Strollerderby : women's health

New Abortion-Opposition Strategy to Cripple Planned Parenthood

Shannon LC Cate — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 20:00:00 GMT

That the far-right Family Research Council is gunning for Planned Parenthood is nothing new. Their latest tactics, however, are uniquely timely. The Wall Street Journal reports that the latest volley in the reproductive health wars is a claim from the far-right that government money should not be used to fund the health clinics in these difficult financial times.

Arguing that the clinics are well-funded without states' money, they say it's time to let them go it alone. In fact, about a third of Planned Parenthood's budget comes from state contributions. To remove them would severely damage the clinics, leaving low-income women and teen girls even fewer options for health care. Because even though Planned Parenthood is the largest abortion provider in the United States, abortion services account for only 3% of their work. The other 97% includes contraception provision, STD testing and treatment, cancer screening and prevention and other Ob/Gyn and some men's reproductive health care.

I have taken advantages of Planned Parenthood's low-cost, basic women's health services, as have many, many women I know at times when we've been uninsured, or under-insured students or working for peanuts in retail, food service, or those dues-paying jobs for middle-class young adults that pay in little but prestige. I can only imagine how vital Planned Parenthood's services are to people in a more permanent state of financial challenge. It would be criminal to cut support for them now, when more and more people are losing jobs and thus healthcare.

My Beautiful Cervix

Madeline Holler — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 18:02:00 GMT

No, no, that's not me bragging. It's some other woman. She's showing off her cervix in all its course-of-a-monthly-cycle glory on her blog My Beautiful Cervix.

I'm no judge when it comes to an internal organ's appearance, so I wouldn't know a beautiful cervix from an ugly one. (Right now, I'd settle for one stretched open 10 centimeters, but I'm 9 months pregnant. In terms of charting my fertility, thanks, I'm good.)

Still, her daily cervix update is interesting -- she really put a lot into it (word choice, Madeline, word choice).

For 33 days, the 25-year-old doula and student midwife opened herself up (with a reusable plastic speculum) and had her head-lamp wearing boyfriend take pictures. She starts on the first day of her period and ends on the night before her next period begins.

Most notably, she includes pictures -- lots and lots of pictures -- of her cervix, its changing shape and position, and a few visual samples of her cervical mucus. If you work with people who would recognize (and be horrified by) the business end of a pap smear, consider the blog NSFW.

She also charts her basal body temperature, shows graphs of the whole ovulation cycle and describes how she's feeling each day (emotional, tired, tender heart-achy) to put all the pieces together. Apparently, such detailed documentation has never been done.

It's all pretty familiar-yet-fascinating and something lots of even really smart women really don't get. I mean, quiz your lady friends: do most/any know that the cervix changes positions depending on where a woman is at in her cycle? What about cervical fluid? Rising temperatures? It's all about those fertile days: can you say which days those are?

No shame if you can't because it's not that any of us learned this in health class, so focused on Day 1 to 6 as the teacher/nurse was. Teacher/nurse might not have known herself what goes on, and even if she did she'd probably get fired for telling young girls how to identify their fertile days -- lest they use that info as contraception. I'll confess, I never really understood the details until a friend in grad school recounted the details of this book to anyone who would listen (female or male).

What do you think? Is the blog ridiculous? Informative? Or is she just being a show-off (perfectly round OS and all ...)? And seriously, how'd she make it past Day 3, much less all the way to 33, with daily speculum insertion? That's dedication!

Totally Shocked Parents Return Baby to Hospital

When Bugs Infest Your Child's Scalp

Yes, Vagina, There Is a Santa: A Gift Guide for Cool Parents

The Shape of a Mother

Photo: fitsugar.com

Doctors and Doulas Diss Ladies

Kelly Mills — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 16:26:00 GMT

Over at the Huffington Post there's a critique of the way medical professionals and caretakers dismiss the concerns of women. Joyce McFadden contends that while men's problems with docs tend to do more with men avoiding medical help, women are actually ignored or find their valid concerns are minimized. Women complain of pain and are told they aren't really experiencing it. She gives examples of this in childbirth, and here's where I was a little surprised: She calls out doulas as well.

I guess I didn't expect to see doulas included in the hot seat because part of the whole doula idea is that you want someone advocating for you when you are in labor and may not be able to look after your own interests in the most effective way. And there's an idea that doulas, who operate differently than the medical professionals, will be more responsive to women. But McFadden writes, "A woman says to her female doula, 'There's something wrong with the labor, I need to go to the hospital right now.' The doula repeatedly tells her she should just hang in there, it's not time yet, which proves to be a bad error in judgment." It's a brief mention, but to be honest, I think it's probably reasonable to include it. I believe the majority of doulas are excellent, and often provide real help and comfort for laboring moms. But it's probably safe to say that McFadden is correct, there are a few doulas who are dismissive of women's concerns. I think the point is that we need to work to ensure women are heard and heeded by all those involved in the childbirth process, even in the throes of contractions.

