the dancing kitten
Lepid0ptera
Personally, I find the idea of giving birth a bit disturbing. Here are the reasons for that:
Pain: The pain of contractions and the baby ripping flesh while exiting the uterus through the v****a.
Natural physical damage: the tearing in the skin of the v****a, stretch marks, permanently larger stomach, a much looser v****a, etc.
Episeotomy: When the doctor snips the skin between the a**s and the v****a to widen the passage for the baby to come through. This is always done without anestheics. This procedure frequently results in incontinence, which means that the woman no longer has control over her bowels (i.e. she shits herself. This can last anywhere from a week to several months)
Pissing yourself: Women who give birth will ALWAYS empty her bladder during childbirth, usually many times depending on the duration of labor. This is why many women are choosing water birth, because they find it less humiliating since no one is aware of the fact that they urinated on herself.
...makes all those anti-abortion propaganda pictures seem nice and cuddly doesn't it...
Pain: The pain of contractions and the baby ripping flesh while exiting the uterus through the v****a.
Natural physical damage: the tearing in the skin of the v****a, stretch marks, permanently larger stomach, a much looser v****a, etc.
Episeotomy: When the doctor snips the skin between the a**s and the v****a to widen the passage for the baby to come through. This is always done without anestheics. This procedure frequently results in incontinence, which means that the woman no longer has control over her bowels (i.e. she shits herself. This can last anywhere from a week to several months)
Pissing yourself: Women who give birth will ALWAYS empty her bladder during childbirth, usually many times depending on the duration of labor. This is why many women are choosing water birth, because they find it less humiliating since no one is aware of the fact that they urinated on herself.
...makes all those anti-abortion propaganda pictures seem nice and cuddly doesn't it...
Oooookay - since I just went through this 2 months ago, let me 'splain something...
PAIN: Yes it hurts, but you know what? There's this wonderful wonderful thing called an EPIDURAL. Get one. Seriously, once I had the epidural, I didn't feel any pain. Nuffin. The contractions just felt like someone was poking my belly with their finger.
PHYSICAL DAMAGE: OK - Yeah, my stomach is still loose - what do you expect when losing 30 pounds in 2 months. I do agree with you on the stretch marks, though - thems is funky, but they are fading already. Pink now, instead of red. Eventually they'll fade to nothing - you already can't see the stretch marks on my breasts unless you're less than 12 inches away - and the only people that close are my husband and my baby. Loose v****a? I asked my husband if he noticed any difference - 10 weeks after the baby's birth, he says I feel the same as I did before the baby was born. Benefit to the mother is, if you were tight to the point of pain before the baby was born (like me) - it doesn't hurt anymore, even after shrinking back down - I say oh yeah to that, because sometimes you just want a quickie, and now I can have one, for the first time in my life.
EPISIOTOMY: These are ELECTIVE - I did NOT have an episiotomy. I told my midwife from day one that I didn't want one, and she completely respected my wishes. I did have a teeny abrasion, but it required one stitch. It was healed and the stitches dissolved in less than 3 weeks. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO GET AN EPISIOTOMY! For heaven's sakes, women, tell your doctors you don't want one! Most women don't tear at all. The ones that do, normally only need one or two stitches.
PISSING YOURSELF: Dude, I requested a catheter. I never felt them put it in, I never felt them take it out - I didn't have to worry about soiling myself while pushing the baby out, and my midwife did it, and she's already seen me down there PLENTY of times - she also took the tube and taped it out of the way so nobody could see it, and nobody could see when I was peeing. Plus, I didn't have to try to sit on the toilet during contractions.
All in all, my birth experience was a piece of cake ONCE I HAD THE EPIDURAL. There is NO reason to not have one, there is no shame in taking pain killers, and you still get to have just as much interaction with the baby. I was walking around my room 8 hours after the baby was born (that's when I woke up the next morning. I could have walked sooner if I really wanted to get up at 3 am).
Seriously, having babies is what a woman's body is built to do - and bodies are very resilient. Don't freak out about it.
the dancing kitten
OK... Long post coming up...
