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Another Precious
Blessing Arrives
My experience with
Family Nurse Midwives began almost 4 years ago. After delivering
four children with traditional ob/gyns I decided I was ready
for a change. I've always been interested in doing things as
natural as possible and my previous deliveries involved medical
intervention that I'd hoped could be avoided. After a home pregnancy
test that was positive I called Sue and made an appointment,
however I ended up suffering a miscarriage before I got to have
my first appointment with the midwives. When I got pregnant again
3 months later, I was concerned that something could go wrong
again and decided to stick with my traditional ob/gyn. After
the fifth traditional delivery which was still long (Went to
the hospital at 11:30 p.m. and delivered before noon the following
day) As all went well with that delivery, I thought that if I
ever had another opportunity I would indeed go to the midwives.
Well that opportunity came in the fall of 2004. After my appointment
and confirming that I was indeed expecting in June of 2005, I
was so excited to have made the decision to make the switch.
Over the years I had many friends deliver with Gretchen and Sandy
who all had positive experiences, I was looking forward to this
pregnancy and the delivery. The monthly appointments were great!
Instead of sitting for an hour or so in the office each appointment
(which is important when you have 5 others at home) I appreciated
getting in and out in such a very short time! I appreciated how
Sue would call and say that someone was in labor and that they
needed to change my appointment so that I wouldn't have to wait!
That was a huge blessing to my family. Of course meeting with
Gretchen and Sandy was like meeting with a friend each month.
Not being rushed in and out of the office and always taking the
time to listen to my concerns was a wonderful experience. Because
my labors have always been pretty long, I really had a hope of
staying home longer this time and not rushing off to labor for
hours in a hospital setting, but instead being at home as long
as possible. The week before my due date I found out I was dilated
to 2 cm. which was huge for me, so many times I've been that
after hours in a hospital. I continued to have contractions for
days and was wondering how long this would go on, I had phoned
on a Monday to ask Gretchen what she thought and was assured
that things would progress very soon. On the following Wednesday,
Grechen called me to ask what was happening and if I'd like to
come in and be re-checked (still just irregular contractions)
but when I got to the office I found out I was 6 -7cm!!! You
can't imagine the excitement!! Only one problem, this was one
of the most important days at my hubby's work! They had done
some re-organizing and remodeling at their office and were having
a "grand re-opening" with all of their customers being
invited in to see the changes that day and a ribbon cutting ceremony
at 5:00 P.M. Gretchen let me phone my husband from the office
to let him know what was going on and what our options were.
She said I could be admitted right then, come in around 6 P.M.
after the ceremony or wait it out through the night and see what
happened. Of course I was sooooo excited I wanted to go right
then, but chose to wait and see what might happen and give my
husband the chance to attend his big day! I did not want to wait
it out and go in the middle of the night, my previous labors
had all been that way and so tiring, if I could deliver during
the day or early evening I thought that would be great! Gretchen
did not think it would take long as I was so far along already.
So I decided to go home and come back in around 6:00 that evening.
My contractions were not regular still so Gretchen recommended
going home, resting and using a breast pump several times that
afternoon to see if we couldn't get the contractions to come
on naturally and be more regular or cause my water to break.
I did go home and was very excited at the anticipation, especially
since I was dilated sooo much and felt great still! I got out
my pump that I owned and used it once and then again about 4:15
P.M. and 10 minutes later, my water broke! I called my hubby
at 4:30 to tell him and he ended up missing the ribbon cutting
ceremony! But we were off! Excitedly!!! Upon arrival at the hospital
around 5 P.M. I was dilated to about 7 still and my contractions
were still not organized. She checked on me and said she'd be
back in around 7 P.M after the office closed unless things began
to pick up for me. At that point I did all the necessary paperwork
and probably around 6:30 started to walk a little. At 7 P.M.,Gretchen
returned and recommended we try the breast pump again to get
things going and regular. It worked almost immediately, by 8:00
I couldn't walk any more and was ready for bed. My back was quite
sore and I spent some time on my hands and knees to help relieve
that pain. By 8:45 or so I was ready to push. With just a few
pushes our special blessing, Ruby Ann arrived!! She weighed 8lbs.
