I want to preface this with the knowledge that I was truly uneducated in my birthing options. I chose an obstetrician in a private hospital because I thought it was safer. I wanted the one person to care for me throughout my pregnancy and at birth, I didn’t want a stranger to deliver my baby on the day. For this reason, I also opted for a planned induction (I wanted to ensure I didn’t go into labour on a weekend when my obstetrician wasn’t working). I feel silly for this now.
My plan was to start with the lowest pain medication and move up the ‘ladder’ if and when I needed. I wasn’t guided by the obstetrician or midwives on natural pain coping strategies, body positions, movements at all. I was offered pain relief, which I accepted.
I had an epidural and therefore had to birth on my back. I was not advised by my obstetrician that inductions and epidurals increase the need for intervention (something that I’d previously stressed to my OB that I didn’t want).
My main worry was having to use forcepts or suction and I stressed this to my OB weeks being being induced. They should have told me that being induced increases the likelihood of this type of intervention.
During my active labor and pushing stage, my OB interrupted me and told me that ‘she only lets first time mothers push for 1 hour before intervention’ - looking back, I’m bemused! Why did I think this was ok at the time? We were not in any medical risk.
I ended up with a 3rd degree tear and a baby taken out by suction and I feel sick to my stomach thinking about it, even now. I wished I could go back and educate myself, I wouldn’t have made the same choices and I would have been much more careful as to which obstetrician I selected.
The hospital stay itself was long. We were constantly interrupted and I could not get a decent sleep because of it. By day 4 I was desperately needing to go home, I couldn’t handle it any more. I don’t feel that I gained much from being in the hospital for 4 days after birth.