Shifrah Women's Health in Placid Hills | Medical centre

Shifrah Women's Health

Locality: Placid Hills

Phone: +61 447 238 685

Address: 169 Old Toowoomba Road 4343 Placid Hills, QLD, Australia

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• Medical and health
• Medical centre
• Pregnancy care centre
• Womens health clinic

24.01.2022 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1428134/

22.01.2022 Creepy dudes from the 1600's are why you gave birth on your back. . Lying on your back to give birth closes down your pelvis and almost always increases pain. ...So why is this the most commonly used position for birth in the Western world today? . Because of King Louis XIV & Dr. Françios Mauriceau. . At a time when only women attended births, it's reported that King Louis XIV insisted on watching his offspring be born. He didn't like the obstructed view caused by a birthing stool (most common position at the time), so he insisted his wife or mistress give birth on her back with her legs in stirrups. . Once word got out that this is how royalty gave birth, the new position began to gain popularity. . At the same time, French doctor Mauriceau, who believed pregnancy to be pathological, thought women would breathe more easily and have reduced pain when lying in bed for birth. His view of pregnancy as a disease had a hand in the change from midwife-attended birth to the primarily surgeon-attended birth that we see today. . Though this position is usually the worst option for the woman giving birth, it is still the easiest & most comfortable for those attending the birth. The doctor/midwife/nurse can simply sit on a stool and have a perfect visual, which is a good part of why it is still used today. . . . . . . . . . . #lithotomyposition #birth #birthhistory #historyofbirth #hospitalbirth #birthcenterbirth #homebirth #freebirth #unassistedbirth #vbac #epidural #epiduralbirth #birthingstool #midwifery #surgicalbirth #pelvichealth #pelvicfloor #pelvichealthphysio #pelvicorganprolapse #pelvicfloorpt #pop #freedomofmovement #doula #doulasupport #womenhelpingwomen #patientcenteredcare #womencentered #matriarchy #advancedmaternalage #39weekspregnant See more

