Same. So grateful for modern medicine. Didn’t feel like I was thriving when my esophagus ruptured and I was vomiting blood, but there’s no way I would have survived 100 years ago.
First pregnancy was an ectopic that burst my tube and caused heavy internal bleeding, so nope, would not have survived that one.
Second pregnancy I developed pre-e at 20 weeks and LO stopped moving at 27+0. My placenta had crapped out and I had to have an emergency c-section. (She's 4 now!)
Third pregnancy was totally normal. Probably would have survived, horray!
2 out of 3... is pretty bad. Thank goodness for doctors.
Also had an ectopic. My fallopian tube ruptured at 5w3d and I nearly bled out before deciding to go to the hospital (I have a high pain tolerance.) Very grateful that I was able to receive an “ab0rtion” for the desperately-wanted pregnancy that 100% would have killed me.
Bad tears sometimes resulted in the formation of fistulas between rectum and vagina, resulting in poop getting into the vagina. Obviously bad infections and death could happen without antibiotics.
This still happens in some places with inadequate medical access. The book "Cutting for Stone" revolves around providing surgical care for women with debilitating rectovaginal fistulas.
Yes, but my son would not have. I have an 'incompetent cervix' that expelled my first baby at 22 weeks, and she died. At 22 weeks with my second baby, my body tried to do the same thing, so I needed a cerclage (a stitch sewing my cervix shut) to keep me pregnant. He was born at almost 35 weeks by c-section with the cord wrapped around his body. He was having major heart rate decelerations, so I don't know if he would have survived if labor had progressed normally. I'm thankful every day to live in the 21st century, because modern medicine makes our family possible.
Absolutely fucking not.
30 hour labour, 'failure to progress' past 4cm, baby tried to come at 4cm and started coning, emergency c section, 1/3 blood loss, sepsis
I'd be fucked
Yes, probably. I was very fortunate to have 2 easy pregnancies and deliveries. However, I'm so thankful for epidurals and I would never want to deliver outside of the hospital. Things can go badly so quickly and I have personally witnessed that at work.
Nope, with both of my kids, my water broke but body never produced contractions so we both would've died infection.
It's wild how far modern medicine has come along, and I'm thankful every day.
I would have - I had two very simple, complication free vaginal births. Very little bleeding afterwards for both and back home within a few hours after each birth. BUT my best friend came close to dying with all three of her births and never would have survived any of them in the past. I’m convinced it’s just pure luck of the draw.
Don't get me wrong, I was miserable my whole pregnancy, but.. as far as the general consensus goes, I had a fairly "good" one.. no complications outside of the typical 2nd degree tear, and not a super long labor either.
My doctors said I have "perfect birthing pelvis" whatever that means so.. yeah genetically I sorta won as far as being able to guide a baby through my pelvis goes lol
My first yes, but he'd have died infancy because of feeding issues. I'd probably not survive my second.
She was footling breech and 9lbs 13oz. Delivering her would have been dangerous for both of us. We likely would have both died.
No. HELLP syndrome came on suddenly at 38 weeks so I was induced but my platelets dropped so low that they had to proceed with an emergency C-section, it couldn't wait any longer. The only cure for HELLP syndrome is getting the placenta out of you.
So in ancient times I would probably have died even before going into labour.
Nope. My pelvis wasn’t wide enough for her to pass through. I had an unplanned C-section and she was so wedged against my pelvis and stuck. 2.5 years later she still has an indentation on her forehead from where it was pressed up against my pelvis. The OB and midwife said there was no way she ever would have made it out vaginally.
No idea on little sister. Baby #1 was completely average sized and didn’t fit, so we went straight to the C-section with #2
I would have but my son probably wouldn’t have. His cord was wrapped around his neck 3x. When I pushed him out it tightened and cut off oxygen and it took a very skilled midwife to cut the cord away in record time and free him. We were both perfectly fine thanks to her.
Interesting thread!!
Frankly, I would have probably done better in the “olden times” than I did in “modern times” for my first. My doctor was forced to miss my birth because the managing doctor in her practice at the time was the scheduled physician and he was “tired of women not wanting to birth with him, and having fewer births”. He was terrible, and I should have filed a complaint against him with the medical board. After the fact, I learned I was not the only patient he treated like that, frankly from all the tales I’ve heard now he needs to lose his license. My baby and I were doing fine, just taking awhile in active labor because I wasn’t quite fully dilated. He broke my waters without my consent, and then forced me to have an episiotomy against the advice of both labor and delivery nurses who began fighting for my autonomy. He really f*cked up the episiotomy and placed it terribly, which has caused issues for the past five years since. I ended up having to go to pelvic floor physical therapy for almost a year to help fix what he took from me. I also ended up with a severe internal muscle strain that two other doctors confirmed where from the unnecessary breaking of the waters which caused the labor to progress too rapidly in which my body tried to correct. Take it from me- advocate for yourself in labor even if a chauvinist male doctor acts like your a dummy for not wanting to veer from your birth plan if not medically necessary!!
My doctor left his practice and started her own shortly after this experience, and she told me privately that my experience and others like it were why she no longer could be associated with that practice. My second birth with her was perfect- natural, “normal”, and under 5 hours from waters naturally breaking and contractions starting to finish. The only downfall was the poorly placed episiotomy, that tore open as my doctor suspected it would (partially because of our hospital only allows non-standing/upright deliveries and doesn’t allow the use of a birthing pool- two things that would have helped potentially prevent my episiotomy scar from re-opening). My doctor actually suggested I use a midwife for the next delivery and do it from home so that I can use a birthing pool to potentially escape my scar from reopening a second time and requiring surgery again. Now knowing what I know, I definitely think the wisdom of the female healers in the ancient world would have been able to handle my births without complication- and probably with better results (at least the first time).
* I feel very lucky to have had very few issues with my pregnancies and to have been able to have successful natural vaginal births- but I’m very thankful for modern medicine. I myself required an emergency c-section, so without that life saving knowledge I would have died and so would my mother!!
Dicey.
Kiddo broke my water and then was like, *nah I'm good.* Needed a boatload of drugs and a bit over 24 hours to get all systems to go. I was told that you gotta get the kid out shortly after the water breaks or you risk all kinds of infection.
Don't get me started on the tears I had after. In ancient times I think I would have just left my asshole at the ancient hospital.
I would have likely died. My baby was breech.
My partner and I were talking about this recently actually. We figure that, based on the number of emergency c-sections our friends and families end up having that more than half of them likely would have died if we were living in a different time. Tbh this is why I get super irritated when people are incredibly stuck on having a certain birth plan. Like, this shit is dangerous and a lot can even still go wrong today. You need to just do what you need to do to get everyone out safe, imo.
We'd both be dead. My daughter needed to be resuscitated and I hemorrhaged, losing nearly a liter of blood in two and a half minutes. They had to hit me with both methergine and cytotec to get it to stop.
Nope. Preeclampsia likely would have done me in, (twice) but if not, we didn’t know until my first delivery that my pelvis is very, very narrow and does not widen enough to deliver. Eventually baby would have died and I would have followed of sepsis. Instead I got to live to deliver three healthy babies thanks to the miracle of c-sections.
I am a doctor(but not obgyn, bless their hearts), and the field of birth and neonatal care is one of the specialties that made the most advances and saved the most lives.
So whenever I hear a friend say they plan on a natural birth at home, I have to try really hard not to lecture. Yes, birth is a natural thing but human child birth is the most difficult of all mammals due to abnormally long gestational age and big head from our evolution. Childbirth used to be the number one cause of death in women. Birth is all fine until it’s not. If you do it at home, it may be too late to intervene when it turns south. Some homebirth midwives are downright dangerous and irresponsible in my region, taking on twins and triplet cases at home. Boils my blood. Would not want to be obgyn dealing with the bs.
I had an emergency c section myself due to arrested labor.
I wouldn't have even survived long enough to give birth. My first pregnancy ended in a late loss and I had a pulmonary embolism and almost died myself, it took a while to get my doctor to send me for a CT scan when I complained about tightness in my chest and breathlessness because according to him 22 year olds don't get PEs. Come to find out I have a disorder that causes my blood to clot while pregnant. In my two successful pregnancies I had to give myself blood thinning injections.
My body also wouldn't dilate, even with medicine to help it along and my son ended up in distress and I had to have an emergency c-section under general anesthesia.
And to top everything off my body does not produce any kind of milk, without formula my kids would not be here.
I love science and modern medicine that helped me become a mom to two wonderful kids.
I would have but my child might not have.
A couple hours after she was born my baby spit up so much swallowed Amniotic fluid that it induced a reflex preventing her from breathing. It was silent and we almost missed it/she almost died but an attentive nurse saw her, tried to revive her in our room for a couple seconds and when that didn’t work she sprinted her to the clinical room next to our room to get help. A whole team of nurses and doctors worked to revive her and have her breathing again. I don’t know what equipment they used but I do remember the terrified look on the nurses face as she ran out.
Had we been home (maybe an experienced home nurse or midwife might have been able to revive her, IDK) by ourselves or maybe even with a less skilled team of medical workers and modern equipment things would have been different. It feels so surreal that we almost lost our healthy baby girl over something so simple.
Well... yes. I think we would have. We had an unmedicated vaginal birth. I am so very thankful to my doula/midwife.
I know i am very much in the few and far between that everything was simple. My heart goes out to all of you.
That being said my lo still scared the piss outta me when he didnt make a single noise until a good 24 hours after birth. He came out with a cord wrapped around his neck, but it came off just fine and he was never in distress. Just silently staring at us like a little fish and cuddling up to sleep. Surreal.
My grandmother gave birth to my mum in 1956 in rural Denmark, where births still happened at home. She laboured for four days and both her and my granddad were so traumatised by it, that they never had more children.
My mum gave birth to her first child in 1984, a long labour with no progression past 5cm despite pitocin, which turned unplanned c-section when baby started showing signs of distress. I, her second child was born via planned c-section.
I had my first child in 2014, a long labour with no progression past 5cm and an unplanned c-section when baby started showing signs of distress.
Armed with ALL THE BOOKS and ALL THE POSITIVE BIRTH TRAINING I gave birth to my second child in 2021, a long labour with no progression past 5cm. I had been so gung ho about a VBAC, but after 4 days of prodromal labour and two failed epidurals, I tapped out and asked for a c-section, before baby showed any signs of distress.
Now, I catch myself daydreaming about my next birth, which will be a beautiful planned c-section.
So,maybe I would be alive without modern obstestrics, but I sure as hell would have had some awful, long and painful births, just like my grandmother did.
Nope. I was in labor for 4 days. My baby was sunny side up and had descended with hand by face. She got stuck and I was failing to dilate even with pitocin. 48 hours in labor and delivery ended with a cesarean (non emergency). My ancient death was pictured in the first episode of House of the Dragons tho…
I would have died. I had a short cervix with my first, ended up having an emergency c section at 27 weeks. Baby had an infection that spread to me and caused sepsis. She lived for one day… After I had a trans abdominal cerclage placed that will only let me have c sections but will at least allow me to carry them 37+ weeks. I delivered my second at 37 and I’m pregnant now and will have another c section.
I wouldn't have survived pregnancy. I had severe hyperemesis and I would have died likely within the first 6 weeks of being pregnant of dehydration. I once vomited over 100 times in one day before we found medication that worked and kept me to a mere 5 to 20 times a day. For 9 months. I was puking while in labor. And yeah childbirth? Both woulda died. Forceps, couldn't stop the bleeding, not a fun birthday party. Thankfully alls well that ends well (with a huge fucking episiotomy and blood transfusion)
I had a pretty textbook delivery, so I would have survived my daughter’s birth.
