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My third hospital birth was my third child and second son, Robert, born in December 1975. I was 23 years old.
My third child was nearly 3 weeks past his due date... however, we were not sure about his due date since conception was a little unsure. I had been taking birth control pills after the birth of my daughter and developed some severe neurological side effects. They immediately took me off the birth control pills. I became pregnant at this time.
I was having relationship problems with my husband and his family, resulting in a great deal of stress at this point in my life. I had already had a few miscarriages, due to stress, and was not quite ready to have another baby when I became pregnant again and when Robert was born. However, my son would prove to be one of the most sensitive and loving sons a mother could have and I was happy to have had him in my life.
The hospital had finally began relaxing some of the rules they had in place for my first two births. They were offering childbirth education classes using the Lamaze breathing method. My husband and I took the classes so that he could be with me during this birth. No classes - No husband. Of course, I got the usual "But I do not want to be there" routine from him and "Yuck, I do not want to see all that blood" comment too. I told him, point blank, that if I had to be there... he had to be there. After all, he missed out on the first two births and it was about time he was there for one. I found the classes informative (especially watching the movies about births) and enjoyed them. I wanted to learn more. I began reading what I could find on birth, which was not much at that time. I practiced the breathing but found it made me dizzy. I went back to my own breathing patterns which worked fine for me previously, the slow breathing worked best for me... not the hee hee hee, haw haw haw, blow blow blow breathing I learned in the classes. I did like learning about massage and relaxed focusing, which of course I had tried to do by instinct with my first two babies but the drugs often interfered with my focusing. I wanted an unmedicated, natural birth with this one. I knew I could do it and I felt within my soul that it was the way it was supposed to be.
My pregnancy was uneventful and our relationship problems were somewhat worked out by the time Robby was born. I went into labor in the evening of the 12th of December. I woke my husband and let him know that my contractions were about 7 minutes apart. We arranged for child care for my two other children and we drove to the 25 miles to the hospital. My husband was much more nervous than I was (I think it was more the anticipation of the blood and yuck than the having the baby nerves... I think he got comfortable being in the waiting room with the other fathers).
I was beginning to have to seriously focus in on my labor by this time. I had the usually hospital prep with an enema and pubic shave. I was in labor for about 8 hours in the hospital. The doctor came in and broke my water in the early morning hours. I was so intensely into my labor I had no idea what was going on around me. I was in my own world riding each contraction as it came along.
Within an hour of my water breaking, my contractions had intensified and I felt the need to push. I notified a nurse, who again (like the last two births) was non-believing that I had progressed so quickly from 6 cm (when the water was broke) to 10 and pushing within that hour. They had to locate the doctor and begin preparing the delivery room.
My husband was dressed in his blue hospital gown and booties when it came time to go to delivery. I was placed flat on my back with my legs and feet strapped into stirrups and by bottom slightly hanging over the edge of the table. The birth was uneventful and normal. My son was born and placed on my abdomen. I was proud of myself that I did my "natural childbirth" and sincerely thought it was natural. I was not allowed to touch my son at the time of birth, neither was my husband (we were unsterile!?). Although I was not strapped down, I had to keep my hands under the sterile sheets. I was not allowed to touch my son. It was 12 hours before I was able to finally hold my new son, Robby. My length of labor was 12 hours.
I, again, had to fight with the hospital and nurses to breastfeed my baby. They offered no help, no support, and tried to talk me out of breastfeeding. They kept giving him water and formula. I was able to see him a few times each day. Again, I was yelled at by the nurses when I undressed and examined my new son. I was released with my son three days after his birth.
I got home and everyone was there to meet us and then they all left. I hurt, and my bottom was sore. I cried. I suffered severe postpartum depression and seemed to be overwhelmed with three little ones under 4 years old and had little support from anyone. I was still recovering from problems that had been created by the birth control pills earlier in the year (migraines, memory loss, etc.), which seemed to make the depression worse and made me feel less capable as a new mother. However, I continued to breastfeed my son, finally getting the engorgement under control and solving my own problems by trial and error. I breastfed Robby until he was 2 1/2 years old. He was a good, calm and loving baby, although a bit of a dare-devil at times (he rode his bicycle off the top of the house once).
Later on, I went back to the hospital to obtain my records for my files since we were moving to Idaho. I found that my labor and birth experience was anything but natural. I was shocked. Although I had no idea, I had been given drugs during labor and birth, had been given another episiotomy, luckily without as many sutures as I had with my first one. My natural birth plans were totally blown away and they did NOT do anything that I had wanted for my birth experience and did everything that I did NOT want. It was at this time that I made the decision that I will NEVER, NEVER!! HAVE ANOTHER HOSPITAL BIRTH EVER AGAIN!! And as time went on.... I did not. I was totally fed up with hospitals and doctors. I made my decision that from that time on, I would do it my way. I did not have any more hospital births and I did it my way. My next two babies were born at home.
This was the birth experience of my third born. I had two more babies at this hospital (it was the nearest one to us (it was a very rural region) before I said enough of hospitals and doctors. I had my last two babies born at home. These hospital births were the reason I chose to follow the midwifery path... to help other women prevent these kind of things from happening.
Articles Index: My Story Birth Stories
MoonDragon's Articles: My Story - Rio's Birth (Hospital Birth - Fast Labor With AROM)
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