19.01.2022 'Having a baby and going mad.' If someone close to you has had a baby in recent weeks and seems mentally unwell, please read or share with her nearest and deare...st. For Perinatal Mental Health Week November 8 - 15. ‘Having a baby and going mad.’ This is apparently what British singer Adele googled to find out what was wrong with her friend. Postnatal Psychosis. It’s rare 1 in 1000 mothers experience it within the first days or weeks after the birth. This is much earlier than postnatal depression symptoms tend to appear, which is an important clue. The mother may be catatonic, they may like me be high as a kite. It is potentially the first manifestation of bipolar disorder, and the woman may be manic or depressed. It is a very dangerous, acute illness that can end in death of the mother and/or the baby. And the woman does not have any insight that she is ill. Let me tell you a little of what happened to me. I came home with my baby from hospital full of love, energy and inspiration. It was remarkable (and widely remarked on by our friends). I sang and danced around the kitchen. I fed my baby, my husband and my father, who suffers from dementia, and anyone else who cared to drop around. I had fourteen people to lunch when our son was 9 days old, and went dancing seven days later. I began writing a book a cookbook and a cooking show. This high was unusual, but my husband Joe and I explained it away. During the birth I was given a lot of oxytocin, the ‘Love Drug,’ so we expected that I would be high on these drugs for a while. We were surprised how long it was lasting, but we weren’t bothered. I’ll hit the wall eventually, I thought. I was enjoying the feeling, so I didn’t worry and enjoyed the first weeks of new motherhood. On Day 17 of my baby’s life, I had an afternoon when I was on fire. I told my birth story to several strangers. I told these random women how I avoided the common progression from induction to gas to drugs and a caesarean and was able to give birth naturally. I thought they listened to me in awe. I thought I had a great story to tell perhaps even a calling. I felt amazing. That night, I had six sausages to feed three people, but cooked only four. I fed two to my father and one each to Joe and I. I don’t know what I thought I would do with the other two raw sausages in the fridge. Joe went to a piano lesson and I prepared a bottle for the baby. But there was a problem: the teat on the bottle wouldn’t flow. I tried another one, but no luck. They were all blocked. What could I do? I couldn’t breastfeed my milk supply was still virtually zilch. I called the Newborn Care Line, a 24/7 midwife-run service. ‘You can call us until he is 18,’ the lovely midwife said as she talked me through whatever the problem was. I rang off relieved. But this was the beginning of a much bigger problem. Joe came home and I picked a fight with him. I don’t remember what it was about, and Joe couldn’t make sense of it either. I wanted Joe to believe me about something. Joe said he believed me, but I wasn’t satisfied. He didn’t say the right word. In my head, there was a specific word, perhaps even a code word that I really needed to hear. I didn’t know what the word was because I was confused. Joe didn’t know what to say to me. By 2am we were both beside ourselves. Joe couldn’t get me to stop demanding that he prove he understood me. In the meantime, I started checking over my shoulder to see if there was someone else there, hiding in the walk-in closet. I later learned that Joe had called the Newborn Care Line himself in the wee small hours of the morning for help. A midwife suggested taking me to the doctor first thing in the morning. So at 7am, Joe told me we were going to the doctor. I thought we were still arguing and that it was an empty threat. I didn’t believe he’d go through with it. Joe struggled with our son and the pram. Meanwhile, I stood outside, still in my nightie, waiting for this ‘test’ that Joe was inflicting on me. I leaned against the fence so no-one could sneak up behind me and grab me. A fear had entered my psyche that I would be taken away from my husband and child, pumped full of drugs and never see them again. I didn’t know exactly what I had done, but I was being tested, and not just by my husband. As we walked to the doctor, a Star Track courier van pulled into a driveway ahead of us. ‘Ah the courier van,’ I said out loud. So that was how ‘They’ were going to get me off the streets, kicking and screaming. But instead, the van simply turned around. So it must be watching me. I was so sure it was following us that I didn’t bother to look around and check. The doctor took my belligerent attitude in his stride and talked across me to my husband, completely ignoring me. I stormed out, and we walked home. Joe didn’t know what to do next, and was frightened by how differently I was behaving. Luckily for us, the midwife from the Newborn Care Line called him back to check on us. She asked him the question that may have saved my life, and possibly our son’s life, too. ‘Can she be reasoned with?’ ‘No,’ said Joe. ‘Present her at Emergency, we’ll call ahead,’ she told him. When Joe strapped the baby into the car capsule to take me to hospital, I thought it was another test. By the time I presented at Emergency, it was less than 24 hours after Joe had noticed something was wrong. This is unusually quick compared to the stories that I have read about this condition. It is these recounting of other women’s experiences with postnatal psychosis that are the true horror stories. I have read of women who thought cameras were all around their house spying on them; who accused partners of trying to kidnap their babies; who were convinced visitors were trying to spread germs to kill them; who thought they were receiving personal messages through the radio; who thought the grim reaper was waiting to decapitate the baby; who thought their babies has died and been swapped. Once a mother becomes deluded like this, she may not share these horrifying thoughts with anyone, because they are afraid. They are afraid of losing their babies, and they may think that you, Loved One, are part of the problem. They may not know that they are ill those in the throes of psychosis often lack insight. But they won’t be able to hide everything that is going on for them, and that’s why I want to help you with the things you might notice. These are some of the symptoms of Postnatal Psychosis, and they tend to appear within days or weeks (as opposed to weeks or months for Postnatal Depression) of giving birth: She may beg for help. She may say that she ‘can’t do it,’ or that she wants what she’s feeling to stop. She might not want, or know how, to look after her child. She might avoid being alone with the baby. She is might be to be unable to sleep. She might be manic, depressed (or cycle through both), and/or anxious. She might not be able to put a coherent sentence together. She might have racing thoughts or pressed speech. She might be paranoid, agitated or restless. She might struggle to make simple decisions. She might tell you people are watching her. She might say or do something that indicates she is suicidal. Postnatal Psychosis is characterised by delusions, paranoia and hallucinations. The new mother knows something is wrong, but she may not realise that she is ill. It is up to her partner, family, friends and mental health professionals to help her. GPs and midwives don’t know as much as they should. This illness must be diagnosed by a psychiatrist, though as in our case, there are wonderful health professionals who do recognise the symptoms of Postnatal Psychosis. You, Loved One of a sick woman, might have to take her to Emergency. You may have to commit her. Do not be afraid. It is the best thing you can do. Treatment is excellent, and most women recover quickly. For some women, it is the only time in their lives that they will experience mental illness. Others may have a repeat episode with subsequent children. It might be the first or another episode for a woman of bipolar disorder. What is really important is that she get treatment as soon as possible. Her life and the life of her child depend on it.

