Chaz Moms and Moms-to-Be Chat (everyone welcome)

[Lyzelle]

Originally Posted by CatStina

This caught my eye because, while I will definitely be having kids, I'm still debating whether I'm going to have them here or in Finland (I'm a dual citizen). My mom had me here in USA and had my brother in Finland. She had a terrible experience with my birth and probably should have been given an emergency c-section. She had to have surgery to repair the damage (which she had in Finland) and almost couldn't have an other child. When she got pregnant with my brother, we immediately moved to Finland. My brother's birth was a C-Section and it went very smoothly. Sure, some of it has to do with specific hospitals, and the fact that it was 22 years ago, but it still gives me pause. My mother and I have very similar bodies, and I wouldn't be surprised if my birth canal is smaller, too. I guess I'll have to see where I am in life and in the world when I do get pregnant.

I think the major issue I see with that is women are rushed through birth with plenty of yelling, drugs, and general chaos and rushing. Labor is meant to last a good 14+ hours, and I don't believe many women are small as much as their bodies don't have time to change THAT fast to push out an object THAT large in 4 hours (or they get shoved off to c-section so Dr. can get home for dinner on time). Plus inducing early for no real reason.

I think when your body is allowed to just do what it is meant to do, things go a lot easier.

But, you know, thank goodness for all the OB's (who are surgeons, not birthing doctors), the drugs, c-sections and everything else because a few women DO need them and they are great to have in an emergency. But most births aren't emergencies until you push that first domino and the rest fall after. Even for high risk women. The statistics really speak for themselves, and ours are really sad to look at on the W.H.O. website.

In the link in the OP, it talked about The Business of Being Born, it's on Netflix and a good watch. Another good one is Pregnant in America. Business of Being Born also had a smaller mini-series called More Business of Being Born.

[CatStina]

P.S. You want pictures? Here's a picture of me with the OH's new nephew! I was the first non-parent who could get him to drink from a bottle. Pretty sure I'm going to be his favorite "aunt!"

[CatStina]

Originally Posted by Lyzelle

I think the major issue I see with that is women are rushed through birth with plenty of yelling, drugs, and general chaos and rushing. Labor is meant to last a good 14+ hours, and I don't believe many women are small as much as their bodies don't have time to change THAT fast to push out an object THAT large in 4 hours (or they get shoved off to c-section so Dr. can get home for dinner on time). Plus inducing early for no real reason.

I think when your body is allowed to just do what it is meant to do, things go a lot easier.

But, you know, thank goodness for all the OB's (who are surgeons, not birthing doctors), the drugs, c-sections and everything else because a few women DO need them and they are great to have in an emergency. But most births aren't emergencies until you push that first domino and the rest fall after. Even for high risk women. The statistics really speak for themselves, and ours are really sad to look at on the W.H.O. website.

In the link in the OP, it talked about The Business of Being Born, it's on Netflix and a good watch. Another good one is Pregnant in America. Business of Being Born also had a smaller mini-series called More Business of Being Born.

Thank you for this great post. I'll check out both documentaries. From the stories my mom has told me, the doctor and nurse did seem to be rushing it. The nurse actually pushed on my mom's stomach to try and "force me out!" Scary stuff.

[milos_mommy]

In America, you DO have the option of a more natural birth, not getting induced, etc. You just have to have the balls to tell the dr to shove it when they start trying to push you into doing crap because it's easier for them or the insurance companies want them to.

[Fran27]

I agree that I hear too much about inductions and whatnot in this country. But you can say no... My main gripe is people still paying the hospital bills 10 years later... better have a good insurance.

ETA: we need a 'like' button so I can like the previous post lol

[Lyzelle]

Originally Posted by Fran27

I agree that I hear too much about inductions and whatnot in this country. But you can say no... My main gripe is people still paying the hospital bills 10 years later... better have a good insurance.

ETA: we need a 'like' button so I can like the previous post lol

Originally Posted by milos_mommy

In America, you DO have the option of a more natural birth, not getting induced, etc. You just have to have the balls to tell the dr to shove it when they start trying to push you into doing crap because it's easier for them or the insurance companies want them to.

I think the balls and hard part comes along when the doctor says something along the lines of, "You are going to kill your baby" or "You are putting your baby at risk" or something bad happens because they induced early and they say, "Thank god you were here, we saved your baby!" or something similar. It's an ultimatum no one wants to deal with, and that is where a lot of women lose their courage, I think.

