Protecting our Families Starts at the Beginning - Having the Type of Birth you Desire - Protocols to Help Protect your Newborns while at the Hospital

In these days we are living in there are so many things we need to protect our children from. Lately I have been reading many posts about protecting our families and our rights as parents. If we don’t stand up for our rights who will? If we don’t protect our families who will? Those of you that are familiar with my blog know that we are a non-vaccinated family. That day in the hospital when we first meet our children we refuse any type of unnecessary treatments for them along with vaccines.

Although we are blessed to have midwives we still have to work with other nurses and sometimes even doctors that may not be on the same page as them. During one of my deliveries I had a few complications which thankfully were smoothed out in the end. In the midst of those complications we had a visit from another doctor due to the hospital’s policy. You still have to have a residing doctor on call in case of emergencies.

Birthing Plan

First contact, skin to chest

For every delivery, we have present with us our typed up birthing plan. Our midwives also get a copy of this beforehand. I strive for a natural vaginal non-medicated delivery. I have achieved this four times. This is one of the main reasons we chose midwives to deliver our babies because they promote these types of births and allow you to birth in whatever position or in any way that will make this possible. I couldn’t imagine being bound to a bed on my back giving birth. It would make it so much harder giving that gravity works with you and your baby when you are right side up...you don’t have to work as hard. On the plan we list everything we opt out of and also those things we would prefer. For example I prefer skin to chest immediately after my babies are born. The nurses wrap them up and hand them directly to me. The first contact they have is on my chest snuggled with me. I also prefer first feeding before any other procedures. So while the babies are in my arms I nurse them right there in that moment. Another important thing we opt out of is for my water to be broken unnaturally. I believe in baby’s health and safety first. So if there is a situation that threatens my baby’s life and we have to speed up the process to get him/her out sooner than by all means that’s what we’ll do. On a normal basis I prefer my water to break on it’s own. This has also happened for me every time. It is valuable having a plan that everyone has seen so everyone knows what your wishes are and what to expect.

A Support System

It really helps having my husband with me the entire stay at the hospital. I really need him during those times where I want to give in and take medications or tell myself just get the epidural. Thankfully I have never given in and our plan has always went the way we wanted...no medications, interventions or “help” as I call it. I like to be alert and feel everything that is going on with my body and my baby. Some women just can’t understand why I would allow myself to go through all of that pain when I can just numb it all. Our bodies were created with the ability to give birth to a child. If I use medication, I can’t feel what my body is naturally telling me to do. When it’s time to push the baby, I don’t need anyone to tell me to push. My body automatically starts pushing because it was designed that way. Epidurals may help shake the pain during delivery but some mothers experience pain after it wears off. My sister-in-law feels tingles in her spine every time it thunder storms. I know that may sound strange but this started happening right after she gave birth with an epidural. Also when you allow everything to be numb you can’t feel when you are pushing your body past it’s limits thus a lot of women experience painful tears in the end. The one thing I do like to have in my room for help is a diffuser with essential oils that helps with energy and motivation.

Before arriving at the hospital we always remind ourselves what we have written in our plan. We talk about the benefits of having a natural vaginal birth. For every delivery I’ve had there has been at least one nurse that shows in her demeanor she doesn’t agree with our decision to not vaccinate or not to do certain procedures. She usually asks us more than once and then we finally have to say “we have made our decisions and are sticking by them.” It’s always best to have someone that is strong and respectfully stern with you during those vulnerable times of delivery where you might just say “yes, do what you need to do” because you are in pain and so focused on working.

Go Wherever Your Newborn Goes

In this picture our son was about to get his hearing checked. If you look closely in the background you can see my husband standing right behind him.

Knowing that there are professionals that are with us during and after delivery that do not agree with our decisions we have come up with a plan that we have stuck by. While in the hospital wherever our babies go my husband goes with them. For any testing, procedures that we have consented to whatever it may be, when our babies are strolled away in that rolling crib he strolls right behind them. I mean we all have seen those movies like ‘Switched At Birth’ or ‘Baby Disappears from Nursery’. You just can’t take any chances these days. One of our main concerns is that someone might decide to give our baby shots or medication that we did not consent to. When we refuse certain things for our children there is always someone that thinks we are neglecting them or hurting them by not allowing it. When in reality we are doing just the opposite. We don’t want to risk this ever happening to our children.