Heh. If you want to know just how "easy" my pregnancy and birth was, go read my www link. Read about how I had Braxton-Hicks contractions wince month seven. Read about how I have a liver disorder that makes me allergic to estrogen. Read about the SEVEN DAYS I spent in what's called "pro-dromal labor" AKA stalled labor. The first day I went into labor I went from 1.5 cm dialated to 4 cm dialated. I stayed at 4 cm for 7 days, every night going to the hospital and hoping it was time for the baby, only to get a shot of morphine and phenergine just so I could sleep enough to wake up and have the strength to go through another day's worth of contractions. I didn't mention the day of my baby's birth BEFORE I got the epidural - I lay screaming in my bedroom with the pain of the contractions. My brother in law who lives with us is an EMT - he kept wondering if he needed to come in and help me. I spent the day going in and out of conciousness until my water broke. At that point, the hospital finally admitted me and gave me my stinking epidural. I figure after seven days of PURE HELL I deserved some painkillers and some help getting my baby out of me.
Don't you dare say "oooh, your birth was soooo easy..."
"Whirlpool births", or "underwater births", have been considered to be more "natural" and in the opinion of many mothers less painful. However, as the blood dillutes in the water, it gets everywhere - which essentially means that both you and your baby will essentially be bathed in your own blood.
Although that would be rather convenient for some religions - have baptism and birth within milliseconds of one another blaugh
lets see wirlpool...blood bath or sturups...needles....lose of bladder/other control. I'd have to go with wirlpool 3nodding
Due to issues where the baby begins breathing in the water (yes, it does happen) most hospitals are required to make you exit the whirlpool when either your water breaks or the baby crowns, unless you sign a legal waiver stating that the hospital is not at fault if your baby drownds - I wanted to try a water birth until after I'd done some research and I found out how many babies have problems because of water-caused brain damage or death. There's a reason why we aren't fish.
Finally, someone mentions spinal blocks...
Yes, spinal blocks do take some time to take effect. BUT A SPINAL BLOCK IS NOT AN EPIDURAL. Epidurals do not actually touch the spine, they simply deposit the painkillers in the liquid sac around the spine. A spinal block DOES enter the spinal column, and it is spinal blocks that often cause those massive spinal headaches. They're a little more dangerous method of painkiller, but if you have an anaesthesiologist who passed med school, your chances of being hurt are very low.
Epidural medication kicks in slightly differently in different people. There is also a reason why most doctors won't bother giving an epidural once a woman is 6 or 7 centimeters dialated - often labor is long and painful up to that point - once a woman hits 7 centimeters, that's usually when all hell breaks loose, and the baby comes quite quickly. It's generally a good idea to decide before hand whether or not you want an epidural, then request it when the doctor says you're about 5 cm dialated - even if it takes your body an hour for the medicine to kick in (that's the long side of how long it takes) you will most likely have the painkillers effective in your body before you have to push - pushing is usually the most painful part of the birthing process.
Amen - I absolutlely hate needles. When it was time to administer the epidural, I was damn scared. They had to stab me twice because the needle bent during the first injection (I accidentally arched my back during an especially hard contraction) - but once the blissfully sweet sweet painkillers kicked in, I didn't care that I had a huge needle in my back. It was the last thing on my mind.
Also, my epidural started running out about 45 minutes before it was time to push - my husband went and found a nurse and she came in and gave me a new bag of epidural medicine, and I was all hokey-dokey. If your doctor won't replenish your epidural meds, find out if there's a reason why. If so, it should be on your charts. Otherwise, just get a nurse to help you - sometimes the doctors are too busy (like if there's 7 other women giving birth at the same time, like the night I had my baby) and they don't remember when it's time to swap the medication.
The ripping of the skin when the baby comes out and as far as piss on your self i dont think im going to care about that when there a 5-8 lb baby coming out of me. I'd also never get an Epidural your spine is very easy to ******** up and one wrong move you might end up with permanent damage like skyateca(sp?)
