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« QOTD 2/21/05 | Main | My Birth Beliefs »

February 21, 2005

Comments

Cuppa

You go girl!!! Great post. The truth will indeed set us free.

trisha

as usual, well said. Hopping up on your soapbox too ;) When I had my first baby, the only options I had were the ones that my ob gave me. I had no reason to question or look further. Why my doctor will do what is best for *me* and would never put me in danger (hahaha, that is such a funny thought now). I wished I had known other options so I could have looked into them and made a decision that was best for *me*. It wasn't a real terrible experience, but it sure could have been a heck of a lot better satisfying experience. With my 2nd I was beginning to learn and have my eyes opened but just wasn't quite confident enough to "go against the grain" and make a good educated decision that was best for me. If I had a few more months, perhaps. I'm more unsatisfied with that pregnancy/birth simply because I was soooo close and did know but yet I allowed someone else to choose for me and it's a shame the danger me and my baby was unnecessarily put in. It's pitiful the attitude towards pregnancy/birth that society has nowdays and to think I used to share it too.

Since then I have researched and researched probably thousands of hours on all aspects of pregnancy/birth. What is normal, what isn't, how to keep normal, how to treat what isn't normal, pros/benefits and cons/risks of ALL options. Let's just say I am taking responsibility for my and my baby's health and not just turning it over to someone else to decide. I will question whatever options/decisions my caregiver gives me and *I* will make an "educated informed decision" as to what is indeed best for me and my baby. I don't expect anything to go wrong since I will be avoiding all the crap they do to you to make things to wrong---however if I do indeed fall within that 5% that do need some intervention at least I will know that it is necessary, I did my best to avoid problems and will be making the best/right decision and I will be content and satisfied with that. I don't want to be thinking "if I only knew about x" again.

I have had one prenatal with my midwife and already I have spent more one-on-one time w/her than I did a total of two pregnancies w/my ob! DH is extremely pleased with all the info that was given in that first visit---he knows more now just from that one visit than he has learned going thru 2 pregnancies/birth w/me. Knowledge is power! Now he is beginning to understand why I believe that a hospital is a scary place for a normal pregnancy/birth.

Anvilcloud

The river is high and flowing swiftly today.

jan

All I can say is Ahhhhhh......it is so good to read this from you. I have missed it :)

And I'd like to say thanks for being able to say it the right way to get women's options out there. In all three of my labors and births I'd say you had great influence on the last two. By that I mean you left the door open for me to walk thru and really *see my options, even with my health. Now, I know that even though I will be induced again, I have options. My ob did a good job of mentioning them, you did a great of explaining them.

Much love.

Karla

Well versed post! I think you have a wonderful ability to voice your opinion without coming across as hostile or aggressive. Not many people I know who feel so passionately about something who can speak with such eloquence!

I can’t help but even take your points of view a step further and suggest that it’s not just the Obstetricians who can “rescue one from an emergency the system caused” but many other specialty doctors as well. You’re point is well taken. My husband and I have always joked about those C-Section happy doctors because it’s just more money in their pockets as they perform a major surgery.

I still will maintain however, even with everything that I have gone through and know to this day that I am happy and comfortable with my decision to use an OB for my caregiver. As I mentioned in my post, yes once we finally got the diagnosis for the baby’s hear, the cardiologist did in fast tell us that Premature Atrial Contractions only have a 1% chance of developing into something terrible. Yes, that was wonderful news to hear, yes, we were still nervous, but I was happy we found them all the same, even if they can be a common occurrence. IF something went wrong, continual monitoring put our minds at ease that our baby was being taken care of and in the event the PACs developed into something more dangerous, we would be able to take action. Contingency planning and peace of mind settled better with me than doing nothing at all.

I certainly do agree that more patient education would be beneficial to discuss woman’s fears and concerns around pregnancy whether she decides to journey through her pregnancy with a Midwife or an OB. Both have their own tendencies and beliefs, and in a perfect world, it would be nice to be able to talk to both to hear both of their opinions and then come to your own conclusion. I have asked the same question to both my family doctor and my OB and have received different opinions (who’da thunk it eh?) You’re absolutely right, It’s all about asking the questions, understanding the different opinions and advice you will receive, self education and looking within yourself to find what works best for you and your family. I couldn’t agree more. It’s just important to remember that information is subjective, and what one medical community suggests or provides as fast, another will argue otherwise.

I have to tend to disagree however, that women who choose not to have a natural birth can be at some sort of disadvantage. The ultimate goal of childbirth is the delivery of your baby, and the paths each of take to get there will be different depending on our backgrounds, personal beliefs, upbringing and access to various medical facilities or midwives (we have very few here in Ontario, Canada), but our common goals to love and cherish the new life we are bringing into this world are the same. THAT is a beautiful thing.

Thanks for you great post. It’s so refreshing to listen to someone speak with such a passion and vigour. You sound like an absolutely marvellous Doula. Anyone who works with you should be proud to work with someone who is so passionate about what they are doing. I wish I could say the same about my line of work. Kudo’s to you!

Wash Lady

Karla,
I'm trying to figure out where I might have communicated that women who do not choose natural birth are at a disadvantage. Can you point that out to me?

Thanks:)

Jan,
It was a honor to witness your birth journey.

Trisha,
We all have our story and where we go from here is up to us.

Everyone else,
Thanks for the affirmation :)

Karla

Hmm...I think I misunderstood your last paragraph...
I understand what you mean now...not that having an un-natural childbirth puts woman at a disadvantage, but depending solely on a caregiver puts you at a disadvantage. That makes more sense.

My bad..

Wash Lady

No apology necessary.
I think it is always good to seek clarification so that there are no misunderstandings.

I appreciate the opportunity to share with you.

Be well.

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