So, I had to write this blog a day after the show "Freebirthing" on Discovery Health Channel had the misfortune of finding me, because I was so fired up I may have thrown my computer through the TV.
"Freebirthing" is defined by Webster's dictionary as birth without the assistance of a medical or professional birth attendant. That's right. No doctor, no midwife, no doula, some even did it without a hospital or clinic nearby. I was so SO mad watching this show, I think I may have scared Al a bit when he walked through the door and I started shouting at him. I mean, really, I've never felt such anger before.
There was one woman on the show who, from what she said, had a very unpleasant birthing experience at the hospital with her first child because they told her she was pushing ineffectively and threatened that she might have to have a C-section. That's not a threat sweetie, that's the truth! So she decided to "go it alone" this pregnancy. No prenatal care, no NOTHING! She even stated "the only people I feel are qualified to deliver my baby are my husband and I..."
Oh, really? Did you forget to mention all your years of medical training to us? Did you read Delivering A Baby For Dummies cover to cover and now you know as much as a seasoned OBGYN? Oh, wait, that's right! You bought a fetoscope on the Internet and you can hear your placenta! What was I thinking, of course you are qualified to deliver your baby! And you took measurements of your belly too?? Well, let's just hang your degree over your fireplace right now!
This woman delivered her baby at home and they tied off the cord with a shoelace and cut it with a pair of sterilized sewing shears. This is something you do in an emergency!! But her placenta wouldn't come out. Guess they didn't cover that one in Freebirthing 101. So, what do you think happened? She had to go to the hospital! Oh, God no, not those medical Nazis who only have their own interest at heart and could care less what happens to their patients! The audacity! And, once they got there, she was trying to tell them how to remove it. She felt that the doctors and nurses gave her "a little attitude." Well, no f*ng shit, Sherlock! You didn't really expect sympathy, did you? What do you do for a living? How would you feel if someone who had no experience whatsoever decided they could do what you do, only better? And then she was upset because they called a social worker to do a home visit. Whatever.
Do these people have any idea what can happen? Obviously not because the "freebirthing advocates" are showing them videos of smiling women freebirthing at home in the tub or on their bed. What they aren't showing them are the mom's that can hemorrhage if the placenta doesn't come out. They aren't showing the babies that are too big and get stuck on the pubic bone. They aren't showing babies with nuchal cords, or shoulder distocias, or short cords, or meconium deliveries. No, it's all glossed over as this very natural thing with a much better outcome than if you had your baby on your back in a hospital bed. In the words of the Chinese Dr. from Knocked Up, "If you want a spiritual experience, go see a Jimmy Buffet concert..."
I've had two experiences in the last week of what can happen when a delivery goes wrong and it's not something I want to relive again although I'm sure I will come across it many, many times in my career. Not to mention, it is extremely unsettling to watch a very good, very seasoned doctor fall apart. What would happen if something had gone wrong with your freebirth? How does the law play into all this? Because if we are saying that an unborn fetus has rights, well, who's stepping in on this baby's rights? If that baby dies, will the parents be put on trial for murder? It's just so incredibly selfish.
I am all for a woman having the birth experience she wants. It's her body, her labor, her delivery and it should be whatever she wants it to be. But it does not mean that you shouldn't have a qualified professional by your side for those "what if" moments. It doesn't make you any less of a woman to ask for help from someone who knows what they are doing. You want a home birth, fine. Just go to your prenatal visits to make sure a home birth is possible, and have a midwife there. Nothing wrong with that.
In closing, I need to say something. I love my job. I truly love it. After a very long night and day on Wednesday, I left glowing. We have such a strong team dynamic on our floor. It is amazing how people come out of the woodwork when there's an emergency and everyone is hands on. Twice in the last week I've experienced everyone pulling together, expecting the worst, hoping for the best. I feel so privileged to work with such an amazing group of women and men. I am learning so much from my colleagues and I couldn't ask for more out of a career. I love what I do. I may not always feel competent at it and I may hit some bumps in the road, but I'm going to keep doing what I do, keep learning and loving every minute of it.