It's SCIATICA. And it's not caused by a ******** epidural. It's caused during pregnancy when the hip bones shift and PINCH the nerve in the thigh causing pain in the outer thigh and lower back. Once again, I should know as a woman who experienced it. AND STILL experiences it every now and then due to having been pregnant.
Improper epidurals can cause spinal headaches, which can last for months, No numbness, too much numbness, uneven numbness (my experience), and a sharp drop in bloodpressure (epidurals lower blood pressure regardless).
And further, they absolutely are NOT "easy to ******** up" you are 100 percent mistaken on that. They are the safest form of anestesia during birth and have MANY plusses. For instance when I was wheeled into OR to get my stitches they left my epidural in and just sewed me up. There was no need to "put me under." Epidurals don't mess with the baby's heart rate or make the child sleepy and unable to nurse later. Also the mother isn't all groggy.
Before my epidural early on once the contractions started hitting full force I got a shot of Stadol. The nurse told me "It'll make you feel kinda tired don't fight it" THAT was the understatement of the YEAR. The room started spinning I couldn't keep my eyes open apparently (though I don't remember) I kept babbling about not being able to breath. I got some sleep, but DAMN that stuff is SERIOUS.
Thank YOU! Finally someone else who knows how to spell and what they're talking about. Sciatica CANNOT be caused by an epidural because the sciatic nerve RUNS DOWN YOUR LEG. Not your back. Your leg. Sheesh.
About the only thing that might be caused by a misplaced epidural is a spinal headache, in case the anaesthesiologist misplaced the needle and set it in too deeply.
When I had to have surgery for something else I refused to go there and got to go to a different hospital with competent staff.
Exactly. Go somewhere else if you've been mistreated. Tell EVERYONE you know of your experience, to prevent someone else from having to go through the same tratment. If all of a sudden all the pregnant women are delivering at a different hospital, the hospital chair will take a look at the labor and delivery staff, and something will be done. After all, the hospital is in it for the money - and the only way for them to get their money is to treat the patients with the dignity, compassion, and respect that they deserve.
Erm, you can be born with feces in your MOUTH.
It's true. eek I found this out in Anatomy in high school.
Babies do not have feces, they have meconium. There is no bacteria in meconium, so there is no chance of infection. In fact, the entire time the baby is in utero, they are continually drinking the amniotic fluid, which is upwards of 75% baby urine (and baby urine is simply water that has passed through the baby's system. There is no waste and no contaminants, simply water. Get over the eeeews).
A baby is only born with meconium in the womb if the baby is either past the due date and has released its first bowel movement in utero, or if there was some sort of pre-birth trauma.
In my case, my baby actually caused himself to pass out the week before he was born because he was laying on his placenta and had his umbilical cord in a loop - when that happened, his system stressed out and released meconium. Luckily, when he was born, the midwife saw the meconium staining, and had the respiratory specialist on hand when my baby was born. They had to put tubes into his lungs and give him oxygen, but because they knew he had inhaled some liquid, they were able to get him breathing pretty quickly - his first Apgar was a 4 and his second was a 9 (in other words, he was fine within 7 minutes of being born).
I am so glad I was able to have a vaginal birth - the recovery time for that is so much shorter and easier than a C section. Remember, a C section is MAJOR abdominal surgery - not something to be entered into lightly.
[/rant]
x0xcandy caperx0x
Sounds like you had a VERY EASY birth. But not all births go this way. Keep in mind some women almost DIE, or do die, or get seizures/diseases with child-birth. Just becuase it was easy for you does not mean most women will have such luck.
