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DPH & labor in the tub??

post #1 of 18
3/11/10 at 10:16pm
Thread Starter 
So I have been informed by my OB at Mount Auburn Hospital that I will not be allowed to labor in a tub at MAH.

The Mass DPH has a new regulation that says the tub must be accessible on three sides in order to be used by a woman in labor. Apparently they have taken all the plugs out of the tubs.

I am completely and utterly disturbed by this implications of this for all women, but selfishly for my own birth coming up in 6 weeks or so. The tub was the only way I could do it last time. I stayed in there until transition. I wouldn't budge. I am sure I will make do with what I have but I'm not going down without a fight.

Planning some phone calls and letter writing on Monday. Wondering if anyone else has heard anything else about this.

Isis wrote about it on their blog last month. Apparently only MGH and MAH are the only Hospitals near me that are actually following the reg. Midwife that works at Brigham told me they're still laboring in tubs. So WTH??

Thanks ladies!
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post #2 of 18
3/12/10 at 12:30am
Wow, without my aquadural, I KNOW that I'd have ended up in the hospital on pit with probably a c-section. The tub took all the pain away and let me concentrate. I hate the law!
post #3 of 18
3/12/10 at 9:35am
I saw this a little while ago on a doula list. There's a hospital or two that actually REMOVED their tubs altogether. Yikes.
Mine (Tobey in Wareham) put these blow up things in them so that if a mom can't get out on her own in an emergency, they kind of hoist her. Or something like that LOL. I was picturing the sling thing that they get beached whales off the beach with but a friend of mine had a baby there last week and sent me a picture. They are far less obnoxious than I imagined LMAO
Anyway, this blow up thing is a way to get around the 3 side rule and has been OK'd by the DPH.
It's a wicked new regulation so maybe not all the hospitals have been visited by inspectors yet?
post #4 of 18
3/12/10 at 11:34am
I also heard about this on the doula list and it is terrible.

Is Mt. Auburn's AquaDoula tub still around? I know the midwives have done water births in them.

If not, maybe speak with someone about bringing your own portable/inflatable tub? They can be had rather inexpensively.
post #5 of 18
3/12/10 at 4:31pm
South Shore Hospital pulled all of their tubs; however, they've installed one full birthing tub, and are awaiting a state inspection. The midwives at South Shore Midwifery were pushing to let their clients use inflatable tubs, the hospital ok-ed the idea, and the city's plumbing inspector wouldn't certify them. Grr.

I'm due in early April, and am keeping my fingers crossed. There's a good chance that the new tub will be up and running by the time that I go into labor, but given that there's only 1 tub in the entire hospital, I'll be lucky if I manage to snag it. It's a ridiculous situation.

My DH and I are looking into buying an inflatable pool for our house-- we can't afford a real birthing tub, but we found this on Amazon, and it comes well-recommended. If the birthing tub isn't available, we'll probably just labor at home as long as possible.

http://www.amazon.com/Inflatable-Oce...ref=pd_sbs_t_3
post #6 of 18
3/12/10 at 5:39pm
My baby is due in 4 weeks and no one has bothered to mention this to me!

Another reason I wish I could go back to NH to have this baby...
post #7 of 18
3/12/10 at 8:39pm
Is this the case at NWH as well? We just toured there a week and a half ago and there wasn't any mention about the tubs no longer being available. In fact, she specifically discussed them as an option during labor - as did my midwife when I saw her today!
post #8 of 18
3/15/10 at 11:57am
I was just at a birth at NWH this past week on the 10th with a doula client and the midwives offered the tub. Very upsetting if they are possibly going to have to stop.
post #9 of 18
3/15/10 at 2:42pm
I had an appt w/ my midwife at Mt Auburn today. She said they are working on it. She said the DPH called them and told them their inboxes and voice-mails were FULL with messages from irritated women. Mt Auburn is trying to work something out and is also looking at the hoist thingy (my word, not hers) to get around the new rule. She said they do still have the AquaDoula, but thinks it's only b/c they (DPH) didn't know about it. She also said that the shower tubs are taboo.
post #10 of 18
3/15/10 at 3:55pm
perhaps more angry phone calls to the dph would be helpful??
post #11 of 18
3/15/10 at 4:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by jessjgh1 View Post
perhaps more angry phone calls to the dph would be helpful??

Sounds like it.
post #12 of 18
3/15/10 at 6:30pm
Oh yeah, I posted to the mass midwives list regarding this, and we have a meeting on Wed so I will ask everyone to not only call them but to ask their clients to call too.

I am going to try to get through to someone who was involved in this policy to find out the story, if possible.

Report back if you've called or emailed, if you don't mind...I want to see what they are saying.
post #13 of 18
3/16/10 at 1:47pm
I plan on birthing at NWH this fall.

Can I have contact info about who to call and complain?

I wish I had seen this earlier. I had my midwife appointment with Valaree yesterday and would have enjoyed talking to her about it.

this totally sucks.
post #14 of 18
3/21/10 at 8:15pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mammo2Sammo View Post
I plan on birthing at NWH this fall.

Can I have contact info about who to call and complain?

I wish I had seen this earlier. I had my midwife appointment with Valaree yesterday and would have enjoyed talking to her about it.

this totally sucks.
I had my 36wk appt with Valaree on Friday and asked her about the tubs at NWH. She said that DPH has done an inspection there and, for whatever reason, they don't seem to have a problem with the NWH tubs... and that they (i.e., the midwives) aren't asking any questions!

So, it seems that, at least for now, they are still available for use.
post #15 of 18
3/22/10 at 1:58pm
I just got back from my appt with the midwives at MAH. She said the flurry of phone calls, emails, and letters to the DPH seems to have worked. They have their plugs back and the tubs are officially "okay" again.

The DPH decided they needed to investigate further before making such a decision. (Imagine that.)
post #16 of 18
3/23/10 at 2:42pm
Thread Starter 
DPH is meeting RIGHT NOW to discuss the issue.

Apparently all women currently in labor can use a tub with nurse supervision until the matter is decided.

Stay tuned...
post #17 of 18
3/26/10 at 11:50pm
Thread Starter 
Went to the OB on Thursday and all the plugs are indeed back in the tubs at MAH!!

She told me they would be there until at least July and the DPH perhaps takes another look at things.

I didn't get a return call from the woman that was running the meeting the other day, but I'll call next week to follow up.

My OB thinks that all the calls to DPH and MAH really helped out too :-)))

Yay us!
post #18 of 18
3/27/10 at 11:45am
Thanks- keep us posted. I'll be happy to call in July if need be.
Jessica