It could be 3:00 am and my husband is on the hospital couch bed asleep. If someone comes in to take our baby he will jump up ready to go or I will wake him. One time a nurse came in quietly and didn’t say a word. She started to stroll the baby out and then my husband wakes up and says “where are you taking him now?” She apologizes and says she didn’t want to disturb our peaceful sleep. My husband then replies “oh please do, I need to be with him.” This is serious business folks, we don’t mess around when it comes to the safety and well-being of our kids.

Another great thing about my husband being there with our babies is the comfort they have with him by their side. We all know that newborns love warmth and they hate to be disturbed with thermometers and cold things against their skin. When our babies are crying after testing he is right there to pick them up and soothe them.

Procedure Without Consent

Have you heard about the mom from Baltimore City that was outraged because a school Dental program removed her son’s teeth without her knowing? She signed a paper at the beginning of the year giving her consent for routine cleanings only. She was NOT called or notified in any kind of way before they performed this major procedure on him at school. They pulled three of his teeth and didn’t give him anything for pain afterwards. On top of that because of the procedure he missed his bus ride home and had to walk almost a full mile home in pain...alone. How could they operate on this boy without getting his mother’s consent? They call home when a child has a stomach ache or a fever but they didn’t think to call his mom for something like this? It’s just insane. Here’s an article about this story.

I can’t imagine how terrifying and upsetting this was for that mother. We don’t want to take any chances for unwanted procedures to be done or medications given to our children. I even go back with my children at the dental office for cleanings...I never leave them alone or let them be seen by a professional without me present. If or when you have children, don’t hesitate to speak up and tell the hospital staff you want to go wherever your newborn goes. It’s your God given right as a parent to protect your children. At the end of the day you can’t worry about who’s feelings you might hurt or who you will offend. The safety of your family comes first. A newborn can’t tell you what’s been done, you would possibly never know if something was done without your consent.

Parents have been imprisoned, had their kids snatched from them at the hospital for refusing certain meds, brought before a judge for medical neglect, and some have watched their children briefly become wards of the state then taken to hospitals to get vaccinated against their will. Our rights as parents are being threatened and they are trying to take away important decisions that only a parent should make. If you homeschool, are an unvaccinated family, single parent, teenage mom you could be a target for the CPS (Child Protective Services), Social Services or any other service that label themselves as help. The goal of these services are to split up homes and take children out of the comfort and protection of their parents. They are disguised as support but they only “support” their own motives. Please take the time to check out @familyprotection and read the posts on their blog that are written to inform you of these matters. They are here to support you and you will find tips and advice if you should end up in a situation where your family is being threatened. I fully support this cause and will continue writing for awareness on these subjects. Let’s work together in our efforts in protecting our loved ones.

Conclusion

I wrote this post for a few reasons. I wanted to encourage mothers to plan for the type of labor and delivery they want. If you want a natural spontaneous delivery, seek out midwives in your area that will help you achieve this. Write up a birthing plan of your do’s and don’ts. Our Doula once told us once you are given pitocin to induce labor you are headed down a path that leads to a cesarean. Every medication you take while in labor your newborn takes it as well. You are strong and well capable of delivering your baby without interventions, you were made for this. Have a strong support system with you while giving birth.

I wanted to encourage parents to go with their instinct. It’s okay to go wherever your newborns go, it’s okay to ask questions, it’s okay to be cautious and protective over your little ones. I don’t believe in the term “overly protective”. Do whatever it takes to make sure nothing is done to your newborn without your consent.

I wanted to inform families of a support system they can turn to. It’s scary standing up for parental rights. When you refuse procedures and medications you become a target. That doesn’t always mean someone will try to come after you, it just means you are now labeled as a family that does not go along with “normal” procedures. You are not alone, there are other families standing up for their rights and their freedom of choice.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope I have given you more to think about and other ways you could consider protecting your newborns while at the hospital. Protecting our families starts at the beginning.

You can never be too cautious as a parent.

All photos are my own and were taken the day our youngest son was born.

Be Blessed~ ❤️