HW 42 - Pregnancy & birth culminating project

 Experiance in the Hospital:

The reason why I’m talking about this is because I feel like it explains dominate Social practices.

So I went to the doctor Thursday, and I don’t like going to the doctor because of the long waits ( 4hrs) just to see a doctor for about 20 mins.  So I finally got to see my "doctor" in April, when I made an appointment in October. So  I go to the hospital ( Bellevue hospital) I have to go  to 2 B. That’s what my mother told me.  This will be the first time me going to the adult clinic, because I’m 18 yrs. So I’m thinking maybe this will go faster (I guess wrong).  I go to 2B wait on line for about 5 mins (okay not that bad.) I go to the lady at the desk, she told me I need to go to 2 A (roll my eyes and go).  I walk to 2A another 10 mins on line, (appointment was at 12) its 12:20.  I go to 2 A, the lady with a big bun in her hair, told me I have to go to 2C (I got angry).  I'm finally here 2C. She asked if I had my Metro plus card, I said No I left it home. Usually when I go, if i do not have my metro plus card, they just find in the system. Now this lady, she got long fake nails did not want to find in the system, so she told me I have to go to the 3rd floor. At this point I was really mad.

The whole time I had to be at 2A.

 Alright, now I ‘m waiting for the doctor (1:30). The nurse called me; she asked if this is my first time being there I said ‘yes’, Took height and weight. So here comes the doctor Dr. Tanner, Some tall white dude, looks about 48.  Me: Hi. He replays back “Do you speak English"? (I’m thinking in my head, I said Hi, in an English accident, loud enough for him to here).  Me: Yes I do, Dr. Tanner: "I will be your doctor today. I’m like alright cool, a male doctor for the first time...let’s see how today goes. While Doctor Tanner is talking to me, there this Asian dude with him name Kevin. Dr. Tanner than said, Kevin will take me to the room. After that I did not see Dr. Tanner, he left somewhere else (wtf). Alright, I thought maybe doctor Tanner had something to do real quick (I guess wrong).  Kevin (not my doctor) said he will be asking me questions, to have an idea about my health. Me: where’s doctor Tanner, I thought he is my doctor?.. Kevin:  Dr. Tanner is in the other room doing paper work. By this time I’m confused.... I asked again, Where’s Doctor Tanner... Kevin: I will be actually taking care of you today.  (What! this dam Asian dude is not touching me, he just a dam intern, I thought Dr. Tanner is my doctor. I was mad). The first time I was being in this clinic and my "doctor" not even taking care of me.   After, he was done asking me a lot of question. Kevin: I will let Doctor Tanner, What I did. By this point I just wanted to leave. Kevin: I will be checking you today.  Me:  Where’s Doctor Tanner? Kevin: he is dealing with someone else.  Kevin leaves the room. Comes back, with some lady, I don’t even know. Kevin: she will help me guide to check you. Me:  but I though Dr. Tanner will be doing this. Lady:  No, sorry...Is everything okay? Me: Well, you guys told me that Dr. Tanner will be my doctor; he is not present at all. Lady: I am a doctor too, I will help you. By this time I’m quiet and annoyed, so I go with the routine, but I’m not very nice. I did not let her do, what she wanted, and I told her I felt uncomfortable with Kevin being in the room.  When she was done, I told her prefer a female doctor, the lady said: Sure, we can do that, sorry that you were not able to see Dr. Tanner today.  It was nice meeting you. When she said," it was nice meeting you", shows there is no connection between doctor and patient.  I will never see her again, When Dr. Tanner told me he will be my doctor, and he was not ever present in the room.  Asian dude, I will never see again, asking me personal question. Ugh. I waited 6months, to not see my doctor.  By this time it’s already 3:00, he sends me to get blood work done. I go back at 2C, another 20 mins, saw nurse; she is some angry Jamaican lady lecturing me, talking about her son. Leave there at 4:15... What a long Fin day at the dam hospital

 My doctor visit: I waited 6mths to not see my doctor, I was supposed to my see “doctor at 12" saw him at 2:30... Do not see him at all!!!!!!. left hospital at 4:15. O yeah to make another appointment. I have to wait 6mths.

