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|February 16, 2005
Volume 7, Issue 4
|Midwifery Today E-News
"Protecting the Perineum"
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In This Week's Issue:
Quote of the Week
"Birth must be honored and given every opportunity for the growth that is inherent in its potential."
— Raven Lang
The Art of Midwifery
After 30 years of assisting mothers in labor at home and in the hospital, I have found some techniques that help empower mothers when they are pushing. In the beginning and at the time of birthing it is very relaxing and easy for some mothers to be on their side. If side-lying pushing does not seem to bring progress, then an upright position, preferably a standing squat or kneeling squat, can work well. Birth in a squatting position seems to encourage rapid expulsion and tearing, so I ask mothers to lean back in a semi-recline for the actual birth. I do use gentle perineal support, usually with a warm cloth and oil as needed.
But when different positions have been tried and the fetal head is unable to come under the pubic arch, I encourage the mother to lie flat on her back with just a pillow under her head. I help her bring her legs up with the soles of her feet together. I wrap a towel around her feet and have her grasp the ends of the towel and pull as she pushes. This motion brings her legs back and the position causes a widening of the outlet, even more than squatting. The mother's elbows should be out and one should resist the urge to raise her upper body because this action seems to make the push less effective. Coaching the mother to "push the baby down and then up to the ceiling" seems to help as well.
This position has saved many of my mothers from a c-section. I try to suggest it after the mother has tried any positions she prefers and before she becomes exhausted. I explain that, while it may seem to be a strange position, it may shorten the time needed to push the baby out. At the time of serious crowning, the towel can be abandoned and the mother may assume any position desired.
It makes me sad when I see current writings that caution women to refrain from lying on their backs at any time during labor. We all know why women are told this, but we also know there are exceptions to everything. By the way, this position works with or without regional anesthesia, for those practicing in hospital settings where anesthesia is common.
— Mary Jo Terrill, RN, BSN, MSW
ALL BIRTH PRACTITIONERS: The techniques you've perfected over months and years of practice are valuable lessons for others to learn! Share them with E-News readers by sending them to email@example.com.
Research to Remember
Babies may experience withdrawal symptoms in the first few days of life if their mothers had taken antidepressants such as Paxil or Prozac while pregnant, according to a Spanish study. Infants' postbirth symptoms include convulsions, irritability, abnormal crying and tremors. Although infants seem to recover within a short period of time, the study raised concern about developmental impact following exposure to antidepressants in utero. The University of La Laguna School of Medicine researchers recommend the lowest effective dose of antidepressant, psychotherapy, and/or other approaches whenever possible.
— The Lancet, Feb. 5, 2005
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Protecting the Perineum
With the vast majority of births, the perineum is intact. Otherwise, there may be a few minor abrasions ("skid marks"), none of which require stitches. These are most likely to occur on the labia and look rather like torn chicken skin with smooth and intact flesh underneath. Suturing these is contraindicated, because stitches will not hold unless imbedded in the flesh.
Sometimes a minor internal split of the bulbocavernosus muscle occurs, even thought the perineum remains intact. If bleeding can be controlled with a bit of pressure (using sterile gauze), I usually do no suturing at all. Internal tear edges will usually meet and join together as long as the split is no more than halfway through the muscle. First-degree perineal tears also heal nicely by themselves if the mother takes good care of them.
But be sure to make a thorough and honest assessment of each and every laceration. Unfortunately, there is a strange status quest among midwives regarding the ability to do tear-free births; do not let this prevent you from suturing when it is clearly necessary. Sometimes the mother will be more comfortable if sutured, especially if tear edges do not approximate (fit together by themselves).
— Elizabeth Davis
In a branch of medicine rife with paradoxes, contradictions, inconsistencies, and illogic, episiotomy crowns them all. The major argument for episiotomy is that it protects the perineum from injury, a protection accomplished by slicing through perineal skin, connective tissue, and muscle. Obstetricians presume spontaneous tears do worse damage, but now that researchers have finally done some studies, every one has found that deep tears are almost exclusively extensions of episiotomies. This makes sense, because as anyone who has tried to tear cloth knows, intact material is extremely resistant until you snip it. Then it rips easily.
By preventing overstretching of the pelvic floor muscles, episiotomies are also supposed to prevent pelvic floor relaxation. Pelvic floor relaxation causes sexual dissatisfaction after childbirth, urinary incontinence and uterine prolapse. But older women currently having repair surgery for incontinence and prolapse all had generous episiotomies. In any case, episiotomy is not done until the head is almost ready to be born. By then, the pelvic floor muscles are already fully distended. Nor has anyone every explained how cutting a muscle and stitching it back together preserves its strength.
— Henci Goer,
They kissed lovingly as their baby's head began to emerge from her perineum. It was almost too intimate a moment to witness: mother and father expressing their love as the mother opened her lips, soft and moist, and the baby boy came into the world, slowly emerging. His parents barely separated from their kiss and turned to look at the baby revealing himself to the world. His mom reached down and, in one slow caress, placed him upon her breast where he was welcomed into their love. She was Intact and a first-time mom.
Seconds after the birth, her perineum looked as if no birth had happened at all. Her vaginal lips and perineum were as normal as they had been before she was pregnant.
Body workers and holistic practitioners know that the body is interconnected with itself. They explain that the lips of the mouth are related to the lips of the vulva, the mouth to the vagina (they even have similar mucosal tissue), the uvula to the cervix and the jawbone structure to the pelvis. The relationship works in synchrony. An open jaw opens the pelvic girdle, a relaxed mouth relaxes the vagina, and soft lips ready to kiss work wonders for the perineum.
— Marina Alzugaray,
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If a mom is in the birth tub, I encourage her to position herself instinctively and put her hands on her perineum as the head emerges. This eliminates entirely the "push a little, now pant, now push a little" routine. The mother knows exactly how much to push. I have seen virtually no tearing, even in primips, and I love how empowering it is for the mother.
If the mom is out of water, I pour a lot of olive or grapeseed oil in the introitus and let her move into whatever position she chooses without giving her suggestions, unless she wants them. Most women end up on hands and knees or squatting. Sometimes they stand, but they almost never lie down. I don't use hot compresses anymore since a study came out that showed hot compresses and perineal massage may increase tears.
— Anon., Midwifery Today Forums
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Forum Talk
What do you wiser women tell your clients about when to resume sexual relations? One OB said, "the playground is closed till she comes back to see me." I generally tell them when they are no longer bleeding and feel comfortable. Sometimes I think moms need some "protection" to be able to refuse—a start date. Does that come up in your cases? I don't know health-wise what I should be saying. Also, what do you say about sex during pregnancy? I tell them they can as long as they want to, unless the water is broken. I also think sometimes women are looking to me to give them a stop date too.
— Claudia
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Question of the Week
Q: I have a student who has had a numb and tingling arm for two days. She is 30 weeks pregnant. Any suggestions as to cause or where I could find more information for her? They have started her on the rounds of doctors, but I am concerned they won't have accurate information for her.
— Amy V. Haas, BCCE
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Question of the Week Responses
Q: I recently had a c-section for twins because twin A was a footling breech. Unfortunately, I had to be put under general anesthesia because my platelet levels were too low to safely have an epidural. Is there any sort of homeopathic or herbal remedy that I might try to build up my platelets? My platelets generally are around 70 and have been that way for years, with 50 being the point where treatment is needed, but 100 is the cutoff to get an epidural. When I have another child, I would like to have a VBAC, but if it doesn't work, I don't want to have to be knocked out again.
A: A low platelet count is a clue that there may be another underlying health problem such as an autoimmune disorder. The first recommendation is to have further blood tests done to find out if you do have an autoimmune disorder. If you do test positive, then you would need to develop a plan to keep yourself as healthy as possible in spite of the disorder. By taking care of your whole body, including stress management, you should be able to improve your platelet count. Platelets facilitate blood clotting so that you don't bleed too easily. Diet is the best way to build healthy blood and normal clotting factors. Deep green veggies and sprouts are the best dietary sources.
