Let’s clear some things up.

I am not against medicine, science or technology.

If it weren’t for all those things, I probably would have died during my first pregnancy/birth.  Several friends of mine would have had tiny caskets to bury instead of enjoying a healthy toddler today.  Others I know would have died from cancer long ago.  The list goes on.

With that being said, there are a lot of tenets surrounding medicine, science and technology that I question.  I think we all should question, be willing to at least dig for the why’s and how’s, and then still be willing to say we just don’t absolutely know.  Taking our ques from the latest media or doggedly following a doctor’s opinion is setting oneself up for some big mistakes.

I hate giving specific examples because so often people get lost on a tangent as they frantically point out all the exceptions and what happened to their sister’s husband’s boss’s friend, but here goes…

A lot of people thought I was crazy seven years ago when I threw out all our plastic toys and sippy cups.  I just bit my tongue when about five or six years later the larger media caught wind of the story and then finally the majority of parents knew enough to be enraged about toxins like lead and BPA in our children’s items.

I’ve been asked why on earth I would use cloth diapers in this day and age.  What most parents don’t know is that many disposable diapers contain a long list of chemicals.  Sure, as a parent you can just trust that the “experts” are doing their job of keeping products safe.  But I’m just not the sort of person who waits for the diaper companies to write on their packages, “Caution, this product contains an ingredient similar to the substance that was banned from tampons long ago due to it’s link to toxic shock syndrome. Use at your own risk.”  Suddenly, the telltale droopy dangle from a soaked gel-filled diaper isn’t quite so darling.

And I mentioned my first pregnancy.  Yeah, it was medicine and technology that ended up saving me, but it was my unresponsible, unquestioning trust in them that got me there in the first place.

You see, I was diagnosed with really high blood pressure later in my pregnancy that progressed to eclampsia and toxemia.   Their standard protocol was to eat more saltines, drink more water, and rest with my feet up.  I have no idea who comes up with this stuff.  That kind of salt is perhaps the worst thing I could have been eating.  Since I was gaining weight so rapidly due to my blood pressure problems, I was avoiding protein and good fats.  Again, the worst thing I could have done.  But they told me I was doing it exactly right.

I was also eating fast food every day for 2 of my meals.  I started out packing a lunch, but severe pregnancy exhaustion, plus the fact that I had to be at work at 6:30 am, meant that habit quickly died.  I would usually grab a cheeseburger and a water.  Once in a while I’d get the fries too, since a meal was so cheap and I’d get hungry again so quickly after eating.  I thought that beef, dairy, fresh tomato and lettuce, and a bun couldn’t be all that bad.

What most of us don’t know is the extremely high sodium content in those foods, the dyes and preservatives in every single item, and the formaldehyde all fast food beef is washed in.  Yum.

Okay, so this is just one illustration.  My point is, I know so so so so many people who, like I once did, only get their info from one kind of source, end up in trouble, and then need that same source to help save them.

Now, the vaccine issue.

I am not against parents choosing to vaccinate their children.  All parents certainly should do what they believe is best for their children, their circumstance, and their lifestyle.

I also think parents should be getting ALL the information before they make the choice to vaccinate or not vaccinate.

There are risks with not vaccinating, and there are risks with vaccinating.  The sad thing is, most parents do not receive enough information to make an educated decision.  Most of them ask their pediatrician, and 99% of them will scare parents into vaccinating.

It’s not the doctors’ fault.  We want to believe that they know all the information there is, pro and con, and will pass that on to us.  The largest problem with this is, they get one-sided information handed to them, too.  Doctors are bombarded with tons of papers and journals that are almost impossible to sort through fully.  They fall back on the trusted assumptions that have morphed over the years into spoon-fed dogma.  They’ll say things like “vaccines are estimated to save millions of lives each year”.  They’ll bring up polio and state how the vaccine has virtually eradicated it.  If all else fails, they may, at best, paint the “anti-vaccine” people as ignorant fools who are unaware of the history of vaccinations that have made our “virtually disease-free” society possible, or at worst, as quacks who fall prey to conspiracy theories and put all of us at risk.

What the majority of parents fail to learn is that vaccine damage is not opinion, but based on documented facts with detailed references, most of it from the Center of Disease Control (CDC) itself.  They don’t hear things like the fact that there are more than one hundred vaccine antigens that are injected into children before kindergarten, that the U.S. has paid more than $1 billion to vaccine injured people, that most outbreaks occur in fully vaccinated or over 95% vaccinated populations, that the government’s own records clearly show that childhood diseases (including polio) were in sharp decline before the introduction of vaccines, that vaccines contain at least 39 different toxic additives, preservatives and cell types introduced during the manufacturing process, that the combination effect of all these toxins in children has never been studied (nor has the effect several toxins and antigens being administered at the same time been studied), that cow, chicken, pig, monkey, and human fetus tissue are commonly used in the manufacturing of vaccines, that therefore vaccines can contain contaminants from these animals that are passed on to the vaccinated child…

When it comes to the supposed safety of vaccines, most parents never learn that vaccine studies are relatively small, short and include only healthy children.  When a vaccine trial has been completed, however, vaccines are given to all children, regardless of the condition of their health, family history, or genetics.   Most clinical trials monitor side effects for only 21 days, and sometimes even for only 5 days.

In addition, most parents are shocked to learn that vaccine safety studies do not use a true placebo. One of the standards in medical research is the “placebo-controlled” trial. An inactive substance such as a sugar pill is given as a placebo to one group of participants, while the treatment group is given the new drug. The data is analyzed to compare the number of side effects that occurred in those given the drug compared to the numbers of side effects that occurred in those given the placebo. However, the “placebo” used in vaccine research is not an inert substance such as sterile water; it is another vaccine. Inert, sterile water doesn’t cause a reaction; as substitute vaccine can. If both groups of babies in a trial have the same number of reactions, the study reports that the vaccine “is as safe as a placebo.” This is deceptive science.

