Does it irritate you that so many women still do not educate themselves?
My oldest is 17 now, so it's been a while since I was pregnant and giving birth. Still, I educated myself about EVERYTHING when I was pregnant. I wasn't about to have a doctor tell me what was best - I needed to know why. I needed to know what to expect, how everything was going to go for every possible situation - whether I had natural birth or a c-section. Okay - what I cannot understand is how sooooo many women have no clue that it is not necessary to tear during birth (unless something happens and it's an emergency or something). Also, it is semi-barbaric to assume episiotomy is a good thing, they should expect stitches, etc.... Why aren't more women checking out all their options and reading books? Seeking midwives, etc...? I thought we had come a long way, but I guess not.
- mom of 4, never 1 stitch, never 1 tear. I was fortunate, but I sought good attendants/care too.
2009-01-27T13:26:27Z
I'm sorry, but it is so frustrating when I hear about moms who were allowed (by incompetent drs usually) to tear and are dealing with painful stitches when if they just would have known about perineal massage, oil, allowed for stretching, etc.... they would have been FINE.
2009-01-27T13:31:03Z
Simply ask your caregiver if he/she can use warm compresses and oil during delivery. Can they please allow the baby's head to crown slowly and can they use perineal massage just prior to and during crowning. Generally, you won't tear at all. One of mine was born at home - nearly 10 lbs, HUGE head and I am tiny - no tearing! If I can have her, anyone can have a baby without stitches. In an emergency and baby needs to be born NOW, sometimes there is nothing they can do - but that should be the only case.
2009-01-27T13:34:42Z
Midwives are awesome, but there are so many good OBs and family drs who are knowledgeable too. We should all educate ourselves though, especially when it comes to our health.
Anonymous2009-01-27T13:28:34Z
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Good point. I think it's because a lot of women get pregnant by accident so they are not prepared beforehand.
Some are just irresponsible. Not saying all, but some.
The other thing women, teen girls in particular, don't seem to educate themselves on either is BIRTH CONTROL. If I had a dime for every accidental teen pregnancy on Y!A I'd be rich.
Good for your for taking responsibilty with your babies. They'll thanks you for it (hopefully they already have since their older!) I am grateful my mom kept herself and me healthy, because it's shame when children or mothers end up sick or hurt when it could've been prevented.
Ooh, I know! I'm not even a mother yet but I've seen a birth before (I was in a nursing program during high school) and I definitely am going to educate myself as much as I possibly can before I give birth. I do not want to tear or get stitches. When you see a woman getting stitches in full view it makes you not want that to happen to you! I would like to have a natural birth and not just be lying in the bed the entire time. I hate that most women assume they have to stay in bed and can't move. I'm going to be walking around as much as possible and maybe go in the tub or something.
I also don't like when mothers and doctors want a c-section right away or aren't on the same page during the delivery. The birth I saw the mother was pushing when the computer told her to, not when she she felt she was suppose to, so they took her to the OR just in case and ended up having to use forceps. If the doctor/nurse would have noticed it she probably could have pushed the baby out herself. I didn't realize it until afterwards (I was only 17 after all). Too many people look at birth as something to get done as quickly as possible with the least amount of pain rather than looking at it as a natural process.
I was very well educated on my pregnancies. I had my first child no problems and no stitches. I had to have an emergancy c-section with my 2nd. Now what I want to know how much did your babies weigh? I know after a certain weight even with the perineal massage the baby is just too big and cannot be avoided. Some women want to have the tearing and stitches. Having a episiotomy is completely optionional! It's all a matter of choice!
Medical care is no where what it use to be years ago. You use to be able to go to a doctor and they would treat you like family and now you go to a physician's office and you're just a number. When I would go for my monthly check ups for pregnancy, my doctor only spent 5 minutes with me, didn't take a look at my vitals or weight after the nurse took them and offered me no advice or information on anything. By my 6th month, I was ready to find another doctor, but wasn't sure if anyone else would take me that late in the game.
I bought books and researched things online but found most information to be very generic which would still leave many questions in the back of my mind.
There are things that someone would discuss and I would think to myself, "Oh, that is good to know", but would have never had know to ask the question. It was my first pregnancy and really, until anything would happen, I had no idea what to expect.
I don't understand it either. I'll be 21 next month and my mum thinks I know more about things than she does! Weird huh?! I'm a learning bug! I love to learn, educate, and know what to expect... If it's an emergency I let the doctors take that. You can't be afraid of everything that happens to you ya know?
Women need to find things on the internet, the library, a doctor they trust, midwives, their own mothers, ANYONE they can trust. It makes the outcome much much better if you know what to expect, how things will happen, and what's going to happen in the future.. Many are just really young... As am I.. But I am educated. If I don't understand something I get the answers first! I research it.. ask questions... I do wish more people were like that. It saves trouble and they can pass it on to someone else who needs it.