Monday November 14, 2005
responding to the comments on my previous post (which I will switch back to public in case somebody else wants to read the info too)
Ok, you don’t have to ignore me today. lol. I just didn’t feel like making a cohesive entry last night. I just couldn’t get to sleep, but I wasn’t awake enough to have any critical thinking skills left.
I am having issues with giving the baby both the eye drops and the vitamin K shots at birth.
The eye drops make zero sense to me. They are given if the mom has an STD. I know I have no STDs. I am pretty sure I have been tested for them, but am willing to be tested if not if it means they won’t give her the eye drops. Not only do I not have an STD, but the baby won’t even be going through the birth canal. Therefore, it is just something they do as a “one size fits all” procedure without forethought. Plus, it messes with their vision for the early days, and can mess with it for the first few weeks if their eyes are sensitive (a definite possibility if she takes after her mom).
The vitamin K shot is a bigger deal to me that is going to require a lot more research. According to the dr.’s office that is currently slated to attend the birth (that might be changing, I will write about that in a minute) both the eye drops and the vit K are “mandatory”. I haven’t read all the literature, but I believe that the vit K is to combat a very rare blood clotting condition. It isn’t something that runs in either of our families, to my knowledge (although I will be confirming this before a final decision is made). The reason I have a problem with it is because the dosage is some ridiculous number (like 100x) the daily recommended dosage, but, more importantly, if the baby NEEDED that level of vitamin K in the system, wouldn’t it be there? God doesn’t make mistakes, especially at that huge of a level (every baby born is ‘deficient’ according to the mainstream medical model). I read someplace (but lost the source) that the excessive vit K can cause things to cross the brain/blood barrier that normally would not cross, which is why it is associated with an increased risk of leukemia in childhood.
I am also not happy with the way they give vitamin K. I could be wrong on this, but I seem to remember from my A&P that the vit K is produced by intestinal (or someplace in the digestive system) flora that is not present in a newborn. Therefore, the amount of vit K in their system is preset by some sort of mechanism between the mother and child before birth. So, if I get an appropriate amount of vit K before the birth, the baby should have all it needs to thrive. Along the same line, since our body processes the vit K through the digestive system, why is being given as a shot and not orally as the standard? Oral vit K is available, but I would have to get it out of pocket most likely. I am not sure of the cost, so that might not be possible for us either. (sucks being poor. lol)
About the Dr. situation: The dr. currently slated to attend the birth is the same one I had issues with back at Zane’s appointment. After some discussion (and the signing of waivers I am sure) he will “allow” me to forgo the Hep B shot at birth and “catch him up at his first week appointment”. Well, that isn’t going to happen, but at least I can get her out of the hospital without the Hep B shot. (I am not opposed to the Hep B shot for an older child, but it is stupid to give it to a newborn. I have the Hep B vax from when I worked in hotels and did not have a reaction to it, but I was an adult, not 5 minutes or a week old, and my right foot weighed more than the baby will, and it is the same dosage). On MDC somebody was looking for a Ped in Wichita. Somebody recommended a Dr. P if they wanted to drive there. Dr. P works out of the hospital I am delivering at. When I looked him up, one of his ’special interests’ is breastfeeding/breastfeeding support. A Dr. educated in breastfeeding. That would be an improvement! Evidently, the poster used to go to church with him and knew him personally as well as had him for a dr. when she lived in the area. It sure sounds like he would be worth a try. I will have to see if he is taking on new patients and if my plan covers him.
With our one hospital birth we said no, said no, said no, said no. Kindly gently firmly said no, no, no. They get all fussy and threaten you with the dead baby card, but they are just bullies.
You can do it!
I love it when feebee posts. She always tells it like it is/should be.
Hep B is not mandatory, there is no requirement that you sign a waiver. Your doctor sounds like a real jerk.
Vitamin K in liquid form is about $12.00, but you only use it once at birth and once 7 days later. Interesting though, the reason why circumcisions in the jewish tradition (though, as you know, I am very anti-circ) is done on the 7th day is because that is when the naturally occurring vit k in the babies body is at its highest. I think the real reason the doctors push it at birth is because 1. so many births are traumatic now days and cause internal bleeding/bruising that the docs want to hide. and 2. They push the heel poke test and don’t want there to be complications with bleeding. I would definitely forgo this.
The eye ointment thing is tricky to get out of sometimes. I had to let them put it in and then quickly wipe it out when they weren’t looking with Zep. I definitely think that no c-sec baby needs the ointment. Again, another jerk/idiot thing for a doc to suggest.
Any more thoughts on your placenta issue?
Doesn’t the Vitamin K shot have something to do with circumcisions? Because they do it before the blood clots easily which is around 8 days, I think? If you’re having a girl, it really shouldn’t be an issue.