It all ties together with the never-discussed fact that vaccine-induced antibodies do not correlate with protection. In fact, the journal Vaccine stated this clearly: “It is known that, in many instances, antigen-specific antibody titers do not correlate with protection.” (The full reference can be found at PMID: 11587808)

I fully vaccinated my first two children fully, including boosters, with no noticeable negative effects.  I never even questioned the idea of vaccinations.

That changed with my third child.  No one at all ever mentioned that she could be at higher risk since she had struggled with things like thrush and severe constipation all through infancy.  I don’t think my doctor even knew of the correlation between vaccine damage and gut health.  And I didn’t know enough then to realize that the health of my child was my responsibility, not my doctor’s.  Lesson learned.

So I will continue to communicate the side of vaccines that isn’t so prevalent.  Parents have a right to be educated about vaccines.  When I hear parents spout the same old tired fear-based mantras surrounding vaccines, I know they aren’t educated on both sides of the issue.  When they are offended by factual information regarding the dangers of vaccines, treat my children as if they carry the plague, or ridicule my choice, it’s a clear sign they aren’t informed.  They are indoctrinated.

I don’t even think all parents should not vaccinate!  If a parent is not willing to hold themselves fully responsible for their child’s health, carry out the difficult task of nourishing their bodies consistently so they can lead healthy lives, and learn effective alternatives to treat problems, then they should vaccinate.  I even tell parents that I will not try to convince them one way or the another.  I will give information, but a parent needs to be fully persuaded in their own mind of their decision.

This could also go for such things as giving birth at home, drinking raw milk, and writing opinionated blogs.

Bottom line…  I fully appreciate and would in a heartbeat make full use of the wonderful and life-saving medicine and technology available.

I also believe, just as strongly, in making fully informed decisions as to why, when, and how I make use of it.

Tags: cloth diapering, homebirth, idiocy, medicine, presuppositions, vaccines

There’s a lot of hubbub surrounding the Tylenol recalls. Parents are wondering what on earth to do for their child’s pain or fever.

There are several alternatives out there that work even better than drugs.  I have been using them for years.  In fact, I haven’t purchased or used children’s Tylenol or Motrin for over 8 years.

First of all, parents need to understand that fevers are not a bad thing.  Allowing your child to run a temperature is allowing their body to do it’s job.  Yes, your child is uncomfortable.  Yes, they will be more irritable.  But giving them a false sense of temporary wellness by lowering their temperature so they end up being more active than they should isn’t doing your child any favors in the long run, and could actually be slowing their healing.

The biggest danger during fevers is dehydration, so it’s best to set a timer and have your child take regular small drinks.  Watch them closely to be sure their fever doesn’t rise above a safe level.

To help make my children more comfortable while a fever is running it’s course, I use essential oils.  Peppermint on the feet is very soothing, and will often lower their temperature a little.  It does need to be applied every hour or so.  Just one drop on each foot, diluted with a mixing oil is plenty.

I also use oils that boost their body’s immune system.  My favorite is a blend called Thieves.  I also apply it on their feet, as well as rub it along their spine.  It is also helpful to add a drop to their bath, along with Epsom salts.

In addition to oils, I often turn to homeopathy.  It’s amazing how effective homeopathy is for fevers.  If you are not familiar with using homeopathy, finding the correct remedy can be confusing.  There are several good books out there that make the decision easier (like this, or this, or this)   but you would need a fair-sized collection of remedies.  Hyland’s household kit is what I use.

Hyland’s also takes the guesswork out of homeopathy by offering blends.  On their children’s page, you can find remedies for several problems like earaches, colds, and teething.

Of course, to support your child’s natural healing abilities, please make sure their daily food choices are healthy ones.  It’s just common sense that your children need lots of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and good fats to remain healthy.  Supplement their diet with Vitamin D, especially in the winter season.  We use fish oil.

I also suggest removing dairy from their diet, if what is offered is the pasteurized and homogenized crap at the store.  Contrary to the commercials, it is a terrible source of calcium and does absolutely nothing to improve bone health.  You’re actually feeding them a non-food that is completely void of nutrition and encourages allergies and excessive mucus.

Limit their sugar intake.  There is sugar in everything, including lunch meat, ketchup and crackers.  So NO, they don’t need juice or candy or packaged cookies to add to the heaping tablespoons they’re already eating in their regular food.

Read labels.  Not the nutrition information, although that is somewhat helpful.  Read the ingredients. If you can’t pronounce them, or recognize what they are, do a Google search.

And… that’s a clue that you probably shouldn’t feed it to your kid.

Tags: children, health, medicine, raw milk

A couple years ago, I published a natural childbirth article with a funny twist on Thanksgiving dinner.  I am reposting it below.  (I could no longer find a valid link to the original article.)

by Carolyn Keefe 
from Citizens for Midwifery News, Fall/Winter 2004

Thanksgiving is coming up, and I thought this would be a great opportunity to think about the normality of birth. We often say that birth is a normal physiological process, but its hard for most people to understand what that means. Comparisons to other normal physiological functions are valuable. Although some others more closely resemble birth, eating will work to illustrate how a normal function can be spoiled by over-zealous attempts to control it.