 I connect this with the birth unit, because with my experience at the hospital and the doctor, just saying hi and walking away does not create a bond. This is why, when I read Ina May, and the women talking about their experience giving birth in the hospital. The women spoke about how they didn’t feel connected with their doctor Autumn Apple Windseeds's birth- November 11,1970 by Kim Trainor: The birth of my first child in manhattan was standard-procedure hospital birth. I was frist put in room by myself,left to my own fears, and had my amniotic sac ruptured by an attendant. Then I was stuffed  in a ward of screaming and yelling women in labor"(pg19) The fact that this women was left alone, and it was her frist time giving birth she had no doctor or nurse support. It should not matter, if I was switched to the adult side.  I don’t know if it was because he was a male doctor, or that’s how the system works in the adult side. But I just saw him and he left.. there was no piont him saying he was my doctor, if he was not even going to be in the same room with me. My other doctor (female), I can say I had for  16yrs, she knows me well.  She spoke Spanish too; I and my mother enjoyed her.  From reading the book, the mothers explain, their experience at the farm and with the midwives, each once explained they had a good relationship with the midwives. This also made think about what my sister in-law told me; in the Dominican Republic she would have had the same doctor through the whole thing. When she came here, she had different doctors even when she had to give birth.  My personal experience visiting the doctors, I feel like it’s part of dominate social practices because everything is rushed, it can’t get personal.  This also happens in public hospitals, they can’t provide the personal experience, with the patient I have to wait another 6mths to another doctor. What made, me angry is that It was not my doctor who saw or spoke to me. When Was I supposed to see him? When I make another appointment? What if this kept happing? In the end, the visit to the doctor I was not happy. It would have been nice if Dr. Tanner actually took care of his patient.

HW 40 - Insights from Book - Part 3

I seem to have found myself at a cocktail party, when in walks Ina May, the author of the book, Ina May Guide to child birth which coincidentally, I have just finished reading.

Leticia

Hi my name is Leticia and I wanted to say thanks for writing:

 Ina May Guide to child birth.

Ina May:

Do I know you?

Leticia :                                                                                                                                            

  No, but I am a student at School of the future learning about birth and my teacher Andy assigned me this book.

Ina May:

Well isn’t that nice, what did you like most about my book than?

Leticia :

 What I liked about your book is that you show statistics data, you go beyond of your information. As well the pictures and the background information about birth, it was not just your opinion, but showed information base on your experience and others peoples.  

Ina May surprised to be talking to someone who actually rephrased the main idea of the text instead of sharing their own birth story, replies curiously.

Ina may:

Really? Which parts were most effective or important to you?

Leticia:

Well, in the middle if the book, you were talking about the natural high that we humans produce, oxytocin, Which furthers your thesis. You explain your point of the book, that women should be natural through their baby birth and pregnancy.  On pages 147-166, where you mention that women need to feel the things that their body can do.

At this point, Ina May has realized that she's having a unique conversation with a serious reader of her book.

Ina May:

I see that you did enjoy the book; do you have any suggestions of how I could have applied more information about birth? Or anything else?

Leticia:

Yes, I think that you could have added the midwives experience with given births instead of the patient. I think that would have help to see both sides of the story, the happy moment of the women giving birth , but what is the whole process of the midwife being there, how she felt her experience with others births. As well your background, what made you want to be a midwife? Yes you do show information about hospitals birth and how their system births, but have you ever felt that you or any midwife could not let the women give birth vaginally or intend her.

