How do you deal with anti-OB people?

Nurses General Nursing

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I'm half-way to obtaining my ADN and have recently discovered that there are people out there who are not only anti-OB/GYN but are against any medical interventions at all during pregnancy. I talked to my OB/GYN for over an hour last week about some of the things that are being told to pregnant women to scare them into not trusting their OBs or L/D nurses and that not delivering naturally is an "abnormal" birth ... yadda, yadda, yadda. Dr. E called them "nature nazis" which I laughed at. But more and more I am beginning to think that she has a point.

How do you deal with lay people and over-the-top doulas that will say anything to keep a woman from considering an epidural as an option for pain management or even delivering in a hospital?

My first reaction was to set the record straight to some of these women on one mommy board, but I have not only lost my moderator status, but been basically named a "troll" for not backing down from that stance that it is no one's business how a woman opts to deliver her child (we should respect any birth plan that a mom-to-be has made and not degrade her for opting for an epidural or trusting that her OB knows best). And that no one but a MD should give out medical advice to pregnant women.

I am just shocked. I've been told that since I hope to work LDPP one day that I will have to learn to deal with the, for lack of a better name, "nature nazis" real quick.

The question is, HOW. I am just at my wit's end. Are they really that common?

Specializes in MICU, neuro, orthotrauma.
Those nurses are no better than the bf "advocates" who use guilt and intimidation to get women to breastfeeding when they don't want to. Hopefully the women choosing to formula or breast feed are doing it because that's what's best for them.

So are you retracting your 99% then? Curious...

I wish I had someone who was really adament about breastfeeding helping me. Because no one did. There was even a lactation consultant, but she was too busy to help and seemed to shrug when I said that the nursery nurses wouldnt let me breastfeed. She said "well they want you to pump your milk..."

uhhh thanks... six weeks of he&& to get Seth to breast because of that. No advocate for me or my son.

So are you retracting your 99% then? Curious...

I wish I had someone who was really adament about breastfeeding helping me. Because no one did. There was even a lactation consultant, but she was too busy to help and seemed to shrug when I said that the nursery nurses wouldnt let me breastfeed. She said "well they want you to pump your milk..."

uhhh thanks... six weeks of he&& to get Seth to breast because of that. No advocate for me or my son.

I'm not retracting my 99%. I truly believe there are about 1% of people who are truly extreme. They either want everyone in birkenstocks squatting in a forest to deliver while chanting to the fertility goddess, or they want them all anesthetized at around 8 months pregnant to give em a section. Everyone else is somewhere on the spectrum in between those extremes.

I find it very odd that the lc wasn't more supportive. Most of the LCs I know are completely dedicated to breastfeeding, often to the point that they bother their patients. Why wouldn't the nursery nurses let you breastfeed? I don't like well baby nurseries period, they are bad for breastfeeding and teaching.

I find it very odd that the lc wasn't more supportive. Most of the LCs I know are completely dedicated to breastfeeding, often to the point that they bother their patients. Why wouldn't the nursery nurses let you breastfeed? I don't like well baby nurseries period, they are bad for breastfeeding and teaching.

This is my experience too.

Having had 3 children and in 3 different states (California, Texas and Oklahoma) I was encouraged to BF at EVERY one of the hospitals.

I had a heck of a time trying with my first and after 4 wks of not producing I turned to bottle feeding. Same with my second child, after a couple of wks. When I was in the hospital w/ my third I didn't even try because I wanted to enjoy my daughter and not deal with the stress and guilt of not being able to feed my child. I was encouraged to try (and was told of the benefits etc) but I told them I would rather bottle feed.

It is NOBODY'S choice except mine If I choose to breast or bottle feed!

I was never pressured either way at any of the hospitals and am very glad of that too. If I had come across anybody telling me what a bad mother I was for not breast feeding my third child I would have simply gone Rambo on them.

I had 2 children naturally and my third w/ an epidural. My 3rd child took the longest to deliver because I was just not able to push. If I had to do it again I would deliver my 3rd naturally as well. But, that is my choice and I was never pressured in any direction with any of my births.

The only surprise I encountered was the episiotomy with my 1st. I wish the doctor would have told me what he was doing instead of just doing that. That was by far the most painful thing I endured during childbirth.

Specializes in L & D; Postpartum.
I thinkl I was unclear? I said that it appears that the nurses I shadowed and the ones I labored under were wanting me to get an epidural, were happy when someone formula fed because it was less work (PP). Was I unclear? I was writing fast before I left the house....

Sorry. Although I read your post several times before I responded, I still had it twisted. It is a bit more work (and infinitely more rewarding, too, IMHO) to have a natural labor patient. Maybe that's because natural labors are the way I started nearly 30 years ago. Dunno! The work we do with epidurals and pitocin is a lot of busy work and a whole lot of putting numbers on the papers.

I'm sorry that some nurses would prefer to have less work, if that means a patient is pressured into having an epidural when she may need and want that extra encouragement to go natural.

As far as breast vs bottle-feeding, I don't feel that either choice should result in the patients (mom and baby) getting different amounts of attention or care. I try to give my bottle-feeding moms just as much support as the breast-feeders. Sometimes they get more if I find out they've gotten the message somewhere that they are bad moms for the choice they have made.

Sorry. Although I read your post several times before I responded, I still had it twisted. It is a bit more work (and infinitely more rewarding, too, IMHO) to have a natural labor patient. Maybe that's because natural labors are the way I started nearly 30 years ago. Dunno! The work we do with epidurals and pitocin is a lot of busy work and a whole lot of putting numbers on the paper

Ahhhh...:idea: I delivered all of mine natural and after each one, I gave a huge sigh, asked for food, and apologized for being such a whine a$$. The nurses always laughed and thanked me for making it a good time, EVERY time. Now I know why. :lol2:

Suzi

Specializes in MICU, neuro, orthotrauma.
I'm not retracting my 99%. I truly believe there are about 1% of people who are truly extreme. They either want everyone in birkenstocks squatting in a forest to deliver while chanting to the fertility goddess, or they want them all anesthetized at around 8 months pregnant to give em a section. Everyone else is somewhere on the spectrum in between those extremes.

lol!

