Friday, May 31, 2013

Breast Milk Protein HAMLET Reverses Antibiotic Resistance in MRSA, Pneumococcus


Breast Milk Protein HAMLET Reverses Antibiotic Resistance in MRSA, Pneumococcus

May 14, 2013 by Natali Anderson




So I am not even going to think this through.  Right out of the gates my brain goes to negotiating with hospitals regarding women's health and the kind of care we receive while in the hospital, giving birth.

We are already a HUGE percentage of the hospitals shareholders profit.....I mean revenue.....no I don't.
And now in addition to making them more money than anyone else, we are also MAGICAL.  
Of course we have always been magical, the knowledge of this is one of the many gifts one receives from being a doula and witnessing women give birth.
The implications of this article are.....well.....it makes me shake my head....I'm speechless.

n. pl. pneu·mo·coc·ci (-kks, -kk)
A nonmotile, gram-positive bacterium (Streptococcus pneumoniae) that is the most common cause of bacterial pneumonia, associated with meningitis and other infectious diseases.

MRSA
abbreviation for
(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Microbiology) methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: a bacterium that enters the skin through open wounds to cause septicaemia and is extremely resistant to most antibiotics. It has been responsible for outbreaks of untreatable infections among patients in hospitals.

Women, we collectively need to make some quick decisions about the kind of respect we are going to expect for the gift of our milk to save lives.  Equal pay?  Paternity leave?  Universal Healthcare?
Maternity care that honors and values the experience of a loving welcome?

Here is my list of things I would ask for in a hospital birthing environment in exchange for breast milk:
  • Allow water births, get trained by midwives (I know a few if you need a referral)
  • Bigger beds that allow Daddy to curl up with Mom in labor, and after the birth.
  • Suction (and anything else you may need) in the wall near the bed in case baby requires anything at birth so we don't "have to" cut the cord immediately depriving baby of oxygen through the cord as he/she learns to breath to provide immediate newborn care.  We all know baby responds better when skin to skin with Mama....more magic.
  • Lose the Haz Mat suits in normal vaginal deliveries unless there is a known pathogen, it's offensive.
  • Treat each woman individually, as if she is an actual person with her own confidences, fears, inspirations, etc. Look at her eyes when you talk to her, know her as well as you can, hear what she tells you and acknowledge that she is the only one who knows, and can know, certain things about her body, that no text book has been written about her specifically. Listen.
  • Stop pushing drugs. I've seen it TOO MANY TIMES.  I don't know why you do it.  Routine perhaps, control maybe, sometimes impatience, I've seen spite, response to making too much noise, rigid textbook statistics that you interpret too literally, laziness (maybe end of shift), I have seen practioners seeking PERSONAL validation as well.  Some or all of these are at play in any given situation when there is no medical reason for intervention.  
  • Watch a women labor naturally, come to a birthing center and be a Doula for a day, or as many times as you need to, in order to be inspired.
  • Stop performing frivolous C-Sections.  They have risks, with an increase in maternal mortality of DOUBLE in the past 5 years, practically mirroring the increase in cesareans, this needs to stop.
  • Learn how to provide VBACS, clinging to "risk factors" as an excuse when they are no more risky than a repeat cesarean its a tired argument.  We are not stupid enough to believe that it is possible in 100% of women 100% of the time, that isn't a reason to write it off entirely. 
  • Increase the time you spend with women at prenatal appointments.  
  • READ Ina May's Guide to Childbirth and Spiritual Midwifery by Ina May Gaskin.  You'll get something out of it.
  • Vaginal exam fetish: I really don't know what to say about this, but it is out of control.  I am listening to a story about a delivery that happened yesterday in the Seattle area in which the mother was assaulted with vaginal exams at least a dozen times over the course a a 10 hour hospital delivery.  HOW CAN ANYONE PROGRESS WITH A CONSTANT CERVICAL ASSAULT?  It's a sphincter.  
  • Teaching Hospitals:  I get that you are trying to teach your students certain practices, but you still have to allow each labor to follow it's normal course.  You can't do extra or unnecessary things to a laboring woman only in the name of education.  
I could go on and on but I'm beginning to feel like I need to post this to help spread the word. I may add more later.  For now, let's begin acknowledging the beautiful magic that is inherent in the mother, when we start to honor it in ourselves, no one else will have any choice but to accept it.

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