Armchair Activism: The MOTHERS Act Needs to Pass

Alisyn — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 19:33:00 GMT

Read carefully, because this affects all of us: 800,000 American women each year suffer from the debilitating and horrible effects of postpartum depression. Eight hundred thousand. That is a staggering number, isn't it? Equally shocking is that only 15 percent of these women will receive any assessment or treatment for postpartum depression.

That's why BlogHer, Postpartum Support International and Postpartum Progress are joining together to host a blog action day (next Wednesday, October 24th) in support of the MOTHERS Act - The Moms Opportunity to Access Help, Education, Research and Support for Postpartum Depression Act. Women in this country are demanding that new mothers and their families are educated about postpartum depression, screened for symptoms and provided with essential services. To show your support by the bill, call your senator next Wednesday (the more calls the better!), and blog for the cause.

The women of American need this bill to pass, and we need the acknowledgment and support of lawmakers to make that possible. All it takes is a phone call and a blog post to do your part.

10 Reasons Not To Have Kids: Is That All You Got?

Kelly Mills — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 16:30:00 GMT

Why should you not have kids? Let me count the ways... Well, Dirty Writer came up with 10, stuff like "They Are an Economic Drain" and "Once they are Born you are Pretty much Stuck with them". Mmm hmm. Go ahead and read them; just wake me up when you are done.

Back? Okay, those of us with kids can probably give you a whole lotta better reasons to put the lock and chain on the uterus or the sperm tool, depending on your situation. Rachael rattled off: "bad for sex life, stinky, bossy, fluffy, they take away everyone's attention from YOU" in about 30 seconds. She also had one of my top reasons in there, "bad for the hoo hoo" which I'll underline by saying, think to yourself: do I like my vagina? Because it will never, ever forgive you. Unless you go c-section, and that's its own can of worms.

I'd add to the list: deflated boobies, having to talk to strangers who admire your baby, lugging a giant diaper bag around for years, your poor vagina, mom jeans, kids can cramp your dating style, you won't be able to watch or stay awake in a movie for decades, stories of serial killers and nature shows will devastate you in a new way, your poor vagina, they like to make you look the fool in public, you never get to hoard your sick leave or vacation again, your poor vagina, you'll plumb the depths of your own sleep-deprivation-induced rage, say bye bye to a restaurant meal that doesn't involve crayons, MILPHs, and of course, your poor, poor vagina.

Any we missed? I bet we could add another bajillion or so.

Lay Midwives Win Right To Practice In Wisconsin

Patti — Thu, 03 May 2007 16:27:00 GMT

Wisconsin has just become the 25th state in the US to legalize the practice of lay midwives. The first license has already been issued by the state, and in addition, the new law allows midwives to practice without being involved in a formal health care practice.

Lay midwives are often as experienced as their degree-holding counterparts, but they have had to fight for recognition and the right to practice their vocation openly. Nurse midwives are praising the legislature's decision as a validation of the midwifery model of care for women's health. Approximately 1100 babies were born outside of hospitals in Wisconsin last year, and those numbers are expected to rise with the new regulations.

25 states down, 25 to go!

Study: Natural Family Planning Works

Stefania Pomponi Butler (CityMama) — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 23:01:00 GMT

A new German study suggests that natural family planning is as effective in preventing unwanted pregnancies as the birth control pill. If you aren't familiar with natural family planning, think a much more labor intensive "rhythm method."

I've been practicing various forms of natural family planning for over 12 years now and I've only gotten pregnant twice. (ba-dum-bump) Both times were planned pregnancies. I have to credit my local Planned Parenthood clinic for teaching me about natural family planning after several other methods didn't work. I can't tolerate the pill and am (like many women) sensitive to contraceptive foams and gels, so my boyfriend and I (now my husband) opted to give natural family planning a try. It helped that I was in a committed relationship and a pregnancy would have been okay (though not ideal) at any stage, but once you get the hang of it, I do think it's a viable birth control method. (Slapping on a condom to help prevent STDs is probably a good thing if you aren't in a monogamous relationship.) If it didn't work, we'd have a passel of kids right now, right?

Anyone interested in natural family planning needs to read "the Bible" also known as Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler. This method not only help to prevent pregnancy, but can also be "reversed" to help you get pregnant as well.