— Marcia McCulley, NP, LM
A: I wonder if your doctor has diagnosed you with idiopathic thrombocytopenia (IP). This just means that there is no underlying medical condition that is causing your low platelet count. You stated that your platelet count is always around 70, which leads me to that question. Some people still clot just fine with a platelet count of 70, if they have IP. I would see your care provider and discuss your concerns with her. There are then some blood tests (clotting studies) they can do to see if you are clotting OK even with a low platelet count. A count of 100 is a general cutoff for an epidural, but if your clotting studies are fine, most anesthesia providers will do an epidural. When you first are in labor, make sure you alert your care provider immediately so she can have anesthesia work you up and do those clotting studies again. This could help you avoid general anesthesia.
— Karen Roeske, RN, IBCLC
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When I first practiced midwifery in the early 1970s, obstetrical standards of care encouraged universal episiotomy. It was supposed to protect the perineum from over-stretching and "shattering," preserving the birthing woman's sexuality. Later, studies showed that experiencing episiotomy during childbirth leads to a higher incidence of sexual dysfunction. The use of the procedure has decreased dramatically in most countries.
In exchange, we have a movement toward near-universal cesarean section to prevent pelvic floor damage! Thus a technological system embraces a technological solution.
As a practitioner who does hundreds of gynecological exams every year, it's hard for me to understand the reasons for this trend. I see woman after woman who has had children and presents for her pelvic exam with the vaginal orifice so neat and tight, the pelvic musculature so strong, that I have to glance back at the chart to assure myself that she has indeed given birth. For the majority of well-nourished women, the healing power of the human body is remarkable. Healing that seems inadequate at the six-week exam may be perfect by the time the baby is six months old.
— Marion Toepke McLean
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Speakers include: Jan Tritten, Doran Richards, Shonda Parker, Roxanne Trent, Eneyda Spradlin-Ramos and Laurie Zoyiopoulos.
Sessions range from hands-on skills to practice issues. The conference will be held at a lovely conference center. All meals lodging will be included in the price of the conference: $175.00 through April 1, 2005.
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Aceh Midwifery Relief Update from Robin Lim
February 2, 2005
Dear family, loved ones,
In two days our "Mother/child survival" team will leave for Aceh. It has been a wild ride getting ready.
The direct family members going along will be Wil, Deja, Thor and myself. Other team members include Ida Tanjung, Kelly, and Oded. We will join a group of 16 sanitation (well and out-house diggers) workers from Bali.
We will travel from Medan to the West coast of Sumatra, to an area near Meulaboh, to a small area not on most maps called "Sama Tiga." There we will be setting up human resource services. My focus will be women and children (no surprise). The reports we had from this area yesterday said, "It's a lot worse than we imagined. The women are hiding, no matter how sick, hungry, pregnant or injured, they won't come out to seek medical aid, or food, or any help, as they culturally cannot have contact with male relief workers. Get over here, fast." These were the words of Christine, whose husband, Ngurah heads up the sanitation guys. Thor, by the way, will be digging those out-house holes.
"Birth buckets" are the most important things will be bringing for the expectant women. The birth buckets contain high protein foods, rehydration fluids, a sarong (remember, they lost everything in the tsunami, including 80% or more of the population), veils (Muslim women will not come out unless their heads are covered), candles, a lighter, underwear, receiving blankets, baby clothing, cloth diapers, vitamins, herbs to prevent hemorrhage and Betadine for cleaning hands where there is no water. Looking at the first buckets we made up, I cried, knowing that if I had been given one of these buckets when I was a young mother-to-be, it would have been useful, and I would have been full of gratitude.
Please read the rest of Robin's update.
Kelly Dunn is a lay midwife working with two nongovernment organizations (NGOs). Yaysan Bumi Sehat (Healthy Mother Earth Foundation) had run a successful community cooperative clinic in the village of Nyuh Kuning. However, after the tsunami everything has been destroyed. Yayasan Bumi Sehat is a nonprofit organization (NPO) of community members, midwives, and doctors who help advocate for reproductive rights for low-income, marginalized, and displaced women and their children. They are now offering their services to the thousands of women who are birthing without any assistance or help. They offer free prenatal, postpartum and birth services. They also promote and educate natural family planning. Right now they are creating birth buckets to give birthing women in this area the basics for a birthing mom. They are getting some funding through IDEP (www.idepfoundation.org/), an NGO in Indonesia working directly with the people. Both these groups are well-known, and all their money is documented. Midwives and readers who want to give directly to these organizations can find more information at www.idepfoundation.org/Idep_partners.html.
Kelly and all the people on her team are volunteers. It would be really wonderful to be able to help these people. I am doing everything I can from this side to help them raise funds. They are doing terrific work, and Kelly is now volunteering her time overseas.
— Heather Mauer, Executive Director
In response to Sandy Caldwell [Issue 7:3]:
I also think you should consider where we young women get our "dramatic" ideas. Remember, many of us grow up hearing from our mothers and grandmothers how scary, painful and dangerous labor and delivery are. Is it any wonder many of us are jumpy or flat-out looking for ways to avoid the whole ordeal? Many mothers and grandmothers are encouraging our "dramatic" behavior. If we want to change the c-section rate, we will need a little compassion for the emotional climate the women of our country are coming from.
— Angelia
I agree with Gloria's statement and discernment. I attended a birth center in a culture where the older women mentor the younger and was amazed at the length of their second stages! These women pushed their babies out in minutes compared with our culture's hours. No observable fear, no drama, and many times a calm, present mother as support.
I see in myself the need to "be still and listen," to absorb. In essence, I've only come to this realization after listening to the communication of an older, more seasoned midwife. I never got this from my relationships with other women and now wonder why.
Thanks for pointing out the unfortunate reality that we are not mentoring our younger women. This is yet another area we can only individually adjust, if we choose. Still learning, growing and changing at forty-something; now slowing down long enough to hear, from you and others. Also, as I read it, the truth can only set you free IF you know it. Maybe madness is yet another form of internal unrest? Good expression nonetheless.
— Lisa Byrd, licensed midwife, certified doula
The evidence of a 28% c-section rate has nothing at all to do with the dramatic nature of young girls. To blame women for a problem created by a patriarch commanding control of the female birth process is short sighted, indeed. The lack of education about options is to blame for the c-section rate. Media and advertising pumping fear into the minds and bodies of men and women regarding birth is to blame for the c-section rate. Older women teaching and mentoring young girls only goes so far when they are up against hundreds of visual television images that teach the young girl to fear birth, distrust her body, and run from the unmanageable pain.
I am appalled at your continued short-sightedness—to publish a rebuttal that is continuing to miss the point makes me question this newsletter. Shall we go ahead and blame "female immaturity" for the sexual assault crisis in our world?
— Deanna, Denver
Gloria is correct. As a labor and delivery nurse from an impoverished area, I see so many women come in with expectations of a quick and painless labor. As we all know, childbirth is rarely quick or painless. At 2 cm I have women writhing, screaming and kicking. They beg for an epidural before they are even in active labor. Many women plead with the doctors to induce them at 37-40 weeks because they are "tired of being pregnant." To keep the patients happy, many doctors will concede.
Perhaps we are missing the extended family wisdom. We no longer have a community of women who come to the laboring woman's home to give comfort. We have lost the wisdom of letting nature take its course.
I'm sure many doulas and midwives will disagree, but social, economic and educational levels must be taken into consideration. Clients who can afford a doula or to pay for an independent midwife will have educated themselves and be more prepared for the reality of birth. In my experience, the more affluent and the very poor are more likely to demand intervention. The exception to this has been our Hispanic and young African American clients. Those women with stronger cultural bonds seem to accept the discomfort and hard work required to birth a baby into this world. These cultures in our area seem to be wary of medications and procedures that will negatively affect the baby. They are less likely to smoke, drink or use street drugs, and amazingly, their babies do much better regardless of their gestational age! A young woman who comes in expecting a natural, low-intervention birth is a joy to work with.
— Lori Brubaker, RN
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Midwifery Today: Each One Teach One!


