Unassisted birth: My "Birth Guide"

Remember that these descriptions of the stages of labor are generalizations and that you may experience some variation of 'normal'. No two labors are the same.

I. The First Stage of Labour refers to the onset of contractions until full dilation of the cervix.
Typically this stage is divided into three phases.

   Phase one - early labor, cervix dilates from 1-3cm, mild contractions with fairly long rests in        between
   Phase two - active / established labor, cervix dilates from 4-8cm, contractions longer and stronger    (45 seconds to 1 minute)
   Phase three - transition, cervix dilates from 8cm to 10cm, contractions close together and strong 1    min to 1 1/2 minutes)

It is during this stage that you will need encouragement and support from your partner and/or doula. Use a variety of natural comfort and pain relief methods, as well as various positions for labor to facilitate the dilation of the cervix.

Giving Birth Quote

"Just as a woman's heart knows how and when to pump, her lungs to inhale, and her hand to pull back from fire, so she knows when and how to give birth."
Virginia Di Orio

II. The Second Stage of Labor refers to the pushing and birth of the baby.
At this stage it is important to relax and rest whenever breaks in your contractions allow. There is no need to try to push or to push when you are told. Your body will have an uncontrollable urge to push and will automatically expel your baby.
Unnecessary pushing may tire you out or cause you to tear. Try to relax and 'breathe' your baby out!

III. The Third Stage of Labor refers to the birth of the placenta.
Once again, ideally, nature should be allowed time to do her work. If your baby is placed skin-to-skin on your bare chest immediately after birth, this will trigger an automatic release of oxytocin, a hormone which among other things, will cause the placenta to detach from the uterus.
The length of time this may take could be between 5 to 45 minutes, depending on the type of labor and birth experience you have had up till this point. The less interventions, the better. You will experience another contraction which will expel the placenta - painlessly.

IV. The Fourth Stage of Labor refers to the first hours after birth.
The first hour is often called the 'Golden Hour', as in this hour you and your baby will enjoy your first encounter with each other. Physiologically, this first meeting will be stimulating many significant changes in both your baby and your own body, which will promote bonding, breast-feeding and other desired responses.
It is crucial that you and your baby are not separated during this hour.


Early Labor -
   -  Sleep as much as possible.
   -  If restless, One or Two drops Lavender Essential Oil on washcloth to put on pillow.
   -  If continually restless, take Chamomilla 30C tablets - Dissolve 5 tablets under tongue.

Active Labor -
   -  Light Candles, Darken house
   -  Relaxation Music
   -  If water has NOT broken, a hot bath with 1 Cup Epsom Salts and Lavender or Patchouli Essential Oil in bath or on washcloth
   -   If water HAS broken, replace 1 Cup Epsom Salts with 1 Cup Sea Salts in bath.
   -   1 pc. Rescue Gum or 40 drops Chamomile Tincture in cup of water for Birth attendants!
   -   Distilled water to sterilize Suction Bulb, Scissors, Cord ties. Bring to a rolling boil for 20-30 minutes. Spread Everything out on small Towel. Remaining boiling water can be added to bath if needed. 
   -   Prepare large Bowl or Strainer for Placenta
   -   Prepare a plate of fruit, cheese and crackers and a glass of ice water for mom.

Transition -
Transition is the most difficult phase of labor for most women; however, it is also the shortest phase generally lasting ½ hour to 1½ hours in length.

Physically, mom is experiencing contractions 2-3 minutes apart, lasting 60-90 seconds, and are very strong in intensity. Contractions may even "piggy-back" which means one contraction may start to fade away and another one comes along immediately. During this phase she may notice increased bloody show; nausea, vomiting, burping, or hiccups; shaking; hot/cold feelings; fatigue; and sensitivity to touch. Additionally, she may indicate increased pressure on the perineum and/or rectum.

Emotionally, mom can become restless, irritable, discouraged, and confused. She may find that she focuses inward as she works with her labor. She may have a hard time communicating her wishes. This is the point in labor when she usually needs the most support.

