did your mothers childbirth affect your own childbirth - Page 4

[erin_brycesmom]

My mom had all c-sections (4) and I have had all vaginal births (2 so far). Her first was an attempted vaginal breech birth but my sister never descended (her words) so they ended up doing a c-section after a long labor. Her OB butchered her so she was not able to ever attempt a VBAC so I was a repeat C-section. I did have a baby with breech presentation but was able to resolve that with Webster and was able to have a natural vaginal birth.

[Queen of my Castle]

Well, I don't know about the first theory, but I do believe that because my mother approached vaginal birth with a casualness, I expected the same. My mom had 4 vaginal birth and I've had 2.

[lotusdebi]

I was born by emergency c-section due to being stuck.

Both of my sons also got stuck - shoulder dystocias. Both were born vaginally, with the assistence of midwifes (one a birth center CNM, one a homebirth CPM) and the Gaskin maneuver. Both needed oxygen after the births and had some bruising.
I was 8.5 lbs. My DS1 was 9lbs 9oz. My DS2 was 10lbs 8oz.

[danotoyou2]

My mother had 4 relatively easy vaginal births. I had one cesarean and one HBAC... However, my sister had two cesareans, and I feel that her influence may have swayed me to consent to the cesarean faster than I would have otherwise. She was on the phone telling me that it wasn't a big deal and would be "okay."

[sapphire_chan]

Well, I don't know yet, but I certainly hope not. My little brother was the VBAC.

[applejuice]

My mom had nine natural births.

There were seven girls in those nine.

Three did not have children. Four did.

Of the four, one daughter, me, had four natural, homebirths. My other three sisters all had caesareans, seven caesareans.

The children of my two brothers number three and they were natural births. Two of the three were homebirths!

So out of fourteen children, seven were surgical deliveries. That is a 50% rate!

Even though a mother may not "imprint" on her daughter the "knowledge" of how to birth, I do think that a mother imparts to her daughter an attitude toward health and all things female, such as birth. The parasympathetic nervous system works from the very primitive part of the brain with the pituitary gland to make the hormones of labor and keep the whole mechanism going. Labor is a delicate process. It deserves respect.

[bjorker]

My mom had 3 vaginal births, but I really do think that she would have had a c-section if it was suggested to her for any reason.

I had a vaginal birth, and was determined to avoid a c-section unless it really did seem absolutely necessary. However, it never came up.

My sister had a planned c-section because her dd was breech. um... yeah.


I do not believe that my mom affected my decisions in any way. I am very different than my mother with all of this stuff. I do think that she could have influenced my sister at the time of my niece's birth, had she been well informed about the birthing process and yadda yadda. However, both my sister and my mom treat a doctor's word as the word of god.

[LaffNowCryLater]

My mom had me naturally (no meds) at the same naval hospital I had both of my kids vaginally.

[amymaew]

My mom had 2 cesareans, and so far I've had 2 vaginal births. I was her first, and flipped to double footling breech in labor, hence the cesarean. My brother she was trying for a VBAC, but he was 13lb9oz and malpositioned... and another cesarean. I've had 1 vaginal in the hospital w/ an epidural, vacuum, stadol, you name it, and the 2nd at home with a very hands off midwife. I'm planning another homebirth with this one with the same midwife

[mmaramba]

Interesting question... I don't think the imprinting theory holds much water, and you're not getting an accurate sample here for a variety of reasons (people here are more likely to be choosing NCB, etc., among other reasons). That said...

My mom (who is a doctor) had two hospital NCBs and always encouraged me to go drug-free. It was definitely her influence that led me to research the benefits of low-/no-intervention birth, and eventually to settle on homebirth. And my influence on her that has her on board with my HB plans!

That may be even more of what this is about for me-- she always encouraged me-- not just re: birth, but everything--- to question the status quo, do the research and make sure the science and stats are sound. Hence my pro-homebirth stance.

[stormborn]

Well, we both birthed vaginally with no meds but I was hoping I would get a 3 hour labor with 2 pushes like my Mom did. No such luck.

[krankedyann]

I was born 7 weeks early by C-section after the stupid doctor told her to quit eating because she had gained her required 15 lbs. She had consumed very little food in a week before going into labor.

Both of my children have been full-term, non-intervention, natural births with midwives.

[Belle]

I don't hink it makes that much of a difference. My mom had and I both had vaginal births, but I was pulled out by forceps. My daughters were both born naturally. Dd#2 was born at home.

My grandma had my mom by cs in 1953.

[gwerydd]

my mother had three cesareans. my older sister was born at 33 weeks due to severe pre-eclampsia. VBACs were not encouraged when we were born. she was born at home.

my dd was born at 35 weeks by emergency cesarean due to severe pre-eclampsia.

so for us it seems to be due to heredity not necessarily imprinting. we both would have loved natural births and i really would like to VBAC next time if possible.

[kythe]

Originally Posted by applejuice

Even though a mother may not "imprint" on her daughter the "knowledge" of how to birth, I do think that a mother imparts to her daughter an attitude toward health and all things female, such as birth.

I agree with this entirely. I'm not sure about all this "imprinting" stuff - it sounds a little too metaphysical for me. Our mother's attitude affects us in many ways. You see people with complexes they carry throughout life over the knowledge that they were unwanted, came at the "wrong" time, caused mom a lot of pain, etc. People also are greatly affected positively when their moms reinforce that they were happy about how they were born.

My mother always told me she wanted a birth like her cousin who had all three of hers at home unassisted. But she was high risk and her "natural" birth was in the hospital, where she was required to lie flat on her back for hours without pain relief before delivering me breech. I had always known I wouldn't go through that, so I had mine vaginally but at a birth center where I had few interventions and was able to use whatever positions I wanted during birth.

[Maggirayne]

My mom was one of the first women at her hospital in the late 70's to have her partner with her in the delivery room and not be knocked out. Until I was pg and talking to her, I don't think I knew she'd had Demerol. I knew from little that I wanted to have a natural childbirth. She influenced my desire to nurse as well, altho' she wasn't expecting me to go crazy and nurse when 'they could ask for it'. Which is OT, but yeah, my mom really influenced me from when I was little and not exactly intentionally.

[samstress]

well, i wish it were true. my mom had two dream deliveries. i, however, had an emergency c after laboring for 28 hours.

[RachelGS]

WEll, for just about all of human history, every woman alive had an entire lineage of vaginal birthers behind her. It was how all babies were born. Only since the 1940s have we been stripping women of that heritage.

[KariM]

: Well...since the doctors took over, I don't see how my mother had any influence at all!

My first child was a c-section.

I was born naturally without drugs in a hospital in 1967 - pretty darn rare back then! My mother had the good sense not to go to the hospital until she was ready to push, though. I was born 20 minutes after her arrival. Didn't give them much time to do anything other than catch.

What my own birth did teach me was that a woman doesn't need drugs and interventions. Birth is natural and happens very easily on its' own, thank you very much.

Unfortunately I listened to OBs with my first child and listened to a CPM with my second.

This time around I'm listening to God.

[QueenOfThePride]

My mom had two singletons and a set of twins vaginally, and she never talks about it, even when I asked her questions. I've had two vaginal births.

And for the record, I remember being born, and it is a funny feeling that I thought a lot about during my pregnancies.