childbirth around the world — Mum's The Word (Writing)

A Letter From The White House

Last December, I wrote a letter to the President of the United States and I mailed it.

Last week, I received a letter in the mail from President Biden.

My dad was so excited for me.

“You have a letter from the White House!”

It was in a fancy envelope.

I opened it.

Almost a year later from when I mailed it.

What would he say?

I opened up the envelope.

The letter was typed on thick stationary paper.

Not on common computer paper.

On cream paper, not on blanched white.

The letter read “Dear Khristee,”

He spelled my name correctly.

He wrote four paragraphs and signed his name in a black marker.

But it was a form letter.

Helping Women Without Diagnoses To Get The Help They Need

It’s been about ten years since I overcame my debilitating, chronic illness. My illness was misdiagnosed for fifteen, long years. During the prime of my life, my life stalled. Some of the best doctors in Connecticut and New York City screened me, but only one doctor was able to properly diagnose me. Sadly, this happens more often than people realize.

Before I became sick, I trusted my doctors completely. But to be honest, I rarely got sick in school or college, so doctors only saw me for my annual physical. However, my life completely changed when I chose to do my Junior Year Abroad in London, England and developed a fever, diagnosed as being from the flu, and did not regain my health until fifteen years later.

The Grief of Losing A Child

Hi Friends,

This month is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. This month brings awareness to those who have lost a child due to stillbirth, miscarriage, SIDS, or any other cause during pregnancy or infancy.

Miscarriage and loss of young child after giving birth or two topics I will be discussing in my two book series on holistic childbirth around the world. Holistic childbirth is the whole journey of childbirth from conception, to pregnancy, to labor, to the postpartum period. It is also how it affects women emotionally and physically.

I will be sharing how miscarriage and the loss of a child after birth affects women emotionally. These situations are very different, but both have devastating effects on women. Grief is a difficult emotion and one that women do not talk about openly. Loss of a child is not an easy topic for anyone to discuss.

Everybody's Asking About My Book

Writing my book about childbirth around the world has been so much fun! But so has being on podcasts! I have been on many podcast interviews the last few months and they have been so eager to hear about my book. So I have decided to start adding some short clips to YouTube! I know that moms are busy, so I just selected excerpts from the shows so that you can learn a little bit about my book.

Listen to these clips. If you enjoy them, listen to the full episodes and make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel for more updates on my book, the writing process, interviews and more!

What Is GBS? How Does It Affect Mothers During Childbirth?

This month is International Group B Strep Awareness Month. Group B Strep is a bacteria that is found naturally in 1 in 4 pregnant women and affects 1 in 2,000 babies in the U.S. It is not that common, but this month is to bring awareness to the general public.

For my book about childbirth around the world I interviewed SheéLee Rock, a childbirth educator and doula, located in Virginia. I asked her about GBS.

KHRISTEE: What is GBS?

SHEÉLEE: GBS stands for Group Beta Strep.

KHRISTEE: How does it affect mothers when they test positive for Group Beta Strep?

SHEÉLEE: GBS is a normal bacteria that lives in the vagina, all the time. It can come and go. It also comes and goes from the intestinal tract. It typically doesn’t cause any symptoms or signs. Moms can have it now, in their pregnancy, during their labor.

The concern is that sometimes moms that have Group Beta Strep in the intestinal tract and in the vagina during labor can possibly pass an infection to the babies and a very small amount of those babies can die. What happens though is that moms are typically tested later in pregnancy for this by a swab that goes into the vagina and then a swab that goes into the rectum and if it comes back positive, they’re not tested again, even though, your GBS can change. You could be positive during your tests around 34-36 weeks and then can be negative during labor. Or you could have a negative test, and then be positive during labor; they don’t care. In the U.S., they test you once and go with those results.

How Will I Know It is Time To Go To The Hospital?

On the day of deliver, Antonio Lévano, a well-regarded OB/GYN in Peru is in contact with his patients.

Many women ask him, “Antonio, how will I know when it is time to go to the hospital?”

He encourages them to spend as much time at home as possible. At home they are comfortable. They can eat, move, take a shower, etc.

“How do I know I am having contractions?” they ask.

He says, “You will know the difference. It will feel different than how you normally feel.”

He asks his patients to make a note of the time, every time they feel a contraction. When it is ten minutes in between the start and stop of contractions, they send him a message. He has an app for them to send all of the contractions and times, so that he can see the progression.