During transition, labor support is crucial for the mom's physical and emotional well-being. Partners should remain with the mom; give firm, clear, positive, and simple directions; remind her to change her positions; assist with breathing patterns; offer a cool washcloth for her brow and lip balm; and keep her hydrated with water and/or ice chips. Remind her to take one contraction at a time and not to give in to the panicky feelings. If Mom Panics: call her by name, take her face in your hands, develop and maintain eye contact, breathe with mom or talk her through the contraction, try variations in breathing patterns, and give lots of reassurance that she is near the end! Remember, any questions for mom should be asked BETWEEN contractions and not during.
  
    -   Have bowl on hand in case of vomiting
   -   Dissolve 5 tablets Arnica Montana 30C under tongue to help prevent bruising/soreness after birth
   -   Additional Rescue Gum or Chamomile Tincture for birth attendants
   -   Encourage mom to try different positions and low back massage for pain relief
   -   Warm or Cool Washcloth compress for forehead
   -   Encourage and remind mom to loosen muscles and not to tense up

Pushing/Birth -
   -   Encourage to “breathe baby out” rather than actively pushing to reduce risk of tearing. WARNING- She may not appreciate any “suggestions” at this point.
   -   Pushing during contractions is important to help with pain and reduce risk of tearing.
   -   Visually check for baby’s position if possible. If the baby is not head down, the baby should NOT be handled or turned in any way before the head is delivered to prevent injury to baby. In this situation, it is important that baby should be born without interference. This is not an emergency or complication; just a variation of normal.
   -   If umbilical cord is wrapped around baby’s neck, cord can be gently slipped over baby’s head.
   -   Baby should be placed face down on mother’s chest after birth.
   -   It is normal for baby not to cry or breathe immediately after birth. It is also normal for baby to be Pink, Blue, or Purple at birth. The umbilical cord will continue to transfer oxygen to baby until baby can breathe on his or her own. If baby is not pink at birth, the bottoms of the feet and back can be massaged to stimulate breathing. If baby is Grey or White, baby’s mouth and nose can be aspirated with bulb suction along with massage. If baby is limp and does not respond to massage and suction, breathe gently into baby’s mouth to stimulate breathing reflex.
   -    Umbilical cord should not be cut until placenta has been delivered and cord stops pulsing.
   -   Placenta should be checked to make sure it is whole and no pieces were retained in the uterus.
   -   Breastfeeding baby at this point will stimulate the release of the hormone oxytocin which will help the placenta detach from the uterus. It’s normal for baby not to want to nurse right away if baby has swallowed amniotic fluid, etc.
   -   Shepherd’s Purse Tincture can be given after birth to help with bleeding. Dosage is 40 drops into a small cup of cold water.
   -   If part of placenta is retained in the uterus, 5 Sabina 30c tablets or piece of placenta may be dissolved under tongue for treatment of hemorrhage.


After Birth/Baby -
   -   After cord has stopped pulsing and placenta has been delivered, umbilical cord should be tied with a square knot about 4 inches away from baby and tied again about 2 inches higher (towards placenta). Cord can be cut between the two ties.
   -   A Square knot is made by bringing the left end of the tie over the right end for the first loop and the right end over the left end to form the second loop; both loops tightened. The resulting knot is square-shaped.
   -   Bed should be prepared for mom with waterproof pad and warm blanket.
   -   Baby should be gently rinsed with clean warm water. Vernix (white waxy substance) should be massaged into the skin (protects and heals the skin).
   -   Baby can be dressed in warm clothes, and weighed and measured at leisure.


Placenta -

   -   Placenta should be placed in strainer to be rinsed in the kitchen sink after birth.   
   -   Placenta can be stored safely in an airtight container for up to 24 hours in the refrigerator or may be frozen before use if necessary.
   -   After rinsing and removing membranes and remaining umbilical cord, placenta should be cut into small, thin(ish) pieces to aid in the drying process. Rubber or Latex Gloves are probably a good idea.
   -    Spread placenta pieces onto baking sheet and put in oven on the lowest setting overnight.
   -   Placenta will look like charred blobs when finished drying. Pieces should crack apart easily and not “bend” if totally dry.
   -   Once Placenta is dry, it can be stored in a cool, dark place until ready to use.
   -   Placenta should be ground into a powder and can then be encapsulated or stored as a powder to be added to smoothies or juices later. 