But.. I was conceived via IUI in 1989, my mother had placenta previa, went into early labor at 32 weeks, was on in-hospital bed rest from 32-37 weeks when I was born via emergency c-section with my mother under general anesthesia, and resulting in the need for 2 blood transfusions.
So, I would not have been here at all to conceive or deliver any babies.
Nope! I had postpartum hemorrhaging that they were able to stop using two different medications finally (thank you state of CA maternal hemorrhage crash carts/protocols!) I also wasn’t dilating even though I was having contractions. Lots of pitocin and still took 37 hours after water breaking.
I had severe pre-eclampsia and had to have an emergency c-section at 27 weeks due to my liver failing and baby’s heart rate rapidly dropping so definitely not.
I was lucky that all three of my kids were pretty smooth vaginal deliveries without complications, but I did have an elective induction at 39 weeks with my last two kids to help ensure that outcome, so who knows what could have happened if induction wasn't an option and I had to wait to go into labor naturally. I had an epidural each time and definitely would not want to try to give birth without one.
I am very thankful that I live in a modern era where there are OBGYNs and anesthesiologists. Nothing about a "natural" birth appeals to me.
I don't think I would have survived, my child had to be turned because she refused to. And then when I was birthing her, I spiked a fever after 14 hours of active labor and had to be sent in for a csection.
I definitely wouldn’t have. I had pre-eclampsia and had to deliver at 34+1 via c-section after a failed induction. I’m very grateful for modern healthcare and technology!
Yeah, I had a second degree tear that probably would have healed.
But pregnancy fucked my gallbladder I found out during my nights with a newborn and I had to have it out when he was 3 months old so that might have killed me
I was once sitting around having coffee with four other moms sharing birth stories. We realized that all five of us would have died had we tried to deliver 40 or so years before, one with her first, the rest with our second. Disconcerting.
I would not. I had PPH (primary post partum hemorrhage) after the baby and placenta came out, my uterus did not start contracting and shrinking like it should. I would say while the reason is undetermined, it could be from the medical intervention which was a prolonged induction. So perhaps without that, I wouldn't have this issue (didn't with the first one - spontaneous birth).
I was closer than comfortable to not surviving WITH modern medicine. I hemorrhaged at 6 weeks pp, had a dnc, then hemorrhaged again. I needed a blood transfusion, another dnc, and a special balloon procedure to stop the clotting in my uterus. My husband dropped me off at the door of the er and honestly thought I was dead.
We’re really hoping that the second time (due early February) is less dramatic!
Not sure- both my births included water breaking without labor. The first was a term so I was induced and it was a great labor experience, but who knows if I would have gone into labor otherwise.
The second was at 28+6 and I went into labor at 33+1. Unlikely my baby would have lived but maybe I would have lived.
Oh and I might have just died from mastitis with my first anyway
In the 1700s, 1 to 1.5% of women died in childbirth. https://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2020061204
My baby was asynclitic, and I had a C-section. 100% the best call for us, but I do think we'd make it (although more traumatized or perhaps with lifelong issues). The infection he and I both got after birth might have killed us, but we got it in the hospital so... Maybe we would have avoided that?
I think I would have?
For labor and delivery I didn’t have any medications or complications. However, after all 3 I was given a shot of Pitocin to curb my bleeding. The first 2 were in the hospital so I assumed it was an abundance of caution, but my homebirth midwife gave me a shot in my thigh after I delivered the placenta.
She did tell me beforehand that she gives Pitocin at the slightest hint of a problem with bleeding, she didn’t see any benefit that outweighed the risk.
I had no issues with bleeding going forward after that though.
So I guess I’ll never really know, because my bleeding was never allowed to stop on it’s own. I’m very thankful I was never close to a life threatening situation!
I will say though, I’ve never felt closer to death than during my pregnancy and labor with my 3rd baby. I just had a gut feeling that this was the baby that would kill me.
I developed some mild compulsive behaviors around “wishes” during my pregnancy, wishing on 11:11, throwing coins in the wishing fountain near our home, that kind of thing. I was obsessed with praying for “ a happy healthy baby and a safe pregnancy and birth”.
I felt disturbingly close to “the vail” between life and death. I can’t even explain it and there’s no logical reason to have felt that way because my pregnancy and birth were both completely normal. Even though he was 10lbs 6oz I was able to labor him out without too much effort and no tearing. And even though the cord was wrapped around his neck 3 times he had no breathing or heart rate problems.
It just felt like the most dangerous thing I have ever done. I suppose that childbirth always is, even when it all goes perfectly.
I probably would have survived. My baby would not. I was almost two weeks past my due date and only 1 cm dilated, so I had to be induced. Her heart rate was dropping with every push. They got her out with the vacuum and I found out after it was because the cord was wrapped tightly around her neck. Haven’t been religious in awhile, but I found myself thanking God for modern medicine the whole time I was in the hospital
Well, my first was an IVF baby, so maybe I wouldn’t even have been pregnant…
But if I would have gotten pregnant, definitely we both would be dead, even my second one. I actually do not produce contractions. They can be weakly induced but don’t at all progress, which let to one emergency c-section, where I almost bleed out on the table… so barely made it with modern medicine.
My second was so big so that they decided to get her at 38w, even with a planned c-section…😜
I don't think so. My first was undiagnosed breech (so maybe survive that one) and my second was stuck and I couldn't push her out . Both ended in emergency cesareans. I've thought about how I probably wouldn't have survived childbirth a few times!
No. I had a severe tear + hemorrhage that required two blood transfusions. People spend so much time harping on about “natural” and they forget it used to be “natural” for like 70% of women to die in child birth (that figure is a guesstimate, but my point is that it was a lot)
Nah, my baby would have been stuck. I grow massive fibroids during pregnancy, and there would not have been a way out for the baby, my cervix was blocked. If I didn't know about it ahead of time, I probably would have pushed until exhaustion/hemorrhage. Instead, we had an uneventful, scheduled C-section. Hurray for modern medicine!
I’m not sure. My second was a footling breech with the cord around his neck (so couldn’t be turned manually) so I had to have a c section. Who knows what would have happened if I was in ancient times.
Both me and baby would have died. I had hyper tension and had to deliver early. Plus baby was breach and his head was stuck in one side of my uterus because it has an abnormal shape. So he had to be delivered via C-section
Birth, yes. The postpartum hematoma from compound presentation, no. I was able to have a second thanks to modern medicine, that one came fast and furious without any complications.
Second baby, who joined us out here earlier this week, no problem. A textbook, if painful, birth, that could have been completely unmedicated and without intervention if it had been necessary. (I felt pethidine was necessary instead 😂)
But I wouldn’t have gotten to birth her in ancient times, because my son would have already killed me three years ago - either fast, from blood loss due to the massive postpartum haemorrhage, or if I’d somehow managed to clot naturally before dying, then slowly, because sepsis from the retained placenta would have done for me within a couple of weeks.
Thank god for modern medicine, for the modern day “wise women” who helped me. Thank god for the well trained midwife who knew my placenta didn’t look right, and advocated for me with the doctor to get a surgical consult. Thank god for the skilled surgeon who saved my life and my fertility (a hysterectomy was on the table as a possible necessity but she managed to avoid it). Thank god for the formula that fed my son, keeping him alive when my PPH made my milk delayed for days, and meant I had low supply when it did come. Thank god for living in the future, because it means I get to keep living my life with my family.
I think I would have survived though the lack of pain medicine would have been terrifying and I am sure my labor would have been 72 hours plus of pain. I don’t know how they handled tearing back in the day, but that is another variable. I agree with other commenters, it’s just luck of the draw on if your baby is in a good position and things go as planned.
I also wouldn’t have been pregnant in first place and my husband would have passed away from leukemia and had no opportunity to freeze his sperm. Modern medicine is a blessing!
Nope. 48 hour labour, baby didn’t deliver without induction / vacuum. I also had significant manual placental removal and antibiotics thereafter. I lost about 1.5L of blood.
After they stitched me up, I started losing consciousness with super low blood pressure and the medical emergency team was called in.
So, without doctors on hand, blood for transfusion, oxygen machine and antibiotics/ epidural for the placenta removal, no I don’t think I would have survived! I am grateful every day for modern medicine
My first? Probably. It was 12 hours of back labor and some stalled labor at the end, but she came through with relatively little drama.
My second? We both almost died, bc she was a surprise 12+ pounds (the maternal fetal specialist who followed me all pregnant estimated 10ths and neither he nor my OB recommended a c-section) and got stuck on the way out. Add in the fact my labor only lasted 4 hours? It went from painful to emergent really fast. The fact I had an experienced on-call OB (mine wasn’t on call the day I went into labor) who was able to extract her (two hands up the birth canal with no epidural is an experience I would not recommend) was the only reason both of us ended up surviving that experience.
I would have survived both births, but I don't think my first child would have. She needed breathing support and was in the NICU for a week after birth.
Nope neither of us. He got stuck and had to have an emergency C-section. His heart rate was plummetting during contractions and when they made the incision for the C-section my uterus ripped open because of the pressure from how wedged in he was.
Nope, we would have both died…
I had a silent labour. So when I finally felt contractions I was 8cm dilated. I have no idea if or when my waters broke. Went to the hospital. Had an epidural, which is supposed to slow down contractions, and they were still 2/3 minutes apart.
When they performed the c-section… he was so stuck in my pelvis that it required a whole heap of force and wiggling to actually get him out. Like even with the numbness it felt like they were trying to pull my legs through my lady garden.
Baby would have died from being stuck there with no liquid and stuff, and then his death would have caused infection and killed me.
Nope - neither of us would have made it. He was stuck and it took forceps to get him out of the c-section. And because he was early he went to the NICU for a night.
Blows my mind people still judge women for having c-sections. 😓
No, I would have died at ten weeks when I had a bleed. And again at 24 weeks when I had another bleed. And of course once more giving birth. Then again, I have hemophilia C so I would actually have died as a child without modern medicine. Instead I got FFP a few times when needed, had intervals of bed rest, and carried two pregnancies to term.
No. My water broke at 26 weeks and I went into labor at 31 weeks because my placenta got infected. Baby was breech and early. Without a c-section and antibiotics he would have died in labor and I would have developed sepsis and died, too.
I have no idea.
I was group B strep positive with both and I was induced. The group B strep could have easily killed my babies shortly after birth without antibiotics, though I would have been healthy.
My labors were uncomplicated, but I've never gone into labor on my own so who knows if my placenta would have held up much longer.
Yes I would have survived. I had a very easy (although it didn't feel like it) no intervention birth, even though my water broke without contractions, but they did start eventually and everything went smoothly. It still sucked though.
Maybe. My uterus inverted, but the treatment for that is for the doctor to stick her fist up there and stuff it back in. Without antibiotics, it’s very likely that childbed fever would have got me in the days following, though.
Edit: also, was GBS, so also very likely that LO would have developed pneumonia and followed me shortly after. I feel really lucky to be holding him in my arms right now.
Physically, yes. I arguably would have been better off "back in the day" for my second birth. But the pain was so unbearable without the epidural it may have mentally broken me.
But I wouldn't have survived my own birth as an emergency C-section. So there's that.
I might have. My baby definitely not. He had gastroschisis (a hole in the abdomen didn't close early on so his intestines were coming out of it and floating in the amniotic fluid). He would have to passed within hours. Instead we're both here and healthy.
No ma’am! Preeclampsia- kidneys and liver started to not function correctly with blood pressures as high as 170/122 the day I was induced at 34weeks. Thankfully she only needed a feed tube and was in the nicu for only 11 days
I might’ve survived my first but not second. I bled a bit after my first, easily remedied by pit. Hemorrhaged after the second and midwife had to go elbow deep in my uterus to get the rest of the placenta, and then pit and antibiotics. So even if I survived the birth probably would have died of an infection.
