What’s wrong with a hospital birth?

[KO2018]

I’m first time pregnant, 18 weeks, and the whole idea of giving birth is starting to become more real.

There’s lots of things I don’t understand.

In my mind, it is a medical procedure - like having a major operation - and I was prepared for being surrounded by doctors and nurses and all the specialist equipment money can buy. Painkillers available as needed. For me this is a reassuring picture.

My local labour unit looks like a spa - it’s all ambient coloured lights, even actual fake candles?? The rooms are like hotel suites and they are always posting things about the power of your body, and how women know more than medical practitioners about what their body needs.

Come again? This is in complete contradiction to everything I have known and been told about medical care up until this point.

I guess I don’t understand - what is the problem about having a hospital birth or an epidural or frankly anything else that might make me feel safe...?

(This is a genuine question I am quite open to changing my mind but I feel like I am missing something)

I really wanted a natural birth. When I was induced because despite all my endless hypnobirthing affirmations, meditations etc, my baby still had not arrived thirteen days after the due date, I kept on saying 'can I use the pool yet?'

I wasn't allowed anywhere near the pool due to the baby getting into distress. He had the cord wrapped tightly around his neck three times when he was eventually born 36 hours later with forceps.

It was a crap birth. Really crap. But if I hadn't been sold this idea of a spa like MLU experience on Instagram and via companies like the Positive Birth Company then I would have had lower expectations and wouldn't have felt like such a failure afterwards.

So I guess what I'm saying OP is to just do what you want to do, but go in knowing that actually you won't have a huge amount of choice. The doctors will only intervene if they need to do so. Have an epidural, don't have an epidural, see how you go... honestly there is so much crap about there about birth.

Also, on a side note, in the four days I was in hospital whenever I walked past the two MLU rooms they were empty. Everybody was on the labour ward.

derxa Mammals give birth in small dark private places* Do they?
Yes*
Well mine don't

@Wearywithteens I don't agree. It's realistic that the NHS do perform cost and benefit analysis with all elements of healthcare policy, but epidurals are largely available to any woman who wants one (I say largely due to anaesthetist availability on the day) and there is enough literature for women to make informed decisions.

I personally couldn't care less about mood lighting and beanbags although I recognise that the calming atmosphere likely does help labour progress for many women. Having read the research and noted the possibility of increased risks to the baby from intervention, (I am aware of the possibility of correlation too) if I was told on entry I could either have an epidural or not I'd still choose not to unless I really needed it down the line and I don't feel that this is because I've been duped about spa rooms but because I am capable of making an informed choice.

I'm no hero though and I'm not saying I won't beg for one this time round but either way I don't think I'll be tricked into believing whale song is the better option

Feeling reassured by medical equipment nearby makes sense though - to be honest the MLU I gave birth on last time felt just like the labour ward rooms adjacent (saw both) except with slightly different walls and a nicer reception.

Incidentally in the USA healthcare policy in general leans towards far more intervention than the US. Absolutely a lot of this will be cost based, (and you could say biased towards US healthcare providers billing to insurance as much as NHS reducing costs) but in some areas I agree with the NHS approach of less being more

Because giving birth is not a medical procedure. Don't get me wrong there are times when intervention is needed but it's generally a natural thing. My first birth I thought I would feel safer in a medical setting but it actually perpetuated the thought that there was a need for them to intervene. In the end I did have a lot of intervention. My second birth I did hypnobirthing and it was so much better. Albeit it was still in the same place but my mindset was different. Ie. The first time I didn't challenge the intervention, the second time I did

I’m with you OP. Unfortunately in my area you couldn’t actually access the labour ward if you were low risk without beginning labour in the MLU, which was exactly as you describe. I hated it and repeatedly asked to go to the labour ward, which was met with a lot of resistance from the midwives in the MLU. When I eventually got there and had i my epidural, I felt instantly calm and peaceful. Not just because the pain was gone (though I’d absolutely recommend an epidural for this!), but because the more medicalised setting made me feel like everything was more under control.

I genuinely feel like you spend your entire pregnancy obsessing about labour and rooms and hypnobirthing and pain relief and honestly, when I was in labour I couldnt give a shit where I was, who was with me, what I was wearing and any of my surroundings.

Firstly, you will only be surrounded by doctors and specialist equipment if things are going horrible wrong, so thats not something to aspire to. The 'spa' type setup with dim lights, aromatherapy etc helps stimulate oxytocin which is really important for labour to progress, although somw people may not like it. If you want an epidural thats totally fine, lots of people swear by them and you can still have things such as music etc that will trigger oxytocin, the only big difference is that you're stuck in bed.

For me, my first birth was on a labour ward, I was young and scared and didn't know what was going on. It look over 30 hours and was awful (sure you don't want details). My 2nd birth was on a MLU with dimmed lights etc all the affirmations and twinkly music. It took 5 hrs start to finish, no tear, no complications. My 3rd birth will be at home and I'm expecting it to be even calmer and easier. So each to their own but I would never have a 'medical' type birth by choice.

@Wearywithteens

It’s to dupe women to go for the ‘cheap option’ rather than expensive drugs. They fob women off with lights and bean bags and make them give birth with minimal and inadequate pain relief.

If you want no pain go for a hospital birth and insist on an epidural - they are brilliant if you get one in early labour. Standard practise in the USA for all the doom sayers who try to put you off.

If you’ve ever seen the episode where Khloe Kardashian gives birth - full make up, chatting and laughing away, family all present - that’s what an epidural does. Funny how she didn’t go for the beanbag option!

