What do they DO to newborns during hospital births?

[Feronia]

I’m still debating on whether to have a home or a hospital birth. I was all set on having a home water birth until my midwife told me that they don’t carry gas and air, which is something I was hoping for. (On another note, how necessary do you think this is for a natural birth? Did those of you who have had home births find it particularly helpful or unhelpful? Maybe I should make another post about this!)

Anyway, I definitely want a natural birth, and there is a hospital here with a “natural” birthing environment with tubs, showers, and birth balls, so that’s an option for me. What I’m concerned about is all the stuff hospitals do to your baby directly after birth.
For instance:

-I do not want the vitamin K injection
-I do not want the eye drops/ointment
-I do not want the Hepatitis B vaccine

Is there anything else they inject/put into your baby possibly without consent? Will they let us wait to cut the cord till it stops pulsating if there is no rush to do something else medically? Am I asking for way too much from a hospital birth?

I’m in Canada if that helps. I just don’t want to be surprised by something I haven’t had a chance to research. Thanks so much for your information! There is SO much to research as a first time mom!

 

[MollyWeasley]

I'm planning a homebirth and using gas had never occurred to me. To me, a drug-free birth means no gas either, and frankly I'm not interested in it.

Vitamin K - this might be something you could opt out of, but you will have more difficulty declining this in hospital. An oral dose is an alternative that seems to be available. https://www.cps.ca/english/statements/fn/fn97-01.htm

Eye Drops/Ointment - apparently this one is required by law in Canada and there is no easy procedure for declining it (seems like it's easier to decline in the US). Again, I'd wager that you'd be more likely to succeed in declining this at home.

Hep B Vaccine - no vaccines are given at birth in Canada. 1st dose of HepB vaccine is suggested either at age 4 months or Pre-teen age. Here is the currently recommended vaccination schedule:
https://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/im/is-cv/index-eng.php

Delayed cord clamping - I do think it's possible in hospital, but it depends on whether or not it is something your care provider is supportive of.

Another newborn thing that is routinely done is the heel prick to run some disease screening tests. Here's a short summary of all the newborn things: https://www.bestchance.gov.bc.ca/yo...ur-baby/baby-health/newborn-medical-care.html

 

[aliss]

I have had a hospital birth here in Canada.

I would strongly recommend NOT choosing the hospital just for G&A because (imo) it just wasn't worth it (in fact it had zero affect for me). The ability to walk around and be comfortable in my home would be worth more to me.

RE: consent - assuming you and your partner are mentally competent (and you are) then you can refuse medical procedures on your child if they are not immediately life threatening (obv. they aren't). Whether or not the nurses will LISTEN to your wishes, is another story. I don't know, they may, they may not. You might not be in a mind frame to notice afterwards.

I would strongly recommend you attend the potential maternity ward personally and ask about the specifics.

Personally, I think with your wishes, you are far better off at home! My first labour (which was in Vancouver) had so many awful interventions and tbh I don't know any woman in the midst of true labour who had the mindframe to dispute when her wishes were not being followed. If you still wish to choose the hospital, then I *strongly* recommend you have a doula because she will be able to speak up for you when you aren't able to. She will respect your wishes and demand that staff does too.

I am having a home birth with doula after my hospital birth.

 

[Feronia]

Thanks so much for the information. I was able to find plenty of information about what they do in the States, but not in Canada.

I’m glad to hear that the Hep B isn’t given at birth in Canada. That’s too bad about the eye drops/ointment. I’ll ask my midwife about this one.

I’d like to go completely drug free, but I don’t know my pain threshold so I was hoping to have gas and air available in case I needed it, but nothing more. Any more experiences with the gas and air?

 

[aliss]

G&A doesn't provide pain relief per se, it's a gas mask that will 'distract you' -> the best comparison I can give you, is .... have you ever smoked pot? It feels like smoking pot but tastes like nothing and gives you a distraction/woozy/drunky feeling. If that makes sense? Or like being drunk without 'happy' high because you are in pain.

 

[Feronia]

aliss, thanks for your reply. No, I haven't smoked pot, but I understand what you're saying. I'll reconsider the hospital birth since the gas and air was kind of what was making me lean towards the hospital.

I'm in Vancouver as well and I'm curious about the hospital where you had the bad experience. Would you mind PMing me and telling me a bit about it? If so, thanks!

 

[fairyflowers]

may i ask what eye drops are for. im in the UK and never heard of those?

 

[fairyflowers]

may i ask what eye drops are for. im in the UK and never heard of those?

sorry obviously ive heard of eye drops just not after birth

 

[Feronia]

may i ask what eye drops are for. im in the UK and never heard of those?

sorry obviously ive heard of eye drops just not after birth

They’re used to protect the baby from chlamydia or gonorrhea since the mother can pass an eye infection from those viruses onto the baby. The eye drops are completely unnecessary if the mother does not have those STDs. They used to test the mothers for those viruses, but now they just administer the drops universally.

