I recently posted about my failed hospital waterbirth. So here is my other big issue with my birth...
This is baby # 3 for me, but this was my first non-induced natural birth. So we really didn't have any clues about how labor / birth would go, since I'd never done this before.
My labor ended up being very quick and surprisingly easy. At 5am, I arrived at the hospital at 5-6cm / 90%. I was still able to talk and walk through contractions. My baby was born shortly after 7am. I obviously progressed very quickly. I pushed for only 7 minutes.
As I said above, I had a failed waterbirth. My water broke shortly before entering the tub during transition. There was slight meconium. When my mw came in a couple minutes later, the nurse told her I had to get out of the tub due to the meconium. My mw did not agree but had to follow hospital policy. While I was already pushing, my mw got me out and took me to the bed (where I did a kneeling birth). As I got on the bed, I saw that a crowd had descended upon my room. There were quite a few L&D nurses who I previously had seen hanging out at the nurses station. Then there were all these young girls, who appeared to be setting up for my mw. I mostly understand the presence of the young girls setting up, though I think they should have hurried away and didn't. Some stuck around. The presence of the nurses *really* irritates me. (I was not able to say anything at this point.) My dh obviously did not speak up and clear the room. He thought that the nurses were just interested in observing such a quick labor / birth. I'm sure it must be interesting, but this was my private birth! It was supposed to be just me, my dh, my mw, and my doula! This is not a teaching hospital. It is a small community hospital that does not do a lot of births.
My two previous induced / medicated / OB births were so much better in this aspect. They were at a different small community hospital.
I feel violated in that I had an audience watching me birth my baby. I feel safe with my dh, my mw, and my doula - but I didn't want to share my birth with anyone else. My birth plan made this clear.
Any thoughts about this?
This is baby # 3 for me, but this was my first non-induced natural birth. So we really didn't have any clues about how labor / birth would go, since I'd never done this before.
My labor ended up being very quick and surprisingly easy. At 5am, I arrived at the hospital at 5-6cm / 90%. I was still able to talk and walk through contractions. My baby was born shortly after 7am. I obviously progressed very quickly. I pushed for only 7 minutes.
As I said above, I had a failed waterbirth. My water broke shortly before entering the tub during transition. There was slight meconium. When my mw came in a couple minutes later, the nurse told her I had to get out of the tub due to the meconium. My mw did not agree but had to follow hospital policy. While I was already pushing, my mw got me out and took me to the bed (where I did a kneeling birth). As I got on the bed, I saw that a crowd had descended upon my room. There were quite a few L&D nurses who I previously had seen hanging out at the nurses station. Then there were all these young girls, who appeared to be setting up for my mw. I mostly understand the presence of the young girls setting up, though I think they should have hurried away and didn't. Some stuck around. The presence of the nurses *really* irritates me. (I was not able to say anything at this point.) My dh obviously did not speak up and clear the room. He thought that the nurses were just interested in observing such a quick labor / birth. I'm sure it must be interesting, but this was my private birth! It was supposed to be just me, my dh, my mw, and my doula! This is not a teaching hospital. It is a small community hospital that does not do a lot of births.
My two previous induced / medicated / OB births were so much better in this aspect. They were at a different small community hospital.
I feel violated in that I had an audience watching me birth my baby. I feel safe with my dh, my mw, and my doula - but I didn't want to share my birth with anyone else. My birth plan made this clear.
Any thoughts about this?
You must have felt so objectified, like a poor bear at Yellowstone park surrounded by gawking tourists! 
:
). Anyway- my point was that there is no actual 'permission' sought out.
