HW 50

Precis:
June Knights Nadle: Mortician Diaries: June Nadle gives a recollection of true stories from her career as a mortician, starting each chapter explaining how death impacted her life and ending them with a story from a client then her final thoughts on it. She writes hoping to give insight to death and to show from a perspective of dead-honest truth from a life spent with death.

Interesting Quotes:
"The death rate in this world is one per person" (pg 1)
"When we don't live in awareness about deaths inevibility, its finality brings with it so many wishes and regrets."(pg 3)
"Shock can be natures anesthetic, numbing our intense pain." (pg 24)
"The more we know about death the less we fear it. And when fear isn't blocking us were better prepared to deal with whatever life (and death) sends our way." (pg 32)

Something that I found interesting that was discussed during the first part of the book was all the example stories that the author gives during the book she connected back to her life.  like when she dealt with the mother that wouldnt let go of her baby, although it had been dead for 5 hour. She felt compassion because she also was a mom. Or when she helped the lady who lost the family pet. She related it to herself when she wondered what would happen if she had lost her own family pet. When I read this I also thought what happens if I lose my dog also? Because she relates it back to herself, it helps one to bring death in perspective to their own situation rather then an abstact thought. thats why I couldn't agree more with this quote:
"We undestand death for the first time when he puts his hand upon one whom we love- Madame de Stael

HW 48

For my family's perspective on care of the dead I interviewed my Mom and my sister. The first question I asked was what  kind of viewing would they have at their funeral, open casket or closed? Both my mom and my sister said they would like a open casket funeral because its the final time that any one will see them, and if anyone would like to see them and the casket was closed it would be rude to that person. After that I asked How important is it that a person be prepped in make up to look good at a viewing? My mom said that in her opinion its better if the dead person is presented to look good because since at the viewing this is the last time anyone will lay eyes on them they should have a very good last impression to be remembered by. My sister on the other hand said it is better that they look natural because there should be nothing to cover up since the person is dead and that death is a natural thing people should look as they should.

The next question I asked was do they agree with the statement: We are removed from the process of care of the dead? What I mean by this is the process in which we hire people to take care off and then removed the now deceased. Both of them agreed after thinking for a bit. My sister said because some people don't like to be near the dead because of the feelings they bring and get or the fact that its a bit gross. The next question was asked based off of the fact that people get removed from the process of the care of the dead.  If given the chance to help prep the body at a funeral would you? My sister immediately said no seeing how its weird and kind of gross. Even when I asked if it was a family member, she thought about it and still said no. My mom on the other hand said that if it was the will of the person that she could help she would, but as long as she didn't have to do too much with the face. 

When I interviewed my family I was expecting their answers to be some what similar to the dominant social practices of the U.S, and was somewhat surprised by some answers. Firstly I know people like to have the bodies at viewings look nice and almost alive (like they are just sleeping) but when I heard my sister say that it shouldn't be a big deal and that people should look natural at viewings I was surprised. Most surprisingly was my mom agreeing to help prep a body if asked. I know a lot of people who wouldn't even think twice about this since its very weird in the U.S, so hearing that took me by surprise , I'm not even sure if I would!

HW 46(This was a good one)

Caring of the dead is a weird topic because it combines two different states the living and the dead, for which the living handle the bodies of dead. Like what one of my classmates said "Its gross but sacred"(Sam Jossen). I defiantly agree with this statement, because people treat dead people with respect(there are certain things that the dominant view doesn't allow next to dead people), but then again its a decaying corpse that people don't want to be around. I think fear of the unknown plays a major role in the topic of death, and what makes it difficult to deal with is the fact that death connotes sadness, depression, and for some people anger. 

  

 With my experiences with the care of the dead, most of the funerals I've been to people want to be buried and when they die they want to be presented to look nice. You would think that because they dead it wouldn't matter, but apparently it does. Also my family and some friends view death as a happy thing rather then a sad thing. Because of our religion we believe if a person followed Jesus' teachings(not just living a good life) they will go to heaven. This does not mean we don't get sad that the person is no longer living, its just that its not as negative(unless the person went to hell).Caring of the dead is also unique not only because of what happens with the dead people but with how the living deal with the dead. For example why do we make people look more honorable after they are dead then when they were alive? You would think that it should be reverse but sadly it is not. Also because people try to hide death which is weird because, yet its every where. For example people try to hide death so much that they try to make dead people look alive even when they are dead(they make them look sleeping rather then dead at some funerals). 