I’ve only been with one person, and he’s only been with me, so we’re not at risk. I don’t see the point in giving the drops because it’s just unnecessary pain for the newborn. Also, depending on the type of drops used, there may be other risks (although rare) and I just don’t see the point in that.

 

[fairyflowers]

may i ask what eye drops are for. im in the UK and never heard of those?

sorry obviously ive heard of eye drops just not after birth

They’re used to protect the baby from chlamydia or gonorrhea since the mother can pass an eye infection from those viruses onto the baby. The eye drops are completely unnecessary if the mother does not have those STDs. They used to test the mothers for those viruses, but now they just administer the drops universally.

I’ve only been with one person, and he’s only been with me, so we’re not at risk. I don’t see the point in giving the drops because it’s just unnecessary pain for the newborn. Also, depending on the type of drops used, there may be other risks (although rare) and I just don’t see the point in that.

thanks for clearing that up, it makes sense not to if you know you havent got any std's! i find it amazing how things differ in other countries!

 

[Irish Eyes]

I didn't have any pain relief during labour but had G&A for stitches and it's pointless for me

I'm in the UK so it's different but I had to tell the midwife as I was pushing about delayed cord cutting and no Vit K injection. Then I just made sure the baby wasn't taken out of my sight at anytime!

 

[Feronia]

Thanks, Irish. Not letting the baby out of my sight sounds like a good idea.

I'll discuss this with my midwife before hand and will be sure to write up a birth plan. I'm still debating between home and hospital, but hopefully talking to my midwife will help me decide.

 

[Pixles]

eye gel? ointment..? What ever for? =S we dont have that in england? =s well, dident happen at my babys birth! =s

 

[Feronia]

I explained the purpose of the eye ointment in post 9 in this thread. Basically, it's completely unnecessary and just causes pain and the risk of side effects. I'd like to avoid it...

 

[Irish Eyes]

Don't trust writing anything in the birth plan, mine wasn't even looked at. I made sure my husband knew exactly what I wanted and he was under instruction to make sure it happened in case I was too out of it to be able to say.

 

[Pixles]

I explained the purpose of the eye ointment in post 9 in this thread. Basically, it's completely unnecessary and just causes pain and the risk of side effects. I'd like to avoid it...

oh! =( thats awful!

 

[NaturalMomma]

I had a hospital birth with ds1. It is standard for that hospital to give Vit K., Hep B., eye goop, wash their hair, cut the cord right away, put babe in a warming crib and do all the first examinations within the first 30 minutes. UNLESS you tell them not to beforehand, but most first time moms don't even know about these policies. I thought babe was going to be handed to me and stay on my chest for awhile. Nope. Oh and at this hospital if you let baby be in the nursery (I did due to me having complications after birth) they will give the baby formula without asking, pacifires too.

I had ds2 at home, much more calmer and smoother transition.

 

[Feronia]

Thanks for your story, Naturalmama. I wonder whether having a doula at the hospital would help insure that things happened the way I want them to happen (not counting changes of plans dictated by medical complications). What did you use (if anything) in the way of pain killers for your home birth?

My main concern for a home birth is not the lack of the gas and air, but a lack of space. DH and I live in a 1-bedroom apartment and I wonder whether setting up a birthing pool in the living room would be too cramped… My concern with the hospital is that the hospital staff will do things without my consent and that my husband won’t be aware or won’t know what they are doing and not ask questions or make demands. So much to figure out! I appreciate your insight though, ladies!

 

[aliss]

Thanks for your story, Naturalmama. I wonder whether having a doula at the hospital would help insure that things happened the way I want them to happen (not counting changes of plans dictated by medical complications). What did you use (if anything) in the way of pain killers for your home birth?

My main concern for a home birth is not the lack of the gas and air, but a lack of space. DH and I live in a 1-bedroom apartment and I wonder whether setting up a birthing pool in the living room would be too cramped… My concern with the hospital is that the hospital staff will do things without my consent and that my husband won’t be aware or won’t know what they are doing and not ask questions or make demands. So much to figure out! I appreciate your insight though, ladies!

I can see birth options are important to you (and hey, they are too all of us or we wouldn't be in this section)- if you choose the hospital, I really think a doula is wise. She will be experienced in dealing with staff and standing up for your wishes, that is her JOB and no doula goes into that job without the desire to stand up for other women's birth choices. I am having a doula for my home birth but if god forbid we end up transferring, she is my advocate. Most Canadian doulas are used to hospital births, not home births, so she will be able to help you through this process when you are too tired/overwhelmed to do so yourself.

I personally wouldn't be concerned about lack of space if it was your 1st. It matters to me since I have a 2 year old and don't necessarily want to force him to watch this, but if I didn't have kids to worry about, I would certainly not mind the 1 bedroom thing. You may also wish to choose a hospital that has a birthing centre or a standalone birthing centre.

 

[Feronia]

Thanks, aliss. You've given me a lot to think about. I'm getting the sense that a doula for a home birth may not be as helpful as having a doula at the hospital.