Rejecting standard procedures--for those who hospital birth

[augustmom]

This will be my 3rd child birthed in the hospital. 

Do you reject the standard procedures like antibiotic cream, vitamin K, hepatitis shots?

I did with my second, and I'd like to with my third.

What are your thoughts about these SPs?

[Jaimee]

I haven't had hospital births, but I do reject all these things and would even if I did plan on birthing in a hospital.  My thought process is this:

*Vitamin K is for blood clotting... do you plan on circumcising within a week of the birth?  If so, yes get this, if not then no worries.  It is highly unlikely your baby will be injured badly enough within that first week to necessitate clotting help.

*Antibiotic eye ointment: do you have any STD's?  That's what this is for.

*Hep B shot: this is no longer standard in all places largely b/c it makes zero sense.  Hep B is a STD.  It's also a risk if baby needs a blood transfusion.  It is highly unlikely either of these things will be affecting your baby at birth.  If you choose to vax you can always get the series later on.  Otherwise, I personally decline it all together.

If you declined them with your last baby, what has changed your mind about considering them with this baby?

[augustmom]

I'm rejecting all for this baby, too. Just want to hear others thoughts on these procedures/practices. 

I have to get another c-section, because I can't go for a v-bac, so the antibiotic ointment is def. a NO. The others are a NO, too. 

[Abraisme]

This is pretty much me too.  My exceptions are that my children need to have their tongues clipped within a few days of birth (so far they've both been tongue tied).  Most pediatricians won't do it unless you've had some sort of vitamin-k.  I opted to do the oral version with my DD as I feel it's less invasive.   I also do the PKU test, as it only requires a few drops of blood and it could potentially save a life.

Originally Posted by Jaimee 

I haven't had hospital births, but I do reject all these things and would even if I did plan on birthing in a hospital.  My thought process is this:

*Vitamin K is for blood clotting... do you plan on circumcising within a week of the birth?  If so, yes get this, if not then no worries.  It is highly unlikely your baby will be injured badly enough within that first week to necessitate clotting help.

*Antibiotic eye ointment: do you have any STD's?  That's what this is for.

*Hep B shot: this is no longer standard in all places largely b/c it makes zero sense.  Hep B is a STD.  It's also a risk if baby needs a blood transfusion.  It is highly unlikely either of these things will be affecting your baby at birth.  If you choose to vax you can always get the series later on.  Otherwise, I personally decline it all together.

If you declined them with your last baby, what has changed your mind about considering them with this baby?

[dashley111]

I don't do the hep shots or eye ointment, but I do opt for vitamin K.  Just a personal choice.  I don't live my life by "what-if's" but on the of chance something went wrong an my child needed something done I would hate for them to not have had it- its just one I feel is worth it. 

[IwannaBanRN]

With my daughter, I rejected the eye ointment. Since they mostly put it in there because of STD's and I knew I didn't have any and didn't have a yeast infection, so I told them no ointment. They almost put it in her eyes when they were doing her apgar. Pissed me off. And then her old pediatrician chastized me for not doing the ointment. Bleh.

[IwannaBanRN]

Originally Posted by Abraisme 

This is pretty much me too.  My exceptions are that my children need to have their tongues clipped within a few days of birth (so far they've both been tongue tied).  Most pediatricians won't do it unless you've had some sort of vitamin-k.  I opted to do the oral version with my DD as I feel it's less invasive.   I also do the PKU test, as it only requires a few drops of blood and it could potentially save a life.

Tongues clipped? *gulp*
 

[Jaimee]

Originally Posted by IwannaBanRN 

Tongues clipped? *gulp*
 

I let Abra fill you in on the exact procedure, but if a baby has a tight frenulum (referred to as tongue tied) it can prevent a good latch and really get in the way of breastfeeding.  Abra, does it bleed a lot?  I thought I heard it was relatively quick and painless.
 

[Abraisme]

Yes, it's basically a thin piece of skin under the tongue that "ties" the tongue into the mouth.  It is a minor procedure and it doesn't bleed for more than a minute or two.  It's one of those things that I think is totally worth the small amount of pain that it causes.

Both of my children could not stick out their tongues past their lower gums.  It can prevent a baby from getting a proper latch and lead to breastfeeding issues.  In my case, my nipples were torn apart and breastfeeding was excruciating for the first 6 weeks.  With my DS I waited until he was 2 weeks old to have his tongue clipped, by then the damage was done and it took a long time to heal.  With my DD I had hers done at 3 days old and my breastfeed experience was so much better! 
 

Originally Posted by Jaimee 

I let Abra fill you in on the exact procedure, but if a baby has a tight frenulum (referred to as tongue tied) it can prevent a good latch and really get in the way of breastfeeding.  Abra, does it bleed a lot?  I thought I heard it was relatively quick and painless.
 

[mamabelle]

We're doing a homebirth this time and will not do eye ointment, vitamin K, or hepatitus B shot.  I will do the PKU test though.  Last time was a wonderful hospital birth and nobody hassled us about skipping eye ointment or hep b shot.  We did the vitamin K because it was a long enough drive from the hospital and I couldn't handle the "what if."  This time with the home birth though I feel safe skipping the vitamin K too. 

[IwannaBanRN]

I never knew that. That's nuts.

[KayPea]

We had a homebirth transfer in the hospital, and chose to have the VitK and PKU, but forgo the eye ointment. I don't think they do Hep B at birth in Canada, but if they do, I didn't get it, and wouldn't have. 