Ina may:

I can see why you ask these questions and have these suggestions, I guess the reason why is because I want women to feel comfortable with their body, even if their first time having a baby. I want women to understand what their bodies can do. To be aware of other options not just the hospital but this could be something that can help them emotionally and to be informed. I want women to not feel lost, and to be involved and know the procurers that are done. I am not saying that are hospitals are bad but to be aware of what doctors do and what midwifes can do too.   Maybe adding formation about the midwives experience would have been a good idea and adding mine too. Thanks I will keep those to in mind.  It was nice talking to you Leticia.

Leticia:

Thanks for answering my questions and responding to my thoughts about your book. Have a wonderful day.

HW 39 - Insights from Book - Part 2

1. After MLA citation list several topics/areas the book has taught you about that the "Business of Being Born" either ignored or treated differently or in less depth.

Mays, Ina. Ina Mays Guide to Child birth. A Division of Random House, Inc New York, New York.
Publshed: By Bantam Dell 2003
 The Powerful Mind/Body Connection ( Ina Mays)

From early in life, Most of us are bombarded with messages that teach you to think that your thoughts and feelings don't matter when it comes to the functioning of your body. In the same way, Western medicen assumes a total separation between mind and body. Thoughts and feelings are considered irrelevant to physical welfare. When something goes wrong with the body, our culture teaches that pharmaceutical medicines or surgery will be necessary.Pg.134

" For years women were told they can't give births" (business of being born)
" If the women is not moving the way the doctors want them to be at they put them on "pit" to rush the labor, Which is lacking the oxygen on the baby, which makes the baby a little high.( business of being born)

The hormones that Regulate Labor  and Birth:
 " I mentioned earlier that natural prostaglandins act on the cervix to soften and thin it in readiness for labor. Oxytocin causes the uterus to contract.  Later on, when the bulk of the baby passes through the vagina, a sudden rise in oxytocin levels in mother and baby stimulates the chain of instinctual dance between them that is most often called falling in love" (pg147-148)
"Ebiderl slows down labor" (business of being born)
" They give mothers so much drugs it becomes an experiement" (business of being born)

2. The major insight the book tries to communicate in the second 100 pages (1-3 sentences) and your response to that insight (2-4 sentences).

" I have seen many laboring women go from hell to heaven within seconds as they moved from stark terror to realization of how to work with the energy of birth."(pg 152) Our Births is natural, the more you freak out , the pelvic won't be relaxed and it will be harder for the baby to come out. We just need to relax and let out body do what it has to do".

From this birth unit I am still thinking about, what makes a women have a natural births? What are the steps I can say I want a natural birth... But what do I have to do? Do you have to be rich?, poor?, or Middle class?  Ina May did not state this in her book. But what is the outcome? Yes you help me delivered this baby natural with a grate support team, but when does the money come in? Will the hospital help with full coverage and have a natural birth? What if I want a baby, but cannot be able to afford it? Do you guys help in that situation? Turn women down? I think Ina may will not turn a woman down, but how does the woman know everything is okay? I support this method, I support the natural births, the ability for women to go beyond what the (Society here) think they can't do, but that’s totally wrong.  This book shows the women hood of our ability and that there’s no need to stop our natural process of birth.  What I also want to know, Is what made Ina May talk about these methods? What made her feel that women need to know about this?  I did reasearch it does not explain her background of where she came from etc...? http://www.inamay.com/?page_id=14..

3. List 5 interesting aspects of pregnancy and birth discussed in the second hundred pages that you agree deserve wider attention (include page number).


Orgasmic birth(pg.157)

Scary Births Get high Ratings (pg.164)

Sphincter Law(pg.168)

Techono-medical model(pg.185)

Many studies agree that fewer than ten percent of women require labor induction for medical reasons (pg.207).


4. Independently research one crucial factual claim by the author in the second hundred pages and assess the validity of the author's use of that evidence.

http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig3/h-carson4.html    

• These sphincters cannot be opened at will and do not respond well to commands such as push or relax!
• When a person's sphincter is in the process of opening, it may suddenly close down if that person becomes upset, frightened, humiliated, or self conscious.  Why?  High levels of adrenaline in the bloodstream do not favor (sometimes, they actually prevent) the opening of sphincters. 
• The state of relaxation of the mouth and jaw is directly correlated to the ability of the cervix, the vagina, and the anus to open to full capacity.