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Braintree police credit Amber Alert with quick, safe end to parental kidnapping case
BRAINTREE – Police today credited the Amber Alert system with the quick recovery of two children who were allegedly kidnapped from a foster home here Monday by their father, who did not have custody rights.
Lockwood appeared in a Manchester, Conn., courtroom today where bond was set at $250,00o0 cash on a charge of being a fugitive from justice. He refused to return to Massachusetts. A new court date was set for June 20, according to court records.
Jenkins said the use of the Amber Alert was critical in ending the kidnapping case, which began around 4:30 p.m. when Lockwood allegedly forced his way inside a home where the children were living with a state Department of Children and Families foster family.
Lockwood allegedly forced the children into his car, a 2005 brown BMW 525i, and then drove away. Shortly before midnight, a trucker spotted the BMW and alerted Connecticut police, who took Lockwood into custody and recovered the children shortly before midnight.
The children were unharmed, officials said.
"It's a pretty remarkable success story for Amber Alert,'' Jenkins said.
According to State Police spokesman David Procopio, the first public appeal for help under the Amber Alert system was made around 9:30 p.m. He said Braintree police asked for the Amber Alert system to be used at 5:45 p.m. State Police then reviewed the information to make sure details were available of who had been kidnapped, who was being sought, and what kind of car was being targeted. They also wanted to make sure Lockwood posed a threat to the children before using Amber Alert, Procopio said.
"The system worked superbly,'' Procopio said.
The 54-year-old Lockwood is charged with kidnapping his 8-year-old son, Patrick, and 10-year-old daughter, Sarah, police said.
Jenkins said he did not know which court issued the order, but he said that Lockwood had lost his parental rights.
"The whole thing has been a recent development,'' Jenkins said. "The custody issue has been in the courts recently. The father doesn't have any parental rights to the children.''
According to Connecticut State Police, the trucker from Pennsylvania made a 911 call and reported seeing the BMW on Interstate 84 westbound near Exit 65 in Vernon. As troopers rushed to the area, the truck driver followed the BMW as Lockwood drove off the interstate at Exit 62 in Manchester.
Troopers then spotted the BMW parked in the lot of a 7-Eleven store located near the intersections of Route 30 and Pleasant Valley Road in South Windsor. Lockwood was arrested as he left the restroom in the store.
The children were still in the car, hidden under blankets and pillows, police said.
Connecticut State Police spokesman Lieutenant Paul Vance said there were signs inside the car tht Lockwood had planned for a long journey.
"There were foodstuffs, sleeping bags, and pillows, which was indicative of long drive or trip,'' said Vance, adding that that Lockwood was taken into custody without incident and had no weapons with him.
Vance said the children were in "fine shape'' and were returned to the Massachusetts State Police Monday night. "The Amber Alert worked,'' Vance said.
When he was booked in Connecticut, Lockwood told police he lived in Las Vegas. Jenkins on Monday said Lockwood had been living in a Foxborough motel, and did not have a permanent Massachusetts address.
Foxborough police said Lockwood had been living at America's Best Value Inn on Route 1 but checked out Sunday night.
Jenkins said the children's mother is out of the country, but he declined to be more specific.
The Department of Children and Families took custody of the children in January 2012 after receiving a report alleging neglect of the children by their father, a department spokeswoman said in a statement.
"Since that time, both children have been in foster care, together, and maintained regular contact with their father through supervised visits away from the foster home that included police monitoring. We are grateful to local and state authorities and the public for their assistance in ensuring the safe return of the children,'' said Cayenne Isaksen.
She said the children remain in the custody of the department.

