Not many people understand the severity of an emergancy c-section. When I first heard those words I was terrified, not only for my life, but for my daughter's life as well. A rush of sadness came over me. I wasn't sure how to react to the news when the doctor told me there were complications. All I knew was my daughter's life was in danger and they wanted to cut me open. Laying on the operating table, the bright white lights above my head were giving me a headache. I could hear the concerned but stern voice's of the doctors all around me. I could feel my boyfriend clinching my hand to let me know he was there. The room was spinning. A tear or two rolled down my cheek as I worried about what would happen within the next few moments. The loud clinking of the medical equipment echoed in what seemed to be an emtpy room. I just wanted this c-section to be over with so I could go home with my little girl. I needed everything to be ok with her and with me. The longer I laid there on the table, the more concerned I became. Finally, after what seemed like hours, the doctor pulled my dau...
She checks me, and tracks my surges. My surges are not as frequent as earlier so she recommends for me to sit on the birthing ball. I sit up right on the birthing ball, and lean back on Poet for support and those surges are coming now. I tense up, and my midwife's assistant beautifully guides me through each surge, encouraging me to relax instead of tense up with each contraction. After a while of being on the birthing ball, I am guided to the bathroom, and I sit on the toilet for a few of the surges and finally I am ready to get in the tub and begin pushing. I felt like I was never going to meet our baby. I felt like our baby was
"I had traveled much on the Kennebec, by water, by ice, and, during those treacherous seasons when the river was neither one nor the other, by faith" (e.g., A Midwife's Tale). Martha's diary is one of the few documents written by a woman that exist today and that describes the behavior, occupation, roles, and daily activities of a common society in the 18th century during and after the Revolution. Although she dedicates her whole life to help others and her family, the diary exposes a very different world with the very different community. Many other history documents lacked the problems of women and the lack of written documents by the female gender. Through this document, Martha gives the importance of women in the community and how they
The reason why society advances is because of the innovations put forth by innovators. Therefore, it can be said that innovators are the reason why society advances. Bertrand Russell highlights three reasons why society is reluctant to the changes put forth by innovators. These are, “…the instinct of conventionality…the feeling of insecurity…that vested interests are bound up with old beliefs…” these ideas are all present in the play, Julius Caesar (Bertrand Russell 1). Russell states a number of facts about the way society views innovators and the statues quo, and Julius Caesar, written by William Shakespeare many centuries before Russell was born, demonstrates that his philosophy applies to all generations, before, present, and after his time period.
When pregnant, many expecting mothers are faced with a very tough decision, the decision to have an epidural during labor or to have a natural birth. Both methods have negative and positive aspects. This topic has such conflicting views that about 50% of women decide to get an epidural when going into labor and the other 50% of women choose the alternative: natural childbirth. It is important for an expecting mother to look into both options thoroughly to ensure they make the best choice for both themselves and for their child. With all of the speculations circulating about both options, it is hard for mothers to see the truth about both epidurals and natural childbirth.
I had just finished facing my fears watching the metallic needle slip so seamlessly under my skin into the veins of my nervous, clammy hand. Hugging my Mom like it could have been the last time I saw her, seeing my dad's face stern and worried. I wheeled down the hall into this operating room, white was all I saw, a bed in the middle for the surgery to go down. As I lay on the bed waiting to be put under I remember seeing the blue masks of the people to be operating on me, I had to put all my trust in them, trusting someone you seen for less than 5 seconds with your life. Absolutely terrifying. The nurse slipping the fluid into my IV as I lay on my back looking up at the white ceiling, this cold sensations rushed over me. Then suddenly, I was out.
This time in life may also be very stressful due to the trend for medicalization of birth. The medicalization of birth is the trend we see in society today. There has been an increase in the use of medical technology. The cesarean section is the most common surgery done in the United States, even higher than a hysterectomy and tonsillectomy. Over one forth of birhs in the United States were cesarean sections. There are major complications that could occur with the increase use of this surgery. For example, the mortality rate is four to ten times higher than a vaginal birth. There is also an increase use other artificial medical interventions such as induction of labor and epidurals. It is hard to explain why women are choosing to deviate from traditional births, but it is a growing societal trend.
The version of childbirth that we’re used to is propagated by television and movies. A woman, huge with child, is rushed to the hospital when her water breaks. She is ushered into a delivery room and her husband hovers helplessly as nurses hook her up to IVs and monitors. The woman writhes in pain and demands relief from the painful contractions. Narcotic drugs are administered through her IV to dull the pain, or an epidural is inserted into the woman’s spine so that she cannot feel anything below her waist. When the baby is ready to be born, the doctor arrives dressed in surgical garb. The husband, nurses and doctor become a cheerleading squad, urging the woman to, “Push!” Moments later, a pink, screaming newborn is lifted up for the world to see. Variations on this theme include the cesarean section, where the woman is wheeled to the operating room where her doctors remove the baby through an incision in her abdomen.