HW 38 - Insights from pregnancy & birth book - part 1

1. The book I'm reading is Ina May Guide to child Birth: So far in the book, its mostly babies stories of women given birth. Each page explains that each woman has a different birth experience and that women should feel connected to their bodies and overcome this great experience of having their baby.

2. I don’t think my book is trying to question anything, but so far it’s saying that women should be control over their bodies and to have support through their pregnancy. Each women stated that midwifes supported them and they felt relaxed.  Not only do women share giving birth naturally but some of these women tell their experience of having birth in the hospital with their first child and how much they did not feel control of their own body.  So far reading the book, I feel that the midwives do treat their patients with respectful and security.  They don’t want the women to feel alone.

3. " Imagine a flower blooming," said Pamela, while I was in the bath. “As the flower blooms, the baby is being pushed out” I thought that motive, was important and meaningful l.  Flowers are beautiful and for the midwife to say that shows there is support and personal connection. This is not what hospitals do, they just want you in and out, and the doctors are in control not the women.

4.  Watching the movie, what I found most interesting is that doctors are not worrying about the women, it just becomes a whole big experiment, and the doctors take control. For example, “Pit” this is something they make women take to make the labor faster if the women are not meeting the hospital’s needs. This makes me feel like hospitals don’t have respect of the importance of a women giving birth.  I think of my aunt and my sister-in-law and each one had a bad birth experience.  My aunt had her  second baby when she was 35 yrz old ,my little cousin came out with down siddurim she was supposed to have a C-section  just like her first child, but when she arrived they told her she will have to vagnal delivery ( she was not happy).  My sister-in-law also was supposed to have a C-section and but the doctor told her no it will be cheaper to have a baby vagnal (she came from the Dominican Republic) this was her first baby. When she was in labor she had another doctor she did not know, this is not the doctor she saw threw the 9months.  Through the TVs and Shows, they make birth seem not women like, but a scary thing to experience.

5. This book is written like a documentary, it’s the women point of view while she is in labor, which makes things more personal.  It also seems like everyone had a connection, it was not like I never “saw her again” the pregnant women would become very good friends with the midwife.  As well there were some historical points; she did research in the back of the books shows information about the women and techniques each chapter build on women labor and the process of it.  Her style of writing is insights of the women, no sugar coding but realistic…  

Cool baby information:

http://www.babycenter.com/2_inside-pregnancy-weeks-28-to-37_3658874.bc

Hw 37

To Ben:

I think you did a good job expla,ing your mothers birth experiance and aswell describing how your father felt through the pregnacey. What caught my attention was when you explaing that your father took notes.during the whole thing and they took birthing classes."Througout a large part of the nine month period, my father took notes during my mother's pregnancy as well as in the classes they took on the Bradley method" From this shows that your parents, were on the same level of thinking on having a child and becoming prepared. This also made think about how much pregancey goes well when two people are involved and not just the women dealing with the whole thing. This is probably why your mother felt fine through your birth. I think something that could have been cool if you could have recored your mom talking and your dad. or took a picture of the notes he took. Overall this was a great post.

To Wille:

Im not sure who you interveiwed, which made the blog post  unclear. I did like the part where you mentioned, "Then i would take long walks to help my body get stronger. I also rubbed and talked to my stomach" because it explains that the person you interviwed was careful on how they took care of the baby. I think next time you should mentioned the persons name and put a little bit more depth, because I noticed you just kept repeating yourself. Hope next post is depthful.

