Past generations and Birth

[AngieB]

I not sure why I'm posting this or what response I'm expecting but it's been on my mind so I'm going to share. I've been thinking about the birth stories of the other women in my family, such as gramdmothers, great grandmothers, mom and aunts, they have all been very natural. My great-grandmothers both had homebirths, my mom's mom had natural births, including full turm twins at a small country hospital with no drugs at all, my dad's mom had a natural breech birth at an army hospital, my mom and aunt, with DH in birthing room, both had 3 natural births at hospitals. My family in not what I would call "natural" so it's not like they pushed for this style of birth it was just what was available. Maybe my family stories are not the norm, or they just all got lucky. When I read about past generations and birth It is made to seem like every women was knocked out and had lots of medical interventions , C-sections, all the horror stories that you hear. I seem to hear way more stories of medical intervention from women of my generation than from women of past generations. I've been wondering if birth is really becoming more medical instead of more natural?

[ChillMom]

This is actually a really interesting question, and I'd love to hear more of everyone elses experiences. Before my first birth, I actually spoke with both my mother and my grandmother about their birth experiences. It really opened my eyes and helped me to understand where they were coming from when it came to their perceptions of birth.

My mother had me in 1969 and my brother in 1971. With my birth, her water broke, she went to the hospital, was put immediately under general anesthetic. The next day, she woke up and was told she had a daughter. (no rooming-in back then). So even though the birth itself was kind of straightforward (i.e. no pitocin, no instruments), she had no recollection of the birth whatsover. With my brother, she went to the hospital almost fully dialated, was given an immediate epidural (no choice in the matter), and he was born via forceps within the hour. Episotomies with both births. Even though the births were very medicalized, I think they would have been even more so if she gave birth today. Since I was 2 weeks late, she probably would have been induced; with my brother, probably would have been a c-section. My mother was very supportive of me trying to have a drug-free birth (although I ended up at the mercy of modern 'interventions').

My grandmother gave birth 'naturally' in the late 1930's/early 1940's. No pain meds, however, her experience was awful. She gave birth in a Catholic hospital run by nuns. She was not allowed any food or water during her entire labor (one nice nun sneaked her ice chips); forced to labor in bed on her back, and basically told her suffering was god's will. After hearing her story, I could totally understand why she thought I was crazy to want to forego an epidural. So, although her experience was very 'non-medicalized', it was equally as unsatisfactory as some of the very medicalized births people go through now.

Anyway, I would love to hear how things have changed through the generations.

[kerikadi]

My Grandma had 5 babies and wasn't conscious for any of them.

My Mom had all three of us naturally. Dr. Bradley was her OB when she had my sister and brother in 62 and 64. My Dad was in the room and she was treated with respect.
When she had me in 69 the nurses told her she couldn't go natural 'it would kill her' Well, she said she had done it twice before and here she stood. They weren't very respectful but in the end she did have another natural birth.
My sister was a month late and her waters ruptured with no labor, my brother was over a month early so she is lucky she had Dr. Bradley on her side.

I was lucky enough that my Mom always spoke of labor as something difficult but manageable and glorious

Keri

[CrunchyBikerMama]

i like this question, too. one of my great grandmothers was tiny (4'11" and 95 lbs.) my great grandfather was 6'4". they lived in the rural PA with no access to a hospital. this was in the 1920s. my ggpa was desperate because after 3 days of labor, ggma was fading. he finally poured some whiskey in her mouth, i guess because he just had no idea what else to do. it revived her enough that she pushed out my 11.5 lb grandmother! wow. talk about a superwoman. she went on to have 7 more children, all UC, none with any problems.

sadly, when her daughter, my grandmother, gave birth to my mother, she was strapped down, knocked out, the works. they would not allow her to even "dangle" her feet over the side of the bed for days. and get this -- she was not allowed to see her baby for 10 days!!! nothing wrong with mother or baby, just hospital protocol, apparently. i can't wrap my mind around this! of course, bf was out of the question.

i was a forceps baby. mom didn't want it, but doc was impatient and tired of being up at 3 am. so i ended up with a scar on my face for the first few years of my life from where the forceps dug in. i've come full circle. i don't envy my ggma's 3 day labor but it seems preferable to the medicalized experiences of my gma and mom.

