General Discussion

The first pregnancy - 3 weeks past due date -I was in labor for close to 48 hours including 8 hours on pitocin. They finally took me up to x-ray and found cephalopelvic disproportion. Second pregnancy I went into labor 6 weeks early because I had been throwing furniture around trying to save it from a broken pipe. The doctor gave me a test of labor for a few hours and then advised a c-section because again labor wasn't progressing. I went into shock from that surgery. My tiny daughter and I survived. Third pregnancy, I went into labor when my water broke on my exact due date - there was meconium in the amnionic fluid. Had an emergency c-section. The umbilical cord was wrapped around my son's neck and he was suffocating. He would have died if I didn't have the surgery. For my 4th pregnancy I insisted to go through a test of labor. My regular doc was on vacation. I refused to sign the consent form for surgery. The doctor on call called my doc who spoke with me on the phone. He had delivered my last child. He told me that my uterus was "paper thin" and that there was a severe risk of it rupturing.

He sounded frantic. I trusted him and agreed to the c-section. At the time I was a medical herbalist - I had had a bit of education and training but not so much that I would ever go against a competent doctors advice - I was taught that in my training. In this instance I think the doula was considering philosophical reasons and not necessarily what was best for the mother and baby.

We tied my tubes during my fourth c-section delivery.

Note: this is just my experience, but I do understand how the doctor and hospital were covering themselves in this instance.