Of course, birth is a far more profound and rare experience. Also, in both cases, sometimes some people need help — when eating people can choke, have allergic reactions, have digestive disorders, and even need to bypass the whole process. But in both cases, most of the time, our bodies can perform the function more or less as designed.
Let’s imagine, then, consuming our Thanksgiving dinner under the same circumstances that most women in the US give birth:

Welcome to our humble establishment. We hope you enjoy sharing your special Thanksgiving Dinner with us. Well do our best to make your dinner a unique and memorable experience.

Our highly trained professional staff is among the best in business and will work to ensure your comfort, privacy, and safety while dining in our establishment, a state of the art facility. The home-like ambiance will help you relax, and you’ll appreciate the comfort of knowing that the operating room is right down the hall, should the need arise.

• First, you make the decision to leave home and go out to the “best” restaurant in town with the “best” chefs. This means leaving behind your children and most of your family, but you agree anyway.

• When you make your reservations, you are informed that consuming the meal will very likely be dangerous and difficult, so a surgeon will be supervising in case it becomes necessary to insert a tube.

• The restaurant insists that you arrive before Thanksgiving and get started on the meal early, so as not to miss the holiday.

• You are encouraged to change into appropriate clothes for eating, though they may be uncomfortable and make you feel self conscious.

• Before you can sit down to eat, you’re hooked up to an IV and wires to monitor your progress with swallowing and digestion, just in case emergency surgery is needed.

• As you eat, various medical personnel hover, looking in your mouth periodically — sometimes in mid-chew — to make sure you’re progressing well.

• At the first sign of displeasure or difficulty, you’re offered seasonings to mask the flavor and the meal is pureed to make it easier to swallow.

• If you aren’t eating quickly enough, the surgeon comes in to give you something to improve your appetite and tells you that the tube will need to be inserted if you don’t finish soon.

• When the moment you’ve been waiting for finally comes, the surgeon performs a procedure to expedite the process.

• When the meal is all over, everyone tells you that are lucky to have finished it alive, with your entire family intact. After all, such unpleasantness is the price we pay for eating safely.

• Even if you are able to complete the meal under these circumstances, any complaints you might have are dismissed as ingratitude. You learn to not discuss it and accept that you will be expected to undergo exactly the same experience for each Thanksgiving dinner.

Of course, birthing women are in a far more heightened state of awareness. They are extremely vulnerable to stimuli, which can have a profound effect on their ability to function well under such circumstances and on their perceptions of the experience later.
If the meal described above seems unpleasant, imagine how difficult giving birth under such circumstances must be. That so many women do it successfully with a minimum of negative effects is remarkable. Then again, many do not. Small wonder.

Happy Thanksgiving and Bon Appétit!

Tags: baby, health, idiocy, medicine

It’s something every parent dreads, but we all have to deal with it at some time or another.  To add to the problem, it usually happens in the middle of the night or over the weekend.

The most troubling aspect of having a sick child is knowing what to do.  The questions swirl - How serious is it, really?  Do I wait it out or do something to treat it?  Should I call the doctor?  How do I know when to seek medical care?  I wonder if Mom is still awake if I called her…

There are several methods and opinions for every ailment out there.  I think besides the obvious one, avoiding white sugar (a huge immune system weakener) there are some other things you can try.

Fevers

These are probably the most troubling, since the biggest question is, “Why?”  Is it caused by something viral? Bacterial? Is it teething? The flu?

Remember that fevers are your friend.  We’ve come to fear fevers, when in fact they mean that your child’s body is doing exactly what it was created to do to restore health!  The most important thing to remember is to keep your child hydrated.  Small sips of water very often are better then trying to force them to gulp a glass down when they are feeling awful.  I like to set a timer beside them.  Every 20 minutes, the timer rings and they have to take a drink. Simple.

• Hylands Flu remedy is wonderful for when your child is achy and feverish.  Most stores carry Hylands now, even grocery stores.
• Peppermint essential oil rubbed on their feet will bring most fevers down.  If peppermint doesn’t work, I try Thieves blend.
• A bath.  Yes, it’s an old therapy but it works.  I also like to add a scoop of Epsom salts and essential oil.  Magic.

Colds

These are the most difficult to treat, I think.  Most colds just need to run their course.  You like to ease their discomfort somewhat though.

• I love Hyland’s Sniffles and Sneezes.  Especially for the kind of colds where their snot constantly runs like a faucet, making their upper lip red and sore.
• Thieves essential rubbed on the soles of their feet.  R.C. on their chest.  Raven on their back.
• If they are older, a couple drops of Thieves is very soothing to drink in a cup of warm to hot water.  If they are too young for that, an essential bath is very soothing.  The warm vapors clear sinuses.  Try Lavender, R.C., Purification, or Thieves.

Earaches

• Similasan earache remedy works wonders.  Most drugstores carry this now.
• Warm garlic oil drops.  Found at natural health stores.
• One to 3 drops of Purification essential oil on a cotton ball piece, then placed gently in outer ear.   Melrose blend also works well.

Teething

• Hyland’s teething tablets has worked wonderfully for most parents I know.
• Or try just the single remedy Chamomilla.  Especially if your child tends to get extremely clingy and irritable when teething, along with green runny bowel movements.  Found at health stores.

What do you use?

Tags: health, medicine

Siblings… how many do you have?

I have two sisters.  One is four years older than me and lives here in Michigan about an hour away. The other one is two years younger and lives in Wisconsin.  Both are married, with families.

Robb has one younger sister. Her and her husband live nearby.

How long have you been into ‘natural’ living and was there something specific that spurred that change?  Were your parents into natural living?

Neither one of us were raised within a natural health or diet lifestyle.  We started to change our eating habits and lifestyle about six years ago.  There were several things that spurred that change, and they all happened at around the same time.

