Written 2012
A modern birth story.
As I was the multi modality natural health detective, (especially relating to ‘high risk’ pregnancy since the late ’70’s), I saw a lot of distressed people . . .This woman’s friend suggested she see me.
She and her husband were not happy with what they had to do to apparently birth in Brisbane. As an overseas national, she had to have private health insurance. Not allowed to use the public system. (Unfortunate as that way she would have had a less fraught experience). She wondered – why is birth so seen as dangerous and needing a ‘specialist’ to interfere?
Her obstetrician told her at 14 weeks that she had gestational diabetes (!!!!) and that she had to have a C section at 38 weeks. QUESTIONS SHE COULD HAVE ASKED. How can you tell? Is a C section REALLY necessary? Is my baby really going to be a ‘too big baby’? What does it mean to birth one so? ‘Too big’. Is that really a problem? Why? How could I have GB at this stage?
ANSWERS – Of course not – she was rotund/ pleasantly plump – as she had always been. When pregnant and paying so much to someone who is supposed to be an expert . . . being gullible can happen – anything makes sense – and when someone in perceived authority says – who is the expert? Surely it is nature?
Why not go to where we find answers – what we eat. Where do we find magnesium? Why do we need Magnesium at all? A very good question and if not answered all manner of obstetric issues await you. Where to start? What does magnesium deficiency look/feel like?
Mildred Seelig in 1980 wrote a book that is freely available – and in it it demonstrates all the things that may happen and won’t if there is enough nutrients – especially magnesium – in board – before pregnancy – and definitely supplemented during the pregnancy – want more sleep/sanity/breast milk? The answer is probably magnesium – without extra calcium . . While we are here . . . why doe steh doctor not know? (Not in their scope of practice – food is medicine – but for life. Biomedicine is crisis
Pre eclampsia – a great reason to be at the specialist at all – except they tell you to take calcium which blocks what would stop all the problems below – you need magnesium – not calcium . . In acupuncture theory – all the high BP/high stroke /migraine/being overly stressed/clotting disorders/pain and depression and spasms all fall within the category of Stuck Liver Qi and Stuck Liver Blood and all see to be well indicated with magnesium deficiency and come good with the supplementation – transdermally of this.
The pregnant woman fretted. She just wanted to birth and be a mum naturally. Eventually after changing her diet and then stumbling upon me, she and her husband had many eye opening conversations, saw very many inspiring and beautiful natural births on line and were sent home with books and websites to broaden what they both thought would happen and what they could do about it. She used transdermal magnesium to rub on her skin and oral magnesium to take – and told NOT to take any calcium as it blocks the magnesium.
Role of magnesium in blood sugar regulation. More on magnesium and diabetes. And then some more
As a supposed expert in all matters pregnancy – why was the obstetrician not telling the woman who was paying top dollar – what to do – eat differently? Because it is NOT IN HER SCOPE OF PRACTICE – she is a surgeon after all . . the health care professional is the (in this case) very-experienced-in-all-matters-maternal-natural therapist ..
She was stunned when she asked her obstetrician why she had not told her about the role of diet – and she was told “I am not your mother”. (Which medical specialist knows about life creates what is wrong with you?)
No discussion – that was that. C section needed for the potentially ‘big baby’ because of the gestational diabetes she actually did not have. This is not the first problem with this I have seen with my pregnant women – they all now are told they have GD – which if course means more fee for service and no ‘do no harm’.
I was stunned, as diabetes is not what she had – she just needed to eat more veggies, and protein and fat and drink plenty of water and steer clear of all foods the turned to sugar in the body – not just ‘treats’ but all fruit, fruit juice and cereals/grains. Which she did. And used a lot of magnesium supplementation.
This greatly helps in insulin normalisation – at least to undo all the extra stress caused by the medical fear campaign. To calm mum and her nerves/muscles/electrical impulses and digestion A safer pregnancy JUST by making sure nutrients are on board.
Why is modern medicine so ignorant of the basics?
