"One of my favorite women, a midwife in Oregon, posted this essay she wrote about what hospital birth is like. You wanna know what it will be like to birth in a hospital? I suggest you read this. This is the best account I've read, by far.
I want to also point out her comments on how newborns are treated after birth. She's so right, it's absolutely inhuman. There is no other time in our lives when we would ever permit someone to treat our babies in this way, and yet when they first come into the world, when they are the most vulnerable, we let them be manhandled and mauled. She posted another blog entry with links to videos of some hospital births. I couldn't even watch them in their entirety, they were so disturbing to me.
Just think.........and, if you chose hospital birth, know what you're up against."
Saturday, August 25, 2007
buy the hospital ticket, go for the hospital ride
one of my friends recently wrote the below posted in her blog. there is a little bit of potty mouth in the link but i find it pretty akin to how i feel about hospital birth. now i fully realize that i am on the far side of "crunchy" when it comes to birth and other things in life but i cannot help but attach the word "inhumane" to how i feel about modern hospital births. women confined to bed, hooked up to all kinds of drugs and monitors, being told when and how to push their babies out, babies shuffled out of the room without their mamas for various procedures and tests, all on some invisible time table designed to avoid liability in the very rare instance that something should arise where a patient could sue. having had one babe in the hospital and one at home i cannot help but default to the peace and control i felt at home over the chaos and fear that i felt in the hospital. they say "you buy the hospital ticket, you get the hospital ride" and conversely homebirth = homebirth ride. i think we have forgotten how our bodies work and how they don't by and large fail us. in fact they nourish, sustain, provide, and grow us our whole lives by God's grace! why, in that moment do we put our hands into science? i am by NO means cutting on anyone - this is only the path that has been put before us and these are things laid on our hearts as true by God. This isn't meant to say "Everyone should have a homebirth". This is meant to say "If you have a hospital birth, be prepared".
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8 comments:
I might be convinced--maybe convicted.
i would never ever tell a person how to go down that path - it's much too personal and sacred (and it must be and should be). but i will say that God took us down a very specific path leading up to Olives birth and it has changed me spiritually.
we should sit down and talk face to face about this, though go into it knowing that i am pro-homebirth of course ;)
pro-homebirth for normal woman having normal pregnancies that is.
after reading this and the essay i do have to put my positive experience and two cents in...
i had a wonderful experience having saylor in a hospital. i felt loved and cared for by the nurses.while i was induced-it was actually against my doctors wishes-we came to a conclusion together but she would have rather waited.i felt no rush to push him out-in fact they were telling me to relax, that i could take some time and rest-it was my choice to do the episiotomy-she even said she did not need to do it..immediately after his 9lbs was born colin cut the cord and he was in my arms and i held him and nursed him.the nurses doted on him and loved him.
i read all that and i actually do agree with most of it and you know i'm all for it.but i did feel compelled to say my birthing experience was wonderful. i didn't feel medicalized/rush/ignored/pressured etc.quite the opposite. but again i see all those points of views as well we we'll have to pray about what we do next time.
:)
the after-care nurses were amazing when i birthed auggie. i didnt feel the lactation consultant was as knowledgeable as i would have liked (she recommended formula within hours of his birth), but she was a very nice person. actually she goes to vineyard!
gah she recommended formula! i don't get it. i DON'T GET IT.i guess they see lots of frustrated mothers from all walks of life. people think their baby isn't getting enough in those first days so they think they need to supplement... not so! i would like a midwife next time but i wouldnt want her to be annoyed/frustrated if shes in a hospital?! i'll look into it.
there are only one set of midwives who deliver in hospitals here in columbus. they are at professionals for women's health on cleveland avenue. we interviewed them and it didn't go very well. the CNM who we spoke with never looked at david once the entire time we were there. i thought it was sorta disrespectful. it's not like he was just some random joe who knocked me up. hes my LOVING HUSBAND lady!
hm that's interesting i know two people who've gone there and had wonderful experiences. maybe you just a crazy cnm lady-worked out best for you anyhow... ya that's the place i was going to check out next time! i'll let you know. not like it's gonna be next week or anything but ya know.
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