[mamabadger]

Interesting question.

My parents were both born at home, but this was back in the 1920s when it was more common. My mother was delivered at home by the family doctor after a straightforward labour. My dad's birth was a bit more memorable: he broke the county weight record, being 15 lb 15 oz at birth according to the midwife's fish scale. His mother, my grandmother, was only 5 ft tall.

My mother had me in the hospital in the 1950s, but was one of the very few women at that time to insist on a completely unmedicated birth. She remembers hearing one of the nurses talking on the phone to the doctor, saying, "She won't take anything!" The doctor told them to leave her alone, and she had no drugs of any kind. It caused a little flurry of excitement in the hospital, I'm told, being so unusual. She did have to be strapped down to the bed, as everyone was at that time. My brother was born much the same way, three years later. Mum was also one of very few women who breastfed in the 1950s.

I had two unmedicated hospital births, followed by a Cesarean section for my third.

[mothragirl]

my ggm on my dad's side had 16 homebirthed kids, including 3 sets of twins. my maternal grandmother had 4 twilight births in the 50's. my mom had the three of us naturally in the hospital (i'm a twin and then our younger sister) in '82 and '85. my maternal aunt had 1 natural hospital birth and then 4 homebirths. my mom wishes she had homebirths.

[ckhagen]

I don't know anything about my paternal grandmother's births.
My maternal great grandmother, I don't know anything except that she had 12 children (I venture to say they were probably mostly homebirths), one of which was over 11lbs and she was only 4'10" and under 100lbs.

My maternal grandmother, I'm not positive, but I think she had twilight births of at least a few of her 4 kids.

My mother... well, she had 5 c-sections (all classical incisions) and one VBA3C in which she was given a vengeful 4th degree episiotomy, that had to be surgically repaired, by an OB who was frustrated with her unwillingness to consent to another c-section.

All of my blood related aunts (maternal and paternal) had all of their children by c-section. So, we had a pretty freaking rotten history. My first birth being a c-section was a huge letdown for everyone because I don't think anyone wanted to see that trend continued. One of my dad's sisters c-sections was like mine in that it was done under inadequate anesthesia.

So, my VBAC was like breaking a family curse since it involved no surgery whatsoever.

[RockStarMom]

Unfortunately I never got to meet any of my biological grandparents, and my adoptive grandmother never gave birth. So the only births I know about are my mom's--she had natural hospital births. I really admire her because she basically knew no one(closely enough to share your birth info with) who had given birth(not even her own mother had), and researched everything on her own and became passionate about natural birthing. Which, of course, she passed on to me.

[OnTheFence]

My mother had me with twilight sleep and a saddle block. She had my brother, 3 years later, naturally. My maternal grandmother had both of her children naturally as well but if she were alive she would tell you that she would have preferred to have been knocked out for the birth of my mother. My mother inlaw had four of her children naturally, her last one was a csection for prolapse cord. My husbands grandmothers had all their children at home, however one of his grandmothers was knocked out for one of the births with cloraphorm(sp) -- which makes no sense to me because it was like her 4th birth.

[pinksprklybarefoot]

When my mom had me in 1980, she had a hospital birth with a family practice doc. She had been going to that clinic since childhood. No ultrasounds, no tests (she was amazed when I told her about prenatal care these days and I was making decisions about which things I was ok with). She did have an episiotomy, but no other interventions. She didn't even know what fetal monitoring was when I told her that I was tryung to avoid it.

My brother was born in 1982, and for reasons she cannot remember, she went to a midwife. No interventions of any type. My brother was born in a teaching hospital, and my parents made the decision not to circ. The doctors asked if they could still strap him down to the board and get him all ready as a training exercise. Thank goodness my parents said "absolutely not."

When I told my mom that I was planning a homebirth, she was really excited for me. She said that both times in the hospital all she wanted to do was go home. She was pretty disappointed when I was risked out a few weeks ago.

[JanB]

You know, I don't know how either of my grandmothers birthed, and sadly it is now too late to ask. I'll ask my mom if she knows.

As for my mom, she had me vaginally in 1977 with no pain meds except for a shot of Demerol, which she said she didn't really want, but the nurses were really pushing it on her. She said it made her "loopy and out of it".

