As I sat in my first prenatal appointment, I felt nerves begin to take over. Even though I was just a few weeks in, I was already feeling fiercely protective of my baby. I had gone through fertility treatments to get her, and I wanted to do everything I could to protect her.
As I thought about the future—specifically about how I wanted to meet her—the experiences of two friends weighed on me. Like so many women, they had been induced in a hospital and ended up in emergency C-sections with distressed babies. I did not want that for us.
So I opted to deliver in a birth center—an alternative that made me feel better than either a traditional hospital or birthing at home. I liked the support that a birth center offered, without the push for interventions like you may get in a hospital. But of course, as with anything and especially with childbirth, things don’t always go according to plan. I ended up having to transfer to a hospital to give birth. Even though it wasn’t what I originally wanted, the transfer went smoothly—and in the end, I really came to appreciate it.
I liked the support that a birth center offered, without the push for interventions like you may get in a hospital.
There were two birth centers in my area, but only one of them was close to me, so I made an appointment for a tour early on in my pregnancy. Walking in, I was quickly put at ease. The suites’ ceilings sparkled with lights, and they had large bathtubs. It was calming and beautiful. Cozy furniture and blankets outlined the space. I sank into the couch as I settled into the midwife’s office. She began to tell me more about the center and what I could expect. Everything sounded great until she explained that in some cases, a transfer to a hospital is needed.
My heart nearly stopped: “Why would that happen? How would that work?”
She went on to explain how certain conditions make a transfer necessary: fever, prolonged rupture of membranes, or high blood pressure. I pictured the transfer as a worst-case scenario, something the laboring person isn’t on board with. But sometimes, she said, women just get worn out and decide they want to get some rest and pain relief through the hospital.
She assured me that rarely were transfers necessary—this birth center’s transfer rate was 15 percent. As I went through the birthing classes at the center, I gained confidence with each technique I learned. “I can get through this!” I thought, as they described how to deal with contractions and have a vaginal birth. My husband practiced the different ways that he could help me. I made contact with a doula for support. We were all set for our little girl to arrive.
That meant all of our plans were changed, but at that point, I found I was no longer clinging to those plans, and to my surprise, I wasn’t desperate to avoid the hospital. I just wanted to get some relief and get my baby out safely.
At two days before I hit 41 weeks pregnant, I went into labor. The contractions intensified and we decided it was time to go into the birth center.
As I approached 24 hours in labor, I had not progressed much. I felt helpless. My body was failing me yet again. Even though my husband and doula encouraged me to move around to help labor progress, all I wanted to do was lie in place. The contractions were becoming unbearable and I was exhausted. They took my temperature and found it to be elevated. I knew that a fever meant a transfer, so I wasn’t surprised when my midwife told me I needed to go to the hospital. That meant all of our plans were changed, but at that point, I found I was no longer clinging to those plans, and to my surprise, I wasn’t desperate to avoid the hospital. I just wanted to get some relief and get my baby out safely.
My midwife prepared me for what was to come when I arrived: “They will want to give you Pitocin and an epidural when you get there,” she told me. “It is up to you, but I would recommend getting those. You’ve been in labor a long time and could use the help.” At this point, it was all about getting the baby and me through the rest of labor safely.
When my husband needed a break, the student midwives who accompanied me to the hospital held my hand and helped me through contractions.
Just getting up and getting dressed took a lot of energy. Every time I moved, I had another contraction and I was exhausted. With each movement, I was further convinced about my need to go to the hospital. My husband packed up our stuff and helped me with each step out to the car. Once I was in the car, my body flipped into survival mode and actually slowed down my contractions. Every bump during the 15-minute drive hurt and made me cringe. It was an immense relief once we made it to the hospital.
The memory of hospital check-in is pretty fuzzy, but it was fast since I was already in the system. When my husband needed a break, the student midwives who accompanied me to the hospital held my hand and helped me through contractions. Once I started pushing, it only took about 40 minutes for her to enter the world. I am grateful that I ended up in the hospital because I tore pretty badly as she exited. Immediately after I delivered the placenta, I was taken away to be knocked out and stitched up. I had a lot of internal tearing, too, and I had lost so much blood that I needed two blood transfusions and to get my levels up before they could release me. Once again, I was grateful to be in the hospital’s care given these unforeseen challenges.
Even though I ended up in the hospital, I am glad that I chose a birth center. The information and support the center gave me helped get me through labor and my entire experience. If not for that knowledge, my husband and I would have probably done the entire thing on our own. By starting in the birth center, I learned about the importance of a doula and also had the support of the midwife students in the hospital. Tearing was pretty traumatic, and having this support, especially for my husband, was invaluable. By ending up in the hospital, I also came out of it having a new appreciation for Pitocin and epidurals. While they may be unnecessary in some cases, they were needed in mine.
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