Medications in pregnancy
One thing that I noticed going from OB-tended pregnancies/births (if that's what you call it...they tended nothing, really) to a CNM tended homebirth is that there is a huge difference between what is considered safe to take during pregnancy.
I have come to the understanding that it is a good idea to take all precautions when pregnant and avoid most anything unnatural (even for colds, flus, & indigestion) when you're having a homebirth. You have the best outcomes when you are properly nourished, in good shape, and have avoided poisons. Right?
What I'm not getting is why its not just as important for hospital birthing moms as it is for homebirthing moms. The only reason I can come up with is that, well, its easily remedied in the hospital if something goes wrong...we just section or induce! But how is that fair to moms? Is it really fair to tell moms that Tums and Prevacid are safe, just because they can deal with it in the hospital if it causes an inadequate placenta?
BTW: Has anyone else heard that Tums is bad during pregnancy? Well, not really bad, I guess. There's just something better...like papaya.
I have come to the understanding that it is a good idea to take all precautions when pregnant and avoid most anything unnatural (even for colds, flus, & indigestion) when you're having a homebirth. You have the best outcomes when you are properly nourished, in good shape, and have avoided poisons. Right?
What I'm not getting is why its not just as important for hospital birthing moms as it is for homebirthing moms. The only reason I can come up with is that, well, its easily remedied in the hospital if something goes wrong...we just section or induce! But how is that fair to moms? Is it really fair to tell moms that Tums and Prevacid are safe, just because they can deal with it in the hospital if it causes an inadequate placenta?
BTW: Has anyone else heard that Tums is bad during pregnancy? Well, not really bad, I guess. There's just something better...like papaya.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Monique Nolan on -
I've never heard that plain old tums are bad during pregnancy. Isn't it just calcium? My midwife has told me they are fine.
As for the other stuff, I think it's simply a mindset. I think that a lot of OB's simply aren't naturally inclined. And I could be wrong about this, but they might simply not be allowed to go around making claims about supplements and stuff that aren't FDA approved? I don't know. But I think it's mostly not being naturally inclined. Some OB's think that a lot of the natural and herbal supplements and other products a midwife might recommend are simply useless and would thus not be inclined to recommend them. However, there are drugs and other products that they have seen pregnant women successfully use without harm and thus they recommend them. I highly doubt it's a case of knowing it's going to hurt them but advising it anyhow since they know how to deal with it (with the exception of something like pitocin and other drugs they use during labor, which have known negative side effects).
Anyhow, I don't think it's the viewpoint that it's not as important as it is a different viewpoint and also lack of training and knowledge about the natural solutions for problems pregnant women face. OB's are medically trained, not nutritionally trained. They go to conferences on the newest and best drugs, not vitamins.
And then there is the rare OB who goes the extra mile to care and research alternative solutions for pregnant women. They do exist, not every OB jumps to recommend a drug. But obviously in comparison to midwives the OB's that operate more naturally are very few and far between. -
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Permalink Reply by Cherylyn on -
Monique, I agree! You expressed my thoughts on the subject. Doctors don't know about supplements. It's not within their scope of practice, so they don't endorse them because they don't understand them. Doctors generally have a list of medications that have been approved or not approved by the FDA for use during pregnancy, and they go by that. Obstetricians are not trained in diet and nutrition either, so they are limited in what they can suggest in that area as well.
On the subject of Tums: what I've heard is that they're just not the best solution for heartburn or indigestion. They're not a good source of calcium if you are trying to supplement for calcium, because of the type of calcium that's in them. I haven't heard that Tums are necessarily bad during pregnancy, but there are definitely some better alternatives out there, like digestive enzymes and papaya. I used papaya for heartburn during my last pregnancy, and it helped. -
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