Mom Answer: Overdue, hmmph! April 30, 2009

Hi~

Just wanted to share this info with anyone whose caregiver is telling her that her baby is “overdue” and pressuring her to get an induction/c-section to start her birthing. Of course, we all know that normal pregnancies can last 37-42 weeks but those pesky doctors can be persistent! (I call it my guess date or guess month as suggested by the Hypnobabies program.) ^^

In addition to asking for your Bishop’s score and ignoring sonogram interpretations that you have a “big baby,” you might use the following information to help support your decision to wait for your birth time to occur on its own.

The 40 week gestation model (280 days from the first day of last menses or 266 days from presumed ovulation) was put forth by Franz Naegele more than a hundred years ago. It is based on the idea that a woman’s menstrual cycle is 28 days and that gestation takes 10 cycles.

A study published in Obstetrics & Gynecology, in 1990, revealed that gestation time is not one-size-fits-all (surprise!). Factors such as age, race and whether or not a woman has birthed before can be used to factor her so-called due date.

In summary, the study found that median gestation time for 1st time mothers was 41 weeks and 1 day and 2nd/more time mothers was 40 weeks and 3 days.

I found this journal article referenced in my Hypnobabies homestudy workbook. You can purchase the full text of the study or find more quotes from it online. I have only read the abstract, which should be noted, only describes findings based on “private-care White mothers.”   I don’t know if there are significant differences for various racial groups or for White moms using other types of care. Here is the article info:

The Length of Uncomplicated Human Gestation
MITTENDORF, ROBERT; WILLIAMS, MICHELLE A.; BERKEY, CATHERINE S.; COTTER, PAUL F. Obstetrics & Gynecology . 75(6):929-932, June 1990.

Abstract:
By retrospective exclusion of gestations with known obstetric complications, maternal diseases, or unreliable menstrual histories, we found that uncomplicated, spontaneous-labor pregnancy in private-care white mothers is longer than Naegele’s rule predicts. For primiparas, the median duration of gestation from assumed ovulation to delivery was 274 days, significantly longer than the predicted 266 days (P=.0003). For multiparas, the median duration of pregnancy was 269 days, also significantly longer than the prediction (P = .019). Moreover, the median length of pregnancy in primiparas proved to be significantly longer than that for multiparas (P=.0032). Thus, this study suggests that when estimating a due date for private-care white patients, one should count back 3 months from the first day of the last menses, then add 15 days for primiparas or 10 days for multiparas, instead of using the common algorithm for Naegele’s rule.

Mom Answers: 4 Supports for Breastfeeding January 29, 2009

We’ve talked about this before, but I really want to stress to your first-timers, the importance of breastfeeding support which comes from three or four main sources:

1. Professional Support:

This is the most obvious. I think it is EXTREMELY important to meet with your available options BEFORE you need help. In Korea, Keun Hae is one of the main English-speaking LCs If you don’t meet her by taking her childbirth class, please call her to introduce yourself, find out her services and prices and let her know when you are due . I believe she also teaches a breastfeeding class. If you are going to your home country (or staying here and speak Korean), investigate the hospital options, go to a La Leche League meeting or a hospital breastfeeding support group meeting before your baby is born. Find out the available resources before you need them and also make sure that you can work with the particular LCs or LLL leaders. Personality is very important because you will be feeling vulnerable if you need help.

2. Family/Partner Support:

Your husband may or may not be completely clueless. Get him on board BEFORE the baby comes. Tell him that you need his help and support and don’t want him pushing you towards giving up and shoving formula in the baby’s face as a means of “helping”. (If you choose to formula feed, of course that is fine, but I am talking about wanting to breastfeed and being pushed into formula feeding for other people’s convenience). If you have  family close to you, their views and experiences with breastfeeding are going to impact you. If they did not breastfeed you need to tell them your intentions BEFORE the baby is born and get them on board. They may not be supportive, but you need to try to get them on board before you start. If you are lucky enough to have a mom or MIL or sister close who did breastfeed, she can be a great support for you.

