Wow! It's been a while since I've written. Understandably, I've been kind of focused on other things... I did have my baby at the end of July! The last time I gave birth was 5 years ago and let me tell you, things have changed at the Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital.
With my older son, five years previous, I found that the way things were carried out there was very old fashioned and not very mommy or family friendly. I did create a birth plan which was blatentky ignored. My request for no episiotamy was denied since the Doctor on call gave them routinely (i.e. whether or not there is a medical need). Needless to say, recovery was more painful because of this. Also,needles containing unrequested pain medication were shot into my ass without notifying me whatsoever. My baby was delivered down by my feet in the very unproductive and unnatural position of me on my back (no other option was allowed). Even though both my mother and my husband were there, niether one got to see the baby be born since they were made to stay up by my head and "out of the doctor's way". My husband did get to cut the cord, but then the baby was whisked away to be washed up, weighed, and put under a heat lamp. I don't kno who fed him, even though I requested rooming in and breastfeeding, someone must have fed him a bottle since he was not brought to me for a few hours. Me being very young and neive, I did not know I had options, that I could ask questions, or that I deserved explanations. Luckily, this experience did not much hinder the bonding that occured later in my hospital room.
Now, I feel that the DECH has really changed in the way it treats the birth experience. Whether that is because of a more recent trends for homebirths and midwives and calls to decrease unnecessary prodedures such as c-sections, I'm not sure. The birth of my second son was actually attended by the same nurse as my older son, so this new experience was not due to unique nursing staff. However, I did have a different physician who was open to me birthing in whatever position I felt comfortable, instead of the old laying-in-bed-pushing-against-gravity stance that only benefits the doctor himself. The only other reason I can think of for the change, besides a 'changing of the times' is that I was younger before and perhaps this created a prejudice against me whereas now I am at a more acceptable childbearing age of 23. The nurses allowed me to use aromatherapy, to labour in an upright position, even while they struggled to do routine checks on me (which they claimed was the first time they had to do it that way and they were 'lost'!) All I can say is that I am so happy with how things turned out. I could actually watch my son be born on my own, my mother and husband experienced everything along with me. The nurse was enthusiastic about following my birthplan and the nurses and doctor allowed the cord to stop pulsing before cutting it, while I held him (which my 'official' ob/gyn told me she wouldn't allow). I kept my baby for over an hour before he was taken to be wiped off and weighed and given the Vit. K shot while I took a shower. No drugs were pushed on me and only a light pain reliever was given upon my request. This experience has greatly changed the way I felt about hospital births (I had even considered unassisted homebirth briefly as I was so turned off by hospitals before).
Does anyone else have a positive or negative birth experience from the DECH? When was it? If you have two children, was there any difference between their births? What about young mothers, did you experience any prejudice? I love hearing about birth stories, so if you want, please share!
RMC
With my older son, five years previous, I found that the way things were carried out there was very old fashioned and not very mommy or family friendly. I did create a birth plan which was blatentky ignored. My request for no episiotamy was denied since the Doctor on call gave them routinely (i.e. whether or not there is a medical need). Needless to say, recovery was more painful because of this. Also,needles containing unrequested pain medication were shot into my ass without notifying me whatsoever. My baby was delivered down by my feet in the very unproductive and unnatural position of me on my back (no other option was allowed). Even though both my mother and my husband were there, niether one got to see the baby be born since they were made to stay up by my head and "out of the doctor's way". My husband did get to cut the cord, but then the baby was whisked away to be washed up, weighed, and put under a heat lamp. I don't kno who fed him, even though I requested rooming in and breastfeeding, someone must have fed him a bottle since he was not brought to me for a few hours. Me being very young and neive, I did not know I had options, that I could ask questions, or that I deserved explanations. Luckily, this experience did not much hinder the bonding that occured later in my hospital room.
Now, I feel that the DECH has really changed in the way it treats the birth experience. Whether that is because of a more recent trends for homebirths and midwives and calls to decrease unnecessary prodedures such as c-sections, I'm not sure. The birth of my second son was actually attended by the same nurse as my older son, so this new experience was not due to unique nursing staff. However, I did have a different physician who was open to me birthing in whatever position I felt comfortable, instead of the old laying-in-bed-pushing-against-gravity stance that only benefits the doctor himself. The only other reason I can think of for the change, besides a 'changing of the times' is that I was younger before and perhaps this created a prejudice against me whereas now I am at a more acceptable childbearing age of 23. The nurses allowed me to use aromatherapy, to labour in an upright position, even while they struggled to do routine checks on me (which they claimed was the first time they had to do it that way and they were 'lost'!) All I can say is that I am so happy with how things turned out. I could actually watch my son be born on my own, my mother and husband experienced everything along with me. The nurse was enthusiastic about following my birthplan and the nurses and doctor allowed the cord to stop pulsing before cutting it, while I held him (which my 'official' ob/gyn told me she wouldn't allow). I kept my baby for over an hour before he was taken to be wiped off and weighed and given the Vit. K shot while I took a shower. No drugs were pushed on me and only a light pain reliever was given upon my request. This experience has greatly changed the way I felt about hospital births (I had even considered unassisted homebirth briefly as I was so turned off by hospitals before).
Does anyone else have a positive or negative birth experience from the DECH? When was it? If you have two children, was there any difference between their births? What about young mothers, did you experience any prejudice? I love hearing about birth stories, so if you want, please share!