4oz. and was 21 inches long. Weight wise she fit between my oldest
children (thankfully she wasn't 10lbs. 12 oz like daughter number
four! PTL!) I can't say enough about Gretchen and her soothing,
calm manner. She was there if you needed her in the room during
the last hours but so quiet to let me be in control of the decisions
for whatever way I wanted to go. This was the first time I had
no pain medication or intervention at all, just what I'd hoped
for. The private room and wing of the hospital was another plus,
not having to move after delivery was so nice. I am thankful
that I had the opportunity to use Family Nurse Midwives this
time around, it was a huge blessing to our family. Ruby joined
her 4 sisters, Kara, Ellen, Amy & Emma and 1 brother Stephen
at home on the 10th of June. Her name was taken from Proverbs
31:10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above
rubies." To God be the Glory!
Steve & Laureen Eichelberger
North Huntingdon, Penna
Baby Safety Day
Babies R Us will be hosting a Baby Safety Day in their store
on Saturday, September 24th from noon-4:00PM This is an opportunity
to learn about nursery safety, car safety and more. Safety products
and demonstrations will be available and there will be an opportunity
to meet with community safety professionals
Birth Announcements
Kadence Lanae Crawford was born on April 29th, 2005 She has joined
her older brothers, Brandon 24, Matthew 15, Michael 13, Joshua
12 and Luke 7, Parents are Amber and Benjamin Crawford
West Newton, Pa
The Lord has blessed us again with Natalie Christine!!! She was
born on August 01, 2005 at 10:15 PM. She was 8 bs 10ozs and 20
inches long. She receives much love from her siblings Michael,
David, Lauren and Aaron and her parents Matt and Christine McKelvy
Indiana, Pa.
Suzanne and Lou Taleff are proud to announce the birth of Alexander
James Taleff on August 25, 2005 at 1:42 P.M. He weighed 8 lbs
and 1oz and was 20 inches long. He was welcomed home by big brother,
Sam
North Huntingdon, Pa.
Infant/Child CPR for Family and Friends
This class will be held at Smart Health at Norwin Hills Outpatient
Center in Norwin Hills Shopping Center every other Thursday from
6-8 PM. This course is for family members, new parents, grandparents,
and baby-sitters. This class will provide training in the basic
CPR skills and foreign body airway maneuvers for infants and
children. The course has been developed in accordance with the
standards of the American Heart Association and is taught by
certified CPR instructors. By the end of the class you will be
able to perform infant and child CPR, resuscitation of the unconscious,
choking infant and child and resuscitation of the conscious,
choking infant and child. Part of the class also focuses on prevention
and safety. No testing is required and no certification will
be provided. A participation card is awarded upon completion.
Classes are limited so pre-registration is required by calling
724-527-8023. There is a 15.00 class fee
Book Donations
We would like to thank the following patients for their recent
donations of books to our patient library:
The Baby Catcher
by Peggy Vincent
donated by Trisha Daniel
Complete Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth by Sheila Kitzinger
The Nursing Mother,s Companion by Kathleen Higgins
donated by Susan Bray
We would also like to thank Jody Sinagra for donating several
reference books on breastfeeding
Please remember that our library books are very important to
our practice for patient education. Please keep them as long
as you are needing them, but then return them to our office.
Books can also be returned to the Family Birth Place during evening
and weekend hours.
Red Ribbon Week
October 23-30th is Red Ribbon week and the theme is Drugs...Don,t.
The purpose of this week is to create an awareness concerning
alcohol, tobacco and other drug problems facing our community
and to find ways to promote healthy, drug-free life styles. This
week will begin with a Red Ribbon KickOff Rally at WCCC on October
05, 2005. The Rally will be held from 9:00 AM-Noon and will include
refreshments, welcoming remarks, speakers and an open forum.
Door prizes will be awarded and there will plenty of networking
opportunities.
Prostrate Screening and PSA Testing
SmartHealth at Norwin Hills Outpatient Center located in North
Huntingdon will be offering Prostrate Screenings done by an Urologist
on staff at Mercy Jeannette Hospital. It will be held on Saturday,
October 01, 2005 from 7:30 AM-10:00 AM. Registration is required
by contacting Mercy Link at 1-800-232-5660
Family Safety Day
Keep Saturday, October 22 open because you won,t want to
miss Family Safety Day! This will be an all morning event for
parents and children alike to be held at the Westmoreland County
Community College, Commissioner,s Hall from 8:00 AM until 1:00
PM. There will be workshops on numerous safety related topics
such as: Home Awareness, Recognition of Child Abuse, Bicycle
and Sports Safety, Bullies and Peer Pressure and much more. The
workshops will follow 4 separate tracks. There will be workshops
geared toward preschool and early elementary aged children, middle
school aged kids, junior high and high schoolers and some just
for adults. Smail Automotive is sponsoring a car seat safety
check that will be cnducted by a certified state inspector and
Smail Automotive also will be donating several car seats to be
given out as prizes. It is suggested that those interested in
having their car safety seat inspected to pre-register by calling
the ParentWise office at 724-837-5410. Each inspection takes
approximately 20 minutes, so there will limited time slots available.
