"Island Blogging" is about life on an island in Scotland...
Posted: Tuesday, 16 September 2008 |
Comments
Just wondering if my comment will post.
Testing from USA
Michelle, when I commented about my concerns about your home birth, I meant that you should consider booking yourself in to the Balfour in Kirkwall. Not Aberdeen. You say that you will go to hospital if anything goes wrong between now and your first labour pains. But, and I don't want to needlessly panick you, but what happens if your baby goes into distress during labour, when you have already had labour pains for the last 18 hours and your are unable to move yourself due to the intensity of the cramps? I believe it would take about 20 minutes to half an hour for you to travel to Kirkwall in an ambulance, but of course an ambulance would have to come to you first. So we're talking about at least 40minutes, or perhaps an hour until you make it to hospital. What can happen in that time? I think with your first aid training you would understand very well what can happen to a human, whatever size, when suffering from restricted oxygen for that length of time. My first, in fact, ALL my pregnancies were very normal and healthy. But when it came to the crunch, I was physically unable to push them out. I tried twice. There was no indication during pregnancy that I would have any problems at all. I really really hope you have a fantastic birth, that you thoroughly enjoy the experience, and that you have as many healthy bairns as you would like to have. But I also hope that you consider the potential risk realistically. Yes, birth is a perfectly normal process, as is death, stillbirth, brain damage, haemorrhaging etc etc. I am sure you see a normal percentage of death among the lambing every year. We are humans, therefor we have a facility to reduce this risk. Hospital. And it works.
Ruthodanort from Unst
well that's that put straight then!! I do like Moo's blogs cos they are interesting and controversial! I had a close friend with the pubis thing - and she had to go to Aberdeen to have her second child, she could hardly walk, and her first child aged 3 ran away in the Bon Accord centre, she had to drop everything and give chase.... they don't make women like that any more.... I wrote myself a letter whilst pregnant with son no 2, "why I will never get pregnant again", it was such a horrible experience but as you may know I have 3 children. Son 1 and 3 were horrid births, no 2 was the best. Michelle why don't you go with the NHS and have a domino birth - your NHS midwife accompanies you to the hospital and takes you back home straight away?? that way you have the best of both worlds?
scallowawife from phew!
So glad to have you back..was getting concerned. WOW..sounds like you have been going thru a nightmare...I, for one, admire you opinions, not that I always agree, but you go girl!! Exactly whose business is it where/how you have your baby...just do what you know in your gut is best for you! Cheers...
BC from Ontario Canada
Glad to see you're back. I've enjoyed reading about your farm and island life. I've been wondering if you were ok. Glad to hear that you are.
Gale from NC, USA
Moo, if you write a blog, and you express an opinion in that blog, then, as you put in this blog, you are going to get comments from readers disagreeing with your point of view, this is all part of the blogging experience. It's not all nice and lovey-dovey stuff, there's some people that may strongly disagree with your opinion, and they may comment about it, but that's blogging Moo, and it is life, or part of life. I disagree with quite a lot of some of your expressed opinions, but I try never to be nasty in commenting on them. Basically it boils down to this, if you don't want comments on your blog, STOP BLOGGING. If you get nasty comments, ignore them, don't answer them back, just leave it, they'll soon get fed up, and go on to annoy someone else. Cheery...
Tws from The Croft Lewis
Well said, Tws.
Ruthodanort from Unst
i agree with the above comments: i don't want to scare you but even five minutes can mean life or death,not just for the baby-for you as well-i had an internal heamorage two hours after the birth of my son--there wa nothing abdormal to indicate this was happening to me ,but thank god for my training,i realised something was wrong as i felt drained,extremly tired and felt i was floating away and this was in a maternity hospital-my son would have been ok bt perhaps with no mother to love him.
carol from over here
Glad to hear you're doing OK, Moo. But I think you might consider the advice from other women who have experience of giving birth and not cut off all your options. You have to be prepared for the unexpected! Good luck.
Jill from EK
Moo, glad you've set them straight and I cant wait to read more about your adventures in farming!
Tracy from USA
How dare you dissapear like that!!! lol. I missed your blog...No comments on your obesity, labour or any other matters IT'S YOUR LIFE ....LIVE IT!!! Take care, Ines
Ines from London
Dear Moo, I respectfully submit that I, like all other bloggers/commenters, am free to comment/cross-comment as I see fit. The only moderator of the islandblogging site is the 主播大秀, not the individual bloggers/commenters. On other blog sites I believe one can censor comment, but here, within the confines of decency, and the House Rules, comment is otherwise free. I would never dream of commenting on a person's appearance, offensively or otherwise.
Flying Cat from not cross, but commenting
I believe Moo was just trying to unclog Island Blogging from unnecessary non-island comments. Some of the commentors have been vicious and malicious in how they stalk her. Her she feels that if she's blogging about the farm then the comments should be farm related UNLESS she changes the line of post. Why bring up her other blogs if SHE doesnt mention them? Especially if its only to be ugly and mean.
Tracy from USA
good to hear from you again Michele, agree with the advice to ignore argumentative/negative comments, re birthing I am thinking am I the only mother on IB that had happy normal births, I must be exceptionally lucky (or something), I had all my 3 at home as I was more scared of hospital than giving birth (yes I know irrational) take care M.
island threads from lewis
TWS... if folk want to act like morons because they can't handle another person's views via comments they make on a blog that doesn't mean that *I* have to either put up with their crap or quit blogging! They can be the ones to grow up. Hence, I removed comments and I continue to blog. And if they want to come and harass me here on a totally unrelated blog I have every right to tell them off. It's the bullies, not the bullied, that need to get a grip!
