UC Forum Guidelines - Page 3

[JessicaS]

Originally Posted by poiyt

http://www.mothering.com/discussions....php?t=1060243 DIAGNOSE WHY IM SORE 14 DAYS PP


http://www.mothering.com/discussions....php?t=1060080 TELL ME IF ALL THESE BAD THINGS THAT HAPPENED WILL HAPPEN AT MY NEXT BIRTH

http://www.mothering.com/discussions....php?t=1059877 DIAGNOSE MY CERVIX, IM KID OF FREAKING OUT

http://www.mothering.com/discussions....php?t=1059676 WHAT COULD BE CAUSING VAGINAL INFECTION

All these are located on page 1 of the birth professional page. All lay people asking for advice from birth professionals. It seems, if MDC is really concerned with giving medical advice the better place to start would have been to make sweeping changes to THAT forum as it is definately the greater "threat" in this regard. However, I have a feeling UC was singled out..well for a variety of reasons...

There are changes planned for that forum, I stated as such on the first page.

[vbactivist]

[QUOTE=mellowyellowmama;13423449]so mamas can not post a thread if they are in labor on the UC forum now? they can only ask for PM's? [/QUOT

What if they aren't sure whether or not they're in labor?

[Maeve]

I would love to see some links, because I can't think any life threatening situations in other forums where people were consistantly told to stay home, don't seek any professional advice, etc and any posts that did suggest it were jumped on and/or outright deleted.

[vbactivist]

Originally Posted by TCMoulton

Some of the threads that have happened in the past have most certainly involved mothers that were in dangerous situations asking for advice.

And there are lots of other forums here besides Uc where a babies life is in (perceived) danger and people are asking for and giving advice.

[JessicaS]

The purpose of this thread is NOT to debate the dangers of UC.

[accountclosed3]

it is that philosophical underpinning that is a part of this discussion, though. part of the question is--is the space liberal enough to hold or allow UCers to discuss the topic from their own terms and perspectives or not?

it is ok, btw, if it is not.

this is a private board, and thus, the board does have a right to make the rules based on their own philosophical perspective (which may fall along the mainstream perspective that labor/birth is riskier than most or all other human activities) rather than maintaining a liberal enough space for multiplicity of perspectives in terms of perceived risk.

with this, we also have to look at the answers to such postings of "asking for advice." for many, everywhere on this board including UCers, you get things from "this happened to me and it's ok" all the way to "if in doubt, see a HCP."

Even UCers answer sensitive questions in this way. . .i know that i do, even though i philosophically do not see birth as any inherently riskier than driving to the hospital. the truth is, i can't know what's up with a person. that person can, and they may need the expertise of another to figure it out. so, i have no problem recommending that.

this is such a good question overall. so many interesting aspects to think about (culturally and philosophically).

thanks for the opportunity.

[vbactivist]

I really think there is lots of dangerous advice given in the Health and healing forum. I would consider shutting that down before UC, since it affects so many more people.

[JessicaS]

Originally Posted by vbactivist

I really think there is lots of dangerous advice given in the Health and healing forum. I would consider shutting that down before UC, since it affects so many more people.

If someone really felt "dangerous" advice was being handed out wouldn't they say something?

I have most certainly stepped in when I saw something that I saw as "potentially dangerous" being recommended. I would expect others to do the same.

It is completely ridiculous that someone would say that people are giving out "dangerous" advice and that we expect people to sit by and look the other way. I don't buy that at all.


The UC forums were never support only and we only removed commentary that was defamatory, name calling and insulting. No one giving rational concerned advice has EVER had a post removed from the UC forum. If they have then I would like to be informed of that.

I have asked MANY times for examples of all these "rational" responses that people are claiming were removed and I have never had a response.

Not one.

[mama in the forest]

i think that, overall, we are pretty good at policing ourselves. the larger problem on the UC board in my experience has not been laboring mothers asking for medical advice and UCers providing medical advice, but rather non-UCers pressuring laboring mothers to seek medical advice and using fear-mongering and other emotional pressuring tactics to push their anti-UC (whether specific to the poster or in general) agendas.

Yes, precisely.

I have not seen any instances of mothers who UC giving any medical advice - it is usually comfort measures and emotional support. The strongest thing I have seen is a UCer saying, "trust your instincts..if you feel you need to seek help, seek it"

Conversely, non UC posters come on over to a hot thread & are immediately in panic mode advising immediate medical treatment.

[BoringTales]

Originally Posted by mellowyellowmama

The life of the mom and baby are not threatened in labor! Oh my goodness!

:

[KatWrangler]

Originally Posted by vbactivist

But there are definitely other threads (I don't have the time to go search for them) wehere that IS the case. Special needs parenting comes to mind - people ask for (and receive ) advise there every day. Also in Health and healing, and the case against circ. Breastfeeding, too. There are all kinds of "dangerous" situations being posted and 'opinions' given EVERY day on MDC.

