What does a hospital birth mean to you?

[Melissa in Australia]

I had all hospital births in a marvelous hospital.

First 1 I laboured for 3 days, and eventually was given a drip to hurry it up, He was born 5 minutes later

next 3 were induced for various reasons, 5th one was very fast, Dr only just arrived in time.

The hospital had a delivery room for giving birth in, and then I was transferred to the ward, where there were 4 people per large room. Curtain separated each bed.

Babies were encouraged to be with mothers. there was a nursery, but it was seldom used by anyone. We were even encouraged to have the babies in the bed with us to feed them. If we wanted a shower or anything we could pop the baby into the nursery and pick them up after.

The hospital did have the policy of not walking around carrying the baby, they had to be in their crib unless being held by a sitting person. This is to reduce the chance of babies being dropped. husbands and children were allowed in any time, but other visitors could only visit in strictly enforced visiting hours. Which is great in a shared room.

I would never have a home birth. My mum had some, and at age 10 I had to clean up afterwards. Turned me off home-births for life. Give me a hospital with cleaners every time.

[Donna]

I delivered all 3 at the hospital. Hospital means "safety" to me...two of my 3 were prematurely and having them at the hospital meant the one who was born sick went straight into the hands of people who could help him and the other was closely monitored at birth. I was able to hold her and nurse her but when she ran into trouble and needed the NICU staff she was there.

 

The delivery room in all situations was nice, the staff encouraging and willing to follow "my" plans as much as possible given the situations, and in all 3 instances going as natural as possible for birth and breast feeding were encouraged and supported. I have nothing but wonderful things to say about each birth experience and the people involved.

[Impish]

I find it interesting that many of the negative issues posted were actually a result of the ppl involved, not necc the hospital itself.

 

All my kids were/will be hospital births. The problems I ran into, like some others on the thread, were actually due to individuals, not hospital policy/set up. I did have an issue w/policy, in that I was induced for an entire day to get from 2.5 cm to 3 cm to get an epidural, rather than just being listened to. :glare:

 

The hospital we're going to with this one is the same that Tazzie and Princess were born at, except its in a brand new wing. Based on having to go in for dehydration recently, I'm impressed. Big, beautiful rooms, the staff all knocked before coming in, the nurses sat w/us pretty consistently rather than charting at the desk, etc. Now, apparently they did have some emergencies happen that night, but I know that if they're swamped w/an influx of Moms, they may not have the same time to spend, but its looking good. I was especially impressed that at shift change, they brought the new nurse in, introduced, and were very, very clear about explaining that I have RSD and my rt arm/hand is not to be touched, moved, etc. That was a relief, tbh.

[UnsinkableKristen]

I would never have a home birth. My mum had some, and at age 10 I had to clean up afterwards. Turned me off home-births for life. Give me a hospital with cleaners every time.

 

:iagree: I helped a friend with hers, and while it was amazing for her, the sight of everything in a trash bag by door and all the ... messy... towels going in her own washer was enough to make me completely happy with my hospital birth where I didn't have to do my own laundry :)

 

I was especially impressed that at shift change, they brought the new nurse in, introduced, and were very, very clear about explaining that I have RSD and my rt arm/hand is not to be touched, moved, etc. That was a relief, tbh.

 

 

That is WONDERFUL! I'm so glad you are able to trust them to take your RSD seriously.

[Mandy in TN]

My kids were born in/will be born in a hospital. The two outside the womb were born in a maternity hospital and TBA will be born in a local general hospital.

 

My experience has been big birthing rooms with cable TV, a recliner, rocking chair and private bath. Kind nurses who encouraged me to get up and walk around. Lots of help with nursing when I needed it. My babies sleeping in hospital bassinets right beside me from the get-go. They never left the room I was in if I wasn't right with them. When my son was born the anesthesiologist even bought the kids stuffed toys because my son was going to have the same name as him! There was no cold, sterile, stress-filled experience.

With my last child, who is now quickly headed toward 9yo, what I bolded was my experience. The end of my bed dropped to the floor. I stood on the part of the bed on the floor and leaned on the front of my bed. My fabulous nurse would squat with me through contractions. She showed my dh how to apply counter-pressure to my back. I had a fabulous group of female OBGYNs and the one who delivered was my favorite. Although I have to admit, I didn't neded her for much or for very long. We didn't have cute bassinets, but Doodle didn't leave my room. I had an IV and had a birthing plan that requested the lowest dose of IV pain medication to be given just as I hit transition. Everything went as planned. Third time's the charm. It was a great experience.

 

Now, in 1993 when I had my second child, it was a different story. The hospital wouldn't even let me get out of the bed to go to the bathroom. It was ridiculous. However, even then, the Cashew didn't leave my room.