Disclaimer: The information on this site is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice.

Sources and additional information:
Stages of Labour
Transition
Information about Placenta Benefits
A Simple Guide to Emergency Childbirth

Unassisted Birth Story: Evelyne Francis

Nov 1, 8AM My husband and I woke up and started making breakfast, Layla still sound asleep in bed.
I was feeling some light contractions about 3 minutes apart but it took me about 30 minutes to realize what was happening and to tell Rob that I *might* be in labor.
We decided that if I *was* really in labor, I'd better get my rest while I could so I went back to sleep in between contractions.

When Layla woke up, Rob fed her breakfast and played with her while I was in and out of sleep.
I got up around 11am and finally decided I was REALLY in labor. Contractions were about 4-5 minutes apart at that point.
I got in the bath and rested between contractions. It's amazing how the body goes into a kind of self preservation sleep-mode between contractions (or at least that's what I experienced with both of my labors).
Layla got in the bath with me and we played boats and she washed my hair and talked to baby... "Come out baby! Come out now!"...

After our bath, I put on a nice cozy outfit and Layla insisted on wearing her Ladybug costume. I nursed her for her nap in her bug costume and we giggled and sang songs in sign language together... "A is for Apples" and "5 little monkeys". I realized that it was Layla's last day as an only child.

Layla fell asleep around 1pm and Rob and I spent time talking about happy things, our future, our babies... Rob decided it was a good time to re-read the "birth guide" that I had typed up for him and my mom.
I relaxed around the house through contractions and did some last minute cleaning and preparing.
I got out my birth supply box.

Around 3pm, Layla woke up from her nap.
I decided that I wanted a "final meal" before baby came so we all got in the car and drove to my favorite restaurant for my favorite meal- A hot chicken, rice and bean burrito with a big bottle of peach kefir shared with Layla. It was the perfect thing to hit the spot!
On the way to the restaurant, I was excited and nervous. I reflected on my labor with Layla. I thought about what a huge difference it was.. At this point during my labor with Layla I was flat on my back on a hospital cot hooked up to beeping machines, tense and terrified with tons of strangers checking all kinds of things every few minutes.
Now here I was in the same hour of labor with my second child, headed out to a restaurant for lunch with my husband and my baby!
I wondered if I was crazy and smiled to myself.
It was such a beautiful day with such beautiful weather...a nice breeze and warm sun...


We headed home after lunch and Rob took Layla outside so I could lay down and try to rest a little more between contractions. My bed was so soft and cozy...the warm sun was pouring in the window and I didn't hear any beeping monitors.
Instead, I heard my baby running and laughing and joyously playing with her daddy outside. She came to the window a few times on her father's shoulders to say "Hi mama! I'm playing outside!!"
I was so happy and at peace in those moments.

Eight hours into labor at that point, my contractions were easy and steady. I stayed in bed for a long time. I was so comfortable (between contractions) that I didn't want to move.
When Rob and Layla came back in, Layla happily cuddled up to me in bed and told me all about what she did outside. She told me that she saw some birds and chipmunks. Rob told her that her baby sister or brother was coming soon.
Layla smiled and patted my belly. She gave me a kiss and ran off to play.

I started feeling like I wanted my mom with me although my contractions had not changed much. Still pretty easy and steady.
When my mom arrived, I was 12 hours into labor and contractions became much more intense and closer together.
I decided to take another hot bath and started feeling needy and asked Rob to come sit with me and hold my hand. He ended up getting into the tub behind me to rub my back, let me lean against him as he put counter pressure on my neck and shoulders during contractions which felt amazing.
Layla wandered into the bathroom to see where I was and thought it was pretty funny seeing mama and dada in the tub together! It was a good comic relief from the intensity of the contractions.

