Childbirth In Your Life and Around the World

I have three children and they all were preemies! 

Ashton (8) was born @ 29 weeks weighing 2lbs11ozs

Cailah (7) was born @ 34 weeks weighing 4lbs1oz

Courtney (4) was born @ 28 weeks weighing 1lb14ozs

They are my miracle babies!

Their Story

At 32 weeks Cailah had run out of amniotic fluid and the doctors felt it was time to deliver. She was smart enough to position her body the a location where only 2cm of fluid was left! (face down hammock style)

Ashton and Courtney's births are somewhat similar. With both of them, I was seen by a perinatologist and had to go to the doctors for a check up twice a week until delivery.  These doctors specialize in the care of the fetus during complicated high-risk pregnancies. The team of doctors are the most amazing people I have ever met. They truly care about you and want to make sure of a healthy delivery.

Before giving birth to Ashton and Courtney, I was hospitalized. With Ashton a month and Courtney two months. 

  I development preeclampsia during my 28th week with Ashton. This is when your blood pressure is extremely elevated and protein is in the urine. As a result, my kidneys started to shut down. I was placed on magniesium which helps lower your pressure. I was also given steroids to help his lungs development because he was going to be born early. As the doctors put me in labor, his heart rate began to drop so they decided to give me an emergency c-section. I was whisked away to the operating room when he started to flatline. I was scared out of my mind! No time for an epidural, I was given a gas mask and the last thing I remember was he had no heartbeat before I went under!

When I came to, I was told by the nurses that he was in the NICU and doing fine but I was not going to be able to see him for three days due to the medicine they had given me prior to the birth. I was livid, but understood I had to do what was best for me at the time. One of the nurses was nice enough to go and take a picture of him for me because I was having a hard time producing milk. The picture helped a little bit but not much. It is funny how the body works. On the third day, I was allowed to go see him. The nurse in the NICU asked if I wanted to hold him and I was elated. The moment he was in my arms I had to give him right back because my milk had come in! I breastfed all of children. After a long month and a half in the NICU, I was able to take him home!

  

Courtney's story is a little different. Around 21 weeks, during a routine check up, the doctor discovered that her umbilical cord was not working. As a result, I was sent immediately to Labor and Delivery where the same doctor met me an hour later. Once I was settled in my room, my doctor tested me for a number of things, which all came back negative. They determined that it was best for me to stay in the hospital under their care. Jumping forward two months later, her cord completely stopped working all of a sudden and yet again I was rushed to the ER, put to sleep and delivered. Courtney stayed in the NICU for a little over two months before benign released. Although my two oldest were young it was hard to leave them most of the day to be with their new baby sister. Because strict hospital roles, they were not allowed to visit the NICU and did not meet the newest member of our family until we brought her home!

The doctors and staff at all three hospitals were amazing. They treated me like family and made my stay as well as the babies much easier to deal with. Although these births we difficult and very emotional for my spouse and I, we got through it and have three beautiful children who are determined to make their mark on the world! 

Germany

I chose Germany because I visited there a year ago!

In Germany, pre-natal checks are normally performed by OB/GYN doctors and midwives. Check ups are once a month until 32 weeks then increased to every two weeks until the baby is born. Three ultrasounds are performed in each trimester. During weeks 10-12, the mother is given a Mutterpass (Expat Parents Network, 2012). This is a booklet that contains due dates, blood test results, and details about checkups. After week 15, most expecting parents take classes. Even if it is not their first child. Germans see this as a great opportunity to meet others. 

"In Germany, midwives play a larger role than in some other countries (Expat Parents Network, 2012)." One can have your own or request one from the hospital. Most women go the outpatient to have their baby. They go home the same day after giving birth and are taken care of by a midwife. Others chose to stay for couple of days before being released. Women can also go to a birth house or just stay at home. In the hospital, there are 2-4 women in a room with no dividing curtains and the baby stays with you (Expat Parents Network, 2012). They use the same pain relief as the US, like epidurals, water births, and acupuncture. After giving birth, there are specific classes you can attend (often with baby), called "Rückbildungsgymnastik". These classes help new mothers in dealing with their baby. 

References

Having a Baby. (2012). . Retrieved September 4, 2015, 

from http://www.expatbabies.com/frankfurt/need-to-know/health-medical/having-a-baby/1259/