16.01.2022 Lets do better Birth trauma in Australia is jaw droppingly high, it shouldn't be this way. Birth trauma is in the eye of the beholder, It doesn't matter wha...t type of birth you had your experience and feelings are valid. Common themes that cause birth trauma: Prioritising the physicians agenda Disregarding the birthing person's own knowledge of body Using threats and lies to coerce the birthing person Lack of consent What we can do as physicians Slow down and acknowledge the birthing person as a human being Listen to the birthing person Provide a space that is comfortable Be patient and gain full informed consent Did you experience birth trauma? What helped you recover?

15.01.2022 #HomebirthAwarenessWeek2020 Because of contemporary cultural messages about how dangerous birth is, I can understand why homebirth is not an option many women c...onsider. Nonetheless research around the world suggests it’s one that should be more widely considered. Recent Australian research comparing home and hospital births tells the story: for low-risk women choosing homebirth we see no increased risk for babies, but stark differences in intervention rates. Of the women who planned homebirth 10% transferred to hospital for necessary interventions, emergency caesarean 2.5%, instrumental birth 2.5%, epidural 3.2%, episiotomy 2.9%. In contrast, for low-risk women choosing hospital the rates were caesarean 12.5%, instrumental birth 17.5%, epidural 27.5%, episiotomy 21.2%. Merely by choosing a hospital, a low-risk woman increases her chances of intervention. Of the homebirth women 95% had spontaneous vaginal births, while only 70% of women birthing in hospital did. This difference between 95% and 70% might already seem stark but it’s important to note, too, that the figure of 70% for spontaneous vaginal births in hospital doesn’t equate to normal physiological birth. It merely means the baby was born vaginally without the use of forceps or vacuum, so this 70% statistic can also include induction, augmentation, artificial rupture of membranes, managed third stage and other procedures. In contrast, the spontaneous vaginal birth statistic of 95% for women choosing homebirth equates predominantly to normal physiological birth. These positive stats are reflective of homebirth research worldwide. Yet in Australia, in contrast to other countries and despite the evidence of its safety and benefits, homebirth is neither routinely promoted nor easily accessible. Hence the need for an ‘awareness week’ and for me to maintain my passion for promoting homebirth. Happy Homebirth Awareness Week 2020!

14.01.2022 https://www.whattoexpect.com/first-year/baby-vision

13.01.2022 One of the big problems that we have in sorting out cesarean birth stories is that hospital personnel lie to the family/midwife about the "justification" for th...e c/section in order to avoid criticism and/or lawsuits. The stories always have to be highly dramatic. The family must leave the surgery being convinced that their baby was in peril. It's ridiculous to believe that 30% of babies are in peril from position/cord wrapping/ size, etc etc and YET that's what the stories always involve. Someone is lying. The result is that the entire population believes that giving birth through the vagina is perilous. Unmedicated vaginal birth is as safe as life ever gets. In reality, major abdominal surgery is dangerous. Inducing birth is dangerous. Drugs are dangerous. Post surgical complications are dangerous. Not being able to breast feed is dangerous. How did we get so hoodwinked? Wise words by Gloria Lemay This quote from an honest obstetrician says it all: If one went to the extreme of giving the patient the full details of mortality and morbidity related to cesarean section, most of them would get up and go out and have their baby under a tree -Neel, J. Medicolegal pressure, MDs’ lack of patience cited in cesarean ‘epidemic.’ Ob.Gyn. News Vol 22 No 10 See more

12.01.2022 https://www.fishpond.com.au//Fifth-Vital-Sig/9781999428006

12.01.2022 https://www.sarawickham.com/articl/to-feel-or-not-to-feel/

11.01.2022 Baby cage attached outside a window. These baby cages were used to ensure that babies got enough sunlight. They were marketed to families living in inner-city apartment buildings without easy access to green areas. The photo is from 1937.

