Reply #68: You don't always know who is low risk

[Danmel]

When I had my first child, I'd have been considered low risk. I was 30 years old, in good health, no pregnancy complications, good prenatal care, I ate well, didn't smoke or drink.

I was in labor for almost 24 hours and had not progressed beyond 4 centimeters. I just did not progress at all. I walked, I talked, I did it all- nothing. (And I did not have an epidural so nothing was slowing things down.)

Finally, I had a section- I don't know what would have happened had I been at home- would I have labored for 30 hours, 40 hours? Would the baby have been compromised in some way? Hard to say, but it sure as hell didn't look like I was progressing- after 24 hours I was given pitocin- 2 hours later I was at 5 centimeters- then I got the epidural and the section. I'm fine, my daughter is 14 and an honor roll student. Would it be worth the risk to damage her? I don't think so. Plus it was January and it snowed heavily the day she was born. Had I delivered at home and had she (or I ) needed immediate medical attention, we'd have been stuck.

With my son, I had a sono at 38 weeks because I was VERY large and had only gained 22 pounds- they calculated the fetal weight at about 9 pounds and scheduled me for a section- (since I had had one before, they didn't want me to risk passing such a large baby) (I am only 5 feet talland weigh 120 when I'm not with child.)

Well he was 7-11, but when they took him out the cord was around his neck, chest and thigh. He was triple wrapped. Had I actually gone into labor and he had descended, he'd have strangled. Maybe he'd be a spastic quad, maybe he'd be retarded, maybe he'd have been dead. But he's a bright funny 11 year old and I'm fine.

So statistics can be what they are. Personally, I'm glad I didn't have home births. I probably wouldn't have lived through the first pregnancy to lose the second.