3 Birth Stories.
I had my first child (7lb 6ozs) by emergency caesarean 20 years
ago after he went into foetal distress after my failure to progress
with a vaginal delivery. Some months later I had my pelvis x-rayed
which found I had a small pelvis which would make vaginal delivery
difficult.
When I fell pregnant with my second child (18 years ago) I was very
keen to try a vaginal delivery first rather than an elective caesarean.
Luckily for me I found Dr Louise Farrell an obstetrician who agreed
to let me progress through labour naturally with the hope of a vaginal
delivery. I went into labour naturally and delivered my child (6lb
8 ozs) through a high forceps vaginal delivery.
With my third child 15 years ago an ultrasound at 38 weeks determined
that the baby was going to be 8lb 4ozs so in consultation with Dr
Farrell it was agreed that I did not have any real choice and an elective
caesarean was undertaken so that the baby would not be at risk.
All those years ago doctors were keen to deliver babies by caesarean
with mothers who had previous delivery problems or expected problems.
Having experienced both a natural delivery with forceps and a large
episiotomy and two caesarean births I would elect a natural delivery
any day mostly because of the recuperation time. After the natural
delivery although I was sore and tender I was up and about doing normal
household duties and caring for the children. With the caesarean births
I found it was at least 3 weeks before I could reach up to hang washing
on the clothes line without feeling sharp pain across my lower abdomen
and it hindered me from doing many things.
I imagine things may have improved today for mothers of caesarean
deliveries with better pain management but a caesarean is a major
operation in which the body takes time to heal from.
I wish you all the luck in the world for your organisation and only
hope you were there for me 20 years ago.
Pam.
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