home birth in Israel

The general view in Israel about homebirth is a bit negative.  First off, the ministry of Health is against the trend.  Most run of the mill doctors are not only not for homebirth, but also try to discourage it as much as they can.  The general atmosphere is that if something goes wrong at a hospital birth, “well things happen”.  If something goes wrong in a homebirth, everyone involved are criminals.

Lately there were a couple of homebirths in the news that got complicated.  It’s on the news right away,  a general attack on homebirth.  What they fail to say is that there was not a licensed homebirth midwife at these particular births.  This they report after a couple of days when the general attitude has been set, and damage to homebirth has been done.  They bring doctors,  professors, to interview them, without reporting the details.  I mean if there wasn’t a midwife at the birth, that is an important detail the general public should know.

Another problem is M.D.A.  I remember a birth a few years ago, the baby came out with good coloring, but started to get cyanotic.  I stimulated her, she pinkened up, then again became cyanotic, we did this two more times, then I decided I would like follow up care on this newborn in the hospital, so we transferred to the hospital in an ambulance, but slowly.  There was no pressure at all, the baby was fine, I was being careful.  After a few hours it was written in y-net how M.D.A. had saved a babys’ life from the horrible consequences of a homebirth.  There was no truth to the story, I knew because I was the midwife.

The moral of the story is this:  When the next time you hear about something that happened at a homebirth,  wait a couple days until the details emerge, then make an opinion.  Was it low risk?  Was there a licensed midwife present?  Don’t take wrong information in, and let it control “your” opinions, and decisions.

I wish you all “happy,  beautiful, empowering births”.

How to ensure that your baby is feeling good inutero?  By making sure that his or her fetal movements are enough.  First off, never try to pay attention to fetal movements when you are fasting.  If the baby isn’t getting enough calories to give him energy, he will move less.  So three times a day, morning, afternoon, and evening, pay attention for one half an hour, after a meal.  The baby should move 4 times in half an hour.  Now science says the baby will sleep for 20 minutes, and be up moving for 10 minutes before going back to sleep.  But when monitoring babies we see there certainly are babies who are sleeping for an hour and a half, then up for 45 minutes.  So by paying attention to fetal movements you also get to know your baby.  If you don’t feel fetal movements in that half hour, drink something sweetish, lay down on your left side, and keep paying attention for his movements.   You should feel 10 movements in the next 3 and a half hours.  If you feel 9 movements in 4 hours, go do a monitor.  Babies who don’t feel well, move less, so you want to catch it before the baby is compromised, or worse.  Now, I know this sounds time consuming, but it’s not.  Usually after drinking something sweetish, and lying down, the baby will do all 10 movements in five minutes.  When we walk, 40% of our blood goes to the legs, so by lying down, the baby is getting a lot more oxygen, and glucose, and that’s what makes them dance.  When you’ve had a busy day, and you want to go to sleep, you lay down to go to sleep, and it becomes party time for the baby.  Occasionally there is the mom who says,”I feel the baby move more when lying on my right side”.  So she should be paying attention on her right side.  Always remember, there are no rules.

Now if you are term [between 37-42 weeks] pregnant], and you have a spontaneous rupture of membranes, [your water came down], or you have contractions, pay attention to fetal movements to see if the baby is okay with the new changes.  When these things occur, it’s very exciting, but don’t forget the baby.  If you are not term, go directly to the hospital,  clinic, or wherever you are being taken care of.  You should only be having a home birth with a term baby.

We are living,  or some of us are living in the fast lane.  Some moms to be haven’t time for anything.  ALWAYS take the time to feel how the baby is doing, and you won’t be sorry.  Take time when you paying attention for fetal movements to confirm your love to this little being.  Visualize the baby with his, or her umbilical cord floating up in that water.  Know that your babies are feeling well, and love them.

It turns out that people are very connected emotionally to their diets.  When I’ve met women in say the end of their second trimester, and start to talk a proper diet with them, sometimes I’ve noticed that I get an angry response.  So in a nutshell, do what you have to do to survive the first trimester, then try to eat lots of vegetables, and limit fruit to two or three pieces of fruit a day.  Try to stay away from fruit juices, smoothies, or a diet that is made up of too much glucose, and sugar.  Of course if you are a vegetarian cook building complete proteins.

There are too many cesarean sections in medicine today, and a lot of them are because of “big babies”.  Thank GOD we have access to a lot of good foods today.  Processed foods are full of many undesirable ingredients.  Take the time for YOURSELF to cook good healthy choices for you, and your babies.  Many partners ask what they can do to help the pregnant woman.  A good thing for he, or she to do is to make sure there is good quality available food in the refrigerator.  By the time the pregnant woman realizes she is hungry, usually she is already famished, and then will go to a sweet pick me up because her glucose is falling rapidly, and then she enters the fluctuating glucose game.

Just be aware, and you don’t have to be good everyday, just most days.

It’s been a really long time, many life things have happened, and are happening, but this is what life is made of.  My wonderful son-in-law, Yehuda was murdered when he was just trying to work, and put bread on the table.  My daughter lost the love of her life, and my  grandchildren lost their father.  I stopped writing then, and because I’m not computer savvy soon forgot how to get in my blog.  With the help of one of my computer creative birthing ladies, Liz Cohen, I was able to find my way back.

In the meantime birthing hasn’t changed, but the homebirth protocols have.  I must say that when I’m at a birth, I’m my most normal happy self.  I am so focused that all the difficulties of life are filtered out, and I become me.  I want to thank all my birthing moms who supported me in my difficult time.  You are my fresh air.  You teach me so many new things.  I love you, and just know you have enriched my soul.  G-D bless you, your children, and your partners.

I also would like to say here that my daughter, Leigh Ann is an accupuncturist, a massage therapist, doula, and teaches childbirth preparation.  She is in working in the Tel Aviv area.  Her number is 0523812889, and she’s great.  She also puts women back together after birth.

I am also doing a doula service for women who are afraid to homebirth, but would like to stay home for as long as possible, then we go to the hospital to birth.  Have to go now, but will write more.  You can call me at 0507967411.  Bye for now.