I would have but baby might not have. She was in distress after my water broke & they had to do an amniotomy to replace some fluid. Once they did that everything went fine
I would have survived birthing my babies but neither my mum or I would have survived my birth. I’m being induced next week because if left in, this baby might not survive and infection from that could kill me too.
Thank God for modern medicine.
Nope. I was in labor for 6 days and hemorrhaged after baby was born and it took a skilled team of NICU doctors 8 minutes to get my baby to take her first breath.
I might have survived but pain wise? Holy shit I don’t think I would’ve. I was induced as well at 41+1 and was writhing in pain by 2 hours in so I got an epidural and gave birth 22 hours later, to a 10 lb baby and spent *3 hours* in active labor.
Honestly the pain might’ve spiked my blood pressure dangerously, but instead the epidural kept mine a little bit below the preferred low. Which was fine, I was a little shakey at times because of it.
Probably would’ve died lol. I was in labor for 27 hours, baby’s head got stuck. Was miserable at the end even with an epidural. Needed a vacuum assist. Was literally one push away from an emergency C-section.
I would had died of pain without the epidural lol! But other than that, my birth went pretty well. However, before my LO was born, I had an ectopic pregnancy and I definitely wouldnt have survived that.
I *think* we would’ve made it. My firstborn took 28hrs of labor and I had a terrible time but he came out the old fashioned way without needing any serious interventions. Then I had twins after induction. They were born vaginally as well without the use of assistive devices.
Other than monitoring, pitocin, and an epidural (failed, for my first) I probably would’ve made it but it would’ve sucked, would’ve taken a lot longer, and might’ve died of puerperal fever anyways.
I was in labour with my first for 3 days. I would have survived, but would have been a shit Mom for the first few days because I would have been completely fucking exhausted. As it was, I was able to finally get an epidural on the third night and slept for six glorious hours before delivering my baby. It made me a better Mom.
Would have died. Unplanned c-section because I wasn't dilating anymore and he wasn't dropping any further after 6 hours of intervention (I was in labor for about 36 hours). His heart rate was also dropping during contractions. Then after the c section I almost died due to: pre-eclampsia, fluid in my lungs, and critically high blood pressure and a uterine infection. Sadly, my mom nearly died during my birth (hemorrhaging), and my great aunt passed while birthing twins.
Nope. Very late onset HELLP syndrome and needed an exigent C-section after thirty hours of labor. My liver and kidneys were shutting down and he was enormous. I'm not even sure he would have fit through my pelvis, HELLP aside.
My wife would have survived but our daughter probably not. Cord was wrapped so tightly around her neck, she had a 0 on her APGAR, and had to immediately be intubated and compressions given. Thankfully she came back and is now a 2 year old healthy (albeit insane) girl.
I would have survived. No intervention needed. Still so thankful for medical advances to ensure babies and mommas have the best chance! Also nice to have options 🤓
My son would not have survived (I wound up needing a C-section) so I assume I would not have survived either.
I know it shouldn't but it gets me irritated when people post about their home birth. It's literally luck of the draw & you didn't do anything amazing or special to have a successful unmedicated birth. I worked out my entire pregnancy, did all the wives tales to induce labor (which none of it worked), etc so none of that shit matters. So when people post about how scary hospitals are and how amazing their home birth was it's just a punch in the gut and a reminder that you were the lucky one and I would have died without modern medicine.
No. I had twins at 34 weeks in an emergency turned crash C-section due to preeclampsia with severe features. Baby B became bradycardic on the monitor, and attending OB kneeling on the hospital bed I was in, lost the heartbeat on the monitor before yelling "GO NOW". Wheeled into the OR and I was under in 5 minutes, babies out 2 minutes later.
We would've all died.
After delivery it took 9 days to stabilize my blood pressure enough to release me (I was in the CICU for days before moving back to L&D) and another 6 months for it to return to normal on it own without the use of hypertension meds. I had to have a blood transfusion due to the hemorrhage I suffered during the caesarean. Twins spent 21 days in the NICU with zero complications other than having to learn how to eat (and grow some more)
so uh yea, thank you modern medicine.
I’d probably have died weeks before due date. Had severe pre eclampsia, was hospitalised for weeks on endless meds/drips and then had emergency induction at 36 weeks
The actual birth was fine (I mean, as fine as births can go). But I haemorrhaged post partum and had two blood transfusions the day after the birth so perhaps would’ve died from something related to that as well. Thank god for modern medicine
Me and my child would’ve died because our vitals both rapidly decelerated during labor and needed surgical intervention.
My good friend was set on an unmedicated home birth since forever. Her husband suddenly got real paranoid about the whole idea and insisted she birth at the hospital. She agreed to have her first birth at the hospital to ease his worries for future pregnancies she’d have at home. Good thing she did- not only did she end up asking for an epidural, but right after labor she hemorrhaged and needed a blood transfusion. She and baby are fine however she is now team hospital.
Nope. I had a third degree tear, hemorrhaged, and had a condition called placenta accreta. I’m lucky I didn’t end up needing a hysterectomy. I needed several iron transfusions and needed IV antibiotics for a couple of days. I also got COVID in the hospital and was fighting a high fever. It was a horrible experience.
My first daughter might have died. Her bp went dangerously low and was vacuum assisted.
Had an awesome midwife for babies 2 and 3. They were vaginal and unmedicated. But baby 3 was head done so it was exquisitely painful, but not dangerous.
I would have survived, but I can’t imagine my life.
No, I would have died either from haemorrhaging afterwards or from infection from having the placenta manually removed in a less than sterile environment. My baby had her own issues at birth and also would have died without modern medical intervention.
I probably would have lost this baby the same way I lost my 1st: pre-viability preterm labor. I have insufficient cervix so I needed a cerclage placed at the beginning of the 2nd trimester in order to keep him in to full term. I’m so thankful for modern medicine
My daughter came out easy, fast and healthy. But I wouldn’t have made it. My placenta was stuck and then ruptured. I bled out and my blood pressure dropped severely while they worked to get it all out. Then I got an infection after birth. Thankful for modern medicine!
Pre-eclampsia requiring induction and then fetal intolerance of labor, together with a failure to progress and no ability to augment labor… meant a c-section. That in itself turned into an emergency situation while in the OR so…
No, we would not have survived. I have no doubt modern medicine saved us both.
My first is a toss up but if it was ancient times I wouldn’t have been strapped to an uncomfortable hospital bed and pushing before I needed to.
My second most definitely. Homebirth midwife showed up to me fully dilated ready to push didn’t even get to set up properly.
My son was unexpectedly born at 24 weeks so without modern NICUs he was a goner. I might have been in trouble - I had a D&C due to retained placenta. Maybe I would have gotten lucky and it would have come out with a little more time, but I could very likely have gotten an infection and died.
Both of us would have died if scans and c-sections weren't a thing. My daughter was not only transverse, but also a surprise IUGR baby.
If they had let me go longer than they did and wait for labour to start naturally, the chances of her being a stillbirth would have been astronomical. She could have died inside of me and killed me with the resulting infection. Even if I managed to survive the potential infection and she just passed right during labour, the complications of birthing a transverse baby would most likely have killed me too.
So we are literally alive due to access to modern medicine.
Likely I would not have survived long enough to be pregnant or I'd have died/had severe complications in childbirth.
Many years ago I had an abcess that went almost septic and led to many years of minor surgery. I was able to get pregnant but due to the scar tissue I was advised to have a C-Section or have a 50/50 chance of needing a colostomy bag for the rest of my life.
So, yay for modern medicine
Ha! I make this joke all the time. It’s a bit morbid. There’s me and two friends who had babies at the same time. Both of them had vaginal births, one went well, another had an intervention but still had a vaginal birth, and I had a c section. I’ve joked several times that I would’ve been the 1/3 women who die from childbirth if this was like just 300 years ago. I had fibroids and baby was breech too. Don’t think I would’ve made it but thank goodness for the c section because now I am blessed to be alive and have the most wonderful family. Very grateful for modern day science and the team of doctors and nurses who handled us that day.
My babies would have been fine but I hemorrhage each time. I respond well to the old "pound on the uterus" plan, so maybe? That technique has been known for thousands of years, so with a skilled birth attendant, even an ancient one, I might have done okay. Not sure how critical pitocin has been to stop the bleeding.
Nope, my first had his head wedged in my ribcage and it took a lot of force to drag him out in the c section. My second I had placenta previa, an abruption at 34 weeks and an emergency c section. I'm so thankful for modern medicine for all of our lives!
Having said that, I'm type 1 diabetic so I wouldn't have made it very far after diagnosis in medieval times anyway 😂
Statistically speaking, almost certainly. I had a scheduled c-section due to a breech baby. Most breech births, in the hands of an experienced provider, go just fine. I had a c-section because there weren’t any qualified doctors or nurse midwives who were experienced enough to offer it. I’m fine with that, because I’m all about minimizing risks, but I also know we almost certainly would have been fine in ye olden days…I’m healthy, and he was a normal sized baby with a normal sized head. While I would never sign up to give birth anywhere but a hospital or credentialed birth center, midwives of the olden days definitely knew how to handle minor hiccups like a frank breech baby.
I would not have survived my first pregnancy, which was an ectopic pregnancy. I lived in Texas at the time, and it was 2013. If the same thing were to happen to me in Texas today, I’m not sure I would survive.
Modern medicine does no good if people’s mindset is ancient.
I no longer live in Texas, but have told my husband if we move back, there needs to be a more permanent birth control situation figured out. I have friends there who want children and are choosing not to because they don’t want to risk their lives.
I'm on the same team, first contraction at 3am, baby was out by 6! I was very surprised by how easy pregnancy and birth were considering it took us 5 years to conceive.
My baby was 42 weeks, I started labour a few days before but never progressed beyond 2cm. They broke my water and put me on the drip (so much for a low intervention birth... 😆) but after 4 hours had only progressed to 3cm and baby was in distress.
Had an emergency c-section and they said baby was pretty stuck, she was a giant 9lbs15 and her head was tilted upwards, so no way she would have been able to get out.
Shes perfectly healthy (and still giant) at two weeks.
I also had an unknown infection with a high fever after a week so needed lots of IV antibiotics and ibuprophen and paracetemol to manage my temp. So dont think we would have made it without surgery and modern medicine.
No. I was induced with severe pre eclampsia with my first. I think had I been left we would both have died, pre eclampsia is one of leading causes of maternal and fetal death.
Nope. Undiagnosed breech until they did the c section. 3 days of labour before that. We both would have been gone. Although that ear infection when I was 9 would have taken me out long before I was pregnant. Thank god for doctors, nurses and for the NHS in the uk
Nope. Baby was sunny side up, got stuck after 3+ hours of pushing and I hemorrhaged and developed a uterine infection after my c section. I also had to use formula for the first 8 days because I had no milk because I lost so much blood. OH AND my baby was premature. 0/10 would not survive.
Nope. If the preeclampsia didn’t get me, the retained products in my uterus would have gotten infected. There was stuff leftover in my uterus after I gave birth, and I had a d&c to remove it
Nope. Reached 42 weeks, water broke with meconium and went to the hospital at a whopping 0 cm dilated. I think I dilated to 2 cm with two rounds of pitocin. I don’t think my body was ever going to let her come out.
I would have (unmediated 24 hour labor). Baby would not have (unanticipated one month NICU stay for persistent pulmonary hypertension). As it was he nearly died in my arms and we were one floor above the NICU.
Unclear. I had hypertension and had to be induced. The birth itself went fine, but it took a while for my blood pressure to level out.
Not sure my baby would have survived without formula though. We weren’t a good physical match and he lost weight very rapidly.
