Also, there are other videos like this on the topic of birth, midwifery, etc. and as I find out about some of those I will share that information. It is time to educate ourselves and stop blindly letting doctors make choices for us. Hospital birth with a doctor present is not the only way. We have been programmed to think that because the era we have grown up has been this way. Amazingly, people are so easy to convince that we should do things the way "someone" says to. We have got to start thinking for ourselves.
Seriously, I just found out some interesting information in the past months:
- Did you know that birth control had it's 50th anniversary this year?! It is really a very new thing. And it was discovered by a man that was trying to develop something for infertility.
- Did you know that public schools are "babies", also?! Two hundred years ago everyone was taught at home.
- Did you know that up until The Depression students only attended school through the 8th grade?! The government changed this. I discovered this only a few weeks ago while reading a book about the Amish.... And did you know that the Amish still only attend school until the 8th grade and then, they train for life skills and how to use their education?!
- Did you know that the food in America has all sorts of strange chemical additives that are illegal in other countries due to the dangers?! In America it does not seem to matter if it will cause you cancer or make you sterile.... or cause birth defects, if it makes your food last longer or taste better.
- In America we choose doctors rights over patient rights.... And I do get that this is partially caused because of a sue happy culture.
- Did you know that the U.S. has the second highest death rate for maternity and birth, yet we trust the doctors to make choices regarding birth for us?! Doctors are for curing diseases and illnesses. Normal pregnancy is not a disease or an illness. We really only need doctors when there is a problem.
- Did you know that birth control, tubal ligation, and vasectomies really will KILL you?! Both are leading causes of cancer. Think! If you cut the vas deferens and the "stuff" that is supposed to flow out can no longer flow out what do you think is happening to it? Is it magically "absorbed" back into the body? Do you really believe that? It stays in the body rotting. The same is true for a woman's fallopian tubes. Where do those eggs go that should be going down and out? Hmmmmm... THINK! You do not want stuff rotting away in you! And birth control pills, IUDs, etc. .... well, when we take meds that disturb the normal cycle of our body and prevent it from doing what it should naturally do should we really be surprised that they are doing our body harm?! I am not saying to use birth control, but if you are going to try to prevent pregnancy use a more natural way... the ovulation method, withdrawal method, condoms, etc.. or ABSTINENCE. ;)
We have to start THINKING!!! Thinking for ourselves! I realize that some of the items in the list above have nothing to do with birth, but they are great points in general about what happens in a society that does not think for themselves.
I have some huge decisions to make about my upcoming birth and I am going to take the next seven months to get educated about MY choices. They are MY CHOICES and am intelligent enough to make them. I am not going to keep letting dangerous decisions be made about my life by people who are not really in my life. I am more than a statistic. I am more than a number in a file system. My body is not a chopping block for doctors to keep hacking away at. I will say this again... there is a point when repeat c-sections become more dangerous than the risk of placental abruption and I passed that risk marker about two c-sections ago. And I have to say that I watched some c-section procedure videos on YouTube, also. They make it look so cute. They don't tell you that they take your uterus out and massage it so it will contract and then stuff it back inside you. They don't tell you about the risk of damage to your bladder and other organs, either. They tell you the part THEY WANT YOU TO KNOW. They tell you it is "the best thing for your baby" and that you "weren't able" to birth your baby or that "the risk of natural birth is too great". They make c-sections look like your safest option to save you and your baby's life! This is how my husband described my first c-section to me, "They gutted you like a deer!" He was so shocked at the way they handled my body and once I was cut open the doctors put their full weight on my upper belly to push the baby out. My body was being jerked around on the operating table as they tugged the baby out. And even I rarely mention the bruises all over the right side of my baby's body from the trauma of removing her "in the safest way". You see, they were afraid she would get stuck in my pelvis and in reality she ended up getting stuck in her unnatural c-section birth. Ironic isn't it? And there was great deal of trauma to my bladder, as well. After removing my catheter I was unable to urinate (Sorry... TMI) until I double over in excruciating pain and a nurse had to come in and replace the catheter and drain like a quart of urine off my unfunctioning bladder. It did eventually regain function.
Maybe I will upload the video of my second child's birth in the future. Wow! That was one for the memories. Pretty scary! If anything would have gone wrong... really wrong... it would have been bad. There was hospital error at every turn of her birth. She and I both are a testament of the body's resilence and God's grace. It started simply enoough with me being wheeled into the operating room and overhearing them say the peditrician's name. I told them that was not my pediatrician. They sent the pediatrician out! Without a pediatrician present! They called in our pediatrician who arrive over five minutes after the birth! My baby lay there unattended by anyone after nurses quickly placed her to the side to get back to attend to me... and I have no idea why there was not a nurse specifically there for my baby. There wasn't and we have the video to prove it. Anyway, before the birth they administered my anathesia in my back. I could feel that the anesthesiologist had gone to the left a bit and I knew something was not right. I did not go numb right away like I had with my first c-section. It took like 20 minutes to start going numb as opposed to my previous that was only seconds. I told them, but they would not listen to me..... until they were operating and I was feeling a lot of the surgery. They still made the comment to my husband that "your wife must have a low tolerance to pain." When they saw the look on his face as he said I had a very high tolerance to pain they began shooting syringes of meds into my IV and literally throwing the syringes as they went. I remember probably six as threw them past my head. They realized in that moment that I was right when I told them that the anesthesia was not working fully. That was my smallest baby, because they took her two weeks early... ya know, the standard for scheduled c-sections. She was not ready for this world and I am really surprised she did not have health issues due to it. For the first few weeks of her life we could not even awaken her for more than 30 minutes a day. All she would do was sleep. I would have to tickle her and unwrap her for nursing sessions to get her started nursing. She still would not awaken and would just sleep through her feeding. Thank God she had the natural instinct to suck and nurse as she slept. She was precious, but she simply was not done and it was obvious. After her birth I was so drugged up from all the extra meds they gave me. I spent a great deal of time throwing up. And have you ever thrown up repeatedly after your abdomen has been cut open? It is quite painful. You be the judge.... does any of this sound like the safest way to birth a baby?
