If only she had remembered to breathe!
I’m pretty sure I wished her dead about 29 years ago during 32 hours of labor. Kudos to her for going against the medical establishment and bringing change.
I guess she forgot to breathe.
My father's favorite line ...
Her Heart Stopped Beating.
All I know is that they threatened to call notify authorities if we left the hospital without registering our daughter for a Social Security number.
First baby, 1981, no Lamaze or other preparation, I got demerol (which did nothing for the pain but made me sleepy) and a spinal block for the birth. Before the spinal block, I was in so much pain I thought I would die. The pain may have been particularly intense because labor was induced.
Second baby, 1983, I had Lamaze training and gave birth with a dose and a half of demerol. No spinal block. The Lamaze helped a lot with labor pains, but I sure would have liked a block for the actual birth.
Other than the birth process, the second time was much less painful than the first. But because of all the narcotic the first time around, I barely remember the process, other than that the pain was intense.
Both times, I couldn’t wait to get out of the hospital. I see some other FReepers enjoyed staying in the hospital—not me. The food is horrible, it’s difficult to fall asleep because of all the light and noise, and every time you *do* fall asleep, a nurse comes and wakes you to make sure you are still alive. The decor is stark and unfriendly, it smells of all kinds of disinfectants and other stuff, and it is very boring. I’m not a big fan of hospitals.
However, I guess I'm a bit of a chauvinist pig about the whole "father being there for the childbirth" thing. I did do the "Lamaze" classes with my wife and was in the delivery room with her both times because that is what is expected of men these days. But I did not like it. I felt like I was in the way of things and did not like seeing my wife in so much pain. I could have done without witnessing the childbirth as well. Just not my cup of tea. And all that blood...I'm surprised I didn't faint on the floor. I guess I'm just not cut out to be a doctor.
My father told me when I was born, back in the "Mad Men" days of the early 1960s, he sat in the waiting room with other expectant fathers, passing whiskey bottles back and forth and playing cards. When I was finally born, a nurse came in to give him the news. He took a quick peek at me through the window of the maternity ward, passed out some cigars to the other fathers, and went home to get a good night sleep.
Those were the days!
Now when my father was born in the 1930s, his mother didn't even go to the hospital. She had all her children in the same Alabama farmhouse with midwives and a traveling doctor. The doctor's bill was under $10.
So this whole "three days in the hospital" thing is a modern invention.
RIP.
Let me tell you, I was begging for medication. Breathing properly doesn't help when you've been in labor for a very long time and nothing is happening. I was exhausted. The first time it took 22 hours, most of that was hard labor.
The thing is, when they finally gave me the epidural, I could relax a bit and the process started moving forward. There is a place for medication. If you can do without, I'm very happy for you -- and jealous. But, I couldn't; and, I don't think women who need the help of medication should be made to feel like we have done something wrong.