He prefers that they are at home until contractions are every 3 to 4 minutes and they feel a lot of pressure or pain in the pelvis. He emphasizes that it is not just the amount of time that is the indicator for him, if they are ready to go to the hospital to deliver. He wants to hear their voice to hear if they are out of breath or unable to talk as usual; this is a sign that it is time to go. If they can talk normally, it is not time yet.

Fears About Childbirth And What To Do

First time moms tend to have a lot of fear about childbirth, as it is, and sometimes, doctors have advice for mothers that doesn’t feel right intuitively.

During my interviews for my book about holistic childbirth around the world, I asked Dawn Bates from the U.K. if she had any advice for first time mothers.

Advice from Dawn:

“If you have any fears, journal it out. Anything that a doctor tells you, look at what is the medical argument for this and then look at medical arguments from different countries. If your doctor in the U.S. is saying this is what needs to happen, make a phone call to a doctor in a different country. There are lots of free help lines. Phone someone in the U.K. Find someone in Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Germany. Find out what doctors in other countries are saying. And then go back to your doctor and say, what you are saying is not necessarily true… If others are pressuring you, go on a long holiday. Focus on you and what is important to you.

Obstetric Violence. Are You Aware It is Happening Globally?

Obstetric violence was not a term that I was familiar with until I started doing research on my book about holistic childbirth around the world.

The first person who mentioned the term to me was actually an OBGYN in Peru, Antonio Lévano, who admitted that obstretric violence was prevalent in Peru. After my interview with Dr. Lévano, a doula in Peru, Ariela Waltzer also brought up this topic without coaxing, which made me realize this was not a term that they invented, but a widespread issue in Peru and many other countries around the globe.

“What is obstetric violence?” I asked.

“Obstretric violence means they do not see your needs. They see their needs. They are not listening to you. They are listening to their book and the charts and numbers and what needs to be signed…. Obstetric violence is very big in Peru especially in private clinics.”

She admitted that obstetric violence is common in Peru and that people have been talking about it for the last fifteen years.

I was shocked.

I asked her if she could share specific examples. She described how the large percentage of c-sections in Lima, Peru is the biggest example. In Lima, the capital, 90% of births at clinics are c-sections. She mentioned that it wasn’t just taking away a woman’s choice about how she would give birth, but that it happens every step along labor

Every Woman Should Know These Birth Strategies

Hi Ladies!

Are you about to have your first child? There are so many great books out there on childbirth, but here are some quick strategies recommended from WHO (World Health Organization) and Lamaze for having a safe and healthy birth.

Six simple strategies:

Let labor begin on its own.
Walk, move around, and change positions throughout labor.
Bring a loved one, friend, or doula you love for continuous support.
Avoid interventions that aren’t medically necessary.
Avoid giving birth on your back and follow your bodies urges to push.
Keep mother and baby together-it’s best for baby, mother, and breastfeeding.[1]

Are you a mother? What other strategies would you suggest?

My First Australian Podcast!

I was interviewed on Amberlee Jayde’s fabulous Australian podcast, Digital Village. We had great chat! Amberlee interviewed for my book about holistic childbirth around the world. Her transformation is amazing! I look forward to sharing her childbirth stories in my new book series, but until then, listen to our interview.

In this episode, you will learn:

· About my new book that will transform how you see and experience childbirth,

· My mission is to empower every woman around the world in regards to their health and wellness,

· My personal health journey overcoming my debilitating chronic illness,

· How & why I became a holistic healer,

· Universal health issues,

· The importance of healing and how every woman who heals herself, heals all the women who came

before her and heals all the women who came after her,

· We rise as women by uplifting one another,

· The definition of an empath and what one can do to protect oneself from taking on others energy,

· How law of attraction attracts circumstances/ events that surpass our expectations,

· And the importance of a healthy and functioning liver.

It's Time For Compassion and Female Empowerment!

Home births are illegal in Peru. With the pandemic many mothers in Cusco, Peru are electing to have home births over hospital births. Health officials in Cusco are aware of this new trend and that many are offering to assist women with home births at this time. No arrests have been made yet, but health authorities are greatly discouraging women from giving birth at home saying that it is not safe. They are trying to ensure that every protocol has been made to ensure their safety at this time with the virus and that they should refuse help at home and have their births in hospitals.

