Slut for power

[soilman]

Cyndi too.

[Teri]

Ha! Soilman made the 1000 th post in this thread, a veritable slut :D

[Martin]

Ooohh.. You got post #1000 on the thread. :)

[Teri]

SNAP !!!!!!!!

[soilman]

Avalon writes
========================
I firmly believe that much of the noise and discomfort felt by many women is a result of feeling out of control and terrified as to what is happening TO them. When a woman goes into the birth experience expecting to perform it as something that is their right and their job to DO, and something they are CAPABLE of doing, then the experience is usually much better.
===========================

While I completely agree, I also think there is a double-whammy going on. Childbirth is, out of all life-experiences, one of the most physically challenging to the mammalian mother, and to the child too. And of all the mammals, even the primates, humans seem to have the tightest pelvic-cephalic squeeze -- because human babies have by far the biggest heads at birth, relative to pelvic dimensions, of all primates, I think. Our heads at birth are almost the size of our adult heads. Yes, they are plastic, are squeezed into an elongated shape during birth, but they seem big compared to other primates. And childbirth being thought of as being a difficult challenging life-problem, seems to be something that has been going on throughout history, and thruought all cultures -- which suggests that there is a lot of truth to it -- that it isn't just culturally-inherited fear that is responsible for stories of bad things happening. Yes fear attracts bad things, and increases the likelyhood of bad things happening, quite a lot. Indeed, fear tends to attract the very things that one is afraid of. But bad things also can happen by themselves. So i think childbirth shouldn't make people nearly as fearful as it often does -- but on the other hand I believe a great deal of caution is warranted, and I believe the possibilities of a need for surgical intervention are there, and more likely than at other times in a woman't life, even if a woman goes into childbirth totally without fear. I'd guess that the the figures would be that about 3 percent of childbirths would be severely problematic, even if entered into without fear. While the odds are overwhelmingly in favor of no serious problems, and therefore there should be little reason to worry, severe problems are not rare. They are not the norm, but they are not rare either.

[soilman]

That is, childbirth is a challenging situation to begin with. But the climate of "we're taking control because we studied how to in school and don't want to waste the money we spent on medical school" only makes it worse, turning a stressful situation into an unbearable one.

I believe midwives and doctors would do better by allowing a woman to take as much command herself of what is going on, getting into any postion she feels like, giving birth anywhere she likes, within a few miles of an obstetric-power-tool-equipped workshop, and not getting intervention unless both she and her chosen trained midwife with hand tools make a joint decision that drugs or surgery are needed. You want to lie on your back -- lie on your back. Get on the floor on your hands and knees? -- get on the floor on your hands and knees. Switch back and forth -- fine. Turn sideways -- fine. Anything that helps. Get into a shower? Fine. Walk around? Fine. Evrything should be focused on using drugs and surgery as a last resort and should be resorted to if and only if the woman gives her express spoken consent to them.

A full understanding of what might be needed, and when, and how, should be gone over and over, studied, [b]months before[b] the woman arrives at the birthing room at the hospital, near the obstetric power-tool room. If understanding of procedures is had, if and when they become necessary, they don't have the potential for being perceived with that fear of the unknown quality that is overwhelming, and contraction-paralysing.

From my own experience, because I know just about every detail of what is involved in a dental root-canal procedure, and because I know how to diagnose whether a tooth really needs one, and can tell if a dentist is selling unnecessary treatement -- i have absolutely no fear of root canals, like most people do. Nor do I experience any discomfort whatsoever, while having root canal treatment (aside from a slightly sore face muscle, from keeping my mouth open for a long time -- but that is a good thing for face muscle development!)

[Teri]

omg, root canal reading matter at 2.40am. This might mean nightmares if I ever get to sleep...

[soilman]

I love root canals -- if they are used only when needed, and done properly -- on a patient who understands what is being done -- they are a wonderful thing. A nightmarish toothache can dissappear in moments, the moment a little hole is drilled into an infected tooth, to let the evil spirits (painful fluid pressure on still-living tooth with still-living nerve ending) out.

Because a hard tooth with only a tiny opening (at root tip) leaves little room for swelling of the soft tissues inside the tooth, swelling that would be "just painful"somewhere else in the body, becomes excrutiatingly painful when inside a tooth. And people often mistake how something feels when you touch it - soft or hard -- with how it feels when it is touched -- making the erroneous assumption that soft things are more sensitive and hard things are less sensitive. Yet nothing can be further from the real truth -- which is that teeth, the hardest organs in the human body -- are one of the most sensitive. So proper dentistry is a godsend.

[soilman]

It isn't root canal treatments that one should have nightmares about, it is the majority of dentists who don't use root canals appropriately, or don't do them properly, that one should have nightmares about.

While I joke around about doing root-canals on unsuspecting neigborhood dogs, in reality I don't really do them, on dogs or people, unless they are really needed.

[soilman]

And by the way i do not think that believing, before having a root canal, that there is little to fear from having a root canal, is sufficient preparation to reduce the possibility of one's root canal procedure being something terribly unpleasant. I believe that one must first learn about what is involved in a root canal proced; learn when they are needed and when they are not; and learn which dentists do them appropriately, and which dentists do them inappropriated.

Then, there will be much less to fear than if one just went to any old dentist, and agreed to whatever treatment she said would be needed for you. But if, due to diliginent research and preparation, you know that a root canal that you are having is a needed one, and is being done by a practitioner with good skill and finesse -- then indeed it isn't a matter of convincing yourself there is nothing to fear -- it is a matter of knowing there is little to fear. And this then makes sure that you are most likely to have a painless procedure, and one that benefits you more than it harms you. However if you went to the same practitioner and just took her word for it that you needed a root canal, and didn't check out whether she was a good practitioner, even if she is a good practitioner, you will be less likely to have an outcome that you remember happily.

