It's just bizarre (or maybe not)...

[Daydream Believer]

*sobs* what good is it anyway? A woman can be as educated as she wants, can want to have support, but the second her ****ing husband decides the doctors know her body better than she does then BAM, the woman is ignored because there's someone else there who will sign the forms.

Thats the good thing about the hossy Im going to, only you can sign the forms and only you can give permission for anything to be done unless its a life or death situation. The husband/partner can say whatever he likes & they wont listen to him, they will ask you if thats what you want to do

[Kazbah]

Sal - where's that?

[Cricket]

I read the guidelines for induction a few years ago as a student nurse. They said that induction should be saved for life threatening circumstances.

I wonder if anyone else at the hospital has read the guidelines?

My SIL was just induced so that her baby could be born before her OB went on vacation. She was not even at her original due date yet. (a couple of days past the date given by the 20 week ultrasound. The oh-so-reliable for dates 20 week ultrasound.) Thankfully, mother and baby are fine. Why people think this is necessary, and right, and safe is beyond me.

And yet, I am the risk-taking hippy freak for having my baby at home.

BTW, for those who are curious about homebirth, see if you can get some info on the situation in Holland. There, they have a very high homebirth rate, and one of the best infant/maternal outcome rates in the world. Also, I posted a quote a while ago from Dr. Kloosterman, the chief of obstetrics at one of the universities there, about homebirth. Very encouraging. It's in the homebirth section I believe.

[Daydream Believer]

The Angliss in Ferntree Gully

[Kazbah]

Ahhh. We looked there (we live in Belgrave) but DH wouldn't cope well with only a 24-hours stay. Unfortunately. Cause apart from that we'd love it!

[Daydream Believer]

So you were looking at the family birthing centre then? We're just going in the normal delivery ward & its a 2 day stay unless you have a c-sect, then its 4

[Kazbah]

yeps, the family birthing. We went with Knox Private though as it has a 5-day stay. Of course, the problem there is that we have to use an OB. Don't get me wrong, Ken is great, but still .. I'd prefer just a midwife!!!!

[BellyBelly]

What if you went to the birth centre, but then got a private midwife for post-natal visits?

[Daydream Believer]

The Angliss was all midwife care from memory & there was home visits by midwifes too. The only reason we didnt choose the FBC was because its our first.

[Kazbah]

Kelly - my DHs problem is the time - it takes him a while to get used to ideas. So him learning how to "deal" with Pip at the hossy for 5 days was great, it made him realise he could do it at home.

Having a midwife visit at home wouldn't really help that side of things

[kirsty_lee]

well after hearing all this im definately getting a doula next birth. im so angry about not being warned about this sort of thing. You would think, well imo that they would mention this sort of stuff. SHouldn't we get a choice? why couldnt I get a choice? i mean i know induction in there view was what needed to happen, but why couldnt they have let me go on my own for a while and see if i could of dialted etc before just pumping me full of drugs. BAH

[shellbell]

My labour was essentially the same as Kirsty-lee's. Waters broke, period like pain all night, induced in the morning - except that I went from 40 to 80 to 150 to 250 and then 300 of the synto from 7am to 7pm with a whole 1.5cm dilation. I then had an epi at 8.30 and a c-section at 10.45. It was honestly one of the most horrific things that had ever happened to me and I have previously broken a femur. I wanted a doula - but couldn't find one in central west NSW and so had little option but to make decisions as I went. I am now in the uneviable position of wanting a VBAC for next time with no practical support as my family and my DH have all decided that it will definately be another c-section next time.

Not only do I feel ripped off that the birth was so shocking, but I feel ripped off that I didn't make the right choices and avoid the surgery. At no time was any risk of uterine rupture mentioned...

[paradise lost]

Shellbell massive to you.

It is not anyone's decision but yours how you birth. You are SO strong to have survived your horrific birthing experience. Easily strong enough to VBAC. When the time comes you can tell DH the onus is on him to find a reason for you to not VBAC - he can't say the rupture risk was too high, he alreadly let you face that level of risk in the induction.

Much love and more

Bx

[LisaBear]

oh my gosh! i have tp say i am livid after reading this! i was induced for being 2 weels late and told nothjing about the risks of the drug! i asked and was told it was perfectly safe!
i ended up with a traumatic emergency csection with a major hemorage (sp) to go with it! i had adverse reaction tp the drugs and had about 6 different stabilising drugs pumped into me due to blood loss!

i just wish i had been told of the risks!

[SamiH]

Eeeeek - I am about to draft my birth plan for my next chat with my doula.

I have been induced twice, once for no progression after 3 days of hard work contractions etc and had epi and forceps - first time labour didn't know any different; and 2nd time waters broke and big fat nothing so induced after 26 hours (again didn't know any different to try and negotiate a bit more time).

So, if I start out natural labour but no progression etc or whatever, if induction or caesar is spoken - what do people feel the SAFER option is given both have risks (granted, I didn't know there were risks with synto inductions beforehand .....), yet caesar recovery so much longer and harder especially with two other kiddie pops. Spose a personal decision of course, but interested in anyones thoughts.

Thanks

[Beach Mama]

Sami - it is a tough one, but given the risks of induction VS a c/s which is major surgery, I would definately choose induction if I HAD to choose one over the other. You can ask for the drip to be started slowly to allow the contractions to ease in. I've also been reading alot recently about feeling safe and being in an environment that allows you to progress.... In hindsight, do you think any of these factors affected your ability to birth? (Hope that doesn't sound harsh but I hope you know what I mean- Im cross eye tired today ) Do you think there was anything that could have been done in your birthing environment to help you along?
I haven't been there - being induced with a body that wasn't ready to be induced so i don't know YET what it is like to go into labour naturally.....

[paradise lost]

SamiH,

If i were in a situation where waters had broken and i was overdue and not progressing i would...

Wait a minimum 72 hours before going for induction (90% of women will go into labour naturally within that time period).

Stay at home as long as possible and if necessary go into hospital only once every 4-6 hours or if i was feeling worried to have us both checked out.

Take my temp hourly to make sure i wasn't getting any infection.

Have a doula with me.

Avoid the epidural like it was the plague! It can lead to SO MANY complications (failure to progress, weakened contractions, absence of pushing urge, inability to coordinate pushing, deep transverse arrest of foetal head, serious tearing of the perineum, depressed breathing in the newborn) and increases SO MANY risks (of being unable to move from the stranded beetle flat-on-back position, of needing a section, of needing forceps or ventouse, of tearing badly) that it unless it's going in to allow you to be awake during a section, IMHO, it isn't worth it for you and it REALLY isn't worth it for the baby.

The problem with the medicalised model of birth is that it has destroyed our norms. We know from other cultures that some women can labour in 60 minutes and others take 6 or more days to get their baby born, but because of our hospital system no-one is ALLOWED to have a labour longer than about 48 hours. Thus if it happens to a woman they are made to feel like their body isn't working properly, that there is a problem. But in fact, just as some women orgasm swiftly and others not for a long time, some women labour fast and others slow and it's not an indication of ANYTHING.

Bx

[SamiH]

Thanks ladies

Tan - definitely first time with DS I am sure it was fear of the unknown, no one said roughly how long and I was just pretty frightened the whole time - sounds silly in hindsight, but true. 2nd time I was heaps more relaxed and ready and confident I could do it - synto in around 8.30 and DD born12.46pm - and not too bad (yes intense without natural rest) - but second stage was only 11 minutes so that was the best

Hoobley - yes, I am avoiding epidural and now I know so much more about waters breaking and what to look for really, I sure will wait to ring the hospital to tell them instead of just being excited thinking woohoo here we go!

Just wondered (and timely in doing birth plan) if confronted with a choice for whatever reason, and for legit reasons it can and could happen - what would I do???

Like you Tan, I have done heaps of reading, just finished 2 books - and my doula this time around which i wasn't even aware of previously -

We can compare stories in another 12 or so week hey!!