 Something interesting that I thought of was brought up during class. When I was in class I was talking to a classmate and he asked why is it that we put dead people in the ground for a burial? That did make me wonder, but I remember hearing somewhere that one answer for this was that because from the ground we came and so unto the ground we shall return or something like that. This unit sounds interesting because of unique ways one can go about it and I know there is a lot to this topic I don't even know.

HW 45

 Thank you everyone who commented on my blog.  I glad to know that my presentation was enjoyable and made people want to read my blog. Also thanks for the positive feedback. One suggestion was given, and that was to give more of a personal opinion. For the suggestion given, I could have put a little bit more of my opinion in it but I felt that since birth is mainly between the mom and the baby, and since the decision was ultimately up to the mother, I would just thought it better to keep my opinion minimal and just give facts to help inform anyone who was thinking about the topic. For the next unit I'll be sure to try to give more of an opinion though. I'm glad that people took time to read my post and comment on it, it was both helpful and uplifting!

HW 44

Rigel,

Your presentation and post were very good and equal, what I mean is one didn't out shine the other.

 I liked the topic you picked because it bears a lot of weight and it connects to a lot of people. It was cool how you connected what was happening today with how it changed in the past. Also you showed how it connected to other topics like Sicko and how that America seems to treat sick people and birth as a buisness rather then care, which gave it more depth. Also the post was an ok read, and didn't have a choppy flow. One suggestion is you got just slightly of topic, not enough that it made the post uninteresting, but just watch for your next one. Good stuff other wise!

Chris M
 I thought it was interesting that you studied a topic that was specif to yourself because it gives the post a little more meaning. One reason why I wanted to read your blog is because it connected to mine, and it was cool to see how someone else looked at the same topic. Also, the way in which your post was formatted kept it interesting. Because it was an interview format along with a summary  it made it more unique because most of the other blogs were in the normal format , I'm not saying that other post were bad, its just that it made yours stand out a bit more. Your post seemed a little stronger than your speech but both your speech and post were interesting. A very good project overall!

Dean,
Your topic for the speech you did was very relevant to what we were learning. Although birth is between the mother and the baby, for the most part, it was good that you looked at what it took to be the doctor of the situation. What made me want to read this blog is the fact that it was something that we didn't focus on heavily in class, from the perspective of the midwives they made it look like the OB/GYN were mindless idiots who hacked away at mothers, but your speech told that it was hard to become one and that in a way, they deserved to be the doctors they are. Some suggestions I have for you would be that your post should be as powerful as your speech but other then that the presentation was good and informative!

HW 42 Pregnancy and Birth Project

 For a couple of weeks my class has been on the very relevant topic of birth. The outcome, there was a lot that not known about the topic of birth. When I wrote the list of things we should know like OB/GYN, mid wives, epidurals, and Natural birth I realized I was about to enter a unit in which I knew little to nothing! I still remember when birth was done by a bird(The Stork) that sneaked into one's house after a couple either kissed or held hands too long and left a "bundle of joy" on the unsuspecting new parents. So upon hearing all these technical terms for birth, my initial reaction was one of a blind deaf man trying to comprehend what a television is.  