subset: commoncrawl


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|January 16, 2002
Volume 4, Issue 3
|Midwifery Today E-News
"Healing Perineal Tears"
Print Page
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IMPROVING YOUR PRACTICE WITH RESEARCH, INSIGHTS, AND REALITIES: class taught by Michel Odent, MD. Learn how to look at birth through the eyes of a physiologist. Class presented at Midwifery Today's conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, March 21-25, 2002. Look for the conference program on the Midwifery Today website:
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Send submissions, inquiries, and responses to newsletter items to firstname.lastname@example.com
In This Week's Issue:
1) Quote of the Week
1) "I threw away the things I was trained to do. I had to go back to basics, go back to nature and let this body, this woman, this pregnancy, grow on its own steam. Remember, if you're getting your training among wolves, you're going to act like a wolf."
- Tom Brewer, MD
2) The Art of Midwifery
I helped a massage therapist friend who was trying to introduce more people to the benefits of this therapy. As part of a marketing plan, we correlated all the information she had on how clients were referred to her. We discovered over 85% came by word of mouth. As a consequence, she stopped wondering about expensive advertising and instead focused more on talking to people she met. I believe this is also how it works in the world of birth. We simply must keep talking to people, one at a time, and ensure they have both sides of the picture in terms of the information upon which they will be basing their birth decisions.
- Sara Wickham, Midwifery Today Issue 44
MIDWIFERY TODAY ISSUE 60 (current issue): 23 full-length articles for
View MT Issue 60 contents here:
Read these new articles from Issue 60:
A Natural Alternative to Suturing
Education Priority Check
Order MT Issue 60 here:
3) News Flashes
Researchers at the University of Illinois reviewed cases of maternal mortality for a 7-year period. They found a rate of 22.8 deaths per 100,000 births, a rate several times higher than that obtained from national death certificate data in the United States. Of these deaths, 37% were deemed preventable, and a provider factor was determined to be the cause in more than 80% of the cases. The leading causes of death were pulmonary embolism and cardiac disease.
- Amer J of Ob and Gyn 2000 183:1207-12
4) Healing Perineal Tears
While on an Indian reservation, I had studied with a shaman and observed the use of seaweed to heal burns and deep lacerations. I decided to use seaweed in a similar manner to promote healing of a perineal tear. I cut a piece of seaweed that was twice the length and width of the tear, folded it in half, and moistened it with sterile water. I placed it down the center of the tear and brought the edges of the tissue together, carefully aligning them. I also covered the entire length of the tear with a second patch of moistened seaweed. Before departing, I included in my postpartum care plan instructions for the mom to replace the outer patch of seaweed each time she used the bathroom. I also instructed her to keep her legs together and to stay in bed as much as possible, caring only for herself and the baby.
Upon my arrival 24 hours later for the first postpartum check, all was well with mom and baby. Breastfeeding was going very well. When I examined the perineal area, I discovered the tissue had healed miraculously well. I could not even distinguish a separation of the tissue where the tear occurred. The mom also had virtually no pain in that area. She mentioned that the salt in the seaweed stung a little when first applied but quickly faded to a healing tingle.
Ever since that birth in 1986, I have been using seaweed patches with great success as an alternative to suturing. I have taught this technique to other midwives and apprentices. They have also been pleased with the results.
- Denise Gilpin-Blake, LM
(Read this article in full at:
Post-suturing: If there is swelling after the repair, apply an ice pack (crushed ice in a sterile glove works fine). Make sure to tell the mother to rinse with warm water with a squirt of Betadine added, each time she uses the toilet. After the first 24 hours it is perfectly OK for the mother to soak in the bathtub. It will not dissolve the sutures. It is also a good idea to expose the perineum to a lightbulb or sunlight to dry it. The mother should avoid applying vitamin E or other oils to the wound as these retard the healing process. If you have done a good job, the majority of the healing will take place within a few days.
- Elizabeth Davis, Heart & Hands, 3rd ed., Celestial Arts 1997
To relieve pain and soreness when suturing perineal tears, try tea tree oil. The oil also helps the perineal tissue recover and helps prevent infection. Tea tree oil penetrates below the upper skin layers, soothes and relieves pain, is a natural antiseptic, and is noncaustic to most skin types.
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I'm an aspiring midwife living in England. I haven't come across doulas in this country or had the chance to be an apprentice without going to college. I am (hopefully) taking the plunge in September, which is quite scary as I don't actually know anyone else in my position at the moment. Scary, but very exciting! Any advice/encouragement would be appreciated from any of you, but especially anyone in England.
- Kristal
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7) Question of the Week
Q: What can be done to repair a small placental tear in the third trimester? A client lost her baby in the seventh month of pregnancy as a result of a tear in her placenta. She is pregnant again and due in May. Her OB told her he could see a small tear on her placenta. Apparently there was only a 10% chance of this happening again. Is there anything she can take or do to help correct this problem?
- Anon
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8) Question of the Week Responses
Q: A mom just delivered after a 43-week pregnancy. The labor was terribly long but OK for her. The baby looked 40 weeks; the gestational age came in at 38 weeks. There is no way we were off on dates. She had a circumvallate placenta. The cotyledons were really mushy where they tore really easily. I've read that a circumvallate placenta has a higher risk for postpartum hemorrhage, which she had - a long, trickle bleed. What causes this type of placenta? Did it cause her baby to stay in so long yet look and test out to be a normal, term baby?
- Heather Zanon
A: I recommend the book Placenta: To Know Me Is To Love Me, by Doris Schuler-Mahoney, MS. It states: Clinical Associations: White; hypertensive states of pregnancy (preeclampsia, eclampsia); maternal cigarette smoking while pregnant; or it may be familial. Etiology: unclear. Suggestions include: abnormal implantation (too shallow or too deep); uncoordinated placental growth and uterine growth; placental marginal separation with hemorrhage; oligohydramnios; cigarette smoking; preeclampsia and eclampsia. These are all thought to cause decreased uteroplacental blood flow particularly to the placental margin, with subsequent decidual necrosis. This wonderful book is a great tool. I was introduced to it by the Ancient Art Midwifery Institute.
- Jennifer Crowley, CBE, doula, midwifery student
A: I imagine the placenta had nothing to do with either the fact she went postdates or that the baby looked only term. We shouldn't be surprised that a 43-week baby is born without signs of postmaturity. The majority of them show no signs or symptoms of the syndrome. A generally accepted statistic to keep in mind about postdates is that less than 10% of babies born after 43 weeks actually show signs of postmaturity syndrome. Given that fact, one could conclude that the calendar is actually a rather poor predictor of postmaturity syndrome! This means that the vast majority of women who are induced at 42 or even 41 weeks to prevent "postmaturity" are being unnecessarily induced (and possibly sectioned for failed induction) since the risk of postmaturity is so low for them.
- Gail Hart, midwife
9) Switchboard
Re: transverse baby [Issue 4:2]:
I would have her do a lot of hands and knees things, mop her floors, etc. Have her take homeopathic Pulsatilla 30 C potency. See if she can find a Walkman and listen to recordings of some Mozart concertos. Chiropractic and acupuncture can also help. I used all these methods, except acupuncture, and my son (twin "A") turned from breech to vertex at about 35 or 36 weeks. But by far, it seemed to me that it was prayer, not just mine but also the prayers of my family and friends, that helped.
- Holly Sippel
A wonderful, short magazine article written by Andrew Weil MD tells of his wife having a guided visualization experience by telephone with a practitioner to help turn the baby (which was breech or transverse). Twenty minutes later, as Weil puts it, "she clutched her belly and bent over, saying, 'I think the baby's turning.'" This was later confirmed by the midwife. The article appeared in 1995, I think, perhaps in New Age Journal.
A midwife once told me that for persistent breeches, do a handstand in the pool. The water supposedly equalizes pressure and allows the baby to turn. Since that time I have known two women with stubborn breeches, an upcoming due date, and a doctor with itchy scalpel fingers. Both tried this and both babies turned (one at 39+ weeks). Tell her to try an underwater handstand a few times - if she feels the baby moving get out of the water so baby can't flip head up again. If she feels nothing, don't give up hope. One of the ladies, pregnant with her fifth child, didn't feel anything, but her baby was head down at her next checkup.
A midwife friend once did a version. She placed her hand behind the head and before the knees and just gently pushed and talked to the baby. Whoosh! The baby turned and dived head down - it took about 5 minutes. I know some doctors put women in the hospital and give them drugs to relax the uterus and for the pain they inflict while they try to muscle the baby into position. Personally, I'd go with the midwife!
- Cat
Do a search of back issues of Midwifery Today E-News for some excellent information about turning a baby. Go to: http://www.midwiferytoday.com/enews/subscribe.asp and use the search function in the upper right corner of the page.
"According to Henci Goer in her book, Obstetric Myths vs. Research Realities, external version, or turning the baby from the outside, is a viable option before resorting to cesarean or vaginal breech birth. This involves turning the baby by manipulating the woman's belly and monitoring with ultrasound. While there is an average success rate of 63% it is important to note that the risks of external version include: a prolapse of the umbilical cord, uterine rupture, premature rupture of membranes, cord entanglement, placental abruption, hemorrhage, and preterm labor. Each woman and pregnancy should be evaluated on an individual basis. The chapter about breech presentation is an excellent synopsis of the clinical literature on this topic and is well worth reading.
Another alternative to investigate is the Webster chiropractic technique that is used to encourage the baby to turn. As with external version, it is important to find a care provider with training and experience in applying this technique. Also, in The Birth Partner, Penny Simkin describes a posture or exercise called a breech tilt. Apparently this posture encourages some babies to turn head down when done in the last six weeks of pregnancy. Supposedly placing earphones low on the mother's abdomen and playing rhythmic music may encourage the baby to turn to better hear the music. Another excellent source of suggestions for turning a breech, or making the choice between vaginal or surgical birth, is Anne Frye's book Holistic Midwifery.
- Amy V. Haas, BCCE
HOLISTIC MIDWIFERY VOL. I is available from Midwifery Today. To order,
As a doula I have come across a great number of occiput posterior presentations lately. I am looking for suggestions to encourage turning, barring the manual manipulation I am not trained to do. Things I know of are: cat-cow, walking, squatting, swimming, pelvic rocking, hot tub/relaxation. What else is out there?
- Doula in RI
My first doula client is due in February with her first baby. She is 35 and wants a natural unmedicated birth. She has bad hemorrhoids, which she says she has had since a child. She tells me they are very painful and if she strains on the toilet, they pop out and bleed. All my books suggest a diet full of vegetables but her diet is mostly healthy yet they still persist.
Do you think the hemorrhoids will affect her chances of a natural delivery (the hospital she is birthing in has a high cesarean rate)? I have suggested she try birthing in the pool, and she is keen to try squatting on my birth ball and wants to deliver on all fours. Does anyone know of any tricks to help her? I have read about putting a damp cloth over them and literally pushing against them while she pushes the baby out.
- Debra
I am a team midwife working in an English maternity unit and we are looking at postnatal visits at home. At present we visit selectively for the first 10 days, usually first day at home visit, day 7 to weigh the baby and take the Guthrie test (PKU), and day 10 to discharge the mum and baby to the health visitor. We then can visit for up to 28 days for further support if required. We have maternity care assistants who also give support visits and have just introduced postnatal clinics. With the shortage of staff a problem we are looking at other care pathways that may be suitable for the postnatal period. What do other units, in the UK or the rest of the world, do? What do you think we should do?
- Anon.
Re: Looking for training in Virginia [Issue 4:2]: It is unclear whether you already have done the studying/testing for the CPM, but if you wish to continue studying, then I would suggest a distance learning course. If you want intense hands-on experience consider spending time at La Maternidad La Luz in Texas or going to Jamaica - they'll give you an invaluable experience. Check out The Farm - they have wonderful workshops and classes. There are others and Midwifery Today's book Paths to Becoming a Midwife [see ordering info above] and their journal [Midwifery Today magazine] also list ads in the back.
- Anon.
I respect each individual's decision regarding choice of educational path toward becoming a midwife. However, that choice should be an informed one based on fact, not on hearsay or stereotypes. As a professional registered nurse (RN) practicing nursing since 1970 I have not met the nurse described "kow-towing" to physicians. The practice of nursing and medicine are separate, but we must be able to work together as directed by state licensing laws. I encourage Ms. Williams to contact an area college nursing program to learn firsthand what professional nursing practice entails.
- J. O'Connor RNC BS LCCE FACCE
Is it possible to breastfeed triplets? How is the best way to do it - two babies at the same time and then the third one? After 20 or 30 minutes of breastfeeding, normally there is a latency time during which the breast cannot produce milk for a while. Would this be a problem for the third baby put at the breast? Should the mother try to breastfeed or should she give up and give the bottle?
- Lorraine, midwife
Re: vaginal adhesions [Issue 4:2]: My daughter had this; her pediatrician, who avoids prescribing medications, advised against using hormone cream. He said usually an adhesion opens on its own naturally, if not in infancy, then at puberty. He said when hormone cream is used the adhesions often reappear once treatment is stopped. At 9 months, my daughter's adhesions have disappeared.
- Anon.
Women are often encouraged to take calcium in pregnancy and breastfeeding, but excess calcium is said to cause/encourage the formation of kidney stones. Anyone needing to take calcium should always drink plenty of water and avoid dehydration.
- Terry, independent midwife
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Midwifery Today: Each One Teach One!


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Justin Bieber might not be so big in Portugal.
The Beebs canceled his Tuesday show because of "soft" ticket sales. Sources connected to Justin supposedly told TMZ it was a "business decision." About 60 percent of the tickets were sold, which I guess aren't enough to buy Bieber more ab-rolling machines and cars to smash up.
"Due to unforeseen circumstances, Justin Bieber was forced to cancel the second operation, in Portugal, on 12 March," the Portuguese promoter Everything is New posted on its website, according to E! News. "The Canadian singer is eager to play for the Portuguese fans on 11 March." The message also promised a refund to fans who had purchased tickets for the concert.
The cancellation comes after a bad week for Bieber. Fans got all over him for starting a London show two hours late. Then he collapsed on stage the next night. The next morning he tangled with a photographer, screaming threats at him, video of which quickly made the rounds on the Internet.


