Health and wellness can be overwhelming, I know this. I see it on people's faces during my corporate wellness talks. Or maybe that is because I talk really fast. But often I will get people make remarks in these talks like "Well I'm screwed!" or "What can I eat then?" And for many people the topics that I talk about are a complete lifestyle change from where they currently are. But don't let that discourage you, everyone has to start somewhere. Even I learn things all the time that I didn't previously know, and discover areas that I can improve on, or need to change. Wellness is a journey not a destination, which is also true of many other things. But sometimes I sense that discouragement from where a person currently is in their health journey or being overwhelmed by the new information makes them tune out, give up, and close in. Don't let that be you! Stretching and challenging yourself is the only way you can grow. Your health is a reflection of your current lifestyle. If it is not the best, then it is probably wise to listen to some info you have never heard before. Some of the things in my talks also sound radical, to most lifestyles it is, but that is exactly what we need. Radical change. Just look at the statistics. 1 out of 3 will get heart disease. 1 out of 4 will develop cancer. If you are doing everything that everyone else is doing what results should you expect? What's the definition of insanity again? Repeating the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Change is never easy, people get comfortable with where they are, but you may need to get uncomfortable in order to drastically improve your health. And at the end of the day there is nothing else more valuable.  

   This week has been one I would like to forget. If you are a patient of mine then you are probably aware of the power situation at the office the last three days that forced us to close. You may also be aware of the newborn baby we just had last week, and the move we just made in to a new house this week. But you may not be aware of that new house having a busted main sewage line and our toilets flooding. As if the move, the new baby, and the office power outage wasn't enough on my plate! Long story short, Oncor had a power outage that lasted three days, when they turned the power back on the surge blew mine and quite a few of my neighbors AC units. And of course they take no responsibility, so the new compressors are on us. Moving is always stressful, I don't think I need to elaborate on that one. The baby is a blessing, but lack of sleep is not. And the busted sewage line was just an unfortunate "crappy" incident. But this week reminded me of a friend I had that use to put things like this in perspective with one little phrase. I actually love this phrase and if we thought of it when things like this arise it would calm us down, put things in perspective, and help us be appreciative for what we have. So what is the phrase already?!!!


"First World Problems."  

And I just now noticed that the phrase was the title of this blog so you weren't quite in the suspense I was going for. :/ But isn't that true? First World Problems. AC is out? At least we have it! Plumbing problems? Thank God we are fortunate enough to have running water. Something to think about next time you feel like everything is going wrong. I think most of us reading and writing this blog have been blessed by the lottery of birth, show gratitude. It could have been a whole lot worse. 

   My wife and I welcomed a new beautiful baby girl yesterday, Ayn Monet Sanford. She, like our first daughter, was a big baby. 21.5 inches long and weighed 9.6lbs. And like our first daughter, she was born at home. I love the look some people give me when I tell them that. I think most people think we are some crazy hippies or something, well I know we are too young to be hippies, and I shower regularly so why would we do that? Or isn't that dangerous? The reason we do it is actually to avoid danger. 
   So whats dangerous in the hospitals? Isn't that place safe, well not really since it is the best place to catch an infection. But how about the birth process? They are doing it wrong! The hospital "system" sets women up for failure. Why do you think c section rates keep going up. Did women forget to have babies? Of course not. Hospitals need to be efficient in order to be profitable. A woman in labor for 12 hours isn't exactly efficient. They need the beds filled, and emptied as quickly as possible. So if you are taking a little too long, or are past your due date, then you need to be induced. Since everyone's body is exactly the same right? (sarcasm) The problem with this is most often it will lead to a c section, you really have no chance. 
   Once you are induced with Pitocin, contractions will come stronger and faster with less rest in between. It actually says that Pitocin should never be used for elective induction, so if you are a couple of days past your due date is that medical necessity? Our first daughter came 2 weeks past her guess date, the baby will come when it is ready. Pitocin is also used in abortions. These extreme contractions caused by Pitocin then become too much for mom to handle, this now is not the body's natural process it has been tampered with, and she will need an epidural. The epidural will then slow contractions, and slow down the assembly line, and since the baby is not "progressing" you will need an emergency c section. You are rushed to the OR, and then the doctor is the hero and he saved the day. But he is the one who started this chain of events to begin with. 
   Do you see how this sets a woman up for failure? Induce her, put her in a position on a hospital bed that goes against the laws of physics and gravity and expect her to push out a baby. With induction and the epidural this also prevents some of the body's natural processes that are suppose to come at certain precise moments in the birth process. For example the flow of oxytocin, known as the body's natural morphine, to put the body in a somewhat euphoric state to help with pain. It also assists with milk let down and certain emotions like attachment and protective instinct. When I see a hospital birth on Tv or a movie and it shows a woman screaming and yelling in pain, that is not what we have experienced with our two daughters. Am I going to say there was no pain? Of course not, and my wife will second that. But I think the process is a lot different than you would imagine. 
   But what if there is an emergency? Well I'll preface with my wife has not ever been a high risk pregnancy. But I will also add that midwives aren't just some ladies who have seen a few births or had a few kids themselves. They have gone through schooling, testing, certification, and attended hundreds of births before certification. They carry things like you would see at a hospital, IV's, some drugs if needed. I would go as far to say that most midwives are better at birthing babies than OB's. Calm down I said birthing, I didn't say surgery. That is one of the problems with the system. OB's are trained surgeons, they train on the worst case scenario, thank God we have them for emergencies. But birthing, caring for, and turning babies has became a lost art among doctors. 
   So why do we have home births? It is simply the safest environment I have found for my wife and daughters.