one born every minute usa

[Mervs Mum]

i was shocked to see the first lady getting an epidural so late. just before they put it in she said i feel i need to push and then the nurse goes "not before the epidural" and laughes! Then right afterwards she is legs in stirrups and pushing. at first i thought it was just the editing but i rewatched it online and the aneathitist is still the background tidying up from putting the epi in! I mean i'm all for taking pain relief if its required (we all have different pain thresholds) but if you've got to 10cm already then i thik you might aswell finish with out. i know in UK you can't get epidural so late

You may be surprised to hear that this DOES happen in the UK

 

[Linzi]

They refused it for me because I was so far even though I was begging for it

I'm very greatful now though (I was pissed at the time believe me lol) because I proved I could do it without, and I never believed I could.

I was just shocked how willy nilly they're given out. Of course they should be there for women who need it or want it but it was almost like they would look down on your for not having it in this programme? like you were just being a bit silly & hadn't thought it through..

xxx

 

[juju_mom]

I was shocked to find out the difference between having a baby in Canada vs the US. I doubt I would have the same empowering birth like I did for my daughter if I don't have homebirth in the US. I need to focus not be monitored every second.

 

[NaturalMomma]

Where I live you can't get the Epidural once you're in transition or past 7 cms. I was really shocked that at this hospital you could, but I shouldn't be so shocked since they outlawed homebirth MWs in that state as well.

Can you watch OBEM UK online somewhere? I'd love to see the UK version.

 

[tristansmum]

Where I live you can't get the Epidural once you're in transition or past 7 cms. I was really shocked that at this hospital you could, but I shouldn't be so shocked since they outlawed homebirth MWs in that state as well.

Can you watch OBEM UK online somewhere? I'd love to see the UK version.

its on 4od (channel 4 on demand) but not sure if you can access that in america... or try you tube???

 

[Guppy051708]

I am an American...and yes..birth sucks here....be SURE to watch "The Business of Being Born". Its on NetFlix. It pretty much describes it to a T. Oh and, what you are seeing on OBEM...thats pretty much a regular L&D here in th US It is very sad.

I went unmedicated and let me tell you, the instant my water broke (it broke first), i had to fight the system...actually, i take that back, the day before going overdue (i didn't deliver until 41 weeks and 5 days), i had to fight it nail and tooth not to have an induction (they push inductions here the day you go overdue, pretty much). 90% of all US hospitals birth recieve pitocin at some point in time. With a very very high rate of induction...

A mere 2 hours after my water broke, they were pushing the pitocin like seriously?! They also wanted me to use Cytotec (Mysoprostol, just google both names, you QICKLY learn how bad that drug is) to get me to dilate "quicker" I said no. After 10 hours, a nurse came in, first words "I didn't read your birth plan but you should consider "sleep therapy". LIKE WTF?!? She said it could be days before i actually give birth and i "needed" it. By sleep therapy she meant narcotics. I refused. She pushed it on me a couple of times actually. And she even went to the doc that was on call and tried getting her to FORCE me to take the meds (lucky for me the on call OB was better than any MW and said "No! She is fine"). Anywho, my labor ended up being 30 hours, 100% back labor, and 6 hours of pushing. I refused to give birth laying on the bed and had a waterbirth-thank GOD! they wanted me to get out but i didn't want to, so i didnt! I did it with NO intervention and NO drugs. ...but its all about education. You really have to know how to fight the system.

When you want to go unmedicated, you have EVERYTHING going against you. Its terrible! AS i said, be SURE to watch "The business of being born"!

With this baby, i am going to give birth at a free standing birth center. I would love to birth at home but my health insurance refuses to cover it (even though we pay $10,000 per year on it ) Insurance is rediculous! Most women never have the opportunity to get a MW

but anyways, what you saw on OBEM is basically a mirror image of most hospital births- including the rude pushy nurses and the lack of support to go unmedicated. Oh...and they push C-sections too....i believe the c-section rate is now 34% (i think?) and the induction rate is at least 50%. Epidurals and narcotics are pushed like no other...personally i think its because nurses and doctors dont want to have to "deal" with you if your going unmedicated-just let all the monitors do the work, and mom needs next to no support because of the epi (i dont agree with that, but its the logic). Not to mention if you have an epidural it is VERY easy for them to give you some pitocin.....afterall it IS a business here...

"home in time for dinner." <---doctors mantalities! you wouldn't believe the amount of babies that are born during business hours...and with an augmentation of 90%....no wonder...its all about convience...to the doctors and nurses.

