I was greatly disappointed in the 'delivery' of Ka...

I was greatly disappointed in the 'delivery' of Kate Pearce. She did everything right up until my baby was crowning. At which point she looked me in the eyes and said, "This is what you wanted isn't it," in a very snooty tone. I was of course in the middle of labor and had no mental capacity to respond to such a negative statement at such a pivotal time. She then proceeded to guide me into a reclining bed chair and further instructed me to lay on my back. This of course closes the birthing canal making it near impossible for any woman to give birth comfortably. I was of course still unable to communicate or even resist for that matter, and I eased myself onto the bed/chair. However I mustered up all my power and kept myself propped up in a 'crab' position so as to keep my pelvic door open. Kate Pearce then decided it would be advantageous to me and the baby if she instructed me to 'push until I was purple.' Of course that only serves to rupture blood vessels and decrease the oxygen supply to the baby. I was trying to breathe and oh was I in pain. All I wanted to do was change positions. But she kept telling me to push harder and keep on pushing. Finally about 10 to 15 minutes into this I had enough. I simply turned myself over onto all fours and within 2 contractions my baby girl just flowed out so smoothly. Beautiful. Painless. (except for the agonizing 15 minutes the midwife had me reclining and purple pushing). Then to top it all off, she didn't even know how to hand the baby up to me, since she was apparently unfamiliar with the very familiar position of giving birth on all fours.

A disgrace to her and her associates if you ask me. Birth is a beautiful and ultimately pain free experience when we as women are properly prepared for the birthing process. If you are in the profession of birth giving, then it would behoove you to be comfortable with assisting in a multiple position birthing process.

So that I blame on her. However, it is just as much my fault for giving her that power. I could have put myself onto all fours from the beginning. And I could have more clearly reviewed with her the false ideas that have been propagated into mainstream society in regards to giving birth, and maybe she wouldn't have been repeatedly encouraging me to 'push until I was purple.'

The hospital staff at Cayuga Medical did a wonderful job in supporting our birth plan. I felt very comfortable having a natural birth in a place that would be able to respond in a heartbeat if anything should have happened to go wrong. I am of course very grateful for everyone that helped, especially the nurse that drizzled the water over my back when I was in the whirlpool tub. Thank you. Perhaps it would be beneficial if there were birthing position posters in the birthing rooms. Also, a doctor or midwife should not be giving birth if they are not physically capable of kneeling down and being able to properly support an active birth the way it comfortably happens. Your in this profession because you love the miracle of life and want to be a part of bringing babies into this world. Make sure you are taking this responsibility to heart and learn that birth is supposed to be a majestic and meditative state free of chemical and hormonal interruptions so that the baby and the mothers body can do that which they are naturally made to do. And give thanks that you have the knowledge and tools to save lives in the cases of emergency. But don't prepare a pregnant woman and her baby to need interventions just because. Prepare them to have a confidant and comfortable birth.

Perhaps the new midwife, Lucy Chapin, could provide a seminar and training so that the other midwives and doctors are able to prepare a woman to have the proper mentality and meditative know how to permit their bodies to naturally and relatively painlessly open up to birth.