I am so tired

Jenn - well, see there are residents from our program there too ... DH was out there last month on OB rotation ... so, that isn't a big difference.

Good thinking though

Aisha

It's so funny, Aisha, that you are wondering about pros and cons of giving birth at the hospital where a spouse/significant other works...we are also in the middle of trying to figure this one out. We plan to start trying a year from February (I know...ages from now) and I can't decide if I'd like people my husband knows around and if we'd get extra special treatment, or if it would be easy to be at another hospital. He's not OB but medicine and would be an ID fellow at that point.

It would be nice to be around people that know my husband but I also feel like I will be nervous enough as it is...my GYN right now is at another hospital and I really like her. Luckily no decisions have to be made right now!

I'd be curious to hear more about all of your experiences in this area.

Well, I mentioned in one of my earlier posts that DH had mentioned that a resident's wife gave birth a few nights ago and she had lots of ladies from the auxillary group come and visit. Well, I mentioned to him about our discussion and he filled in a little more of the story. Seems that only the nurses and her female attending and husband accompanied the birth ... residents/med students were instructed to steer clear. Soooooo, now I am not so worried.

I have yet another topic to discuss though . Maybe I should have started this in another folder or something, but it is along the same idea I guess . Did anyone have differences of opinions with their husbands about what type of birth they wanted ... i.e. epidurals, pitocin, versus no meds, etc. See, DH and I see the whole experience a little different ... I am a native of Colorado and people joke I am a little "granola" I like my chiropractor (not against MDs by any means as I see my PCP as well) and my herbal teas and alternative therapy. I have always thought I would use a midwife (I know, not smart with DH out delivering babies as we speak). Now, don't get me wrong ... I don't think I am up to having a baby at home (though a very dear friend of mine did this ), but I want something that we can both agree with. How did everyone else handle this? I happen to mention something about a birth plan and DH literally started to giggle ... seems the running joke at the hospital is that the longer the birthplan a lady brings in, the more complications that develop. Ugh, what to do ... can anyone tell their experiences?

Aisha

I've had three births and was so afraid of pain I probably would've asked the OB to give me a bottle of painkillers my 8th month if I thought he'd do it. That said, for my first two I was a good 9 cm dilated by the time I got to the hopsital - as much as I feared pain, I had an unusual tolerance for it. I did ask for an epidural which they did barely in time before the little ones popped out. For my third I was about 4-5 cm dilated and had an epidural in plenty of time. Too chicken for natural. DH wanted me to do what I wanted so it was entirely up to me.

If you want a natural childbirth, by all means prepare yourself for it. But I think the important thing is not to be inflexible. Things do happen and sometimes things go wrong. The important thing is have resources available so that neither you nor your baby will be in danger. There are some midwives who work in a birthing center right next to a hospital so that if something happens you can get the necessary medical attention. As far as I'm concerned, it's not how the baby comes out, it's more important that he/she comes out safely and for you also.

I have a "granola" friend also. She's vegetarian and organic and does yoga, incense and the whole nine yards. But when it came to giving birth, she wanted the utmost in professional medical care. She didn't want any risks to herself or her babies.

[Phoebe]

I'll chime in. I gave birth not during residency, but fellowship at the hospital where my husband works in the NICU. My OB happened to be on call the night I entered the hospital so he was there for the delivery. One of our good friends is an OB resident and was on call that night as well. He let me make the decision if I wanted him to check my labor progress and I asked for him not to because I felt wierd. The nurse did all the dialation checks. Some colleagues of my husband stopped by the day after the baby was born, but they respected our privacy during my labor. Though our daughter was delivered within 6 hours of arriving at the hospital and it was in the middle of the night so no one really knew we were there.

My husband and I didn't really differ in opinion as to how to handle the birth. He left it up to me about receiving medication or not. I had considered using a doula which he also left up to me. In the end, I decided that my husband was satisfactory as a labor coach. I did almost kill him during my labor though. Getting the epidural saved his life!

Jennifer

Jenn -

"I decided that my husband was satisfactory as a labor coach. I did almost kill him during my labor though. Getting the epidural saved his life! " LOLOLOLOL

I love this. I definitely want my husband to be many labor coach ... he is my "going to the dentist to get my teeth cleaned" coach and besides I can't imagine anyone I trust more or knows me better.

I guess I want the best of both worlds ... I want to be in a hospital, but to have the option of doing it without drugs until I decide I want/need them ... then by all means bring them on . I think after the last couple of months on the OB rotations, DH is probably more worried than I am about me giving birth

Thanks for all your insights though ... it really helps put things in perspective!

Aisha