I would like to share my personal birth experience of my
last child. First of all I was
forty-four when I gave birth to him.
Because of my age I was considered at risk. I was offered the amniocentesis to check for
downs syndrome. I declined, because the
test was invasive and carries a small risk of miscarriage. During my entire pregnancy I felt like a
scientific experiment. Somewhere around
my 24th or 28th week I had a glucose screening and was
told I had gestational diabetes. At that
time I was told that my baby could be born weighing more than averaged. I changed my diet and checked by blood sugar
daily. I guess sometime around my 8th
month I was told my baby weighed around nine pounds and it would be best that
my labor be induced. On October 14th
2006 I gave birth to a six pound baby boy.
Yes, six pounds. I was very
upset.
Now, let me tell you about my labor. I choose to have an epidural because it
worked so well during my first labor experience. This time it didn’t work. Prior to receiving the useless needle in my
spine, I told the nurse that my first baby came quickly and to be prepared for
this one to do the same. I can’t recall
how much I had dilated the last time the nurse checked, but I know it wasn’t enough
to concern anyone. About five minutes
after she walked away I went into full blown labor. They were saying over and
over DON’T PUSH! It was a very weird experience. My body completely took over and I had no
control. The baby was out and the nurse
barley caught it. The table wasn’t ready
and when the doctor came in it was over.
My husband said they barely caught him as he was entering this world for
the first time. My baby is now six years
old and will be in first grade this fall.
I choose this to
write about the care I received because I received more treatment during my pregnancy due to my age. Yet I am grateful but it so
overwhelming. In some countries I would not have received this amount of
care. Although I choose not to have the
amniocentesis
it was available and could have detected a
genetic disorder.
Botswana
In this region
of the world it is common for mothers to have HIV and pass it on to their new
born. There are programs in place to
test mothers for HIV when they are pregnant.
Botswana has the highest HIV infection rate in the world. Having HIV is considered an at risk pregnancy. My pregnancy was also considered at risk
because I was older and was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. The doctors in Botswana take precautions by
offering special tests and provide medicine to the mom and child to prevent
the transmission of the disease to the baby.
My doctors required me to check my blood sugar daily to maintain a certain sugar level to prevent any
other health risks.
“Botswana's Prevention of
Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT)
program is being heralded as one of Africa's best examples of how a developing
country can save babies from acquiring the deadly virus. Recent surveys show
that Botswana has been successful in reducing the rate of HIV transmission from
mother to child to less than 4 percent, representing the first time that a
developing country with a high prevalence of HIV can lower transmission rates
to those in Western nations... 32 percent of its pregnant women are
HIV-positive.” http://www.cdc.gov/botusa/news/1107/page_01.html
(retrieved 7-6-2013)
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