Soon after, I wanted to get out walk around. I alternated between walking around, leaning on the table, swaying my hips, laying down. Contractions were much easier while laying down but I felt like those contractions weren't as effective as the contractions I had while standing and walking around so I walked around for a while, leaning and swaying my hips during contractions.
Rob got the computer out for my mom to re-read my birth guide.

After a while, I needed a break from the strong contractions and decided to lay down. I tried to relax and focused on my normal breathing.
I watched my belly rise and fall with each breath, I watched and savored each little kick and movement knowing that it would be the last time seeing my baby kicking around in there, depending on me for everything… and soon he or she would be two years old, extremely independent and needing mama less and less every day!
Those thoughts brought me patience during a time that I just wanted to get labor over with. My mom put on a Strawberry Shortcake movie to watch with Layla and Rob came into the bedroom to lay down with me and walk with me through contractions.

Very suddenly, contractions became very strong and with them came a huge flood of emotion. I hugged my husband through contractions, swayed with him in the dark, he rubbed my back and ran his fingers through my hair and I LOVED him so intensely at that moment with every ounce of my being. I held him tightly and couldn't stop crying intense tears of happiness, pain, joy, fear, and LOVE.
I quickly started in with the transition phases "I can't do this.", "I'm going to die.", etc. I started doubting myself and feeling vulnerable and scared. I had prepared my husband and my mom for that moment.
I had written a lot about what transition would look and sound like in my birth guide so they were prepared and had their "yes you CAN" and "you are doing great" counter-phrases ready. My mom came in with a "transition bucket" at just the right moment. I didn't realize that I was in transition until the moment I started vomiting.
At that moment, 14 hours into labor, the realization hit me like a ton of bricks.
"Oh my god! I'm in transition! Oh my god! I'm about to have a baby!". I almost laughed out loud.

I was receiving a lot of encouraging facebook messages, so much overwhelming support, prayers, well wishes and "YES you CAN"'s. That was so beautiful and gave me so much strength just when I needed it most.
Suddenly, I started feeling a lot of pressure and had a strong urge to get into the bath again.
Layla had fallen asleep by then but the movie was still playing and I found myself singing to Strawberry Shortcake songs to get through my contractions instead of the "relaxation" tapes I had picked out.
I sat in the tub and read messages from my friends and laughed at some comment about my vagina opening like a flower or something; my mom took a picture of me at that moment, looking so goofy!

Rob came in to hold my hand and I realized that I had started pushing before I recognized the feeling. I had written in my birth guide for my mom and Rob to encourage me to relax and "breathe baby out" as I had decided from my research was the best and safest way to give birth but at that moment when it was time for ME to push, I regretted including that.
My body was bearing down and PUSHING with each contraction. Hearing "breathe" and "relax" was NOT what I needed at that point and I was getting really irritated with my poor mom for suggesting different positions (which I had also included in my birth guide) and telling me "breathe. breathe..".
I started feeling some back labor and panicked a little bit, remembering my horrible hours of back labor with Layla.
I was vocalizing at that point; not screaming or yelling but loud enough to wake Layla sleeping on the sofa. She came in and asked me if I was okay. I was moving my hips trying to relieve some of the pain in my back. I told her that I was okay and that the baby was coming out now.
I had prepared her for what would happen by watching and talking her through lots of birth videos for my entire pregnancy. She didn't ask me any more questions, she just started rubbing my arm and back, running her fingers through my hair, telling me "its-hokay mama".

Just then, I felt baby shift and all the pain in my back went away. What a relief!! I was leaning on the side of the tub on my knees just barely sitting in the water and giving birth to my second child with all of the most important people in my life sitting around me, holding my hands. I reached down in the water to feel my progress and felt something smooth and hard. "BABY'S COMING!!".
Next, I felt the surprisingly thick bag of water protruding...then, an EAR! Another ear! "COME ON BABY!!".
Instantly, I felt a huge gush under the water and baby's head and entire body flew out in one push and I brought my chubby purple baby up to feel air for the first time at 12:27am on November 2, 2011.

