Beth's Blog2012-05-20T08:28:09ZBeth EhsanCopyright 2012, Beth EhsanSPHPBLOGNew Photoshere to see a few more pictures of Mona's first six months. I started this new album for the second half of Mona's first year. Mona was a fairy for Halloween! I also have some pictures from Gabe and Emily's wedding . Mona had a great time meeting all the cousins.]]>http://www.bethandnavid.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry111111-2247482011-11-12T00:00:00Z2011-11-12T00:00:00ZBirth Story My due date was Sunday, April 10th, but I knew there was a good chance Mona would come late since she's my first. But she didn't keep us waiting; I actually started feeling contractions when I woke up that morning. The contractions were fairly mild and spaced out, so Navid and I went to Ki's in Cardiff for lunch and walked on the beach a little, and then we did some more walking at Mission Bay. I carried a piece of paper to mark down when each contraction started. The contractions were slowly getting closer together, so we called the birth center around 8 pm to let them know I'd be coming in soon. Ashley had just started her 24 hour shift so we assumed she'd be the one to deliver my baby.
By bedtime the contractions felt pretty strong, especially when I tried to lie down in bed, so I couldn't fall asleep, and at 2 AM there were a few in a row that were about a minute long and three minutes apart, so we called our doula, Terry Rogers, to come over and help. A doula's role is to provide support and suggestions to keep the labor moving and cope with the pain without resorting to drugs. Another reason we decided to hire a doula was to have someone who we knew and trusted in the room with us, whether we delivered at Best Start or had to transfer to the hospital, to watch how things were going and give us an extra layer of assurance in case the midwife or doctor were to miss something. Terry was a good match for us because she has many years of experience as a nurse and doula, and we felt comfortable with her as soon as we met her.
I thought we'd be going to the birth center sometime before morning, but the contractions slowed down again by the time Terry arrived. Terry took over timing the contractions so Navid could get some sleep, and she took me out for the first of several walks around the neighborhood while it was still dark. She sat with me while I sat in the rocking chair or on the birth ball that she had brought over for me a couple of weeks beforehand. She reassured us that the slow pace of labor was no problem and that all of the contractions were helping, and encouraged me to doze off between contractions to get some rest. If she hadn't been there we probably would have gone to the birth center too early. When each contraction started I would cope by taking deep breaths and rocking in the chair or swaying on the birth ball until it was over. Deep breathing didn't really stop it from hurting but it helped me to stay calm and feel in control. Later on Terry suggested other activities to do with Navid to get labor moving, and by early afternoon on Monday the contractions got much stronger, longer, and closer together, and I started crying, which I knew was a sign that the labor was moving into the next stage. Terry suggested I stand and lean on the countertop to get through the contractions better, and when I told her that my legs felt shaky, she said that was another sign that I was making progress.
Since the contractions were strong and well-established, she said I could get in the hot tub, because the warm water would help me relax and reduce the pain of the contractions. Sure enough, it worked like a charm! When I was in the water the contractions were still strong, but the warm water was so relaxing that I immediately felt much more comfortable and calmer. I wished I could stay there and deliver Mona right in our hot tub, but they were expecting us at Best Start and we didn't want to get stuck in traffic, so I got dressed quickly and got in the car and we got to the birth center at 4:00. We were supposed to meet Ashley, who was still on duty until 8 pm, but she had already delivered two babies on her shift and it turns out that after getting off the phone with me at 3:20 or so she fell back asleep! So Susan came in to examine me around 4:30. My calmness from the hot tub was still with me, and the contractions had lightened up in the car, so Susan was expecting to find me only a couple of centimeters dilated and have to send me home. She was very surprised to find me 8.5 centimeters dilated! She took me to the birth room and I went right into the tub with Navid, to continue using hot water to cope with the contractions.
Janna showed up at 7 pm to take over, along with birth assistants Dawn and Delilah. Terry was still there too, so it was quite a crowd, all to help me get Mona out. At 8 pm I was feeling some pressure so Janna examined me and accidentally broke my water. After that the contractions felt more intense. They suggested that I labor standing up for a while, so I held onto Navid for support and we swayed back and forth - basically, slow dancing - to help the baby descend. I had brought some CDs along to listen to during the labor, and it just so happened that Tango to Evora, the first dance from our wedding, came on right when Navid and I started "dancing." That was a nice coincidence. We tried other positions too, and at 9 pm Janna examined me again and said I could start pushing.