BTW: More pictures are needed!

[NicoleLJ]

I guess I ended up lucky then. With my first I went 21 hours of natural labour at the hospital. My doctor didn't rush me at all. Not until her heart started showing strain. So I was given the option of a c-section or trying an epidural to see if that would allow me to dialate since I was only at 2cms. Choose the epidural and had her a few minutes later. And that was with her being at 42 weeks. No induction(membrane stripping) till we hit 42 weeks.

With my second we had a plan since my doctor suspected that the issue for me not dialiateing was the psychological affect of the rape. I was physically and mentally too stressed though I had no idea I was physically that stressed. Agian he waited till 42 weeks to strip the membranes. Was in labour quickly after that. Stayed home till they were 5 minutes apart like always. Went into the hospital and was 2cms. Our plan was to labour in the hospital for 10 hours and if I was still at 2cms then to try the epidural agian. We didn't want to take the chance of his heart getting stressed like his sisters. And that is what happened. At 10 hours I was still at 2cms. I also had a doula as well so was trying every trick in the book to get my body to work naturally with me. No success. Got the epidural and 3 hours later my body had relaxed enough to have him.

My third agian stripping the membranes at 42 weeks. This time nothing. So we used an induction cream. The contractions were so intense and so fast I could barely catch my breath. I also was not dialating either. So within an hour I had an epidural and 4 hours later I had him naturally.

None of them have any issues from the inductions. No c-sections, all natural. I wish my body and mind could have done it naturally with out induction or epidurals. But not all womens bodys or minds will work properly. For me I am glad that I had these options because if not my daughter could have been at risk or a c-section would have happened. I have never had a doctor push a c-section on me.

With this one we are doing the membrane stripping. Have had 2 sessions so far and another one scheduled for tomorrow. But we also have gestational diabettes and at times he has measured large. The last ultrasound though, a couple of weeks ago showed him as just a little larger then he should be. And that ultrasound was with a high risk doctor. Plus we have been working with specialist since Nico has a cleft. So I have no issues with being induced with the membrane stripping at 38 weeks. Personal choice is my feelings on it.

This time though I am going to try and do it without an epidural. Our doula is very experienced. She has helped many moms give birth to 10 or 11lbs sized babies naturally when they had been told they would most likely have to have a c-section. Plus she has experience with rape survivors and has helped many to be able to have a naurtal birth with no epidural. So my fingers are crossed that is what happens with us. I am excited about that.

So that is where we are. We are 40 weeks and 1 day.

[milos_mommy]

I know my mom's dr schedule a c-section with me, supposedly because I was breech, way before I was due. She ended up going into labor early (I think at like 36 or 37 weeks, so not that early) and they did the c-section then.

I still have no idea why they didn't try to rotate me or wait to see if I changed positions? My mom WANTED a c-section, though. She thinks that's normal and that it's weird that women want to give birth naturally. But this is also a woman who eats meat from large production plants and thinks hunting should be outlawed, so logic isn't really a factor.

[sparks19]

I was induced with Hannah (low fluid). 15 hours from start to finish. Had an epidural and had a really easy labor and delivery. Pushed for 18 minutes and done.

Hard to believe she was ever this tiny little baby
[IMG][/IMG]

The night before we left the hospital hannah was admitted to the NICU with Pneumonia (low fluid was because I had a slow leak and bacteria got in. had two different infections in the placenta)
[IMG][/IMG]

A ham for the camera from the start
[IMG][/IMG]

We didn't baby wear. it made me so HOT which in turn made Hannah hot and neither of us enjoyed it (perhaps it was the carrier I used and perhaps it was my ineptness lol). her favorite place to hang out was beside me on the couch in her boppy pillow
[IMG][/IMG]

Belle liked this arrangement too lol


I tried to breastfeed as much as I could. We got off to a rough start since she wasn't allowed to eat at all for 3-4 days in the NICU and then I had to pump and feed her from a finger tube for the next day or two and then we started nursing. We just never really got the hang of it and eventually we just switched completely to formula.

[milos_mommy]

Sparks, didn't you switch to formula because Hannah had an allergy to milk or something? Or am I totally imagining that?