Moo from half awake in front of keyboard
Ruthodanort, scallowawife, carol: I do understand your concern. It's totally valid. The thing is, there's "something else" that is going on that I do not want to make public because certain folk are not here to defend themselves. I don't want to gossip, you know? So you're kinda being left in the dark about a huge chunk of my reasons for this or that choice. And yes, birth is risky but it's not so incredibly risky that I need to approach it with fear. I can hemmorage, yep. But my two independent midwives have the tools necessary to deal with PPH - or at least stabilize it until I get to the hospital. I was told point-blank that women have died in hospital for PPH. You can be gone before they have a chance to get you open, even in a high-risk unit like Aberdeen. I can die right there in the hospital just like I can die right here on the farm after getting hammered by a bull while out on an innocent walk or run down by a car or flattened by a tractor. Risks are everywherebBut unless they are significant, I'm not going to be afraid. At this point in time I'm perfectly healthy, I'm fit, my pregnancy is fine. If my baby goes into distress this does not automatically equal instant death for me or my child. Babies and mothers die in hospital because folk mis-read the information on the monitors or they have the opinion that one thing is going on while another thing is actually taking place. Most of the routine interventions actually place me and my baby at more risk then the risks of having a home birth. It's not black-and-white: "Hospital safe, 主播大秀 dangerous." Both come with risks and after much research I have discovered that the totally needless routine interventions that Aberdeen wants to force upon me will put me at much, much more risk then having a normal "routine intervention free" birth. Uprooting me from my home and my husband to go livein a hospital for God-knows-how-long just because I'm fat, strapping me to a bed with needless monitors... confining me to a room like a prisoner and not "allowing" me to go anywhere... these totally unnecessary things won't help much either!! If I need Balfour I'll go to Balfour. If I die, I die. I could die in the next five minutes as I go out to the barn to help Erlend feed the bull. That's life. Death is the only gurantee we have! The risks I face for a home birth are very minimal. The risks I face with a hospital birth are much higher due to rediculous "interventions" that will be forced onto me. I've made my choice. Balfour maternity ward is fantastic and the midwives are magnificent. If I need their help I'll be very happy to go there and deliver my baby. This isn't about "I don't like Balfour Hospital." It's about, "I'm not submitting to unnecessary things that increase my risks beyond what my risks already are." Have a good night!! Thanks for your input.
More MooOoooo from Zzzzzz...
Moo- we've missed you!! I think you should just talk all you want right here!! We like your outspokenness!! You make us think and tell us beautiful stories about a beautiful place some of us hope to visit one day! You are a one woman Orkadian Tourist Board! Lovely pictures, too!
Shauna from Tejas
FC ~ it's the nasty cross-comments and the local harassment that finally got on my last raw nerve. True, people can cross-comment all that they want but this does not mean I have to put up with harassment. Or cyber stalking for that matter!! We can do what we want... but there *are* limits. I'm sure you can agree with that.
MOoOooOOoo from 主播大秀
Moo, you can do whatever you like, but all I was trying to tell you was, that if you put your views on this internet highway, via this blog , or any other blog, then people will comment on it. If you feel that you are being stalked, then just ignore the stalker(s). Don't let them get inside your head. By writing this blog, you have given them a small victory. Good luck with the baby, when it comes.
Tws from The Croft Lewis
Oh well, I don't agree with a lot of your choices, but I can see you've made them. So, I wish you all the best Moo, hope it all goes well.
Ruthodanort from Unst
Absolutely! I hope your baby is a healthy bouncing one.
Flying Cat from in agreement
one last thing moo-you say you were angry that someone sent someone to your house--have you ever stopped to think for a minute that perhaps that same person cares about you and was worried about you???
carol from over here
As Plato, Aristotle, not to mention Aristophanes and St Augustine (of blessed Catholic fame) all said: "Whatever!" Or was it: Que sera, sera?
mjc from IN, USA
Moo as "a one woman Orkadian Tourist Board" - Shauna from Tejas. # Now that thought never crossed my mind before, but it is now embedded. Hopefully it won't interfere with my sleep.
mjc from IN, USA
Please ..... Orcadian, not Orkadian.
Ruthodanort from Unst
Just quoting Shauna from Texas, Ruthodanort. Come to think of it, you could take a picture of Moo next time you visit Orkney, and submit it to the relevant authorities for publication by the local Tourist Board. Might attract other Alaskans. You folks could do with some more, surely.
mjc from IN, USA
really ?mjc
carol (the french connection) from back from market
My cousin Dawn is trying to come here for a baby visit in December. She's fae Alaska! Might bring a friend too. Soon we'll be flooded with Alaskans!!
Moo from Hallway
Well as long as they don't bring Sarah "I can see Russia from my back garden" Palin with them, I'm sure they'll be nothing but an asset, Moo. Outback resourcefulness never goes amiss.
Flying Cat from anticipating a nappy event
So...I traded my quiet cabin in the Alaskan woods for the howling winds of Orkney and life on a farm. 
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