HW 36 - Pregnancy & Birth Stories

So I did not have time to interview pregnant people but interviewed people who already had babies
2/22/10 After I clocked out.
Jocey my manger at strarbucks 32
did two years of old college:
Me: So how are you today?
Jocey: Tried, you know the deal leticia. Eight hour shift or more. I miss my childern right now.
Me: Yes your childern, How old where when you had your first child?.
Jocey: 20 and I was still working in starbucks.
Me:  How did you feel working while you had new born baby?
Jocey: What can I do? I had to support my child. My mother took care of him while I worked and I spent time with him on my days off, It was hard , I missed him and I wish I could have been there through whole time, not just the 4months of his life but through the days where I did have to work. 
Me: Did the same feeling applied when you had your other three kids?
Jocey: Well, This time I knew how to deal with it, And I was more stable because I had my mother support and the father of my kids support. I knew my childern would still love me even when im not home. You know. I wanted to work and have kids. My job is my job, but my personal life is something that I had to build. And my kids are everything to me, they make me smile when I come home.
 Jocey:  I work hard though, I went from a Brista, to general Manger I love this store and im glad im back, But just sometimes I want to be home with my kids.
Me: Thank you Jocey
Jocey: Your welcome lettie, Now your working tommrow   right ?
 Me: yes

2/24/11
A friend of mine
Jillian 20 years old
Finished high school.
When I went to the store
Me: Heyy  Jillian
Jillian:  Whats up leticia
Me: Can I ask you a couple questions for school?
Jillian: Yeah, ask all you want.
Me : Arlight, Well old where when you had you first child,
Jillian : I just had a baby
Me : Do you work?
Jillian :  No,  But before I had the baby I did, I worked at foot locker, That's when I was doing pretty good.
Me : Is everything okay now?
Jillian:  No  but yes. Yes because I have my child. But No because I'm supporting my child on my  own.
Jillian: I don't have somebody to take care of her right now. My mother works and the father of the child is no around. So Its just me.
Jillian: This means for right now, I will be with her. When she gets a little big, I will do what I can to find a job and I can probably find a night job so I can work. And when my mother comes home she can watch the baby.
Me:
Jillian : Well I  have to go now
 Me: Alright talk  to you later, Thank you
Jillian: Your welcome


I stoped by after I got off of work it was about 12 in the afternoon
12/24/11
Mcdonals Manger
Finshed highschool but wants to go to college:
Stephani 19
Me : Hola stephani, Stephani can ask you couple questions for school?
Stephani: yeah if its for school but chop chop, I have to be in the clock in a few.
Me. Alright.
Me : How old where, when you had your baby?
Stephani: You already know 18 years old. Ask me another question.
Me : How did it feel to work while you have a baby?
Stephani: Well since, im the baby of the family, My mom takes care of the baby and so does my cousin because they have kids too. And the baby of my father is around, So when I work  he does not have to. But because I have the support I can work.
Me:What did you do, while pregnant, to prepare for giving birth?
Stephani: I made sure that I was still able to keep my job.
Me : Do feel that you had enough time off to take care of the baby?
Stephani:. I was gone for about 3 months, but I had to get back to work, even though I have people taking care of my child. My mother wants  me to have my own apartment and I have bills to pay. But its okay. The job needed me back anyways.  If I wanted to stay longer I couldn't.
Me: If you where able to have a longer break with your child, would  you take it?
Stephani: Yeah I think so?, I had three months off I think another month would have been okay, I felt like I needed sometime to myself too.
Stephani: Everything seems fine. It gets frustrating, baby and work. Its like im working double, and manger
Stephani: Time is over, Thanks for asking these questions.
Me: Thank you, have a good night.