3. Other Breastfeeding Women:

We have this group. Please use the experienced nursing moms as a resource. We would be glad to help in anyway we can. La Leche League or other breastfeeding support groups are good as well. This is especially important if your family is far away or not supportive.

4. Work Environment: If you are going to go back to work, you need to make arrangements for where and when you can pump and store your milk BEFORE you have the baby and come back to work. Also, if you are going to go back to work, you should talk to an LC about getting ready to go back to work BEFORE the baby comes. If you have a very short maternity leave, you will need to start pumping almost right away because pumping takes time and practice.

You’ll note that I have capitalized “BEFORE” throughout this post. That is the key word. You can’t know everything before it happens, but the more you know before you have problems, the better prepared mentally and emotionally you will be to deal with the problems.

Anonymom

Mom Answer: Your”Bishop’s Score” January 19, 2009

You’ve heard stories about women getting induced and having cesareans…especially in Korea where some 40% of women are said to have them.  You aren’t “opposed” to a C-section but you’re still curious about your risk.  Is there any way to know before you go into labor, what you might be up against?

The answer is “yes” (to a certain point).  By checking your “Bishop’s Score” it’s said that you might be able to get a jump on knowing if you’re at risk.  Keep in mind though, that mind of matter does matter and that even though you may be at risk…no one can tell you before your labor begins…how it will end.  Focus on the positive and staying healthy and you’re still likely to be among the 95% of women who are perfectly designed to deliver naturally/vaginally.  Either way however you deliver…your bound to be blessed by your little bundle of joy!!

Happy Birthing!

Mom Answer: Breastfeeding Contact/Support January 13, 2009

Do you want to breastfeed but find it somewhat a challenge?  Wish there was someone you could call?  Someone that had some answers and might show you how to breastfeed in a way that makes everyone involved feel more comfortable and at peace with the idea of achieving breastfeeding success?

Perhaps you should contact Ms. Keunahe park at keunhae2001@yahoo.co.kr. She’s been known to help out bewildered moms achieve success. Her usual fee is about 70,000won but when you and your kiddo are in a successful and loving feeding embrace…it’ll seem totally worth it. Besides, if you were to put a price on peace of mind…would it be more or less than 70,000? For the moms she’s helped…it’s been worth every beck won.

Happy feeding!!

Anonymom

Mom Answer: KB Pregnancy Card (200,000won FREE) December 19, 2008

This is a program started by the National Health Insurance corporation, not the banks or hospitals, so ALL pregnant women are entitled to the 200,000 won card. And a big hospital like Severance should know what’s going on…. very strange. I’d keep hounding them, maybe stop by a KB Bank and ask about it and they may have brochures there that you can then take to the hospital.

W200000 medical costs in total at W40000 per day,you can use the benefit upto 15 days post birth,the offer started on 15th December 2008.

Other Benefits:
5% off stuff bought at Lotte Dept,Lotte Mart,E-Mart,HomePlus and online at GMarket,InterPark and Auction

5% off Daycare

5% off Pharmacy and OB/GYN related costs

You can pay 2-3 months interest free installments for stuff bought at Lotte Dept,Lotte Mart,E-Mart,HomePlus and online at GMarket,InterPark and Auction

You get a rebate of:
W5000 if you use W300000 in the month
W10000 if you use W500000 in the month
W20000 if you use W1200000 in the month
W40000 if you use W2000000 in the month

Later on you get:
10% off education costs from webooks.co.kr
5% off Kindergarten costs
Discounts off Phone English lessons
10% discount off Skincare products
10% off Healthcare stuff at Hamsoamall.co.kr
10% off cord blood banking with celltree.co.kr(PS let me know if you use this as I would love a referral!)

If you are having a dreadful time with the application etc. as I did,call the Myeongdong Headquarters-82-2-2073-7114 and ask for the English consultant(I spoke to Chung-Younsam)