What comments do you hear from OB's about birth plans?

SmilingBluEyes · Jul 3, 2004

i am very happy on the West Coast for this among many reasons.....and I am a Native Mid-westerner. But I like the low intervention route myself.....too bad things are still they way so many places. Come to Seattle, VWgirl...things are NOT perfect here, we still have lots of interventions in hospitals, but not those of the nature you are talking of.

Zhlake · Jul 4, 2004

i am very happy on the West Coast for this among many reasons.....and I am a Native Mid-westerner. But I like the low intervention route myself.....too bad things are still they way so many places. Come to Seattle, VWgirl...things are NOT perfect here, we still have lots of interventions in hospitals, but not those of the nature you are talking of.

You live in Seattle? My sister just got a job at Evergreen. She is a new grad. Just passed boards on Friday!

Zhlake · Jul 4, 2004

i am very happy on the West Coast for this among many reasons.....and I am a Native Mid-westerner. But I like the low intervention route myself.....too bad things are still they way so many places. Come to Seattle, VWgirl...things are NOT perfect here, we still have lots of interventions in hospitals, but not those of the nature you are talking of.

You live in Seattle? My sister just got a job at Evergreen. She is a new grad. Just passed boards on Friday!

vwgirl · Jul 4, 2004

Bizarre! I sometimes think us west coasters are a bit fruity, but I prefer a nature freak over an outdated intervention freak anyday!

Me too, but I like where I live now, so I won't be joining you anytime soon! (Too broke to move anyhow....)

vwgirl · Jul 4, 2004

Bizarre! I sometimes think us west coasters are a bit fruity, but I prefer a nature freak over an outdated intervention freak anyday!

Me too, but I like where I live now, so I won't be joining you anytime soon! (Too broke to move anyhow....)

SmilingBluEyes · Jul 4, 2004

You live in Seattle? My sister just got a job at Evergreen. She is a new grad. Just passed boards on Friday!

Tell your sister Congratulations for me!!!!! :balloons:

SmilingBluEyes · Jul 4, 2004

You live in Seattle? My sister just got a job at Evergreen. She is a new grad. Just passed boards on Friday!

Tell your sister Congratulations for me!!!!! :balloons:

mlz obrn · Jul 5, 2004

I'm always really disappointed when I see how OB's & RNs respond to peoples birth plans. I've seen nurses say "oh these women who write birth plans are the ones who never get what they want....." the thing that really strikes me is that I believe that that nurses attitude just going into that labor can affect that mom's outcome. Whenever someone asks me about birth plans I always tell them to call it something a little bit different like "Birth Desires" and to phrase it like "this is what I'm hoping for and I really hope that you can help me..." This just changes the tone a little bit and makes OBs & RNs a bit less defensive, asks them to be on your side more than "birth plan" which is like telling them what to do. Afterall, in reality you really can't plan your birth so much of it is up to mothernature and for the most part we just need to get out of her way. Good Luck!

I was just wondering... When I was in my L&D rotation in school the OB's I worked with would be very condescending with any woman who gave them a birth plan. Usually it was behind the mom's back. Why do OB's do this? I could understand it if mom was making outrageous demands. But I'm just talking about the mention of a birth plan and the OB rolling his eyes (before he has even looked at it) and saying something sarcastic to the nurses. After witnessing this several times I'm actually dreading giving my OB my birth plan at my next appt. Especially after being told, "just get the epidural.." after I mentioned 'Hypnobirthing'... Anyway... just wondering what L&D nurses have witnessed and think about it.
Thanks!

is this heaven · Jul 11, 2004

I was so discouraged with what occurred...i'm on orientation,and i walked outta work yesterday wondering if i'll make it through if this happens on a regular basis.

The pt had a bp that was not unreasonable;they were a Bradley method couple.My preceptor was open to their requests;the other nurses rolled their eyes,and quickly told me " most people with bp's get a C/S".I'd heard that before and wasn't surprised by this response...it went in one of my ears and out the other.

What really irritated me was the dr who was on call for his group, who came in and at the nurses station,asked me "Ok...which room is the 'granola eater' in?"

I felt bad for this couple...they thought what they were doing was best.I want so bad to tell people in this situation (before they get to this point in the pregnancy) that they'd probably be happier going to a facility that utilizes cnm's.The nurses here tell me cnms will NEVER become a reality at this facility.

BabyRN2Be · Jul 13, 2004

I wish every woman who comes in with a birth plan would read your advice first! I am so appreciative of birth plans when they are clear & concise, based on informed decisions, and "preferences" as opposed to "plans"- that flexibilty is key.
I have a hard time taking seriously the generic, point & click internet generated (parent's place/babycenter. com) three page monstrosities. And an even harder time when we get the rare patient who comes in with a list of unreasonable, unsafe demands.

Thank you, palesarah! :) I believe I mentioned it here when I said that I had asked an L&D nurse about birth plans. She said that they are fine as long as it's not a 7 pg book from birthplan.com with everything checked of what they do and don't want. That's what really raises their hackles! I understand. I mean, you have a pt checking in requesting a pass for a string quartet from the local symphony, the room loaded down with rare flowers, water running at the constant 99 degrees, armed with tons of relatives and pillows, meanwhile, you have 8 other pts to attend to, one is a 24 weeker actively bleeding, 2 are ready to deliver NOW, and you are waiting for the doc to get back to you about some decels. The pt then gets upset when you don't read her meticuously worded birth plan... it really is understandable why some staff don't like to see birth plans.

This scenario is the reason why I tell my clients to keep it brief. L&D is a busy place and although the staff does care, they don't have time to read a book.

BabyRN2Be · Jul 13, 2004

I felt bad for this couple...they thought what they were doing was best.I want so bad to tell people in this situation (before they get to this point in the pregnancy) that they'd probably be happier going to a facility that utilizes cnm's.The nurses here tell me cnms will NEVER become a reality at this facility.

Sorry for the double post, but I read this and had to respond before I forgot.

I can't agree with you more. The more that I see and read, the more that I say "See a Midwife" whenever I hear that someone is pregnant. I will rejoice the day that NE OK gets a freestanding birth center staffed by midwives. Last year at this time my attitude was "whatever makes a woman happy" but lately I've seen that some doctors don't have a woman's best interest in mind, regardless of the gender. I've been planting the suggestion to my bf that I'm going to use a midwife, but I have to follow it up "...with hospital privileges" to make him feel better about it. :)

I'd love to be a CNM one day, if and when I ever get to be an RN. :)

Jamesdotter · Jul 15, 2004

I think our L&D staff has always been pretty open to birth plans, although they have been heard to say that the complications seemed to have a direct correlation with the length of the birth plan! We tried to accommodate their requests on PP