Jojo Dedication

This was shown at Fountain of Grace at Joel's baby dedication. I've never uploaded a video to this blog. So here goes...

Oh, video by Miriam Lofgren and Music by Casting Crowns.

So you thought we were crazy!!!???

Ok, this may be a version of what we we learned and experienced with Jojo. But if you don't understand what Pam and I went through with bringing Joel into the world, give this a watch. A lot of the things we learned to be true about the birth industry are discussed in this movie.

Riki Lake, of talkshow fame, has produced a movie about the business of giving birth in the United States. It looks like it would be very informative. I am sure that we won't agree with a lot of the things in the movie, but I'm sure it's worth some time watching.

Scot

P.S. - We still might be crazy!

Update!! We just saw the movie. It was good. A couple of choice words that could have been edited out but overall a good movie. We met some girls from the Alabama Birth Coalition who were pushing a bill that knew our midwife. Everyone should see this one!!




The Data
Among 33 industrialized nations, the United States is tied with Hungary, Malta, Poland and Slovakia with a death rate of nearly 5 per 1,000 babies, according to a new report from Save the Children (April 2006). This is the second worst newborn death rate in the developed world.

The five countries with the lowest infant mortality rates in the March of Dimes report -- Japan, Singapore, Sweden, Finland and Norway – midwives were used as their main source of care for 70 percent of the birthing mothers.

Cesarean section is the most commonly performed surgery in the US, at a cost of $14 billion per year. Cesarean-delivery rates are now at an all time high in the United States, standing at 1.2 million, or 29.1 percent of live births in 2004. The increase represents a 40 percent increase in the past 10 years. (In 1970 the rate was 5.5%) In several New York City-area hospitals, the Cesarean-delivery rate is even higher – over 40%.

In one 1999 survey, 82% of physicians said they performed a C-section to avoid a negligence claim.

Overall, according to studies by Washington-based Public Citizen's health research group, the cesarean section rate for hospitals with nurse-midwifery services was about 13 percent lower than the average cesarean rate for all hospitals.

About half a million U.S. babies are born prematurely each year, data shows.

A new report by the World Health Organization, published in the international medical journal, Lancet, identifies complications from cesarean surgery and anesthesia as the leading causes of maternal death in developed countries, including the United States.

Another report by Lewis Mehl-Madrona, MD, PhD, coordinator of Integrative Psychiatry and Systems Medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine Program in Integrative Medicine, comparing 1,046 home births to 1,046 hospital births found negative outcomes consistently higher in hospital births. These included a fetal distress rate six times higher in hospitals, a respiratory distress rate 17 times higher in hospitals, babies requiring resuscitation 3.7 times higher in hospitals, maternal postpartum hemorrhage three times higher in hospitals and 30 birth injuries in the hospital compared with none occurring during the homebirths.

I did not know the world could support two Miriam Lofgrens

Apparently, God in His infinite wisdom, has given the world not one but two Miriam Lofgrens. One lives approximately 50 ft. from our front door and the other a "few" extra feet or meters from our door, Mia, from England who has the given name "Miriam Lofgren."

So my question in an earlier blog "where in the world is Miriam Lofgren?" was answered! I think that this is exciting.

It was certainly nice to hear from the "other" Miriam and again I wonder where our dear friend is today. Somewhere up north where it is much cooler and maybe a lot whiter (snow). I should say hello to all of you Miriams and at least one John who I am sure is near our neighbor during these holidays.

Merry Christmas to all of you Miriams!!! and Lord Bless!

Day Off

Today we homeschooled a little differently. Dad "helped"...

It'll take a few weeks for the kids to recover. Mom will have to correct all of the misinformation and Dad probably won't come home before 8 p.m. for another month or so.

Homeschooling is fantastic...for "WEIRDEES".

Honestly, I had a great time teaching. It gave Pam a break and gave me a chance to practise my math facts.

Waiting on the machine

Well, here we are sitting at FOG (Fountain of Grace) waiting on the copier to finish its copies. . . .

So, what do you want to blog about? Nobody reads our blogs!! We're boring people. Miriam leads an exciting blog life. . . Why can't we be like . . . like . . . Miriam???!!!

Since Miriam is out of town, let's gossip about her!!! (I'm sure she won't mind - it's all about keeping her in our prayers, right!)

Where is she? What is she doing? Is it a job? A wild adventure?

Or is this some strange cover-up she uses to keep us all off-balance??!!

Where in the world is Miriam Lofgren?!?!

Is she even in the US of A?

Life is full of questions (obviously all about Miriam).

WE MISS YOU MIRIAM!! Life's a drag without you!

(Pam & Scot) Still waiting on the printer.

pamchase

In Memory of our still-born baby, Samuel Trent Dillon Dyess; born into the Hands of God March 11, 1997

Our Nurse and Forever Sister, Oni Smith RN
"Remember, His Will is for your good. I'm glad I was
able to be here and take care of you!"

March 13, 1997

Room 282, Bed 2

Columbia East Medical Center Montgomery, AL

A very dear friend and sister in Christ wrote this and hand-delivered it in the hospital. The Holy Spirit snapped me into reality, at the death of my baby boy, and asked "Do you love me?" I answered through a broken heart and hurting spirit, "Yes, Lord, I do."

I would like to share this with anyone out there struggling with the death of a child. Thank you Lynn Hubbard! For being such an inspiration and dear sister in a great time of need.

Letter below

My Dear Sister Pam, I love you! I'm so sorry for the loss that you have suffered with your son. I am afraid to imagine the pain that you must feel to have him taken this soon. The pain that you are about to walk through is a natural part of the process of death. It is a season in your life. Praise be to our God - you have been called from death into life, and the season of death - your son's and your's - has been delivered sealed with the promise of life. Our God has promised us a joy more powerful and more penetrating than this grief. So then, the grief need not be feared nor denied, but endured for the joy set before us. God's Word says of your son:

“Your eyes [Our Father’s eyes] did see my substance, yet being imperfect; and in your book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.How precious also are your thoughts toward me, O God! How great is the sum of them!”

Psalms 139

His loss to you is real, as real as his reception into the hands of our Father. Pam, you are very precious to our Lord, and He will be very near to you. When you look back to this time you will see that the one set of footprints is too big and too straight to be yours. Please call on me for anything the Lord will grant me to do for you during this time. I pray the Lord will grant you patience with we humans who tend to love a lot but not well. Be forwarned – I will be checking on you. Please give my love to Scot.

Yours in Christ (a done deal),

Lynn

"Your strength lies not in holding it in, but letting the tears out

and allowing God to comfort you. Every hour that passes

is filled with people lifting you up to our Lord!
Remember, He sees and collects each
and every one of your tears."

-Oni Smith-

Letter from Ray Hubbard
What a brother!