Reading Roundup 7/3 (Sleep, Fevers, Fertility, Hep B, Newborn Care, and so much MORE!)

I finally cleaned out Google Reader so this is a mass dump of really neat articles. Hope you find something you like.

Midwife Mania? More Babies than Ever Are Delivered by Midwives - "New Mexico has the county’s highest rate, at 24% for all births. Not surprisingly, they also have one of the lowest C-section rates in the country."

The Miles Circuit - Series of easy maneuvers to help regulate or speed up a stalled labor. It is also helpful to relieve back pain for mom and turn a malpositioned baby.

My Mama Cloth Adventures and Review of Four Sources - I love the idea of cloth diapers and this is just another spin on that but for us moms and the infamous Aunt Flo.

Maizy's Beautiful Hypobabies Birth - I came across this birth story today. I'm still in awe of how mother-baby friendly this hospital was. The have a birthing tub, were open to Hypnobabies, did intermittent monitoring in the water, allowed mom to push in a position of her choice, allowed her to to push even though an OB or midwife were not available, delayed the full newborn exam, and allowed baby to nurse right away. *jealous* Wish they could all be similar to this.

Antidepressant Use During Pregnancy Increases Risk of Hypertension - VERY interesting. "Antidepressant use during pregnancy was associated with a 53% increased risk for pregnancy-induced hypertension."

This post also goes on to show that depression can be caused by low vitamin D levels, which has also been linked to PIH.

Frank Talk About the Hep B Vaccine for Newborns - You know I love a good chart. This compares the decline of Hep B (has a vaccine) vs. Hep C (does not have a vaccine). Pay close attention to the orange line (age 0-19). I still cannot fathom why we inject babies within their first few hours of life. For this.

How Fever Can Cure Cancer - "Fever is not a symptom that we must eliminate with toxic pharmaceuticals as prescribed by mainstream medicine. Fever is nature's way of healing and eliminating pathogens. "

All About CoQ10 - I'm just learning about the awesome antioxidant properties of this vitamin. I love this part... "CoQ10 in natural medicine has been found to be beneficial for those suffering from Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's.It plays an important role in fighting premature aging.

10 Decisions for Parents of Newborns (Part 1 & Part 2) - Very good information presented in a non-biased way with lots of options. Great read for all parents.

Informed Consent - Gives the key questions to ask your provider before making any decision. I am a firm believer that patients should always have informed consent. This post even links to the AMA definition.

Science You Can Use: Why do my baby's hands always get in the way? "Ever notice that, just when you're getting your baby latched on, his hands always seem to get in the way?... What if those hand movements had a purpose?"

Losing Sleep? All Natural Ways to Fall Asleep and Get More Sleep - There are some great tips at the end of this article but I found these 3 things important to note.

1. The Journal of Occupation and Environmental Medicine recently found that women working the night shift had 400% higher risk of cancer.
2. If you sleep less than 7/hrs per night your changes of getting sick triples.
3. Sleep is one of the most important factors in your health.

Natural Fertility and Zinc - Zinc is actually one of the most studied nutrients when it comes to fertility. Much of the reason behind that statement most likely stem from the fact that zinc is an essential component of genetic material. This means that a deficiency in zinc can cause chromosomal changes.

Effect of timing of umbilical cord clamping of term infants on maternal and neonatal outcomes (Review) - This is a study from 2009, which analyzes 11 trials. The author's noted that delayed cord clamping (2-3 minutes) showed no increased postpartum hemorrhage risks to mother and there were long-term improvement of baby's iron levels up to six months post birth.