What I am going to focus on in this project is a deeper comparison between home births and hospital births and see which one is the optimal choice to take during birth. And to shed light on the pros and also cons so that one can look at both sides of the argument. The reason I said that the topic of birth is a relevant topic is because about 10,657 babies are born in the U.S a day, so knowing the process in which that many new lives came to be in the world sounds important. Also one in four babies is delivered by C-section – almost double the World Health Organisation’s recommended rate. That figure rises to more than one in two at some private hospitals, so if the C-Sections are bad this is a big problem.
 During the time we were in the birthing unit we saw two films, one was pro home birth and the other was anti home birth. Of the movies I saw, I first saw the film was called "The Business of  being Born", which was correctly named since it showed how the birthing process at a hospital is more of a business than a place that really focuses on the miracle of birth and becoming an industrial nightmare'Why does it matter, if the baby comes out ok". This was a quote by a OB/GYN showing the industrial nightmare in todays birth. We are rapidly removing the sacredness out of birth. 
  The way that hospitals are like a business is seen in the way they do the "Pit" and "Snowball Effect". What Pit is is when nurses take over during the birth. This happens when a birth goes over the set amount of time given for the birth to take place. (I found that extremely interesting that people are given a set time to go through the birth process, even though "they are paying" for it.) Once they exceed the time limit the are put on "Pit" and then the "Snowball Effect" happens. The "Snowball Effect" is when epidural is given to the mother in labor which numbs her but slows the labor process down. Platocin is a chemical that is then given to speed up the labor again but then epidural is injected once more to numb and calm the mother. This slows down the labor again which causes the need for more platocin.  By now the babies heart rate is increasing rapidly due to the strong contractions from all that platocin in the mothers body, which puts the baby in distress and ultimately leads to the now necessary C-section. The weird part about this is after the "necessary" C-section is done the doctor is viewed as the hero for saving the child, when in actuality the doctor is the one responsible for this in the beginning.

 After seeing the first video one might think , just as I did, that there are no flaws with home birth, but as the second video implies, there is. It told of a story of a woman and her husband who had a horrible midwife experience in which their baby died. The mother was in labor for four days and when the baby came out it pronounced dead from being strangled by the umbilical. The video showed that the midwife should have noticed that something was wrong and should have taken some sort of course of action( I'm no doctor but I think that a woman in labor for four days needs to go to a hospital).
 I wanted to research the comparisons between home births and hospital births and see which had more pros and which had more cons since both the movies made me really consider which was better.

Advantages of home birth...

• Statistics show that home birth is as safe or safer than hospital birth for low-risk women with adequate prenatal care and a qualified attendant.
• At home a woman can labor and birth in the privacy and comfort of the familiar surroundings of her own home, surrounded by loved-ones. in whatever positions and attire she finds most comfortable.
• The laboring woman maintains control over everything impacting her labor and birth. Meeting her needs is the only focus of all those present. Nothing is done to her without her consent.
• Labor is allowed to progress normally, without interference and unnecessary interventions.
• Studies show that the risk of infection is reduced for both the mother and the baby.
• During labor the woman is encouraged to eat, drink, walk, change positions, make noise, shower, bathe, etc.
• Care-givers are invited guests in the birthing woman's home. She can have anyone she desires present: family, friends, children, etc. Her medical team (midwife and birth assisiant) do not go home because their shift has ended or because it was supposed to be their day off or because it is a holiday or because they planned something else.
• She doesn't have to worry about when to go to the hospital since her care-providers come to her.
• Continuous one-on-one care is given by the midwife, providing ongoing assessment of the baby's and mother's condition throughout the birth process and postpartum period. Her care provider knows her well and she knows her care provider. They have established a trust relationship.
• Women are supported through the hard work of labor, and encouraged to realize the insights, and experience the personal growth as a human being to be derived from such a powerful, life-changing event.
• Bonding is enhanced and includes everyone who has contact with the baby including neighbors and relatives. Breast feeding is facilitated by the baby remaining with the mother.
• Cesarean Section and forceps deliveries are unavailable - transportation to the hospital is necessary if these interventions are required. However, rates of both, as well as episiotomy, are very low.
• The cost of a home birth may be less than a hospital birth, and is often covered by insurance if a CNM is utilized.
• Pregnancy and birth are viewed as normal, natural body functions and not as an illness or disease.

Disadvantages of home birth...

• Client's must assume a greater level of responsibility for their own health: physical, mental and spiritual. This requires active ongoing participation in decision making in all aspects of their care, and a willingness to accept the consequences of those choices and decisions.
• Since the hospital is the currently socially acceptable location for birth, choosing otherwise may result in negative judgments and lack of support.
• Cesarean Sections, forceps deliveries and a nconaialogist arc not available at home, transport is necessary for these and other medical interventions.
• Personal arrangements must be made for postpartum care, such as meals, housekeeping, child care etc.
• The cost of a home birth may not be covered by the client's insurance.
• Analgesics are not readily available with a home birth.

