By Tara Chapman
I define prenatal care as how a woman cares for herself and her unborn child through diet, activity, and lifestyle. While discussing these things, the words prenatal care will be used for the purposes of this article. Good prenatal care includes eating well; staying active throughout pregnancy, though not overactive; avoiding unnecessary stress; avoiding environmental toxins, which includes not smoking or inhaling second-hand smoke; talking to one’s unborn child; maintaining good hygiene; etc.
When a woman goes to see a doctor, she does not receive prenatal care. She receives what I term prenatal observation and testing or POT. Every single thing the doctor or nurse does falls under either prenatal observation or prenatal testing. I can think of nothing they do or offer that is considered prenatal care. Even most of the prenatal supplements they prescribe are dangerous. They contain high dosages of iron that lead to heavy metal toxicity for women and especially unborn children.
Most women who plan an unassisted birth tend to be more health-conscious than women who rely on doctors for the birth of their child(ren). Most eat whole foods and avoid refined and processed flours, sugars, and oils. Many eat in accordance with biblical dietary laws. In addition, vegetarians, including vegans, are not uncommon among the UC community. Most UCer’s take a larger responsibility for their health than the mainstream population. They’re much less likely to smoke or use dangerous chemicals. They tend to eat organically when possible. They’re much more likely to breastfeed after birth and are often are more attached to their children during and after pregnancy. Women who plan homebirths have a much lower rate of postpartum depression. These women are well self-educated and take care of themselves, and therefore they have better prenatal care than the majority of women who visit doctors through their pregnancy.
Before becoming pregnant, it is wise for a woman to start eating a healthful diet if she isn’t already doing so. It is wise to lower her stress and evaluate her lifestyle. She needs good hygiene, healthful dietary habits, a moderate activity level, and avoidance of environmental toxins. If a woman smokes, she needs to quit. If she eats refined flours and sugars, she needs to replace them with whole grains and whole and healthful sweeteners. (Note: Do not eat artificial sweeteners; they are toxic.) An expectant mother needs to eat several servings of fresh fruit daily and drink plenty of filtered water. She should also not use any drugs, including prescribed or over-the-counter medications. Even in serious situations, there is usually a safe alternative to drugs, and most ills can be cured through diet modification and/or detoxification.
The first thing to keep in mind is that it’s not necessary for most women to participate in the routine prenatal testing. Many modern prenatal procedures cause unneeded stress for both the mother and child, and some are downright dangerous. Two such examples of risky procedures are ultrasound and amniocentesis.
Ultrasound technology has been shown in studies to slow down cell division. It has been linked to higher rates of low birth weight and brain damage. I also believe it can cause miscarriage and premature birth. The use of sonograms and Doppler are used routinely for extremely unnecessary reasons. A sonogram is not reliable in determining a “due date” or the size of the baby. There have been many stories told of doctors inducing labor in women for fear of a large baby and delivering premature, low-birth-weight babies. It’s also foolish to risk the possible dangers of ultrasound to determine the sex of the baby simply for the sake of convenience or curiosity.
Amniocentesis is used to detect genetic abnormalities. A needle is inserted into a woman’s abdomen and through the uterus to extract a sample of amniotic fluid. Besides the probable pain experienced by the woman, this procedure is dangerous. There are risks of injury to the mother or the baby, infection, and miscarriage or premature labor.
There are some women who do their own prenatal observations and testing. There are several reasons why women may choose to do this. Some women think it’s necessary, but they realize it’s foolish to pay a doctor and nurse to perform the same things the women can do themselves in the comfort of their homes. Other women don’t find it necessary, but they do the testing and observations and chart them for “proof” of prenatal care in the event it comes in handy. Still others simply do it all for fun.
A list of things women may consider recording on charts on a regular basis are as follows: testing urine for glucose, protein, and/or other substances in order to catch suspicions of such disorders or illnesses as gestational diabetes or pre-eclampsia; clarity/color of urine, weight, blood pressure, fundal height (height of uterus in centimeters from top of pelvic bone), fetal heartbeat, noting fetal movement, noting fetal position, noting edema (swelling), noting contractions, noting vaginal discharge, pulse, and temperature. Women may also want to record additional comments on things occurring throughout pregnancy. Most women have a scale at home to weigh themselves. Optional equipment to buy are urine test strips, a fetoscope, and a blood pressure cuff. These are all available online. If recording her own pulse, a woman may need a watch. If a woman decides to take her blood pressure, she may need an additional person to help, depending on the type of sphygmometer (blood pressure cuff) she purchases. Some women periodically check their blood pressure at public stores that have free machines set up inside. Again, these are all optional, and each woman should decide what works for her.
http://www.christianckmothers.com/unassistedpregnancy.htm
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