ER is ticking me off!

[MammaV]

I normally enjoy watching ER on Thursday evenings. A few things about the show have bothered me in the past and tonight's episode really got under my skin. They had a mom come into the ER who had a homebirth. This mom seemed uninformed and easily led. She had a hemmorage and her baby has a life-threatening disease. The mom said that she was born at home and wanted to birth at home because it seemed like a good idea. The show is inferring that people that homebirth are uninformed of the risks and birthing process and can potentially damage their children. The doctors come with medical interventions and save the day.
I'm still waiting to see if there's a scene where the mom regrets homebirth and resolved to having hospital births only. The show's not over yet, so maybe they'll surprise me and give some factual information about homebirth.

[sleepies]

i remember ER having a woman die

remember the one where the woman died in childbirth!
oh my god! i was soooooo scared (I was PG).

the doctor and hospital didn't do much for her!
in fact, they killed her!

that poor baby had to grow up with no mother, and that husband without a wife! it was horrid.

[mamarosa]

I just saw the homebirth one tonight, and was thinking as they took her and babe into seperate rooms and didn't answer any of her inquiries about babe, 'this is why I homebirth.' God, I just couldn't handle the lack of control. I know they 'need' mom to be calm and focused on herself, but when someone doesn't answer my questions, or treats me like that, I go into war mode.
It reminds me of a thing that happened recently: I was comming back from a rainbow gathering (big camp-out far in the mountains) with my very good friend, also a mother. We were comming down the dozenth steep logging road hill, and suddenly the brakes were stinking and smoking. I had never had this happen, but my friend had. I started to get a bit freaked, and said, I'm going to pull over. She didn't want the kids to wake up, so she was trying to convince me that no, no, it was fine, just drive slowly. The more she tried to calm me, the more I got freaked out. I finally ended up pulling over, yelling, 'I'm gonna get the kids out of the car! What if it's the engine!'
The whole time she just kept saying 'no, no, don't worry.' But never really explained what was happening.
It ended with me standing on the side of the road shreaking 'I'm getting my fucking kid out of this car right now.'
Needless to say, the kids woke up. Once my behaviour hit me in the head, I kind of cry/laughed. We hugged. And waited for 1/2 hour for the brakes to cool off. (luckily the kids were so stunned and sleapy, they didn't react to hard)
Moral: Don't try to appease me when I think my kid might be in danger. I'm a momma wolf! LOL
might not relate to ER, but....

[Ms. Mom]

Turned it off and went to bed as soon as the woman came in and I realized what the subject would be.

I have several medical problums and MUST have a hospital birth. But, if I was not in a risk factor for me or the baby - it would be home all the way!

A very good friend of mine had a home birth (almost 2 years ago) and hearing her tell the strory of the control she had and the experience brings tears to my eyes!

Child birth is not normally a medical condition - it's life!

[Nankay]

Did you all watch the same ER I did? They just mentioned homebirth in passing..sheesh. The baby's condition had nothing to do with homebirth no did they imply it. Actually I was pleasantly surprised that they didn't take the opportunity to slam homebirth. Whew!

[Arduinna]

I didn't think that show was inferring anything about hombirth. They could have made it much worse, had the baby die because of the hb. Instead all they dealt with was a retained placenta and a fatal birth defect.

[AdinaL]

Arduinna I agree -(now there is a surprise!heavy sarcasm) - I was pleased that there wasn't a rant about, "this is why midwives should be outlawed." or anything like that. They never berated her for her choice, never told her it was wrong. Never told her her baby wouldn't have died if she had it in a hospital. In fact other than the initial mention of the midwife and the fact that she was at home - it wasn't brought up again. The woman who homebirthed was a big ol idiot - and I know no one who has homebirthed that was that uninformed. And the midwife - have any of you ever seen a midwife who looked that put together and wore that much makeup? yipes!! But all in all - it didn't bother me. I think it was more of a vehicle to show Luca and Kerry's responses more than anything. I thought it was going to be bad and even groaned when it happened - but it turned out better than I thought it would.

[AmyB]

I saw that ER and it annoyed me too.

At one point the mom says "maybe I shouldn't have had the baby at home", but it turns out the child has an incurable disease that would have killed him even in the hospital. Then one dr. threatens to slice open the dying baby so that he will spend his short life on an operating table instead of his mother's arms.