RMC
6 comments:
I'm so glad you had the birth experience you wanted! It's such an important time in our lives that not having what you hoped for is so sad. Ben and Logan are only 28 months apart so I didn't experience any type of change at the hospital but both experiences were exactly what I had hoped for. I was able to keep them both for an hour before they took them from me and they both roomed in with my husband and I. I was asked before hand what type of drugs if any I wanted and my decisions were respected! I did find that with my second I was more verbal and assertive over what I wanted vs what I didn't.
Congratulations!!!!!
I had my daughter at the DECH, she is now 19 months old and I was 19 when I gave birth to her. I had a great experience while in labour and delivery and then while in the maternity ward. I requested to have a drug free labour and I wasn't pressured at all to take any drugs. My boyfriend and sister were there through my labour and my sister couldn't have got any closer while my daughter was being born. My boyfriend chose to stay closer to my face. ( He thought he would lose his concentration lol). As the baby was coming out the nurse grabbed my hands and put them down and I got to touch her head. I thought this was amazing, to be the first to touch my child as she was being born. They kept her with me for awhile after she was born. I got to nurse and cuddle her. And then when they did take her, my boyfriend went along. So as you can tell I really did enjoy my stay at the DECH and I look forward to enjoying it again here in a few more months as I am expecting again.
Congratulations!
My oldest son is also 5 years old (born August 16/03) and I gave birth to my second son March 28/08. I'm also 23, and was a month shy of my 18th birthday when my first was born.
I had very different experiences with the hospital and staff. I feel like I really didn't know what they were doing to me when I was in labour for my oldest. They sent me home three times even though my water broke and contractions were 1-3 minutes apart. The nurses said they were preparing me to be induced (I found out when I was pregnant with #2 that they didn't induce me at all!) and gave me a shot of morphine and demerol (which I didn't ask for, and wasn't in any pain), then around 3am I was told I needed to sign papers for a c-section. I missed my son's birth because they gave me general anesthesia, I woke up hours later in the recovery room wondering if I gave birth yet... I didn't get to change my son's first diaper, give him his first bath, or even room in with him like I wanted because I'm sure they felt I was too young and irresponsible and didn't want to.. when really I was soo ready! I prepared for his birth as soon as I found out I was pregnant, I wanted to do it all! I was never visited by a lactation nurse even though I struggled with breastfeeding because my son was jaundice and not taking well to the breast, and pressured by a lady to put him on Similac. It was just a horrible experience.. 5 years later while in labour with my second son everything was different, like yours. No pressure, just kind support from everybody. The nurses and doctors actually asked me what I wanted and my needs were met. I did have to have another c-section because apparently my kids don't like labour and his heartrate got down to the low teens, but I was awake! I got to hear his first cry, change his first diaper, bathe him, do everything. My son never left my room unless he had to have a test done, and a lactation nurse visited me often ensuring baby and I were comfortable and doing great. Not once was I visited by someone promoting formula, and the nurses asked me if I would like to feed him more often when his blood sugar went down a bit before offering to give him an ounce of formula.
Overall, I was very pleased with the experience. I do believe that I was treated poorly with my first because I was young, it's a shame that anyone would pass judgment because of age, not every young parent is irresponsible.. some break the mold :)
Wow, Kat, it sounds like we have a lot in common! It's too bad you missed your first son's birth. I think they jump too quickly on the c-section band wagon. It is just faster and more convenient for them to do a c-section than to stay with you and help you push through your labour and try different positions. I think the hospital has changed it's policy on pushing formula though since breastfeeding is just so important and it has been proven that women who have formula samples are more likely to give up in a moment of stress and start using formula. It is totally possible though that they assumed that because you are young, you wouldn't be breastfeeding. This time I made sure to put a sign on my baby's crib which said "Breastfed ONLY--NO bottles or pacifiers!" I think that got the point accross!
LOL, cute idea to have the sign on there!
My two are only 14 months apart and were born in 2005 and 2006, so not that long ago.
I can't believe what went on 5 years ago, sounds like way older fashioned ideas. Wow. I feel lucky having read about your experiences. More than I had before.
I got what drugs I wanted/didnt want, no episiotomies, had my man and ONLY my man in the room (I really was not comfortable with anyone else in there and my mother tried to sneak in), and overall a good experience.
I thought the nurses were a little snippy with me, as if I should know everything they knew because it was just common knowledge in the nursing world or something, and also that the nurse for my second didnt believe me when I came in and told her I was in labor, don't know if it was because I was not screaming and holding my belly or what, but that made me feel kind of awkward.
I had an absess and really bad infection in my breast after my first child and attempt to breastfeed, so I did not want to do it at all for my second as it was one of the worse experiences in my life. Thought I was going to die, couldnt move, was in bed for days with fever, couldnt take care of my new baby, etc. Anyway I found they looked down on me and were rude when I told them I was opting to bottle feed my daughter. I really didn't appreciate that at all. It was a personal decision and I found I had to be assertive and short with them to shut them up (for lack of a better term). Also, when I was in there with my fist and was trying breastfeeding, they came in to wake me up every 3 fricken hours. Not something I was too excited about having just given birth. Im sure it didnt help create good sleeping habits for my newborn either who continued to do this long after we got home.
Oh- Loved that they had beverages with ice, nurses that would get you toast, and who would wheel your baby in to you when ever you wanted if you couldn't move, (I was really stiff with my first baby, don't know why, but couldn't walk upright) SO THANKS FOR THAT NURSES.
Anyway, that is what I remember from the hospital.
such beautiful children!
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