[soilman]

Most medical and surgical pratitioners seem to think that hiding the details of what they are doing, from the patient, increases the likely hood of a good outcome. I have just the opposite belief. I believe that the more details my patient asks about, and that I tell her about as a result of her curiosity, the better the results of any surgical or medical procedure I perform, will be. Of course I can't force patients to listen, who don't want to hear. But I can encourage them to feel comfortable about asking questions, knowing that I want them to know.

In most cases anyway. There are some exceptions.

[Avalon]

Originally posted by Teri
what are mets?

HAHAHA! Teri you made my day!

[Avalon]

Dammit. Now I have read on and been made to realise
I really need to go to the dentist! :(

[LadyFaile]

i skipped the teeth talk cause well i haven't been to the dentist in some time and i know i need to go, but i can't afford to, so i'd rather pretend to be ignorant on the matter for now.

i need my wisdom teeth pulled :( and have a loose filling :( and a cleaning would be good :(
damn i wish i had a dental plan. i could've gotten one through work but it only covers emergencies. ie: if i knock out a tooth on the job. so umm not particularly useful right now

[Thalia]

I am thinking of having my wisdom teeth out, but I am not convinced it is necessary. They are not impacted, just crowding my other teeth and not getting clean enough (and perhaps making my teeth grinding/TMJ worse). I have started cleaning them better.
I have been learning more about natural childbirth. I still doubt I'd do it, but it is important to learn about the pros and cons anyway. I found a site with a lot of neat links:
http://www.sblomberg.com/epidural/

I wish you luck, Pnut Weeny.

[KC Kid]

Thanks for the info Soilman. I wish I lived closer to you and I'd be calling for dental work. I have some new pictures of the troops that I'm getting developed and I'll post them soon.

SuperDad Teri: No not really, women are the hero's. Carrying the baby for 40 weeks, birth of the child, nursing...I just try to do my part, spend as much time with my Son and see the world through his eyes. Cyndi and I have made a lot of personal sacrafices, but this is exactly what we wanted and I guess I really wouldn't call them sacrifices:confused: Both of us agreed long before Gav, nicknamed "Buzz"--cause he's always buzzing around, was born that we would not be utilizing daycare. First we were in the process of moving to a new city where we don't know a lot of people, but mostly just because we want to be totally responsible and in charge of raising our son. Cyndi works during the day and I work at night so someone is always here. My only wish is that I could take Cyndi out for just one night. We haven't really been on a date since he was born!! Man do I ever want to show my gal a good time :love:

As far as natural childbirth, I doubt its for everbody. With this being possibly our only chance of having a child, we were literally on pins and needles the entire pregnancy. I had to really work hard and appear to be laid back, funny, just keep my girl from stressing out. Spent a month constructing the nursery, attended all the childbirth classes (breastfeeding class is great for hubbies too...you gain a great appreciation of what's going on and the incredible benefits nursing offers) and just stayed busy shopping for clothes, strollers, you know the drill!! We worked on our childbirth plan and after researching we concluded it would be in OUR best interest to avoid, if possible, the use of drugs. From the research that we performed. there are not a lot of negative side effects from drugs used, but can make the baby more lethargic the first couple of days, etc. We just didn't want to take any chances. So everything turned out great and now Gavin's growing up so fast, but Cyndi and I cherish every second of it:)

[KC Kid]

One other thing:

Greatest parts of the pregnancy from the male perspective.

(1). Seeing the heartbeat for the first time at 12 weeks and getting that cool little printout that really doesn't show anything, but it never leaves your wallett and you show everybody and their brother!!

(2). Around the end of the second trimester when I'm laying on my side and early in the morning, Cyndi cuddles up and I feel the baby thumping me in the back.

(3). Seeing your lady transform before your eyes as the seed you dropped grows and grows and grows. My girl never looked so fine. Cyndi only weighs about 115 and to see her up around 170 - 180 just blew me away. Simply more to love.

[Avalon]

AWWWWWW!

(How long have you two been together again?)

[KC Kid]

I was 16 and she just turned 15. We both went to very, very tiny schools about 20 miles apart. Our schools were consolidated in football and track. So when I played football, she cheered. In track, Cyndi was an all-state sprinter and man did I ever love to watch her run. She was sooo fast and to watch the buns wiggle....oooohhhh la la. We dated through high school, but actually broke up for a 10 month period after I graduated from high school. Worst 10 months of my life. I knew I was in love and she dumped me. 10 months later Cyndi shows up at my apartment with a dozen roses and appologies. Got married about 6 months later (totally against wishes of friends and family because we were so young) even rumors that we were getting married because Cyndi was pregnant..Yea right. Anyway the marriage torch has been burning for nine years and counting. Only seems like yesterday though. All I can say is I'm one hell of a lucky guy.

[Teri]

Cyndi is a lucky girl too. And it's all so wonderfully romantic, :love:

[allison]

yeah congratulations to KC and Cyndi for making a wonderful life for themselves!

[Teri]

There's masses of cherry blossom and apple blossom out here, spring is amazing :)

[Martin]

Hey Avalon.. You remind me of that chick from Star Wars.http://web.ecomplanet.com/WILS7629/ServerContent/MyCustomImages/WILS7629CustomImage041710.gif

[allison]

hehe has no one else noticed we're on page 69 :tame:

[allison]

i've just realised that the page numbers are different for some people...