Note To Pregnant Women

[teh_blumchenkinder]

You could totally have it filmed. That is not unusual at all. aahhh, 'miracles.'
.___.;
EdIT: c-sections also cost more, which, if you have a doc after money, and insurance assurances (ie less likely to get sued), they'll recommend a c-section if you don't need it. BUT that's if they're less than scrupulous, or concerned for their butts./whatiheard

[Seshat]

(Yes, I know I'm nuts, everyone else who hears my plans for a water birth and my wanting to avoid drugs thinks I'm nuts - I don't do good with anesthesia, blood pressure issues)

Not nuts.

It sounds like you've done your research, and that you're willing to accept more ... interference-y stuff if it's necessary for your/baby's health and wellbeing. So definitely sounds not-nuts to me.

My doctor, my mental health nurse, my other medicos: all have the philosophy that drugs, surgery, etc are to be used as and when appropriate and necessary, but that for many things, there are alternatives that are much healthier.

A childbirth that goes well? Try heat packs, cold packs, water birthing, massage, family support as pain management techniques, and just have someone skilled at noticing problems in the room to supervise.

I'm one of those who's against avoidable C sections; mostly cause I think cutting through the corset muscles is nasty damage & should be avoided if possible. That said, if I were making medical decisions for self or family member and the doctor made a good case for a C section, I'd say 'go for it'. I'd prefer a slice through the corset muscles than a dead mother or baby!

Bah. I'm sort of going into my lecturing mode again.

Point I'm trying to make is: the women in the OP are idiots. Human babies have evolved HUGE skulls, larger than human pelvic regions are really evolved to handle. (yet)
Therefore medical interference IS sometimes necessary! DEAL WITH IT!

[teh_blumchenkinder]

... at least we aren't like French Bulldogs, only 20 percent can give birth naturally!

[Moogles]

Wow she was crazy...
I was lucky and had a nurse-midwife, and she looked at my chart. She decided upfront that there would be no pain medication, and no doctor until I was ready to push. Myself and my mother agreed with her 100% (because I'm deathly allergic to whats in the epidural).
I had issues with mine
1) I was in back labor the whole time. Bubs was face down, but with her back lying on my spine. We tried and tried to rotate her, but eventually my body decided enough was enough and was started pushing on its own. They broke my water and then..
2) Staining! My poor fluid was stained so bad by meconium it was almost black. I was a full week overdue (by ultrasound), but we're pretty sure I was closer to 2 weeks over. Bubs was fine, no issues at all and a healthy 7lbs 8oz.

And of course she rotated on the way down, so I was torn very badly.

Teh: After you have a baby, you won't even feel the pain. You'll just be astounded by the beautiful/amazing being that you brought into existence. Childbirth is just a step on the way. You'll be amazed how strong you can be

[trailerparkmedic]

Slightly OT, but would it be weird to ask the nurses to prop up a mirror during a C Section so you can see whats going on?

Not weird, but I'm not sure if they'd accommodate you. When you get a C section they put up drapes so you can't see what's going on below your shoulders. It was explained to me that women who can see what's going on had a tendency to freak out, even if they said they wanted to see it. You'll certainly feel what is going on (the pressure and the yanking), even with the anesthesia. It never hurts to ask though!

I'm not going to touch the elective C section debate with a 20 foot pole, but woman #2's C section was not just for fun. She had developed a serious health issue that could have killed her and the only cure for the condition is to remove baby. She was term so it wasn't going to be a problem for baby.

[telecom_goddess]

Yeah, by month eight or nine, you don't care. By then, you are pretty much done with the whole "miracle of having a life inside you" thing and you just want to see your damn ankles again and maybe manage to not piss yourself when you sneeze.

And this from someone who actually enjoyed being pregnant.

I so hear ya on that one!!!!!

I know that by that time I was so done....and with three kids I had a variety of births. First one was at home with no drugs...and by the time I had the third one I was on a full pain med regime including epidural in the hospital

[ArcticChicken]

(Yes, I know I'm nuts, everyone else who hears my plans for a water birth and my wanting to avoid drugs thinks I'm nuts - I don't do good with anesthesia, blood pressure issues)

I don't. 'Course, my mom's a midwife, so I've been hearing about different birthing choices most of my life. I remember when she talked her hospital into adding a water birth tub, and from what she tells me, if you want to skip the pain meds, water birth is the way to go.

[AnaKhouri]

My husband confessed that he peeked around the drape to see what the surgeon was doing and recoiled when he saw a grayish loop of intestine. Nothing like getting a look at your wife's guts!

I know there has been some controversy about unneeded c-sections, but I figure, if the doctor tells you you need it you probably do. I had a midwife who came to me after 14 hours and said, "OK, he's not coming out naturally." I was very much against having a c-section (and drugs, until I started having serious contractions ), but at that point I wanted him out and I knew if I said no we both would probably die, so yeah.