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text: Chicago Auto Show keeps public its primary audience February 11, 2009 12:00 AM A key Chicago Auto Show official surprised members of the media assembled to cover the show this morning when he informed them that they are an important part of the success of the show—but not that important. In fact, he said show organizers were anxious this year for the end of the show's two-day media preview. "We're happy to see each of you and deeply appreciate you being here to cover the show. We are fully aware how important you are to the success of our show," said Jerry Cizek, Chicago Auto Show General Manager. "That being said, we're counting the hours until Friday, when we can throw open the doors of the show and welcome our most important audience—the American consumer." Responding to media reports that the era of auto shows as marketing tools is nearing an end, Cizek countered that those reporters rarely stick around to see the most important part of the show. "If you want to accurately measure the marketing effectiveness of an auto show, shouldn't you attend one?" Cizek asked. "How many of you have experienced the magic of the Chicago Auto Show on the first Sunday of the show, or the second Saturday. Have any of you stood by a concept car or a new production model and watched reactions of real people, who aren't tied to the industry?" "If you think this part of the show—the media preview—is the most important, you are mistaken," said Cizek. "In Chicago, we believe that the show doesn't even begin until the minute thousands of consumers start streaming through the turnstiles on the first public day of the show." Automakers seem to agree. Cizek noted that while some exhibitors have downsized their exhibits, the Chicago show has not seen the kind of exhibitor exodus experienced by other shows. "When your sales and marketing dollars are most precious, you invest them where you can generate the best return," he asserted. "I firmly believe that's why we have been able to hold things together in Chicago this year. "We have been gratified that companies have been looking for ways to stay in the show rather than reasons to leave," Cizek said. The key to that success, according to Cizek? The Chicago Auto Show sells cars and trucks. And for an industry starved for success, that's an important strength to own. Back to News


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Historian Ayesha Jalal turns a literary lens on the traumatic events of 1947 and their aftermath. In-person appearance at Asia Society India Centre, with filmmaker Shyam Benegal, on Thursday, July 18.
Ayesha Jalal revisits the work of Manto (1912-1955), one of Pakistan's greatest writers, and finds it almost disturbingly relevant today.
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Asia Society takes no institutional position on policy issues and has no affiliation with any government. All views expressed in its publications and on its website are the sole responsibility of the author or authors.


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Dyson's pledge to invest in Wiltshire, which could create hundreds of jobs at its headquarters in Malmesbury, has been welcomed.
A public exhibition of the design and technology firm's major expansion will take place at Malmesbury Town Hall, Cross Hayes, between 3pm and 8pm on Monday, February 3.
Plans for the new development include extending the current research and development facilities and building a second, larger canteen for the extra staff.
There will also be a helipad for inventor Sir James Dyson, and other VIPs, and a sports facility with artificial turf, as well as more car parking.
Simon Killane, a Malmesbury town and Wiltshire councillor, said: "I think it is great news for the town; it shows that Dyson has a long-term commitment to expanding employment opportunities for people in the area.
"Dyson has been working with the Neighbourhood Planning Process to let us know what is going on and we really appreciate the way they have worked with the planning process.
"It is good for employment and good for the area."
Representatives from the firm, which is famous for products such as its bagless vacuum cleaners and Airblade hand drier, will give a presentation to town councillors at the planning and environment meeting next Tuesday.
Aimee Frankham, chairman of Malmesbury and District Chamber of Commerce, said: "This is excellent, exciting news.
"It shows a positive commitment from Dyson to the town for the next couple of decades and beyond.
"It can only be seen as a good thing for the economic development of the town to attract new investors.
"Dyson have now made their intentions very clear that they wish to stay in the area and develop and it is a very positive step forward for us.
"Dyson has got a pre-existing relationship, and buildings, here and the landscape of Malmesbury enables them to be able to utilise what they have got."
Mayor John Gundry said: "I think we will be seeing some very good-looking architecture from a scenic point of view.
"Dyson is employing more people and putting Malmesbury further on the map as the headquarters for international design and technology, which is just the sort of business we want to attract.
"Dyson outreaches to the community through its scholarships and foundation and long may it continue."


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Swedish Ambassador Björn Lyrvall and his delegation arrived in Geneva in this impressive bus as part of his Midwest tour.


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My main meditation practice is Vipassana as taught by Bhante Gunaratana, although I do use somewhat of the Mahasi Sayadaw technique of using some basic metal notes during "normal" life to try and maintain as much mindfulness as possible. My question regarding the Sayadaw technique of noting has to do with the fact that it seems like if you have some sort of nagging unwholesome mind state arise and you just see it as "thinking" or "anger", does that help you overcome that habitual mind state? Or should you go into it a little deeper as Bhante G suggests and notice it, determine why it arose and then apply a technique of countering it with Metta or something similar in order to over come it and create new wholesome habits of mind? After this is done a few times and you immediately recognize that mind state it's enough to just notice it arising and passing and it doesn't need to really be worked with in that way anymore.
I just dont see (or understand I suppose) how just noting "anxiety, anger etc..) can help you overcome them.


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FORMER Accrington Stanley managing director Rob Heys is to ride more than 150 miles for charity.
The 37-year-old left the club after he admitted FA betting offences last August and was banned from football for 21 months.
Mr Heys, who is now runs an international tea and coffee sales operation, plans to cycle from his Birkenhead home to Accrington, following the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, before heading to Yorkshire to see Stanley take on Leeds in the Capital One Cup on Tuesday.
He will raise money for the East Lancashire Hospice, as well as a hospices in Birkenhead and Yorkshire.
Mr Heys said: "I had a bit of free time so I took up biking. I got a new bike and I started going out on it. It does you good to challenge yourself and I have always wanted to ride the canal.
"I have just done general bike rides over the last 12 months, but I have to step it a little bit. I'm starting to think it's a long way now. If it was not hard, it would not be worthwhile doing."
Mr Heys smashed his original fundraising target of £300, and now hopes to raise £1,000, with the money split between the three hospices. We did quite a lot of work with East Lancashire Hospice at the football club. It's such a fantastic, positive place," he said.
Mr Heys was suspended from all football activity and fined £1,000 after admitting to a total of 735 breaches of FA betting regulations over the past decade.
That included 37 instances of betting on Stanley to lose, many as part of accumulators.
Mr Heys apologised for his actions but stressed that he never attempted to influence the outcome of any match or use inside information for financial gain. And he said he would like to be involved with the sport again.
To donate, visit www.robheys.co.uk.


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"We had more mental errors by those guys in our receiving corps and tight end corps than we've had in a number of weeks," Colts interim coach Bruce Arians said. "But again, they were able to settle down and get refocused and make plays coming down the stretch."
One of Luck's telling quotes after the wild 35-33 win at Detroit: "I think we have a bunch of guys in the locker room maybe who don't know any better."
As the Colts prepare for a 1 p.m. home game against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium, here's a quick look at the rookies' significant contributions:What can be said about Luck that hasn't already been said? He's been praised widely, and deservedly so. The fact he can bounce back from bad plays or poor decisions is one of his best attributes.
He has eight wins, the most by a No.1-drafted quarterback in history. He has 3,596 yards passing, behind only the rookie seasons of Cam Newton (4,051) and Peyton Manning (3,739). He has five game-winning fourth-quarter or overtime drives – tied with Vince Young and Ben Roethlisberger for the most by a rookie.
He's lived up to every expectation.Hilton caught six passes for 100 yards at Detroit, giving him four 100-yard games and breaking the Colts rookie record set by Andre Rison.
He has 39 catches for 588 yards and a team-best five touchdown receptions. Hilton also has a punt-return touchdown and the intelligence to study Reggie Wayne on how to be a great NFL receiver.Ballard carried the ball only nine times for 41 yards at Detroit, but scored his first rushing touchdown. (He had a rather memorable receiving touchdown to win at Tennessee.)
Ballard has 468 yards rushing at 3.7 yards per carry. The potential is there.The second tight end drafted by the Colts, Allen has 36 catches for 435 yards – fourth on the team behind Wayne, Donnie Avery and Hilton – and a pair of touchdowns. He made a veteran step-out-of-bounds catch in the final drive Sunday.
He's also become a go-to player for quotes before and after games. He has the biggest personality among the rookies.
"We're in the hunt for the playoffs," he said. "We definitely improved in the two-minute drill. To go down and win (at Detroit) was unbelievable. This locker room was electrifying."Fleener, the Colts' second pick in the draft, returned from injury and caught his first touchdown pass from his old college buddy Luck.
Afterward, he performed a "jackhammer" celebration that Luck jokingly (or not) proclaimed "embarrassing."
Fleener has a dry sense of humor and loads of on-field potential, too.Brazill hasn't made as quick a transition to the NFL game, but there wasn't a more timely play than his 42-yard touchdown catch from Luck on the Colts' next-to-last fourth-quarter drive. He has speed. He has hands. He'll get even better.These two rookies haven't played for different reasons. Chapman, the nose tackle, is on injured reserve, still rehabbing his messed-up knee. Harnish, the quarterback, spent time on the active roster before moving to the practice squad. The former Norwell standout's contribution is behind the scenes, joining Drew Stanton in helping Luck develop.
It's a measure of Colts camaraderie that Harnish still feels like a full part of the team, rushing the field to celebrate the latest in an improbable season.
This is kind of like the first year for all Colts players this time around. The newness hasn't worn off.
"We don't know no better," veteran defensive end Cory Redding said. "We just keep playing. We always say, 'Don't look at the scoreboard. Just keep playing.' When the clock says 'zero,' look up and see where we're at."


