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birthpanama

~ Pregnancy & Birth in Panama

birthpanama

Monthly Archives: January 2014

Rocío

25 Saturday Jan 2014

Posted by partonaturalpanama in HOME BIRTHING, IMAGES, NATURAL BIRTHING, STORIES, WATERBIRTH

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Rocio

Rocio

Rocio Atencio

Together

Together

Rodrigo and Graciela are amazing OB’s. I was extremely fortunate to have found them (thanks to my hubby).
We have a beautiful baby boy thanks to their support when sorely needed. I recommend them to anyone who is looking for a second opinion, personal and humanized healthcare. Best wishes to all pregnant ladies and mommies out there!

Here is my story:

Panama City, Republic of Panama.

My story starts in 2008 in Houston, Texas USA, when after years of trying to conceive (1 failed IVF attempt), I finally got pregnant (naturally after a laparoscopy to remove some endometriosis). My daughter was born premature. My membranes ruptured at 25 weeks and Danielle Victoria was born at 26 weeks, weighing 2 pounds 7 ounces. She was a trooper from birth, a real fighter. To this date, she continues to be a feisty 5-year old (beautiful and healthy). We were lucky to be living in a city and country were prematures have a chance to survive and to be absolutely healthy.

I really never thought I would or could get pregnant again, but fortunately, God/destiny blessed my body once again. 

At 20 or 21 weeks, my first OBGYN indicated that my cervix was thinning and based on my past history (pre-term labor); he wanted to conduct a cervical stitch (cerclage). Since my husband and I were already looking into natural birthing options (due to my very dramatic first pregnancy), we immediately contacted Rodrigo and Graciela Aybar.

Dr. Graciela was very kind to make room to see me after I told her the story… A cerclage at around 22 weeks…. I was afraid that would conflict with our natural birthing plan. Both she and Rodrigo were there on the first appointment. They listened carefully and did a thorough examination… Both concluded that I needed to be on bed rest until I reached at least week 37 to ensure the baby wasn’t born pre-term like my first daughter. They also prescribed progesterone suppositories through the course of my pregnancy (until week 37).

My husband, who is an acupuncturist, took care of me the entire pregnancy. At any sign of contractions, he would immediately tell me he had to perform acupuncture to ease the contractions and to relax me. Acupuncture worked wonderfully!

Dr. Graciela and Rodrigo closely monitored my evolution and the health of my baby in-uterus.

I read a lot about natural births and water births. I decided I wanted something less stressful than my first experience. I wanted to be at home. My husband doesn’t like hospitals so he was totally happy that I would opt for a home, water and totally natural birth.

Since my first child was via C-Section, the doctors checked my scar and made sure I would be OK if I opted for a vaginal birth. They went to our home to make sure it was in good conditions for a water/home birth. We were ready for the day, my belly was huge and I was ready for my baby to decide when he wanted to come out into this world.

September 28, I started contractions at around 10PM. At around midnight, my water broke. I had called the doctors to let them know my evolution. As soon as I informed them that my contractions were 5 minutes in between, they headed our way, reaching our home at around 1AM with all their equipment (pool included).

It was 12 hours of labor. At 10:15 AM (9/29/2013), our son Fabian Corpas, was born! Absolutely and positively PERFECT!

I gave birth squatting and nobody told me I couldn’t eat or drink… I was free to move, to walk around my house, to be naked if I wanted to… hehehe…. Zero beeping from hospital machines and zero nurses monitoring every single movement. I didn’t tense up from that hospital smell… You know the one that gives you hibby jibbies….

The doctors were supportive and were constantly joking! They are a SUPER TEAM!!!! They were relaxed at all times! Their calm attitude gave me additional confidence that everything was going to be fine.

If I were to get pregnant again (I am 37), I would immediately approach our doctors Rodrigo and Graciela and plan for another home birth. It was an amazing experience….

A lot of people have approached me after giving birth and cannot believe that I had a vaginal birth after C-Section and cannot believe that I opted for a natural birth; when I explain the reasons behind my choice, they totally understand. A lot of women have said that nobody ever told them that a vaginal birth after a C-section was even an option. So I am always happy to share my story and talk about the wonderful couple that helped us during our pregnancy and during childbirth.

Rocio Atencio

Birthing Room

24 Friday Jan 2014

Posted by partonaturalpanama in ABOUT US, HOME BIRTHING, HOSPITAL BIRTHING, NATURAL BIRTHING

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Free birth

Free birth

Expulsion Unit/ Expulsion Ward

It is incredibly interesting to see how many mothers and expectant moms have become more and more interested in defending their rights; in particular the right to give birth in the manner they prefer and feel more comfortable with.

