I'm a graduate nurse who is also 31 weeks pregnant; I'm interested in L&D nursing after I have my baby. We have chosen to go to a birthing center to have our first child; they required that we take childbirth classes and I liked the idea of my husband being involved with the birthing process, so we decided to choose the Bradley Method to help us.
When I initially spoke with the instructor, she seemed excited to have a 'nurse' in the class, and would occasionally ask me questions in front of the class as a 'nurse' authority figure. She claimed in class to state the Bradley Method supports any choices the couple makes, but was clearly biased towards no interventions whatsoever during birth. She was rather forceful in her opinions. However, none of the information was particularly detrimental until yesterday...
Maybe having the class on 06/06/06 got to her, but she seemed to do a complete 180. She was talking about birthing in a hospital, and trying to have a natural birth (ie, refusing to wear the hospital gown, refusing IVs, refusing to be NPO, etc) and told these horror stories in class, and how the nurse will come in and try to boss you around, but that you are there to be served, and that you should come into the hospital with the following mindset:
"the hospital is a hotel, and the nurses are the maids. The only thing they are responsible for is fetal heart rate, and for fixing up the room. They have no autonomy. Think of them as maids, and tell them what services you want."
She also said that when the patients are given the consents, they should tear the first page off and staple it to their birth plan and hand that in instead. She said that nurses just laugh at birth plans anyway.
I literally saw red!!! I was so angry that I didn't trust myself to speak, and basically withdrew from participating in the rest of the class. A few of the students asked me during the break about what she was saying, and said they didn't agree with nurses being equated with maids in the hospital.
At this point, I don't feel like ever going back to that class (we still have 4 more left). We have the workbook and I still feel the principles of the method are sound, but I feel that going back to that instructor and that class would validate what she said. I feel like I did that tacitly by not speaking up in class. I am drafting an e-mail message to her that I'm thinking about sending to the entire class (we have a listserv set up)...
Mostly this is just a vent, but I would be interested in hearing how others would have responded to this, or experiences with Bradley families in the hospital...
Thanks everyone for your insight, personal experiences, and congratulations! They've been very interesting; I love having this forum available to discuss all of the issues surrounding nursing.
Here's an update:
I wrote to the instructor, bascially telling her I didn't appreciate the analogy and explaining the education nurses have, and that compairing that to maid service will not benefit her students. I ended it saying that I had misgivings about continuing her class, since the other students knew I was a 'nurse' and I felt that by not contradicting what she said, the ones who didn't ask me about it would assume that I agreed with her. (A few moms came up to me and said they didn't agree, and understood my POV.)
She wrote back a long e-mail justifying why she wrote what she did (empowerment, communication in a situation where lay people will feel intimidated, and negotiatin what they want, not wasting their time talking to the wrong person--that is, nurses instead of docs., etc.) She then proceded to say she was studying to be a nurse, and understood how nurses were 'underpaid and overworked', and 'got it from both ends since we are ordered around by both clients and management', and how nurses don't get praise for their work. In other words, she didn't get it, since the focus of my message was that she was ignoring the education and professionalism of the nurses--and she continued to do so.
I thought about writing back, but if she's can't see my POV, I don't feel like arguing with this woman over this. My husband said that he will support my decision about returning. He said that he tunes out all of her more militant views, but that some of the other information is of use to him. (and he obviously didn't agree with the analogy.) After a week, I'm not as angry as I was before...and said that she welcomes comments in class. So I may end up going back and just contradicting anything immediately to the class if she makes any comments like that again. If we do end up going back, I will reiterate during the evaluation period at the end my concerns, and will send a copy to AAHCC in the hopes that they are mindful of this when training new instructors.
Has anyone out there attempted to start a 18 gauge IV on a mom with 60/40 BP after a huge bleed.Has anyone had a Mom beg you for pain meds or epidural only to have a FOB or coach tell you no that she did not want them. I support every womans right to choose her birth plan but I know that many are filled out on the internet with out knowledge of the rationale for these interventions. I am one of the few RNs on my unit who will volunteer for natural pts but I am also there for my pt as her advocate not her coach or any one else. I do not believe that an INT is going to interfere with her labor.I am a professional not a maid and I think after some people practise a while the will resent that implication as much as the rest of us
I have been an L&D nurse for 18 years now. Prior to this I taught Lamaze classes and also had my second baby at home. So I am one of those nurses who can see both sides. I work really hard to accomodate my patients wishes and generally get along very well with Bradley patients and Doula's. Although I don't recommend home births due to things I have seen since I have been a nurse I can understand wanting to limit some interventions that are not necessary for that particular birth. However the baby is always top priority and usually the parents are very accepting of that.