Either say no to everyone or allow EVERYone.

Uh, please point out a life threatening thread in Special Needs Parenting?

[vbactivist]

Originally Posted by abimommy

If someone really felt "dangerous" advice was being handed out wouldn't they say something?

I have most certainly stepped in when I saw something that I saw as "potentially dangerous" being recommended. I would expect others to do the same.

It is completely ridiculous that someone would say that people are giving out "dangerous" advice and that we expect people to sit by and look the other way. I don't buy that at all.


The UC forums were never support only and we only removed commentary that was defamatory, name calling and insulting. No one giving rational concerned advice has EVER had a post removed from the UC forum. If they have then I would like to be informed of that.

I have asked MANY times for examples of all these "rational" responses that people are claiming were removed and I have never had a response.

Not one.

my point is that advice that can be considered dangerous is given in other forums as well. Why not take it on a thread by thread basis, rather than making a blanket statement "no more active labor posts". what if someone gives good advice. I saw on the one clsoed thread that some people were encouraging the mother to seek help. just liek when when someone posts my child has a fever of 104 should i go to the doctor, some people say yes, go and some say wait another day. and then the op can weigh her options. as it stands now in the uc forum, there is no chance of even GOOD advice being given.

[JessicaS]

As I stated, we are not debating the dangers of UC in this thread.

[vbactivist]

Originally Posted by KatWrangler

Uh, please point out a life threatening thread in Special Needs Parenting?

i will look, but I know i have seen medical advice given in (what some may perceive as) dangeorus situations. it's all relative is mypoint.

[mellowyellowmama]

Originally Posted by mama in the forest

Yes, precisely.

I have not seen any instances of mothers who UC giving any medical advice - it is usually comfort measures and emotional support. The strongest thing I have seen is a UCer saying, "trust your instincts..if you feel you need to seek help, seek it"

Conversely, non UC posters come on over to a hot thread & are immediately in panic mode advising immediate medical treatment.

true

[accountclosed3]

FWIW, i read through the whole locked thread that lead to this and i did not see anyone offering medical advice or telling her to stay home.

what i did see was a lot of women advising her to go and get the help that she required because she wasn't prepared to UC or to deal with her specific medical problems should she UC. with this, there was a discussion of her particular problem in light of a Mothering Magazine article, and different interpretations of that article and it's application to that situation.

i did not see the poster using the board as "Dr or Midwife Internet" nor did i see UCers telling her to stay home. Instead, more often than not, it was recommended that she go to the birth center (including one poster giving her direct advice on specific tests to ask for) and get the care required.

there are currently other active threads where a mother may be in labor, asking about certain noises, though not asking for advice (nor any given).

so, i can see why some confusion has arisen.

[JessicaS]

Originally Posted by vbactivist

my point is that advice that can be considered dangerous is given in other forums as well. Why not take it on a thread by thread basis, rather than making a blanket statement "no more active labor posts". what if someone gives good advice. I saw on the one clsoed thread that some people were encouraging the mother to seek help. just liek when when someone posts my child has a fever of 104 should i go to the doctor, some people say yes, go and some say wait another day. and then the op can weigh her options. as it stands now in the uc forum, there is no chance of even GOOD advice being given.

I don't want to go on a thread by thread basis because then that would put the responsibility of whether a labor is "safe" or not on the staff. That is precisely what we do not want to do.

If someone wants advice, they can ask people to pm them. I am sure there is a LOT of pming from both sides going on when someone is in labor because laboring moms have complained about pms. It is more private to the mother.

[mellowyellowmama]

Originally Posted by abimommy

As I stated, we are not debating the dangers of UC in this thread.

it's coming down to this b/c MDC is basically saying it is dangerous for a mom to post when she's in labor b/c someone might post their advice and then that could be dangerous. so, essentially you are putting out there that an UC (labor and birth) is dangerous!

[JessicaS]

Originally Posted by vbactivist

i will look, but I know i have seen medical advice given in (what some may perceive as) dangeorus situations. it's all relative is mypoint.

It is relative, particularly in a community where we do support alternatives and informed consent.

If someone does see a "dangerous" situation why wouldn't they say something though? Or at least alert a moderator? I cannot imagine that people would not, why wouldn't they say something? No one has ever been alerted for saying "go to a HCP/Dr"


H&H will likely be getting guidelines as well.

[vbactivist]

Originally Posted by mellowyellowmama

it's coming down to this b/c MDC is basically saying it is dangerous for a mom to post when she's in labor b/c someone might post their advice and then that could be dangerous. so, essentially you are putting out there that an UC (labor and birth) is dangerous!

This is what I was thinking, and unable to say. Is UC more dangerous than not vaxinng or not circing or not seeking medical help in other areas?