joan@ISM780.UUCP (09/20/85)
I'm curious as to what kinds of birth experiences us
netters have had. All interested parties please answer
this survey and MAIL results to one of these addresses:
cca!ima!ism780!alexander
OR
decvax!vortex!ism780!alexander
Send entries in for as many birth experiences as you
wish (just make sure no one else in your family is
duplicating the entry). I'll collect responses for a
while (how long is while? i don't know.) and then post
some kind of a summary.
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I - GENERAL QUESTIONS
1) When was the birth (what year)? (This question is optional if
you don't want to tell your current age)
2) How old were you at the time?
3) Was this your first child?
4) Boy or Girl?
5) In general, how would describe the whole experience?
Fantastic __
Good __
Neutral __
Bad __
Rotten __
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II - PRENATAL CARE
1) How often did you visit your practitioner:
Early in pregnancy?
Late in pregnancy?
2) Did you take any childbirth/labor classes?
3) Did you do any special exercises?
4) Did you go on a special diet (what kind)?
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III - PRACTITIONER/SITE
1) Where was the baby born?
Hospital __
Birthing Center __
Home __
Other (please specify)
2) Who attended you during labor?
Doctor __
Nurse-midwife __
Lay midwife __
Family member/friend __
Other (please specify)
3) Besides your practitioner, were other friends/family
allowed to be with you?
Not at all __
During labor only __
During labor and delivery __
4) Were you allowed to eat or drink during labor?
(if so, what did you eat/drink?)
5) Were you given an IV?
6) Were you allowed to hold your baby right after s/he was born?
For how long?
7) Did you nurse your baby right after s/he was born?
8) Was the baby kept in the same room with you or in a nursery?
If s/he was kept in a nursery, was there a strict feeding schedule?
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IV - LABOR
1) What was your first labor "symptom"?
Breaking of waters __
Contractions __
Bloody "show" __
Other (please specify)
2) How long was each phase of labor:
First stage (from beginning until full dilation was reached)?
Second stage (from end of first stage until baby was born)?
Third stage (delivery of afterbirth)?
3) Did you use some kind of "method" (Lamaze, Bradley, etc.) during labor?
If so, what method?
4) What position(s) did you assume during labor? (check as many as apply)
Sitting __
Squatting __
Hands and knees __
Standing __
Walking __
Laying on back __
Laying on side __
Others (please specify)
5) In general, how would you describe your labor?
Excruciating __
Painful __
More hard work than pain __
Fairly easy __
Piece of cake __
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V - END PRODUCT
1) How much did your baby(s) weigh?
2) What was his/her first Apgar score?
3) What was the last Apgar score?
4) How far before/after the due date was s/he?
5) How long did you nurse your baby?
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VI - MEDICAL PROCEDURES
1) Were any of the following used/performed during your pregnancy/birth?
Pubic shave __
Enema __
Artificial rupture of waters __
Induction of labor __
Augmentation of labor using hormones __
Induced dilation __
Fetal monitor:
Internal __ External __
Anasthesia/analgesia (what kind?) __
Episiotomy:
As the baby's head was crowning __ Earlier in labor __
Forceps delivery:
High __ Middle __ Low __
Vaccuum extraction __
Manual extraction of afterbirth __
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VII - RISKS/COMPLICATIONS
1) Did any "high-risk" situations apply to your pregnancy?
Age (over 35) __
Age (under 16) __
Anemia __
Diabetes __
Hypertension/Toxemia __
Rh factor __
Multiple Pregnancy __
Other (please specify)
2) Did any complications occur during labor/delivery?
Premature birth __
Breech birth (what type? attempt made to turn it? succesfully?)
Placenta previa (placenta blocking cervical opening) __
Premature separation of placenta __
Amniotic fluid infection __
Premature rupture of waters __
CPD (baby too large, pelvis too small) __
Prolapsed cord __
Stillbirth __
Birth defects (please specify)
Other (please specify)
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VIII - CAESAREAN SECTION
1) Was a C/SEC performed? Why was it needed?
2) Was it a repeat C/SEC (no other indication for it except that you'd
had a C/SEC in the past)? If so, did you have a trial labor?
3) Did you have a vaginal delivery this time after
having a C/SEC in the past?
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IX - COMMENTS (I wanna hear anything you wanna tell me)
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Thank you for sharing.
******************************************************************************
Joan "the VMS group is moving mountains" Alexander
Interactive Systems,
Santa Monica, CA
cca!ima!ism780!alexander
decvax!vortex!ism780!alexander
"Opinions expressed herein were not mine originally, but
were forced on me at gunpoint by the Interactive Systems
Corporation"