Rachel's Birth Experience at Hospital del Sureste in Arganda del Rey

Sharing birth stories brings us closer to understanding not only the way birth is happening around us, but also our own desires. Telling one's own birth story can also be a cathartic experience. My hope in sharing real, raw stories from the Madrid community of moms is so that others will hear first-hand accounts of hospitals in the area.

Content Warning - if you prefer to read only positive birth experiences, you may want to skip this one. Here at Madoula I do believe all experiences are valuable and I share all kinds of experiences, but I like to let you know if you're pregnant and avoiding difficult stories, this one may not be for you.

Today's story is Rachel's. Rachel is an American mom who gave birth in 2020 at Hospital del Sureste in Arganda del Rey. She chose this hospital because her midwife recommended it as a more respectful place to give birth in her area.

Rachel's Story:

I had to have an emergency C-section in the end. The baby's heart rate kept dropping and they found meconium in the amniotic fluid.

This was everything I hoped would not happen. I spent my whole pregnancy preparing for a natural childbirth. Despite all of this, I am thankful to the medical staff for their care.

Unfortunately, my husband couldn't be in the operating room because of Covid protocols, but he got to do skin to skin with the baby right away and as soon as I was stitched up I was with my baby and husband.

Did you feel supported in your chosen method of feeding?

I chose to breastfeed and felt very supported. However, every nurse had a different opinion and advice (a couple were even a bit rude). This caused me quite a bit of distress, but what got me through was everything I had read before giving birth and all the information I had received from professionals reaching out to pregnant women on social media during the pandemic.

Did you have a doula? If yes, how was it? If no, how do you think having a doula might have changed your birth experience?

I think it would have allowed me to not compromise certain things throughout the whole process.

Thank you Rachel for sharing your experience!

If you'd like to share your birth story in Madrid (hospital or home birth!), please do so here.

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Giving birth in Madrid or a new mom in Madrid? Looking for support on the wild ride called parenthood?

Look no further - book a free discovery call with me (Madison - doula in Madrid) today and let's chat about how together we can work to make your experience a positive one! And be sure to check out the Madoula homepage.