"Andy the Search and Find Robot will also be at the event
and numerous area agencies and businesses will be handing out
information and answering questions about their services. There
will be allot of giveaways, refreshments and door prizes. The
best news is this family fun day is absolutely free!!! To register
yourself and your child for the ParentWISE Family Safety Day,
please call their office at 724-837-5410
Breastfeeding and
Asthma
An Australian study of nearly 2,200 children who were followed
to age six years showed that giving an infant breastmilk and
nothing else for at least four months after birth cuts the risk
of developing asthma. Babies who were introduced to milk other
than breastmilk were more likely to develop asthma and 40 percent
more likely to develop a wheeze
British Medical
Journal #319 - What is HPV?
The human papillomavirus or HPV is the virus that causes genital
warts and can be spread from person to person through intimate
contact. It is important to note that not everyone who has HPV
has the genital warts which makes it difficult to know if you
are infected. You can have the virus for many years without any
signs or symptoms. There are some types of HPV that can increase
a women,s risk of getting cancer of the cervix. There is currently
no cure for HPV, but warts can be treated. Finding visible warts
is one way of knowing that you have contacted the virus. Signs
of the virus can also be detected with a Pap Test. If HPV is
noted on a pap test along with cell abnormalities you may be
referred to a physician to have a colposcopy done. This test
provides the physician with a closer look at the cervix, vagina
and vulva. A biopsy may also be done. Yearly pap tests along
with screening for HPV is very important for all women. Thin
Prep Pap Tests are currently being done at our office which have
a higher percentage of picking up cellular abnormalities. Due
to the link between HPV and your risk of getting cervical cancer,
it is very important to have these yearly screenings done. Please
make sure that you follow the midwife,s recommendations for follow-up
paps and colposcopy procedures.
Infant Massage Class
Our next Infant Massage Class is being held on Friday, October
14th from 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM.. Class is taught by certified
Infant Massage Instructor, Connie Capar. Class size is limited
so please register no later than 6:00 PM on Wednesday October
12th. This is a great opportunity to learn to bond better with
your baby. Class includes 2 hours of instruction, handouts and
oil. For more information or to register, call Sue at 724-527-9159.
Come to the Moms Shower!!!
If you are pregnant or have a child under the age of one, please
come and attend a celebration just for you. This fun day will
include games, information and light refreshments. Free gifts
for moms and babies will also be distributed. You can visit with
a nurse, nutritionist, dental hygienist and midwife. Learn about
breastfeeding techniques, stress reduction, and avoiding respiratory
illnesses and more. This event is sponsored by the Pennsylvania
Department of Health through the Westmoreland Drug and Alcohol
Commission with Co-Sponsors being Excela Health Latrobe, Westmoreland
and Frick Hospitals, Monongahela Valley Hospital, Mercy Jeannette
Hospital and the Family Health Council Penn State Commission.
This Mom,s Shower is scheduled for Monday, October 17, 2005 from
11:00 AM-2:00 PM at Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital in the
Memorial Conference Room, ground floor. Call 1-877-771-1234 to
register
Holiday Office Hours
Our regular office hours will be altered during the upcoming
holidays. Please note these changes and remember that prescriptions
will not be called in outside of regular office hours so that
the midwife has access to your medical records. If you leave
a message requesting any refills, make sure you leave your pharmacy
name and phone number along with a number in which the midwife
can reach you in case she has to ask you some additional questions.
Non-emergency refills will not be called in over the weekends.
Thanksgiving- Office hours, Monday, November 21st 10-5
Tuesday, November 22 10-4
Office will be closed from Nov 23-Nov. 25
Christmas
Office will be closed Friday, December 23rd through Monday, December
26th. All other days will be regular office hours
The midwife can be reached by paging 724-527-3551 for any
medical emergencies
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