Amy's hospital birth stories
My first child, planned hospital birth using CNM's, birth plan in place. Read more then just the WTE books. Thought I had it all figured out.
My water broke before any contractions had begun, we were in the middle of an ice storm so the hospital wanted me to come right in incase anything happened quickly we would not be rushing in on ice slicked roads.
Contractions and show begin once they got us settled in reg. room for the night. (The words induction hanging over my head like a guillotine if contractions did not begin on their own by morning.) So they are coming fast and furious, I can no longer sit, or lay down, I'm pacing. I finally wake up my husband and he gets a nurse.
They do an internal to see if I should be moved.. I had quickly cooked to 7 cm. Moved to an LDRP room for the balance of the labor. My husband (bless his soul) is clueless what to do. The RN I was placed with appears to be also. I request a 1/2 dose of nubain which they do w/out reminding me of my birth plan, almost too eagerly. I begin to hallucinate and drift in and out of sleep.
It's time to push, my husband is
where????, the nurse is not helping me position to a squat I'm getting up
and
down by myself, it was exhausting. I decide to sleep through the next
couple
of contractions, I'm tired. Shift change (thank goodness, the sloth RN
is gone) a new energetic and supportive RN is on. She rallies me and
wakes me up. Baby is born within 30 minutes. I would rate this
experience as neutral.
Second hospital birth
Same HMO, still using CNM's. Second baby decides to be breech.
This changes
EVERYTHING. Meek CNM's now crumble under OB umbrella and risk me out.
This
starts at week 35. It is a big jumbled mess in my mind.
We did exercises (that I later learn are for posterior presentation not
breech ....duh!) I take pulsatilla, I see an accupuncturist and do
moxa treatments ..I finally agree to a version. The most horrific
procedure I have ever undergone. The room was packed (I guess all the
residents want to
see the guinea pig who agreed to do this!) my husband was pinned waaay on
the other side of the room.
OB can't get babies bottom out of my pelvis, he
calls for another OB. Second OB exerts pressure internally to try to
push babies bottom out while first OB is trying to rotate babies body.
Baby was
not budging. I cry out for them to stop. Before OB #1 gets the
gloves off he is pulling out calender to surgically remove my baby. I
say no we'd rather wait. A discussion of vaginal delivery for frank
breech was out of the question. We leave defeated.
My CNM (on the slide) locate an out of plan OB who has exp. catching breech,
he wants to meet us. He thinks we'd be great candidates but I must be
induced when he is on call. Yuck. We agree (thinking the best of
a bad situation) and arrive for scheduled induction. Baby very active
during induction. They go to break water and find baby has now gone
from frank to double footling presentation. Induction halted,
anesthesia paged. Surgical birth. Awful awful awful..........
Third birth is better, third birth is heaven. Vbac at home.
Amy Witmer
Paxton, MA
Email: [email protected]
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