Childbirth- In My Life and Around the World

On May 30, 2009, I experienced the greatest moment of my life. I gave birth to a seven pound, seven ounce girl, my first and only child. My husband and I tried for four years to get pregnant, enduring multiple tests and painful procedures before something finally worked. Considering the process to get us there, my pregnancy was almost perfect. During my prenatal check-ups my doctor always seemed happy with my and the baby’s progress. I was a week past my due date when the doctor told me they were going to induce me in three days. I did not want to be induced. I had always heard that going into labor naturally was better for the baby. I suppose my daughter agreed with me because I went into labor that night. After eight hours of steady hard contractions, I woke my husband at 5:45 A.M.  to let him know it was time. My contractions had been four minutes apart for over an hour. When we got to the hospital, my parents were already there waiting on us and my husband’s parents were on their way. They took me straight to my room which we had preregistered to have. It was a single room and I was to labor, birth, and stay in that room for the duration of my hospital stay. By the time I was in the room the nurse told me that I was dilated to six centimeters. They felt my labor was progressing quickly and already knowing that I would want something for the pain, they gave me a spinal followed by an epidural. I labored for another three hours before I hit ten centimeters. I pushed for about 45 minutes, unable to feel any pain or pressure. My husband and my mother (who were both with me for the birth) had to tell me when to push by watching the contractions on the monitor. In the final push I was told to “stop!” Fearing something happened I asked what was wrong and I was told, “Nothing, she is out and she is perfect.”

I spent the next 48 hours in the hospital with my daughter and my husband in the room with me. I had suffered third degree tears and had to be double stitched. It was very painful to sit or lay in certain positions. I had decided to breast feed and a lactation specialist came into my room to show me how to get my daughter to latch on. She figured it out pretty quick. We had the same nurses throughout our stay. They were very comforting and very knowledgeable. They answered all of our questions, and as new parents, we had a lot. When we left, we were given a number to call with any further questions.

I chose this event because it meant so much to me that I recall almost every detail. Also, I remember for the first time in my life, feeling terrified that I knew nothing about children. After all I had a degree and experience working with children. How could I know so little? I was so unsure, but so ready for the responsibility. Until this assignment, I hadn’t really thought about how important my prenatal check-ups were. The reassurance from the doctor that everything was good, gave me a boost every time I went. It was a boost I found I needed each visit. I also felt more confident about myself as a mother when I was able to go into labor on my own, even though I had little to no control over it. I think that a birth free of complications can assist a child’s development because they will have little resistance to overcome.

I discovered through some reading that birth in the Netherlands happens a bit differently than it does here in the United States. Pregnant women are referred to a midwife and the majority of women give birth at home.  Epidurals are not generally administered unless necessary. Woman and child can usually leave the hospital within hours of the birth and insurance will cover a home health nurse coming to the home for seven days after the birth. Not only will this nurse teach you how to take care of your child, but she/he will also cook, clean, and do your laundry to give the family all the time they need to get acquainted (Schalken, 2011).

The women in the United States are free to go to midwives and to birth in their homes. The women of the Netherlands are referred by their family doctors to midwives not obstetricians like in the United States. Women in the United States may request and will get an epidural, while in the Netherlands it is rare to get an epidural. I chose to have my child in a hospital, I chose to have an epidural, and I chose to use my OBGYN to monitor my pregnancy and assist in the birth. When an American woman gives birth in a hospital, they generally stay there for at least two days or longer, depending on the birth process (vaginal or cesarean). As stated above, Women in the Netherlands and their baby may go home a few hours after birth. Finally, insurance in the Netherlands covers a home nurse for seven days after birth. Once a woman and her child leave the hospital in the United States, they are generally lucky to get a phone number to call with questions. I think that the way that the Netherlands handles after birth care is better for the development of a child. The nurse is in your home to teach a parent exactly how to appropriately care for that child while the parents of the United States rely on prior experiences, things read in books and on the internet, and opinions from other parents. I think the help from a qualified professional is a better source for an appropriate start to child development beyond the womb.

References

Schalken, L. (2011). Birth customs around the world. American Baby, Retrieved from

http://www.parents.com/pregnancy/giving-birth/vaginal/birth-customs-around-the-world/?page=1