1. I had always given my children vaccinations, so my oldest had all of their shots plus boosters.  Then my third child had a mild, but scary, reaction to her first set.  I had been late in taking her so they did a couple extra to ‘catch up’.  She developed a traveling rash, fever, a strange high-pitched cry and just seemed ‘different’.  Strange acting.  My pediatrician assured me everything was fine and that it was in no way connected to the vaccinations.  I started Googling her symptoms and long story short - We never gave another one of our children a vaccination.  Through researching that, I came across a lot of things that piqued my interest and spurred further reading about natural health.
2. We moved into a home on 5 acres.  That meant plenty of room for gardens and animals, so we began to look into growing and raising our own food.
3. We had the opportunity to obtain raw milk.  We were surprised to learn that many believed it to be dangerous and unhealthy, so we began to research it.  Not only did we continue drinking it, but we began to try to find ways to support farmers who provided it.  (We eventually got two of our own dairy goats that we hand-milked daily.)

My family members in particular have changed into a more natural lifestyle.  My mother, who I thank for introducing me to the medicinal use of essential oils, even owns a natural health and wellness center, Migun BodySense.  My younger sister and I share a love of cloth diapering, babywearing, and food habits from the Weston A Price Foundation.

You mentioned last week that you don’t give Tylenol to your children. I found the alternatives you gave interesting and will definitely be looking into them. I assume you don’t give them Motrin, etc too? My question is, why? Is it harmful in some way?

There is always some risk involved in giving your child any medication or pain/fever reliever.  That is stated clearly on the package.  Most problems are caused by overdosing, but some children are just more sensitive and prone to problems like liver damage.

Fevers should not be viewed with fear.  The fact is, fevers are not necessarily a bad thing.  They are the body’s natural way to fight infection or sickness.  Most fevers are harmless, although uncomfortable.

Fever relievers may help a child sleep or help ease the aches that come with some sicknesses, but does absolutely nothing to combat the sickness they are dealing with, and in fact gives a false sense of wellness during the few hours the fever is ‘hidden’.  You just may be taking away the only thing that is keeping your child from becoming worse!  A parent should seek to know why the child is feverish, not simply attempt to cover up the fever.

In my personal experience, I stopped using both Tylenol, Motrin, or any store brand fever/pain reliever quite a few years ago.  When my first child was around 18 months old, he had a mild fever for a week.  Nothing else seemed to be wrong, and I assumed it was teething.  When it continued and seemed to get worse, I called the pediatrician.  (That was back when I actually had a pediatrician and trusted them 100%)  He advised Tylenol and Motrin to be dosed interchangeably so that medication would always be in my son’s system and the fever wouldn’t be allowed to return.

I did that for a few days and then called again to make an appointment as whenever I stopped the medication, my son’s fever would immediately return.  The doctor briefly examined him and told me continue what I was doing.  I questioned that, since I had already been giving him Tylenol for over 2 weeks by then.  He assured me there was no harm.  I did so with much doubt.

Another week went by and my son’s strange fever continued.  I made another appointment.  This time when I was told nothing was wrong with him, I asked the doctor, in tears, to do a urine test to rule anything out.  I just knew something was really wrong!  I was told that was silly, and basically patted on the head and sent out the door.

Within that week, every hour or so my son would suddenly scream for several minutes and then be fine.  It was terrifying.  We took him into ER that day.  While being examined he was playing and laughing, and the nurse was basically telling us that there was nothing wrong.  And then he did the screaming thing in front of her, and she understood what our concern was all about.

I don’t remember all the particulars then, but they ordered a catheter to get urine.  I was told to leave the room.  After being ignored and disrespected so many times I finally had enough gumption to refuse.  I replied that no one was touching my son unless I was present.  So I stayed and watched two nurses try for several minutes to insert a tube into my little son’s penis.  It was heartbreaking.  They simply could not do it, and realized there was a blockage of some sort.

Ended up he had a Urinary Tract Infection that had progressed to the point that it was blocked.  It still makes me so angry knowing that if the doctor had done a simple urine test weeks before, when I requested one, it would have been immediately diagnosed and treated.  Instead, the doctor had treated me like and idiot and told me to dose him with pain/fever reliever which only covered up the fact that something was seriously wrong.

My son was fine after antibiotic treatment.  I shudder to think about the liver and other organ damage that could have cost him his very life.

So, yeah.  I’m just a little testy when it comes to certain topics.

My favorite ones are the kinds with red dye in them.  Because we all know how great dye is for children.  Especially a sick one.

If you do choose to use pain/fever relievers please be informed about the risks.  Never give more than the correct dose and never give longer than recommended.  Even if your doctor says its okay.  Because he could be an idiot.

This was getting quite long…  If I didn’t answer your question today, it’ll be on next week’s post.

Email me with your questions, or leave it in the comments!

Tags: health, medicine, questions, raw milk, vaccines

I went to see a doctor last week.

Now, if you know me well at all, or have followed this blog for any length of time, you would know that is a highly unusual occurrence.  I can’t even recall the last time I saw a doctor due to illness or health concern.  I did see a doctor before my home births, when Carmen was born.  That was over five years ago.

I do not make a good patient.   I question everything.  Not to be rude, or troublesome, but because I have difficulty accepting things as good or necessary, just because they are the status quo.

I want to know ‘why’.  I want space to hold my own opinion.  I want the ability to think on my own and patience to have my questions answered.  I want respect.

I have learned that most of what goes on in that environment is considered untouchable.  Unquestionable.  So despite my attempts to be gracious and choose wisely which hills to die on, I inevitably end up stepping on the doctor’s toes.

