Birthing Experiences

My good friend Leah recently had a beautiful baby boy. She and her husband were well prepared from the start. They attended birthing classes and read many books. While Leah wanted to try delivering without an epidural, she and Brian discussed that having an epidural would not mean her plan was a failure. They went into the whole experience in a very calm manner.

On the day of her son’s birth, Leah wasn't feeling well. Her husband asked if she wanted to go to the hospital, and she thought they should, just to be sure. In the car, Leah began having contractions. By the time they got to the hospital, the nurse informed her that she was fully dilated and effaced. She was going to have her baby very soon. The doctor was called and Leah was brought into the birthing room. She got her gown on and lay in bed. As soon as the doctor arrived, he informed her she was too far along for an epidural and would need to begin pushing. Leah pushed for only 10 minutes before baby Louis was born.

I was shocked at how quickly Leah gave birth. Many first babies take hours, but she had him 30 minutes after checking into the hospital. I was also surprised by the limited interaction the doctor had in the birth. Nurses were with Leah constantly, but the doctor came in just to “catch” the baby.

For my comparison, I chose to look at births in Sweden. I found that in Sweden, midwifes take care of every step of the birth process. The doctor there is even less involved, only coming in to check on the baby or assist if there are major complications. Save the Children rated Sweden the safest place in the world to give birth. Their c-section rate is around 17%, where the US is around 31%. The major difference I found was that in Sweden, your hospital stay and medical care is free. Hospitals are considered more "homey" and families are well taken care of. From what I read, the experience is much more of a celebration than a medical procedure.

References:

http://blogs.transparent.com/swedish/giving-birth-in-sweden/

http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/09/health/best-worst-birth-places