The Midwives.

[snowfia]

I found that woman rather annoying. I understand wanting a natural birth etc. I am going to do everything I can to have a completely natural birth but if they said one thing about being worried about my baby, I don't care what happens as long as everything's ok with the baby and me. I don't understand how she could ignore their advice when the heartbeat was dropping etc.

 

[ktod]

You don't even want to know what I was saying about her last night LOL!

Personally, I think the baby should come before the mother in those type of situations. She needs to get over the whole notion of "having the birth she wanted this time" because its not her birth, it's the baby's birth.

 

[babyjan]

I agree ktod, what shocked me the most was the fact she demanded to be taken off the monitors when her baby's heart rate was dropping. Her waters were already broken at this point and she went on to develop a fever which could have been life threatening.

I just hate to imagine what could have happened if she didn't end up listening to the health professionals

 

[GracieGoo]

Completely agree with everything about that women when I watched last night, she was rude and putting her poor baby at risk and herself by not following doctors advise (I thought that midwife was very sympathetic towards her too with giving her the facts, and trying to talk her round - well done to her for handling so well, if we were frustrated then I cannot imagine what it must have been like for her)...

But... this morning, I have been thinking about it, and I may be a bit thick, but I genuinely think she was just deeply scared to lose control and trust. It isnt excusable for her behaviour. But I do think her 'motherly instinct' HAD kicked in, and she was genuinely trying to keep that baby safe as she saw it, she seemed to be so against having any intervention incase it was to harm her baby more so...

I dont agree with her behaviour - last night I was soooo mad at her. But labour, being scared, and losing control are all strong emotions and feelings - I think they can easily bring out the 'worst' in us as women sometimes unfortunately. I think if she looked back at the show, she would prob be very embarrassed and quite ashamed ;-/

 

[special_kala]

I didnt see the show but during a normal low risk labour a slight drop in heart rate is ok during a contraction. Willows dropped slightly and she was born at home no problem. Though Foxs did and i knew it wasnt ok so i pushed for help. Alot can be said for motherly instinct.

 

[Mummy Bean]

But it wasnt a normal low risk. It was a VBAC for a baby who weight/growth seemed to have completly stopped. She had a failed induction after which she walked out. Then second time she had her waters broken, baby was showing clear signs of distress then she her self was showing signs of infection...yet despite all of this she left the hospital.

She shud have made clear plans with the doctors before starting the induction process...so both were clear when more medical intervention was needed. She put her baby at serious risk.

 

[special_kala]

But it wasnt a normal low risk. It was a VBAC for a baby who weight/growth seemed to have completly stopped. She had a failed induction after which she walked out. Then second time she had her waters broken, baby was showing clear signs of distress then she her self was showing signs of infection...yet despite all of this she left the hospital.

She shud have made clear plans with the doctors before starting the induction process...so both were clear when more medical intervention was needed. She put her baby at serious risk.

That is very irresponsible

 

[babyjan]

I don't think she left the hospital after her waters were broken but stepped outside for a minute.
However she did leave after being told that her baby had IGUR.

 

[oboeverity]

In her defence, she was keen to avoid a c section because her last had resulted in a stillborn baby: as far as she was concerned, in her deepest, darkest animal mothering place, intervention and loss were inextricably related.

However. As someone who was waiting to be induced exactly two weeks ag, knowing my baby was in distress, I too found it hard to watch xx

 

[sequeena]

In her defence, she was keen to avoid a c section because her last had resulted in a stillborn baby: as far as she was concerned, in her deepest, darkest animal mothering place, intervention and loss were inextricably related.

However. As someone who was waiting to be induced exactly two weeks ag, knowing my baby was in distress, I too found it hard to watch xx

I thought her last c section was with her daughter, who is now 9 years old

 

[Debi]

I wonder what her baby weighed in the end though. Didn't look really small... growth scans can be so unreliable! Doesn't excuse her other behaviour though.

 

[izzlesnizzle]

In her defence, she was keen to avoid a c section because her last had resulted in a stillborn baby: as far as she was concerned, in her deepest, darkest animal mothering place, intervention and loss were inextricably related.