Gentlemom- not to start a debate – but why would you assume she would automatically circumcise a boy but not a girl? It really shouldn’t be an issue that ANY child should have to worry about non-medically recommended cosmetic surgery on their genitals, no? Maybe you didn’t know that there is no national or international medical association or organization in the world that recommends routine circumcision of any child, male or female, and that 85% of the men in the world are intact (that is, they have their foreskins.) There is more information on my Xanga, if you are interested.
(J – if you feel like deleting this, don’t worry that I will be offended, mkay? And thanks for the compliment, B:-))
feebee – why did you make such a nasty comment toward gentlemom? she didn’t make any such assumptions. you can feel strongly about something without being disrespectful. do you even know what gentlemom believes?
Hey, I’ve got my own little debate board going without even trying. lol. I agree that routine circumcision should not be routine for boys. I think the assumption was based on the fact we are having a girl, and circumcision is not routine for girls in this country, therefore, girls don’t have the issue of blood clotting after a circumcision like boys might.
I don’t think gentlemom meant to offend in any way, nor do I assume that she is pro-circ. I assume that she was just thinking of one of the main reasons people give (right or wrong) for needing to make sure blood clotting is in full force…there are not a lot of people who automatically are concerned about brain bleeds (unless you have a premie or family history), but circ is still more common, especially if you are in a community where circ is the norm. I understand that this is a hot button issue for you Feebee and you are very sensitive to the language used, as I am when it comes to breastfeeding issues (my soapbox issue), and I can see why the comment was a problem for you. I don’t think she meant it in the way you were hearing it though.
I would hate to see the two of you get into an arguement when you are both so similar in mindsets over so many issues.
I’m not arguing, just questioning assumptions. Mamafish – how was I ‘nasty’ and ‘disrespectful’? Is anything other than total agreement automatically classified as those things? I think it’s disrespectful to circumcise nonconsenting people; most Americans just think it’s disrespectful to circumcise nonconsenting female people. Male people? Hey, no problem! Snip snip! And most of them think that way because they’ve never really thought about it at all.
Gentlemom – I’m not trying to attack you in any way. You voiced a common mindset is all, and I was unable to read it without saying something.
feebee – the way you said it assumed that gentlemom agreed with circumcision. and it did sound disrespectful.
You ask “how was I ‘nasty’ and ‘disrespectful’?” and then continue on being just that again. lol. It more than “sounds” disrespectful; It is disrespectful. In fact fee, I consider your 2 responses to be quite ballsy, presuming, and outside the scope of this post. bionicsquirrel told of circ and vit-k, but you didn’t jump down her throat. I guess her qualification, “though, as you know, I am very anti-circ”, saved her. ;D You were disrespectful and rude. She didn’t voice a common mindset. The only voice you were hearing while reading was a contrived one.
fee – snip snip is wrong thinking. I don’t think that it is necessary for boys and men to cut their hair. let me cite some quotes here, and then some studies about the importance of keeping a boy’s hair long. Talking about disrespect, it’s absolutely disrespectful to cut the hair of nonconsenting people. Most Americans just think it is normal not to cut a female’s hair, Male people? Hey, no problem! Buzz Snip Sear! I’m not trying to attack you in ANY way. You just voiced a common mindset. I just could not resist the lustful urges of presumption.
wth was that? Did I presume too much about you from your comments? rotflmao. Can we talk about the importance (or lack thereof) of vit-k, now? That would be great.
Don’t worry – I won’t be commenting any more.
Have a safe birth Jennifer.
Steering wide of the misunderstanding…
RE Vit. K — we didn’t do it, but my midwife told me taht from her years as a midwife and as a CNM in hospital births she saw vit. K. being administered orally and through the shot. She felt strongly that the shot was better. Because babies are SO oral and the oral Vit. K tastes SO nasty. She said that the babes that got the shot got over it as soon as they latched on, but the oral-vit-k-takers cried inconsolably for 10-15 minutes.
Just a side note, not voting for vit. K certainly — we didn’t do it. Just thought I’d toss that out there ’cause I thought it was an interesting observation.
So, this is what all of the emails in my inbox were about! So sorry, Jennifer! I didn’t meant to start a “debate”.
Fee, YAWN. Why would YOU assume that I was assuming she’d circ?? I actually assume that Jennifer is anti-circ, as am I. In my comment I was trying to say that Jennifer shouldn’t be given in any problems from the staff if there wasn’t a circumcision involved as there wouldn’t be any clotting issues for them to honestly be concerned about.
You assumed that I was pro-circ. Let me assure you that I am not. I’m the mother of three sons and trust me when I say I’ve researched circumcision and feel as passionate about it as you do. Please remember that you can catch more flies with honey.