Birth Story 1

Dear Readers,

I`d like to share with you a birth story sent to me by valued friend of mine. This birth story happened in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Women in the story is dedicated Mom, passionate about natural birth, breastfeeding and attachement parenting. Let`s see how her story unravels...

"My due date was still about 2 weeks away. My mum had just arrived from my home country to spend time with me. It was a new doctor again…she had a look at my file, asked how I felt and then said: "well then i'll see you in about 12 days time"

As I was leaving my mum insisted that she do an internal  exam as I was complaining about slight pain that felt like period pain…guess what…I was already 4 cm dilated!!! I was already in labour…

The doctor, having realized this asked me to check myself in at the maternity ward where she was to meet me later…something in me told me that I could probably labour quite long, and if I check in immediately I'd have to be strapped to a bed…so I opted to go home instead.

My mom gave me a herbal concoction that is meant to assist labour, and I went on doing the chores at home, washing, hanging the clothes to dry, relaxing, having a shower etc…

My husband, being new to the whole experience panicked so to calm him down we went about 6 hours later to the hospital. I was still 4 cm dilated. I had to remove my clothing  and jewellery and wear the hospital gown and garb and was put onto a bed where I was to remain till long after the baby was born.

The doctor on call decided to augment the labour ( speed the labour by administerning drugs) , saying it was protocol. Then I was pushed into the delivery room…as my contractions became stronger another doctor came to break my water. I had an episiotomy cut and I remember feeling very awkward…as I screamed with the pain I recall the doctor telling me not to scream, rather push (she did have a sense of humour) and shortly thereafter my daughter was born… it all happened within or just over an hour.

 My newly born baby who i was waiting to meet, was taken away by the nurses to be cleaned while I got stitched up. The doctor insisted they give me the baby so that I will not complain as she stitched me up…so true…the minute I held my baby against me all the pain in the world just seemed to vanish…I looked into my husbands eyes and told him that I can do this all over again!!!

The nurses wanted to take her from me again, to the nursery where she was to be fed…another struggle awaited as I asserted that she would be breastfed and I not be given the bottle. There was no lactation consultant I could call on to help me and the little one latch on, and with nurses not interested in encouraging breastfeeding I was all alone. My dear mother, was at my side and she tried her best to support and help me get my milk flowing and for the baby to drink on me…but she wasn’t ready to drink still and I was willing to wait until she was hungry.

Within that hour I was told by the head peadiatritian that my baby will go into hyper/ hypo glycemia ( cant remember which it was) if she was not given the formula milk…once again I needed to succumb to the system that fails to allow for the natural processes of life to occur and during my 2 days stay in hospital my baby was forced to have formula milk every 2 hours, she was woken up during the nights so that she didn’t skip a feed and all this was what they call “protocol”.

If I could re live my birth experience I'd wish to have not my labour augmented, have not my water broken, have not my baby taken away from me immediately after being born, and giving in to formula milk when I was completely fit for a natural delivery and I had enough milk to sustain my daughter.

My experience has only strengthened my passion and love for natural birth, attachment parenting, and baby wearing, as well as breastfeeding!!! And I am proud to say that while the system was unbreakable I was able to still have a natural birth (mostly), I wore my baby as much as I could, slept with her in a family bed, and breastfed her for 2 whole years… the unfortunate part for me is that many mothers fall into the system because they rightfully trust their medical practitioners as we all should, and are unaware of the alternatives…
I hope are wish that more women would opt for natural births and allow themselves to experience the blessing and miracle God has given us to bear and nourish our offspring.
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"Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition."

- Timothy Leary