We've come a long way, baby. Just after I left hospital after I had DD, we went grocery shopping. It was the morning so there were lots of old ladies around and of course, seeing us with a newborn, everyone decided to say hello and have a gossip lol. We must've been there for hours! A lot of the women were really amazed that I was up and walking around, and I was thinking, "Why wouldn't I be?"

Even more recently, things are better now than they were some decades back. My mother had a terrible birth with me. She went into labour on Friday night, was vomiting etc. and the hospital told her to go home. She came back on Saturday I think where they induced her (really, she was already in labour but her contractions were too far apart). She had no pain relief, when she asked for it they said it was too late (I have no idea if it was or not). After a long, terrible labour, the Dr decided that I needed to come out so she gave my mum an episiotomy WITHOUT PAIN RELIEF, and removed me with the vaccuum. At some point while this was happening, the Dr fell silent and was aparently terrified (at least that's what her expression said). I don't know exactly what happened but from what my mum has said, my life was in danger.
As it happens, my mother had extensive internal scarring due to previous surgery and EVERY SINGLE OTHER DR had said she would need to have a caesarian. This Dr denied her that and I nearly died because of it. My mother and I both have physical problems because of this.
My poor mum! I still can't believe what she went through just to bring me into this world.