It seemed to me that the episode realistically portrayed the arrogance of the drs who argued among themselves whether to treat the baby or let it die peacefully, but they never held that conversation with the baby's mom. Also it showed the total inappropriateness of a hospital setting for facing a situation that had gone beyond medical solutions. The way the mom was portrayed it seemed obvious that if she had known the baby could not be saved she would have preferred to let him die at home peacefully. Instead she was yanked into the nightmare of a hospital emergency room and tortured with machines and false hope until the baby died.

--AmyB

[Goosefeather]

I agree with everybody who didn't think that they slammed homebirthing at all...

Then one dr. threatens to slice open the dying baby so that he will spend his short life on an operating table instead of his mother's arms.

: I understood that as Luka trying to convince the mother to sign the DNR paper : not to operate...

[monpetitfils]

I think next week the story line will be about what Luka did... "persuaded" her to sign the papers and he will be in hot water with the hospital administration???? Did anyone else get that from the coming attractions?

[Jish]

I didn't see the previews, but jeez! What is up with Luka! I've always loved him but he's turning into a real A@@!!!

[LiamnEmma]

Adina, LOL about the makeup on the midwife, I thought the same thing!

[ekblad9]

I watched it too and while I'm normally offended by everything it didn't offend me at all. They really did just mention the homebirth in passing. I think the only reason they did it as a homebirth was so they could involve the ER. Had she delivered in the hospital the ER wouldn't have been involved at all.

Luka is a big jerk now. What's up with that? : I used to love him. No more!

[IfMamaAintHappy]

The only tidbit I have to add is that ER does (fictitiously) take place in Illinois, where it is illegal to have a midwife assisted homebirth. My friends there tell me that Chicago has a thriving homebirth community, and that OBs will deliver at home. My friends in my hometown, which is nowhere near Chicago, must do unassisted homebirth if they want to birth at home.

I know many of you are infinitely more informed about which states have which guidelines for homebirth and midwives, so feel free to gently correct me, I just noticed that no one mentioned this aspect. If ER took place in a state where it was not illegal (ther are 7 states where it is, right?) perhaps it would not have been so blatantly pointed out. But it is the media, so maybe it would have given the "doctors are our saviours" vibe either way.

[Arduinna]

Oh yeah, we had a hated discussion a few months ago regarding the Mothering article about the homebirth docs. And HB in general in IL.

Regarding Luka, I think he not getting in trouble regarding the DNR, I think he is getting charged with sexual harrassment?? Could be wrong though. They spent alot of time setting it up in the last two episodes.

[kama'aina mama]

The first parts of this story line did bother me some. As the mom, babe and midwife are emerging from the ambulance the MW is saying "He was fine at first, his 1 minute APGAR was 7..." and the doc (I think it was Susan Lewis) says "Who the hell is this?". Someone (either the MW or the EMT) says she is the MW and the doc just walks quickly away without even listening to a word.

I also had the impression that they came in because of the baby, not mom's retained placenta. I definetly got the impression that the MW overlooked the retained placenta. I think I taped it, I will try to look again.

I agree that they wanted a newborn in so the two docs could do the DNR tango and this is a way to land a babe in the ER they haven't done yet. And Luka is still my boyfriend, so you all talk nice!

[kama'aina mama]

okay... It wasn't Dr Lewis it was Dr Weaver. She didn't say hell but she did use her patented tone of utter disdain. They came in for infant hypoxia. Mom was on a gurney, but that seemed to do more with EMT rules than anything. No one said anything about a retained placenta until the ER docs examined her. I find that a slap at home midwives as that is a pretty basic thing... and they weren't just talking about a small piece, the cord was still attached (and Kerry was tugging on it!)so I am assuming she hadn't even begun to pass the placenta. There is really no indication of how long after birth it is when they come in.

I would have been happier if there would have been a specific discussion of him having a birth defect that was virtually (totally?) undetectable prenatally and that being born in the hospital would have made very little difference. I think that someone watching casually could easily have gotten the impression that this was a complication of homebirth.

Also,
Rocket and Lizzie, sitting in a tree
K-I-S-S-I-N-G!

[Nankay]

In regards to Rocket and Lizzie>>>EEEEWWWWWWWWWW!!!!

That one armed freak better not lay a hand (literally) on Lizzie.
AND: Uh-uh...That Croation hottie is MY man..

[joesmom]

ok, i find the one armed freak strangely attractive, i dunno why! i thought the episode was pretty good, moderately condescending but not as bad as it coulda been.

[Goosefeather]

I think Romano (as I prefer to call him) will grow some compassion...good thing for everybody to have, IMHO