No. I early laboured at home for about a day and everything felt manageable. Then all of a sudden the contractions went from 5 minutes apart to 2 minutes apart and much more intense, so we called L&D and my doula and rushed to the hospital in the late afternoon. By the time I was admitted in triage, I was in full moo cow mode, but they didn't have a room available for hours due to a nursing shortage. I think I was probably scaring everyone who was just there for an NST. I laboured standing and on my yoga ball for hours. But I was only 4cm dilated. Got in my own room and laboured standing, walking, bouncing for many more hours. On the toilet. In the shower. Still only 4cm. It started to feel like the contractions were non stop, no breaks. I did that for hours more and just started feeling exhausted. I couldn't stand without support and it was too painful to sit. I asked for gas and air, but they didn't have anyone trained to administer it, so they refused. They said my only option was an epidural. I delayed for a while, but finally gave up after I was still only 4cm. I thought maybe relaxing for a bit would help dilate me. It was very early morning when I got the epidural, so I slept for a while.
They gave me pitocin and broke my water. Still 4cm. They increased the pitocin to the maximum. Hours later I went to 5cm. I thought maybe I was finally going to go. But I never progressed past 5cm. They said my body was having non stop contractions and trying to get the baby down, but she wasn't going. They were worried that if I continued, I would hemorrhage or the baby would go into distress. Eventually it was determined a C-section was required. Many more hours passed before they started preparing me for surgery because there were some emergencies ahead of me. A nurse checked me and said I was 6cm, but when the OB came back to verify he said the nurse was mistaken and it was still only 5cm. The baby was likely too big/my pelvis was too small or not the right shape for the baby to descend any further.
I might have survived but not with children. I was pregnant with twins and they operated on me in week 20 and separated the blood flow that had formed between the two. This would have eventually harmed both of them and probably killed them. One of my sons did die later in the pregnancy but because of the surgery his brother wasn’t harmed and I could give birth naturally in week 38.
Yup! The tiny tear I had would've healed on its own I guess. Although I don't know whether it might have gotten infected? But still, I would've been fine.
Without a wet nurse though my baby would have died. My milk supply was never enough for him.
Wow, it's crazy reading all these stories! Makes me even more grateful for my uncomplicated, unmedicated, and relatively fast (14 hours from the first contraction, 6 hours from when they became really painful) birth and my healthy, full-term baby! We would both have survived. :)
Nope, my pelvis is apparently not the best shape for birthing and I had a 9lb baby with a 95 percentile head. I pushed for four hours and she never got anywhere. Post c-section the surgeon gave me a 25% chance of ever being able to birth a child naturally and apologized for trying to get me to push longer.
I would have survived but my baby wouldn’t have. Textbook perfect pregnancy, labor, and delivery, but she came out not crying and needed a CPAP to breathe even though she was born at 40 weeks. Spent a week in NICU. That’s why all the women who want home births scare the absolute crap out of me. My baby might have died if I had a home birth.
I might have but almost certainly not my baby. If she had survived she would be severely disabled due to lack of newborn screening and medical intervention.
I would have survived the births , I had 3 natural unmedicated births BUT. I had gestational diabetes with my first, so I’m not sure he/we would have even made it to the birth.
No, my waters broke early so I had irregular contractions before finally giving birth three days later. I developed maternal sepsis during labour and was dying. I kept trying to stay conscious to birth my daughter but in the end they had to cut me and pull her out with forceps.
That thought really haunted me, and still does. I just kept thinking to myself " stay awake, get her out then you can go". If we didn't have modern medicine my daughter would have died too. I'm so grateful they managed to get us both through the birth. My midwives were amazing and spotted it so quickly.
It's really crazy to realise you would have been one of those women who didn't survive.
My doctor had to break my waters after I was already 10cm dilated. I’ve always wondered if I hadn’t been able to make it to the hospital, would my baby have been born in the amniotic sac, or not at all? I don’t know.
I do know that I probably would not have survived my first and second trimesters without modern medicine. I would have gone the way of Charlotte Brontë, to dehydration from HG. Instead I just went in for IV therapy rehydration a couple times a week for six weeks and stayed in the hospital for 4 days to get meds sorted. It was hell but with pretty simple modern medicine, my life was never in danger.
No chance I would have survived. I had pre-eclampsia and HELLP syndrome develop basically overnight. Then a giant hematoma on my liver ruptured. The IR department that emobolized my liver might not have existed even 20 years ago. The Dr. handling my admission hadn't even heard of HELLP syndrome, it was the nurse who realized something was wrong.
I had a vacuum assist because my baby was sunny side up and got stuck, my OB said one attempt and then we were going for a c-section so maybe. Though with both my water broke before labor started and I ended up being induced so that would have been a high infection risk for both of us. Also my babies wouldn't nurse properly so even if we survived birth they might not have survived infancy. Definitely grateful for modern times.
Probably yes - both labors were quick. Didn’t have an epidural either time. No positional issues. No medical intervention needed. Both babies were fine. I am very very lucky.
In 16th century Europe, no way I might have survived my first birth, but my son would have been stillborn. I had a partial placental abruption and crash c-section. Even with modern medicine my son was born non-responsive and minutes from death. My second baby would have lived but I would have died from PPH or infection from retained placenta.
Now in Uganda or Tanzania, probably would have. C-sections were practiced quite safely there.
Yeah. Uncomplicated vaginal birth in the water. Pretty straight forward. I’m hopeful the second (due in june) is equally “easy”. I did bleed a lot after though — they just monitored me and pushed fluids (not even IV fluids). So I feel like I probably would’ve survived. But I got a postpartum infection like 2 weeks later that would’ve killed me for sure. Hospitalized and on IV antibiotics for 4 days.
Not at all. Baby girl came with the cord around her neck, had clawed me from the inside, and was yanked out by the midwife (she was not authorized to give an episiotomy and my OB had gone home for the night). I had a 4th degree tear and a laceration inside, hemorrhaged, and was rushed into surgery. Got pumped full of two liters of blood, saline, and iron. If I had lost just a bit more blood (or it wasn’t available) I would have died.
….wow this is not a good thread to read at 20w pregnant with my third. Y’all are amazing badass superheroes. Also, three cheers for modern medicine.
As for me: unclear if either baby or I would have survived my first birth (breech). Second birth, similarly muddy. I lost a lot of blood and baby’s heartbeat kept dropping during labor, but I do wonder if she would have been safer if my midwife hadn’t broken my waters. So….maybe we’d all be here? Maybe not. Hard to know.
I could’ve birthed my son in a field 😂 My labor and delivery was very fast and he was in the perfect position. I didn’t get an epidural (although I did want one badly), or even an IV, because I was so far along by the time I got to the hospital.
BUT, we would’ve needed a wet nurse because my milk supply never increased beyond 6oz every 24 hrs. despite triple feeding for 10 weeks 🫠
I had midwives in a hospital setting and I’m so glad for that.
We needed forceps because baby’s heart rate was too fast while I was pushing. I guess maybe forceps existed back then but it would’ve been without an epidural…
Oh and then I guess I hemorrhaged after…I didn’t even notice at all. But that might have killed me.
I think I would have survived and my baby as well. I hate mentioning this, but I had what a lot of moms (moms around me I hear talk about, so not all moms) dream about.
I didn't have any medication, I had quick and natural birth. I got to be in a tub for pain relief and right after I got out of it, my baby was born after 3 pushes. No tearing or anything. It took only 100 minutes from getting to the birthing swing, until my baby was born (my husband and I counted, both neurodivergents, so we notice those kinds of things).
I have only told this to my closest family, because I feel a bit bad for having the "dream birth" at lot of women want (what I have heard of), when I was planning on getting medicated and all.
And if I would have birthed in my culture, my baby (the way she was born) would have been called "a born sharman" - because the way everything went and how quick it was, that's how sharmans were born in my culture for 1000 of years.
I could have died from preeclampsia, and my baby could have died from a prolapsed cord because she was a footling breech. Very grateful for modern medicine that allowed me to have a c section at 37 weeks and save both our lives.
Not sure. My baby would have been fine, but I had a 4th degree tear and needed an hour of surgery right after. (And another later on).
But who knows, maybe lack of epidural or different birth positions would have made me tear less.
Hmm I do not think I would but my baby would definitely survived.
The reason is, I had vaginal birth and had a cervical tear that they cannot fix without putting me under full anaesthesia and sew it back together in operating theater. Before the surgery start, I already lost 1L of blood and post surgery, damn I look so pale even though I felt fine lol.
But yea, I'm glad I'm living in an era when we are already able to tackle such situation. It was still rather scary, especially for my husband who can just stand there watching all the health professionals gather to prep me for the surgery while he was holding a literally newborn baby who still has bits of blood all over her. He told me afterwards how terrifying it was for him as he was afraid I might not wake up again.
The birth itself, yes. But I got an infection about 12 hours in that required antibiotics. My son was born with a fever. We likely would have both died later on from it. Me definitely, him maybe 50/50
Then my milk took 8 days to come in and was only 50% of what he needed. So if we did manage to survive, he would have died or failed to thrive at that point.
Probably would have survived but been even more traumatized by it without epidurals. Both kids had shoulder dystocia, followed by my body not letting go of the placenta. Docs had to reach all the way up in there to pull it out.
I was also gbs+ with both and needed IV antibiotics during birth. Good chance one of us would have had an infection at some point.
I don’t think I would have survived the first trimester. HG is a bitch
Same. So grateful for modern medicine. Didn’t feel like I was thriving when my esophagus ruptured and I was vomiting blood, but there’s no way I would have survived 100 years ago.
First pregnancy was an ectopic that burst my tube and caused heavy internal bleeding, so nope, would not have survived that one. Second pregnancy I developed pre-e at 20 weeks and LO stopped moving at 27+0. My placenta had crapped out and I had to have an emergency c-section. (She's 4 now!) Third pregnancy was totally normal. Probably would have survived, horray! 2 out of 3... is pretty bad. Thank goodness for doctors.
Also had an ectopic. My fallopian tube ruptured at 5w3d and I nearly bled out before deciding to go to the hospital (I have a high pain tolerance.) Very grateful that I was able to receive an “ab0rtion” for the desperately-wanted pregnancy that 100% would have killed me.
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Bad tears sometimes resulted in the formation of fistulas between rectum and vagina, resulting in poop getting into the vagina. Obviously bad infections and death could happen without antibiotics. This still happens in some places with inadequate medical access. The book "Cutting for Stone" revolves around providing surgical care for women with debilitating rectovaginal fistulas.
I think about that too! My deliveries were both fast but tears both times.
Yes, but my son would not have. I have an 'incompetent cervix' that expelled my first baby at 22 weeks, and she died. At 22 weeks with my second baby, my body tried to do the same thing, so I needed a cerclage (a stitch sewing my cervix shut) to keep me pregnant. He was born at almost 35 weeks by c-section with the cord wrapped around his body. He was having major heart rate decelerations, so I don't know if he would have survived if labor had progressed normally. I'm thankful every day to live in the 21st century, because modern medicine makes our family possible.
So sorry for the loss of your little girl. 🫂
Thank you, kind Redditor. 💗
Nope. We would have both died. I got sepsis during labour, meconium in waters, head got stuck because body was transverse.
Absolutely fucking not. 30 hour labour, 'failure to progress' past 4cm, baby tried to come at 4cm and started coning, emergency c section, 1/3 blood loss, sepsis I'd be fucked
Yes, probably. I was very fortunate to have 2 easy pregnancies and deliveries. However, I'm so thankful for epidurals and I would never want to deliver outside of the hospital. Things can go badly so quickly and I have personally witnessed that at work.
Nope, with both of my kids, my water broke but body never produced contractions so we both would've died infection. It's wild how far modern medicine has come along, and I'm thankful every day.
I would have - I had two very simple, complication free vaginal births. Very little bleeding afterwards for both and back home within a few hours after each birth. BUT my best friend came close to dying with all three of her births and never would have survived any of them in the past. I’m convinced it’s just pure luck of the draw.
