Interview with Christa Donohue, November 10, 2011

Interview Summary

Interview with Christa Donohue - Richmond, VA

In this interview, Christa Donohue discusses her childhood, where she was raised by her young mother and grandmother in a household of strong, independent women.

She goes on to discuss her positive pregnancy, and her fear and discomfort around doctors and the hospital setting. She sought out a caring practitioner that understood her hesitations, though ultimately her primary OBGYN was unable to attend the birth. After laboring at home for as long as possible, Sara found the hospital setting challenging in comparison, though the birth was positive overall. After delivering her daughter, she was given general anesthesia to have her placenta surgically removed. She describes her dismay at being taken away from her husband and newborn daughter at such a crucial time, her anger at the hospital system, and her long physical and emotional recovery post-delivery. In preparation for her second child, a midwife reviewed her hospital records and found nothing to indicate that the surgery was necessary.

In conclusion, she recounts the home birth of her second child. She is grateful that her negative experience with hospital birth led her to choose home birth. She hopes that her children, and especially her daughter, will be well informed of all their birthing options so that they can make informed, independent choices.

Interview Keyword

Virginia

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