 

[Bournefree]

Where I live you can't get the Epidural once you're in transition or past 7 cms. I was really shocked that at this hospital you could, but I shouldn't be so shocked since they outlawed homebirth MWs in that state as well.

Can you watch OBEM UK online somewhere? I'd love to see the UK version.

https://www.channel4.com/programmes/one-born-every-minute/4od

Hope this link works for you: I know some USA ladies have had some problems, as the site recognises you are out of the UK.
Xxx

 

[Blob]

Urgh I can't bring myself to watch it I just know I will be shouting at the tv

Guppy you must be so proud of yourself for that

 

[indigo_fairy]

Guppy051708 what you went through with having to fight literally all the way is just ridiculous, when will this practice ever change?? It's appalling that a woman should have to fight for a natural birth these days. I've watched The Business of Being Born, what an eye opener...

 

[L Elise]

It's not that state of the medical system that frustrates me (and the UK has it's fair share of problems too) - after all you can't control what your predecessors commend. What frustrates me is the arrogance of the 'professionals', the lack of embarassment about corporate policies and the blind following of said policies, disregarding all common sense. It smacks of having no personal standards in how they do their job.

I'm a Helicopter Engineer - the number of times I have had to stand behind my decisions and voice them (loudly! And in front of an audience!) I just couldn't count. My battle cry is 'Put it this way - there's no way in hell I'd let my OH fly in that! I'm not signing it off for anyone else either!' and I'll do it time and time again. Based solely on the fact that I take extreme pride in what I do. People get task orientated - it's the just-get-it-done mentality. But God above help the pilot arrogant enough to tell me that he knows better than I! (My professional equivalent of what's going on here.)

But in that breath, God above help the Dr/MW/Doula/OH that stands there and tries to tell me how my L&D is going to go! They want my OH (a much gentler soul than I) to get to them before I do, I assure you. Or them *and* their arrogance will be shown the door!! If I allowed my working standards to be dictated by my management/insurance company/PR Section/HR section I'd never recover from the mortal embarassment! Professionals from every trade background (inc medical) have to realise the consequences of their actions - and whom exactly those actions affect.

Professional standards - a pet subject of mine!
Rant over *ahem*

 

[Guppy051708]

It was worth the battle...i just wish it were different
....and the docs and "the system" are to blame, but so are women....so many women just blindly trust their doctors. They dont take the time to learn anything at all. I have no problem if someone wants to go medicated-thats their own personal choice, but they think they dont need to research anything because of getting the epi and likes "no you do!...actually maybe more so..." Anyways, most woman do nothing to help their L&D. And i just think thats so foolish. ...I just dont understand why more women are not standing up for such an event in their life. So many women end up with birth trauma and then they regret it. And those the prenatal crash courses in the hospital...its basically how to be a good patient. I always urge my clients (i am a child birth educator and a birth doula) to look for pregnancy, L & D classes OUTSIDE of the hospital. ...The system needs to change, most doctors need to change, but women could be helping and they choose not to. Koodos to the ones that do...it will be a battle until the end of time, i am afraid

 

[Mervs Mum]

Guppy you rock

 

[Guppy051708]

Thank you! Thank you very much! <<<insert Elvis voice here>>>

 

[Mervs Mum]

yes and I bet those OBs and L&D nurses were thankful when the guppy had left the building!!

 

[Guppy051708]

TOTALLY lol
...I threw up on the fat lady though (the one pushing the narcotics), so that was sort of funny.

 

[Kess]

TOTALLY lol
...I threw up on the fat lady though (the one pushing the narcotics), so that was sort of funny.

Well that's one way to make your point...

 

[Guppy051708]

 

[Mervs Mum]

Nice work Guppy!!

 

[spidey]

Guppy- congrats on your BFP not sure if you remember me

I was supposed to deliver in a free standing birth center but was transferred to the hospital due to becoming high risk. I still went drug free, but when the paramedics wheeled me into L&D the nurse asked "is she ready for her epidural?" I think the hospital had an epidural rate close to 95%.

I watched a few episodes of OBEM (the US version) and there was one where the mom went natural. She spent all her time laying in the bed and being very calm and peaceful. The nurses had no idea she was so far along and then suddenly she had to push and they cleared out the room.

 

[Guppy051708]

Hi Spidey! :wave: i do remember you indeed!
How is everything going?! Its been so long! Do you have any journals?