A few months ago however that changed. I had a Bradley couple and they were so uncooperative that I really became stressed. There baby was not reactive on the monitor and although it was not having any decels it also was not having many accels. They kept taking the monitor off and taking the oxygen off. I kept putting it back on and explaining that I needed to closely watch their baby that I was slightly concerned and wanted to be sure it was ok. That she needed the extra oxygen for her baby. It was just a nightmare and I was so angry that their birth plan was more important then the health of their baby. After the babies birth they wanted to breastfeed while the baby was still blue and needing supplemental oxygen. Apparently they gave maty a really hard time as well. Ugh! I have since tried to avoid any Bradley patients, lol.
Specializes in Acute Med, Pediatric Hematology-Oncology.
you make an interesting point, photorn.
their birth plan was more important then the health of their baby.
it's a symptom of the society. its why a lot of women plan a c-section. they want to be in control of when it happens, how it happens, when their time off is, etc. in reality, no matter what method you choose, there's nothing "natural" about having a birth plan.
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
I wish for once and for all, we could end the animosity between "factions", those being the hospital staff and the all-natural and/or Bradley crowd. In the end, I think MOST OF BOTH SIDES want what is best for mom and baby. Communication lines must be open for us to work together.
A few people have said that she should be reported to her supervisor. As I understand it, there is no supervisor for Bradley; if someone is interested in becoming an instructor, you take a course and then you are certified as an instructor by the American Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth. Then you can advertise as such, and schedule private classes.
When I took a Bradley class I was very unhappy with the instructor - signed up 30 women for a class (The groups are supposed to be small) among other things . I felt she was not representing the true ideals of the Bradley method.
I dropped the class and contacted the Bradley Organization by phone- they asked me to send a letter detailing my issues with the instructor.
I did get my money back BUT also a phone call from the intstructor (the day i came home from the hosp after giving birth no less). She freaked out on me and called me a liar etc.... - i hung up the phone.
NOt sure if that was a solution but I wanted to let you know that you can contact someone :) they may not do anything though !
The Bradley Method®
(800) 4-A-BIRTH
American Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth®
Box 5224
Sherman Oaks, CA 91413-5224
PS. I had to leave a message when i contacted them - i received a call back within a week or so.
I was so angry that I didn't trust myself to speak, and basically withdrew from participating in the rest of the class. A few of the students asked me during the break about what she was saying, and said they didn't agree with nurses being equated with maids in the hospital.
Merovingienne
4 Posts
Thanks everyone for your insight, personal experiences, and congratulations! They've been very interesting; I love having this forum available to discuss all of the issues surrounding nursing.
Here's an update:
I wrote to the instructor, bascially telling her I didn't appreciate the analogy and explaining the education nurses have, and that compairing that to maid service will not benefit her students. I ended it saying that I had misgivings about continuing her class, since the other students knew I was a 'nurse' and I felt that by not contradicting what she said, the ones who didn't ask me about it would assume that I agreed with her. (A few moms came up to me and said they didn't agree, and understood my POV.)
She wrote back a long e-mail justifying why she wrote what she did (empowerment, communication in a situation where lay people will feel intimidated, and negotiatin what they want, not wasting their time talking to the wrong person--that is, nurses instead of docs., etc.) She then proceded to say she was studying to be a nurse, and understood how nurses were 'underpaid and overworked', and 'got it from both ends since we are ordered around by both clients and management', and how nurses don't get praise for their work. In other words, she didn't get it, since the focus of my message was that she was ignoring the education and professionalism of the nurses--and she continued to do so.
I thought about writing back, but if she's can't see my POV, I don't feel like arguing with this woman over this. My husband said that he will support my decision about returning. He said that he tunes out all of her more militant views, but that some of the other information is of use to him. (and he obviously didn't agree with the analogy.) After a week, I'm not as angry as I was before...and said that she welcomes comments in class. So I may end up going back and just contradicting anything immediately to the class if she makes any comments like that again. If we do end up going back, I will reiterate during the evaluation period at the end my concerns, and will send a copy to AAHCC in the hopes that they are mindful of this when training new instructors.