learners from the 'others'.
So we have a great faculty - really smart people who all get along and have fun...except for the one I will call the Lone Dinghy. LD for short.
LD likes monkies...she went to Borneo recently for two weeks to play with the monkies. She brings cat food to work to feed the occasional stray. No children. Likes horses. Loves to sunbathe - even after having 2 cancerous growths removed. She looks a little like a prune. She wears outfits to work that I wouldn't wear outside my home, to even water the plants. We had a faculty meeting last week, from which she was absent (she doesn't attend any meetings, nor have lunch with any of the rest of the staff). The dress code for faculty was discussed as complaints had arisen that someone was wearing streetclothes to clinicals - and not even appropriate street clothes. See-through stuff...no bra (like LD today)...open toe shoes...etc. We are all looking at each other wearing scrubs, wondering what planet this person is from.
Now, this all wouldn't be so bad if LD was a good teacher. I did the evaluations last sequence...I felt incredibly sorry for her as the students tore her apart. Apparently she was cussing in class, telling graphic personal stories, etc. Her syllabus? Out the window apparently. Tests on knowledge required of seniors, not freshman.
Oh, and if she goes near a computer, it explodes apparently. She won't check her email, use the website, etc. She relies on everyone else to clue her in to what is going on.
Ok ok, the bitchfest is over. I love my job :) Not as much as I would love a midwifery job but close.
Clinicals with the students are over! Woohoo! I get a break from trekking all over the valley, listening to whining and bitching that I could just as easily hear at home.
The most commonly heard phrases from students...
"It's too much paperwork" Well, if it was easy everyone would be doing it.
"Why do we have so many clinical hours?" Uh, because we prefer to train you sufficiently to not kill a patient.
"Why do we have to pick a patient the day before? Real nurses don't do that" Hmmm, you aren't a real nurse and it's really questionable about whether you ever will be!
Me to students asking these questions "Is it possible that maybe your faculty know something about nursing education that you don't?"
FACULTY = nurses with MSNs, BSNs, MEds, PhDs, and a combined total of like 200 years experience in various fields.
Student = CNAs, LPNs, bartenders
Go figure.
Seriously though, I love working with the students for the most part - but you can definitely tell those adult learners from the 'others'.
So we have a great faculty - really smart people who all get along and have fun...except for the one I will call the Lone Dinghy. LD for short.
LD likes monkies...she went to Borneo recently for two weeks to play with the monkies. She brings cat food to work to feed the occasional stray. No children. Likes horses. Loves to sunbathe - even after having 2 cancerous growths removed. She looks a little like a prune. She wears outfits to work that I wouldn't wear outside my home, to even water the plants. We had a faculty meeting last week, from which she was absent (she doesn't attend any meetings, nor have lunch with any of the rest of the staff). The dress code for faculty was discussed as complaints had arisen that someone was wearing streetclothes to clinicals - and not even appropriate street clothes. See-through stuff...no bra (like LD today)...open toe shoes...etc. We are all looking at each other wearing scrubs, wondering what planet this person is from.
Now, this all wouldn't be so bad if LD was a good teacher. I did the evaluations last sequence...I felt incredibly sorry for her as the students tore her apart. Apparently she was cussing in class, telling graphic personal stories, etc. Her syllabus? Out the window apparently. Tests on knowledge required of seniors, not freshman.
Oh, and if she goes near a computer, it explodes apparently. She won't check her email, use the website, etc. She relies on everyone else to clue her in to what is going on.
Ok ok, the bitchfest is over. I love my job :) Not as much as I would love a midwifery job but close.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Withdrawal
*banging my head against the wall*
I've decided that I am having withdrawal from school. I need to be stressed out and overworked and spread as thin (this is the only kind of thin I will ever be) as possible by the demands of a full-time job, full-time family, and full-time school. School will fill the empty void left in my life upon graduating from midwifery school. Let's face it - I've become addicted to knowledge. I have even contemplated med school! But I realize I would be doing that for the wrong reasons (mainly my desire to not be beholden to a medical establishment, and not being able to get a job so far). Forget med school - I just don't want to even get sucked into that system. And I want to give a little more time and attention to my family than med school would allow for.
Now, the PhD on the other hand...I have said for quite some time I would pursue this. I can do it at my own pace and there is no oral defense for the dissertation (woohoo). I chose Clayton College of Natural Health to do a PhD in Naturopathy. I plan to get started in the next couple months...just gotta get the finances situated so I can make the down payment for the tuition payment plan. Once I finish this I am done. No more school...
