I was 2 cm for awhile and by the time they checked on me, I was 8cm and they said that they couldn’t give me an epidural but gave me an intrathecal which lasts for 2 hours. With the birth of my first daughter I should say that I requested one at 3 cm because I was in full labor (contractions every 3-5) and was not even dilated yet. I think anesthesiologists just get busy and may not have the time to administer the epidural if too many women need it at the same time, especially if one still hasn’t decided whether to get one or not. I was 4 cm when I got to the hospital, and the first thing I said to my L&D nurse was, “I’d like my epidural as soon as possible, please. We do our best to keep you from the hardest transitional labor if that is what you want but we cannot see the future and we have to make an educated guess about when the best time for you to receive your IV pain med or epidural. With both of my kids, I did an epidural interview at the hospital a couple of weeks before actually going into labor. read more

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Available in values from $25 to $100, the certificates are good toward all clinic services including annual exams, pap smears, birth control and yes, abortions. In defense of the unusual idea, Planned Parenthood of Indiana’s president and CEO, Betty Cockrum, says that this is a gift of health for women in tough economic times. Currently the gift certificates are only available Indiana, but Planned Parenthood chapters in Illinois, New York, Alaska and Michigan are considering similar programs. I think the idea of gift certificates is a FANTASTIC idea, and cannot wait for them to reach my state. Plenty of other places that offer gift certificates place limitations on them, so can PP. read more

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Tomorrow, Saturday, October 25, is Make a Difference Day . Last year, 3 million people participated in Make a Difference Day, making it the nation’s largest single day of volunteering. From helping an elderly neighbor rake leaves to recycling toys for needy children to collecting eyeglasses for Lions Club, every act of kindness truly does make a difference. If you are participating and want to make an even bigger difference, submit your Make a Difference Day project to USA Weekend by November 17th. We have a lot going on this weekend, but we are going to make time to go shopping for donations to our local food bank. If you want to make a difference tomorrow but aren’t sure what to do, check out the Make a Difference Day Website for inspiration or use the handy idea generator . read more

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