Bruised toes are unfortunate, but it’s much preferred over what I would have surely faced if I had just shut up and nodded my head.  Speaking up (and even sneaking out) has saved me from unnecessary cesareans, expensive and harmful drugs, and vaccination arguments.

On the other hand, the cost of not being taken seriously has resulted in undiagnosed problems developing into serious concerns, when they could have been easily treated at the onset.

A little chip on my shoulder, maybe?

But that’s not why I’m writing about it.  I want to share what I noted and learned in this recent short experience.

The appointment I made was with a gynecologist.  Since Callahan was born I had noticed the symptoms of an ovarian cyst.  At first, I simply did some research and decided to wait.  As the months wore on, the ache became more pronounced and I developed further symptoms.  My intuition was warning me that maybe it was more than a simple cyst.

The first hurdle was who to call.  I respected my previous ob-gyn doctor, but he and his associates had become more and more, how shall I say, typical.  I knew I would receive grief for my home births and natural remedies.  So instead I called a doctor who came with a friend’s recommendation.  He seemed to support women who took responsibility for their own health and treated them with respect.

The familiar surroundings hit me when I walked into his office that day.  No, I had never been there before, but one office is pretty much the same as another.  Same waiting room chairs.  Same carpet.  Same sign-in sheet.  Same smell.

I began to count the drug advertisements.  On the pen.  On the clipboard as I filled out the patient information sheets.  On the walls.  On the calender.  I lost count.  I half expected to see the nurses wearing drug advertisements on their clothing.  Why not?

I began to fill out the forms.  Much of them remained blank, seeing as I felt no need to discuss religion, guns, and income with my doctor.  It would have been fun, but I doubt he would have had the time or interest.

The insurance forms were easy.  “Not available”.  No, we don’t have insurance.  Don’t feel sorry for us - It is a decision not a deprivation.  That day I was repeatedly asked, “Is it pending?”  I kept assuring them that I was paying out-of-pocket.  They really didn’t seem to know what to do with that.

My name was finally called.  It was time to take the routine vitals.  Weight, height, blood pressure, temperature.  I asked the nurse what would happen if I preferred not to be weighed.  She laughed uncomfortably and avoided answering.  I stepped on the scale willingly, deciding not to make enemies over something so silly, but I still wonder.

The doctor came in and was very kind, informative, and patient.  He answered every question thoroughly and didn’t bat an eye when I stated I simply wanted an exam and diagnosis for now, and wasn’t necessarily interested in standard treatment.  The exam revealed that yes, I certainly did have a good-size cyst.  Along with abdominal diastasis.

What is that, you say?  Picture your torso as a paper grocery bag.  Now fill it with groceries a little too full.  Now pick up the bag and carry it around like that for several months.  Empty the bag.  Fill it up again a little too full.  Repeat six times.  (Why six? Because that’s how many times I was pregnant.)  Now picture the very worn bag splitting up the side as you lift it.  That’s abdominal diastasis.  What you don’t want is all the groceries spilling out the tear.

Gives a whole new meaning to your gut hanging out.

I asked for an ultrasound to be sure that it was benign, and he readily agreed, saying his office would call me with an appointment date.   Later that day after the ultrasound appointment had been set up, I called ahead to verify the fact I didn’t have insurance and would be paying cash, and to ask how much the service would be.

After several minutes on hold, she returned with the price and asked if I wanted to set up a payment schedule. I asked if there was a discount if I paid it all at once at the time of service.  She admitted she had absolutely no idea, put me on hold again, and returned only to tell me that her supervisor would have to call.

Within a few minuted, her supervisor did call, and the price was over $30 lower if I paid in full.  I think that was worth the little extra time I spent on the phone!  I asked her to make a note of that on my file and ended the call.

That’s it for Part 1.  I’ll write about the ultrasound later.  Here’s what you can take with you from this long-winded story.

Always ask for a discount for services when paid in full. Yes, a doctor provides a service.  No, it’s not the end of the world to not have insurance.  You may even save a couple bucks.  They’re a large part of the reason prices are so high, anyways.  But that’s another post for another time.

Tags: health, homebirth, medicine, presuppositions

“I hope that these personal stories will help all of us understand that we seldom if ever get the whole story from experts.  If I could get every American who reads a government report to think first, “Now I wonder what these guys manipulated on this report, or what they neglected to put in it?” before agreeing with or to anything that comes down from on high, this will be a victorious day for righteousness indeed.  One more time: I am not a conspiracy advocate.  But I do believe that most experts come from the same school of thought, the same worldview, and therefore approach every problem from the same perspective.  That gives consistent answers, and answers that for the most part are wrong.”

~ Joel Salatin, speaking about his frustration with the farming and food industries, as he attended conferences and spoke with government officials, environmentalists, agronomists, government grant researchers and scientists, and agriculture economists. From his book “Everything I Want to Do Is Illegal; War Stories from the Local Food Front”.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is a perfect example of the idea in the above paragraph. In an effort to prevent SIDS, the experts recommend that a baby only sleep alone in their crib, and only on their back.  The parent never hears the vast benefits of bonding, ease of night nursing, and the physical comfort for your infant that only comes with sleeping with your baby.  The parent also never hears about the toxins that are contained in most crib mattresses, or the carcinogen chemicals they are soaked in for the “safety” of being flame retardant.  The risk of smoking near baby is rarely mentioned, and the probable role of vaccinations in SIDS numbers is never mentioned.

In our area, the Ruth Mott Foundation pays for large billboards that picture a smiling baby in a crib, with the words “All alone in a crib of their own” scrawled over the top.  Good people with good intentions, spending lots of money spreading skewed opinion.

