I love this forum.
I have gained wonderful knowledge and support here but I just have to type this.
The advocates for natural and non-medicalised birth hurt my feelings a lot.
Here is my story.
I fell pg at 40 to find myself ready to give birth for the first time when I was overweight but fit and healthy at 41. I was absolutely worried about giving birth at the tertiary hospital but our local hospital would not allow me to deliver there with my high BMI and because I was older. I was classified as "high risk" and cared for by the FMU at the tertiary hospital.
I understood my rights and I kept putting off the offered induction. at 41 weeks pg I went into the hospital for a check-up and discussion about an induction in two days to find my baby's heartbeat had stopped and she had died. Had I not resisted the induction I would have a living breathing 2 1/2 yr old with me now. So much for the specialised care helping!
I was induced to give birth to my dead baby. The induction was not the terrible labour we are constantly warned about but quite gentle and I had very little drugs which considering I was delivering a baby I knew wouldn't move or breathe was not too bad.
Having taken 8 years to get pg the first time I doubted we would get pg again but against all odds and with help with timing from a good FS we concieved our DS.
As my first baby had died at 41 weeks we were supported in our decision to induce this baby early 38 weeks 3 days.
The wonderful staff at the FMU tried everything to support me having another VB but with a living baby this time. My breech baby was turned twice by one of the obs......he turned back the first time! Then after he was turned the second time they tried to induce me with a ballon system (can't remember the fancy name for it!).
This didn't work and I ended up with a VERY scary emergency C/S.
Both births were scary and frightening.
My point is that I could have saved my DD's life if I'd accepted the offered induction at 40 weeks and I could have prevented the scary emergency C/S if I'd accepted a c/s was a good idea to deliver my DS early instead of trying for the live VB.
I do understand people are bullied into births they don't want but I wish I hadn't stood my guns like I did and I wish I hadn't known about my rights. I would not have two babies not just one in my arms and I would not have been a stuttering, shaking, terrified mess when my son was born because the C/S could have been better explained and managed and I could have had time to demand immediate skin on skin instead I had a distressed baby boy.
Perhaps sometimes these OB's DO know what they are talking about.