I would have had a c-section

[Snowdrift]

This has struck me again today. I've realized over and over again since DD's birth how amazingly lucky I was to be informed, to have a wonderful loving and understanding DH, to have access to midwives, to be in a state where DEM's are not outlawed, to have access to the care I received.

DD was born after 33 hours of active labor, 12 hours of very intense "hard" labor. She was malpositioned: posterior and asynclitic.

I have a very serioust fear issue with hospitals. I distrust almost anyone associated with a hospital and become anxious merely driving past a hospital; walking through the door make me immediately tense. I have what you might call control issues too. I am what you might call a difficult patient.

The long labor and malpositioning would likely have been enough, combince that with a slowly of labor caused by anxiety and the negatvie attitude the staff likely would have taken towards me bc of my control issues, there is no chance I would have been able to birth vaginally in a hospital.

Just keep realizing how fortunate I am!

I have no scar across my abdomen; I so very easily could have.

[Ruthla]

I often wonder what could have happened with my first birth- I was in labor for about 3 days, "active labor" for about 14 hours.

What would have happened in a hospital? Would they have sent me home in "early labor" or would they have admitted me and then screwed everything up when labor wasn't progressing fast enough for them?

[bobandjess99]

I'm there with you.....i was "complete" for about 7 hours before i got the pushing urge.....and this at 44 weeks from LMP, in an obese, diabetic woman.....also very controlling and fearful of hospitals....I'm certain i never would have been given the opportunity to evene try and birth vagainlly by the local asshats...I mean, OB's.

[mamaverdi]

With my second baby, one of us would have died in a hospital. Guaranteed. At home, there many things that were off, but easily put right with patience, skill, and common sense.

[boobjuice]

oh I whole-heartedly agree! no hospitals for me! and I feel very blessed, lucky, fortunate, however you want to say it, that I did have such a safe and gentle birth, despite actively educating myself about the best birth choices. i'm still dumbfounded how it worked out so well!:

[phoebemommy]

I think my dh would have had to bum rush a doctor to keep me from getting an episiotomy in the hospital. My 9 pound baby's head didn't mold at all, and between the last two contractions it was sitting there half in and half out. I tore at the bottom, which was kind of freaky but it healed up fine without stitches.

[Eaglevoice]

Me too! I had a 37 hour labor where I was stuck at 8 cm for 20 hours!!! I had a cervical lip that my mw finally had to push back manually. I pushed for 2 1/2 hours. There is no way I would have been allowed to labor that long in a hosp.

[ValarieR]

More info please!

Originally Posted by mamaverdi

With my second baby, one of us would have died in a hospital. Guaranteed. At home, there many things that were off, but easily put right with patience, skill, and common sense.

Sorry to bother, but this comment caught my attention- if you wouldn't mind, could you tell me more about your birth? If you would prefer, PM is okay

TIA,
~Valarie~

[mamaverdi]

Well, let's see if I can make a long story short...

My water started leaking at 34 weeks. Actually went to L&D where they couldn't confirm it or deny it.

I requested a Group B strep culture because again I knew something wasn't right. By accident they ran a very sensitive strain test, and found that I did have it. So I got IM antibiotics...which may or may not have been the best choice.

At 38 1/2 weeks I went into labor. My first baby was 4 hours. This was my second baby. At 4 hours I was almost fully dilated, but my cervix was so swollen, you couldn't even tell I was dilated. I took asked for Arnica and demanded a quiet so I could nap. I napped for 20-30 minutes. When I woke up, all the swelling was gone, and I was around a 9-10.

The baby was very hard to hear. Very hard. I had to contort so the midwife could listen. And I *wanted* her to listen because I had had a feeling that something was wrong my entire pregnancy. But he continued to sound fine.

My water broke while I was walking around grunting and pushing around hour 6ish. There was meconium in it. But after looking closely, it was old.

Still, I felt my baby was not quite in position. I walked and yelled and marched and went up and downstairs. He was sitting on my tailbone it felt like! OUCH! My midwives waited.

Finally around 7.5 hours I said, this baby is coming now. And started pushing more. And he was born very carefully about 30 minutes later.

His cord was 3x around his neck, 1x around his trunk, and 2 times around his left leg.

I had not so much as a tear.

Placenta arrived about 30ish minutes later.

Then I had a trickle bleed. I requested pitocin IM.

And he would not latch right away. So we tucked into bed and went to sleep with him at the breast.

At 4 days old he slept most of the day. At 5 days old he started running 103ishF fever. At 5 days he was fully septic. At day 9 they discovered an obstruction in his urinary tract. At 10 day he had surgery to remove the obstruction which found damage from the previous septic workup.

Now at age 2 1/2 he is being worked up for a metabolic disease.

In this disease you cannot process process fat-soluble drugs. Fat soluble drugs are the primary types of drugs available in any type of hospital situation. If he is exposed to these drugs he begins to metabolize his own muscle. This leads to kidney failure and eventually death. In this disease you can have muscle damage from receiving an injection. In this disease formula can put you into a coma. In this disease any delays in breastfeeding can cause you to die. Yes die. In this disease you are susceptible to gram + and gram - infections which are of course at the hospital. With this disease, had someone pulled on your because you would wrapped in your cord (say forceps or vaccuum extraction), you could suffer permanent damage, and potentially start metabolizing your muscle.

As for myself, given how tired I was by my whole life, not to mention a bizarre labor, how much my blood pressure is affected by seeing the white coats, etc, I would have either had a c-section (which could have killed my baby), or an epidural and forceps....which also could have killed my baby. And caused me to hemmorhage very severely.

And given the medical climate where I was, I don't doubt for a second that I would have not been safe in that hospital.

That wasn't very short....nor did I got through everything point by point...but I'm tired and need to get to bed.

[Jilian]

I did give birth in a hospital, but I was lucky enough to have one of the most trusting, patient, and non-interventive Midwives in the hospital. I know if it were not for her, andher trust in birth, I would have had a cesarean.

DS's heart rate dropped many times during pushing. I pushed for 2.5 hours and he was very slow to descend. The MW thought that maybe he was a lot bigger than her initial 7.5 lb estimate. I had a cervical lip that she helped me push back. My blood pressure dropped and I became dehydrated. She manually stimulated DS's head to get his heart rate back up. She gave me juice and oxygen to get my energy up. I slept between contractions and it looked like my labor was stalling but it wasn't. DS was born with his hand by his face. That explains why he took so long to descend, why his heart rate dropped, and why they thought he was big. He was 7 lbs 5 ozs.

I know that I probably won't be as lucky in a hospital again so this time I'm having my baby at home