A description can never be as vivid as an event that has been experienced. An experience can never be as defining as an event that has left you changed. Under the intensity of childbirth, you're more likely to remember details that would otherwise go unnoticed. All the scenes come together to leave a permanent imprint on the mind's eye.
Many women today are doing more C-sections, also known as cesarean, than they are natural. Whether the reasons being because it’s more convenient or that some moms did not really have a choice, the percentage is still growing. “The cesarean delivery rate increased from 26% to 36.5% between 2003 and 2009; 50.0% of the increase was attributable to an increase in primary cesarean delivery (National Partnership for Women & Families, 201.)” There are many things to consider when deciding which is the right or safer choice. With both choices comes risks for the baby like, possible respiratory problems with a C-section. The mom has many risks to worry about for herself as well, like possibly hemorrhaging. There is also the recovery and the long-term effects that a woman has to put into consideration. They both have their pros and cons that should not be taken lightly.
Today was my second day on labor and delivery. When Grace and I first arrived, we were sent to change. After Grace and I changed into our scrubs, we went to the front desk to receive our tasks. A registered nurse (RN) asked us if we would like to see a vaginal birth or a caesarean section (c-section). I choose to watch a c-section, and Grace decided to observe a vaginal birth. Once we decided on who would do what, we went our separate ways.
Pregnancy can be an exciting and sometimes frightening experience for many women. It was a snowy Sunday afternoon, and I was not feeling very well. I remember all week long, every morning I felt nauseated. I was craving odd foods, and foods I normally would not eat together. I was on the phone with my best friend explaining to her how I was feeling. She said “It sounds like you are pregnant.” That thought never even crossed my mind until that moment. Sure enough she was right, I was pregnant for the first time. I was excited to have a baby and never realized how many emotions or complications can take place during a pregnancy. Everybody that I knew that had babies, had such wonderful experiences. Unfortunately, this happy moment became such a monumental, emotional and stressful time in my life. During my pregnancy, I went through many emotional experiences from almost losing my child, to the uncertainty of a birth defect and early delivery.
It was August 25, 2006 and I just received the news that I was going to have a baby. At that moment so many thoughts ran through my mind. I was extremely nervous and terr...
For women, almost every aspect of their life is critiqued. Women “must learn to be hungry” or fear ridicule for having “hairy legs and armpits”. Pain, mental or physical, is everywhere in a woman 's life, even beyond what their shamed constantly for from “the pain of rejection.... the pain of recovery... the pain of nursing... the pain of arguing with your husband while your child is on the other room”. At a certain point pain loses all its ability to be motivating or instructional, and just becomes pain. Emotional or physical, it makes no difference, the discomfort is a natural response for your body telling you to stop. For women, epidurals answer the simple question “why not do the thing that makes you happy?”. The pain that comes with childbirth is easily avoidable and no way necessarily to most women. When it comes to epidurals, the options are simple; Either you go against society telling you endure the pain and choose what’s right for you, or you suffer the pain and hope that somehow you learned your lesson. For most, it’s an easy decision to save the pain for
Over the years birthing methods have changed a great deal. When technology wasn’t so advanced there was only one method of giving birth, vaginally non-medicated. However, in today’s society there are now more than one method of giving birth. In fact, there are three methods: Non-medicated vaginal delivery, medicated vaginal delivery and cesarean delivery, also known as c-section. In the cesarean delivery there is not much to prepare for before the operation, except maybe the procedure of the operation. A few things that will be discussed are: the process of cesarean delivery, reasons for this birthing method and a few reasons for why this birthing method is used. Also a question that many women have is whether or not they can vaginally deliver after a cesarean delivery, as well as the risks and benefits if it. Delivering a child by a c-section also has a few advantages and disadvantages for both the mother and child; this will also be discussed in more depth a bit later.
So, I told my doctor I wanted to be induced. After all, my due date was only two weeks away and only five percent of women give birth on the day determined by their doctors. When I was finally there, I looked at the outside, the hospital was set in a suburban – like area, and when I went inside the building, I was in a welcoming ultramodern facility. I went straight to the labor and delivery section where they said my doctor had gone out of town; nobody believed that I was supposed to be induced that day. It took them like 15 minutes to confirm what I had told them, to finally decide to take me to a room to connect all kinds of tubes to my body. I went into the room; it looked very comfortable, but it was freezing. I lay on the typical hospital bed, one of those that make sleeping and resting easier.