[AccountingDrone]

Not weird, but I'm not sure if they'd accommodate you. When you get a C section they put up drapes so you can't see what's going on below your shoulders. It was explained to me that women who can see what's going on had a tendency to freak out, even if they said they wanted to see it. You'll certainly feel what is going on (the pressure and the yanking), even with the anesthesia. It never hurts to ask though!

I'm not going to touch the elective C section debate with a 20 foot pole, but woman #2's C section was not just for fun. She had developed a serious health issue that could have killed her and the only cure for the condition is to remove baby. She was term so it wasn't going to be a problem for baby.

Shame, I watched my first tubal ligation, it was a blast. After I got inflated, I looked like I was about 2 years pregnant =) Watching the monitor was sweet - human insides are interesting.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I had the spinal thingy. I could feel everything, and I wanted to, but it took the edge off enough that I could participate in the process a little better. My labor hit really hard really fast. Put it this way...you know how they say call the doctor when the contractions are five minutes apart? They started at five minutes apart. I was afraid I'd have her in the car, no lie. So I didn't have time to adjust to the pain, it was like one minute I'm making chili in my kitchen and the literally the next, I'm in freaking labor.

I have a high pain tolerance...in fact, my doctor says he's never seen somebody be able to control pain like he's seen me do, but I sort of need a little time to prepare for it. And the panicky feeling of suddenly being in the throes of labor without any warning or preamble didn't help. So I went ahead and got the spinal, and then made them pull back on it till I could feel my body again.

Otherwise, I don't know how I'd have gotten on top of the pain enough to breathe and push properly.

A C section with no drugs? Yeah, I'm gonna chalk that lapse in judgement up to pregnant hormones making her crazy. That, and profound naivety.

[thatcrazyredhead]

After you have a baby, you won't even feel the pain. You'll just be astounded by the beautiful/amazing being that you brought into existence.

Yeah, that's what they all say, but I don't buy a word of it.

Quoth RecoveringKinkoid
Yeah, by month eight or nine, you don't care. By then, you are pretty much done with the whole "miracle of having a life inside you" thing and you just want to see your damn ankles again and maybe manage to not piss yourself when you sneeze.

And this from someone who actually enjoyed being pregnant.

My co-worker is about 8 months along. I'll have to share this with her.

[Victory Sabre]

Yeah, by month eight or nine, you don't care. By then, you are pretty much done with the whole "miracle of having a life inside you" thing and you just want to see your damn ankles again and maybe manage to not piss yourself when you sneeze.

And this from someone who actually enjoyed being pregnant.

My friend S was just like that. She wanted the little one out of her so badly at the end. I was talking to her Saturday, and she was so ready for it to be over with.

She had her little bundle of joy late Tuesday night.

Now if the father of the kid would grow up...

[Seshat]

I'm not going to touch the elective C section debate with a 20 foot pole, but woman #2's C section was not just for fun. She had developed a serious health issue that could have killed her and the only cure for the condition is to remove baby. She was term so it wasn't going to be a problem for baby.

Yeah - the elective C section debate is definitely Fratching material.

But ... GAH! Look, woman, the nice doctor is telling you that YOU WILL DIE if the baby doesn't come out! And the baby is full term, so the baby will be PERFECTLY SAFE! HAVE THE DAMN C SECTION!

... sorry. Just... well. Yeah. I .. uh .. agree with you. Was that a touch obvious?

[blas]

If I ever did get pregnant, and it got to birthing time........the father would be forced to stand here right next to the doctor, front and center, to see what he did to me. I have to feel the pain, you get to watch the baby come out, and everything that comes with it.

That's my rule. So far, no guys have agreed to it. Looks like I don't have to worry about it then

[Sapphire Silk]

Yeah - the elective C section debate is definitely Fratching material.

But ... GAH! Look, woman, the nice doctor is telling you that YOU WILL DIE if the baby doesn't come out! And the baby is full term, so the baby will be PERFECTLY SAFE! HAVE THE DAMN C SECTION!

... sorry. Just... well. Yeah. I .. uh .. agree with you. Was that a touch obvious?

I'm all for natural childbirth. I've been teaching OB nursing long enough, and seen enough complications and unnecessary C-sections from improperly administered Pitocin, that I think women who want to avoid all that are on to something.

My SIL went natural, and had no problems with her deliveries: very little pain, and no complications post delivery. Three very healthy babies.

But I do agree with trailerparkmedic: there is a very good REASON obstetricians came up with the interventions they did. Women died in droves from complications of childbirth prior to the avent of these meds and procedures. My problem with them is not that they exist, but that they are sometimes abused for "convenience."

But for pity's sake . . . TRUST your physician when he tells you that you have a complication and need additional interventions.

I went through a similar situation once: baby was having fetal distress (heart rate dropping rapidly) and needed a state C section. Mom resisted, and insisted on a vaginal birth. Baby came out, but needed some mild resuscitation, and Mom hemorrhaged.

Doc ordered Cytotec to stop the bleeding. Mom almost refused to take it because she'd read on some natural childbirth site it shouldn't be used to induce labor.

She's right. It shouldn't. But she'd already HAD the baby!

I really hate the Internet sometimes.