This unit made me think about the process of women having a baby, but doing these interviews also made me think about what about after they give birth? what’s happens?  These interviews answer that question. I interviewed women that work for living and are trying to maintain they child or children.  They had to get back to business with or without support. From interviewing these women no one sound they were ready to give up but sound the accepted their life even though it might take an extra push, but a push they are willing to take to support their baby.  I noticed that these women, didn’t seem extra happy or sad about their boyfriend, not that it didn't matter but sounded they were okay with just being the parent of their child. In our culture the "happy family", are couples that are married and the husband worked but the mother is a house wife and has a little business of her own. But what about the women who are doing well, without a husband or boyfriend, who work very hard for their kids, No one seems to really support that figure? Why? Why women and men need to be together to show a stable family? I know women who are just a single but some look for that male figure or feel bad that their child don’t have that. Just living with my mother, my mother never mentioned "if only your dad was around" she never even bothered to make me have a male figure. She just wanted to maintain her kids the best way she can. I support that. Yes in the future, I would like the father of my child to be part of my child life and mine as well, but I don’t think if the father was not around it would make me mentioned " if only your dad was around".   We all wants best for our child… That’s what we all say.

HW 35 - Other Peoples' Perspectives 1

Rosi Alvaraz

Birth:.

How did you feel when people asked to touch your belly? Did you mind?

I did not like it when people touched my belly. I felt that my baby did not like it as well, he would move and it bothered me. I felt scared that the baby didn’t like it. I was not asked that much of random people to touch my belly but family members yes.

What did you think about birth when you were little?

My mother told me that babies only happen when you get married and they will just grow in your stomach all you have to do is just keep eating. I thought this for a long time when I was about 17.

When you saw your siblings having kids did you want one?

They are 10 of us 9 females and 1 boy.  When I saw my sisters having kids I  liked talking and helping care of my nieces and nephew. Feeding them, playing, and teaching them how to do things.

What age do you think is appropriate to have kids?

For me 30 years old. Thats when I thought I was ready, but about 25 years- and up thats when your more of an adult.

 How was birth scene in the Dominican Republic?

You have to get married.

In the Dominican Republic if a girl was pregnant and even still today they will be kick out of school.

This is why I made sure I was done with school and found a man that loved me.

How was your pregnancy?

The whole pregnancy process was a pain, my back hurt and my foot was swollen for about Four months. I ate a lot of tomatoes and Buffalo wings. I hated it; I wanted him out already in the 6 month. He was past his due date, he was supposed to be born May 8 but he was born May 19.  I kept saying to my self Zavi did not want to leave he felt happy where he was at, but I wanted him out already. I had to stay in the hospital for about two days until they broke my water, and it took about the morning to about six at night. I was so tried but I wanted to see my son. In the end was worth it.

Henry Alvarez:

What’s the first thing that comes to your mind about Birth?

Blood and a beauitful baby…That was something I did not want to see, but know its natural. A baby that been there about 9 months is ready to come out.

How did you feel when your first child was born?

Happy but scared. Happy that he came out already and he is my child and scared because I know rasing a baby is not easy.

How did you feel when rosi was pregnant?

I felt bad, but I still thought she was beautiful. I even pretend to be pregnant I guess i have an idea how she was feeling

What made you want to be there during the Birth?

I wanted to be there for my wife. I never saw anything like that, Well I saw on tv but not in person until my son was born. And man she looked like she was in a lot of pain

You felt like you were ready to be a father?

No, But who is? You don’t know what you’re always getting yourself into, until I held my child as he grew each day so did I.

Asking These questions from two people that had a baby not too long ago, Makes me think about how much people grow during the day and night. From Zavier arriving home from the hospital, to him now thinking he can walk is a beautiful thing. I love his little pamper butt and head full of hair, each day he grows and learning new things every day. I feel like I have an understanding why parents get over protective as we get older or more worried, but than that’s the beauty about growing up. I can't wait until Zavier gets bigger, I would always like to teach him things and take him to interesting places.  But I do see the difficulties of having a baby it is not easy and it’s a learning process for the mother, and for the parents working together to raise a child.

From watching movies and shows, Birth always been a beautiful thing but its up to the parents and support from friends and family, is what makes things better.  To have both parents involved is something that can make the baby progress.

ZAVIER AlVAREZ