I have some thoughts and some opinions. The thoughts are: 1. zedrickcayne was born late and he still wasn't ready? Why does this not surprise me? ;D 2. Is it possible that your baby has inherited slow gestation from Andy? So he or she isn't ready yet, which is why your contractions are still only mild. 3. Is the increased risk of needing a Caesarian after induction because the hormone rush from induction isn't enough to cause "proper" labour, or is it because late-arriving babies tend to be bigger?
I suspect the answers to the above are 1. Ha!, 2. Impossible to tell and 3. Not enough research has been done. But answers might exist.
Also I am very glad that priority 1 is "Healthy mom, healthy baby". And I agree with what your mother says. To be honest, the fact that you needed medical intervention to start the pregnancy makes me unsurprised that you might need help to complete it, though I have no scientific basis for this. I understand that you are worried and afraid about induction, and also that you might feel bad emotionally - that you didn't "manage" to give birth "naturally". But induction is pretty normal, and it may be your best bet for getting a healthy mom without expending your own health. So I'll be praying for you to get the ending to your pregnancy that you've been hoping for, but also for you to have the strength to cope with whatever God, gods, the universe or fate has decided for you.
The opinions I have are around C-sections, and based solely on the bad experience of one friend. I know you're not wanting to hear horrible birthing stories at this stage in your pregnancy, and I don't wish to scare or upset you. The advice is simply this: if your medical professionals say there is any risk of serious tearing and advise you to have a Caesarian, please take that advice, no matter how much you want to have a vaginal birth. If you want to read on, I'll explain why below.
Highlight this text to read it. I don't know if you know Ailbhe at all? (livejournal name the same, I couldn't figure out how to make a link without having it appear in alarming purple in the middle of the white text.) She had a terrible time giving birth to her first child, Linnea. She was advised to have a Caesarian and begged the doctors not to, and as a result endured a third degree tear. This left her doubly incontinent for a year, and even after repair, she has a damaged rectum and vaginal wall. This means that she has trouble going to the toilet and cannot have sex - even to conceive another child - without use of very strong painkillers.
Recovering from a second or third degree tear - or gods forbid, a fourth degree tear - is a much longer process than recovering from a Caesarian. Neat surgical cuts heal much more quickly and safely than jagged, unpredictable tears. Also, the likelihood of being permanently disabled as a result of a Caesarian is much lower than it is with traumatic vaginal birth. And while you'd need some time to grieve the loss of the birthing experience you wanted, this is better than several years of PTSD after a traumatic birth. Ailbhe is a sensible woman who has wanted to be a mother for her whole life, and it's taken her well over three years to recover. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy.
Good luck! Everyone on #soc.bi is thinking of you.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2008-04-16 08:14 pm (UTC)1.
2. Is it possible that your baby has inherited slow gestation from Andy? So he or she isn't ready yet, which is why your contractions are still only mild.
3. Is the increased risk of needing a Caesarian after induction because the hormone rush from induction isn't enough to cause "proper" labour, or is it because late-arriving babies tend to be bigger?
I suspect the answers to the above are 1. Ha!, 2. Impossible to tell and 3. Not enough research has been done. But answers might exist.
Also I am very glad that priority 1 is "Healthy mom, healthy baby". And I agree with what your mother says. To be honest, the fact that you needed medical intervention to start the pregnancy makes me unsurprised that you might need help to complete it, though I have no scientific basis for this. I understand that you are worried and afraid about induction, and also that you might feel bad emotionally - that you didn't "manage" to give birth "naturally". But induction is pretty normal, and it may be your best bet for getting a healthy mom without expending your own health. So I'll be praying for you to get the ending to your pregnancy that you've been hoping for, but also for you to have the strength to cope with whatever God, gods, the universe or fate has decided for you.
The opinions I have are around C-sections, and based solely on the bad experience of one friend. I know you're not wanting to hear horrible birthing stories at this stage in your pregnancy, and I don't wish to scare or upset you. The advice is simply this: if your medical professionals say there is any risk of serious tearing and advise you to have a Caesarian, please take that advice, no matter how much you want to have a vaginal birth. If you want to read on, I'll explain why below.
Highlight this text to read it. I don't know if you know Ailbhe at all? (livejournal name the same, I couldn't figure out how to make a link without having it appear in alarming purple in the middle of the white text.) She had a terrible time giving birth to her first child, Linnea. She was advised to have a Caesarian and begged the doctors not to, and as a result endured a third degree tear. This left her doubly incontinent for a year, and even after repair, she has a damaged rectum and vaginal wall. This means that she has trouble going to the toilet and cannot have sex - even to conceive another child - without use of very strong painkillers.
Recovering from a second or third degree tear - or gods forbid, a fourth degree tear - is a much longer process than recovering from a Caesarian. Neat surgical cuts heal much more quickly and safely than jagged, unpredictable tears. Also, the likelihood of being permanently disabled as a result of a Caesarian is much lower than it is with traumatic vaginal birth. And while you'd need some time to grieve the loss of the birthing experience you wanted, this is better than several years of PTSD after a traumatic birth. Ailbhe is a sensible woman who has wanted to be a mother for her whole life, and it's taken her well over three years to recover. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy.
Good luck! Everyone on #soc.bi is thinking of you.