Disturbing things that I heard Dr.s say in the Labor room

Specialties CNM

Published

Shortly after a mama gave birth, "You behaved exactly how I wanted"

While giving an epidural, "Epidurals are actually better for baby"

Care to add to the list?

Specializes in L&D, Trauma, Ortho, Med/Surg.
So agree. I've been debating about cnm school

Do it!

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Do it!

You seem pretty sold!! Do you have any words of wisdom for an unsure applicant?

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Specializes in L&D.

There is a fine line between patient advocacy and respect for OB/GYN, they are both completely possible.

Male docs who assault the lady parts (seriously-pulling and prying on that poor woman's lady parts-- and it seems they expect every woman to have an epidural and they forget when they dont, and they get yelled at by the pt!!! thank you pt for sticking up for yourself!) these docs are in such a DARN HURRY they seriously reach in and try to pull the baby out. this is probably one of the worst things i've seen in the delivery room. and how do you advocate for your patient? He'd just says he's doing perineal massage (even though literature shows it causes MORE HARM than good!).

or how about the resident who ripped the cord in half trying to pull the baby out of the mom as quickly as possibly- the baby had to have a blood transfusion and be admitted to LII nursery because it lost so much blood. I immediately pinched the cord connected to the baby, but it was too late! the baby turned stark white. the mom was losing blood too!! and this particular resident would always hit on the nurses.. what a flipping loser.

i haven't heard so many terrible direct comments, but it's the actions that speak louder than words.

episiotomies are so rarely necessary... oh yuck old men docs are obsessed with them too. don't even get me started.

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

I have been at deliveries (baby nurse) for almost 3 years now and am so glad to have never heard the things said that I'm reading here. It makes me so angry when women get manhandled, manipulated, and verbally abused in labor. I'm fortunate to work at a fairly progressive hospital with a lot of pro-natural-birth nurses and a low c/s rate.

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I've had a doctor hold a pair of scissors to the patients perineum saying "you better push or I'm going to cut." That same doc also wouldn't use lidocaine once during a repair because the patient wouldn't get an epidural. Same doc who I've seen use forceps with both of his feet on the bed for leverage.

I've also had another doc tell me to "Pit the crap out of her" until she agrees to get an epidural. :/

Oh the list goes on and on...and I'm still just a labor nurse. These are just a few of the many reasons I applied to CNM school.

All of these monsters need to be reported to the licensure Board and to hospital Admin. No lido as a punishment? I hope the pt finds out and has him arrested for assault, battery, torture.

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These quotes make me not want to be a labor and delivery nurse.

Please do be one. Protect your patients. If someone says he won't give a local in order to punish the Mom, quietly give him a syringe full of one. Stand in front of him if he tries to touch her without a local when you know a local is needed. And stuff like that.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Med-Surg, Psych, Geri, LTC, Tele,.
I agree with you. Back in 1983 my 1st OB was a woman and her husband ran her office. She barely spent 5 minutes with me during my visits. She pushed for a Pit delivery and I was young and naive and agreed. It wasn't pleasant.

My second baby was in 1985 and in a different town/state and I have a male physician who was great.

There are male and female jerks . . . but truly, I worked L&D and for the most part, all the docs were great.

I am trying to convince myself that what you said is true, that most docs are great. I must say, though, 2:3 of my docs while delivering my babies were jerks.

And I also want to add that the woman who attended by last birth was so mean! She rolled her eyes because I'm a slow pusher.

My favorite doc was a male.

Those experiences scarred me and, though my tubes aren't tied, I have absolutely no desire to endure the disrespectful and condescending treatment I last endured 11 yrs ago while giving birth.

By disrespectful, I'm referring to the use of scare tactics to get me to agree to a c-section, in spite of the fact I'd delivered a successful Vbac baby 6 yrs prior.

The docs kept telling me vbacs were dangerous and I was risking my life and my baby's life by refusing to schedule a c-section. I kept telling them I'd had a successful Vbac 6 yrs prior. Only my 1st kid, 10 yrs prior was a c-section. (Likely secondary to induction and negligence)

But, like i said, I try now to block those memories out and assume that i didn't actually know everything about what was going on and that I misunderstood. I was not a nurse or even a nursing student or pre-nursing student at that time. [emoji29]

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After pushing for hours, the MD went in the room to discuss different delivery options. She (MD) literally told this woman that her "bottom looked like hamburger meat". Mortified does not even cover my reaction... I'm fairly certain that doc lost a pt that day. 😳

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Specializes in rehab-med/surg-ICU-ER-cath lab.

Here's my own two strange deliveries: Had signed birth plan with my OB for my first delivery of identical twin girls! Everything goes great = leave me the hell alone or there's a life-threatening emergency = do what is needed. Walked into L&D @ 8cm & sadly got the new MD on-call. He literally stamped his feet & screamed at me demanding all sorts of interventions, which we were refused so he left. I was walking for entire L&D as the RN used a fetoscope. My reg. OB arrived for delivery & had the twins standing, no meds, interventions or epis. I nursed them both at same time q 2hr post delivery & left hospital 17 hours later. 16 months later had planned baby #3 - in labor at home & just decided time to go to hospital when cord prolapsed 4 inches. I dropped to the floor raised my butt in the air & held baby's head back. Husband called Del Rm, explained situation & asked them to meet us at ER door. Ran to our car barefoot in snow & resumed position in the back seat. Hospital was 4 minutes away & met at door by OB plus security. As I stood up cord fell to my knees. Security picked me & popped me on stretcher as OB put her hand in on baby's head. Flew stark raving nude from the waist down with OB running along with hand in place through the main ER to Del Rm. Residents just ran around like chickens with heads cut off & anesthesia was at cardiac code. As residents began to scrub OB MD appeared along with Anesthesia. OB MD slept at hospital due to snow. He then grabbed a bottle of betadine & sprayed my abdomen, grabbed a pair of gloves & scalpel then began cutting 30 seconds before I lost consciousness Everyone forgot my husband was still in the Del Rm for the entire delivery. Time from prolapse to delivery = 16 minutes. Baby meconiumed, but did not inhale. 18 years later he graduate from top level college cum laude so I guess there had been enough 02! OMG!!!!! :0

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I've had a doctor hold a pair of scissors to the patients perineum saying "you better push or I'm going to cut." That same doc also wouldn't use lidocaine once during a repair because the patient wouldn't get an epidural. Same doc who I've seen use forceps with both of his feet on the bed for leverage.

I've also had another doc tell me to "Pit the crap out of her" until she agrees to get an epidural. :/

Oh the list goes on and on...and I'm still just a labor nurse. These are just a few of the many reasons I applied to CNM school.

I am unable to close my mouth...

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Icooka4u I know right????? It's terrible. :( I posted that one a long time ago and I am proud to say that I am in my third term of nurse midwifery school and WOW are things different! I was a baby labor nurse when those things were said in front of me and now I couldn't imagine keeping my mouth shut in situations like that! I'm looking forward to being part of the solution. :)

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Icooka4u I know right????? It's terrible. :( I posted that one a long time ago and I am proud to say that I am in my third term of nurse midwifery school and WOW are things different! I was a baby labor nurse when those things were said in front of me and now I couldn't imagine keeping my mouth shut in situations like that! I'm looking forward to being part of the solution. :)

Congratulations on Midwifery school!

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