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NGOs give trade ministry "Marlboro Man Award
For Immediate Release:
May 31st, 2012
John Stewart, 857-413-6261
Andrew Skipalsky (Ukraine)
UKRAINE—Big Tobacco's international campaign to derail public health policy has a global united front to contend with this World No Tobacco Day. Today, the Network for the Accountability of Tobacco Transnationals (NATT), comprised of more than 100 organizations from 50 countries, gave the Ukrainian Ministry of Economic Development and Trade the "Marlboro Man" award—a less-than-prestigious prize given to a government that is furthering Big Tobacco's interests and putting tobacco profits over people. Center Life, a Ukrainian public health organization, gave the Ministry of Economics the dubious honor at a press conference today for requesting a consultation at the World Trade Organization challenging Australia's plain cigarette packaging law, although the tobacco growing country has no tobacco trade with Australia.
Even as tobacco's annual death toll soars beyond six million, Big Tobacco has stepped up its efforts to prevent proven tobacco control laws from taking effect. Highly visible examples include lawsuits by Philip Morris International and its competitors against countries like Australia, Norway and Uruguay for implementing strong tobacco control laws.
The Ministry's action highlights Big Tobacco's latest tactic to divide and conquer, turning trade and commerce ministries against public health ministries, even though the global tobacco treaty (formally known as the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, or FCTC) recognizes that Parties have the right to prioritize health over trade concerns, a right supported by both the World Bank and the World Trade Organization (WTO). PMI, whose market share is 32.2 percent in the Ukraine, publicly admitted that it is open to providing legal assistance to the Ukraine.
"The Ukraine has made significant progress to rein in the tobacco epidemic since ratifying the FCTC in 2006," said Andrew Skipalsky, CEO of Center-Life. "But by doing Big Tobacco's dirty work to block Australia's efforts to protect kids from tobacco's deadly effects, the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade is really tarnishing our international reputation."
The award was one of dozens of actions organized across the globe calling on governments to stand strong against tobacco industry intimidation and interference in public health policy. Health ministries, educators and advocates were readied with posters, fliers, toolkits and other promotional materials featuring the initiative's theme: "tobacco industry interference." All of the day's actions are a prelude to pivotal global tobacco treaty meetings this November in Seoul.
"The death toll is rising not only because Big Tobacco aggressively markets a deadly, addictive product, but also because the industry does everything in its power to obstruct tobacco control efforts," said Gigi Kellett, Challenge Big Tobacco campaign director with Corporate Accountability International. "Now is the time for government actions that promote public health – not those that further Big Tobacco's deadly agenda to intimidate countries implementing the life-saving global tobacco treaty."
NATT is calling on the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade to fulfill the Ukraine's obligations under international law, rescind the legal complaint and safeguard its public health policies against tobacco industry interference. These safeguards should follow a key provision of the FCTC, Article 5.3 and its guidelines, which include codes of conduct for government employees to avoid conflicts of interest, policies limiting tobacco industry interactions with government activities and those that put in place public disclosure measures regarding interactions with the tobacco industry and its proxies.
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Very nice orgasm...I love
Ohhh gosh,... I want it! My pussy is super wet from that! Aaaahhh.
i love your pussy i just want to rub my pussy against ur's lol
Sweet & sexy!
My Cock Explodes Everytime I See Her
i m so excited..you re my favourite!
Perfect girl. Super sexy, and she can even do the laundry.
One of my favorites from her. I just wanna rub my pussy against her. I'm so wet for her. Her pussy looks so delicious.
it was shit
verry sexy
even i do that
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Monday August 16, 2004 12:36 pm
Sprint Adds Streaming Media To Cell Phones
Posted by Hector Martinez Categories: Cell Phones
Along with a megapixel camera, and camcorder capabilities, Sprint is making headway into the TV broadcast arena. With their new Samsung MM-A700 handset, you'll be able to get 15-frame-per-second streaming video. Content includes highlights from the Olympics and Sprint TV: a compilation of content from the NBC TV network, Fox Sports, The Weather Channel Interactive, and other sources. The service is $9.99 a month, with the option to add on additional premium channels at $4.95 each per month. Sprint's new MM-A700 handset is $399.99, or $249.99 after rebate with a two-year agreement.
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SHEPHERDSVILLE – Could the way grades are calculated for students affect the amount of scholarship money they could receive for college?
That was part of a recent discussion among members of the Bullitt County Public School Board.
Robb Smith, director of secondary education for the district, has been working on proposals after hearing comments from parents and teachers about the current grading policy.
Currently, a student must have a 92-100 in class to receive an A. The scale goes down with a student receiving an F if grades are 64 or below.
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When I was in Berlin I shot a music video. The director sent me the above still frame. It's in very early post production so the final video may look quite different. I'm excited so I want to share it of course. The song is special for a few reasons. Lyrically it touches on some of my deepest not so secrets. From a production stand point you will really like it I think as it's a fully analog affair. The song was sequenced using a Doepfer Dark Time. The Dark Time itself was synced using a 5v click from a MFB-522 drum machine (a kind of TR-808 clone). The main EBM synth line is an Analog Solutions Telemark. You can hear a clip of the song starting at 3:56 in the video here: The Horrorist 2012 Preview. This will be the 2nd single off my next album Fire Funmania. The single and video will be released in August with remixes by David Carretta, Millimetric and Dupont.
"Feed me poison. I vomit blood. I kiss your feet. Show me the boss."
For more info: thehorrorist.com


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Thanks to a Crime Stoppers tip provided to Broward Sheriff's Office detectives after news outlets released video of a man dubbed the "Loose Change Robber," he is now in custody.
Investigators arrested Christian Lee Fletcher, 42, Thursday, June 27, without incident after a news viewer recognized him from surveillance video of a robbery at a North Lauderdale gas station May 7.
The incident happened around 7:15 p.m. at 7100 W. McNab Rd. in North Lauderdale.
Initially, the video shows Fletcher walking around the store browsing through the merchandise. He grabs a beverage and approaches the checkout counter with a dollar bill and loose change. The suspect asks the clerk to add a cigar to his purchase. When the register pops open, Fletcher reaches for the money and flees. He was seen getting into a 1994-95, gold, four-door Toyota Camry.
Fletcher's facing a larceny/petit theft charge and a violation of probation for unrelated criminal mischief.
***MEDIA NOTE: A clear video of the robbery is available for download from our website www.sheriff.org.
Suspect info: Christian Lee Fletcher, 42, male, 5/30/71, 4026 Del Rio Way, Sunrise
Case #15-1305-000503
Detective Alexander Briz, NL
PIO Keyla Concepción 6/28/13 1500
Posted At: 06/28/2013 02:42 PM
- PIO 13-6-11A Loose Change Robber Arrested - PIO 13-6-11A Loose Change Robber Arrested
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THE FAMILY of a Winchester boy killed in an avalanche in Austria last month has now returned home.
Winchester College student Cameron Bespolka, 16, died on December 17 after he, his father and a ski guide were engulfed in snow in the resort of Lech am Arlberg.
The avalanche swept Cameron, dad Kevin, 51, and the guide 150 metres down the mountain leaving Cameron's triplet brother Nicholas, who had been skiing behind them, watching from the top.
Cameron's mother, Corinne Bespolka, 53, the boys' triplet sister Megan and 12-year-old sister Sienna, are believed to have been at their hotel when the accident happened.
The family have now returned home after Mr Bespolka was treated in intensive care for knee and leg injuries and his son Nicholas was treated for trauma by a psychologist.
Police confirmed the ski instructor was being investigated on charges of "negligence leading to serious injury with fatal consequences" as the route the group had taken was not an authorised one.
The Central Hampshire coroner's office has said it is not yet clear when the inquest will be held.
The Hampshire Chronicle has approached a member of Cameron's family who said it did not wish to make a statement at this time.


