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Old May 17th 04, 08:36 PM
Karen
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Default Midwives and my birth/story

My comments:
- not such a good idea to head straight to the hospital after your water
breaks if there are no contractions. Chances are awfully good that for a
first baby, it isn't going to just appear from nowhere if there are no
contractions! I'd wait many, many hours to see if labor starts on its own
before heading to the hospital.
- 18 hours from beginning to end for a first baby is average, maybe a little
less, for a first baby. For my first, it was around 25 hours. I felt that
was pretty good!
- not sure where you got the idea that birth would be pain free, even with
an epidural. I've never had one, but I believe at the hospital I use, it's
standard to wait until the mother is 5 cm. I've always had a lot of pain to
deal with getting from 0-5 myself (drug free births). It's not like
transition, but it hurts.
- I totally sympathize with you regarding Pitocin. Some people think it's
no big deal. My water broke with my first with no ensuing labor. I went to
the hospital after 12 hours and got Pitocin. I handle pain quite well, but
Pitocin put me on a roller coaster of contractions that gave me no rest. It
was wild! I think I may have been insane to do it without an epidural, in
hindsight. However, I now have the confidence to know I can handle
anything!
- The worst thing about epidurals, IMO, is that unless they are walking,
they do often impede the progress of the baby. I had to have a brief vacuum
with my first, as his head was stuck - once he got moved down via vacuum, I
was able to push him out on my own. I think it's just a bad, bad idea to
lie down during labor at all.
- the good news is that a first birth that does not meet your expectations
usually results in a mother who knows what she wants for her second! Now
you can talk from experience. My second birth was idyllic and a romp in the
park. I got every single thing I wanted...no...insisted upon. Written birth
plans help a lot. When you are experienced, you will be taken more
seriously. However, I think it's contradictory to lay yourself at their
feet and say you'll do anything but then get very worked up about having any
pain. It's better IMO to learn ways of dealing with pain, of reaching
inside yourself to cope, and if an epidural is your thing, then relishing
the pain free periods. While being fully aware that epidurals slow down
labor, make pushing less effective, and often don't completely work. You
gotta take the bad with the good and take responsibility for your choices.
This is childbirth, after all! Every labor is different, even if you have
the same plan. But unless they fully knock you out at the first contraction,
you are going to feel pain. And since the health of the baby was paramount,
they probably did put the baby ahead of you.
Congrats. Enjoy that baby!
Karen