1. Gina, Ithaca, NY, 1 child, 1 c-section
2. No. Hadn't even crossed my mind. The c-section discussions began after I had been transferred to an out-of-town hospital when my water broke 9 1/2 wks early. My baby was premature, breech and had no fluid surrounding him.
3. My midwives never brought up a c-section. Not in my appointments prior to birth, not when they met me at the hospital after my water broke so early. The discussions (or rather hounding) began once I had been transferred to a hospital with a level 4 NICU and my minor contractions had ceased. That is when the hospital staff began talking to me as if I was there to have a c-section. I made it abundantly clear (after sending my partner out to get books from the library, calling my midwives, talking to a friend, and mulling the whole thing over) that I would not be getting a c-section and would not sign the regular release form, instead signing an "emergency only" document for c-section approval.
4. Yes. Hunted down a doula and/or midwife in the town to which I had been transferred. Been better prepared for what the hospital would hold for me. Encouraging my partner to be an activist regarding our baby's need for a natural birth. Possibly to have not even gone to the hospital and risked a premature birth at home (though I would doubt my midwives would have been able to attend).
5. Yes. Though I think many a medical professional would argue that the complications we experienced were either due to premature birth or were simply unrelated. Apgars were 7 and 9 after birth, though he was still wisked away in an isolette to the NICU without my seeing him. After our release fomr the hospital, my baby was desperately stressed. He screamed for hours and hours and hours each day. He would not sleep unless in motion until he was at least 1 1/2. There were other high-needs indicators and I think they were the direct result of both a stressful pregnancy and a stressful birth.
6. Stay out of the hospital. Unless you have an emergency of some kind, the risks of a hospital birth FAR outweigh any perceived benefits.
7. Pitocin.
8. Yes. I talked to every person on the hospital L&D staff. I did my best to listen to their concerns and to assert firmly but compassionately that our perspectives on birth and healthcare were very different and that, though they didn't understand my objections to cesareans, they needed to respect (or at least abide by) my choice.
9. Focus on what went right and see if it can be emulated in your own birth plan.
10. I had virtually no view of birth until after my child was born. My positive outlook on natural birth comes from a newfound relationship with the wonders of my own body as well as bearing witness to 2 natural homebirths via video and hearing the birth tales of other women.
11. N/A
12. N/A
13. Depressing and overwhelming. I had no intention of having children. Though I was in a life partnership, children were not on the menu... or so we thought. I was 2 months pregnant when I found out I was pregnant. Then I spent a month in a mix of upset and acceptance. During month 3 and 4, I had 3 seperate occasions when I was told I had had or was having a miscarriage. Any acceptance I had worked towards was repeatedly undermined by these experiences until I had basically just detached from the idea of pregnancy at all. 2 months of denial and severe depression followed that with a mix of suicidal ideation and crippling bouts of almost psychopathic thinking. In month 7, after a move and some intervention by my midwives, I was not chippper, but fully functional and again finding some peace with my pregnancy. Then I went into early labor.
14. I know a billion women who had "medically-necessary" c-sections, that were in no way "medically-necessary," just "medically endorsed." Small hips, long labors, changes in heart rates, poor position, etc., etc., etc. This is your baby. This is your body. You're the expert. Go out there and give birth, mama.
By Gina (not verified) at Wed, 10/24/2007 - 7:36pm |
Survey
1. Gina, Ithaca, NY, 1 child, 1 c-section
2. No. Hadn't even crossed my mind. The c-section discussions began after I had been transferred to an out-of-town hospital when my water broke 9 1/2 wks early. My baby was premature, breech and had no fluid surrounding him.
3. My midwives never brought up a c-section. Not in my appointments prior to birth, not when they met me at the hospital after my water broke so early. The discussions (or rather hounding) began once I had been transferred to a hospital with a level 4 NICU and my minor contractions had ceased. That is when the hospital staff began talking to me as if I was there to have a c-section. I made it abundantly clear (after sending my partner out to get books from the library, calling my midwives, talking to a friend, and mulling the whole thing over) that I would not be getting a c-section and would not sign the regular release form, instead signing an "emergency only" document for c-section approval.
4. Yes. Hunted down a doula and/or midwife in the town to which I had been transferred. Been better prepared for what the hospital would hold for me. Encouraging my partner to be an activist regarding our baby's need for a natural birth. Possibly to have not even gone to the hospital and risked a premature birth at home (though I would doubt my midwives would have been able to attend).
5. Yes. Though I think many a medical professional would argue that the complications we experienced were either due to premature birth or were simply unrelated. Apgars were 7 and 9 after birth, though he was still wisked away in an isolette to the NICU without my seeing him. After our release fomr the hospital, my baby was desperately stressed. He screamed for hours and hours and hours each day. He would not sleep unless in motion until he was at least 1 1/2. There were other high-needs indicators and I think they were the direct result of both a stressful pregnancy and a stressful birth.
6. Stay out of the hospital. Unless you have an emergency of some kind, the risks of a hospital birth FAR outweigh any perceived benefits.
7. Pitocin.
8. Yes. I talked to every person on the hospital L&D staff. I did my best to listen to their concerns and to assert firmly but compassionately that our perspectives on birth and healthcare were very different and that, though they didn't understand my objections to cesareans, they needed to respect (or at least abide by) my choice.
9. Focus on what went right and see if it can be emulated in your own birth plan.
10. I had virtually no view of birth until after my child was born. My positive outlook on natural birth comes from a newfound relationship with the wonders of my own body as well as bearing witness to 2 natural homebirths via video and hearing the birth tales of other women.
11. N/A
12. N/A
13. Depressing and overwhelming. I had no intention of having children. Though I was in a life partnership, children were not on the menu... or so we thought. I was 2 months pregnant when I found out I was pregnant. Then I spent a month in a mix of upset and acceptance. During month 3 and 4, I had 3 seperate occasions when I was told I had had or was having a miscarriage. Any acceptance I had worked towards was repeatedly undermined by these experiences until I had basically just detached from the idea of pregnancy at all. 2 months of denial and severe depression followed that with a mix of suicidal ideation and crippling bouts of almost psychopathic thinking. In month 7, after a move and some intervention by my midwives, I was not chippper, but fully functional and again finding some peace with my pregnancy. Then I went into early labor.
14. I know a billion women who had "medically-necessary" c-sections, that were in no way "medically-necessary," just "medically endorsed." Small hips, long labors, changes in heart rates, poor position, etc., etc., etc. This is your baby. This is your body. You're the expert. Go out there and give birth, mama.