"Freebirthing" is defined by Webster's dictionary as birth without the assistance of a medical or professional birth attendant. That's right. No doctor, no midwife, no doula, some even did it without a hospital or clinic nearby. I was so SO mad watching this show, I think I may have scared Al a bit when he walked through the door and I started shouting at him. I mean, really, I've never felt such anger before.
There was one woman on the show who, from what she said, had a very unpleasant birthing experience at the hospital with her first child because they told her she was pushing ineffectively and threatened that she might have to have a C-section. That's not a threat sweetie, that's the truth! So she decided to "go it alone" this pregnancy. No prenatal care, no NOTHING! She even stated "the only people I feel are qualified to deliver my baby are my husband and I..."
Oh, really? Did you forget to mention all your years of medical training to us? Did you read Delivering A Baby For Dummies cover to cover and now you know as much as a seasoned OBGYN? Oh, wait, that's right! You bought a fetoscope on the Internet and you can hear your placenta! What was I thinking, of course you are qualified to deliver your baby! And you took measurements of your belly too?? Well, let's just hang your degree over your fireplace right now!
This woman delivered her baby at home and they tied off the cord with a shoelace and cut it with a pair of sterilized sewing shears. This is something you do in an emergency!! But her placenta wouldn't come out. Guess they didn't cover that one in Freebirthing 101. So, what do you think happened? She had to go to the hospital! Oh, God no, not those medical Nazis who only have their own interest at heart and could care less what happens to their patients! The audacity! And, once they got there, she was trying to tell them how to remove it. She felt that the doctors and nurses gave her "a little attitude." Well, no f*ng shit, Sherlock! You didn't really expect sympathy, did you? What do you do for a living? How would you feel if someone who had no experience whatsoever decided they could do what you do, only better? And then she was upset because they called a social worker to do a home visit. Whatever.
Do these people have any idea what can happen? Obviously not because the "freebirthing advocates" are showing them videos of smiling women freebirthing at home in the tub or on their bed. What they aren't showing them are the mom's that can hemorrhage if the placenta doesn't come out. They aren't showing the babies that are too big and get stuck on the pubic bone. They aren't showing babies with nuchal cords, or shoulder distocias, or short cords, or meconium deliveries. No, it's all glossed over as this very natural thing with a much better outcome than if you had your baby on your back in a hospital bed. In the words of the Chinese Dr. from Knocked Up, "If you want a spiritual experience, go see a Jimmy Buffet concert..."
I've had two experiences in the last week of what can happen when a delivery goes wrong and it's not something I want to relive again although I'm sure I will come across it many, many times in my career. Not to mention, it is extremely unsettling to watch a very good, very seasoned doctor fall apart. What would happen if something had gone wrong with your freebirth? How does the law play into all this? Because if we are saying that an unborn fetus has rights, well, who's stepping in on this baby's rights? If that baby dies, will the parents be put on trial for murder? It's just so incredibly selfish.
I am all for a woman having the birth experience she wants. It's her body, her labor, her delivery and it should be whatever she wants it to be. But it does not mean that you shouldn't have a qualified professional by your side for those "what if" moments. It doesn't make you any less of a woman to ask for help from someone who knows what they are doing. You want a home birth, fine. Just go to your prenatal visits to make sure a home birth is possible, and have a midwife there. Nothing wrong with that.
In closing, I need to say something. I love my job. I truly love it. After a very long night and day on Wednesday, I left glowing. We have such a strong team dynamic on our floor. It is amazing how people come out of the woodwork when there's an emergency and everyone is hands on. Twice in the last week I've experienced everyone pulling together, expecting the worst, hoping for the best. I feel so privileged to work with such an amazing group of women and men. I am learning so much from my colleagues and I couldn't ask for more out of a career. I love what I do. I may not always feel competent at it and I may hit some bumps in the road, but I'm going to keep doing what I do, keep learning and loving every minute of it.
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