 

My oldest was a blue baby who spent 13 days in NICU and was born in an emergency room examing area, so he doesn't count.

 

Only my first born ever received a bottle. I have a good friend who is a nurse practitioner and she happened to work with a new mothers program at the hospital where I delivered my first. She arrived at the hopital shortly after the birth. She had a massive industrial breast pump brought to my room. She blasted into the NICU and told them that Mr.Peanut was to be nose-tubed breast milk. They were told that the minute they thought he was strong enough to take a bottle that meant he was strong enough to take the breast and he was to be brought to me immediately. I did end up being sent home before he was released, so he did have some bottles at night. I came back during the day, and it was only a few days before he followed me home. He didn't like the bottles and I had no problem breast feeding exclusively when he came home. I have no idea how the hospital would have treated any other first time mother in this situation.

 

Even with the crazy hospital experience with #2, after the blue baby experience with #1, I would never delivery outside a hospital.

 

Mandy

[Veritaserum]

I've had four home births and none of my family members did any cleaning up. My midwife and her assistants handled it all while my family and I fawned over the new baby. :) Also, no birth laundry was done in my home.

 

WRT to bad hospital stories being more about people than policies, I disagree. When a hospital has bad policies (mandatory nursery, mandatory IV, time limits on pushing, etc.), the people that work there have their hands tied. A super sweet and caring nurse who denies you food and drink based on hospital policy, is still denying you food and drink. While that may be preferable to a nasty, mean nurse doing the same, the outcome doesn't change. My bad hospital birth was a combo of bad policy and a mean L&D nurse. But it was mostly due to bad policy and the resultant unnecessary medical procedures.

[Mandy in TN]

double post.

Edited September 4, 2011 by Mandy in TN
double post

[Impish]

That is WONDERFUL! I'm so glad you are able to trust them to take your RSD seriously.

That's just it...I *didn't* trust them, LOL! I seriously looked into a doula in large part b/c I didn't want to have to be explaining RSD over and over and over again. Its such a rare condition that I'm always having to explain it to Drs, who've never heard of it.

[The Governess]

.

[celticmom]

WRT to bad hospital stories being more about people than policies, I disagree. When a hospital has bad policies (mandatory nursery, mandatory IV, time limits on pushing, etc.), the people that work there have their hands tied. A super sweet and caring nurse who denies you food and drink based on hospital policy, is still denying you food and drink. While that may be preferable to a nasty, mean nurse doing the same, the outcome doesn't change. My bad hospital birth was a combo of bad policy and a mean L&D nurse. But it was mostly due to bad policy and the resultant unnecessary medical procedures.

 

:iagree:

[Embassy]

All in all it was a great experience. And this was at a hospital with a 95% epidural rate too.

 

For my youngest I must have gone to a place with an extremely high epidural rate. I went in not knowing what CNM I would get and was very happy to get an experienced CNM who was excited that I wanted to have a natural birth. Apparently it was rare in those parts. She encouraged and supported me. I had a doula as well that let her know my wishes - I shut down and intensely focus during labor and talking is difficult.

 

Afterwards as they wheeled me to my private room I passed the nurses station and they all clapped for me.:confused: I had an epidural and it was much harder for me. Recovery was longer. I was up and around without much pain in a couple hours and confined to bed for over a day with the epidural. I couldn't experience transition and the sense of pushing. It led to other complications during and after birth. I hated being immobile with the epidural. I hate epidurals. So the clapping and the CNM's excitement of someone choosing to birth naturally probably meant that there was a very high epidural rate at that hospital.

[elegantlion]

It was horrible. I still feel like crying when I think about it 21 years later.

 

I'm sorry, that is horrible. :grouphug:

 

My experience, posted way back somewhere, has left some scars. I have very little memory of Friday evening to Monday when I was wheeled into surgery. It has left me mistrustful of hospitals in general. I know my dh was there (although probably unable to be calm) and my parents were there, but why wait until Monday afternoon to do a c-section. Honestly, I think it was simply because it was the weekend.

 

Generally I felt like I was a bother to the people there, although it didn't hit me at the time since I was on pain meds for a week. No one mentioned the baby to me until I was back in my room after surgery. For a brief period of time I thought something had gone terribly wrong.

 

They did allow dh into the OR and he was the first person to hold ds. Got the picture somewhere to prove it.

 

Overall I just don't like hospitals and my experience is a part of that. I get anxious anytime I have to visit someone. My thoughts after pregnancy and the hospital experience was that I love ds, but boy I'm not going through that ever again. Ds will be 14 this month, still feel that way. :glare:

[bookfiend]

..........a calm husband.

 

I used hospital/doula combo as our compromise.