How will you choose to deliver your baby?

What are your options when faced with this decision?

Three options are available to you depending on you and your babies health.

1. Choose to have a home delivery assisted by a Midwife
2.Aim for a normal delivery in hospital with medical intervention and methods of pain relief available.
3.A Caesarian Section

HOME DELIVERY

This an option for you if you have optimum health and our having a healthy uneventful pregnancy.
The advantage of this option is that you feel happy and comfortable in your own home. Things will not be overpowering. The process of childbirth is not medicalised. You are able to have a drug free labour and delivery at your own pace and without pressure. I'll discuss methods for pain relief in another post later.

NORMAL DELIVERY

If you prefer to know that medical assistance is not far away you can opt to have a normal delivery in hospital. The advantage is that should you decide to have medical forms of pain relief you can do so.
The disadvantage is that studies at various hospitals show increased use of medical interventions.
They way to have the safety of a hospital and still aim for a natural delivery is to devise a birth plan.

CEASARIAN SECTION

This is sometimes necessary if the mother  are the baby are at risk. A ceasarian is either performed electively or as an emergency. An elective Ceasarian section is when a problem has been identified prior to mom going into labour.An example of this could me a multiple pregnancy , Very high blood pressure , possibly a breech presentation. Some Dr.s are unwilling to do breech deliveries due to litigation.
At times an emergency ceasarian section needs to be performed. An example of this is is where the baby in in distress. This is identified by the babies heart rate being reduced

Breastfeeding

Well one of the biggest choices you need to make after your bundle of joy lies in your arms is how are you going to feed him/her.
I tend to call all babies him to differentiate between mom and baby and also because my kids are boys.
So what are the benefits of breastfeeding?

Promotes bonding between Mom and Baby due to skin to skin contact
Contains exactly the correct concentration of all fats,proteins and minerals
Promotes involution of the uterus ( helps the uterus to return to normal size)
Comes out at the right temperature-no need to get up and heat milk in the middle of the night.
Antibodies which are protective are passed from Mom to Baby.
Reduced risk of Baby developing allergies especially to cows milk protein.
It is economical when compared to formula feeding
Recent studies have shown Reduction in Diabetes and Obesity later in life for the child.
Reduction in rates of breast cancer for mom.
Best of all is it most times leads to loss of pregnancy weight for Mom!!!

Well thats all for now will go into more detail next post

Well Next.....
I believe that most important is to make the decision that you plan to breastfeed,ideally make this choice when you are still pregnant so you can read information to assist you.
Find out if you have flat/inverted nipples -very easy to do. If it's cold and your nipples stand out they are not flat!!
If they are you could practise "nipple rolling" which is how it sounds!! to encourage the tissue of the nipple to extend.
There are also various products available to assist you if you have this problem.
Believe me this is not a reason to abandon the idea of breastfeeding. Personal experience!!
Next:
Might be hard to do this : Toughen the nipples slightly-no I don't advise scrubbing or anything awaful!
Expose your nipple to a bit of fresh air everyday. ( Hubby will probably love that one!)
More to follow tommorrow....

A tip do not buy too many feeding bra's at first your size does change once your milk is established.

First start to successful breastfeeding is to ensure baby is offered the breast within 1 hour of the delivery. Babies suck reflex is the strongest in that first hour. Start with just skin to skin contact and allow baby to show you when he is ready to suck. This means baby needs to be naked against your skin. Your own body heat will keep him warm especially if he is placed lying between your breasts which are 1-2 dgrees warmer than the rest of your body.Just need a small blanket over the 2 of you.You can still do this even if you have a Ceasarian as baby can stay with you in the recovery room.

One of the biggest worries Moms have is the issue of sufficient milk. During the first 3 days your body produces a substance called colostrum. It is produced in small amount but has every nutrient that baby needsduring those first days.
Use baby-led or demand feeding. This means that baby decides when he is hungry!
Avoid giving baby any artificial feeds/formula as this will upset the demand feeding . Moms body works on a supply and demand principle. The more baby feeds the more milk the body will produce. By giving an extra formula feed the body does not receive the stimulation or "message" to make more milk.

More tommorrow

Introduction

So Who am I?
I am a Wife, Mother and Midwife Hence the name for me is M&M!!
I have 2 beautiful boys ,can I call them beautiful? Well they are to me of course!!

I have been married for 15 years and have been together with hubby 21 years!!! More than half my life.

For most of my professional career I have worked in the field of Midwifery.
I have worked as a Midwife in the delivery room and also spent time as a childbirth educator.
This allowed me to practice my 2 professional passions: The art of Midwifery and the importance of parent education.

I have now deceided to take this to the next levae and take to it the World wide web!!

Well that's it for the introduction.
Hope to hear from all you folks out there sooooon!