Layla's jaw dropped. "BABY!!". She wanted to hold the baby immediately.
It had happened so fast, it took a few seconds to register what had just happened. The first thing I said... a very cheesy, "I DID IT!!! I did it!!".
After I had peeled the bag of water off and we had all said our first hello's to our newest little family member, I opened her crossed legs and..."IT'S A GIRL!!".
After 20 minutes of pushing, Evelyne Francis was born calm and quiet. I think it also took her a minute to realize what had happened. She was breathing but not crying. I massaged her little feet and rubbed her back. Layla kissed Evelyne's waxy forehead and said hello to her new sister.

I was filled with such emotion and gratitude for that moment and this experience.

After a few minutes, she started to cry and clear her lungs. I held her on my chest, allowing her the opportunity to crawl to my breast.
She had a little bit of trouble the first time and didn't seem very hungry for her first feed. I wasn't worried, assuming her tummy was probably full of amniotic fluid.
Layla was SO excited to see the baby and hug and kiss her but she was NOT very happy that the baby was drinking "her milks".
I took some Sabina tablets to help detach the placenta and waited. and waited. and waited... The placenta came out in a couple of pushes...mostly.
Some of it was stuck to the uterine wall and wouldn't detach but the rest of it had come out. I waited and waited some more.
I tried feeling around to figure out why it was only half out and it was attached by some thick membranes. It had been over an hour after half of the placenta had delivered and I was making no progress so I gave it some gentle tension while pushing until I finally got it detached.
I immediately took Shepherd's purse tincture and monitored my bleeding for complications due to retained placenta.

Once my placenta finally delivered, the umbilical cord was white and had stopped pulsing so I asked for the cord ties and scissors that my mom had sterilized according to my birth guide at some point during my labor.
I had planned to tie square knots but had forgotten if it was left-over-right or right-over-left so we had to boot up the computer and search through my birth guides about how to tie a square knot.
We all fumbled around for a while trying to figure it out...what a sight we were!
Finally I decided to just forget it and do my best interpretation of a square knot.
Rob cut the cord between the ties just like he had in the hospital after Layla's birth. The same action but so different at the same time.
Layla's cord had been full of blood, it was cut immediately, before my placenta had delivered and I was flat on my back unable to see or participate in anything. I had never even seen my placenta with Layla so I was excited to see what it would look like after Evelyne was born.
I had been watching carefully for a couple of hours and was not bleeding excessively so I decided to get out of the tub and get ready for bed.

Rob, my husband, the guy who is so freaked out by blood that he can't even get blood drawn, reached into the birth water and scooped the placenta into the bowl I had prepared without even flinching! I rinsed the placenta, removed the bag of water, and put it in a tupperware to prepare for placenta encapsulation for the next day. It was pretty cool looking! The true tree of life!

Now it was around 4am and after weighing and measuring Evelyne (10 lbs, 21 1/2 inches) both babies were HUNGRY so it was time for my first time tandem nursing. It took a great deal of fumbling but we got it eventually. Layla, nursing away with wandering hands found her sisters head and started rubbing her hair.

She looked down at Evelyne and I literally saw in Layla's eyes all of her jealousy melting away as she realized that there was enough of mama for everyone!
My mom tucked us all in, kissed me on the forehead and went home and we had our first night as a family of four! We all slept really well and Evelyne slept through the night.

The next day I was still having contraction-like cramps and eventually passed the remaining chunk of placenta that day with no complications. Evelyne's cord fell out 3 days after birth and the cord ties that I made of braided thread became special mommy and daddy bracelets.

I am so intensely grateful for my dear friends and family, for the wealth of information available to my generation, and for the patience and strength I have found within myself and my children.

Why we refused the Hepatitis B vaccine
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*What is Hepatitis B?
"Hepatitis B is a contagious liver disease that ranges in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a serious, lifelong illness. It results from infection with the Hepatitis B virus. Hepatitis B can be either “acute” or “chronic.”"

