Staten Island Natural Childbirth

06/25/2022

The American Medical Association's opinion: "The American Medical Association is deeply disturbed by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn nearly a half century of precedent protecting patients’ right to critical reproductive health care. This is an egregious allowance of government intrusion into the medical examination room, a direct attack on the practice of medicine and the patient-physician relationship, and a brazen violation of patients’ rights to evidence-based reproductive health services."

The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization puts women’s lives at risk and potentially criminalizes care.

06/25/2022

The Criminalization of Pregnancy.
Among people who know they're pregnant, it's estimated about 1 in 8 pregnancies will end in miscarriage. Now, with the Supreme Court's ruling ending Roe, we are entering an era not only of unsafe abortions, but the criminalization of pregnancy itself.
Any miscarriage can now be viewed as a potential homicide and the woman arrested and investigated. (It's already happening. Google it) We have entered an era of widespread state surveillance and criminalization of pregnant women, and along with them doctors, pharmacists, clinic staff, even friends and family members - anyone associated with a pregnancy that does not end in a healthy birth.
According to the National Advocates for Pregnant Women, between 2006 and 2020 more than 1,300 women were arrested, detained, or otherwise physically deprived of liberty for reasons related to a pregnancy.
There is more in store - the GOP has promised a country-wide ban on abortion should they take the majority in 2022. The Supreme Court has indicated it is coming for contraception! We need a Democrat majority in the House & Senate to protect women and our access to reproductive health care. Unfortunately, Republicans in the Senate now believe that guns have more rights than women.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization puts women’s lives at risk and potentially criminalizes care.

07/12/2021

From my friend Cathy...
Wʜʏ ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀs ᴛᴇʟʟ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴍᴀɢɴᴇsɪᴜᴍ ɪɴsᴛᴇᴀᴅ ᴏғ sᴛᴏᴏʟ sᴏғᴛᴇɴᴇʀs? (ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ᴅᴇʜʏᴅʀᴀᴛᴇs ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴡᴇʟ)

Wʜʏ ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀs ᴛᴇʟʟ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴅɪᴇᴛ ᴡʜᴇɴ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ ʙᴜʀɴ ᴀɴᴅ ɪɴᴅɪɢᴇsᴛɪᴏɴ ɪɴsᴛᴇᴀᴅ ᴏғ ɢɪᴠɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ Pʀɪʟᴏsᴇᴄ? (ᴛʜɪs ᴄᴀᴜsᴇs ᴍᴏʀᴇ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛʙᴜʀɴ, ᴄᴏʟᴏɴ ᴄᴀɴᴄᴇʀ & ᴏsᴛᴇᴏᴘᴏʀᴏsɪs ᴀɴᴅ ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇs ғᴏᴏᴅ ғᴇʀᴍᴇɴᴛɪɴɢ ɪɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʙᴏᴅʏ)

Wʜʏ ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀs ᴛᴇʟʟ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʜᴇʀʙs ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴇʀᴛᴀɪɴ ғᴏᴏᴅs ᴄᴀɴ ᴀʟsᴏ ʜᴇᴀʟ? 🌿 🌱 (Ashwagandha)

Wʜʏ ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀs ᴛᴇʟʟ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ʟᴏᴡᴇʀ ᴛᴏxɪᴄ ᴄʜᴇᴍɪᴄᴀʟs ɪɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʜᴏᴍᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡʜᴇɴ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴄᴏɴsᴛᴀɴᴛ ʜᴇᴀᴅᴀᴄʜᴇs ᴀɴᴅ ᴀʟʟᴇʀɢɪᴇs? (ᴛʜᴇsᴇ ғʀᴀɢʀᴀɴᴄᴇ & ᴄʜᴇᴍɪᴄᴀʟs ᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ᴛᴏxɪᴄ ʙᴜɪʟᴅᴜᴘ ɪɴ ᴏᴜʀ ᴄᴇʟʟs ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴀᴜsᴇs ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴀʟʟᴇʀɢɪᴇs ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴇᴀᴅᴀᴄʜᴇs)

Wʜʏ ᴀʀᴇɴ’ᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ɪɴғᴏʀᴍᴇᴅ ʙʏ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ᴇᴀᴛ ᴀ ɢʀᴀᴘᴇғʀᴜɪᴛ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴅᴀʏ, ɪᴛ ᴡɪʟʟ ʟᴏᴡᴇʀ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ ᴘʀᴇssᴜʀᴇ ɴᴀᴛᴜʀᴀʟʟʏ ᴀɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ɴᴇᴇᴅ 💊 ? (ᴛʜɪs ɪs ᴡʜʏ ᴀ ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴ ᴄᴀɴ’ᴛ ᴇᴀᴛ ɪᴛ ᴡʜɪʟᴇ ᴏɴ ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ ᴘʀᴇssᴜʀᴇ ᴍᴇᴅs)

Wʜʏ ᴅᴏᴇsɴ’ᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀ ᴛᴇʟʟ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴀᴄᴛɪᴠᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴄʜᴀʀᴄᴏᴀʟ ғᴏʀ ʜᴇᴀᴅᴀᴄʜᴇs, ʙʟᴏᴀᴛɪɴɢ/ɢᴀs, sᴋɪɴ ɪssᴜᴇs, ᴄᴏʟᴅs, ғᴏᴏᴅ ᴘᴏɪsᴏɴɪɴɢ? (ᴀᴄᴛɪᴠᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴄʜᴀʀᴄᴏᴀʟ ʙᴏɴᴅs ᴡᴀsᴛᴇ/ᴛᴏxɪɴs ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇᴍᴏᴠᴀʟ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴅʏ)

Wʜʏ ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀs ᴛᴇʟʟ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ʜᴇʀʙs ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴇʀʙᴀʟ ᴛᴇᴀs ᴛᴏ sᴜᴘᴘᴏʀᴛ ɪᴍᴍᴜɴᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅɪɢᴇsᴛɪᴠᴇ ғᴜɴᴄᴛɪᴏɴs? (ᴅɪғғᴇʀᴇɴᴛ ʜᴇʀʙs ʜᴇʟᴘ ᴅɪғғᴇʀᴇɴᴛ ᴏʀɢᴀɴs ᴅᴏ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴊᴏʙs ᴛᴏ ᴋᴇᴇᴘ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴅʏ ʜᴇᴀʟᴛʜʏ)

Wʜʏ ɪsɴ’ᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀ sᴜɢɢᴇsᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴀ ᴘʀᴏʙɪᴏᴛɪᴄ ᴅᴀɪʟʏ? (ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏsᴛ ɪᴍᴍᴜɴᴇ ғᴜɴᴄᴛɪᴏɴ, ʜᴇʟᴘs ᴄʟᴇᴀɴ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴀʟᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴡᴇʟ, ʜᴇʟᴘs ʀᴇɢᴜʟᴀᴛᴇ ᴀʙsᴏʀᴘᴛɪᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴇʟɪᴍɪɴᴀᴛɪᴏɴ, ᴋᴇᴇᴘs ᴄᴏʟᴅs ᴀɴᴅ ᴀʟʟᴇʀɢɪᴇs ᴀᴛ ʙᴀʏ)

Wʜʏ ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀs ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴇ ᴅɪᴇᴛ/ʟɪғᴇsᴛʏʟᴇ ᴘʟᴀɴs ғᴏʀ ᴘᴀᴛɪᴇɴᴛs ɪɴsᴛᴇᴀᴅ ᴏғ ᴏғғᴇʀɪɴɢ ᴘɪʟʟs? (ᴅɪᴇᴛ & ʟɪғᴇsᴛʏʟᴇ ᴄʜᴏɪᴄᴇs ᴀʀᴇ 90+% ᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ᴏғ ᴀʟʟ ɪʟʟɴᴇss)

Wʜʏ ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀs ᴛᴇʟʟ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ sᴜᴘᴘʟᴇᴍᴇɴᴛs ᴛᴏ ʙᴏᴏsᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʜᴇᴀʟᴛʜ ᴘʀɪᴏʀ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇᴄᴏᴍɪɴɢ sɪᴄᴋ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇʏ ʀᴇᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴅ ᴘɪʟʟs 💊
(sᴜᴘᴘʟᴇᴍᴇɴᴛs/ʜᴇʀʙs/ᴛɪɴᴄᴛᴜʀᴇs ᴄᴀɴ ᴘʀᴇᴠᴇɴᴛ ɪʟʟɴᴇss ʙʏ ʙᴏᴏsᴛɪɴɢ ɪᴍᴍᴜɴᴇ ғᴜɴᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ sᴜᴘᴘᴏʀᴛɪɴɢ ᴏʀɢᴀɴs ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ɴᴀᴛᴜʀᴀʟ ғᴜɴᴄᴛɪᴏɴs)?

Wʜʏ ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀs ᴛᴇᴀᴄʜ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴs sᴛᴏʀᴇᴅ ɪɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴘʜʏsɪᴄᴀʟ ʙᴏᴅʏ ᴄᴀɴ ᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴍᴇɴᴛᴀʟ ᴀɴɢᴜɪsʜ, ɪɴsᴛᴇᴀᴅ ᴛʜᴇʏ sᴀʏ ʏᴏᴜ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ᴍᴇᴅɪᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ 💊(ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴs ᴄᴀɴ ᴘʟᴀʏ ᴀ ᴠᴇʀʏ sɪɢɴɪғɪᴄᴀɴᴛ ʀᴏʟʟ ɪɴ ᴏᴜʀ ᴛᴏᴛᴀʟ ʜᴇᴀʟᴛʜ, ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ᴛᴏᴏʟs ᴛᴏ ʜᴇʟᴘ ɴᴀᴠɪɢᴀᴛᴇ ᴏᴜʀ ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴs ᴡᴇ ᴄᴀɴ ᴇᴀsɪʟʏ ʙᴇᴄᴏᴍᴇ ᴘʜʏsɪᴄᴀʟʟʏ ɪʟʟ)

Wʜʏ ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀs ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴀ ʀᴇᴀʟ ʀᴏʟᴇ ɪɴ ʜᴇʟᴘɪɴɢ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴛᴏ ʟɪᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴛᴛᴇʀ ʟɪᴠᴇs?
Wʜʏ ᴅᴏ ᴛʜᴇʏ sᴇᴛ ᴜᴘ ᴛʜᴇsᴇ ᴘʀᴏᴛᴏᴄᴏʟs ᴏғ ᴘɪʟʟs ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴍᴏsᴛ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅɴ’ᴛ ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ?
Wʜʏ ᴀʀᴇɴ’ᴛ ᴡᴇ ʙᴇɪɴɢ ʜᴇʟᴘᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ʜᴇᴀʟᴛʜʏ ʙᴇғᴏʀᴇ ᴡᴇ ɢᴇᴛ sɪᴄᴋ?
Tʜɪs ɴᴇᴇᴅs ᴛᴏ ᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ!

Hᴇᴀʟɪɴɢ ɪs REAL, ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴏssɪʙʟᴇ!
Wᴇ ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴀʀᴇɴ’ᴛ ɢᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ʀɪɢʜᴛ ɪɴғᴏʀᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴡᴇ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴛᴀᴜɢʜᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴛʀᴜsᴛ!
Its because they are taught and trained by big pharma and it's all about the dollar. There is no profit in curing, profit is only in treating !
There are some Physicians that do encourage natural and lifestyle changes. Let’s seek them out too!
PLEASE, copy & paste or share

07/08/2021

SUMMER TIPS FOR PREGNANCY

HEAT
Hot weather is a strain on pregnant women, who are warm blooded to begin with. Stay cool by:
• taking cool showers and swimming
• placing a wet cloth on the back of your neck
• resting in the shade where it's 10 to 15 degrees cooler
• Bringing your own shade by wearing a hat when out

Salt
Salt is an essential component that helps your blood volume expand during pregnancy. In summer, sweating robs your body of a lot of sodium.
• “Salt to taste” is an important rule, especially in summer coupled with drinking plenty of water

Water
At birth, 75% of your baby’s total body weight is made up of water. When it’s hot you can become de-hydrated quickly, Dehydration has uncomfortable and dangerous side effects. When you go out, take a quart bottle of frozen water with you to drink as it melts.

Swelling
80% to 90% of women experience swelling during pregnancy. In a healthy, well-nourished mother, this is not a cause for alarm. Here’s what helps:
• drinking plenty of water
• elevating your feet
• wearing loose clothing. Cotton clothing breathes and stays cool longer
• eating foods that reduce swelling: Ginger, green tea, pomegranate, turmeric, mushrooms, cherries and protein can all help in the reduction in swelling in pregnancy.

