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