I find it very odd that the lc wasn't more supportive. Most of the LCs I know are completely dedicated to breastfeeding, often to the point that they bother their patients. Why wouldn't the nursery nurses let you breastfeed? I don't like well baby nurseries period, they are bad for breastfeeding and teaching.

me too. i think she was burnt out honestly and knew i was determined so didn;t do much for me. i was a nurse and so she thought i was ok on my own, im assuming. i needed her badly though. i couldnt think straight.

nursery wouldnt let me breastfeed because he was 5 lbs 6 oz... he was healthy though. little jaundiced but never needed any oxygen excepting the first night. he was a mag baby. the whole experience was horrifying. i felt so alone and scared.

Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

Oh man..what a story I have!

I was working in a church as a Sunday School Teacher when I chose to go into nursing. I chose nursing because of the birth of my child...slightly complicated birth, but no problems. But since I seemed to know so much, the other nurses made me promice to be a nurse....I did!

Well, I chose to get into OB/GYN at first! But OMGoodness..things got odd when I told that Church! They started accusing me of being a witch, wanting to put..get this "marajuana balm" to solve diaper rash! Where in the heck would that come from??? They thought that I may use naturalpathic meds to solve croop...stuff like that...I was beyond stunned!!!!!

Now this is a church, liberal Christian one, that is in the middle of a Portland, Oregon suberbia...not somewhere I would think would have this type of attitude! They told me in no uncertain terms I was to attend parenting classes or be fired!

Needless to say..I left!

But things have a tendency to come back full circle! :) I have treated a good majority of those peoples children and the adults themselves...not with pot balm...LOL! Got them eating crow feathers and all! And did I gloat...naaaaaa...I just said "see, I guess God has a purpose for people after all..." with a gentle smile on my face :).

I agree...information must be given for people to understand anything in medicine...but OMGosh...that whole pot balm and parenting classes really took the cake (or brownies..LOL!) so to speak!

Specializes in LDRP.
I have not only lost my moderator status, but been basically named a "troll" for not backing down from that stance that it is no one's business how a woman opts to deliver her child (we should respect any birth plan that a mom-to-be has made and not degrade her for opting for an epidural or trusting that her OB knows best). And that no one but a MD should give out medical advice to pregnant women.

I quoted this from your original post, and bolded my parts I wanted to mention.

You say we should respect any birth plan a mom has made? What about the birth plan that involves a woman birthing at home, w/ no epidural, and a midwife, not a doctor? You certainly aren't respecting them by calling them "nature nazi's" are you? Does it only deserve respect if they agree with you?

second bolded point-no one but an MD should give advice to a pregnant woman?

Thats funny. And you want to be a LDRP nurse? What do you think is involved in your job? Giving advice. Tell all those OB nurses out there they shouldn't be giving out advice to their patients, since they aren't MD's, you know.

And really, what about midwives? They aren't MD's, so they aren't "allowed" to give out advice to pregnant women?

I think you really need to reexamine your views.

Doctors are not hte only ones who are qualified to give advice.

And ALL birth plans, even the "nature nazi" ones need to be respected.

lol!

me too. i think she was burnt out honestly and knew i was determined so didn;t do much for me. i was a nurse and so she thought i was ok on my own, im assuming. i needed her badly though. i couldnt think straight.

nursery wouldnt let me breastfeed because he was 5 lbs 6 oz... he was healthy though. little jaundiced but never needed any oxygen excepting the first night. he was a mag baby. the whole experience was horrifying. i felt so alone and scared.

That's a real shame. Being that weight is no reason to not breastfeed. I can understand them not having him breastfeed if he was respiratorily unstable, but after that we toss everybody on the breast. I hate the outdated policies in some hospital. A kid that weight with no problems doesn't even need to be in a nursery at all. I freely call myself a couplet care nazi. I think routine newborn nursery use is detrimental.:lol2:

When I have a child, barring any complications, I plan to use a CNM. I'm not a "nature nazi," I just don't want any unnecessary medical procedures. I think that every woman should fully explore her options when having a baby, and make an informed decision about what best suits her. Every woman is different. I don't think most CNMs are "nature nazis." They just offer another choice for low-risk women. I'm sure if I use a CNM I'll have to "deal with" people pushing their opinions on me, too!:lol2:

the illustration i was given in doula training (yep...i'm one of those) is to ask your client to show your where on the spectrum she is with one extreme being an epidural in her eighth month of pregnancy and the other being an unmedicated c-section (both impossible, i get that part). whatever her answer is supporting her is your job, regardless of your own beliefs.

imo, that is the way that it should be. but, as with everything else, this is not always the case. i am dealing with one doula in particular who has gone on a message board to rant about her client who had a c-section. she -- and some of her nn cronies -- have blasted a concerned mom-to-be because she is contemplating an epidural. they compare using formula to giving your child a ciagrette and have said that any medicated birth is "abnormal."

support is one thing, but pushing your beliefs and trying to make a woman have a birth that you want her to have is quite another.

i would love to take doula classes, but i don't think that i could deal with the nazism that seems to surround many of the women with which i'd be studying.

Also, Parasmom, I don't think a CNM is any more likely to stretch the truth than other providers. Every CNM I have met has been extremely professional. Most deliver in hospitals, so I their patients are quite safe.

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