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Each mom has a unique birthing story. Some are happy, some are emotional, while some can bring about birth trauma. Read Mommy Yvette’s unpleasant experience when she was about to give birth for the first time.
What can you read in this article?
- Birth trauma: a first-time mom’s bad experience in the labor room.
- How Mommy Yvette and hubby handled the negative experience.
- Realizations of a first-time mom
The 36th week of my pregnancy
As parents, we all want the best for our little one – beginning with giving birth to her safely. While my child came out safe and healthy, I still cannot forget the horrible experience I had in the labor room when I was about to give birth.
I was on the 36th week of my pregnancy when I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM). My husband and I suspected that we got a wrong diagnosis as I was fasting for more than 10 hours, which can really cause your blood sugar to spike up.
However, my endocrinologist said that we cannot repeat my glucose tolerance test because I was on full term already. She just advised me to go on a strict diet.
At the same time, our OB-Gynecologist told us that normal delivery might not be possible because my baby was still in a frank breech position. At that time, we hoped that the baby would change her position so we can have a normal delivery, as planned.
On the 38th week of my pregnancy
I had my ultrasound on my 38th week, and we found out that my baby didn’t move an inch! She was still in a frank breech position, so a normal delivery was out of the question.
Image from Pexels
Honestly, I prepared myself for normal delivery. We even went to a birth class seminar for that and did exercises too. I felt really excited and finding out that I won’t be able to apply what I learn made me sad.
But having a very supportive husband is a blessing. He explained that whatever type of delivery I have doesn’t change the fact that I am a soon-to-be mom and that I am doing a great job. And so we decided to schedule my cesarean delivery for the following day.
The day started very smooth-sailing for us. We prepared the things we needed, reserved our hospital room, and even had a very hearty dinner at around 6:00 p.m. as I was only given until 10:00 p.m. to eat for a 6:00 a.m. procedure the following day.
Everything was going well until I was admitted and led to the labor room where they can monitor me and the baby.
Birth trauma: the horrible experience in the labor room
At around 8:0o, one of the hospital staff asked to do an internal examination (IE) to check if there is any chance for a normal delivery. I had a negative feeling about this, and I got a little scared because it never occurred to me that I needed to go through it.
My OB didn’t tell us about it, but being a first-time mom, I didn’t question them either. At that time, I trusted them enough. So the staff confirmed that my cervix hasn’t dilated and was just 1 cm at the time.
I thought that it was going to end there until they did another IE and another and another, and I got a total of four IEs from these three resident staff. On the second IE I was already bleeding. I was trying hard not to cry but it was really painful.
This brought me so much distress and my cervix to open to about 4 cm(but I still did not feel any labor pain). Imagine the feeling of squeezing your abdomen down to prove that they were feeling something hard inside and already assumed that it might be the head! It still brings me tears and trauma whenever I remember that incident.
Image from the author
I spoke to my husband, already teary-eyed but not trying to lose it as I didn’t want my baby to lose it too. My husband was furious. That’s when these residents finally decided to call a sonographer to do a final ultrasound. (They knew that I was scheduled for emergency CS but still did 4 IEs on me.)
The sonologist confirmed that the baby is frank breech and the hard part that they are feeling was the tailbone of my baby! I was trying to hold my tears and the sonologist saw that and told me to relax as I knew these resident staff forced my cervix to dilate.
I felt the tension because the sonologist was scolding the residents for not checking the records first and calling my OB-GYN. She told them that I shouldn’t be this stressed as it’s dangerous to deliver a baby butt first in a normal delivery.
At that point, I was already praying hard to have a safe delivery and for my child not to have any complications at birth.
READ MORE:
Para sa mga first-time parent na may pangamba, hindi kayo nag-iisa
#AskDok: 13 bagay na dapat mong malaman tungkol sa panganganak ng cesarean delivery
Despite the birth trauma, a blessing
So they already put me to bed and waited until my scheduled cesarean delivery, November 18, 2019, to deliver my child.
My OB-GYN came and did the procedure. At 6:30 a.m., a healthy and normal baby girl was out via C-section. She was so beautiful and I cannot put into words how blessed I am for this responsibility.
I believe that on that day, God was protecting me and our baby. And at that moment, she’s all I wanted to see. Suddenly all the pain I have experienced with the IEs didn’t matter.
When I was already in my hospital room, my husband spoke with my OB-GYN and told her about my experience. We expressed our disappointment and my trauma.
My OB explained that an IE was part of their standard operating position for all their pregnant patients. She also apologized and told us that she will speak to the residents who assisted me.
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Image from the author
Realization of a first-time mom
I have since recovered from the trauma I had when I was about to give birth. However, I felt like I still needed to share this story of my first pregnancy and my experience in the labor room.
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Just like other birthing stories, we all have realizations.
What I’ve learned about that experience is to always, always ask when in doubt. I know being a first-time mom has a lot of what-ifs during their delivery, but it’s better to know your rights when having a procedure in the hospital especially if it’s a major operation.
Image from the author
And I hope you also learn something from my story. I know some moms may feel triggered because of this and I am with you! It has been 18 months and I can still narrate it like it just happened yesterday!
If you are wondering what happened to those resident staff, we actually never heard about them nor contacted by my OB-GYN. I never went back and I have a new OB-GYN now.
My daughter is now 18 months old and she has been so amazing since then. Whenever I look at her, I still thank God for keeping us safe on that unforgettable night.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
When Yvette Manangan became a mom, she realized that she needs twice the amount of energy and patience in taking care of her one-year-old daughter. Since then, she has also learned to multitask – reading articles while her toddler is breastfeeding, and doing chores while her child is taking a nap.
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