Comments for Meddling Kids

Comment on CONGRATULATIONS! by boyinfidel

boyinfidel — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 20:49:27 +0000

Thanks Jim! Emma has been brushing up on her Dawkins and Hitchens in preparation for her first meeting with you

Comment on An Example Of Not Getting It by biguglyjim

biguglyjim — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 13:34:43 +0000

Science-based Medicine is one of the most respected blogs on the net. Harriet Hall, the author of the piece, is a fantastic writer and legitimate scientist. The “study” which her article references is an exceptionally well put together study which, humorously enough, was actually thrown at me by pro-home birth militants who had clearly not read it. There is nothing inflammatory about it, and the intention of Science-based Medicine is to report medical findings as non-biased as possible.

I have not read the article you provided (I just woke up and have a ridiculously busy day ahead of me) but will attempt to find the time this weekend to do so. If the “study” you’ve linked to (see how I did that? By putting “study” in quotes it makes it look like a joke without my even having read it! Oh, technology!) is a decent, scientific evaluation of legitimate data, I’ll happily express that. Also, I think I’ll forward it to Dr. Hall and see if she wants to evaluate it for Science-based Medicine as a means to further the topic.

Comment on An Example Of Not Getting It by bronwyn

bronwyn — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 08:30:49 +0000

Hey all you people out there reading this,Jim, God bless him, passionate as can be, is hopelessly uninformed about this topic. Please read the following link. Unlike the biased and inflammatory article ABOUT a “study” which claims that three times as many babies died at home-births, it is an ACTUAL study done by reputable and highly respected colleagues of mine here in Vancouver. I have personally worked with 2 of the doctors who designed this study (one of whom is among the most reputable and respected OB’s in Canada). http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/reprint/181/6-7/377The full text article is on this page in PDF format; just click on the menu on the right side of the page and enjoy!The Jury is NOT still out.

Comment on An Example Of Not Getting It by Satan

Satan — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 21:13:29 +0000

Most women these days just want to squat over the dumpster and get it over with, I find. It’s a happy medium for everyone except the McDonalds that happens to own the aforementioned dumpster.

Comment on Salamanders And Algae: Breaking All The Rules by David Hamilton

David Hamilton — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 21:18:34 +0000

For people who think the exception proves the rule, I agree, they don’t understand the phrase. If you look it up, its a very old latin phrase, and a more accurate translation (which includes its meaning) would be “If I mention an exception, it means that a rule exists”. For example, if a restaurant posts “closed on sundays”, that means their rule is they are open all the other days.

Comment on Things I Can Do That The Faithful Cannot by David Hamilton

David Hamilton — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 21:14:48 +0000

#5 makes me think of The Incredibles.Helen Parr: “Everyone’s special Dash.”Dash Parr: “Which is another way of saying no one is.”

Comment on An Example Of Not Getting It by boyinfidel

boyinfidel — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:03:28 +0000

Jim,

As you know J and I are about to give birth. We wanted a more comfortable and soothing experience than a hospital birth can provide, and we did consider home birth. Our research led us to the conclusion that a home birth was just too risky. If anything severe was to happen during the labour, a 15 min drive to a hospital is too long for our liking.

We chose a middle ground: to have our daughter at the birthing centre here in Calgary with the aid of a registered nurse midwife. The location was the deciding factor: it sits within a few blocks of the Foothills Hospital, and the ambulance in even closer. The centre is fully equipped with all the standard birthing equipment you’d find at the hospital, and they’re able to handle most of the risky businesses that comes with childbirth. If something goes horribly awry we can be at the hospital and in an emergency birthing room in 3-5 min.

One of our requirements was a midwifery that staffed only midwives with previous experience as registered nurses in maternity wards. If we couldn’t have found a midwife who was also an experienced nurse we would have certainly chosen a hospital birth. A doula was never an option. As far as i’m concerned putting my baby in the hands of an medically untrained hippie is out of the question.

I have every confidence in our midwife(s) and the birthing centre. These people are a respected part of the medical system in other countries and providing viable alternative to the stark, cold experience of the hospital.

Comment on An Example Of Not Getting It by biguglyjim

biguglyjim — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 00:06:25 +0000

The article is http://www.theage.com.au/national/toxic-epidural-ravages-mother-20100820-1390i.html and it’s about a woman having the wrong chemical injected into her epidural. This is a terrible, tragic accident. Hardly proof that home births are safer than hospital births.

Comment on An Example Of Not Getting It by Tammy

Tammy — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 21:38:20 +0000

The French tend to do things backwards but this time they did it right. Quebec came up with an idea that is working out well. They allow mid-wife birthing at a “birthing center” with no epidural.The mid wife is not some lady who just takes a mid wife class, it is a Doctor that decides to do natural births. So Science first, granola stuff after.The Birthing Center is associated with a Hospital in that area. It is open 24hrs and you have to have registered through your local hospital to give birth there and your pregnancy would have had to be normal and without complications. They will remove you from the list at any sign of danger and you will be made to go to the standard hospital.You call the center, tell them your on your way. The centre is meant to look like a house. There is a private Family room. With a tv, hottub style bath big enough for mom and dad so dad can catch the baby, 4 poster bed ( ladies like to squat and hold the bed?) and exercise balls.They let you have a few more people than the hospital does. You can have food in the room. They are Doctors that care for you they just respect your choice to not give birth in a hospital environment and TRY it without the epidural. You are hooked up to the same machines and monitored in the same way. Same rules apply with changing your mind about the epidural. There is a point of no return.The hospital is on stand bye.So no its not your home and it’s not 100% granola but I think its a safe happy medium.

Comment on An Example Of Not Getting It by biguglyjim

biguglyjim — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 21:31:14 +0000

I love the idea of a home birth. If you read the web sites of their proponents, it’s a natural, wonderful experience with less intervention and less infection. But there is clearly another side to that, and one that is quite terrible.

If I was the boss of the world, we’d have birthing centers in hospitals that were a lot more comfortable and more took into account the desires of women to have a “natural” experience, while still being moments away from medical treatment should the need present itself. It’s called the Best Of Both Worlds, and it’s a good way to compromise.