I didn't feel fobbed off or that I had inadequate pain relief. In the US they don't give gas and air as they don't know how to bill for it. Women can't deliver in water and they are chucked out of hospital with little support. They are also expected to be back at work 4 weeks pp .... swings and roundabouts right?

There's something to be said for subsequent births being easier and quicker, though. Obviously not always (and quicker doesn't always mean easier), but that's the general pattern. I hear a lot of stories along the lines of "my first birth was in hospital and it was awful, so for my second I learnt hypnobirthing and had a home birth, and it went much better". It's impossible to separate out the factors - we're comparing apples and oranges. For the first-time expectant mother hearing these stories, it's easy to miss this and just hear "hypnobirthing/mood lighting etc = easier birth".

Hospital all the way. Did for all 4 of my births. Was very reassuring to me to know that if things went pear shaped then I had access immediately to all the specialists and equipment needed x

@BeautyAndTheBump1

I genuinely feel like you spend your entire pregnancy obsessing about labour and rooms and hypnobirthing and pain relief and honestly, when I was in labour I couldnt give a shit where I was, who was with me, what I was wearing and any of my surroundings.

I didn't obsess about labour when I was pregnant, I was so very contented it was as if I was on another planet! I felt absolutely confident that I would sail into hospital, have my baby and leave the next day with very little interference.

It's each to their own. I knew I wanted the birth centre. It was wonderful. My own room, en-suite so I could shower after the birth. Proper birth pool not in inflatable one. Birth ball. It was so relaxing. I would have hated the delivery suite.
I knew I wanted minimal drugs so that wasn't a problem. Of course the delivery suite was down the corridor so if I'd needed to be transferred then it would have been easy.

@jessstan1and what happened...?

I read multiple research showing that being in the hospital increases chances of cascade of interventions: woman asks for epidural-contractions slow down- need of induction/augmentation of labour- baby in distress - need instrumental delivery or c-section. I dreaded instrumental delivery as I heard many stories of babies being damaged by it. Some women choose to give birth "naturally" with little pain relief and ride their own hormones. They say relaxing dark environment helps producing the hormones needed to orchestrate the labour. If at any point you feel like you need epidural or there is any concern you'll be rolled to the labour ward ASAP. It's a personal choice though and you should choose a place that's most comfortable for you. I was in midwifery unit in the pool for lost of my labour and this was the only place I could find comfortable position. They say these days let mother choose position that she feels most comfortable giving birth and thus will reduce risks of tearing, but if you have an epidural / drip you will not be mobile. I was moved to the labour ward due to having meconium in waters so they wanted to monitor the baby closer. I really enjoyed professionalism and care of doctors and midwives in both labour ward and midwifery unit.

[quote KO2018]@jessstan1and what happened...?[/quote]
I went into hospital at 4.30am, had my baby at 6.35am and went home the next day.

Viletta, your post is interesting. I always think it is best not to go into hospital until you are well on the way (unless there is some known difficulty of course), then there is less time for anyone to mess you about.

If I'd had another I would have opted for a home birth, all being well.

I have had two hospital births and they were amazing.
My DS would not be here without any lasting injuries without a crash team on hand within seconds. An easy labour and a straighforward birth, but moments after birth things went drastically wrong. None of it could have been predicted.
The situation was rescued very quickly.
I don't think there would have been a happy outcome if I had a had a home birth.

My second birth was also at hospital.
I arrived at 9.30 am, gave birth at 11 am, home by 2pm the same day.
Perfect.

I gave birth at hospital in the ‘midwife-led’ bit which was literally separated by a corridor to the ‘consultant-led unit and all the theatres etc’ and I had a lovely, homely room with a birthing pool, mood lighting, bean bags, birthing ball and mats and all that. I don’t see the issue??! A secure and safe and private environment IS shown to help the course of labour and actually lower the need for intervention. Also the number of women who come out of birth traumatised, I really don’t see the issue on trying to make the environment as pleasant and comforting as possible?
I just see it as good progression is actually realising women and their experiences matter too when it comes to childbirth and aren’t just baby containers.

@jessstan1 I planned a home birth but the home birthing midwives were all busy that night hence I ended up in midwifery led unit and st the very end in labour ward. No regrets as all went really well.

That's what matters, Viletta.

When I had mine hardly anyone had a home birth.

I gave birth surrounded by medical professionals. For one baby I had six of them just for me. It was hard to fit them all in my house but I was too busy to be concerned for their comfort. Not a dimmed light in sight, no birth pools or whale song, because I didn’t want them. Fair play if you do.

One of the weird things about choices in birth is that there are so many different preferences and needs for women in that position, and the advice to go where you feel safest is sound - as is the see how you feel on the day/go with the flow. That’s why I’ve always booked home births, knowing that that gives me far greater choice and flexibility on the day.

Hi everyone, old thread I just had to update this.

I gave birth and it was Amazing - I’ve never had more powerful experience in my life. I was in the midwife spa place for 14 hours, with all the groovy stuff, music, dim lights, even my essential oils ?! I had a water birth with no complications (lucky me) and NO pain relief whatsoever?! Gas and air was there but I literally didn’t want it. I was just so up in my head in the end.

I never did any of that hypnobirthing stuff which just got on my tits, I just concentrated on my yoga breathing and turned into this birthing machine.

I would never ever have pictured it like that. So for anyone reading, you just never know how you’ll be until you do it!

Congratulations @KO2018 I'm so glad you had a great birth experience