Just sticking with the health paradigm, there is a whole list of things that require out-of-the-box thinking.  I used to believe most of them!

Vaccines are good and necessary
prescription prenatal vitamins are good
hospitals are safe and clean
“Back to sleep” to prevent SIDS
All disposable diapers are safe
Formula is safe, and even equal to breast milk
My babies need well-baby checkups provided by a pediatrician
My babies need lots of trendy, uncomfortable outfits
Ultrasounds, even multiple ones, pose no risk
Health insurance is necessary
A child with a fever needs Tylenol
A child with a cold or ear infection needs antibiotics
My children need fluoride
My toddlers need sturdy walking shoes for proper development
Aspartame and Splenda are healthy alternatives to sugar
Packaged foods are wonderful time savers
Irradiated food is great because it lasts longer and is prettier
Chicken is just chicken

Any of the above statements have huge corporations behind them, who create endless numbers of foundations and institutions, and it all sounds really legitimate and important.  In reality, they are made up of average people like you and me, except that they all approach an issue the same way and therefore only come to a certain set of conclusions.  Meanwhile, there is a whole host of causes and resolutions they never even consider.

Now, these foundations and institutions use their basic set of conclusions to fund research to prove their set of conclusions.  Then, they churn out scientific studies to back up the set of conclusions they began with.  These studies are regurgitated as press releases by journalists, unwittingly bearing as ultimate truth the corporation’s set of conclusions they want you to believe.  And then, we in the general public believe a certain set of conclusions without question, form our own smaller organizations, and lobby for standards, rules and even governmental intervention to safeguard these set of conclusions.  And the corporations sit back and rake in the profits while we demand more because we have a “right” to them.

Last month I spent some time reading up on Newborn Screenings.  (See my previous post)  This was spurred by news of the family in Nebraska who had their five-week-old infant taken by police at gunpoint, because the parents did not take him; a healthy, home-birthed infant; in for blood tests.  I read about how more and more states are mandating these Newborn Screenings, adding even more screenings, and signing into law forced treatment if any screenings appear to be positive.  Imagine my surprise and utter disgust when I traced the hubbub back to… PARENTS!  Yes, parents.

You see, most of the organizations screaming for more legislation regarding Newborn Screenings were started because parents had an infant born with a life threatening disease or condition.  They were convinced by the experts; doctors, health officials, and lawyers; that Newborn Screenings could have somehow helped.  Never mind the fact that most, if not all, of these infants had already undergone Newborn Screenings at the time of their birth.  I can only attempt to understand the deep grief these parents must have felt as they tried to sort out “why?” What angers me is the way the so-called experts used the parents’ pain as an opportunity to push their agenda.

These grieving parents are used as puppets to facilitate an already out of control establishment in the field of medicine.  They’ve turned their sorrow into a battle cry for the highest available number of Newborn Screenings (37 as of today, I believe) to be performed in all States, for screenings to be mandatory in all States with absolutely no parental exemptions allowed, and forced re-testing and treatment performed regardless of the parent’s wishes.  It’s no secret that a minor who is checked into a hospital is no longer under parental care, but the property of the medical doctors.  In essence, these parents, who lost their children so terribly, are fighting, albeit unwittingly, to take ours away as well.

The real irony in this is the fact that there are hundreds more organizations started by parents who had a child die or become physically impaired due to vaccines.  Their battle cry is different though, in the simple truth that they are not pushing any forced medical test or treatment, but simply demanding honest education of the risks to be available to all parents, and the right to choose if, or to what extent, they want to vaccinate or not.  They are largely ignored.  Why?  There is no profit behind their message.  There is nothing for the health establishment, pharmaceutical companies or governmental officials to gain if vaccines were removed as a “normal” childhood experience.  Imagine if vaccines had nothing to do with government school attendance, day care admissions, government welfare benefits, routine births, or well-baby checkups.  It would be quite a different world, indeed.

It really hit home how skewed the entire medical institution is a couple weeks ago.  Robb and I were enjoying a quiet date-night dinner at a nice restaurant. Seated at the table next to us was a small group of people.  Within minutes of sitting down, Robb nodded his head towards them and told me they were drug pushers.  And he was absolutely right.  We listened to them discuss what local drug store (Rite Aid or Walgreen’s?) they would hit next.  What really irked was the fact that one of the gentlemen was a doctor. They not only paid for his expensive meal and drinks, but then showered him with prepaid money cards.  You can be certain they also restocked his office’s free samples supply with whatever drugs their particular company manufactured.  And this is okay in America?  Do we not even notice or care anymore when we go to our doctor and everything in their office, from calendars to ink pens, are drug advertisements?

My point is this.  Most people readily admit we are a nation of poor health.  But depending on one’s school of thought, we’ll approach the problem differently.  Medical doctors generally come from the same school of thought.  Drug manufacturers and those working at pharmaceutical companies come from the same school of thought.  Government health and food officials come from the same school of thought.  So, they will “approach every problem from the same perspective.  That gives consistent answers, and answers that for the most part are wrong.”

They will give us irradiated food, genetically modified food, chemically treated food, synthetic vitamins, more drugs, more laboratory tests, more medical treatments and interventions, and more invasive surgeries.  Someone has to pay for it all so they’ll talk about free health care and higher taxes.  Someone has to enforce and regulate, so they’ll give us more governmental programs and legislation.

Whew.  This is only on the health and wellness subject.  I have been made more and more aware that so much of what I do is a direct result of my presuppositions and established point of view.  Taking a step back is difficult, but possible.  Jumping off the merry-go-round we find ourselves on is even tougher, but again, entirely possible.   Think about the countless spheres of your life and how you allow your worldview to color your approach and therefore your conclusions.