*Acute Hepatitis B is a short term illness. It is treated the same way a common cold is treated.
Lots of fluids and plenty of rest.
Once you recover from Acute Hepatitis B, you have lifelong immunity to Hepatitis B. Acute Hepatitis B is more common in adults. According to the CDC, 90%–94% of people infected with Hepatitis B over 5 years of age will have Acute Hepatitis B.

*Chronic Hepatitis B is a long-term illness which means the illness does not go away. According to the CDC, worldwide, most people with chronic Hepatitis B were infected at birth or during early childhood. Approximately 90% of infected infants will develop chronic infection.
Most individuals with chronic Hepatitis B remain symptom free for as long as 20 or 30 years. About 15%–25% of people with chronic Hepatitis B develop serious liver conditions, such as cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) or liver cancer.
0.0006-0.0013% of the US population dies of Chronic Hepatitis B related diseases each year.

*How common is Hepatitis B?
According to the CDC, In 2007, 0.0143% of the US population (about 43,000 out of 301,139,947) developed new cases of Hepatitis B.

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*How is Hepatitis B spread and how is it not spread?

According to the CDC, You are at risk for Hepatitis B if you:
"Have sex with an infected person
Have multiple sex partners
Have a sexually transmitted disease
Are men who have sexual contact with other men
Inject drugs or share needles, syringes, or other drug equipment
Live with a person who has chronic Hepatitis B
Are infants born to infected mothers
Are exposed to blood on the job
Are hemodialysis patients
Travel to countries with moderate to high rates of Hepatitis B"

"Hepatitis B is NOT spread by sharing eating utensils, breastfeeding, hugging, kissing, holding hands, coughing, or sneezing."

---

Hepatitis B is recommended to be administered within 24 hours of birth regardless of a mother's negative test result.
The reason for this recommendation is because the incubation time for the virus is 6 months from the time of transmission so it would most likely not show up on a STD test if it was contracted during the pregnancy,
STD tests are not always accurate, and the mother could lie or be unaware about practicing behaviour that could put her at risk for Hepatitis B transmission.

So it's safer that all newborns receive the shot at birth right?
Hepatitis B should not be administered in individuals who are allergic to yeast or latex as this can cause serious anaphylactic reactions including death but this is hard to determine at birth until it happens.

But it's tested, right? The CDC says it's safe.
According to the Manufacturer of the vaccine,
"In three clinical studies, 434 doses of RECOMBIVAX HB, 5 mcg, were administered to 147 healthy
infants and children (up to 10 years of age) who were monitored for 5 days after each dose."

"As with other hepatitis B vaccines, the duration of the protective effect of RECOMBIVAX HB in healthy vaccinees is unknown at present, and the need for booster doses is not yet defined."

During those clinical studies, the adverse effects of the vaccine included:

Injection site reactions
Fatigue/weakness
headache
fever (over 100°F)
Malaise
Nausea
Diarrhea
Pharyngitis
Upper respiratory infection
Sweating
Achiness
Sensation of warmth
Lightheadedness
Chills
Flushing
Vomiting
Abdominal pains/cramps
Dyspepsia
Diminished appetite
Rhinitis
Influenza
Cough
Vertigo/dizziness
Paresthesia
Pruritus; rash (non-specified)
Angioedema
Urticaria
Arthralgia including monoarticular; myalgia; back pain; neck pain; shoulder pain; and neck stiffness
Lymphadenopathy
Insomnia/disturbed sleep
Earache
Dysuria
Hypotension


Marketed Experience (after licensing):
Hypersensitivity
Anaphylaxis
Rash
Pruritus
Urticaria,
Edema
Angioedema
Dyspnea
Chest discomfort
Bronchial spasm
Palpitations
Hypotensive episodes have been reported within the first few hours after vaccination.
Hypersensitivity syndrome (serum-sickness-like) of delayed onset has been reported days to weeks after
vaccination, including: arthralgia/arthritis (usually transient), fever, and dermatologic reactions such as
Urticaria, erythema multiforme, ecchymoses and erythema nodosum.
Elevation of liver enzymes
Constipation
Guillain-Barré Syndrome (French Polio)
Multiple sclerosis
Exacerbation of multiple sclerosis
Transverse myelitis
Seizure
Febrile seizure
Peripheral neuropathy including Bell's Palsy
Radiculopathy
Herpes zoster
Migraine
Muscle weakness
Hypesthesia
Encephalitis
Stevens-Johnson Syndrome
Alopecia
Petechiae
Eczema
Arthritis
Pain in extremity
Increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate
Thrombocytopenia
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
Lupus-like syndrome
vasculitis
Polyarteritis nodosa
Psychiatric/Behavioral
Irritability
Agitation
Somnolence
Optic neuritis
Tinnitus
Conjunctivitis
Visual disturbances
Uveitis
Syncope
Tachycardia

