My Grandma's Birth Story
My grandmother had three children from 1949 through 1956, and this past week she shared with me her birth story. I should also note that I asked her about two months ago if she remembered what Braxton Hicks contractions felt like- she kinda chuckled and said, "We didn't have that sort of thing back then."
She started her birth story by telling me that "back then it was very different." She was in the labor room smoking a cigarette when a nurse came in. The nurse said, "Alright, Mrs. G, it's time to put that cigarette out," to which my grandma replied, "Why?" The nurse said, "Because I'm going to give you a shot and you're going to go to sleep." My grandma promptly put our her cigarette, and was sedated. Some time later, she woke up to a nurse vigorously massaging her abdomen. She commented to the nurse, "Boy I really wish this would be over, already." The nurse replied, "Mrs. G, you had your baby almost two hours ago!"
posted by Anonymommy @ 10:05 PM
6 comments
6 Comments:
My mother told me that this being-put-to-sleep for the birth thing is what my grandmother did as well. She said the body does what it needs to do.
Are things looking good for a Chanukah birth (before the end of 2005)? Whatever the case, b'sha'ah tovah!
Twilight Sleep birthing is one thing I'm very happy American society has left behind...
Thanks shanna for providing the term. I looked it up and learned a lot.
My grandmother also had three children in those years (1949 through 1953) in New York City and she didn't do the twilight sleep birthing. She was part of a study about making birth less scary by giving the expectant mothers tours of the labor and delivery rooms. I know she was planning on giving birth without drugs, but I think she couldn't in the end, because her first births were twins and her last was my very premature aunt and there were some complications. In any case, there were alternatives to twilight sleep birthing in some hospitals in NYC in those years. B'sha'ah tova!
As much as the pain was pretty bad I'm not sure if I would have wanted to sleep through the most beautiful experience of my life...
Your grandmother sounds like one tough lady. If my own grandma were still alive, I can just imagine the stories she would tell. :)
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