kyliesmommy06
01-22-2008, 04:49 PM
Hi,
In April 2006 I had my daughter at St. Elizabeth's hospital in Lincoln, NE. I wanted a home birth but was told it was illegal and could not find a home birthing center or midwife that would do a home birth.
I still was determined NOT to have a medical birth. I read Birthing From Within, and several other books about natural child birth. I did extensive web searches and still nothing. So I made the decision to use a midwife practicing with an ob-gyn practice. She sold herself really well. She has 4 children, 20+ years exeperience as a midwife, low c-section rate, and had experienced a VBAC with her own child and in her practice. Good deal right?
During my pregnancy she was great! She didn't probe me and do internal (painful) exams each time I was there. She didn't test me every couple of weeks for STD's or each time I had a yeast infection which is VERY common in pregnancy. I never waited long for appointments, she was prompt and educated me well about pregnancy and birth. We went over my birth plan extensively and often. We had a list of questions and suggestions she would offer in the event I gave up and asked for an epidural.
I was almost two weeks late and was induced. Shouldn't have happened, however, it did go well. I went into the hospital aroun 8pm and what follows is my birth story. Please keep in mind that at NO time did Carol ask me to walk, ask me to wait even 20 minutes before considering an epi, nor did she stay at my side longer than five minute a total of two times during an 18 hour labor UNTIL I HAD A C-SECTION. Yes, this IS a midwife. The word midwife alone should have prevented such extreme measures. Yes, I was the on who asked for an epi but I was 7 cm and in transition with my first child, no husband, no friends, no coach or doula which I couldn't afford at the time. In the throws of the most intense pain you will ever experience it is absurd for someone to assume you are in your right mind to make these choices, this is precisly why we have doula's and midwives and BIRTH PLANS that are promised to be respected!!!! Please keep in mind that at NO TIME did my stats or my baby's stats go even close to a dangerous range.
Read and make your own choice. I am not claiming she isn't a caring or educated person that can get your baby here safe. I just question the ethics and morals involved....why be a midwife if you can not provide the services you offer?? The services you PROMISE to a patient seeking your help and guidence and the services that are in your mission statement on the pamphets you hand out???
**If you detect some hurt and anger in my post, yes, you are right. I am hurt that the person who put my confidence in let me down. I looked to Carol for guidence and to respect my wishes. When I asked if she was the right person for me, she said yes. I was/am angry that even the slightest attempt to encourage and support me during my labor was NOT made. When I asked for an epi, she simply said ok, signed a paper and walked out. I did not see her for another 8 hours when she came back to convince (scare me) into a c-section.
Thank you for listening without judgement and may you have the birth of your dreams!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~My Birth Story~
I was due on 4/14 was induced the night of 4/19 and had a c-section the evening of 4/20. Kylie was 5 days overdue and I was READY so I checked into the hospital at 8pm Wednesday April 19th 2006. They inserted a prostaglandin pill near my cervix to try and start labor. My midwife said if my body was ready it would work if not it might only give me some contractions and send me home. I took the chance. I was a little over 1cm and 80% effaced when I checked in. I was having contractions that felt like menstrual cramps ranging from every 5-10 minutes all the way up to 20 minutes apart and had been having them like this since the previous Friday. Monday I was barely 1cm so I’d made little progress. I was miserable the last few weeks but in hindsight I would’ve waited longer if I knew what was to come.