However. As someone who was waiting to be induced exactly two weeks ag, knowing my baby was in distress, I too found it hard to watch xx

I thought her last c section was with her daughter, who is now 9 years old

Unless I missed something, I think the last section was the 9 yr old daughter. I think they were more saying that this baby could be still born if they didn't act fast.
I too was baffled by her behaviour. I understand being scared because of a previous experience and im sure I will be very scared next time after a emcs but i'd like to think I would always put the baby first and go on the advice given to me by the medical professionals. I did think she was being selfish and was crazy for coming off the monitor when they said it wasn't safe. I thought the whole case was quite shocking but so was so glad to see him in her arms at the end of it.

 

[NoodleSnack]

Yeah my main problem wasn't her reluctance to have intervention or to be induced but to demand the monitor be taken off when her babys heartbeat wasn't good? That baffled me.

A lot of books that are supportive of natural birthing tend to question the validity of monitoring, some say that monitoring increases the risk of intervention so it's better not to do so, taking the monitor off is maybe another way to stop people from pushing her. That it is just another scare tactic by the medical community. I don't agree but if she bought into that pov, it's understandable.

 

[lhancock90]

I guess a stillbirth in my family as made me want the monitoring etc. it's an interesting Pov.

 

[felix555]

I didn't hear her mention the stillbirth? The c-section was her daughter which was alive?

I have to say I was doing a million other things while watching it though ... but the fact that she had a stillbirth and the doctor told her that she is putting the baby at risk of being stillborn / brain damaged would have made me go for the c-section regardless of wanting a natural birth if I was her.

As far as I could tell her daughter was alive and well after the c-section birth

She should have refused the induction if she was so adamant she knew her baby was fine and could go to term. not agreed to induction and walk away

 

[lhancock90]

I didn't hear her mention the stillbirth? The c-section was her daughter which was alive?

I have to say I was doing a million other things while watching it though ... but the fact that she had a stillbirth and the doctor told her that she is putting the baby at risk of being stillborn / brain damaged would have made me go for the c-section regardless of wanting a natural birth if I was her.

As far as I could tell her daughter was alive and well after the c-section birth

She should have refused the induction if she was so adamant she knew her baby was fine and could go to term. not agreed to induction and walk away

I said a stillbirth in MY family has made ME personally more open to medical intervention and monitoring. So its difficult for me to see why she acted her way but its an interesting point that the poster above me suggested

 

[felix555]

I didn't hear her mention the stillbirth? The c-section was her daughter which was alive?

I have to say I was doing a million other things while watching it though ... but the fact that she had a stillbirth and the doctor told her that she is putting the baby at risk of being stillborn / brain damaged would have made me go for the c-section regardless of wanting a natural birth if I was her.

As far as I could tell her daughter was alive and well after the c-section birth

She should have refused the induction if she was so adamant she knew her baby was fine and could go to term. not agreed to induction and walk away

I said a stillbirth in MY family has made ME personally more open to medical intervention and monitoring. So its difficult for me to see why she acted her way but its an interesting point that the poster above me suggested

sorry i should have quoted the poster. i was answering the pp that said:

"In her defence, she was keen to avoid a c section because her last had resulted in a stillborn baby: as far as she was concerned, in her deepest, darkest animal mothering place, intervention and loss were inextricably related."

 

[oboeverity]

I'm sure there was a SB mentioned... You'll have to excuse the baby brain: I've a two week old! Either way, there was something to do with her last birth, wasn't there that made her fear a CS? Ultimately, I'm pro choice, but not pro rudeness, and she made me cringe...

 

[amjon]

In her defence, she was keen to avoid a c section because her last had resulted in a stillborn baby: as far as she was concerned, in her deepest, darkest animal mothering place, intervention and loss were inextricably related.

However. As someone who was waiting to be induced exactly two weeks ag, knowing my baby was in distress, I too found it hard to watch xx

Having had a stillbirth I would have done anything to make sure my boys were healthy. I really did not want a CS ( I cried going in the OR) but knew it was the only safe way for them to arrive. Mine weren't in any immediate danger either as I had a planned 37 week delivery (if A had flipped head down it would have been induction). I don't understand how someone can lose a baby and not demand extra monitoring/ immediate delivery at first sign of an issue.

 

[aliss]

Not everyone thinks "rational" or logical under stressful circumstances.