[trmpetplaya]

I had a midwife attended home waterbirth with dd last year and am going to be lurking around here learning more about UC for my next pregnancy (whenever that may happen). It sounds right to me... and I'm sure I just need to read a bit more (reading is the easiest way for me to learn) to be comfortable with actually trying it.

My main concerns right now are:

1. I had two kidney infections during my last pregnancy (ended up in the ER the day after dd was born... because I had the infection before going into labour). I would like to do unassisted pregnancy too and am wondering how best to build up my kidneys and prevent UTIs. I'll most likely broach the subject in health and healing also, but welcome any suggestions you mamas have!

2. I bled a lot when I delivered the placenta and my midwife gave me a shot (gads... I don't remember what it was) to slow the bleeding. Would bleeding too much be something I would need to worry about in a future birth?

Thank you!

love and peace.

 

[Kidzaplenty]

Trmpetplaya, Welcome to the group!

I am sure you will get so much advice here that my small contribution will be nothing.

I can not help you with the kidney thing, I have never had to deal with that. But I have heard that drinking lots of cranberry juice is good for it. And I would suggest perhaps just lots more water. It would help keep your system cleaned out.

As for bleeding. Once a bleeder does not make always a bleeder. However, many UCers find that because they are UC and no one is tugging on the cord and there are no interventions, bleeding is less likely anyways. BUT, as bad as it sounds, if you do begin to hemmorage, eating some of the placenta right away, or even just putting a piece under your tongue, is suppose to make it stop right away. For emergency purposes, that's what I would do.

I am sure others will have a lot more info for you.

 

[Captain_Crunch]

Hi I too am planning a UP/UC,if I ever get pg that is, anyways welcome to the board. Unfortunatley I can't directly answer your concerns but everytime I (or someone else) worry about the what-ifs I remind myself that women have been giving birth for millions of years without medical intervention...it's truly amazing what a woman's body can accomplish if you just step back and let it do what it was designed to do.

I do know that there are some herb tinctures and such that you can buy online to help with hemmoraging(sp?) and I'd be incredibly shocked if there isn't something available for kidney/UTI infections,as well.

 

[kungfumoose]

I have LOTS of experience with Urinary Tract Infections. *shudder*

I am actually allergic to most of the antibiotics that are used to treat UTIs (well, I'm not sure if the word "allergic" actually applies, because I don't have an "allergic" reaction, I just have an "adverse" reaction....It nearly killed me, and if I take it again, I will probably die)
Anyhow...I digress.

The PP mentioned Cranberry juice, and I wholeheartedly agree. however, I go a step further, I take a cranberry supplement, it has 1000 MG of cranberry concentrate, and it also has a bunch of blueberry, bearberry, and citric acid.

Cranberry, and bearberry, are great for the unrinary tract (kidneys, bladder, urethra, and all the tubing) they are fabulous, they help prevent "things" from sticking to the walls of the tract and they clean it out.
Cranberry, and blueberry have natural antibiotic properties, and they help kill germs.
As you can see, cranberry is really cool.

If I were you, I would try to drink a glass of cranberry juice eveyday, or at least every other day.
Any bearberry, and blueberry is also good.
Good luck with that!!

~Moose

 

[Intertwined]

Drinking rice water is excellent to prevent UTI's, but I think most importantly, a gallon of water per day. I hear a lot of people say drink to your thirst, but I notice MOST women have become very, very good at not recognizing the signs of thirst!!!! We are so busy chasing kids and leading busy lives. My UTI issue is coming back, and sure enough, I have not been getting nearly enough water, and I haven't been drinking my rice water/cranberry mix every morning. I have a slightly prolapsed bladder, so I tend to get them easily while pregnant.

 

[trmpetplaya]

Thank you for the advice! When I do get pregnant again I need to be very proactive about UTIs because I apparently had them the entire time I was pregnant with dd (my midwife did tests every month and the one month we didn't do one I got the kidney infection), but I never had any symptoms

I've had them when not pregnant and there was no doubting that I had one... but when pregnant I had no idea when I had one or not

I had not heard of bearberry before

Nor of putting placenta under the tongue! Wow. I have a lot to learn

: I didn't really have any interventions during dd's birth... no pulling on the cord or anything. How do you make rice water? I'll look it up too, but I'd never heard of that before either!

I also forgot to mention that I have had an unassisted m/c (my first pg). I'm eternally thankful that I did not go see a doctor and that I didn't have to get a D&C. I was 14 weeks along and they would have given me one, I know it. The thought that women have m/c for thousands of years without doctors helped me so much during and afterwards.

I'm looking forward to learning more here

:

love and peace.

 

[shell024]

Just saying hi! I *recognize* you from the mj tribe...

There is a wealth of knowledge here and plenty of cool ladies with a great deal of wisdom to share! I was so inspired and felt very supported by the community here when deciding to have a UC.

Sorry you have to deal with the UTI crap, but I've heard a lot of good stuff about good quality cranberry supplements too

: and PLENTY of water like the pp mentioned.

As for the bleeding, it was probably pitocin that she gave you a shot of, that is pretty common. There are some homeopathic remedies that are supposed to help (I've never tried em though, others here have), but I used my placenta like a pp mentioned. I bled a lot after the birth and fainted when I stood up to go to the bedroom so that it would be easier to breastfeed and get the placenta out. So as soon as that placenta came out (I had dp bring me water and food asap and just held my head low) I broke off a small chunk (coin sized), rubbed it under my tongue, and then threw it down my throat followed by a glass of water and some fruit to get the taste out(just tastes like a bit o blood...not appetizing, but worth it). It is only an unresolved hemmorhage (when resting, water, food, head low, eating placenta, and/or homeopathic herbs arent working) that you (well, I) would want to transfer for.

Anyway, nice to "see" you, and I'm hoping to be pregnant again sometime too, whenever mother nature decides its appropriate!