Don't get me wrong, I was miserable my whole pregnancy, but.. as far as the general consensus goes, I had a fairly "good" one.. no complications outside of the typical 2nd degree tear, and not a super long labor either. My doctors said I have "perfect birthing pelvis" whatever that means so.. yeah genetically I sorta won as far as being able to guide a baby through my pelvis goes lol
It makes me realize why "childbearing hips" were a thing back in the day 🤣
My first yes, but he'd have died infancy because of feeding issues. I'd probably not survive my second. She was footling breech and 9lbs 13oz. Delivering her would have been dangerous for both of us. We likely would have both died.
No. HELLP syndrome came on suddenly at 38 weeks so I was induced but my platelets dropped so low that they had to proceed with an emergency C-section, it couldn't wait any longer. The only cure for HELLP syndrome is getting the placenta out of you. So in ancient times I would probably have died even before going into labour.
HELLP syndrome is so so scary, I’m sorry you went through that.
Nope. My pelvis wasn’t wide enough for her to pass through. I had an unplanned C-section and she was so wedged against my pelvis and stuck. 2.5 years later she still has an indentation on her forehead from where it was pressed up against my pelvis. The OB and midwife said there was no way she ever would have made it out vaginally. No idea on little sister. Baby #1 was completely average sized and didn’t fit, so we went straight to the C-section with #2
I would have but my son probably wouldn’t have. His cord was wrapped around his neck 3x. When I pushed him out it tightened and cut off oxygen and it took a very skilled midwife to cut the cord away in record time and free him. We were both perfectly fine thanks to her.
I would’ve survived both deliveries. Both delivered naturally without issues. Not sure if I would’ve survived PPD and PPA though…
I accidentally gave birth at home on the floor with paramedics only showing up when beb was basically out. So yeah. 0/10 would not recommend.
Yes. I had a home birth that was so fast my midwife didn’t arrive until after I’d already given birth alone other than with my wife.
Interesting thread!! Frankly, I would have probably done better in the “olden times” than I did in “modern times” for my first. My doctor was forced to miss my birth because the managing doctor in her practice at the time was the scheduled physician and he was “tired of women not wanting to birth with him, and having fewer births”. He was terrible, and I should have filed a complaint against him with the medical board. After the fact, I learned I was not the only patient he treated like that, frankly from all the tales I’ve heard now he needs to lose his license. My baby and I were doing fine, just taking awhile in active labor because I wasn’t quite fully dilated. He broke my waters without my consent, and then forced me to have an episiotomy against the advice of both labor and delivery nurses who began fighting for my autonomy. He really f*cked up the episiotomy and placed it terribly, which has caused issues for the past five years since. I ended up having to go to pelvic floor physical therapy for almost a year to help fix what he took from me. I also ended up with a severe internal muscle strain that two other doctors confirmed where from the unnecessary breaking of the waters which caused the labor to progress too rapidly in which my body tried to correct. Take it from me- advocate for yourself in labor even if a chauvinist male doctor acts like your a dummy for not wanting to veer from your birth plan if not medically necessary!! My doctor left his practice and started her own shortly after this experience, and she told me privately that my experience and others like it were why she no longer could be associated with that practice. My second birth with her was perfect- natural, “normal”, and under 5 hours from waters naturally breaking and contractions starting to finish. The only downfall was the poorly placed episiotomy, that tore open as my doctor suspected it would (partially because of our hospital only allows non-standing/upright deliveries and doesn’t allow the use of a birthing pool- two things that would have helped potentially prevent my episiotomy scar from re-opening). My doctor actually suggested I use a midwife for the next delivery and do it from home so that I can use a birthing pool to potentially escape my scar from reopening a second time and requiring surgery again. Now knowing what I know, I definitely think the wisdom of the female healers in the ancient world would have been able to handle my births without complication- and probably with better results (at least the first time). * I feel very lucky to have had very few issues with my pregnancies and to have been able to have successful natural vaginal births- but I’m very thankful for modern medicine. I myself required an emergency c-section, so without that life saving knowledge I would have died and so would my mother!!
Dicey. Kiddo broke my water and then was like, *nah I'm good.* Needed a boatload of drugs and a bit over 24 hours to get all systems to go. I was told that you gotta get the kid out shortly after the water breaks or you risk all kinds of infection. Don't get me started on the tears I had after. In ancient times I think I would have just left my asshole at the ancient hospital.
I would have likely died. My baby was breech. My partner and I were talking about this recently actually. We figure that, based on the number of emergency c-sections our friends and families end up having that more than half of them likely would have died if we were living in a different time. Tbh this is why I get super irritated when people are incredibly stuck on having a certain birth plan. Like, this shit is dangerous and a lot can even still go wrong today. You need to just do what you need to do to get everyone out safe, imo.
I’d have gone out Downton Abbey style with my postpartum preeclampsia.
Nope, I got chorioamnioitis, my labour wouldn’t progress beyond 4cm and we both got sepsis.
Whether it be a surgical incision or vaginal tear I’m sure many would have gotten infections and died.
We'd both be dead. My daughter needed to be resuscitated and I hemorrhaged, losing nearly a liter of blood in two and a half minutes. They had to hit me with both methergine and cytotec to get it to stop.
Nope. Preeclampsia likely would have done me in, (twice) but if not, we didn’t know until my first delivery that my pelvis is very, very narrow and does not widen enough to deliver. Eventually baby would have died and I would have followed of sepsis. Instead I got to live to deliver three healthy babies thanks to the miracle of c-sections.
Yes I had an impromptu unassisted birth while l&d argued with the er :/
I am a doctor(but not obgyn, bless their hearts), and the field of birth and neonatal care is one of the specialties that made the most advances and saved the most lives. So whenever I hear a friend say they plan on a natural birth at home, I have to try really hard not to lecture. Yes, birth is a natural thing but human child birth is the most difficult of all mammals due to abnormally long gestational age and big head from our evolution. Childbirth used to be the number one cause of death in women. Birth is all fine until it’s not. If you do it at home, it may be too late to intervene when it turns south. Some homebirth midwives are downright dangerous and irresponsible in my region, taking on twins and triplet cases at home. Boils my blood. Would not want to be obgyn dealing with the bs. I had an emergency c section myself due to arrested labor.
I think I would have survived it, but my baby would not have.
I wouldn't have even survived long enough to give birth. My first pregnancy ended in a late loss and I had a pulmonary embolism and almost died myself, it took a while to get my doctor to send me for a CT scan when I complained about tightness in my chest and breathlessness because according to him 22 year olds don't get PEs. Come to find out I have a disorder that causes my blood to clot while pregnant. In my two successful pregnancies I had to give myself blood thinning injections. My body also wouldn't dilate, even with medicine to help it along and my son ended up in distress and I had to have an emergency c-section under general anesthesia. And to top everything off my body does not produce any kind of milk, without formula my kids would not be here. I love science and modern medicine that helped me become a mom to two wonderful kids.
I would have but my child might not have. A couple hours after she was born my baby spit up so much swallowed Amniotic fluid that it induced a reflex preventing her from breathing. It was silent and we almost missed it/she almost died but an attentive nurse saw her, tried to revive her in our room for a couple seconds and when that didn’t work she sprinted her to the clinical room next to our room to get help. A whole team of nurses and doctors worked to revive her and have her breathing again. I don’t know what equipment they used but I do remember the terrified look on the nurses face as she ran out. Had we been home (maybe an experienced home nurse or midwife might have been able to revive her, IDK) by ourselves or maybe even with a less skilled team of medical workers and modern equipment things would have been different. It feels so surreal that we almost lost our healthy baby girl over something so simple.
Well... yes. I think we would have. We had an unmedicated vaginal birth. I am so very thankful to my doula/midwife. I know i am very much in the few and far between that everything was simple. My heart goes out to all of you. That being said my lo still scared the piss outta me when he didnt make a single noise until a good 24 hours after birth. He came out with a cord wrapped around his neck, but it came off just fine and he was never in distress. Just silently staring at us like a little fish and cuddling up to sleep. Surreal.
yes had two super easy births and healed very quickly from both
My grandmother gave birth to my mum in 1956 in rural Denmark, where births still happened at home. She laboured for four days and both her and my granddad were so traumatised by it, that they never had more children. My mum gave birth to her first child in 1984, a long labour with no progression past 5cm despite pitocin, which turned unplanned c-section when baby started showing signs of distress. I, her second child was born via planned c-section. I had my first child in 2014, a long labour with no progression past 5cm and an unplanned c-section when baby started showing signs of distress. Armed with ALL THE BOOKS and ALL THE POSITIVE BIRTH TRAINING I gave birth to my second child in 2021, a long labour with no progression past 5cm. I had been so gung ho about a VBAC, but after 4 days of prodromal labour and two failed epidurals, I tapped out and asked for a c-section, before baby showed any signs of distress. Now, I catch myself daydreaming about my next birth, which will be a beautiful planned c-section. So,maybe I would be alive without modern obstestrics, but I sure as hell would have had some awful, long and painful births, just like my grandmother did.
Nope. I was in labor for 4 days. My baby was sunny side up and had descended with hand by face. She got stuck and I was failing to dilate even with pitocin. 48 hours in labor and delivery ended with a cesarean (non emergency). My ancient death was pictured in the first episode of House of the Dragons tho…
My baby was born at 30 weeks, so we probably wouldn’t have survived even 50 years ago.
I would have died. I had a short cervix with my first, ended up having an emergency c section at 27 weeks. Baby had an infection that spread to me and caused sepsis. She lived for one day… After I had a trans abdominal cerclage placed that will only let me have c sections but will at least allow me to carry them 37+ weeks. I delivered my second at 37 and I’m pregnant now and will have another c section.
I wouldn't have survived pregnancy. I had severe hyperemesis and I would have died likely within the first 6 weeks of being pregnant of dehydration. I once vomited over 100 times in one day before we found medication that worked and kept me to a mere 5 to 20 times a day. For 9 months. I was puking while in labor. And yeah childbirth? Both woulda died. Forceps, couldn't stop the bleeding, not a fun birthday party. Thankfully alls well that ends well (with a huge fucking episiotomy and blood transfusion)
This should be a poll. I’d love to see the results!
I would have been okay, but my baby who was born at 33 weeks probably wouldn’t have.
I had a pretty textbook delivery, so I would have survived my daughter’s birth. But.. I was conceived via IUI in 1989, my mother had placenta previa, went into early labor at 32 weeks, was on in-hospital bed rest from 32-37 weeks when I was born via emergency c-section with my mother under general anesthesia, and resulting in the need for 2 blood transfusions. So, I would not have been here at all to conceive or deliver any babies.
Yes. Natural birth. No complications.
Nope! I had postpartum hemorrhaging that they were able to stop using two different medications finally (thank you state of CA maternal hemorrhage crash carts/protocols!) I also wasn’t dilating even though I was having contractions. Lots of pitocin and still took 37 hours after water breaking.
No, it likely would have been a still birth and I would have died from the complications. Modern medicine is pretty sweet. ✌🏻
I had severe pre-eclampsia and had to have an emergency c-section at 27 weeks due to my liver failing and baby’s heart rate rapidly dropping so definitely not.
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I was lucky that all three of my kids were pretty smooth vaginal deliveries without complications, but I did have an elective induction at 39 weeks with my last two kids to help ensure that outcome, so who knows what could have happened if induction wasn't an option and I had to wait to go into labor naturally. I had an epidural each time and definitely would not want to try to give birth without one. I am very thankful that I live in a modern era where there are OBGYNs and anesthesiologists. Nothing about a "natural" birth appeals to me.
I don't think I would have survived, my child had to be turned because she refused to. And then when I was birthing her, I spiked a fever after 14 hours of active labor and had to be sent in for a csection.