At first I didn't know if I was pushing correctly and didn't feel like I was making any progress, so I was starting to feel discouraged, but after a while I got the hang of it, and getting back in the water really helped. Pushing was definitely the most intense part of the labor, but it really helped when I started to feel her head coming down, because I could concentrate on the progress I was making instead of the strain on my body. Dawn was checking the baby's heartbeat after every contraction. I found it so annoying having to hold still briefly so she could hold the Doppler on my abdomen. I can't imagine being in the hospital and having the fetal monitor strapped on me continuously!
We had considered doing a water birth, which Best Start allows, but we wanted to do cord blood collection and we needed to be on dry land for that, so when the birth got close I got out onto the bed. I was lying on my side, with Terry holding up one leg, to open up space for the baby to come out. Janna massaged my perineum with oil so I wouldn't tear, and I'm happy to report that it worked perfectly. They held up a mirror for me to watch her coming out, and it was amazing when I looked and saw her dark head poking out, but I didn't look at the mirror very much because I had my face scrunched up pushing as hard as I could. Now I'm wishing someone had videotaped the delivery so I could watch that magical moment of Mona's emergence. Janna told Navid when to hold his hands out, and with her hands right beneath his, he caught Mona, and shortly thereafter he cut through the tough umbilical cord and Mona became a separate being!
She was very alert and healthy, with a good strong cry, and started nursing very enthusiastically as soon as I put her to my breast. My body was shaking strongly from all of the hormones, but all I could do was marvel at our beautiful baby, with her long black hair and eyelashes and lovely dark eyes. She was born just before 11 pm, 39 hours after my contractions started. We stayed at the birth center long enough to eat some food (unfortunately pizza was the only thing we could get delivered at that time) and lie down with Mona for a bit, and then since Mona and I were both in good shape they said we could leave, so by 4 am we strapped her into the car seat and started our new adventure as a family. (We got a home visit from a midwife on Wednesday to make sure all was well.)
I feel very fortunate that there were no complications and very grateful for the caring people who took care of me and Mona throughout the process - Navid most of all. The natural birth experience was everything I hoped it would be, and I strongly recommend it to anyone who wants the best for herself and her baby.]]>http://www.bethandnavid.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry110610-2349012011-06-11T00:00:00Z2011-06-11T00:00:00ZBaby Mona Has Arrived!Pictures are at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2 ... 00a792ae0e ]]>http://www.bethandnavid.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry110413-1833542011-04-14T00:00:00Z2011-04-14T00:00:00ZSolar Success!Our energy requirements were based on using the hot tub at least part of the year, but this year we didn't use it at all, so we ended up generating a substantial surplus: 3526 kWh! That's compared to a total usage of 4649 and 4338 kWh the two previous years. You can see a graph of net energy usage, plus photos of the solar installation, here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=1 ... 2c063c737d Now I need to look into the proceedings at the CPUC and find out what's holding them up!]]>http://www.bethandnavid.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry110330-1204212011-03-30T00:00:00Z2011-03-30T00:00:00ZChristmas Pictureshttp://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2 ... 6d74c0fa09 ]]>http://www.bethandnavid.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry110305-1958202011-03-06T00:00:00Z2011-03-06T00:00:00ZTax Cut Deal Mr. President, you are wrong, and Congressional Democrats are right to reject this deal. There is no excuse for giving tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans in this time of record budget shortfalls. As the nation's number one Democrat it's your duty to stand up for tax cuts for working people, appropriate taxes on the rich, and extending unemployment benefits. If the Republicans take the stand that their millionaire friends must be taken care of before they will give tax cuts to the rest of us, call their bluff! If they choose to raise everyone's taxes, they will be the ones earning America's hate, not the Democrats. Give them enough rope to hang themselves. When I heard on the radio Friday morning that you criticized the congressional Democrats who opposed this deal, I ripped the Obama sticker off my car. If you want my support, you'll have to earn back my trust. In the meanwhile, I'll put my trust in Bernie Sanders.