My sister was born in 1981, also vaginally and with no pain meds. She was birthed when Mom was dilated only 9 cm, and Mom swears to this day that if her OB/GYN hadn't been at a charity pancake breakfast and calling in his orders by phone, she would have wound up with a C-section.

My brother was born in 1983, vaginally and with no pain meds. Mom said it was a pretty good birth.

My other brother was born in 1992, a surprise late in life baby. She got an epidural with him, and chalks it up to the fact that she was a lot older and less flexible and hadn't been doing her birth exercises like she did with the other three. (I also suspect they were a lot more pushy about the epidural in 1992 than they were in the late 70s/early 80s.)

[krismarie]

hmm, the births that i know of in my family were all very medical... i don't know about my mom's side but on my dad's side my grandmother had four babies while completely knocked out (and told not to bf, so she didn't at all). my mom had three hospital births that were natural but still medical. she showed up fully dialated with my birth (her first) and they didn't believe her. then, i was coming "so fast" that it meant something was wrong and they had the fetal moniter on her the whole time and had to break her waters two pushes b/f i was born... (why??? who knows). and then a resident told her i most likely had down syndrome b/c of my fast birth and small ears! needless to say, it was not a peaceful birth experience.

i'm interested to know what my ggm's births were like. i think in my family, it probably depends on their circumstances...i know my dad's dad was born at home, along with his siblings, but they were farmers in a very rural setting. i bet my grandmother was born in a hospital.

it's interesting to read all the different experiences...

[mwherbs]

the short answer would be yes births are more medical- we have more than 1/3 that are C-sections and you can't get more medical than that. Even though there were periods of time in the 50's and 1960's where docs had discovered how to really drug up women-without killing them, it was done alot but still in all not to the degree that we seek operative = c-section and medicated at most of my local hospitals the epidural rate is above 90%---

[mothragirl]

Originally Posted by pinksprklybarefoot

My brother was born in 1982, and for reasons she cannot remember, she went to a midwife. No interventions of any type. My brother was born in a teaching hospital, and my parents made the decision not to circ. The doctors asked if they could still strap him down to the board and get him all ready as a training exercise. Thank goodness my parents said "absolutely not."

.

OMG! who would say yes??:

[applejuice]

I am 53 and I was born at home in 1954. My mom was 20.

My mom was born in a hospital in 1933. She was a forceps baby. My grandma was "scoped" - an amnesiac gas. My maternal grandma was an R.N and was 28 when she had my mom.

My maternal grandma was a first born fraternal twin born at home on a MA farm in 1905. Her middle name is the surname of the midwife. She was the seventh daughter/child of her mother and her twin was the eighth. My greatgrandma went on to have three more daughters and one son, twelve children in all, born at home. All lived to a ripe old age.

My Father was born at home in Sept. 1914; he was the seventh and last child of my paternal grandmother who was 38 when he was born. My Aunt, his older sister, came home from school and thought the new baby was a doll, her birthday present, since it was her seventh birthday. The midwife was paid with a loaf of bread.

Life seemed so simple then.

[kijip]

My paternal grandmother had 9 babies (8 births) from 1943-1962. She delivered them all at the hospital with heavy drugs/forceps etc. She stayed in the hospital 2 weeks with the first one and 1 week with the last one.

My maternal grandmother had 3 babies when she was ages 14, 16 and 18 all in an army hospital in Kentucky. I don't know how much intervention was used or not used.

My father's maternal grandmother had all four of her kids at home in Denver in the 1920s.
His paternal grandmother died in labor with her last baby (who also died) when she was at home. Previously she has had (i think) 6 births.

My mother's grandparents were likely born at home somewhere in very rural Kentucky.

I only have 2 aunts on my dad's side and 1 aunt on my mother's side. One of my aunts on my dad's side had her two sons naturally in the hospital in the 1970s. The second aunt on that side had epidurals in the 80s. My aunt on my mother's side was sent to an unwed mothers home in the 1960s in Chicago where they forced the girls to do pretty heavy labor. She miscarried in the second trimester and the doctor botched the D and C, leaving part of the fetus in her uterus. After she developed an infection, she had to have a hysterectomy. She was about 15 when this happened so she was unable to have children after she got married.