This is so sad! Home births should not be illegal. Home births are not more dangerous than hospital births. Women should have the choice where they want to deliver their babies. If they feel safer at home, they should be allowed to give birth with assistance in the comfort of their homes. In Peru people are still in lockdown. They are not allowed to go out unless it is necessary. Requiring pregnant women to leave their homes when they don’t feel safe is not right. This causes unnecessary stress and potential trauma to mothers and their babies. They are scared for their health and their babies health during this pandemic. Why would they want to go to a place where there are people sick with the virus? Women should have the choice. Women should not fear being arrested nor should the people who are assisting them to have a healthy birth.

Have You Ever Heard of Natural C-Sections?

When I was in Peru, I interviewed a well-regarded OBGYN named Dr. Antonio Lévano. He is a pioneer in his county for natural c-sections. Natural c-sections originated in the United Kingdom in 2008, but in 2010, Dr. Lévano was the first OBGYNs to implement this technique in his home country of Peru.

It has been well-researched that babies that reach full-term are healthier than premature babies. Babies that are born premature may have respiratory problems such as sleep apnea or require ventilators, and may even have asthma and allergies throughout their lives. Mothers have a harder time breastfeeding babies which are born via c-section too. To remedy these issues, natural c-sections also called gentle c-sections were created.

Lévano described to me how he does natural c-sections in Lima, Peru. These c-sections are planned. Women decide ahead of time that they would like to have a c-section over a vaginal delivery. Unlike scheduled c-sections, after the mother begins contractions, not before, she arrives to the hospital to delivery her baby.

It's International Cesarean Awareness Month!

April is International Cesarean Awareness month. This month is sponsored by ICAN – The International Cesarean Awareness Network.

ICAN is a non-profit organization whose mission is to improve maternal-child health by reducing preventable cesareans through education, supporting cesarean recovery, and advocating for vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC).

After researching childbirth around the world, the WHO (The World Health Organization) recommended that only 10-15% of all births be delivered via c-section. They stated that higher than that number were excessive and could cause health issues to the mother or baby. They believe only 10 to 15% of cesarean births are medically necessary. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 30% of births in the U.S. are via c-section.

Cancer and Pregnancy - Mothers Who Are Thriving Despite Having Cancer As Young Adults

Hi Ladies!

It is AYA (Adolescents and Young Adults) Cancer Awareness Week! This week brings awareness to those who currently have or who have had cancer between the ages of 15 to 39. Many people are shocked when they are diagnosed with cancer at a young age. Cancer is something many believe can happen as they grow older, not when they are still growing and developing. Women who are diagnosed young, not only fight for their lives, but they must make difficult decisions before they are thinking about having a child which may affect fertility later.

Some of the issues that AYAs face are isolation, debt, fear of death, problems with relationships, sexuality, infertility, and they often don’t receive the emotional support they need.

A friend of mine named Julia is a mother today, but when she was a young adult she developed leukemia and had to have treatment. Great news is that she beat leukemia and became a mother last year! Throughout her pregnancy journey, she felt great physically and emotionally. And in September, she had a beautiful, healthy baby girl. I was so happy for her!

Lauren is another woman who had cancer young and beat it. Lauren was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. She beat it twice! But when she was 24 years old, she was told by her oncologist, when she had her relapse, that her treatment could prohibit for from having children.

World Health Day - Affordable Health For All

Hi Everyone!

Happy World Health Day! Right now, we are still going through the pandemic of the Coronavirus, but it is also World Health Day, one day a year to raise awareness/to highlight a concern of the World Health Organization (WHO). Every year World Health Day is celebrated on April 7 and this year’s theme is giving people access to healthcare without the prospect of financial hardship. The WHO asserts, following numerous studies, that “countries which invest in universal healthcare will make a sound investment in their human capital; indeed, access to a very bottom line of care and financial protection will not only truly improve someone’s health and life expectancy, but also protects countries from epidemics, reduces poverty and the risk of hunger, creates jobs, drives economic growth and enhances gender equality.” This is a very important topic and ties in with my research about childbirth around the world.

When researching for my book, I learned about birth tourism. It is a common practice for pregnant mothers to travel to foreign countries to give birth to lower the costs associated with childbirth. Sometimes it is also for citizenship, but mostly, it is to reduce healthcare costs. This tradition is especially common for pregnant women from Asia. Expectant mothers move to Canada at seven or eight months, so that they will give birth in Canada and not have to pay medical fees. After the birth, they fly back home.