Heh. If you want to know just how "easy" my pregnancy and birth was, go read my www link. Read about how I had Braxton-Hicks contractions wince month seven. Read about how I have a liver disorder that makes me allergic to estrogen. Read about the SEVEN DAYS I spent in what's called "pro-dromal labor" AKA stalled labor. The first day I went into labor I went from 1.5 cm dialated to 4 cm dialated. I stayed at 4 cm for 7 days, every night going to the hospital and hoping it was time for the baby, only to get a shot of morphine and phenergine just so I could sleep enough to wake up and have the strength to go through another day's worth of contractions. I didn't mention the day of my baby's birth BEFORE I got the epidural - I lay screaming in my bedroom with the pain of the contractions. My brother in law who lives with us is an EMT - he kept wondering if he needed to come in and help me. I spent the day going in and out of conciousness until my water broke. At that point, the hospital finally admitted me and gave me my stinking epidural. I figure after seven days of PURE HELL I deserved some painkillers and some help getting my baby out of me.
Don't you dare say "oooh, your birth was soooo easy..."
Chibi_Maru-chan
Boxy
Chibi_Maru-chan
I was told there was the option of giving birth in a wirlpool, didn't here any specifics on how that works exactly. But my friend who was pregnant at the time was telling me about her options.....
In which case anything that has the word needle in it is evil *hides*
Personally I hope I can be like my mom, just slight back pain then 45mins later done, doc told her she could have given birth at home.
In which case anything that has the word needle in it is evil *hides*
Personally I hope I can be like my mom, just slight back pain then 45mins later done, doc told her she could have given birth at home.
Although that would be rather convenient for some religions - have baptism and birth within milliseconds of one another blaugh
lets see wirlpool...blood bath or sturups...needles....lose of bladder/other control. I'd have to go with wirlpool 3nodding
Due to issues where the baby begins breathing in the water (yes, it does happen) most hospitals are required to make you exit the whirlpool when either your water breaks or the baby crowns, unless you sign a legal waiver stating that the hospital is not at fault if your baby drownds - I wanted to try a water birth until after I'd done some research and I found out how many babies have problems because of water-caused brain damage or death. There's a reason why we aren't fish.
Chibi_Maru-chan
I was under the impression that it takes a while for the block to take effect....which is what my mom told me about hers...my birth happened so fast that the pain killers worked after I was born xp
Finally, someone mentions spinal blocks...
Yes, spinal blocks do take some time to take effect. BUT A SPINAL BLOCK IS NOT AN EPIDURAL. Epidurals do not actually touch the spine, they simply deposit the painkillers in the liquid sac around the spine. A spinal block DOES enter the spinal column, and it is spinal blocks that often cause those massive spinal headaches. They're a little more dangerous method of painkiller, but if you have an anaesthesiologist who passed med school, your chances of being hurt are very low.
Epidural medication kicks in slightly differently in different people. There is also a reason why most doctors won't bother giving an epidural once a woman is 6 or 7 centimeters dialated - often labor is long and painful up to that point - once a woman hits 7 centimeters, that's usually when all hell breaks loose, and the baby comes quite quickly. It's generally a good idea to decide before hand whether or not you want an epidural, then request it when the doctor says you're about 5 cm dialated - even if it takes your body an hour for the medicine to kick in (that's the long side of how long it takes) you will most likely have the painkillers effective in your body before you have to push - pushing is usually the most painful part of the birthing process.
Kitten West
After an ordeal like that you wouldnt care if they shot you in the spine with a shotgun. It took only a few minutes to ease the pain of my contractions (not the pressure, but the pain was better) and I finally got some sleep. Of course, they let my epidural run out long before I actually gave birth so I got to feel every bit of that. I would only use an epidural again if I was exhausted or if they promised I could keep the damn thing.
Amen - I absolutlely hate needles. When it was time to administer the epidural, I was damn scared. They had to stab me twice because the needle bent during the first injection (I accidentally arched my back during an especially hard contraction) - but once the blissfully sweet sweet painkillers kicked in, I didn't care that I had a huge needle in my back. It was the last thing on my mind.
Also, my epidural started running out about 45 minutes before it was time to push - my husband went and found a nurse and she came in and gave me a new bag of epidural medicine, and I was all hokey-dokey. If your doctor won't replenish your epidural meds, find out if there's a reason why. If so, it should be on your charts. Otherwise, just get a nurse to help you - sometimes the doctors are too busy (like if there's 7 other women giving birth at the same time, like the night I had my baby) and they don't remember when it's time to swap the medication.