Advantages of a birth center birth...

• The facility is usually only provided for pregnancy and birth events.
• In a birth center, pregnancy and birth is considered a natural and healthy process.
• During pregnancy and birth, women arc encouraged to take charge of their own health care.
• It provides an alternative to parents not comfortable with home birth, yet do not want to give birth in a hospital.
• It has many of the same advantages as home birth, such as greater parental control, non-interventive obstetrical care, freedom to eat and move during labor, and to give birth in any position, and to have any number of family and friends attend the birth.
• The parents are usually encouraged to bring family members to their prenatal visits.
• It offers personalized care at much lower costs than traditional hospitals.
• In most centers, parents can meet the entire staff prior to the birth.
• The rate ofCesarcan and forceps deliveries is less than hospital.
• The discharge time after birth is normally measured in hours, not days.

Disadvantages of a birth center birth...

• Rigid screening criteria often eliminates healthy mothers, i.e.; VBAC, mother over 35.
• The mother is still moved to birth center during labor, and still labors away from the home environment.
• Many centers have rigid rules concerning transporting of the mother to the hospital i.e.; prolonged labor, ruptured membranes. Mother may have to be moved during labor.
• There are usually no pediatricians on staff if the baby has special needs after the birth.
• The mother cannot remain at the birth center for a two or three day rest; discharge is usually within four to 24 hours.

Advantages of a hospital birth...

• Many mothers feel safest laboring a hospital.
• It is the safest environment for the mother at risk for medical complications during labor.
• Emergency personnel and equipment is available if the mother develops complications or needs medical attention.
• It avoids the rush of a last-minute transfer to the hospital (from home or a birth center) if medical problems arise.
• It is the only option available in the event a cesarean section is necessary.
• Immediate pediatric attention is available should the newborn need medical care. Baby does not need to be taken off site to be routinely examined by a pediatrician.
• It has round-the-clock help for the mother and baby (food, diaper changes, medical assistance and information.)

Disadvantages of a hospital birth...

• The parents are not on "home ground" and do not have the same control they would at home.
• Hospitals are primarily associated with illness.
• Hospitals can seem impersonal and intimidating.
• As a large institution, the hospital has rules, policies and red tape; they are rarely altered to accommodate an individual.
• Less privacy is available.
• The father is often less actively involved in a hospital setting, and may fell like an "outsider".
• The mother's birth is usually managed by experts trained in pathology, not normal births.
• The risk of iatrogenic complications and infection to the mother and baby is greater among mothers who deliver in hospitals, than among those who give birth at home or in a birthing center.
• The mother is at a significantly higher risk of having an unnecessary cesarean section.
• Some routine separation of the mother and baby is almost unavoidable.
• Most hospitals do not allow the mother much rest.

I don't believe that C-sections are evil in it of themselves , surgery, for in life sometimes surgeries are necessary. In my own experience, without a C-section my sister would not have been born. She was a breech baby and had that option not have been available my mom would have no daughter and I would have no annoying sister. Although I think C-Sections are good as long as they are used in emergencies, I agree with The World Health Organization (WHO) which states that no region in the world is justified in having a cesarean rate greater than 10 to 15 percent. The C-Section rate in the United States reached 32 percent in 2007, the country’s highest rate ever, health officials are reporting. Facts even seem to show that more women are miserable getting a C-section than not. "The fact that it's primarily women who had kids before and had birth in hospitals before, certainly suggests it's a reaction to their prior birth," said Eugene Declercq, a professor of community health sciences at the Boston University School of Public Health, and a author of the study. "It certainly suggests it's an experience they don't want to repeat."

SOURCES:
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/cdc-home-births-rise-us/story?id=9998349

 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1285105/Babies-born-week-early-risk-health-problems.html#ixzz1InxIJj1n


http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/24/health/24birth.html


http://www.houstonnaturalbirth.com/adv_homebirth.shtml