"Natural" birth

ftr_bb_catchr · Jul 19, 2005

You see, that's the problem with some hospitals: putting a healthy baby in a NICU just because Mom had a section. That is ridiculous. Is it any wonder that there are difficu;ties with bonding? Cheers and applause to your midwife for helping you get him to your room.

Is this routine practice.. baby in NICU after C-sec? I have never heard of this and would have thought this only applied if the infeant was in some kind of distress during labor that warranted a stat section or something of that nature. That's really ridiculous.

z's playa · Jul 19, 2005

Over here I am told if the mom was in distress...even if the baby had a great apgar...one night in the NICU was warrented. *shrug

Precaution and some such. Not unheard of.

Z

BETSRN · Jul 20, 2005

Is this routine practice.. baby in NICU after C-sec? I have never heard of this and would have thought this only applied if the infeant was in some kind of distress during labor that warranted a stat section or something of that nature. That's really ridiculous.

Hopefully not.

SeekingNur · Jul 20, 2005

I think of natural birth as being med free and few interventions.

I wonder if these so-called "control freaks" have a hard time relaxing because they feel that their autonomy is threatened. I have never given birth in a hopital, but I have attended such births and women's autonomy is given little consideration. In fact, hospitals often offer frighteningly little respect for patients as human beings. And with the attitudes I've seen expressed here about women who want natural childbirth, it's no wonder they have a hard time relaxing.

This is why I gave birth to my children at home, and yes it was because I wanted as much control over the experience as possible, not so that I could control exactly how my body behaved, but because I am an adult and I don't need anyone ordering me about what I must do with my own body. My experiences were all wonderful. It was because I had control over my environment and precisely who was in it that I could relax completey and focus on the work of birthing my children.

onehusbandsevenkids · Jul 20, 2005

When a women comes to the hospital seeking the most natural birth available, she should expect a STAT C-section.

See...I've heard that the L&D nurses will say that. My question is WHY?

Really, I'd like to know where this thinking comes from....

And does it *really* make any sense?

Makes me wonder about the care she'll receive from nurses with this attitude.

onehusbandsevenkids · Jul 20, 2005

Well I know there are those who would say "natural" means that the baby is born.. however it gets here is beside the point. But natural to me has always meant without pain meds and with as little intervention as possible. There aren't that many of those kinds of births out there any more but I think, from personal experience, that this kind of "natural" birth is a very empowering experience for a woman. She walks away feeling like she could do just about anything. Even though, as my OB used to say, there are no awards given in childbirth, I do think that a natural childbirth has a different kind of effect on a woman, and I've had both kinds...

YES! Most definately I agree.

tamrnmomof4 · Jul 20, 2005

See...I've heard that the L&D nurses will say that. My question is WHY?
Really, I'd like to know where this thinking comes from....

Because we see it soooo often.

onehusbandsevenkids · Jul 20, 2005

It does seem that the patients with the longest, most detailed birth plan, with the doula, the control freaks, who hate us the minute they walk in the door because they resent the fact their insurance company won't pay for a home birth, are the ones with C-Section stamped right across their foreheads. Dunno if it's karmic retribution, or just a perception we have in L&D. I wonder if anyone's done a retrospective study on patients presenting with birth plans, doulas, &c, and C-Section rate?
QUOTE]
Yes, there have been studies done. Definately lower c-section rates with a doula present. You can find the info by digging around at http://www.dona.com
I think alot of the "attitude" comes from knowing that many docs, nurses, and hospital protocal do not work in the *true* best interest of the mother and baby.
I wouldn't label a mother a control freak just because she has certain feelings about the way she wants to give birth.
Not all women want to get in there and get their epidural and nod their head willingly to everything a nurse or doc says, and just get the birth over with.
Some women are wanting the experience to be so much more.

onehusbandsevenkids · Jul 20, 2005

Because we see it soooo often.

Well, I was hoping for more of a reasoning than that. Thats the only answer I ever hear.

Does the care the woman gets from a prejudiced staff have anything to do with it?

Curious.

FrumDoula · Jul 20, 2005

Well, I was hoping for more of a reasoning than that. Thats the only answer I ever hear.
Does the care the woman gets from a prejudiced staff have anything to do with it?
Curious.

