Hi everyone,
Well, I guess I'll go ahead and get in on this one too. My first was
born at a free-standing birthing center in California. The doctor
offered Lamaze. It was a wonderful birth experience. Because of my
first birth experience and the fact that we were moving back to Hawai'i,
I decided on homebirths for my second and third. Why? I believe that
birth does not belong in a hospital. Yes, it does have its place for the
high risk pregnancy, but that is not the majority of pregnancies. Just
MHO. I read through the Bradley book for my second. I find that for
myself, I just go with my labor on my own terms. I can't say that Lamaze
or Bradley were useful, but I do suggest Bradley to the mom's who ask.
The couples who do Bradley normally have better birth experiences. When
I go to the Lamaze classes to speak about breastfeeding, these moms tend
to already want the drugs, which is discussed in Lamaze classes as one of
your options. I thought the purpose was to have an unmedicated birth.
Why the mistrust of hospitals and staff? Now, I know the following
example does not represent all hospitals. A few months ago my co-leader
gave birth in the local military hospital. Another co-leader attended
the birth. This co-leader went out to the nurses station, and this was
the conversation she heard. Nurses and the anesthesiologist were making
fun of all the women---those who were going "natural", those who were
screaming for drugs, who was going to last, etc. The staff knew my
co-leader was there btw. This is enough for me.
Couple this with the stories I hear of first time birth experiences. I
did not realize that my first birth, which was wonderful, and attended by
a doctor was not the "norm". This doctor was like a midwife---to me that
is a complement.
Please, I am not venting against all health professionals, only trying to
give some insight as to why some of us mistrust and avoid hospitals for
birthing.
Aloha,
Gloria Thai LLLLeader Hawai'i
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