Marriage is one of things that can be a completely different scenario, simply as a result of one’s perspective.  Married couples can be unfulfilled. They may feel frustrated at the other spouse because of each one’s misperceptions of roles and expectations.  There can be a deep sense of aloneness even when in the same room together.  There can be resentment due to the automatic responses to these feelings.  But when common worldviews regarding marriage are put to rest and instead biblical truth is upheld, hearts are changed, beliefs are challenged then altered, and proper roles and functions are embraced.  Sweetness and thankful acceptance can be known.  We truly can be a small (imperfect) picture of Christ and the church, and know of a love that transcends anything we imagined.

Religious beliefs are another sphere that immediately comes to mind.  Those who have known us a number of years have seen us change.  Most would say we’ve grown, but there are certainly those who think we’ve gone off the deep end!  Regardless, it is amazing what God can bring to light so suddenly, when for years you’ve viewed something in an entirely different way.  Just a few things (in a host of many!) are salvation, a triune God, and Scripture interpretation.  What I mean by “Scripture interpretation” is what we believe a verse or set of verses means, and why.   One example is the first time I read John 1 with the realization that “the Word was God” and “the Word became flesh” meant Jesus as the Word (the Son and second part of the Godhead) was God and came into the world as a man.  I know, I know.  You’re thinking, what else would it mean?!

I was raised to believe, and distinctly remember it being taught, that those verses were referring to the ministers of that fellowship and that it (the ministry) was  “the same as from the beginning” referring to 1 John as well.  They were the Word, the “mouthpieces of God” and “Shepherds of the One, True flock”.

No, we’d say.  You’re confusing those verses.  They are talking about Jesus.  Jesus is the Way.

Yes, they reply.  He is the way, and we walk in that way.

No, He is the Way.  Not a fellowship or group of people.

Yes, that’s right.  He is the way and he showed the way we are to walk in.

No, He didn’t show us a “way”, He IS the Way!

Yes, I said he is the way. That is right.  And he showed us a pattern to follow, the truth.  We must walk in the Truth.

No, you must walk IN Truth, not “in the Truth!”

Yes, he is the way and showed us the way…

…ad infinitum.  There is such great frustration with the circular reasoning, that at times it is difficult for me to say it is not intended deception, but instead to simply borrow Salatin’s wording and say “But I do believe that most [in that fellowship] come from the same school of thought, the same worldview, and therefore approach every [notion] from the same perspective.  That gives consistent answers, and answers that for the most part are wrong.”

I don’t pretend for one second to think I alone approach everything completely unbiased and unprejudiced.  And that is exactly the point.  I have been wrong so many times in the past that I admit freely my natural tendency to blindly “see” things a certain way. It is only through much study, prayer and conversation that I can come to any sort of confidence in a conclusion.  And, even then, I know the importance of remaining open to further knowledge or direction that would cause more growth and change.

So, the thought on my mind is not “why are they questioning me?’ but “why do I believe what I believe?”

Post originally published December 2007

Tags: health, idiocy, marriage, medicine, presuppositions, religion, vaccines, worldview

Why Encourage Testing for Down Syndrome?
By Patricia E. Bauer
Sunday, January 14, 2007; Page B07
She was a fresh-faced young woman with a couple of adorable kids, whiling away an hour in the sandbox at the park near my home. So was I, or so I thought. New in town, I had come to the park in hopes of finding some friends for myself and my little ones.
Her eyes flicked over to where my daughter sat, shovel gripped in a tiny fist, and then traveled quickly away. The remark that followed was directed to the woman next to her, but her voice carried clearly across the playground. “Isn’t it a shame,” she said, an eyebrow cocked in Margaret’s direction, “that everyone doesn’t get amnio?”
It’s been more than 20 years, but I saw the face of that woman again when I read about the recommendation from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) this month that all pregnant women get prenatal screening for Down syndrome. I worry that universal screening brings us all closer to being like that woman at the sandbox — uninformed, judgmental and unable to entertain the possibility that people with disabilities have something to offer.
The ACOG news release notes that the recommendations are based on consistent scientific evidence and will allow obstetricians and gynecologists to best meet their patients’ needs. Until now, women 35 or older were automatically offered genetic testing for Down syndrome; under the new guidelines, less invasive and earlier screening options will be extended much more broadly.
What’s gone undiscussed in the news coverage of the guidelines seems to be a general assumption that reasonable people would want to screen for Down syndrome. And since nothing can be done to mitigate the effects of an extra 21st chromosome in utero, the further assumption is that people would be reasonable to terminate pregnancies that are so diagnosed.
Certainly, these recommendations will have the effect of accelerating a weeding out of fetuses with Down syndrome that is well underway. There’s an estimated 85 to 90 percent termination rate among prenatally diagnosed cases of Down syndrome in this country. With universal screening, the number of terminations will rise. Early screening will allow people to terminate earlier in their pregnancies when it’s safer and when their medical status may be unapparent to friends and colleagues.

