When my son was born he was 6 weeks early and came unexpectedly. I was 34 weeks pregnant and began to have contractions. I went to the doctor's office and was given a stress test. My son was displaying signs of distress and I was told to go immediately to the hospital and check myself in. He was born later that afternoon via emergency C-Section. His Apgar scores were not good and he was immediately removed from the delivery room and taken to the NICU. His was grey, his breathing was shallow and he was weakening quickly. Since, I had a c-section I was unable to get on my feet and my son and I spent his day of life apart. This was very difficult as we were missing those initial moments of bonding. The next day he was diagnosed with phenumonia and placed on a respirator. I was told by his doctor that they did not expect him to make it through the day. This was a very emotional time for both myself and my family. By the grace of God he began to improve in about 4 days and began to get stronger. I remember at the time being so very thankful that he had been born here in the United States where the dedication and education of the physicians caring for him made the difference between life and death.
As I did some research on options for emergency deliveries in Haiti I quickly realized that my son would not have survived there. First of all there are not ambulances or medical personnel that can come to you, hospitals are very few and often staffed by volunteers and limited medical professionals. C-sctions are performed as a last resort often by those who have been trained in a different medical field or are inexperienced in the procedure. Typically woman who are unable to deliver their child naturally do not survive childbirth. Even if you are lucky enough to find someone why can perform a reliable c-section the chances of the baby surviving if it is not healthy are very low. Some of the volunteer doctors have been trained in infant resuscitation but the infant needs to be strong enough to survive on their own. It truly saddens me that not all children have access to medical care and makes me even more appreciative for the access to medical care for those of us who live in the United States.
I think that you would be surprised that not all children have access to medical care in the United States. Where I live the the hospital that is in our community serves a region. Mothers that are pregnant in our villages have to fly into the hub in order to wait to have their babies. Our hospital does not do any types of surgeries which includes c-sections and does not give epidurals. If there are any emergencies during your labor you are medi-vac'd out on a small airplane. There are not obgyn's for mothers in our region and prenatal care is very limited in our villages. It is sad that this is happening in the United States.
ReplyDeleteIt is a tragedy that women are still dying in childbirth. We have made so many advances in medical technology it is so discouraging that only the rich have access to it. Women like us in the US are really blessed I guess. I am really glad that your son had access to the care he needed and everything worked out for you.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great story!!! It's always touching to hear such a great story. After doing my research in many cultures they don't have the doctors or resources like we do so many of them loose their kids. We are so fortunate that we are able to become parents.
ReplyDeleteWow, that is an amazing experience. I actually went through the loss of a child, so I know exactly how you felt. I glad that your son survived and was given the gift to experience life. We often take our privileges for granted, but your experience is just one more reason for us to remember what a blessing it is to live in the United States.
ReplyDeleteUntil you actually spend time in a NICU no one can ever describe it accurately. The sleepless nights, the worrying, the second guessing of yourself, it’s all of that and more. Been there and wouldn’t wish that for anyone to experience. On a more positive note, the nurses in the NICU you took great care of my son. They were professional, hardworking and answered all 2000 of my questions. I could never repay them for the love and support they showed me and my family. Happy to hear your son is doing well.
ReplyDeleteMichelle,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your story it was very enlightening my C-section was an emergency as well my daughter was not coming down the birth canal and had the potential of being in distress. They performed it successfully. I could not imagine not having the proper medical care needed for a C-section nor not having the proper doctor care. It makes me realize how blessed we are.
Michelle,
ReplyDeleteI researched Chinese birthing norms, and they do not perform a lot of cesarean sections there either. I think the US is one of the only places that does so many. I enjoyed your birthing story, it sounds like your baby was a fighter! Great post.
Michelle,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your story and happy to hear your son is doing well. My nieces were both born preterm and spent time in the NICU. I can only imagine what you, my sister, and other parents go through during such a difficult time.
Thanks again for sharing,
Elizabeth
I enjoyed reading your birth experience I think you are a very strong person to be able to spring back from such a experience.I glad you'll are doing good.
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