Recognizing the work of hospitals
I gave "The Official Lamaze Guide: Giving Birth With Confidence" to a friend of mine. This friend is a labor and delivery nurse at my local hospital. She is good at her job, she attended the birth of my second baby and I value her opinions. She told me frankly that she was offended with certain parts of the book and the fact that it didn't recognize the work of nurses and doctors who are trying to change the hospital birth experience to fit the needs of women in labor. I know that she values the birth experience and genuinely wants every mom that comes in there to have a great experience.
I agree. On some level there is a need to challenge the hospital protocols for laboring women. To question certain practices like no solid food and continuous electronic fetal monitoring. But there are doctors, nurses and hospitals that are recognizing the power a woman's body has to give birth and trusting in that process and not managing it with medical interventions unless necessary.
There is a big education gap for women and their ideas of how labor and delivery will go. Women need to ask questions about how their doctor and hospital will help them manage their labor. What is their cesarean rate? What is their episiotomy rate? What is their stance on epidurals?
When women are educated and communicate their desires and wishes to the hospital staff they have a greater probability of having a positive empowering birth that they want.
My hospital birth experience was everything I wanted it to be. I felt prepared and empowered by my decisions and I didn't feel any pressure to have an epidural or any other interventions. The electronic fetal monitoring was placed on me initially when I got there but as I needed to move to manage my labor, I was not forced to stay in bed. I did need an IV for antibiotics because I tested positive for Group B Strep. That was a bit of a challenge because I had to have the IV pole move with me. But as soon as the fluid was in me I was able to disconnect from it.
So, where I see a need to provide education to women so they are making decisions about their birth experience that come from a place of knowledge and power, I also see where hospitals are making an effort to work with women and their desires. Women need to be empowered to let their doctors and hospitals know what they want and not just take for face value what is being presented to them as "necessary for the health of mom and baby". Women need to make choices that fit their birth vision. And not be afraid to challenge a medical professional who demands a certain care procedure. And don't be afraid to get a second opinion or switch doctors if you don't agree on something.
Hospitals and patients need to work together to improve the quality of care and challenge the "standard" methods that research has proven to be unnecessary or not beneficial in all cases.
I agree. On some level there is a need to challenge the hospital protocols for laboring women. To question certain practices like no solid food and continuous electronic fetal monitoring. But there are doctors, nurses and hospitals that are recognizing the power a woman's body has to give birth and trusting in that process and not managing it with medical interventions unless necessary.
There is a big education gap for women and their ideas of how labor and delivery will go. Women need to ask questions about how their doctor and hospital will help them manage their labor. What is their cesarean rate? What is their episiotomy rate? What is their stance on epidurals?
When women are educated and communicate their desires and wishes to the hospital staff they have a greater probability of having a positive empowering birth that they want.
My hospital birth experience was everything I wanted it to be. I felt prepared and empowered by my decisions and I didn't feel any pressure to have an epidural or any other interventions. The electronic fetal monitoring was placed on me initially when I got there but as I needed to move to manage my labor, I was not forced to stay in bed. I did need an IV for antibiotics because I tested positive for Group B Strep. That was a bit of a challenge because I had to have the IV pole move with me. But as soon as the fluid was in me I was able to disconnect from it.
So, where I see a need to provide education to women so they are making decisions about their birth experience that come from a place of knowledge and power, I also see where hospitals are making an effort to work with women and their desires. Women need to be empowered to let their doctors and hospitals know what they want and not just take for face value what is being presented to them as "necessary for the health of mom and baby". Women need to make choices that fit their birth vision. And not be afraid to challenge a medical professional who demands a certain care procedure. And don't be afraid to get a second opinion or switch doctors if you don't agree on something.
Hospitals and patients need to work together to improve the quality of care and challenge the "standard" methods that research has proven to be unnecessary or not beneficial in all cases.
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