text: The Mello LED skateboard is the next generation in cruiser skateboards. As well as providing a well built and stylish, iconic classic cruiser skateboard, it takes skateboard design and development to the next level.By harnessing the kinetic energy you create on your ride through the bearings and returning it to the wheels, the Mello LED skateboard powers the bright LEDs housed within the wheel sets lighting up your board and leaving a trail of light as you cruise.Comprising of a 22 kicktail diamond moulded polycarbonate deck with 3 powder coated aluminium trucks, high spec ABEC9 bearing sets and topped off with Mello 59mm, 78a transparent LED PU wheels. The Mello LED skateboard is guaranteed to turn heads.Additional InformationBoard Type: Classic Mini Street CruiserConstruction Material: High Tensile Diamond PolycarbonateDeck Length: 22 (55.88cm)Deck Width: 5.875 (14.92cm)Tail Type: KicktailWheel Sets: Smooth & Durable Mello 78a PU 59mm x 44mm (2.32 x 1.73) Wheel SetWheel Colour: Transparent Core and 4x Coloured LED BulbsBearings Rating: Precision Abec 9Truck Material: Powder Coated Aluminium Standard Kingpin HangerTruck Width: 3 (7.62cm)Truck Colour: WhiteHardware: White 28mm posidriveBushings: Soft 90aDeck Grip: Diamond PatternCheck stock and price


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Although developed to help answer the UK's surveillance requirements, the BAE Systems Mantis unmanned air vehicle technology demonstrator has become the focus of wider interest from elsewhere in Europe. The UAV is seen now as a potential platform to answer the time-critical requirements of France and Italy, as well as the UK itself, and will inevitably draw interest from other nations such as Germany and Spain.
All these nations have requirements for deep and persistent intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) capability, which is required sooner rather than later. The Mantis faces a number of challengers in this field: the General Atomics Predator B/Reaper, already operated by the UK and Italy,
and selected by Germany for an interim capability; the Israel Aerospace Industries Heron TP that is being touted by a Dassault/Indra/Thales/IAI consortium to fill the French and Spanish requirements; and the EADS Talarion. The latter offers a highly capable all-European solution, but is not expected to be ready for service until 2018 at the earliest.
That is seen as too late for France, in particular, which requires a medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) UAV in service around 2015. Such a timescale fits well with the UK schedule, although that may be altered by the new British government's forthcoming strategic defense and security review, which is widely expected to result in a significant cut in defense spending. Currently the UK's Scavenger program envisions a deep persistent ISTAR asset being selected in 2012 and entering service in 2015-18. The Scavenger is part of the UK MoD's wider Solomon ISTAR program (formerly Dabinett), which also encompasses other intelligence-gathering disciplines such as satellites.
A few weeks ago the UK and French defense ministries launched a feasibility study for an Anglo-French high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) UAV solution, with the Mantis as a possible platform. Dassault would lead the French side in a partnership with BAE Systems. Italy is also studying the Mantis, with Finmeccanica as the most likely industry partner. The feasibility report is due to be published in the third quarter.
In the meantime, the Mantis demonstrator is back at Warton after its successful Spiral 1 flight test campaign at Woomera in Australia. This began with a first flight on October 21 last year, and involved five mission-representative flights. They included the ability of the system to cue the operator to pre-set targets, area surveillance and night operations. A quick turnaround was also performed, returning the Mantis to the air in around 30 minutes.
As well as the L-3 Wescam MX-20 EO/IR primary sensor, the Mantis was fitted with BAE Systems' imagery collection and exploitation (ICE) II system. The system incorporates automatic target recognition algorithms that identify targets and automatically cross-cue the main sensors for more detailed imagery.
With the Mantis back at Warton, BAE Systems is rebuilding the demonstrator as a systems development testbed. Spiral 1 tests are considered complete, bringing to an end the advanced concept and technology demonstrator phase, which was funded jointly by industry and the UK Ministry of Defence, as part of the government's Operational Unmanned Aerial System program. Spiral 2 has yet to be defined but will concentrate primarily on expanded ISTAR capability, and is likely to include a Selex Galileo SAR/GMTI radar. The nature of the next Spiral development is likely to be dependent on the outcome of the current feasibility studies.


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The Day Ahead: Are You Acting Like an Elephant?
"The animal which surpasses all others in wit and mind," -- Aristotle on elephants.
I put this question out into the universe: are you investing as an elephant? Are you utilizing every ounce of grey matter to make an informed decision?...665 more words left in this article. To read them, just click below and try Real Money FREE for 14 days.
There's no substitute for a trading floor to get great ideas, so Jim Cramer created a better one at Real Money and blogs there exclusively. We then added legendary hedge fund manager, Doug Kass, with his exclusive Daily Diary and best investing ideas. Staffed with more than 4 dozen investing pros, money managers, journalists and analysts, Real Money Pro gives you a flood of opinions, analysis and actionable trading advice found nowhere else, and allows you to interact directly with each expert.
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2018 Long Range Weather Forecast for Bellevue, WA
Search for Other Locations
How to Read Long-Range Weather Forecasts
Long-range predictions show weather trends in temperatures and precipitation. For example, will the winter be colder or warmer than average? Will there be more or less snow than what's typical for your area? Our famous predictions (traditionally 80% accurate) are made 18 months in advance, and meant to help you make more informed decisions for long-term planning.
Here on Almanac.com, we provide free long-range forecasts for the next 30 to 60 days covering U.S. and Canadian regions. Find all 12 months of predictions in the annual Old Farmer's Almanac.
Free 2-Month Weather Forecast
SEPTEMBER 2017: temperature 58° (3° below avg.); precipitation 2.5" (1" above avg.); Sep 1-8: Showers, then sunny, nice; Sep 9-15: Rainy periods, turning chilly; Sep 16-21: Showers, cold; Sep 22-30: Sunny, cool.
OCTOBER 2017: temperature 53° (1° below avg.); precipitation 2" (1" below avg.); Oct 1-6: Showers, cool; Oct 7-12: Sunny; warm, then cool; Oct 13-24: Rainy periods, cool; Oct 25-31: Rain, some heavy; mild.
Annual Weather Summary: November 2017 to October 2018
Winter will be drier and slightly colder than normal, with near- to below-normal snowfall. The coldest periods will occur from late November into early December and in late December, with the snowiest periods in early to mid- and late December. April and May will be warmer and drier than normal. Summer will be warmer and rainier than normal, with the hottest temperatures in mid-June and early and mid- to late July. September and October will be slightly cooler than normal, with rainfall near normal in the north and above normal in the south.
About the Pacific Northwest Region
The Pacific Northwest long range weather region includes all or part of the following states: CALIFORNIA (Arcata, Eureka, Fortuna, McKinleyville, Yreka), OREGON (Beaverton, Eugene, Gresham, Portland, Salem), WASHINGTON (Bellevue, Everett, Seattle, Tacoma, Vancouver).
Pacific Northwest Neighboring Regions
Here are the regions that neighbor the Pacific Northwest long range weather region:


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Hello everyone
I am a 28 years old girl and I am new to Buddhism.
English is not my first language; I have a pretty good understanding but sometimes my expression gets a little weird so please do not hesitate to correct my english (I would really appreciate that actually) or ask questions if what I write is unclear.
(Before posting: I realize this is a very long post. If you quickly want to know about me, maybe it is better you read only the last part I put in blue. If you like long and boring readings though, you are welcome to do so).
My first encounter with buddhism is when my mom and I went to see the movie Little Buddha at a theater. I was little at the time, but I remember being very impressed by the Buddha's life and some of the Buddhist concepts. But that was all then, since I was being raised as a (tolerant) Catholic Christian.
My second encounter happened during my first trip to Japan about seven years ago. I lived there for a year, and like most tourists, during my travels I visited many beautiful Buddhist temples. The only Buddhist notions I had were vague recollections Buddhims as portrayed in movies, documentaries and tv shows. I then though it was too bad visiting Buddhist temples without knowing what Buddhim was about. So I bought the book "The teachings of Buddha" that was sold in one of the temples and started reading it. It was a complete discovery. I realized some completely new concepts, and at the same time there were many things on which I agreed. It changed my point of view on some things for some time, but then I kind of forgot about them.
After that I went back to my own country. From time to time, when I was looking for anwsers or feeling that something was missing, I would naturally turn to Buddhism, look for some books and read them. But most of the time the writing style of the books I chose was heavy and made it not very clear, and my interest would just gradually fade away.
Now I am back living in Japan again. Since a year, I have been having minor health problems which are caused by stress.
My way of living should be quite peacefull actually. My work is not supposedly very stressful, I have a boyfriend I am living with, I have friends...
I realized I have a tendancy to over-react to everything, which causes the stress, which causes me to have health problems, which increases stress, my health problems get worse, etc.
I have read some good books about stress that made me realize the problems do not come from my life but from my mind. I tried some techniques advised in the book but it was not very efficient. I also started to do some sport which helps me release some stress and also make me feel physically better, but I felt something else was missing.
Then I remembered about buddhism. I read a book in two parts, on about the sutra, the other about tantra. I got very enthusiastic about the sutra but the tantra did not correspond me at all. Then I looked for other types of Buddhism and I found out about Theravada which I think is more for me.
It had only been more than a week since then, and I found many very good books in English about the teachings of Buddha on the internet. I cannot stop wanting to read more about it, I think about it all the time, and this time I have decided to put the teachings into practice. I have many problems that I believe can be solved by the Buddha's teachings: I get easily angry or disappointed, I have tendancy to judge myself or the others, I never forgive myself, sometimes I lie, I am afraid of sickness and death, etc.
But to be honest, I am not sure if I really want to become a Buddhist.
What I feel know is that Buddha's teaching make so much sense, they are so close to my values and they are so wise I cannot ignore them. I do now know if the path is made for me, but I want to give a try because I believe it cannot harm me to try to do so, it can only do me good ! I will try practice the teachings for several months, and then I will chose if I want to continue and be able to call myself a Buddhist. I hope this is okay with you guys.
I will probably have lots of silly questions.
Oh, and I found this forum because I was looking an answer at the question "Does illegal downloading break the second principle?" and I found people had a great discussion here about it. Then I saw it was a Therevada forum and thought "Maybe this can become my Sangha".
Anyway, nice to meet you all.