Well, maybe the FNP program at Frontier...
I've decided that I am having withdrawal from school. I need to be stressed out and overworked and spread as thin (this is the only kind of thin I will ever be) as possible by the demands of a full-time job, full-time family, and full-time school. School will fill the empty void left in my life upon graduating from midwifery school. Let's face it - I've become addicted to knowledge. I have even contemplated med school! But I realize I would be doing that for the wrong reasons (mainly my desire to not be beholden to a medical establishment, and not being able to get a job so far). Forget med school - I just don't want to even get sucked into that system. And I want to give a little more time and attention to my family than med school would allow for.
Now, the PhD on the other hand...I have said for quite some time I would pursue this. I can do it at my own pace and there is no oral defense for the dissertation (woohoo). I chose Clayton College of Natural Health to do a PhD in Naturopathy. I plan to get started in the next couple months...just gotta get the finances situated so I can make the down payment for the tuition payment plan. Once I finish this I am done. No more school...
Well, maybe the FNP program at Frontier...
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Do you ever wonder what cats are staring at - it appears they are staring at a blank wall or some other inanimate object and are totally fascinated by something. Being a cat-lover and having had cats all my life I have often pondered this. I have come to the conclusion through much ...uh pondering and soul-searching....that cats are insane or seeing otherworldly things. The cat stares at the wall...there's nothing there...no bug...no fuzzy...nothing. So is the cat seeing something scary like that movie where only the little kid sees the creepy things? Or is the cat mentally unbalanced?
On that note...what about this cat Oscar who curls up beside residents in a nursing home shortly before they die, essentially predicting their death? Maybe this cat is evil....mwwhhhhuuuaaaa!
Maybe we don't understand cats like we think do...
A Cat's Diary
Day 183 of my captivity.
My captors continued to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat while I am forced to eat dry cereal. The only thing that keeps me going is the hope of escape and the mild satisfaction I get from clawing the furniture. Tomorrow I may eat another house plant.
Today my attempt to kill my captors by weaving around their feet while they were walking almost succeeded. Maybe I should try this at the top of the stairs. In an attempt to disgust and repulse these vile oppressors; I once again induced myself to vomit on their favorite chair. I must try this on their bed. Decapitated a mouse and brought them the headless body in an attempt to make them aware of what I am capable of and to try to strike fear into their hearts. They only cooed and condescended about what a good little kitty cat I was. This is not working according to plan.
There was some sort of gathering of their accomplices. I was placed in solitary confinement throughout the event. However, I could hear the noise and smell the food. More important, I overheard that my confinement was due to my powers of inducing something called "allergies." Must learn what this is and how to use it to my advantage. I am convinced the other captives are flunkies and maybe snitches.
The dog is routinely released and seems more than happy to return. He is obviously a half-wit. The bird, on the other hand, has got to be an informant. He speaks with them regularly and I am certain he reports my every move. Due to his current placement in the metal room, his safety is assured. But I can wait.
On that note...what about this cat Oscar who curls up beside residents in a nursing home shortly before they die, essentially predicting their death? Maybe this cat is evil....mwwhhhhuuuaaaa!
Maybe we don't understand cats like we think do...
A Cat's Diary
Day 183 of my captivity.
My captors continued to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat while I am forced to eat dry cereal. The only thing that keeps me going is the hope of escape and the mild satisfaction I get from clawing the furniture. Tomorrow I may eat another house plant.
Today my attempt to kill my captors by weaving around their feet while they were walking almost succeeded. Maybe I should try this at the top of the stairs. In an attempt to disgust and repulse these vile oppressors; I once again induced myself to vomit on their favorite chair. I must try this on their bed. Decapitated a mouse and brought them the headless body in an attempt to make them aware of what I am capable of and to try to strike fear into their hearts. They only cooed and condescended about what a good little kitty cat I was. This is not working according to plan.
There was some sort of gathering of their accomplices. I was placed in solitary confinement throughout the event. However, I could hear the noise and smell the food. More important, I overheard that my confinement was due to my powers of inducing something called "allergies." Must learn what this is and how to use it to my advantage. I am convinced the other captives are flunkies and maybe snitches.
The dog is routinely released and seems more than happy to return. He is obviously a half-wit. The bird, on the other hand, has got to be an informant. He speaks with them regularly and I am certain he reports my every move. Due to his current placement in the metal room, his safety is assured. But I can wait.
I had my second interview last Thursday for this practice I would really like to join. I am cautiously optimistic. I say this because the last two jobs I really really really wanted didn't come through. Now I know you are saying to yourself, well that happens. But I was led to believe that they were very serious about me. The first one was in Pennsylvania - the director told me over the phone that she wanted to offer me a position and if I couldn't get out there for an interview they could work around that. I was able to go for an interview so I met her and the Chief OB (this was a hospital-based midwifery service). Befre I left that day she said she was ready to offer the position but would need to talk to the OB as a courtesy. I must have bombed that interview (although I didn't feel like it went that bad) because the following week, I got a Dear John letter from her saying they just didn't want to hire another new graduate (they had hired another one not too long ago)! I was so bummed out because I was ready to accept the position. But in hindsight, it was for the best. We decided that moving out of state was a financial burden we were not willing to take on at this time. Besides, we like it here.
I had another job offer in NJ while I was out in PA making rounds - was interested but decided for the above mentioned reasons not to take it.
The next job that really disappointed me was for a Women's Health Nurse Practitioner. They are a holistic integrated practice and I really liked the OB and office manager. They were intrigued by the possibility of adding a midwife as the OB backs lay midwives. Unfortunately the hospital they were moving to (brand new state of the art blah blah blah) does not credential midwives. I assured them that I would be interested in a in-office position (something is better than nothing since I can feel the knowledge seeping out of my brain as we speak!). They said they were very much interested. Then I got an email that they decided to continue to look but if something changed at the hospital they would give me a call. Again, I was really upset.
So here I am being cautiously optimistic - which means I am assuming I won't get the job even though I really want it and it went really well. They will let me know next week. Even if it happens it could take up to 3 months to get credentialed :P
I had another job offer in NJ while I was out in PA making rounds - was interested but decided for the above mentioned reasons not to take it.
The next job that really disappointed me was for a Women's Health Nurse Practitioner. They are a holistic integrated practice and I really liked the OB and office manager. They were intrigued by the possibility of adding a midwife as the OB backs lay midwives. Unfortunately the hospital they were moving to (brand new state of the art blah blah blah) does not credential midwives. I assured them that I would be interested in a in-office position (something is better than nothing since I can feel the knowledge seeping out of my brain as we speak!). They said they were very much interested. Then I got an email that they decided to continue to look but if something changed at the hospital they would give me a call. Again, I was really upset.
So here I am being cautiously optimistic - which means I am assuming I won't get the job even though I really want it and it went really well. They will let me know next week. Even if it happens it could take up to 3 months to get credentialed :P
Monday, August 13, 2007
Nursing students
I love adult learners. I hate pseudo-college-students-who-still-believe-they-are-in-high-school.
I teach nursing students at an associate degree level...meaning they have an associate degree and can take the NCLEX to become a Registered Nurse when they are done with the program. Now, please remember that I ultimately really like my job (even though I would much rather be working as a midwife!).
Adult learners = students who have obtained the maturity, either through age or through having been a student previously (such as getting a degree in biology, etc). to realize that learning is their responsibility.
Pseudo-college-students...= students who think faculty should spoon feed everything to them, that everything in the program should be changed to accomodate them, we are all so unfair, it's too hard, etc.
Nursing school = If it was easy, everyone would be doing it, do you really want the person responsible for making sure you don't die to go to an easy school?
Please don't get me wrong, I love teaching. But they can drive me insane some days. I wish I could make a deal with them...you be responsible, I'll make it interesting!
You can tell it's the end of the semester...I'm burned out and so are they.
I teach nursing students at an associate degree level...meaning they have an associate degree and can take the NCLEX to become a Registered Nurse when they are done with the program. Now, please remember that I ultimately really like my job (even though I would much rather be working as a midwife!).
Adult learners = students who have obtained the maturity, either through age or through having been a student previously (such as getting a degree in biology, etc). to realize that learning is their responsibility.
Pseudo-college-students...= students who think faculty should spoon feed everything to them, that everything in the program should be changed to accomodate them, we are all so unfair, it's too hard, etc.
Nursing school = If it was easy, everyone would be doing it, do you really want the person responsible for making sure you don't die to go to an easy school?
Please don't get me wrong, I love teaching. But they can drive me insane some days. I wish I could make a deal with them...you be responsible, I'll make it interesting!
You can tell it's the end of the semester...I'm burned out and so are they.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)