In 1974-75 the TV show Horizon made a programme called 'A Time to be Born' questioning should so many mothers be induced. This can still be viewed at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01z4pcy. It's well worth a watch! Inductions were being hailed by some as the future of birth, it was sold as quick and efficient for both mums and hospitals but doubts were being raised over the long term consequences of inductions, the same induction processes used today! So what was going down on September 2nd 1977.
I was 19 in 1977, Joanne was my first birth and I was 12 days overdue. In fact I'd been booked in for induction on the 2nd September but birthed in the early hours at 1.50 am. Induction wasn't discussed as a choice in those days and by 12 days over due I'd had enough anyway and felt like it was there to help even though I had no idea of the process. Midwives didn't perform sweeps in those days.
So the Monday before the 2nd I saw my Midwife who carried out an examination and confirmed that I was in early labour and every day following I had a show.
Thursday 1st September at around 10 pm my waters broke and my contractions started pretty much straight away. My Dad drove me to hospital where on arrival I was checked and found to be around 2 cm dilated. I was given a shave, a bath and an enema, all routine procedures at the time. I was told I wouldn't give birth until at least 8 am and with that at about 11.30 pm I was taken to a ward and left with immense pain and feeling very distressed.
At 12 am I started vomiting which set my then husband off doing the same in the corner of the room. I was lying on my side, I shouted for the nurse and asked for something to help with the pain. I was offered pethidine but told it was too early to have this as I was not in established labour and it would slow my contractions down. I was basically told that if I wanted my baby by 8 am then to stop being a baby and get on with it! So I lay there biting my pillow and I honestly thought I was going to die.
It was now about 12.45 am and this carried on until about 1.20 am when I rang the buzzer. The nurse came in and I told her I really needed the toilet, my husband was sent out and the Midwife had a look. I was told to take some deep breaths, the break was whipped off and I was rushed down to the labour suit. I was offered gas and air but by this point I didn't need it anymore. I thought I've come this far without it! It was now 1.45 am, it was too late my babies head had already started appearing. I was told to push if I felt like it and as soon as my body pushed the pain went and I thought 'this is quite productive.' Five minutes later Joanne was born. Once I realised I was doing this myself as no one wanted to help me, I thought 'well' and just got on with it.
The midwives congratulated me and said, 'for such a young lady you were a credit, a star pupil and the easiest patient on delivery that night.'
So there you go, I was born and it did bring a tear to my eye as my Mum described my birth. I'm so used to hearing other mums birth stories that to hear my own was awesome! My cord was cut, I was weighed and checked coming in at 6 lb 15 oz. I was brought back to my mum to feed as she delivered her placenta naturally and I slept easily for 12 hours! Still do :-)
I was a perfectly normal delivery. My mum birthed on her left side with a midwife supporting her leg. I said that seemed quite progressive for the time but she said it was that fast it was basically the position she landed in. Was this normal of her peers? no not really. Most of her friends had bad experiences and birth traumatised them; friends having forceps, c-sec's and one friend receiving 33 stitches!
She was kept in hospital with me for 12 days! she thought this was unnecessary and this started to affect her mood but the wards needed the beds filling up so they didn't look empty. Unfortunately even with all that time in there she wasn't supported with breastfeeding even though it was insisted upon. Once home she couldn't handle engorgement and stopped after two weeks. Going on to feed my brothers and sisters she realised it was the lack of support and education that failed her.
She went in expecting the worst as she knew nothing about the birthing process, she expected a tiny little baby, the size of a toy doll and was really shocked at how big I was even though I was pretty small. She was naive to the process.
My sister born in 1979 was 14 days over due. Again no sweep and this time an actual induction. Her waters were broken at 10.30 am and my Mum was put on an oxytocin drip. I asked her if this made labour worse but for her my birth had been so intense so quick she found induction felt the same. My sister was born without assistance at 1.50 pm.
My mum went on to have another 3 children, the third very traumatic leading to the near death of her (bum first baby), the fourth was quick and natural and the fifth induced, which she described as a slow labour where she wasn't progressing but yet pushing, My brother was born with a very bruised head.
My Mum concluded that with every birth she knew and understood her own body, even the birth that turned in to an emergency. She didn't like interference with her body from Midwives and other professionals and said so, but she has always been one strong willed mamma :-)
My birth surprised me a little as it was more normal than I was expecting but what I think is interesting is that nearly 40 years on, yes I said it I'm nearly 40! that we still have mums being told that they've got hours to go and then delivering. But what I find even more surprising is that the induction process has barely changed at all. My Mum was none the wiser to the process and she wasn't aware that at the time inductions were being hailed as the future of birth. Perhaps she swerved a curve ball by naturally going in to labour with me and I feel happy about that knowing that no drugs entered my system before I'd even entered the world.
So even though she was a scared teenager, not having a clue what to expect, that's how my mum rocked birth in 1977 :-)