About 1 hour after the pill was inserted my contractions began getting closer together but not much more intense. They were about 5 minutes apart and steady but still felt like mild-moderate menstrual cramps. Finally around 3am I felt a popping and from then until around 6am on I had contractions every 2-5 minutes and growing in intensity. Around 7am they were 2-3 minutes apart and VERY intense, the worst pain I’d ever felt. I asked for an epi and around 8am my midwife checked me and I was 7cm and 100% effaced. She broke my water and it seemed like gallons came out every few minutes for the next hour. It was insane! At this time they started pitocin thinking baby would come in an hour or two at most. They gave me my epidural at 8:30am at that time my contractions were about 1 minute apart and not coming down all the way. Had I known this was transition and how close I really was I wouldn’t have taken the epi. Nobody, not even my midwife, tried to tell me how close I was and that if I would just hang in there a little longer baby would be there. I was out of my head in pain and shouldn’t have made the decision I made at that time. Next time I will not get the epi because it slowed my labor considerably. For the next 6 hours my contractions stayed intense but were only 3-5 minutes apart again. Finally, the last two hours before my c-section they were coming every 1-2 minutes but still no progress and I was feeling them pretty good by now even with the epidural. I spent 8 ½ hours at 7 cm and they upped the pitocin every 1-1 ½ hours……so they told me they wanted to do a c-section. I was bawling hysterically and by this time my epidural had warn off two hours prior to my c-section and I felt guilty continuing hard labor due to stress it may be putting on the baby. In fact babies heart rate was excellent the entire labor and there was no reason to take me in that early. My heart rate kept dropping down to 80/50 but that didn't seem to concern them too much. I asked for a few more hours to labor and they didn't seem to want to let me go that much longer so reluctantly I agreed. I ended up getting really sick in the delivery room and didn’t get to hold my little girl for an hour after she was born. I didn’t get to see the cord cut by my mom and I had no say in the testing they did to her.
Ultimately, I have this precious and beautiful little miracle and that is all that matters. However, my birth was so far from what I had wanted and it took me a week to get a grip on it enough to write this. I really feel had I had more support I would’ve delivered her naturally. I have nothing against anyone’s decision to have a c-section but it just wasn’t what I wanted and I felt guilty about that.
Given all this, the moment Kylie was born was still the most magical and wonderful moment of my life and I would do it all over again just to have her. The following days in the hospital were a wonderful experience. The nurses and nurse assistants treated Kylie and me wonderfully. This was truly the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me and I definitely want to do it again. I want to try for a VBAC next time and now I feel I am more armed for what can happen. I went through 18 hours of intense labor and didn’t realize that I was soooooooo close. Now that I do I know I can make it through next time and I will definitely have a doula and/or my best friend there to make those decisions for me when I’m out of my head in pain and wanting to give up.
In April 2006 I had my daughter at St. Elizabeth's hospital in Lincoln, NE. I wanted a home birth but was told it was illegal and could not find a home birthing center or midwife that would do a home birth.
I still was determined NOT to have a medical birth. I read Birthing From Within, and several other books about natural child birth. I did extensive web searches and still nothing. So I made the decision to use a midwife practicing with an ob-gyn practice. She sold herself really well. She has 4 children, 20+ years exeperience as a midwife, low c-section rate, and had experienced a VBAC with her own child and in her practice. Good deal right?
During my pregnancy she was great! She didn't probe me and do internal (painful) exams each time I was there. She didn't test me every couple of weeks for STD's or each time I had a yeast infection which is VERY common in pregnancy. I never waited long for appointments, she was prompt and educated me well about pregnancy and birth. We went over my birth plan extensively and often. We had a list of questions and suggestions she would offer in the event I gave up and asked for an epidural.
I was almost two weeks late and was induced. Shouldn't have happened, however, it did go well. I went into the hospital aroun 8pm and what follows is my birth story. Please keep in mind that at NO time did Carol ask me to walk, ask me to wait even 20 minutes before considering an epi, nor did she stay at my side longer than five minute a total of two times during an 18 hour labor UNTIL I HAD A C-SECTION. Yes, this IS a midwife. The word midwife alone should have prevented such extreme measures. Yes, I was the on who asked for an epi but I was 7 cm and in transition with my first child, no husband, no friends, no coach or doula which I couldn't afford at the time. In the throws of the most intense pain you will ever experience it is absurd for someone to assume you are in your right mind to make these choices, this is precisly why we have doula's and midwives and BIRTH PLANS that are promised to be respected!!!! Please keep in mind that at NO TIME did my stats or my baby's stats go even close to a dangerous range.
Read and make your own choice. I am not claiming she isn't a caring or educated person that can get your baby here safe. I just question the ethics and morals involved....why be a midwife if you can not provide the services you offer?? The services you PROMISE to a patient seeking your help and guidence and the services that are in your mission statement on the pamphets you hand out???