Wearing Blue And Honoring You - World Autism Awareness Month

Today is World Autism Day. What does that mean? World Autism Day is one day each year to raise awareness to autism and to the rise of autism. In 2007, The United Nations designated April 2 to be World Autism Day.

According to an organization called Autism Speaks, international communities around the world light up buildings, landmarks and homes in blue and people wear something blue to show their love and support for people with autism. Throughout April is World Autism Awareness Month and many communities hold autism-friendly and educational activities to increase understanding and acceptance of people with autism and provide events which are kinder and more inclusive, so that all children may be a part of them.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is typically suspected withing the first three of life, but it may be detected later. Most cases appear to be with boys, but girls can also have ASD. Autism Spectrum Disorder is specifically a wide range or “spectrum” of symptoms which may result in many disabilities. There is no known cause and there is no cure. Depending on the severity of the symptoms, some children may be characterized as low or high functioning. Medication may be given to some children. However, there is no single countermeasure to overcome autism. More and more mothers are looking for a more natural approach instead of medicating their children young and throughout their lives.

What Is Your Life Missing? The Feel Good Factor!

Last month I was interviewed on my first Indian Podcast, The Feel Good Factor with Susmitha Veganosaurus. I was delighted to be on her new podcast! Susmitha is a vegan chef and podcaster who loves to talk about health and wellness, female empowerment, spirituality, and healing. Her podcast, The Feel Good Factor, is all about consciously finding things that spark joy through every aspect of life. The podcast features contemplative talks, interviews and meditations, covering a wide range of topics from compassion to self-love, wellness to abundance, and so much more. Her podcast is so aligned with my values that I was ecstatic to be on her show.

This was my first interview talking about my new book, Shock and Awe: Unifying Women Around The World Through Childbirth and this new blog. On the episode, we spoke about female empowerment, the importance of supporting each other as women, my love for writing, and why I am so passionate about my book and this blog.

Listen to the interview here.

What Does A Holistic Perspective On Childbirth Mean?

Hi Lovely Ladies!

As I mentioned in my first blog post, this blog is based on my new book about childbirth around the world which focuses on childbirth around the world from a holistic perspective.

What does a holistic perspective mean?

Great question!

A holistic experience takes into account the mind, body, and spirit of the individual and the full story. That means that my book is not about only the act of childbirth (that one specific moment) around the world, but how childbirth affects mothers physically, as well as, emotionally, and the full story from discovering they were pregnant, to the 9 months of pregnancy, to the actual labor experience, to the postpartum period being a new mom. I am curious about the full journey!

I interviewed over 60 mothers and experts around the world about their childbirth experiences. I was interested in not only how childbirth affects mothers, but how it affects mothers holistically in different parts of the world.

Let's Create An Open Discussion on Childbirth

Hi Ladies!

Let’s have an open conversation on childbirth!

As I mentioned in my first blog post, this blog is intended to be a conversation about childbirth around the world. I will provide some research, advice and tips from the mothers and experts who I interviewed for my book about childbirth around the world, but most importantly, this blog is for you to engage with one another. I hope that new mothers will come here with their questions on preparing for childbirth and pregnancy and how to make the postpartum period smoother. I hope women around the world will share their experiences and tips too. With so many countries around the world, I am sure there will be differences and that will be a great way for us to learn from each other.

Empowering Women To Support Each Other

Welcome to my new blog! This is my third health blog and my first blog about childbirth around the world! This blog is based on the new book I am currently writing about childbirth around the world, Shock and Awe: Unifying Women Around The World Through Childbirth.

In June 2019, I was inspired to start writing my first book after talking with a friend. My book is about childbirth around the world from a holistic perspective. I started doing research and I was fascinated with what I discovered. But quickly, it became apparent that a book about childbirth around the world would be more interesting told from the perspectives of mothers instead of piecing research together. I set out on a quest to interview 50 women around the world and hear their heart-felt stories. My passion and enthusiasm grew and I decided to interview experts in the childbirth industry too, and I didn’t stop at 50 interviews but over 60, representing about 15 countries around the globe, spanning the last seventy-five years, from all ages and points of view from home births, birthing centers, and hospital births, to natural and medicated births, short and long births, and women of all backgrounds.