Are We Still Holding Back Baby's Head?

[Kooky Korky]

There was a story on the news lately about an OB who was in labor or nearly ready to begin labor as an inpatient.

She heard another patient scream and decided to investigate. She found a pt she knew from her practice and proceeded to deliver the woman's baby. She stated she was glad to do it so the staff didn't have to hold back the woman's delivery. I was shocked!

I know (have heard from L & D nurses) that the baby's head used to be held back, I guess with a towel, and the birth prevented from occurring until the pt's OB could get there and do the delivery.

Please tell me this doesn't still happen.

[JKL33]

I guess we'll never know the details but plenty of online sources describe a child with relatively mild delays which were only as problematic as they were mainly because of the family's connections and need for appearances. The things I've read so far today state that the lobotomy itself was performed awake and basically they messed around in her brain until she became incoherent. Not to mention that it's not scientific to say that whatever they perceived her original deficiencies to be were directly related to the birth process. That's simply not a given, period. The fact that they were worried enough about their reputation to do experimental brain surgery on her makes me doubt the veracity of any part of their story.

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

....and this is why there are lawsuits and they SHOULD be paid out. All...day...long.

Famous case: Rosemary Kennedy. The nurse held her until the physician got there and it is widely believed it was the cause of her brain damage....before her lobotomy.

Telling a woman not to push with a natural urge is like telling her not to vomit. It's an archaic practice.

Not only archaic but vicious and arrogant. As you said, look at Rosemary Kennedy. We can only guess how many other lives have been damaged by this insane practice.

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

How on earth would a towel prevent an infant from being born?

Someone uses the towel to literally keep the baby's head or other presenting part from delivering. You wouldn't really need a towel. You could use your hand or a lap sponge or whatever would give you the means to hold the head inside.

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

I've delivered five babies, and had that happened I probably would have assaulted the nurse. Just saying. I'm not a violent person -- it would have been a self-defense thing. Any prolonging of that "ring of fire" would definitely make me feel I needed to defend myself. Fortunately I have never heard of that being done...except Rosemary Kennedy like Jory mentioned. If I remember correctly and if the reports are accurate, the nurse held her inside for TWO HOURS waiting for the dr to arrive!

That is truly outrageous.

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

It probably was in the news but the news isn't known for its steller medical reporting.

Turned out she knew the patient from her practice. It was in New York.

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

I'm sure some nurses have done that, but we don't "still" do it because it's never been a "thing" and it's incredibly dangerous and risky.

OB nurses, as a general rule, are taught how to safely deliver an infant when the provider is not present, and NOT how to hold the baby in until the provider arrives.

NOT, not now

We're talking before the 1970's, let's say.

[ComeTogether, LPN]

I was taught when mom gets to +4 station it's time to catch the baby.

[NurseCard, ADN]

There was a story on the news lately about an OB who was in labor or nearly ready to begin labor as an inpatient.

She heard another patient scream and decided to investigate. She found a pt she knew from her practice and proceeded to deliver the woman's baby. She stated she was glad to do it so the staff didn't have to hold back the woman's delivery. I was shocked!

I know (have heard from L & D nurses) that the baby's head used to be held back, I guess with a towel, and the birth prevented from occurring until the pt's OB could get there and do the delivery.

Please tell me this doesn't still happen.

This OB doctor is from my neck of the woods; she works in the town

about 20 minutes from where I live, and she is part of the group of

doctors who delivered my son. :)

*proud*

[NurseCard, ADN]

Turned out she knew the patient from her practice. It was in New York.

No it was here in Kentucky.

[Coffee Nurse, BSN, RN]

We can only guess how many other lives have been damaged by this insane practice.

Except as the OB people in this thread have said, it's not a practice. I'm still waiting to see a credible source for this "story."

[FranEMTnurse, CNA, LPN, EMT-I]

The nurses decided to hold my firstborn back because my doctor was out of town for a leisurely ride. After I heard them discussing it, I decided to push as hard as I could with each contraction, and my baby was born just as my doctor's husband, also a doctor entered the delivery room. The only thing this doctor did was cut the cord.

[SmilingBluEyes]

No!!! never did!