**If you detect some hurt and anger in my post, yes, you are right. I am hurt that the person who put my confidence in let me down. I looked to Carol for guidence and to respect my wishes. When I asked if she was the right person for me, she said yes. I was/am angry that even the slightest attempt to encourage and support me during my labor was NOT made. When I asked for an epi, she simply said ok, signed a paper and walked out. I did not see her for another 8 hours when she came back to convince (scare me) into a c-section.
Thank you for listening without judgement and may you have the birth of your dreams!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~My Birth Story~
I was due on 4/14 was induced the night of 4/19 and had a c-section the evening of 4/20. Kylie was 5 days overdue and I was READY so I checked into the hospital at 8pm Wednesday April 19th 2006. They inserted a prostaglandin pill near my cervix to try and start labor. My midwife said if my body was ready it would work if not it might only give me some contractions and send me home. I took the chance. I was a little over 1cm and 80% effaced when I checked in. I was having contractions that felt like menstrual cramps ranging from every 5-10 minutes all the way up to 20 minutes apart and had been having them like this since the previous Friday. Monday I was barely 1cm so I’d made little progress. I was miserable the last few weeks but in hindsight I would’ve waited longer if I knew what was to come.
About 1 hour after the pill was inserted my contractions began getting closer together but not much more intense. They were about 5 minutes apart and steady but still felt like mild-moderate menstrual cramps. Finally around 3am I felt a popping and from then until around 6am on I had contractions every 2-5 minutes and growing in intensity. Around 7am they were 2-3 minutes apart and VERY intense, the worst pain I’d ever felt. I asked for an epi and around 8am my midwife checked me and I was 7cm and 100% effaced. She broke my water and it seemed like gallons came out every few minutes for the next hour. It was insane! At this time they started pitocin thinking baby would come in an hour or two at most. They gave me my epidural at 8:30am at that time my contractions were about 1 minute apart and not coming down all the way. Had I known this was transition and how close I really was I wouldn’t have taken the epi. Nobody, not even my midwife, tried to tell me how close I was and that if I would just hang in there a little longer baby would be there. I was out of my head in pain and shouldn’t have made the decision I made at that time. Next time I will not get the epi because it slowed my labor considerably. For the next 6 hours my contractions stayed intense but were only 3-5 minutes apart again. Finally, the last two hours before my c-section they were coming every 1-2 minutes but still no progress and I was feeling them pretty good by now even with the epidural. I spent 8 ½ hours at 7 cm and they upped the pitocin every 1-1 ½ hours……so they told me they wanted to do a c-section. I was bawling hysterically and by this time my epidural had warn off two hours prior to my c-section and I felt guilty continuing hard labor due to stress it may be putting on the baby. In fact babies heart rate was excellent the entire labor and there was no reason to take me in that early. My heart rate kept dropping down to 80/50 but that didn't seem to concern them too much. I asked for a few more hours to labor and they didn't seem to want to let me go that much longer so reluctantly I agreed. I ended up getting really sick in the delivery room and didn’t get to hold my little girl for an hour after she was born. I didn’t get to see the cord cut by my mom and I had no say in the testing they did to her.
Ultimately, I have this precious and beautiful little miracle and that is all that matters. However, my birth was so far from what I had wanted and it took me a week to get a grip on it enough to write this. I really feel had I had more support I would’ve delivered her naturally. I have nothing against anyone’s decision to have a c-section but it just wasn’t what I wanted and I felt guilty about that.
Given all this, the moment Kylie was born was still the most magical and wonderful moment of my life and I would do it all over again just to have her. The following days in the hospital were a wonderful experience. The nurses and nurse assistants treated Kylie and me wonderfully. This was truly the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me and I definitely want to do it again. I want to try for a VBAC next time and now I feel I am more armed for what can happen. I went through 18 hours of intense labor and didn’t realize that I was soooooooo close. Now that I do I know I can make it through next time and I will definitely have a doula and/or my best friend there to make those decisions for me when I’m out of my head in pain and wanting to give up.