Still, though... I had been convinced I was "defective" and it wasn't until I went into labor with my third child that I start to THINK.... I realized they were wrong and my body DID know how to labor. After three days of attempted induction with my first child the doctors and nurses had convinced me that my body was incapable of the onset of labor, as well as, convincing me that my pelvis was too small anyway. So now at birth number three I knew they were wrong about my body being incapable of the labor, at least. Still I was convinced that they must be right about my defective pelvis. I had started to THINK, but I had no options of my own. I was not allowed to try to labor and birth this baby naturally, either. I was told to get to the hospital immediately for an emergency c-section. I immediately did as I was told and they immediately hooked me up to IVs and monitors and made me lie in bed even though I wanted to be up. My "emergency" c-section was TWO hours later "at their convenience" while I was forced to lay in a bed to labor uncomfortably. I would have handled it much better, if I could have stood up.... but then, they could not "monitor" me. ;) At some point in the middle of a very hard contraction they offered me some drug that would "take the edge off" and before I realized it they had shot it into my IV and I have absolutely NO memory of the next 45 minutes of my life. NO memory of it... they could have done anything to me and I am certain I would have consented because I did not even know who I was. It made me so groggy that I barely even remember the c-section when they got around to doing it. Once again, I ask you do you think this is the best way to birth a baby? There is just too much doctor and nurse intervention. I should have been allowed a trial of labor my way as long as it went well. Knowing what I know now, I would not have gone straight to the hospital. Even if I had to stand out in the parking lot to labor I would have done it.
With my last birth I just did it all once again. By this time it was all an old routine and I took what I had learned and used it to the best I could. I would get through this c-section and go home to my family. But on the operating table all the stress and unexplained anxiety of the last eight months flooded my very being. I was consumed with fear for that moment. That moment that should have been all joy! I was so afraid. For every c-section.... for every major surgery I had one more little person back home needing me... needing me to live .... needing me not to be some statistic of doctor error. I realized that all my misunderstood stress of that pregancy all came down to that moment... surgery. That is the moment I told my husband, "I don't want to do this again." I did get through it and I was a trooper. I had a great anesthiologist that listened to my concerns about my past spinal block not working properly and she gave me stronger meds ... and administered it correctly. ;) I did throw up due to the stronger meds, but I didn't feel it as much. LOL! I was up and moving around that hospital the same day. The nurses were in awe, but I had good meds and I was taking all I could to speed my recovery. And here's a little tip, IF you do have c-sections I have learned that your body can relax and recover quicker if you take the meds. Take the meds! Set an alarm and ask for the meds as soon as you can have them! With my first birth I tried to avoid the meds and had a very difficult recovery. Forget your previous concerns about drug usage and TAKE THE MEDS! With this last delivery I stayed at the hospital alone at night and got a lot of rest and cuddle time with the baby. It was by far my best c-section delivery, but I knew I still did not want to do this again.
I had my sixth child 4 months ago and my first c-section. I am scared to get pregnant again because I was told I wouldn't be able to ever deliver naturally again. Precious Hannah had the cord wrapped around her neck so bad she couldn't move down. She was diagonal in my uterus, was a week late (I never went late before) and when my water broke they started meds to start contractions to get her to move into position. It didn't work and her heart rate started going down as the contractions got stronger. We decided to go with the C-section. Oh my, did they really take my uterus out and all that? I felt the pulling and tugging and pushing. Very uncomfortable, but not unbearable. I didn't realize until I read your post and started to comment, that I really am scared to get pregnant again. I can't believe you went through more than one. Of course so did my mom. I was born by c-section and my younger sister was too. You mentioned bladder problems. I am noticing I am having a lot more problems with other things, such as gas and diarrhea. (Sorry TMI) Never had the problem before. My mom also has digestive problems. I have been wondering lately if these problems have any connection to the c-sections.
ReplyDeleteHope you don't mind my sharing my experience and thoughts.
Blessings
Sometimes c-section is NECESSARY as in your case and that is when they should be doing it. I want to encourage you that if you have had 5 natural births, do not let them tell you you can not do it again. You may have to search for a doctor that will do VBACs or a hospital that will. This might mean you have to drive further. Or this might mean you have to do what I am doing and consider a midwife and home birth. I'll be honest.... I would rather be in a hospital than at home and that is a hard decision for me. And yes, they take some of your organs out to get to the baby or to check them afterwards. Sometimes there is a lot of trauma and sometimes not. And it is hard to say if your problems would be from that.... only four months out you could still be doing some healing. In a year your problems may be completely gone. One thing you do know in your case your surgery was necessary and thank God they have c-sections for cases like yours. And I am glad this post helped you realized you are afraid because now the next step is exploring your options. I spent my entire last pregnancy in anxiety and never new what was wrong with me until that moment on the operating table. The last two years have been hard for me.... wondering if I should just stop having babies, but not ready to or wanting to miss a blessing from God. And the next seven months for me will be an exercise in faith....
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