11.01.2022 Sharing again, just in time for Samhain/Halloween Dating pregnancy is not an exact science and there is considerable variation between women. It is norma...l that some women naturally have longer pregnancies than others. The idea that something terrible will happen if a woman remains pregnant for a moment longer than 42 weeks just isn’t true. The baby doesn’t turn into a pumpkin at midnight. It’s so important that women have full information and are able to look at the pros and cons of different courses of action before making the decisions that are right for them. Part of that is sorting the myths from the facts. This quote is from my book, Inducing Labour: making informed decisions." You can find out more about that and my other books and explore birth-related information and decision making at www.sarawickham.com/iol #midwife #midwifery #doula #childbirth #childbirtheducation #pregnancy #informedchoice #informedbirth #positiveinduction #childbirtheducator #duein2020 #nopumpkins #women #birthinformation #writersofinstagram #drsarawickham #nopumpkins See more

10.01.2022 https://www.smh.com.au//what-happens-to-a-woman-s-body-as-

08.01.2022 It's so sad to have to post this before we've even reached the end of October, but it's the reality. Women are sometimes given unrequested dates for induction... of their labour because their due date falls around the festive period. Induction of labour may be offered (and sometimes requested) around high days and holidays, but it has pros and cons and implications, which makes it a big decision that is worth thinking about carefully. Please get lots of information before you decide what’s right for you and your baby. When I was writing my ‘Inducing Labour’ book, I received so many messages from women who wished they had done more research before they made their decision. Different decisions are right for different people and neither I nor any of the lovely people who will share this post are against induction; we are FOR everybody making the decision that’s right for them. If you’d like more information, I have a whole page of resources at https://www.sarawickham.com//post-term-pregnancy-and-indu/ and you may like to have a look at my book, Inducing Labour: making informed decisions. #midwife #midwifery #midwiferystudent #doula #childbirtheducator #childbirtheducation #pregnant #pregnancy #childbirth #induction #positiveinduction #informedconsent #informedchoice #whatsrightforme #happybirthday #drsarawickham #christmasiscoming www.sarawickham.com/books/iol See more

06.01.2022 I'm chatting with some fabulous midwives and birth folk in our Gathering in the Knowledge online course. One of the topics that always gets put on the table for... discussion is the notion of risk and how this concept is sometimes used in ways that aren't helpful. Many of us have heard some people use the notion of risk to try to scare or coerce women and families into making a particular decision. They might even think they're doing it for good, but it's not okay. So I wanted to re-share this thought as a reminder that, actually, our bodies really are amazing at growing, birthing and feeding our babies, and they did this - on the whole, incredibly successfully - long before medical management of childbirth came along, just a few decades ago. The notion of 'risk' is used to 'sell' a lot of things and ideas, and it's a relatively modern phenomenon. When it comes to birth, I think it can be useful to remember that we can choose to step away from the risk-focused, technocratic approach and surround ourselves with reminders that our bodies (and our babies' bodies) are amazing. If we leave well alone, intervention is only needed now and then. There is a ton of evidence to support taking a gentler and more respectful approach and there are many tools - both old and modern - that can help support you on your journey. There are also loads of wonderful people out there who can help you, and many have now moved to doing this online. Trust your body. Trust your baby. Trust that everything will be okay. You've got this. Here's wishing everyone a happy and relaxed weekend, filled with waves of trust. More on my website and in my book, "What's Right For Me? Making decisions in pregnancy and childbirth." www.sarawickham.com/wrfm #midwife #midwifery #doula #birthdoula #childbirtheducation #childbirtheducation #childbirth #positivebirth #childbirth #evidence #drsarawickham #youdoyou #womanempowerment #whatsrightforme #youvegotthis Photo by @timmossholder See more

03.01.2022 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3021393/ Quote Conclusion: "The haemostatic system is not fully mature until 3 to 6 months of age. It is, therefore, essential to acknowledge that the differences observed between adults and infants are probably physiological and do not always reflect an underlying pathological condition. Several clinical observations support the hypothesis that children have natural protective mechanisms that justify the existence of these broad... variations ... Although both intramuscular and oral administration of 1 mg of vitamin K protect against classical VKDB, a single oral dose does not protect all infants against late VKDB. The intramuscular route of administration of vitamin K prophylaxis has, therefore, been universally adopted, but oral administration should be continued subsequently, according to one of the available guidelines (Table I). This approach seems to effective at preventing VKDB, but also has some drawbacks, the foremost being the fact that available commercial products cost a hundred times more than the basic cost of their one active ingredient, so that broadening this policy to developing countries might be challenging " See more