About Me
C.'s birth
Yesterday at 11.45 am C. called me with the message that something was starting. Since it was her 3rd birth, I trusted that this was the real thing.
She said that the contractions weren't very strong yet, but she was calling me to let me know that I could expect a birth later. I always ask my clients to let me know as soon as they think something is starting, so that I can make my arrangements and be sure to be available to her when she needs me.
A few hours went by without any change, but at 6 pm C. called me again that the contractions were coming every 5 minutes now, and that she would be needing my presence soon. And about an hour later, her husband called me to tell me to come. I jumped into my car andraced to their house, because I had a suspicion that it might go quick. I picked up C. and her husband, and drove them to the hospital. C. had chosen to give birth at Shaarei Tzedek this time. The previous 2 times, she gave birth at Bikur Cholim, and she wanted to try something else this time.
We arrived at the hospital, and C. was checked by a midwife. She was 10 cm dilated already!! We were all thrilled, because she would give birth soon. C. was given a room and was told to lie down on the bed. In Jerusalem hospitals, they don't allow women to push anywhere else but on the bed. C. did not protest.
She really had to push now, but the midwife did not allow her, because she was not standing next to her to check her. This was after it was already determined that C. was fully dilated. We both didn't understand why the midwife wouldn't let her, and I told her quietly to do whatever her body told her to.
Then the midwife came next to the bed, and checked C. (again). Apparently she didn't trust her colleague's judgment and needed to see for herself that there was full dilation. While her hand was in there, she told C. to push. But C. said that she didn't need to push, so the midwife stepped away again. A few seconds later, C. said that she had to push again, but now the midwife was across the room and not next to the bed, so she told C. to hold it up again. We were starting to get fed up!!
C. heard her midwife say something about getting the pitocin ready, and told the midwife that she was not interested. The midwife started explaining to her that she was only getting it after the birth, when the baby would already be out.
C. knew that, she wasn't stupid, but she still was of the opinion that she didn't want it. There was no arguing with the midwife though. She pretended to be dumb, and acted like she didn't understand that C. was actually refusing it.
During the last few hard contractions, C. wanted me to massage her back. I gave her counter pressure and she said it was helping a lot. Finally at long last, the midwife decided to join C. next to the bed, and allowed her to push. It took only a few minutes, and then a healthy baby girl was born! Seemingly effortless.
I went to get C.'s husband who had been waiting right outside the door. I mostly work with jewish orthodox couples, who keep very strict rules. A man is not supposed to see his wife give birth, and many ultra religious men choose to stay behind the curtain or even outside the room at the moment of the actual birth.
When joined C. next to the bed again, i saw that the placenta was already delivered. After only 2 minutes or so! I asked the midwife if she had given her the pitocin shotafter all. The midwife said that the other midwife, who had come in to give her a hand, had not asked C. so many questions and had just given it to her without asking. It made me so furious!!! Of course I had to keep my face straight, because as a doula I am not allowed to express my opinions openly in front of the staff. I feel very sad on behalf of my lady. I think it's outrageous that hospital staff will just disregard the wishes of their clients like this. There was no case of emergency, they could easily have waited with the pit to see if the placenta would come out by itself. C. was not even given a chance!
Technorati Tags: birth, childbirth, hospital, midwife, pitocin
She said that the contractions weren't very strong yet, but she was calling me to let me know that I could expect a birth later. I always ask my clients to let me know as soon as they think something is starting, so that I can make my arrangements and be sure to be available to her when she needs me.
A few hours went by without any change, but at 6 pm C. called me again that the contractions were coming every 5 minutes now, and that she would be needing my presence soon. And about an hour later, her husband called me to tell me to come. I jumped into my car andraced to their house, because I had a suspicion that it might go quick. I picked up C. and her husband, and drove them to the hospital. C. had chosen to give birth at Shaarei Tzedek this time. The previous 2 times, she gave birth at Bikur Cholim, and she wanted to try something else this time.
We arrived at the hospital, and C. was checked by a midwife. She was 10 cm dilated already!! We were all thrilled, because she would give birth soon. C. was given a room and was told to lie down on the bed. In Jerusalem hospitals, they don't allow women to push anywhere else but on the bed. C. did not protest.
She really had to push now, but the midwife did not allow her, because she was not standing next to her to check her. This was after it was already determined that C. was fully dilated. We both didn't understand why the midwife wouldn't let her, and I told her quietly to do whatever her body told her to.
Then the midwife came next to the bed, and checked C. (again). Apparently she didn't trust her colleague's judgment and needed to see for herself that there was full dilation. While her hand was in there, she told C. to push. But C. said that she didn't need to push, so the midwife stepped away again. A few seconds later, C. said that she had to push again, but now the midwife was across the room and not next to the bed, so she told C. to hold it up again. We were starting to get fed up!!