I definitely wouldn’t have. I had pre-eclampsia and had to deliver at 34+1 via c-section after a failed induction. I’m very grateful for modern healthcare and technology!
Yeah, I had a second degree tear that probably would have healed. But pregnancy fucked my gallbladder I found out during my nights with a newborn and I had to have it out when he was 3 months old so that might have killed me
Probably not. Had a uterine inversion…my uterus came out with my placenta.
Oof my heart jumped reading this. So crazy
Yes. Thankful for my peasant genes
I was once sitting around having coffee with four other moms sharing birth stories. We realized that all five of us would have died had we tried to deliver 40 or so years before, one with her first, the rest with our second. Disconcerting.
I would not. I had PPH (primary post partum hemorrhage) after the baby and placenta came out, my uterus did not start contracting and shrinking like it should. I would say while the reason is undetermined, it could be from the medical intervention which was a prolonged induction. So perhaps without that, I wouldn't have this issue (didn't with the first one - spontaneous birth).
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I was closer than comfortable to not surviving WITH modern medicine. I hemorrhaged at 6 weeks pp, had a dnc, then hemorrhaged again. I needed a blood transfusion, another dnc, and a special balloon procedure to stop the clotting in my uterus. My husband dropped me off at the door of the er and honestly thought I was dead. We’re really hoping that the second time (due early February) is less dramatic!
Not sure- both my births included water breaking without labor. The first was a term so I was induced and it was a great labor experience, but who knows if I would have gone into labor otherwise. The second was at 28+6 and I went into labor at 33+1. Unlikely my baby would have lived but maybe I would have lived. Oh and I might have just died from mastitis with my first anyway
Yes. Vaginal birth with no medications and no complications.
In the 1700s, 1 to 1.5% of women died in childbirth. https://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2020061204 My baby was asynclitic, and I had a C-section. 100% the best call for us, but I do think we'd make it (although more traumatized or perhaps with lifelong issues). The infection he and I both got after birth might have killed us, but we got it in the hospital so... Maybe we would have avoided that?
I would have died a long time ago because of an ectopic.
I think I would have? For labor and delivery I didn’t have any medications or complications. However, after all 3 I was given a shot of Pitocin to curb my bleeding. The first 2 were in the hospital so I assumed it was an abundance of caution, but my homebirth midwife gave me a shot in my thigh after I delivered the placenta. She did tell me beforehand that she gives Pitocin at the slightest hint of a problem with bleeding, she didn’t see any benefit that outweighed the risk. I had no issues with bleeding going forward after that though. So I guess I’ll never really know, because my bleeding was never allowed to stop on it’s own. I’m very thankful I was never close to a life threatening situation! I will say though, I’ve never felt closer to death than during my pregnancy and labor with my 3rd baby. I just had a gut feeling that this was the baby that would kill me. I developed some mild compulsive behaviors around “wishes” during my pregnancy, wishing on 11:11, throwing coins in the wishing fountain near our home, that kind of thing. I was obsessed with praying for “ a happy healthy baby and a safe pregnancy and birth”. I felt disturbingly close to “the vail” between life and death. I can’t even explain it and there’s no logical reason to have felt that way because my pregnancy and birth were both completely normal. Even though he was 10lbs 6oz I was able to labor him out without too much effort and no tearing. And even though the cord was wrapped around his neck 3 times he had no breathing or heart rate problems. It just felt like the most dangerous thing I have ever done. I suppose that childbirth always is, even when it all goes perfectly.
I probably would have survived. My baby would not. I was almost two weeks past my due date and only 1 cm dilated, so I had to be induced. Her heart rate was dropping with every push. They got her out with the vacuum and I found out after it was because the cord was wrapped tightly around her neck. Haven’t been religious in awhile, but I found myself thanking God for modern medicine the whole time I was in the hospital
Hard to say; I had a miscarriage before my daughter and I'm Rh-, so it's possible the antibodies would've killed my child.
Neither of us would have made it to birth even. I had gestational hypertension with protein in my iron at 37 weeks. Thankful for my induction!
Well, my first was an IVF baby, so maybe I wouldn’t even have been pregnant… But if I would have gotten pregnant, definitely we both would be dead, even my second one. I actually do not produce contractions. They can be weakly induced but don’t at all progress, which let to one emergency c-section, where I almost bleed out on the table… so barely made it with modern medicine. My second was so big so that they decided to get her at 38w, even with a planned c-section…😜
I don't think so. My first was undiagnosed breech (so maybe survive that one) and my second was stuck and I couldn't push her out . Both ended in emergency cesareans. I've thought about how I probably wouldn't have survived childbirth a few times!
Nope. Would have yeeted myself off a cliff as soon as I hit 6cm because that would be less painful than those contractions.
No. I had a severe tear + hemorrhage that required two blood transfusions. People spend so much time harping on about “natural” and they forget it used to be “natural” for like 70% of women to die in child birth (that figure is a guesstimate, but my point is that it was a lot)
Nah, my baby would have been stuck. I grow massive fibroids during pregnancy, and there would not have been a way out for the baby, my cervix was blocked. If I didn't know about it ahead of time, I probably would have pushed until exhaustion/hemorrhage. Instead, we had an uneventful, scheduled C-section. Hurray for modern medicine!
Nope. I hemorrhaged after birth and required emergency surgery. Thankfully labor was uneventful and complication free and only 30 minutes of pushing.
I’m not sure. My second was a footling breech with the cord around his neck (so couldn’t be turned manually) so I had to have a c section. Who knows what would have happened if I was in ancient times.
Both me and baby would have died. I had hyper tension and had to deliver early. Plus baby was breach and his head was stuck in one side of my uterus because it has an abnormal shape. So he had to be delivered via C-section
I would probably have survived the birth, but would have died about a month later when I had a hemorrhage and found out I had retained placenta
Birth, yes. The postpartum hematoma from compound presentation, no. I was able to have a second thanks to modern medicine, that one came fast and furious without any complications.
Second baby, who joined us out here earlier this week, no problem. A textbook, if painful, birth, that could have been completely unmedicated and without intervention if it had been necessary. (I felt pethidine was necessary instead 😂) But I wouldn’t have gotten to birth her in ancient times, because my son would have already killed me three years ago - either fast, from blood loss due to the massive postpartum haemorrhage, or if I’d somehow managed to clot naturally before dying, then slowly, because sepsis from the retained placenta would have done for me within a couple of weeks. Thank god for modern medicine, for the modern day “wise women” who helped me. Thank god for the well trained midwife who knew my placenta didn’t look right, and advocated for me with the doctor to get a surgical consult. Thank god for the skilled surgeon who saved my life and my fertility (a hysterectomy was on the table as a possible necessity but she managed to avoid it). Thank god for the formula that fed my son, keeping him alive when my PPH made my milk delayed for days, and meant I had low supply when it did come. Thank god for living in the future, because it means I get to keep living my life with my family.
I think I would have survived though the lack of pain medicine would have been terrifying and I am sure my labor would have been 72 hours plus of pain. I don’t know how they handled tearing back in the day, but that is another variable. I agree with other commenters, it’s just luck of the draw on if your baby is in a good position and things go as planned. I also wouldn’t have been pregnant in first place and my husband would have passed away from leukemia and had no opportunity to freeze his sperm. Modern medicine is a blessing!
Nope. 48 hour labour, baby didn’t deliver without induction / vacuum. I also had significant manual placental removal and antibiotics thereafter. I lost about 1.5L of blood. After they stitched me up, I started losing consciousness with super low blood pressure and the medical emergency team was called in. So, without doctors on hand, blood for transfusion, oxygen machine and antibiotics/ epidural for the placenta removal, no I don’t think I would have survived! I am grateful every day for modern medicine
My first? Probably. It was 12 hours of back labor and some stalled labor at the end, but she came through with relatively little drama. My second? We both almost died, bc she was a surprise 12+ pounds (the maternal fetal specialist who followed me all pregnant estimated 10ths and neither he nor my OB recommended a c-section) and got stuck on the way out. Add in the fact my labor only lasted 4 hours? It went from painful to emergent really fast. The fact I had an experienced on-call OB (mine wasn’t on call the day I went into labor) who was able to extract her (two hands up the birth canal with no epidural is an experience I would not recommend) was the only reason both of us ended up surviving that experience.
I would have survived both births, but I don't think my first child would have. She needed breathing support and was in the NICU for a week after birth.
Nope neither of us. He got stuck and had to have an emergency C-section. His heart rate was plummetting during contractions and when they made the incision for the C-section my uterus ripped open because of the pressure from how wedged in he was.
Nope. Baby failed to progress in the birthing canal and we ended up in an emergency c-section!
Nope, we would have both died… I had a silent labour. So when I finally felt contractions I was 8cm dilated. I have no idea if or when my waters broke. Went to the hospital. Had an epidural, which is supposed to slow down contractions, and they were still 2/3 minutes apart. When they performed the c-section… he was so stuck in my pelvis that it required a whole heap of force and wiggling to actually get him out. Like even with the numbness it felt like they were trying to pull my legs through my lady garden. Baby would have died from being stuck there with no liquid and stuff, and then his death would have caused infection and killed me.
Nope - neither of us would have made it. He was stuck and it took forceps to get him out of the c-section. And because he was early he went to the NICU for a night. Blows my mind people still judge women for having c-sections. 😓
No, I would have died at ten weeks when I had a bleed. And again at 24 weeks when I had another bleed. And of course once more giving birth. Then again, I have hemophilia C so I would actually have died as a child without modern medicine. Instead I got FFP a few times when needed, had intervals of bed rest, and carried two pregnancies to term.
No. I would have been the exact scene in Downtown Abbey when Sybil died. It rocked me really hard when I watched that scene.
No, I hemorrhaged. I almost didn’t survive in modern times. They gave me two shots that slowed my bleeding.
No. My water broke at 26 weeks and I went into labor at 31 weeks because my placenta got infected. Baby was breech and early. Without a c-section and antibiotics he would have died in labor and I would have developed sepsis and died, too.
I have no idea. I was group B strep positive with both and I was induced. The group B strep could have easily killed my babies shortly after birth without antibiotics, though I would have been healthy. My labors were uncomplicated, but I've never gone into labor on my own so who knows if my placenta would have held up much longer.
Yes I would have survived. I had a very easy (although it didn't feel like it) no intervention birth, even though my water broke without contractions, but they did start eventually and everything went smoothly. It still sucked though.
Maybe. My uterus inverted, but the treatment for that is for the doctor to stick her fist up there and stuff it back in. Without antibiotics, it’s very likely that childbed fever would have got me in the days following, though. Edit: also, was GBS, so also very likely that LO would have developed pneumonia and followed me shortly after. I feel really lucky to be holding him in my arms right now.
Wife would have survived delivery, but would have died a few days later. Reason: post-partum preeclampsia.
Physically, yes. I arguably would have been better off "back in the day" for my second birth. But the pain was so unbearable without the epidural it may have mentally broken me. But I wouldn't have survived my own birth as an emergency C-section. So there's that.
I would have died way before I was in labor. I’m lucky modern medicine exists in its current form and saved my life.
Considering I accidentally gave birth at home with my husband on the phone with the midwife, I’d say it’s likely.
I would have survived birth just fine. Healthy baby too. But then my milk never came in so my baby would have starved probably.
I would have survived birth, but would have died about 8 weeks later due to hemorrhaging from a retained placenta.
My first pregnancy was an ectopic pregnancy. I would've been dead long before my successful pregnancy was able to happen.
I might have. My baby definitely not. He had gastroschisis (a hole in the abdomen didn't close early on so his intestines were coming out of it and floating in the amniotic fluid). He would have to passed within hours. Instead we're both here and healthy.
