MY EXPERIENCE OF A HOSPITAL BIRTH (Hospital Births)

Member Name: STACEY0526

Product:	Hospital Births
Date:	10/12/08 (61 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: EXPERT ADVISE AND HELP ON HAND IF ANYTHING GOES WRONG

Disadvantages: YOU DONT ALWAYS GET TO INFLUENCE TH ESITUATION AND GET YOUR WANTS MET

Becoming a mum was always something I wanted to do in the future but not something I thought about in great detail. I had never been around anyone with a baby before and to be quite honest I was very self conscious if I was to ever come in contact with a baby, so as you can imagine at the age of 22 finding out I was 5 months pregnant was a bit of a shock.
I am not someone who lets things bother me too much and I believe that I was in complete denial about the whole thing, I didn't really know much about caring for babies, I knew nothing about the different types of births or pain relief medication, I was completely unprepared.
I attended midwife appointments and scan dates which are a must but didn't attend any antenatal classes that were offered, I took the option of having a private firm come around and answer any questions I had. I found very useful as I could go through things that were relative to me and put my mind at ease but in hindsight it didn't really tell me much about what to expect and how to differ between things that I should contact the hospital about and things that would happen but shouldn't be too concerned about, I was certain though after this that I wanted a hospital birth.

The day my little boy was born I had a normal day no signs that he was coming, to me I thought that he was settling down for a long wait, it wasn't until I bent over that night that my waters broke I had any indication labour was starting. Being my first baby and having been told that with the baby resting on my bladder I was likely not to have complete control of my bladder I wasn't sure that it was my waters that had broken, I called the hospital and they were quite friendly and advised that I should wait an hour and give them a call back, an hour passed so I called back and with a not so friendly manor they asked me to go in and they would check me over.


When I got to the hospital I was met by a woman that to me didn't seem very friendly she just asked who I was and pointed to a room where I guessed I was where I was supposed to go, The nurse then came in gave me a couple of instructions and then the room fell silent. After what felt like an eternity I was told that my waters had broke but I wasn't at all dilated I was told to go home and come back in two days (at this point I felt like I was just an inconvenience that they couldn't get rid of quick enough).

Once I reached home about 30 minutes later I bent over to get a can from the fridge and my contractions started this had been ongoing for about half an hour when I decided to get a bath and phone the hospital again, when I got through and explained that my contractions were about a minute apart and lasting a min I was told not to be so stupid it was Braxton hicks, I was advised to stay in the bath and go to the hospital in 2 days time, feeling a little bit silly and like I couldn't call again I sat in the bath crying, about an hr later my friend came round took one look at me and told the hospital I was coming in like it or not, when I got there I was treated like a complete inconvenience, I was told that I wasn't aloud the birthing pool because it meant that a nurse would have to spend half an hour filling it and another hour to clean it, my birth plan was read but the nurse only carried out part of my wishes, and that I was not far off being ready to push (good job I didn't wait 2 days otherwise I would have had to go though the most terrifying thing in my life alone on the bathroom floor). As soon as my little boy arrived I was told that I needed stitches but as her shift was over it would be up to someone else to do and she left (surprise surprise this was never carried out)

When going up onto the ward things were completely different, the staff members were very kind and friendly, they helped out where was needed, any advise needed, was on hand weather it be about breast feeding, winding or the best way to make the baby feel secure the ward sisters had all the time in the ward to give answers or handy tips even advise on how they found easiest to do things followed by different methods to how you may find it easiest, they came to check on you and make sure that you had everything you needed they showed us where the bell was and advised that we should push this anytime we needed their attention. The best thing that I saw and will stay with me was a girl opposite, when her baby wouldn't stop crying, they showed her a couple of methods of settling the baby and then stayed with her while she tried them, they also offer to take unsettled babies away for an hr or so during the night so that if the mother wanted to get some sleep she could.

Having a hospital birth gave me the confidence that I knew if anything went wrong I was in the right place for everything possible to be done, even though my experience of the hospital when giving birth wasn't a good one the overnight stay which I was dreading was the best thing I could have done for both me my baby and my partner, it gave me the confidence that I could look after a baby on my own knowing that if I had any problems or questions that first night there was expert help right there for me should I need it. It also gave my partner a chance to get some rest and everything before we came home, I was very lucky in that I had a really good baby but think that a hospital stay for anyone's first is a thing to enjoy and get the most out of,

I 100% will have a hospital birth for my second child a home birth is a great idea but when I think about what is best for me and my baby my opinion is a hospital birth every time and I know not everyone would agree but I think with everything when it comes to you and your baby mummy knows best.

Summary: I WOULD ALWAYS GO FOR A HOSPITAL BIRTH