Each day they contact us and motivate us! They always give us useful and interesting ideas.
One of them, Eliana, told us that we should suggest to the hospital that has named their labor and delivery unit the “Expulsion Unit” to change that name to the “Birthing Unit”. We thought her suggestion was fantastic.

Unfortunately, the problem in our country is that the attention to child birth is more serious than just a simple name that you could give the Labor and Delivery Unit.
All maternity areas in panama’s public and private hospitals are cold, full of medical gadgets and artificial lighting, with the same background music that has been used for the past 40 years y managed by personnel who in most cases are cold, distant and authoritarian.

For example, none of the public hospitals in Panama allows a mother giving birth to have a birthing partner during labor and delivery.

In private hospitals a birthing partner is allowed, but with tons of rules and limitations. In most cases, those birthing partners feel stressed because they know hospital personnel doesn’t really want them there.

The scenario itself is always the same, the pregnant woman about to give birth on a bed and when she is about to give birth, they apply an enema to clean her bowels!
She is connected to an IV so she can receive an infusion of synthetic Oxytocin.

A fetal monitor is permanently strapped to her belly with two belts that keep the monitor in place so that the nurse or doctor can monitor the baby’s heart rate from a distance (in essence losing any human contact).

The expectant mother cannot stand up. She cannot eat nor drink anything.

If the woman wishes to urine or have a bowel movement, they place a cold metal or plastic bedpan under her hips …

Vaginal exams are conducted with excessive frequency, without even consulting with the woman in labor or discussing with her the need (or not) to conduct this exam at any given moment.

In private clinics, they suggest with enormous insistence that the mother accept an epidural, which immobilizes her even more and once the epidural is administered, they connect even more monitors to her, for example, the electrocardiograph sensors and the blood pressure meter remain permanently in place on her other “free” arm.

The epidural is a “cocktail” of drugs that adds to the synthetic oxytocin already in her bloodstream.

To pressure the mother to “request” the epidural, in each bedroom of the labor and delivery unit of some private hospital, they have a huge pain scale. The nurse will walk in the bedroom frequently, without even knocking, to ask the mother to point to the face that best describe the pain she is feeling. If the pain is “Severe to Worst Possible”, the nurse then calls the doctor so they can suggest the epidural.

Quite frequently the doctor helps the mother rupture membranes…

And in the middle of all this madness, if she is lucky to escape a C-Section, she is rolled into the “Expulsion Unit” on a wheelchair!!!

There, she is examined frequently. And they continue to press down on her belly to “accelerate” the birthing process.

Almost always they will perform an episiotomy. As soon as the baby is born, they cut the umbilical cord take the newborn away from the mother to conduct an Apgar assessment (which can be performed on her belly) on what they like to call a reanimation crib (recovery crib).

They speed up the process of placenta expulsion, which causes intense pain and increased bleeding.

Currently, in any part of the civilized world, the reality is completely different. I saw this personally, for example, in Germany in the city of Heidelberg.
Things are completely different there.

During the pregnancy, every woman visits the place where she will give birth with her entire family.
She is given birthing options such as a water birth or a big cozy bedroom that doesn’t feel like she is in the hospital.

She will be in this big bedroom during labor, delivery and post-delivery. She is released after two days. The new mother is given support with nursing and bonding in the first hours of the newborns life.

Mother and newborn stay together all the time, without any interruptions.

During active labor a mother is allowed to walk, sit and lean on ropes that were especially installed to help her during the last moments of delivery. She can eat, drink, take a shower and go to the bathroom.

When she is ready to give birth, the bed where she has been during labor becomes the delivery bed.
Then they bring in the medical equipment that will be needed to give the mother and the newborn the care required… The reality is that the medical equipment was always there but placed discreetly and not entirely visible in order to keep the mother focused in labor and not causing her any unnecessary stress.

The rooms have adjustable lighting and the mother can opt to have background music or not. Hospital personnel cannot come and go in her bedroom as they please. They have limited access to ensure the mother isn’t distracted nor interrupted.

They even worry about the tone of voice used when they are walking inside the labor and birthing area or bedroom.

In the moment of giving birth, the mother can choose whatever position she desires. For example, squatting if she feels safer and more comfortable.

The midwife or doula must adapt to the birthing the position the mother chooses.

So we reach the following conclusion:

We do not even need the Labor and Delivery Unit!
Of course, in the meantime, changing the name from Expulsion Unit to the Labor and Delivery is more appropriate!

Dr.Rodrigo Aybar
Dra. Graciela A. de Aybar

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