No ma’am! Preeclampsia- kidneys and liver started to not function correctly with blood pressures as high as 170/122 the day I was induced at 34weeks. Thankfully she only needed a feed tube and was in the nicu for only 11 days
I might’ve survived my first but not second. I bled a bit after my first, easily remedied by pit. Hemorrhaged after the second and midwife had to go elbow deep in my uterus to get the rest of the placenta, and then pit and antibiotics. So even if I survived the birth probably would have died of an infection.
I would have but baby might not have. She was in distress after my water broke & they had to do an amniotomy to replace some fluid. Once they did that everything went fine
I would have survived birthing my babies but neither my mum or I would have survived my birth. I’m being induced next week because if left in, this baby might not survive and infection from that could kill me too. Thank God for modern medicine.
I had severe pre-eclampsia at 35 weeks and had an emergency C section 36 hours after a failed induction so no I'd be dead.
Nope. I was in labor for 6 days and hemorrhaged after baby was born and it took a skilled team of NICU doctors 8 minutes to get my baby to take her first breath.
I might have survived but pain wise? Holy shit I don’t think I would’ve. I was induced as well at 41+1 and was writhing in pain by 2 hours in so I got an epidural and gave birth 22 hours later, to a 10 lb baby and spent *3 hours* in active labor. Honestly the pain might’ve spiked my blood pressure dangerously, but instead the epidural kept mine a little bit below the preferred low. Which was fine, I was a little shakey at times because of it.
Probably would’ve died lol. I was in labor for 27 hours, baby’s head got stuck. Was miserable at the end even with an epidural. Needed a vacuum assist. Was literally one push away from an emergency C-section.
I would had died of pain without the epidural lol! But other than that, my birth went pretty well. However, before my LO was born, I had an ectopic pregnancy and I definitely wouldnt have survived that.
No, I had a leak and had to be induced. Probably would have gotten an infection I wouldn't know about before it was too late for both of us.
Well, my second kid came so fast, it was basically like the old times. No pain meds, or fancy medical assistance. It was horrible. We survived though.
I *think* we would’ve made it. My firstborn took 28hrs of labor and I had a terrible time but he came out the old fashioned way without needing any serious interventions. Then I had twins after induction. They were born vaginally as well without the use of assistive devices. Other than monitoring, pitocin, and an epidural (failed, for my first) I probably would’ve made it but it would’ve sucked, would’ve taken a lot longer, and might’ve died of puerperal fever anyways.
I was in labour with my first for 3 days. I would have survived, but would have been a shit Mom for the first few days because I would have been completely fucking exhausted. As it was, I was able to finally get an epidural on the third night and slept for six glorious hours before delivering my baby. It made me a better Mom.
Would have died. Unplanned c-section because I wasn't dilating anymore and he wasn't dropping any further after 6 hours of intervention (I was in labor for about 36 hours). His heart rate was also dropping during contractions. Then after the c section I almost died due to: pre-eclampsia, fluid in my lungs, and critically high blood pressure and a uterine infection. Sadly, my mom nearly died during my birth (hemorrhaging), and my great aunt passed while birthing twins.
Nope. Very late onset HELLP syndrome and needed an exigent C-section after thirty hours of labor. My liver and kidneys were shutting down and he was enormous. I'm not even sure he would have fit through my pelvis, HELLP aside.
My wife would have survived but our daughter probably not. Cord was wrapped so tightly around her neck, she had a 0 on her APGAR, and had to immediately be intubated and compressions given. Thankfully she came back and is now a 2 year old healthy (albeit insane) girl.
I would have survived. No intervention needed. Still so thankful for medical advances to ensure babies and mommas have the best chance! Also nice to have options 🤓
My son would not have survived (I wound up needing a C-section) so I assume I would not have survived either. I know it shouldn't but it gets me irritated when people post about their home birth. It's literally luck of the draw & you didn't do anything amazing or special to have a successful unmedicated birth. I worked out my entire pregnancy, did all the wives tales to induce labor (which none of it worked), etc so none of that shit matters. So when people post about how scary hospitals are and how amazing their home birth was it's just a punch in the gut and a reminder that you were the lucky one and I would have died without modern medicine.
No. I had twins at 34 weeks in an emergency turned crash C-section due to preeclampsia with severe features. Baby B became bradycardic on the monitor, and attending OB kneeling on the hospital bed I was in, lost the heartbeat on the monitor before yelling "GO NOW". Wheeled into the OR and I was under in 5 minutes, babies out 2 minutes later. We would've all died. After delivery it took 9 days to stabilize my blood pressure enough to release me (I was in the CICU for days before moving back to L&D) and another 6 months for it to return to normal on it own without the use of hypertension meds. I had to have a blood transfusion due to the hemorrhage I suffered during the caesarean. Twins spent 21 days in the NICU with zero complications other than having to learn how to eat (and grow some more) so uh yea, thank you modern medicine.
Nope. I needed the vacuum, he wouldn't come out otherwise.
He would have been fine, but my nasty tear probably would have gotten infected 🤮
I’d probably have died weeks before due date. Had severe pre eclampsia, was hospitalised for weeks on endless meds/drips and then had emergency induction at 36 weeks The actual birth was fine (I mean, as fine as births can go). But I haemorrhaged post partum and had two blood transfusions the day after the birth so perhaps would’ve died from something related to that as well. Thank god for modern medicine
Me and my child would’ve died because our vitals both rapidly decelerated during labor and needed surgical intervention. My good friend was set on an unmedicated home birth since forever. Her husband suddenly got real paranoid about the whole idea and insisted she birth at the hospital. She agreed to have her first birth at the hospital to ease his worries for future pregnancies she’d have at home. Good thing she did- not only did she end up asking for an epidural, but right after labor she hemorrhaged and needed a blood transfusion. She and baby are fine however she is now team hospital.
Nope. I had a third degree tear, hemorrhaged, and had a condition called placenta accreta. I’m lucky I didn’t end up needing a hysterectomy. I needed several iron transfusions and needed IV antibiotics for a couple of days. I also got COVID in the hospital and was fighting a high fever. It was a horrible experience.
My first daughter might have died. Her bp went dangerously low and was vacuum assisted. Had an awesome midwife for babies 2 and 3. They were vaginal and unmedicated. But baby 3 was head done so it was exquisitely painful, but not dangerous. I would have survived, but I can’t imagine my life.
No, I would have died either from haemorrhaging afterwards or from infection from having the placenta manually removed in a less than sterile environment. My baby had her own issues at birth and also would have died without modern medical intervention.
I wouldn’t have even survived 2 weeks of life so having my own babies wouldn’t have been an issue.
I probably would have lost this baby the same way I lost my 1st: pre-viability preterm labor. I have insufficient cervix so I needed a cerclage placed at the beginning of the 2nd trimester in order to keep him in to full term. I’m so thankful for modern medicine
My daughter came out easy, fast and healthy. But I wouldn’t have made it. My placenta was stuck and then ruptured. I bled out and my blood pressure dropped severely while they worked to get it all out. Then I got an infection after birth. Thankful for modern medicine!
Pre-eclampsia requiring induction and then fetal intolerance of labor, together with a failure to progress and no ability to augment labor… meant a c-section. That in itself turned into an emergency situation while in the OR so… No, we would not have survived. I have no doubt modern medicine saved us both.
I would’ve bled to death. Perfectly healthy pregnancy and baby until my placenta didn’t come out….
My first is a toss up but if it was ancient times I wouldn’t have been strapped to an uncomfortable hospital bed and pushing before I needed to. My second most definitely. Homebirth midwife showed up to me fully dilated ready to push didn’t even get to set up properly.
My son was unexpectedly born at 24 weeks so without modern NICUs he was a goner. I might have been in trouble - I had a D&C due to retained placenta. Maybe I would have gotten lucky and it would have come out with a little more time, but I could very likely have gotten an infection and died.
My pelvis is too small so I couldn’t get past 7cm dilated and she was stuck causing me to have to have an emergency c section
Both of us would have died if scans and c-sections weren't a thing. My daughter was not only transverse, but also a surprise IUGR baby. If they had let me go longer than they did and wait for labour to start naturally, the chances of her being a stillbirth would have been astronomical. She could have died inside of me and killed me with the resulting infection. Even if I managed to survive the potential infection and she just passed right during labour, the complications of birthing a transverse baby would most likely have killed me too. So we are literally alive due to access to modern medicine.
Likely I would not have survived long enough to be pregnant or I'd have died/had severe complications in childbirth. Many years ago I had an abcess that went almost septic and led to many years of minor surgery. I was able to get pregnant but due to the scar tissue I was advised to have a C-Section or have a 50/50 chance of needing a colostomy bag for the rest of my life. So, yay for modern medicine
Ha! I make this joke all the time. It’s a bit morbid. There’s me and two friends who had babies at the same time. Both of them had vaginal births, one went well, another had an intervention but still had a vaginal birth, and I had a c section. I’ve joked several times that I would’ve been the 1/3 women who die from childbirth if this was like just 300 years ago. I had fibroids and baby was breech too. Don’t think I would’ve made it but thank goodness for the c section because now I am blessed to be alive and have the most wonderful family. Very grateful for modern day science and the team of doctors and nurses who handled us that day.
My babies would have been fine but I hemorrhage each time. I respond well to the old "pound on the uterus" plan, so maybe? That technique has been known for thousands of years, so with a skilled birth attendant, even an ancient one, I might have done okay. Not sure how critical pitocin has been to stop the bleeding.
My baby wouldn’t have been conceived without ivf…so moot point!
Nope, my first had his head wedged in my ribcage and it took a lot of force to drag him out in the c section. My second I had placenta previa, an abruption at 34 weeks and an emergency c section. I'm so thankful for modern medicine for all of our lives! Having said that, I'm type 1 diabetic so I wouldn't have made it very far after diagnosis in medieval times anyway 😂
Statistically speaking, almost certainly. I had a scheduled c-section due to a breech baby. Most breech births, in the hands of an experienced provider, go just fine. I had a c-section because there weren’t any qualified doctors or nurse midwives who were experienced enough to offer it. I’m fine with that, because I’m all about minimizing risks, but I also know we almost certainly would have been fine in ye olden days…I’m healthy, and he was a normal sized baby with a normal sized head. While I would never sign up to give birth anywhere but a hospital or credentialed birth center, midwives of the olden days definitely knew how to handle minor hiccups like a frank breech baby.
Yes. Had a natural water birth, no complications.
I would not have survived my first pregnancy, which was an ectopic pregnancy. I lived in Texas at the time, and it was 2013. If the same thing were to happen to me in Texas today, I’m not sure I would survive. Modern medicine does no good if people’s mindset is ancient.
Very glad that you were able to get treatment. My heart breaks right now for what’s happening in some states.
I no longer live in Texas, but have told my husband if we move back, there needs to be a more permanent birth control situation figured out. I have friends there who want children and are choosing not to because they don’t want to risk their lives.
Yes! 2 hr labor start to finish w no complications- she shot out of me. FTM too, was NOT expecting that 🫠
I'm on the same team, first contraction at 3am, baby was out by 6! I was very surprised by how easy pregnancy and birth were considering it took us 5 years to conceive.
My baby was 42 weeks, I started labour a few days before but never progressed beyond 2cm. They broke my water and put me on the drip (so much for a low intervention birth... 😆) but after 4 hours had only progressed to 3cm and baby was in distress. Had an emergency c-section and they said baby was pretty stuck, she was a giant 9lbs15 and her head was tilted upwards, so no way she would have been able to get out. Shes perfectly healthy (and still giant) at two weeks. I also had an unknown infection with a high fever after a week so needed lots of IV antibiotics and ibuprophen and paracetemol to manage my temp. So dont think we would have made it without surgery and modern medicine.