She's coming April 5th. We can't wait!]]>http://www.bethandnavid.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry101104-1946102010-11-05T00:00:00Z2010-11-05T00:00:00ZArticle on Burqa Ban http://www.fair.org/blog/2010/07/16/bur ... ment-28592
I've commented a couple of times so far.]]>http://www.bethandnavid.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry100719-2037112010-07-20T00:00:00Z2010-07-20T00:00:00ZI votedJerry Brown for Governor Gavin Newsom for Lieutenant Governor Debra Bowen for Secretary of State (and the others running unopposed) Alberto Torrico for Attorney General Hector de la Torre for Insurance Commissioner Barbara Boxer for Senate Tracy Emblem for Congress (50th District) Lori Saldana, Daniel Smiechowski, Bill Irvine, Gloria Johnson, Matthew Corrales, and Eleanor Mang for Central Committee Lantz Lewis, Richard Monroy, Robert Longstreth, De Ann Salcido, and Joel Wohlfeil for Superior Court Judges Tom Torlakson for State Superintendent Stephen Whitburn for Board of Supervisors David Butler for Assessor-Recorder Jim Duffy for Sheriff Dan McAllister for Treasurer-Tax Collector Howard Wayne for City Council Yes on 13 Yes on 14 Yes on 15 No on 16 No on 17 No on A Yes on B Yes on C No on D Don't forget to vote in Tuesday's primary!]]>http://www.bethandnavid.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry100605-1049572010-06-05T00:00:00Z2010-06-05T00:00:00ZKittens! The photos are here .]]>http://www.bethandnavid.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry100516-1242162010-05-16T00:00:00Z2010-05-16T00:00:00ZPlants at Lake RamonaCoast live oak Quercus agrifolia
California bulrush (Saturday) Scirpus californicus
Penstemon clevelandii or spectabilis
Snowdrop bush Styrax officinalis ]]>http://www.bethandnavid.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry100503-2027122010-05-04T00:00:00Z2010-05-04T00:00:00ZBirds at Lake Ramonalesser goldfinch acorn woodpecker Nuttal's woodpecker lazuli bunting blue grosbeak **sitting next to a lazuli bunting in the same tree** ash-throated flycatcher red-tailed hawk mourning dove Anna's hummingbird Costa's hummingbird house wren California towhee spotted towhee yellow-breasted chat Bullock's oriole song sparrow yellow warbler yellowthroat blue-gray gnatcatcher house finch bushtit wrentit
We saw a bunch of awesome flowers too!]]>http://www.bethandnavid.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry100502-2322232010-05-03T00:00:00Z2010-05-03T00:00:00ZReflections on HijabIf the clerics were to step outside Iran they would be amazed to see that women are walking around in public with their hair uncovered, and society is somehow still managing to function! And as for wearing a coat, believe it or not, we have this strange habit of putting on a coat when we get cold, and taking it off when we get hot! In fact, women even wear shorts and a tee-shirt when it's hot, and the moral fabric of society is still completely intact. What could be more basic to our lives than the right to choose our own clothing? We use it every single day, as soon as we wake up in the morning. But in Iran, every time a woman leaves the house, the government tells her what to wear. (Of course Iran is not the only country that does this - Saudi Arabia comes to mind, and Afghanistan under the Taliban.) Now that I've actually worn hijab myself, I can tell you it's just as uncomfortable as you think, if not more so. For one thing, the head scarf was constantly sliding back, and despite my best efforts to keep tugging it forward, it fell off my head multiple times during our trip, which left me perpetually nervous trying to monitor its slippage. (Women in Iran must develop extra-sensitive nerves at the base of their hair to sense where their scarf is.) When I pulled the scarf far forward, it cut off my peripheral vision. I quickly learned that turning my head would hasten the scarf's descent, and started avoiding it, either by not turning or by turning my whole body when I wanted to look to the side. Sitting in a car with a seat belt on adds another layer of complication since the shoulder belt catches the scarf. And of course it's impossible (or takes more skill than I have) to keep your hair looking nice when it's flattened and rubbed by the scarf, so it still affects you when you get home and take the scarf off. The weather was relatively cool when we arrived in Tehran, so I didn't mind having a coat and scarf outside, but when you get inside a warm restaurant, you can't take them off and relax for the meal, but have to sit at the table all bundled up for outdoors, trying to keep your long sleeves and scarf-ends out of the food! And obviously it's torture to have to cover up like that when it's hot out. Even in the springtime the weather in Kashan was too warm for me, so I can't imagine what the women suffer in the summer. Hijab also has a limiting effect on the types of sports women can practice, and where. Can you imagine trying to go running in long pants, long coat and head scarf? I didn't try it. Nava also told me that women are not allowed to play tennis with men, unless she goes with her brother and manages to convince the clerk to let them play together. And a family can never go to the beach or swimming pool together; there are certain hours for women and certain hours for men, to ensure that no one sees