04/12/2021

Great article on a relatively new birthing center in New Jersey founded by Dr. Nicola Pemberton. "In the United States, low-risk women overall had a rate of Cesarean of 27 percent in 2018, while women who used birth centers — who by definition are low risk — had a rate of 6 percent." "Black mothers in the United States are four times as likely to die from maternity-related complications as white women. In New Jersey, it’s even more alarming: A Black woman is seven times as likely to die from pregnancy-related causes as a white one."

Some mothers are seeking alternatives, worried about Covid-19 and racial inequities in health care.

09/29/2020

08/11/2020

6 Surprising Birth Statistics

1. Ultrasounds are bad at measuring baby weight.
During the third trimester they are an average of 10-20% off in estimating your baby’s actual weight. In other words, an average sized baby could be estimated as weighing over 9 pounds.

2. Pregnancy really lasts 41 weeks for low-risk first time moms. Studies have shown that the average length of pregnancy for low-risk women is not 40 weeks as commonly believed. It’s actually around 40 weeks plus three days for experienced moms and 41 weeks plus one day for first time moms. So Beware those early inductions!

3. Having a doula to support you during birth will decrease your risk of a c-section by 28%.
Doulas also decrease the likelihood of many other medical interventions and increase a mother’s satisfaction with her birth experience. It’s no surprise then that their presence at births has doubled in just the last 6 years.

4. 74% of women who attempt a VBAC (vaginal birth after a cesarean) will be successful.
Unfortunately, most doctors don’t support a woman’s attempts to even try for a VBAC. Many hospitals have banned VBACs. The maternal death rate is 3 times higher for repeat c-sections than VBACs.

5. Moms who experience induction of labor with an epidural are 6 times more likely to have a c-section than those who don’t have either intervention.

6. 95% of low-risk women could give birth without medical intervention. About one quarter want to, but only 2 percent actually do

02/16/2017

More than any other factor, the choice of a doctor and hospital affects the outcome of a woman's birth. We have a great example of how choice affects childbirth outcomes right here on Staten Island. Two hospitals serving the same population of women RUMC and SIUH. In 2010 RUMC had a 48.3% c-section rate (the highest rate of Caesarean sections in the city) and SIUH had a 23% c-section rate (the 4th lowest). In 2014 RUMC is still at an unacceptable 44.6% - while SIUH went down to 19.3%. Every pregnant woman needs to know that maternity care that “expects trouble” actually creates trouble.

01/28/2017

By Nancy Griffin It was a sunny Friday afternoon, and Tracy was three days past the due date for her first baby. After finishing up the tenth call of the day from well-meaning but anxious friends and relatives, she headed out the door for her weekly checkup with her obstetrician. “If you don’t go in...

01/25/2017

Goodbye to Payments for Pumps & Lactation Consultants!
What Women Will Lose When the ACA is Repealed

Some of you may not know that is was the ACA that required insurers to cover breast pumps and lactation consultants for nursing mothers. What a happy day it was when I first heard that!

Did you know that before the ACA only about 12% of the health care plans sold on the individual insurance market even covered maternity coverage?! Or that women paid about $1 billion more than men each year for identical health plans on the individual market.

Women, and especially pregnant and nursing women, stand to lose a lot once the ACA is repealed – and that process has already started in Congress.

Here’s what the ACA provided and what we stand to lose once its repealed:
• Well woman visits with no copay or deductible
• A breast pump with no copay or deductible
• Lactation consultant services, breastfeeding support and counseling with no copay or deductible
• Gestational diabetes screening with no copay or deductible
• Approved contraceptive methods prescribed by a woman’s doctor with no copay or deductible
• Mammograms with no copay or deductible
• HPV DNA testing, for women 30 or older with no copay or deductible
• No more lifetime caps on benefit payments from insurance companies – did you know, before the ACA newborns in the NICU hit their lifetime caps before ever leaving the hospital?
• That insurers cover folks with pre-existing conditions, like a breast cancer.

If you agree that these are important services for women, or if you like I finally were able to get individual health insurance through the ACA, call your congressional representative or Senator and let them know how this will affect you.

If you’re on Staten Island or parts of Brooklyn, Dan Donovan’s Washington DC office number is (202) 225-3371, and his email link is https://donovan.house.gov/contact