Very good question . . .and YOU reading this may need to review even why you as =re seeing ‘an expert – who sees food as fairly irrelevant – maybe take Metformin? NO – as the body heals itself – when you let it. What was of more concern was the C section dictate – why – because doctor said so – no medical reason besides this. Why? They say ‘likely to have a too big baby’. (Again – so what?)
The next hurdle . . . all this stress – now of more concern – the blood pressure, as the weather was diabolically hot and she was not coping with all the strain of fighting with the obstetrician – anyone’s blood pressure would rise. What I suggested. . .Much more magnesium, and Chinese herbs and resting resulted.
Why magnesium is crucial in pregnancy – Her
BP was stabilised – now there was no mention of the ‘big baby’.\ – enough grooming on the other apparent problem. I saw this a lot – when one fear based tactic slips away – another replaces this. Mum is under siege to acquiesce to the easy for the doctor option of a surgical delivery. We also had the bring baby out early issue to face.
As the big baby debate died down as she went past 40 weeks (baby had been scanned and apparently was not so big after all!). Mum was adamant – and very upset in a lot of the sessions as I walked her through what she could do to ensure the natural birth she wanted for her baby. Time passed and as 42 weeks got nearer, dad continued being diligent in his massaging of her buttocks and thighs and using the moxa to relax and renew her energy. At 10 pm at 42 weeks – the waters broke.
I had warned her that with all that they were doing, the labour would be fast once it started – as they had done so much work on her pelvic area, so the whole region was primed. The points were stimulated – all was ready for baby to decide when she wanted to come.
Five minutely contractions that were very strong meant they got to the hospital at midnight. As she was 5 cm dilated, they went straight to the delivery suite where a lovely midwife realised that she did not want to see her obstetrician. Unfortunately the hospital policy was that she had to be in the bed, – as she was fully dilated, the contractions petered off – of course they did – what about a rest?
Not having heard of the space of ‘rest and be thankful’ that all homebirth midwifes know is what a sensible body does, she was told to push, even though she was not really feeling like this. She worried that the contractions were not really strong and just wanted to walk around – but was not allowed to – which means that at 90 minutes from the beginning of being told to push, the obstetrician came in with get ‘you are too tired/let me help you’ spiel. Vaccum extraction and a cut and a tear – baby born.
At least not a C section, and then only 3.4Kg.
After a whole traumatic pregnancy of being kept in the dark and of being told it was not possible and that baby was in danger. Really – the danger baby was ever in was the intervention of a fear based modern obstetric practice. Every medical person in the hospital was amazed she did not need drugs and painkillers.
Why would she – she had been massaged and prepared for birthing, was calm and peaceful and was awash with magnesium”? Her husband had diligently followed all the steps in my Easy Birth Resources. The ‘What Dads Can Do’ manual and the two videos/many charts and eBooks to make sure everything went smoothly. He was her epidural! With all the work they put in prior to baby’s birth day, the actual birth was simple.
Mum and baby very happy – enough milk to feed an army of babies.
Why was this? She listened to what I have found works. . Lots of B vitamins – frequent (4-6 daily) and magnesium – oral and on the skin – and plenty of water , protein and fat as well as rest an a happy mum.
Very content baby, Nature does it so very well, left alone and in peace to unfold – like the opening of a rosebud. How so? Right nutrients, good support and preparation from dad – and a body ready to birth – all necessary ingredients.
Perhaps look to nature and avoid so much of the medical worries – as the blueprint you hold inside is for a healthy you and baby – without all the money being spent on checking that nature is doing the right thing – if you do – it will just all flow as above – even with obstetric ‘care’. Maybe see this free online course – ‘What If Something Goes Right?’
Update 2023
Ingredients, and circulation – not much more is needed – but these two – YET biomedicine ignores both. In all medical endeavours.
I have far more on this in the online courses, and eBooks – Healthy Eating In Pregnancy, How a Well Body Supports Health and Gestational Diabetes Solutions await you – if you add into the mix Easy Pregnancy Solutions – see more here. .
My online self paced informative Easy Pregnancy Resources may be all you need – a breath of fresh air.