the opposite sex in a bathing suit. It's beyond my comprehension why politicical/religious leaders continue to insist on hijab in the twenty-first century. I can see that the head scarf is a very potent symbol, and some people take pride in the head scarf as a symbol of Islamic identity, but why is it that their chosen symbol of Islam requires women to suffer physical discomfort on a daily basis? Why is it that men are free to raise their heads in Iranian society without shame, but women must be covered up? Men can pass freely between public and private space, but whenever a woman wants to step outdoors she must cover herself. I don't think I could devise a more potent symbol for misogyny if I tried! I'm happy to report that I didn't talk to anyone in Iran who supports mandatory hijab. I met many women who only wear it when they have to, but I met others who wore the headscarf and even the chador inside the house when in mixed company. There was one couple in particular who surprised me with their opinions. Navid remembered the husband as particularly religious, and the wife wore chador into the house and came from a very religious family. But even that woman, who chooses chador for herself, said that she thinks it's a mistake to make hijab mandatory. Her husband said that he was a great supporter of the Islamic Revolution because under the Shah they had social freedom but no political freedom. But he says they were cheated: now that they have the Islamic Republic, they don't have social freedom OR political freedom. (He also told me not to listen to the government's anti-American slogans, and that the Iranian people love Americans.) I hope that opinions like theirs will eventually prevail, and Iranian women will finally be able to walk outside with their heads high and feel the wind in their hair. ]]>http://www.bethandnavid.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry100502-1258472010-05-02T00:00:00Z2010-05-02T00:00:00ZIran Photos Completed Iran Trip part 4 ]]>http://www.bethandnavid.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry100501-2034152010-05-02T00:00:00Z2010-05-02T00:00:00ZMore Iran Photos Iran Trip part 1 covers the trip over and days 1 through 3.
And I'm still working on part 4. Stay tuned!]]>http://www.bethandnavid.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry100427-2302542010-04-28T00:00:00Z2010-04-28T00:00:00ZWe're Back from Iran!http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=1 ... 7115eebc66]]>http://www.bethandnavid.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry100412-2107402010-04-13T00:00:00Z2010-04-13T00:00:00ZI'm pushing my Senator - How about you? Here is my response:
Dear Senator Feinstein, I wrote to you about the Citizens United case before. Thank you for responding. In your response you mentioned several measures to expose corporations' activities, such as requiring disclosure to shareholders. But why should a corporation be able to spend money on politics at all without shareholder approval? If corporations are to be allowed to spend money on elections, they should be required to get shareholder approval. However, in my opinion this doesn't go far enough. I wish you would come out in support of a constitutional amendment to declare once and for all that corporations are not the people and they do not have first amendment rights. Corporate money should be kept out of politics. They have so much money that they will overwhelm citizens if they are allowed to throw their resources into elections. We must stop them now before it's too late. The future of democracy depends on it, and we will look back on right now as the pivotal point when Congress and the citizens could and should have taken action. Whether we will look back on a victory or a defeat is in all of our hands but especially in yours as an elected official. Stand strong. ]]>http://www.bethandnavid.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry100329-0839032010-03-29T00:00:00Z2010-03-29T00:00:00ZDemand True Healthcare Reform! Here's what I just wrote:
Please insist on a strong public option in the final healthcare bill. It's the least we can possibly settle for if we can't get single payer Medicare for All. You're my Senator. I'm counting on you to represent me. I need you to stay strong and get healthcare reform done right. Thank you.]]>http://www.bethandnavid.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry100310-2218322010-03-11T00:00:00Z2010-03-11T00:00:00ZCorporations are not the people!
Get your bumper sticker at http://www.peaceteam.net/bumper_stickers.php ]]>http://www.bethandnavid.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry100211-2016232010-02-12T00:00:00Z2010-02-12T00:00:00ZOur Solar System is Up!solar panels installed in February, and they did. They finished this morning and now we just have to wait for SDG&E's approval to turn on the system. We'll still be connected to the grid, sometimes drawing down electricity and sometimes pushing out extra. We'll only get an electric bill once a year, and if we generate more than we use, they have to pay us! Photos of the installation are posted here and I'll add photos of the end result soon. I can't wait to start generating our own renewable energy!]]>http://www.bethandnavid.com/blog/index.php?entry=entry100210-2049032010-02-11T00:00:00Z2010-02-11T00:00:00Z