I just watched this documentary on hospital deliveries and it was amazing. Amazing and scary. I was leaning toward getting a midwife anyway, but this documentary pretty much convinced me. I don’t think I want a home birth (for this baby at least) but I am very interested in birthing centers. I need to do more research. One of the big factors will be whether or not our insurance would cover it.
We go to the ob/gyn tomorrow. He’s a good doctor and I trust him. But I want to ask him some more questions, and explain to him what kind of birth I am envisioning. No pitocin and no epidural. The documentary showed how epidurals slow down the labor process, so the doctors give the women pitocin, which is a synthetic form of the hormone oxytocin, the hormone responsible for uterine contractions as well as bonding between the mother and baby. The problem with pitocin is that it makes contractions longer and more severe. The mom can’t stand the increased pain, so they get another epidural, which slows everything down again, so they up the pitocin. The mother can’t feel the contractions, but the baby, meanwhile, is being squished. This causes the baby to go into distress, which is the reason they have an emergency c-section. No No No. Everything inside of me hates that process. It’s so messed up. Childbirth is a natural process and it’ll happen when it happens. It may not be convenient or easy, but, it will happen. a
I will be honest, the pain/discomfort of childbirth without meds and without an epi scares me a little bit. But I know that it will all be worth it to have the natural pair-bonding with my baby and labor and delivery on our schedule.
We get to hear our little one’s heartbeat tomorrow.