Yes, I think for some nurses, they react very poorly to patients who want natural childbirth. This attitude is reflected in their care. They'll bad mouth the patient at the nurses station, they won't check on her as much, they won't be as active in offering labor support ideas, etc. They'll many times try and undermine the birth plan, if there is one, by suggesting medication, by saying things like, "Hey, no one gets a reward for natural childbirth." etc. It's terribly disheartening to the patient, who has tried to be informed and could really use a strong ally in the birth room.

I've seen this, and it's been reported to me by L&D nurses themselves. And many of those nurses don't have strong labor support skills because they see so few natural patients that they're at a loss of what to do in the face of a natural birth process - it does tend to be a bit more uncontrolled and intimidating than an epidural birth.

Sometimes it is the dual relationship between the patient and the nurse. The patient comes in loaded for a big fight on interventions, they're incredibly tense and hyper reactive to anything the staff does, even when it's warranted or kind hearted. They refuse to acknowledge the goodness of the staff. That's tough, too. So then the staff gets cranky, and you devolve from there. It's pretty tough to dilate and release to the power of childbirth when you're anxious and worried.

And sometimes it's simply a psycho patient. :)

I mean, how many of us could walk into a hospital ward and have sex (with orgasm!) in front of a bunch of strangers and bright lights? Well, childbirth is pretty sexual as far as I'm concerned, and some women are very sensitive to this setting, and it's difficult for them to let go. Then you have the other women, who could birth a baby in Times Square. No problems there! :) Throw in a few obstetric interventions, and you have the makings of a very tough labor and birth.

It's incredibly easy to think it's simply the patients' fault, since they're such control freaks with their 3 page birth plan, birth ball and doula in tow. But it's usually a give and take, and the staff contributes to the failure to progress through their lack of understanding or sheer callousness. Sucks.

Unless, of course, you have SmilingBlueEyes for your RN. And then you're golden. :) :) :) And for the other nurses I've encountered who were either totally awesome and supportive or so professional that they wouldn't let their personal feelings color their support for the Mom. Now THOSE are super nurses!

Alison

chicagrl72 · Jul 20, 2005

Yes, I think for some nurses, they react very poorly to patients who want natural childbirth. This attitude is reflected in their care. They'll bad mouth the patient at the nurses station, they won't check on her as much, they won't be as active in offering labor support ideas, etc. They'll many times try and undermine the birth plan, if there is one, by suggesting medication, by saying things like, "Hey, no one gets a reward for natural childbirth." etc. It's terribly disheartening to the patient, who has tried to be informed and could really use a strong ally in the birth room.
I've seen this, and it's been reported to me by L&D nurses themselves. And many of those nurses don't have strong labor support skills because they see so few natural patients that they're at a loss of what to do in the face of a natural birth process - it does tend to be a bit more uncontrolled and intimidating than an epidural birth.
Sometimes it is the dual relationship between the patient and the nurse. The patient comes in loaded for a big fight on interventions, they're incredibly tense and hyper reactive to anything the staff does, even when it's warranted or kind hearted. They refuse to acknowledge the goodness of the staff. That's tough, too. So then the staff gets cranky, and you devolve from there. It's pretty tough to dilate and release to the power of childbirth when you're anxious and worried.
And sometimes it's simply a psycho patient. :)
I mean, how many of us could walk into a hospital ward and have sex (with orgasm!) in front of a bunch of strangers and bright lights? Well, childbirth is pretty sexual as far as I'm concerned, and some women are very sensitive to this setting, and it's difficult for them to let go. Then you have the other women, who could birth a baby in Times Square. No problems there! :) Throw in a few obstetric interventions, and you have the makings of a very tough labor and birth.
It's incredibly easy to think it's simply the patients' fault, since they're such control freaks with their 3 page birth plan, birth ball and doula in tow. But it's usually a give and take, and the staff contributes to the failure to progress through their lack of understanding or sheer callousness. Sucks.
Unless, of course, you have SmilingBlueEyes for your RN. And then you're golden. :) :) :) And for the other nurses I've encountered who were either totally awesome and supportive or so professional that they wouldn't let their personal feelings color their support for the Mom. Now THOSE are super nurses!
Alison

too bad we were not birthing with you !

FrumDoula · Jul 20, 2005

too bad we were not birthing with you !

That is so sweet to hear. Still, I'm only a doula. For true L&D heros, please refer to the nurses who lay their butts on the line each and every day to advocate for their patients!