But these reactions are very rare, right?
According to the vaccine manufacturer product insert, 1% or a little less developed serious adverse reactions to the vaccine.
Does that make the Hepatitis B vaccine safe?

The Math:
According to the US Census bureau, In 2010, the US population was was estimated to be 308,745,538
According to the CDC, an estimated 91% of US population had received the Hepatitis vaccine by 7 months of age in 2010. 91% of 308,745,538 people is 280,958,439.6 people who received the vaccine in 2010.
According to the Manufacturer's product insert, 1% or a little less of the people that received the vaccine experienced serious adverse reactions. 1% of the 280,958,439.6 people that received the vaccine is 2,809,584 people that experienced serious adverse reactions.
2,809,584 people out of 308,745,538 people in the US makes 0.91% of the US population that experienced serious adverse reactions including death.
Compare this to the previously mentioned CDC estimate of 0.0006-0.0013% of people that die from Chronic Hepatitis B-related complications and the 0.014% that develop Hepatitis B at all.

The Result:
The risk of causing my child a serious adverse reaction as a result of the Hepatitis B vaccine would have been 700 to 1,516.66 times HIGHER than the risk of developing a serious complication from Hepatitis B.
The chance of causing my child a serious adverse reaction as a result of the Hepatitis B vaccine would have been 65 times higher than the risk of developing Hepatitis B at all.

References:
CDC Hepatitis B info page

Vaccine Manufacturer Product Insert

US Census Bureau population information

CDC National Vaccine Statistics

The Letter "A"

Today, Little One (19 months) has been assessed to be 36 months old developmentally so we are beginning our own brand of homeschooling on pre-school level.

Our letter focus this week is the letter "A".
Our goal is to learn to recognize our letter in written form, uppercase, lowercase, phonetically, and in English, Spanish and Sign Language.
I'm not expecting that all to happen this week. The weekly letter focus will give us a good foundation and fun ways to remember to incorporate our letter into every activity.

This afternoon, we painted outside with mixed media.

We used:
Yellow Paint
Red Paint
A Red Bingo Blotter
Salt
Glue
Felt scraps


Here Layla is painting with red and asking for the yellow paint in sign language.
She is using "sign approximation" or her interpretation of the correct sign. The correct sign is made by creating a fist with your hand, keeping your pinky finger and thumb out in a Y shape. This is the sign for the letter "Y". If you twist your letter "Y" from side to side, it becomes the word "yellow".

We also made a Tactile letter "A" with paint and salt for texture. We will be making different types of tactile letters throughout the week.
Tactile letters are cut out letters or letters pasted onto cards that a child can physically manipulate by feeling the shape, size, and texture of the letter to improve memory and comprehension of the letter.
Tactile means relating to the sense of touch and it is a part of kinesthetic learning (learning by doing -or experiencing rather than being told).

Here is Layla's finished masterpiece and our Tactile letter "A"


Later on, we made all natural playdough! This was Little One's very first playdough experience and she went NUTS.
At first she thought it was food (which I assumed she would) but she soon was very excited to learn that she was allowed to squish it and smoosh it all she wanted!
We made an "A" and repeated the letter and letter sound before she went wild with the playdough.

After taking the "A" apart, she smacked, squished, smooshed, seperated, shook and screamed, "WHOA! WHOA!! WHOA!!!" with giant smiles and laughs.
That excitment definitely made cleaning up playdough pieces from the ceiling, floor and walls worth it. :)