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Writer Guidelines
General Guidelines
Weavings promotes a pattern of faithful living marked by prayer, community, and engagement. Such living, to which laity and clergy alike are called, embraces all those expressions of discipline and discipleship that mark the Christian's response to God's work of weaving together the torn fabric of life.
Weavings provides a space where questions posed by contemporary life and spiritual resources of the Christian heritage can encounter and illuminate one another. The journal strives to create a forum in which contributors and readers can converse on important matters of common concern. Published quarterly and organized by themes (Click here for theme descriptions and due dates), each issue presents a broad range of materials dealing with:
- significant topics in Christian spirituality visible in personal, congregational, and public life;
- practicing spiritual disciplines;
- the role of non-discursive communication in spiritual formation (e.g. art, music, architecture, dance);
- linking individual and corporate renewal in the church;
- relating personal and social transformation;
integrating contemporary experience and classical wisdom.
These and similar themes may be explored through articles, stories (fiction and non-fiction), meditations on scripture, sermons, prayers, or poetry.
The journal is for clergy, lay leaders, and all engaged in seeking a deeper life with God through formation in the mind, heart, and word of Jesus Christ. It is for all who want to broaden their understanding of, and response to, how God's life and human lives are being woven together in the world. The journal seeks to move beyond the dichotomy between pulpit and pew by probing the depths of the spiritual life in ordinary language common to both clergy and laity.
Format & Length
Articles should be 1000 to 2000 words in length. Our main interest is in writing that perceptively examines the spiritual issues that arise when Christian faith and present-day cultures meet. Articles should help readers see that the spiritual life leads to the very heart of the world, and that there is no issue in the personal, congregational, or political sphere that is without spiritual significance.
Sermons and meditations on scripture may vary in length from 500 to 2000 words. At the center of the Christian spiritual life is the practice of listening attentively to God's word in scripture. Contributions should exemplify the rich variety of insights and incentives to action that flourish when we begin to see the connections between the biblical story of God's redemptive love and our own life story. These guidelines also apply to spiritual autobiographies and biographies.
Stories (fiction or non-fiction) in the form of short vignettes (750 to 1000 words) or longer narratives (up to 2000 words) should strive to depict the movements of God's Spirit in the very midst of ordinary human life. Humor is welcome, as are poems and profiles of "ordinary saints."
Poems, prayers, and liturgical pieces that illumine the theme of the issue are invited and desired.
Weavings is neither a popular devotional guide nor a technical scholarly journal. We are looking for material that has spiritual depth expressed in simple, even poetic, prose. We hope authors will show our readers the subject rather than simply describe or explain it. That is to say, we encourage authors to offer readers an experience of the subject itself. For example, we would hope that an article on prayer would be prayerful in style, and that readers would be likely to experience reading this article as a prayerful event. Reading the article might even lead a reader into a time of prayer. We seek material for Weavings that is meditative in tone, drawing on the rich metaphors of scripture and everyday life to help readers see and respond to God at work in their lives and in the world.
Weavings readers may be assumed to share a real interest in the spiritual life, while differing significantly in their knowledge and experience of Christian tradition. Therefore, writing should be simple, authentic, and inclusive.
Simplicity in the structure and language of contributions places the spiritual life where it belongs—at the center of life as such. Simplicity shows that spirituality is not only for the select few.
Authenticity accents the integrity of the spiritual life. Authentic writing expresses what the writers themselves have sought, experienced, and struggled with in their own lives. The best guidance for authentic spiritual writing is still to be found in the First Letter of John: "It was there from the beginning; we have heard it; we have seen it with our own eyes; we looked upon it, and felt it with our own hands; and it is of this we tell. Our theme is the word of life" (1:1, NEB).
Inclusiveness means, among other things, sensitivity to gender-specific language, openness to the many traditions of historic Christianity, and attention to the manifold wisdom of various cultures and ethnic groups. Such inclusiveness affirms that the spiritual life is not merely a special province of life, but the whole of life lived under the authority of the One whose claim upon humanity is universal in scope.
Submit Your Contributions
Contributions should be submitted electronically to firstname.lastname@example.com in the form of a Microsoft Word 6.0 or Word for Mac attachment. Hard copy should be typed, double-spaced, on 8.5″ x 11″ paper, accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE), and mailed to Weavings, P.O. Box 340004, Nashville, TN 37203-0004. Manuscripts must include the author's name, address, email address (when possible), and the theme for which it is submitted.
Authors are responsible for verifying and providing all proper documentation for direct quotations or other references to published works, including page numbers. When citing passages from the Bible, kindly indicate which translation is being used.
If permission to reprint a quotation or excerpt in Weavings is required by another publisher, the submitting author will be responsible for securing permission and paying any required use fees should the article be accepted for publication in Weavings.
Copyright law allows for quoting up to one line of poetry or music without seeking reprint permission from the publisher who holds the copyright. If more than one line is quoted, the submitting author will be responsible for securing all permission and use fees should the article be selected for publication.
*For a hard copy of Writer's Guidelines, theme descriptions and due dates, or a sample copy, send a SASE to Weavings, P. O. Box 340004, Nashville, TN 37203-0004. A sample copy requires an SASE of at least 6.5″ x 9.5″ with postage for 4 oz.).


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San Francisco -- The Gymboree Corp. reported Wednesday that net income for the quarter ended Oct. 27 fell 22.6% to $46.9 million from $60.6 million in the year-ago period.
Sales edged up 2.8% to $311.5 million, but same-store sales dipped 4% in the quarter.
During fiscal 2012, the company said it maintains its plans to open approximately 124 new stores, including 98 Crazy 8 stores.


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Topic: Coping with the loss of my mother 6 weeks ago.
I am new to this web site but so glad that it exists. My mother was diagnosed on Sept. 30th, 2012, (my birthday) and she passed away on November 29th, 2012. She was overseasand I was greateful that I saw her the last 4 days of her life. I'm devastated as I loved her more than anyone in the world. She was the only one I had as she divorced my dad when I was 4 years old. She was my hero!! This cancer is one of the worst that I've ever seen in my life.


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Saint Joseph's head coach Phil Martelli is taking his Hawks overseas again, this time on a 10-day tour of Italy from August 11-21.
The team will play four games—one in each city they visit. On the itinerary is Rome, Florence, Venice and Como.
MORE: Oklahoma St. PG Smart talking pros | Louisville visits White House
This is the second time Martelli has taken the Hawks overseas since he was named head coach in 1995. The team also traveled to Italy in 1999.
"We're excited to make the trip. The basketball opportunity is unique. The overall experience is once in a lifetime," Martelli told the school's media relations staff.
On the trip, the Hawks are expected to visit The Colosseum, St. Peter's Basilica, the Accademia Gallery in Florence, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Grand Canal in Venice and Lake Como.
Saint Joseph's returns 10 players from last year's team that finished 18-14 with a birth in the NIT. Three starters—Langston Galloway, Ronald Roberts Jr. and Halil Kanacevic—return from the 2012-2013 team.
Maybe Martelli is hoping for the overseas trip luck to rub off on his squad this year. The women's basketball team at Saint Joseph's toured Ireland and Northern Ireland last summer. They went on to win the Atlantic 10 championship and earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament.