A vent

[bon]

Somebody I know was due to have her first baby on the 14th of December. From the very beginning of her pregnancy, she has been very clear about her birth plan - vaginal birth, no drugs and she wanted to go home as soon as possible after the birth. She has been seeing Midwives for all her antenatal appointments and her pregnancy has been perfectly healthy, no complications and she worked right up until she was 38-39 weeks.

Well her due date came and went, and for some reason - I think because there has been uncertainty about the due date - the hospital booked her for induction on the 21st - only 7 days past dates. As soon as I found that out, I inwardly groaned, knowing immediately that all her plans for a natural birth just went flying out the window - but still I thought, she can still do this, maybe because it is past her due date, her body will be ready to go. But still, the realistic part of me knew that most likely that wouldn't happen. She gave birth on 22nd via c/section about 12 hours after the induction process was started. It just makes me so mad, because that is about as far away from her birth plan that it was possible to get, and there was no reason for it - no reason at all, except uncertainty about her due date. I know that she could have given birth vaginally if they hadn't been so keen to induce her. She seems to be fine with it - for now. I know in the after glow of meeting your baby, you don't think too much about the birth. It is the weeks and months afterwards when you start to analyse things and debrief and that's when the disappointment sets in.

It really really bothers me that this is what the system is doing to mothers.

[Tanya]

I suppose this is what happens around christmas.... It's so sad she proabably now has taruma from the whole experience, and if she wants to attempt a VBAC for her next she will have to probably fight for it or she'll be too scared.

So so sad, esp when it happens to first time mums.

[Rainbow_Mumma]

hospitals are getting very very care free with the way they do things now its not about mother and baby its more get the job done as quickly and easily for them which is a real shame and probably why there are so many c-secs births these days, it is very upsetting and i hope your friend doesnt dwell on it too much although hard i had many disappointments after my c-sec which wasnt planned. Big hugs to her and congratulations on her new baby

[boomba]

Bon I have a friedn in this same situation...they said her cervix is too high and so they will induce her next week she was due yesterday or something? I get that things happen if you go too overdue but a week come one...I jsut wish Drs ahd more faith in the human body....the baby is obviously not ready to come out!

But I will support her no matter what she decides...just makes me sad

ETA sorry that your friend didnt get the birth she wanted

[e_p]

hey Bon, I know exactly how you feel...my best friend had her first baby last week - completely normal, trouble free pregnancy...her and her DH educated themselves about birth and decided an active, natural birth was best for them. Birth plan specifically stated 'no induction unless medically necessary', 'do not offer me drugs for pain relief, I am aware of the options and will ask if I need them. I will use hot water, heat, aromatherapy and massage instead,' 'no episiotomy unless absolutely medically necessary', 'physiological 3rd stage unless absolutely necessary to have injection but absolutely NO cord traction'...and the plan was to labour at home until she was almost ready to push to avoid any unnecessary intervention.

her waters broke 6 days before EDD, hospital insisted she come to hospital immediately, despite no mec in waters and healthy pregnancy. Contractions hadn't started within 4 hours and she was informed she MUST have syntocinon (induction) or she was risking infection...agreed to start a low dose with the mw's promise they could stop it once labour had started and if they were satisfied her body had taken over contractions. Mum laboured like an incredible birthing goddess for 9 hours in the bath, shower, walking around, squatting, kneeling, being massaged...ready start pushing after 9 hours of contracting...and after 5 hours of pushing and little progress due to a cervical lip, my friend was completely exhausted, she had a shot of pethidine which made her vomit and feel dizzy...in fact, it made her vomit so much she couldn't push anymore and the OB came rushing in with a pair of forceps, despite baby's heart rate being a steady 130-140bpm the entire 14 hours. Forceps meant an episiotomy and a shot in the leg to 'deliver' the placenta, which the OB pulled out of her.

Right now she's loving getting to know her baby but has expressed a few times that things didn't go to plan and that she is disappointed by this...when she's ready, I'll be there if she wants me to, to debrief with her and help her to work out what the plan of attack is for her next baby to achieve the birth she wants

It makes me so angry that such a well informed woman's needs and wants can be ignored by medical staff to do things to her that are not evidence based and against her wishes

[Footsteps]

this angers me because c-sections cause adhesions and the adhesions can cause probs (not often but can) and it angers me doctors are putting women in these positions so they fit in with their schedule. i havent had a c-section but i have had major surgery. huge hugs xx

[Fleur]

Bon I have a friedn in this same situation...they said her cervix is too high and so they will induce her next week she was due yesterday or something? I get that things happen if you go too overdue but a week come one...I jsut wish Drs ahd more faith in the human body....the baby is obviously not ready to come out!

and here's what is REALLY frustrating about all this... it's sooo much down to what doctor you get, especially in the public system when you don't have a choice.

I was so lucky to have the Dr I did.. .at my 41 week antenatal appt & with my cervix still very high & closed tight, he offered a repeat CS but said there was NO reason why I couldn't go to 42 weeks, a lot can change in a few days...lo & behold I went into labour 3 days later....I got my VBAC & am still so grateful to him for his encouragement.

I do not understand why something so important so often falls to the whim of that particular Ob...

hugs to your friend & congrats on her new bub.

[MummaSue]

I've been very interested to read your responses to this.

I'm due my first baby, and am going through our local public system. I have some ideas about how I want things to go but still have a lot of questions.

You ladies have given me some other things to think about so thank you for this post.

Congratulations to your friend and her baby, I hope that she doesn't feel too traumatised down the line when things have settled for her.

Suexx

[Floweryfields]

I got the Cosby Show DVDs for Chrissy - as fans would know, Dr Huxtable was an Ob in the show, in one episode I watched, he had a woman in his practice demanding to make the baby come out NOW! She was a week over and Dr H explained in his best way, that while she was ready and he was ready and the hospital was ready, clearly the baby was not ready and it would decide when it was time. Now this show was made in 1984 - America now has one of the highest levels of intervention, how times have changed!