Nopenname
peoplekill
The ripping of the skin when the baby comes out and as far as piss on your self i dont think im going to care about that when there a 5-8 lb baby coming out of me. I'd also never get an Epidural your spine is very easy to ******** up and one wrong move you might end up with permanent damage like skyateca(sp?)
It's SCIATICA. And it's not caused by a ******** epidural. It's caused during pregnancy when the hip bones shift and PINCH the nerve in the thigh causing pain in the outer thigh and lower back. Once again, I should know as a woman who experienced it. AND STILL experiences it every now and then due to having been pregnant.
Improper epidurals can cause spinal headaches, which can last for months, No numbness, too much numbness, uneven numbness (my experience), and a sharp drop in bloodpressure (epidurals lower blood pressure regardless).
And further, they absolutely are NOT "easy to ******** up" you are 100 percent mistaken on that. They are the safest form of anestesia during birth and have MANY plusses. For instance when I was wheeled into OR to get my stitches they left my epidural in and just sewed me up. There was no need to "put me under." Epidurals don't mess with the baby's heart rate or make the child sleepy and unable to nurse later. Also the mother isn't all groggy.
Before my epidural early on once the contractions started hitting full force I got a shot of Stadol. The nurse told me "It'll make you feel kinda tired don't fight it" THAT was the understatement of the YEAR. The room started spinning I couldn't keep my eyes open apparently (though I don't remember) I kept babbling about not being able to breath. I got some sleep, but DAMN that stuff is SERIOUS.
Thank YOU! Finally someone else who knows how to spell and what they're talking about. Sciatica CANNOT be caused by an epidural because the sciatic nerve RUNS DOWN YOUR LEG. Not your back. Your leg. Sheesh.
About the only thing that might be caused by a misplaced epidural is a spinal headache, in case the anaesthesiologist misplaced the needle and set it in too deeply.
Kitten West
When I had to have surgery for something else I refused to go there and got to go to a different hospital with competent staff.
Exactly. Go somewhere else if you've been mistreated. Tell EVERYONE you know of your experience, to prevent someone else from having to go through the same tratment. If all of a sudden all the pregnant women are delivering at a different hospital, the hospital chair will take a look at the labor and delivery staff, and something will be done. After all, the hospital is in it for the money - and the only way for them to get their money is to treat the patients with the dignity, compassion, and respect that they deserve.
rootchild
shadyfaith
Yeah. Then there's the whole fact that some women defecate during childbirth. Wow, because I want to know that I could be born with feces on my head gonk .
Childbirth is scary. C SECTION, LADIES.
Childbirth is scary. C SECTION, LADIES.
Erm, you can be born with feces in your MOUTH.
It's true. eek I found this out in Anatomy in high school.
Babies do not have feces, they have meconium. There is no bacteria in meconium, so there is no chance of infection. In fact, the entire time the baby is in utero, they are continually drinking the amniotic fluid, which is upwards of 75% baby urine (and baby urine is simply water that has passed through the baby's system. There is no waste and no contaminants, simply water. Get over the eeeews).
A baby is only born with meconium in the womb if the baby is either past the due date and has released its first bowel movement in utero, or if there was some sort of pre-birth trauma.
In my case, my baby actually caused himself to pass out the week before he was born because he was laying on his placenta and had his umbilical cord in a loop - when that happened, his system stressed out and released meconium. Luckily, when he was born, the midwife saw the meconium staining, and had the respiratory specialist on hand when my baby was born. They had to put tubes into his lungs and give him oxygen, but because they knew he had inhaled some liquid, they were able to get him breathing pretty quickly - his first Apgar was a 4 and his second was a 9 (in other words, he was fine within 7 minutes of being born).
I am so glad I was able to have a vaginal birth - the recovery time for that is so much shorter and easier than a C section. Remember, a C section is MAJOR abdominal surgery - not something to be entered into lightly.
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