C. heard her midwife say something about getting the pitocin ready, and told the midwife that she was not interested. The midwife started explaining to her that she was only getting it after the birth, when the baby would already be out.
C. knew that, she wasn't stupid, but she still was of the opinion that she didn't want it. There was no arguing with the midwife though. She pretended to be dumb, and acted like she didn't understand that C. was actually refusing it.
During the last few hard contractions, C. wanted me to massage her back. I gave her counter pressure and she said it was helping a lot. Finally at long last, the midwife decided to join C. next to the bed, and allowed her to push. It took only a few minutes, and then a healthy baby girl was born! Seemingly effortless.
I went to get C.'s husband who had been waiting right outside the door. I mostly work with jewish orthodox couples, who keep very strict rules. A man is not supposed to see his wife give birth, and many ultra religious men choose to stay behind the curtain or even outside the room at the moment of the actual birth.
When joined C. next to the bed again, i saw that the placenta was already delivered. After only 2 minutes or so! I asked the midwife if she had given her the pitocin shotafter all. The midwife said that the other midwife, who had come in to give her a hand, had not asked C. so many questions and had just given it to her without asking. It made me so furious!!! Of course I had to keep my face straight, because as a doula I am not allowed to express my opinions openly in front of the staff. I feel very sad on behalf of my lady. I think it's outrageous that hospital staff will just disregard the wishes of their clients like this. There was no case of emergency, they could easily have waited with the pit to see if the placenta would come out by itself. C. was not even given a chance!
Technorati Tags: birth, childbirth, hospital, midwife, pitocin
Powered by ScribeFire.
Stumble It!
posted by Michal @ 3:20 PM
7 Comments:
Hi Michal,
I don't see why you are so surprised!! This is Shaarei Tzedek we are talking about after all. Their regular procedure is to have one midwife birthing the baby and the other giving a shot of pit while the baby is crowing, in her thigh when "no one will notice". Refusing it does not help. They also do not bother to tell the birthing mother what they are doing with syringe or epi. scissors.In one of the first births I attended, my Client also refused and I made the mistake of reiterating her request to the midwife weilding the syringe, who glared at me and gave the shot anyway. Later the midwife told me "in matters of saftey you dont ask the patient. Do you want to be the one to handle the hemmoraging afterwards????" They have orders from above to give pit in every birth, no exceptions. As far as I know the only J-m hospital that does take the wait and see approach with pit(if requested) is Ein Karem.
Hi Michal,
I'm just curious to know what the mother's thoughts and feelings were about the birth.
Shava Tova,
Miriam
Tamara:
I am not surprised, I am just sad. I've been to a couple of Shaarei Tzedek births where the midwife did listen to the lady, and pit was postponed (it was given in the end, but with a good reason).
Miriam:
Her first response was that she was really satisfied, but these things need time to sink in.
It often seems however that we doulas get stressed over something that is crucial in our eyes, but our clients don't find it as important.
If it were me, I would definitely file a complaint about these midwives but it should come from the client and not from us. If she doesn't feel that she wasn't treated right, she won't file a complaint either.
hi michal,
this could have been such a nice and peaceful birth. too bad you had to wait and also have the mother duped into taking a pitocin injection. this can greatly increase pain of after birth contractions and can over-infuse the uterus; all this intereferes with normal physiological proceses. it appears there was no indication for this intervention. as tamara says, why be surprised? this happens all the time and is alrgely an issue of "covering their backsides". sorry this ladies wishes were disregarded. for your sake,and the sake of others you will attend at sh tz, you were wise to stay quiet. unfortunately, there is a hostile doula environment,soemtimes justified but usually not. you tried your best to be an advocate without being agressive.
hi michal,
this could have been such a nice and peaceful birth. too bad you had to wait and also have the mother duped into taking a pitocin injection. this can greatly increase pain of after birth contractions and can over-infuse the uterus; all this intereferes with normal physiological proceses. it appears there was no indication for this intervention. as tamara says, why be surprised? this happens all the time and is largely an issue of "covering their backsides". sorry this ladies wishes were disregarded. for your sake,and the sake of others you will attend at sh tz, you were wise to stay quiet. unfortunately, there is a hostile doula environment,soemtimes justified but usually not. you tried your best to be an advocate without being agressive.
I actually had a great midwife at Shaarei that asked me if I wanted the shot and then worked hard on me afterwards to manage without. When not all of the placenta came out she again asked me what I wanted and I felt fully respected and informed. Her name is Judith by the way and she is haredi. Great Woman!
Rivkah
Actually it is Yehudit, she is Israeli :0)
Post a Comment
<< Home