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Why I Will Never Birth In a Hospital Again
- Jan 23, 2009 at 11:53 AM
- By
- Comments (10) Total Views (188) Everyone can see this journal post.
My birth was completely horrible because I was completely ignorant.
I went to the hospital (first mistake) for a NST. I was having contractions two minutes apart lasting about 20 sec. I didn't even feel them. I was admitted, at my insistence, because hell, I must be ready.
My
BP was 140/90 when I got there. Then is was 180/120. OMG! You might
seizure! Here is some mag sulfate (muscle relaxer) in the IV we already
started with pit (muscle contractor). A catheter is put in because I
can't move now being tethered by my IV and 3 different paddles on my
stomach (2 for the heartbeats and one for contractions). The paddles
kept slipping and would have to be readjusted every 10 minutes.
36
hours of not eating goes by. I am allowed a small sandwich (2 pieces of
bread with one small slice of turkey). Then my water is broken because
at 5 cm, I'm not moving fast enough. The epidural is in place, because
in case I need a CS due to twins, I am all set up.
15
minutes later I am in excruciating pain. The nurse says I can't
possibly be ready to push, even though I was feeling like I needed to.
She checks me and OMG! I'm at 10 and +2 and ready to go.
I'm wheeled into the OR because I still might need a CS because it's twins. I can't feel my legs because of the button-release epidural that I had pushed 5 times during 15 minutes of labor. I can feel from about mid-thigh up.
Two
hours of purple pushing goes by complete with episiotomy that I was not
asked about. I'm yelling at the nurses because I can't feel my legs to
push and in the OR there were no stirrups to put my feet in. I have a
nurse on each side holding up my legs. The bed is totally flat.
Finally, Megan is born sunny-side up. 53 minutes later, Ashleigh was born.
Wheeled to my post-partum room, my babies are with me. I attempt to BF and the nurse tells me that my girls seem to have a poor sucking reflex. Wouldn't formula be a much better option? Sure. I still want to try to BF but I'll have the formula just in case.
I'm given Norco because my episiotomy area is sore. I'm up and walking around. Attempting BF.
I go home. By the end of the week I have given up on BF bc formula is so much easier.
My hospital experience was bad but not as bad as others. If and when I get pregnant again, I will not step foot in a hospital.
Comments:
:( sorry Toni
I love you.
I would have to say that you would need to find a different hospital. What you went through, not all hospitals would put you through and Doctors also have a lot to do with the experience. I loved the hospital that I went to and it was a good thing I was there, cause the twins wouldn't have survived.
Unfortunately, sammyjnrtwins06, this happens in most hospitals for people who are low risk and make the mistake of walking into one.
I honestly don't think this happens in most hospitals. My experience was nothing like that, and none of my friends (all giving birth in hospitals, DIFFERENT hospitals at that) went through that either. This is what I posted in a different, similar journal:
You know, I keep hearing these stories, and I have to say, my experience was NOTHING like that. I gave birth in a Kaiser hospital, and Kaiser is a pretty large organization. But my doctors and nurses were nothing less than completely supportive and understanding. Some (not yet all, but they're working on it) hospitals offer the option of having a water birth, and ALL of the hospitals offer different ways of birthing, including birthing balls, supports for crouching or any other position you may want, and even birthing stools. They let you write up a birthing plan beforehand and keep it on file, so everybody is aware of your wishes by the time you come in. And at all times, they keep you informed of your options, and definitely DON'T force anything on you. Plus, after you deliver the baby, the baby stays with you in your room 24/7 (they only allow babies into the nursery if they have health problems), and when you say you want to breastfeed, they send over a lactation specialist, and nobody EVER tried to make me bottle feed my baby, not even when breastfeeding wasn't going all that spiffy right off the bat.
I'm sorry for the women who feel violated in any way, but I just wanted to point out the flip side of the coin, too :)
Statistically speaking, hospitals that are mother-baby centered are a rarity and not the norm.
I know so many women that have had such similar stories, T. And it's so disappointing. Thankfully, you'll get the birth you and your babies deserve. :)
How would you even know whether or not they support natural birth, since you had nothing like one? Your birth story is pretty much like every other woman's birth story here on CM, and you got shafted by the system like everyone else.
From your birth story:
So we went to the hospital, got there around midnight. When they checked me, I was 90% effaced and 4cm dilated. They gave me an epidural and....everything stopped. Seriously, I don't think I've ever been more bored in my life. It took a good 20 hours for me to get fully dilated, and then, after about 4 hours of pushing, it turned out that even though Aiden was head down, he had somehow managed to turn his head, so he was trying to come through the birth canal with his head sideways. Didn't work, heh. So in the end, I had a c-section. I was so done with the whole process by then, I didn't even care anymore.
I'm sorry you had a rough experience. I was lucky with all 3 of my births. Our local hospital is very mother-baby oriented. I had a supportive dr and the nurses were great. Now you know what you want, so I hope that your next birth is a positive experience for you.
Congrats on your twins!
Emily, I love your detective work! Yes she really showed the flip side of the coin, didn't she?
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Meet jessicasmom1
This Pennsylvania mom of a 12-year-old girl wishes her daughter's father was still alive to see his little girl all grown up now.
sorry you had a bad experience but cangrats on the twins! good luck momma!
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