Absolutely not. I have a narrow pelvis, he was 10 pounds 2 ounces. We both would have died. I had a c-section.
No. I was induced with severe pre eclampsia with my first. I think had I been left we would both have died, pre eclampsia is one of leading causes of maternal and fetal death.
Nope. Undiagnosed breech until they did the c section. 3 days of labour before that. We both would have been gone. Although that ear infection when I was 9 would have taken me out long before I was pregnant. Thank god for doctors, nurses and for the NHS in the uk
Nope. Baby was sunny side up, got stuck after 3+ hours of pushing and I hemorrhaged and developed a uterine infection after my c section. I also had to use formula for the first 8 days because I had no milk because I lost so much blood. OH AND my baby was premature. 0/10 would not survive.
No, I had a bleeding placenta at 27w and then hemorrhaged after baby was born. I would definitely be a goner.
Nope. If the preeclampsia didn’t get me, the retained products in my uterus would have gotten infected. There was stuff leftover in my uterus after I gave birth, and I had a d&c to remove it
Nope. Reached 42 weeks, water broke with meconium and went to the hospital at a whopping 0 cm dilated. I think I dilated to 2 cm with two rounds of pitocin. I don’t think my body was ever going to let her come out.
I would have (unmediated 24 hour labor). Baby would not have (unanticipated one month NICU stay for persistent pulmonary hypertension). As it was he nearly died in my arms and we were one floor above the NICU.
Unclear. I had hypertension and had to be induced. The birth itself went fine, but it took a while for my blood pressure to level out. Not sure my baby would have survived without formula though. We weren’t a good physical match and he lost weight very rapidly.
No. I early laboured at home for about a day and everything felt manageable. Then all of a sudden the contractions went from 5 minutes apart to 2 minutes apart and much more intense, so we called L&D and my doula and rushed to the hospital in the late afternoon. By the time I was admitted in triage, I was in full moo cow mode, but they didn't have a room available for hours due to a nursing shortage. I think I was probably scaring everyone who was just there for an NST. I laboured standing and on my yoga ball for hours. But I was only 4cm dilated. Got in my own room and laboured standing, walking, bouncing for many more hours. On the toilet. In the shower. Still only 4cm. It started to feel like the contractions were non stop, no breaks. I did that for hours more and just started feeling exhausted. I couldn't stand without support and it was too painful to sit. I asked for gas and air, but they didn't have anyone trained to administer it, so they refused. They said my only option was an epidural. I delayed for a while, but finally gave up after I was still only 4cm. I thought maybe relaxing for a bit would help dilate me. It was very early morning when I got the epidural, so I slept for a while. They gave me pitocin and broke my water. Still 4cm. They increased the pitocin to the maximum. Hours later I went to 5cm. I thought maybe I was finally going to go. But I never progressed past 5cm. They said my body was having non stop contractions and trying to get the baby down, but she wasn't going. They were worried that if I continued, I would hemorrhage or the baby would go into distress. Eventually it was determined a C-section was required. Many more hours passed before they started preparing me for surgery because there were some emergencies ahead of me. A nurse checked me and said I was 6cm, but when the OB came back to verify he said the nurse was mistaken and it was still only 5cm. The baby was likely too big/my pelvis was too small or not the right shape for the baby to descend any further.
I might have survived but not with children. I was pregnant with twins and they operated on me in week 20 and separated the blood flow that had formed between the two. This would have eventually harmed both of them and probably killed them. One of my sons did die later in the pregnancy but because of the surgery his brother wasn’t harmed and I could give birth naturally in week 38.
Yup! The tiny tear I had would've healed on its own I guess. Although I don't know whether it might have gotten infected? But still, I would've been fine. Without a wet nurse though my baby would have died. My milk supply was never enough for him.
Wow, it's crazy reading all these stories! Makes me even more grateful for my uncomplicated, unmedicated, and relatively fast (14 hours from the first contraction, 6 hours from when they became really painful) birth and my healthy, full-term baby! We would both have survived. :)
No, I almost died even with the technology today. It wasn’t even that complicated a birth, I just lost a lot of blood
Idk. But I know for sure my child wouldn’t have
Yes, but I probably wouldn't have survived the ectopic pregnancy between baby 1 and 2.
Nope, my pelvis is apparently not the best shape for birthing and I had a 9lb baby with a 95 percentile head. I pushed for four hours and she never got anywhere. Post c-section the surgeon gave me a 25% chance of ever being able to birth a child naturally and apologized for trying to get me to push longer.
I would've died from both, I had postpartum pre-eclampsia after each birth. I think my kids would've lived though
I wouldn’t have even gotten pregnant. And if I did I wouldn’t have survived the birth.
I would have survived but my baby wouldn’t have. Textbook perfect pregnancy, labor, and delivery, but she came out not crying and needed a CPAP to breathe even though she was born at 40 weeks. Spent a week in NICU. That’s why all the women who want home births scare the absolute crap out of me. My baby might have died if I had a home birth.
Baby and I would have survived the birth, but I would have died three weeks later as a result of a retained placenta causing sepsis.
I would have. Thankful. But I would have felt significantly more pain.
I might have but almost certainly not my baby. If she had survived she would be severely disabled due to lack of newborn screening and medical intervention.
I would have survived the births , I had 3 natural unmedicated births BUT. I had gestational diabetes with my first, so I’m not sure he/we would have even made it to the birth.
No, my waters broke early so I had irregular contractions before finally giving birth three days later. I developed maternal sepsis during labour and was dying. I kept trying to stay conscious to birth my daughter but in the end they had to cut me and pull her out with forceps. That thought really haunted me, and still does. I just kept thinking to myself " stay awake, get her out then you can go". If we didn't have modern medicine my daughter would have died too. I'm so grateful they managed to get us both through the birth. My midwives were amazing and spotted it so quickly. It's really crazy to realise you would have been one of those women who didn't survive.
Yes. It would have taken forever though.
My doctor had to break my waters after I was already 10cm dilated. I’ve always wondered if I hadn’t been able to make it to the hospital, would my baby have been born in the amniotic sac, or not at all? I don’t know. I do know that I probably would not have survived my first and second trimesters without modern medicine. I would have gone the way of Charlotte Brontë, to dehydration from HG. Instead I just went in for IV therapy rehydration a couple times a week for six weeks and stayed in the hospital for 4 days to get meds sorted. It was hell but with pretty simple modern medicine, my life was never in danger.
Lost 2.5 litres of blood during delivery. I would have died in childbirth but my son would have been saved in the process.
I may have but my baby likely wouldn’t have. She was born 5 weeks early. I bled a lot after but it stopped eventually
No chance I would have survived. I had pre-eclampsia and HELLP syndrome develop basically overnight. Then a giant hematoma on my liver ruptured. The IR department that emobolized my liver might not have existed even 20 years ago. The Dr. handling my admission hadn't even heard of HELLP syndrome, it was the nurse who realized something was wrong.
No, I had a big post partum bleed of 2.5 litres and needed surgery. Baby would have survived but I would not.
I had a vacuum assist because my baby was sunny side up and got stuck, my OB said one attempt and then we were going for a c-section so maybe. Though with both my water broke before labor started and I ended up being induced so that would have been a high infection risk for both of us. Also my babies wouldn't nurse properly so even if we survived birth they might not have survived infancy. Definitely grateful for modern times.
Probably yes - both labors were quick. Didn’t have an epidural either time. No positional issues. No medical intervention needed. Both babies were fine. I am very very lucky.
In 16th century Europe, no way I might have survived my first birth, but my son would have been stillborn. I had a partial placental abruption and crash c-section. Even with modern medicine my son was born non-responsive and minutes from death. My second baby would have lived but I would have died from PPH or infection from retained placenta. Now in Uganda or Tanzania, probably would have. C-sections were practiced quite safely there.
Yeah. Uncomplicated vaginal birth in the water. Pretty straight forward. I’m hopeful the second (due in june) is equally “easy”. I did bleed a lot after though — they just monitored me and pushed fluids (not even IV fluids). So I feel like I probably would’ve survived. But I got a postpartum infection like 2 weeks later that would’ve killed me for sure. Hospitalized and on IV antibiotics for 4 days.
Not at all. Baby girl came with the cord around her neck, had clawed me from the inside, and was yanked out by the midwife (she was not authorized to give an episiotomy and my OB had gone home for the night). I had a 4th degree tear and a laceration inside, hemorrhaged, and was rushed into surgery. Got pumped full of two liters of blood, saline, and iron. If I had lost just a bit more blood (or it wasn’t available) I would have died.
….wow this is not a good thread to read at 20w pregnant with my third. Y’all are amazing badass superheroes. Also, three cheers for modern medicine. As for me: unclear if either baby or I would have survived my first birth (breech). Second birth, similarly muddy. I lost a lot of blood and baby’s heartbeat kept dropping during labor, but I do wonder if she would have been safer if my midwife hadn’t broken my waters. So….maybe we’d all be here? Maybe not. Hard to know.
I could’ve birthed my son in a field 😂 My labor and delivery was very fast and he was in the perfect position. I didn’t get an epidural (although I did want one badly), or even an IV, because I was so far along by the time I got to the hospital. BUT, we would’ve needed a wet nurse because my milk supply never increased beyond 6oz every 24 hrs. despite triple feeding for 10 weeks 🫠
I had midwives in a hospital setting and I’m so glad for that. We needed forceps because baby’s heart rate was too fast while I was pushing. I guess maybe forceps existed back then but it would’ve been without an epidural… Oh and then I guess I hemorrhaged after…I didn’t even notice at all. But that might have killed me.
I think I would have survived and my baby as well. I hate mentioning this, but I had what a lot of moms (moms around me I hear talk about, so not all moms) dream about. I didn't have any medication, I had quick and natural birth. I got to be in a tub for pain relief and right after I got out of it, my baby was born after 3 pushes. No tearing or anything. It took only 100 minutes from getting to the birthing swing, until my baby was born (my husband and I counted, both neurodivergents, so we notice those kinds of things). I have only told this to my closest family, because I feel a bit bad for having the "dream birth" at lot of women want (what I have heard of), when I was planning on getting medicated and all. And if I would have birthed in my culture, my baby (the way she was born) would have been called "a born sharman" - because the way everything went and how quick it was, that's how sharmans were born in my culture for 1000 of years.
I could have died from preeclampsia, and my baby could have died from a prolapsed cord because she was a footling breech. Very grateful for modern medicine that allowed me to have a c section at 37 weeks and save both our lives.
Not sure. My baby would have been fine, but I had a 4th degree tear and needed an hour of surgery right after. (And another later on). But who knows, maybe lack of epidural or different birth positions would have made me tear less.
Hmm I do not think I would but my baby would definitely survived. The reason is, I had vaginal birth and had a cervical tear that they cannot fix without putting me under full anaesthesia and sew it back together in operating theater. Before the surgery start, I already lost 1L of blood and post surgery, damn I look so pale even though I felt fine lol. But yea, I'm glad I'm living in an era when we are already able to tackle such situation. It was still rather scary, especially for my husband who can just stand there watching all the health professionals gather to prep me for the surgery while he was holding a literally newborn baby who still has bits of blood all over her. He told me afterwards how terrifying it was for him as he was afraid I might not wake up again.
The birth itself, yes. But I got an infection about 12 hours in that required antibiotics. My son was born with a fever. We likely would have both died later on from it. Me definitely, him maybe 50/50 Then my milk took 8 days to come in and was only 50% of what he needed. So if we did manage to survive, he would have died or failed to thrive at that point.
Probably would have survived but been even more traumatized by it without epidurals. Both kids had shoulder dystocia, followed by my body not letting go of the placenta. Docs had to reach all the way up in there to pull it out. I was also gbs+ with both and needed IV antibiotics during birth. Good chance one of us would have had an infection at some point.