My mother had three births. The first 2 (me and my older brother) were born after quick labors. With my brother she was 20 and unmarried and was at the hospital but got no attention from a single hospital employee (1974) and ended up delivering in the hallway of the hospital. With me, they planned a hb, went to the hospital at the mw direction due to me being post term but labor was so rapid, I was born in the car in the hospital parking lot. With my little brother, he was breech so they opted to go to the hospital (1982) and she was in labor for a very long time. My younger brother ended up with mild cerebral palsy caused by birth injury. My parents accepted this and while the hospital did everything they could for my family (providing my brother's therapy for free thoughout early childhood and never charging them for the birth) my parents never even considered a lawsuit. I think that fear of lawsuits in the worst case situations is what has all but eliminated breech deliveries. At the time, a c-section was not considered an option by her doctor for someone with her medical condition (she was epilepsy). Now, I think they know that they can perform c-sections for women who have seizures.

[Sunflower223]

Lets see.. My great-great grandmother died in 1933 in childbirth, she was having I believe her seventh child, it was a homebirth and my four year old great grandmother was holding her hand.

I dont know anything about my great grandmother, but she had four children and she had my grandmother in 1949 who raised me.

My grandmother had two daughers, one in 68 and one in 69. She induced the first baby with castor oil at 41 weeks (my mom), the second baby she had a few days past term after slipping on a banana peel that my mom had thrown on the stairs and falling. Her water broke right after the fall and she went into labor. She had the knock 'em out cold labors you hear so much about. She went to CB classes with me with my dd and we talked about how she was tied down, doesn't remember anything, all of that.

My mom had her babies in 1983 (me), 1988, and 1993. She went into labor with me right around my due date, after her water broke in a waffle house. She had no pain medication and the total extent of labor was 36 hours. She had my half brother in 88 at 2 weeks post date with a castor oil induction and again had no pain medication and a very long labor. The last baby was born by C-Section because of some sort of complication, that was her first time ever having any sort of pain medication through labor.

My mom in law had four children. 1979, 1982, 1983, and 1985. She didn't have pain medication with any of them. She went into labor on her own with all of them except my husband (#3), with her second baby the hospital she had him at would not allow her husband to be in the room. My father in law never paid the bill for that baby because he was angry that they wouldn't let him in the room. The 1983 baby was my dh, he was born at home with a midwife three weeks post date. She was induced using an herbal bath, that was her only induction. He nearly died because of some sort of complication and had to be hospitalized afterwards. Another thing I would like to note is that my mother in law only went to the hospital with the other three long enough to have the babies and then she signed herself out and the babies as well if I am not mistaken. I think dh was the only one to stay in a hospital. My in laws are very anti-medical profession..

My grandfather was born in '41 at home, he was the youngest of 4 kids, all born at home. There parents were also born at home. Those are the only details I know about those births, and I don't know my father.

I think that the knock 'em out sort of birth was most prevelant in the 50's and 60's.. We talked endlessly about this one whole CB class but thats been a few years and I don't really remember much about the history.

[koofie]

I think my mom had me and my brother naturally since labor with me once she was at the hosp was less than 3 hrs and with my bro was 1.5. I was 2 weeks early and 5.1 lbs, so I was taken away and supposedly had "fluid in my lungs" and mom didn't see me for a day. My brother was 3 weeks late and she went into labor on a day that she was going in for a stess test anyway, so she already had a sitter for me.

I don't know about either of my grandmas - both had 6 live births, but beyond that I've never asked - we lived too far away for us to spend much time together.

[L J]

nak

My mom had me in 1986 via natural hospital birth. She, imo, got really lucky when picking her obgyn. During her pregnancy there were no tests, no ultrasounds, no scare tactics. She was in labor with me about 3 hours and was never even offered any pain medication. Her dr. wouldn't even approve tylenol during her pregnancy, and it sounds like he was very anti-medication. She did have an episiotomy. She was allowed to room in and breastfeed immediately.
Because her hospital experience wasn't aweful, she had a really hard time understanding why I was set on UC. A few months of forcing her to watch A Baby Story and she began to understand.

[stacey2061]

i'm just wondering what happens when a woman is given a general in labour? i mean, she can't consciously push, right? so does it take WAYYYYY longer for the baby to be born? or? sorry if i seem like a complete moron...