I have given birth to four babies, all healthy, but I had my own complications. With each birth I hemorrhaged worse, being given blood the 3rd & 4th times ("borderline" 2nd time & they gave me the option, I chose no). 4th time I was 'out of it' enough that I barely knew what was going on at the time...
4th child I chose to use a midwife. Wish I had done that all 4 times. Also wish I had known about what is termed self-hypnosis, a sort of oxymoron, but that's what it's called. Helped *tremendously* with labor. I gave birth in a hospital, knowing the risks I faced as well as what I consider to be risks associated with hospitals in general. Really really liked the place where my 4th child was born. Will be glad to give details if anyone wants. But I stayed home right up until "the moment." Baby was born about 45 minutes after our arrival.
After the last baby was born and I had severe problems, the midwife determined that he had enough trouble breathing that she needed to send him to another town to a larger hospital with a neonatal unit. While I most certainly appreciate her concerns and the choice she made, just a few hours later it was decided - at that other hospital - that they would keep my baby until he had, as the neonatal unit nurse put it to me, "taken a whole bottle." Nope. Not gonna happen. I called in the midwife, we discussed at great length what happened, what was going on now, and what could be expected. She agreed with me that it would be fine to have my baby boy returned to me immediately, and she got it done. My mom and husband brought him to me, and the nurse saw to it that I could stay another night in the hospital if I chose, or I could take him on home.
Long story short, DO NOT let anyone dictate to you what they say MUST be done. You do have options, at any time. Choose wisely. Educate yourself. Look at all options, be open-minded to things you may not know a lot about (I was... I had never heard of self-hypnosis). Go with your gut feeling, what feels right to you, and you will make the best decision possible.
Oh yeah, one thing I remember well during the actual labor... I asked the midwife, can I lay on my side to deliver? (I was still a little hesitant to stray outside the box) She said "Honey, you can deliver standing on your head if that's what makes you feel better. This baby will get here, on his own, one way or another."
comments which I ignored or responded to politely, but I did eventually talk to someone who understood and knew.