I understand that some people very much want this, but I have to ask: Why? Among the reasons, I believe, is a fundamental societal misperception that the lives of people with intellectual disabilities have no value — that less able somehow equates to less worthy. Like the woman in the park, we’re assigning one trait more importance than all the others and making critical decisions based on that judgment.
In so doing, we’re causing a broad social effect. We’re embarking on the elimination of an entire class of people who have a history of oppression, discrimination and exclusion.
Much of what people think they know about intellectual disabilities is inaccurate and remains rooted in stigma and opinions that were formed when institutionalization was routine. In fact, this wave of terminations and recommendations comes as people with Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities are better educated and leading longer, healthier and more productive lives than ever.
Nowhere in the fine print of the ACOG recommendations are these misconceptions or the advances of recent years recognized. Perhaps this is not surprising: OB-GYNs concern themselves primarily with mothers and well babies, not people with intellectual disabilities. But it’s frightening, too, when you consider the millions of lives affected by their guidance, explicit or otherwise.
Federally funded research has found that physicians have lower expectations for people with intellectual disabilities than do other professionals. Some 81 percent of medical students polled by Special Olympics in 2005 said that they are “not getting any clinical training” about people with intellectual disabilities. The Hastings Center found that 80 percent of genetics professionals polled said they personally would terminate a pregnancy involving Down syndrome. These are the people advising pregnant women in the harried days when the clock is ticking.
Here’s my fervent hope: that calls for universal prenatal screening will be joined by an equally strong call for providing comprehensive information to prospective parents, not just about the tests but also about the rich and rewarding lives that are possible with disabilities. If physicians and genetics professionals are willing to learn from people with disabilities and their families, they can disseminate the nuanced, compassionate message at the core of diversity and human rights: All people have value and dignity and are worthy of celebration.
Plastic shovels no longer captivate Margaret. She’s more interested in her school roommates, her part-time job, the Red Sox and, at least recently, wrestling on TV. She knows how to hold an audience and how to bring down the house with a one-liner. And, like most of my relatives, she knows how to be an absolute pill some of the time. Such is life.
That day in the sandbox, I went home and cried. I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know whether the woman was right. Today, I know. She was wrong.
The writer is a former Post reporter and bureau chief. Her e-mail address is patriciaebauer@aol.com.

Tamra’s comment:
It is a tragedy that so many unborn babies are killed because they’re simply ‘not good enough’ for society, or too much work and hassle, or a drain on resources, or whatever other excuse is given.  My personal favorite… “It isn’t fair for the baby”.
What ever gave us the idea that we hold the power to decide???
Another side note about prenatal testing…
During 2 of my 5 pregnancies, I received “abnormal” prenatal tests.   A third time, we received an “abnormal” newborn blood test.  In all cases, a repeat test showed that the baby was fine, but the couple weeks we waited for the results were terrible.   Further, the doctor(s)immediately pushed for an amnio to “make sure” which we vehemently declined.
With our fifth baby, we opted out of all prenatal and newborn testing, including the ultrasound.  There was no apparent reason for any concern, we didn’t want to “tithe” at the altar of conventional medicine, and an “abnormal” test result would result in the same thing as a “normal” test result… we would love and nourish the baby as long as God allowed.  Period.
I personally know 3 women who, due to prenatal testing, were told horrible things by their doctor(s).  Everything from the baby not being “viable”, to the gloomy prediction of a sure miscarriage (helpfully offering an early D&C for the welfare of the mother).  The mothers all declined any further testing or intervention.  As the pregnancies continued without mishap, the doctor’s predictions changed into grim warnings of premature birth, placental failure, and so on.
IN ALL THREE CASES, THE MOTHERS GAVE BIRTH TO NORMAL, HEALTHY BABIES!!!
There is a place for prenatal testing.  Maybe.  The undue fear and stress it causes greatly concerns me, though.  Even more so, I am horrified by the doctors’ increasingly morbid habit of encouraging the mother to terminate pregnancy.
I am only one woman, yet I know of THREE instances of healthy babies being born despite doctors advising “termination”? How often do parents trustingly follow the murderous advice, unwittingly killing a “normal” baby?
And what gives us the right to play God and decide that only “normal” babies live, anyways?
So we have the best medical services and life-saving knowledge in the world… and we use it to kill.
Lord, save us from ourselves.

Post originally published February 2007

Tags: children, health, medicine

You may have heard that the AMA is supporting legislation to make home births illegal.  I was going to hunt down the research that shows how your home is actually the safest place to give birth, but I’m tired just thinking about it.

To quote a very dear lady,
“Isn’t this amazing!  They want to take away ‘a woman’s right to choose’ whether or not to give birth at home but, of course, never, never, NEVER take away the woman’s so called right to kill her baby by aborting.  Oh yeah!  and what about all the ‘back alley births’ that will take place?  Won’t this legislation create a ‘hostile’ environment for families who want to birth at home, causing a greater risk to the mother’s health?
Is anyone else sick of lop sided logic that feeds special interest legislation and the greed of big organization and government?”

Amen, sister.  Preach it!

Interesting that in April of this year, the President signed into law S 1858, the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Bill, which is also been called the Newborn Genetic Screening Bill or the “DNA Warehouse” Bill.

Why?  Twila Brase, the president of the Citizen’s Council on Health Care (CCHC) says,

“The bill violates the U.S. Constitution and the Nuremberg Code.  The DNA taken at birth from every citizen is essentially owned by the government, and every citizen becomes a potential subject of government-sponsored genetic research.  It does not require consent and there are no requirements to inform parents about the warehousing of their child’s DNA for the purpose of genetic research. Already, in Minnesota, the state health department reports that 42,210 children of the 780,000 whose DNA is housed in the Minnesota ‘DNA warehouse’ have been subjected to genetic research without their parents’ knowledge or consent.”

Sooooo, let me see if I get this right.  The new Newborn Screening law gives the hospitals the right to take DNA from my baby at birth, even without my consent.  And now they’re working on laws that would force me to give birth in a hospital.  Hmmm.  Yeah.

*whistling and walking cheerfully to the cliff edge before following everyone else in front of me as they jump*

Tags: baby, health, homebirth, medicine, presuppositions