[MrsKatie]

Originally Posted by Jaimee 

*Vitamin K is for blood clotting... do you plan on circumcising within a week of the birth?  If so, yes get this, if not then no worries.  It is highly unlikely your baby will be injured badly enough within that first week to necessitate clotting help.

Vitamin K IS for blood clotting -- but it's given at birth to prevent bleeding in the brain... it's not for external bleeding.  My midwife says she suggests it after a very long or rough labor and many hours of pushing.

I am an Early Intervention Specialist, and I worked with a child who did not have a vitamin K shot and who DID have bleeding in the brain.  He is one of the most profoundly physically and mentally retarded children I have ever met.  If a Vitamin K shot is recommended by my midwife -- and yes, every situation is different -- I'll do it.  But I'm not planning on it.  My mom's labors were all quick and easy, and I'm hoping mine will be, too!

[octanebeetle27]

We have declined everything but the PKU with our last 3 babies. We always wait to decide on Vit K depending on how birth goes. Our pediatrician told us that at his office they don't even count that first Hep B shot as part of the vax routine. Not sure if it's that way everywhere and we don't do Hep B anyway, but I thought that was interesting.

[justamama]

There is a chance we'll be hospital birthing. In a city we've never lived in before. I will be calling hospitals sometime this week to get information, as well as the midwife group associated with one of the hospitals about their policies with patients who decline procedures, etc.

ETA: I'll be decline continuous monitoring, an IV (may be open to a heplock), food/drink restrictions (I never usually eat during labor, but want to maintain the option), vaginal exams except upon admission, eye goop, hep b vaccination, circumcision if its a boy, pretty much EVERYTHING but a PKU test. I am seriously going to be a major PITA for a hospital patient. I basically want my UC in the hospital. And if that means I lock myself in the bathroom and refuse admission to anybody else, so be it.

[Alenushka]

We did vit K. To me benefits otweight the risks. I do not care about oitment and I said "yes". I get why the hospital protocol is there. Many people think they do not have STDs, but they do and risk of oitment is very low.  We asked for Hep B at 6 month rather than at birth. No one had any issues with that request.

[Dov'sMom]

We do PKU but none of the others, though I think about Vit K again every time (the other two are no-brainers)

My pediatrician used to be a pediatric hematologist, and while she wouldn't counsel me NOT to give it, she also had no qualms at all about my skipping it -- she said certain ethnic groups had much higher risks of vit K problems and most of the rest were due to very inadequate prenatal diets and/or mothers who were on certain medications, like anti-seizure meds, which apparently greatly deplete or prevent the absorption of vitamin K. Spontaneous newborn bleeding in a baby whose mother did not fall into any of those categories was extremely rare.

Personally, I watched all three of my kids get the PKU done and they had to prick each one multiple times and do much massaging to get even the droplet of blood they needed. Seemed to me there was no clotting problem! (Though I'm aware that's probably more due to circulation issues.)

[Apmama210]

We'll do the PKU and my midwife will have vitamin K just in case of a lot of facial/head bruising and or if there is a vacuum assist.. Our last had the vitamin K only because when his heart dropped below mine they used a vacuum on my second push and he had some cupping and bruising from it. If there is no need for it my midwife brings a vitamin K tincture that I take for a few days.

We'll also do a hearing screen.

[Jaimee]

Originally Posted by MrsKatie 
Vitamin K IS for blood clotting -- but it's given at birth to prevent bleeding in the brain... it's not for external bleeding.  My midwife says she suggests it after a very long or rough labor and many hours of pushing.

I am an Early Intervention Specialist, and I worked with a child who did not have a vitamin K shot and who DID have bleeding in the brain.  He is one of the most profoundly physically and mentally retarded children I have ever met.  If a Vitamin K shot is recommended by my midwife -- and yes, every situation is different -- I'll do it.  But I'm not planning on it.  My mom's labors were all quick and easy, and I'm hoping mine will be, too!

Thanks for posting this MrsKatie as I had not really heard about brain bleeds and the role vitamin K would play in this situation.  Can you provide more information?  Like statistics or a study?  I'm curious to learn more! 

Originally Posted by Alenushka 

I get why the hospital protocol is there. Many people think they do not have STDs, but they do and risk of oitment is very low. 

Sure, this makes sense for some and I know that the prenatal screening can have false negatives.  But many of us know for certain that we do not have gonorrhea or chlamydia.  Other types of "ordinary bacteria" in the vaginal canal that can cause eye infections are not serious and can usually be cleared up easily with a little breast milk in the eye instead of with irritating silver nitrate or antibiotics.  We consented to "the goop" with our first b/c I hadn't done a ton  of research and I think that dd had a very hard time seeing through it.  IMO, those first moments of quiet alert are so important for bonding and since I know I don't carry STD's I feel confident declining it.
 

[MrsKatie]

Originally Posted by Jaimee 

Thanks for posting this MrsKatie as I had not really heard about brain bleeds and the role vitamin K would play in this situation.  Can you provide more information?  Like statistics or a study?  I'm curious to learn more! 

Sure!

http://drbenkim.com/vitamin-K-shot-baby.html

http://thebabybond.com/VitaminKinjectORnot.html

http://www.vaccineriskawareness.com/Vitamin-K-Does-Your-Baby-Really-Need-It-

It's a tough and very controversial issue, and my opinion is obviously tainted by my experience with that one child... but it's likely that I'll forgo the Vitamin K shot, as the risks seem scary, and the benefits so rare.  But again, I'm not totally sure, just because of that one little boy I knew who had such a devastating outcome that could have been avoided with a Vitamin K shot.