Are OBs not taught to palpate?

[holly6737]

I just attended a hospital birth where the mother's water broke at 35 weeks. The OB was clueless on how to tell if the baby was head down without an ultrasound. The mother only spoke spanish, so she spent 15 minutes trying to figure out the words to ask if at the last ultrasound the baby was head down. Then they had to go out and get an ultrasound machine to check. Why didn't she just palpate her uterus? My midwife could always find the baby's head in my pelvis within a couple of minutes. Is this not something they are taught in medical school? It seems like it would be so useful.

[Ackray]

The OB's that I work with can palpate the baby's position. But we have had to have U/S come up to L&D a few times to make sure of the presenting part. Not every woman is the same and in some women it is harder to figure out the position of the baby than in others.

[AlpineMama]

I saw an OB once who palpitated the baby's head very quickly. But he was less... medicinally inclined than most OB's I've met. He's the only OB I'm willing to see in the joint OB-midwife practice I go to. The rest of them irritate me, but he is really quite effective and reassuring. I'm surprised I'm even willing to consider him despite the fact that he's male.

[cottonwood]

Just fyi to palpitate is to pulsate or tremble, to palpate is to touch or feel.

[doctorjen]

Linda, I was just going to post the same thing! The old English major in me just can't let them go by sometimes . . .

Most OBs would have learned Leopold's maneuvers (to palpate position) in school and residency, but not everyone becomes proficient, especially if there is the easy out of ultrasound around every corner. Also, even the best of us make mistakes sometimes. I bet every birth attendant on this board has some story of missing a breech or similar if they've practiced very long.

[holly6737]

Sorry for the misspelling!

Thanks for the replies. I guess it was maybe just this resident or this woman.

[Rockies5]

Originally Posted by fourlittlebirds

Just fyi to palpitate is to pulsate or tremble, to palpate is to touch or feel.

learn something new every day

[Momma Aimee]

not a birth professional, but i think it is going to go by the OB

i birthed the first time with a cnm who used as many US as any OB .. though she too felt the baby.

I am birthing this time with an OB who starting at week 32 has been feeling the baby's position... we've had 2 US since then-- due to gorwth -- and he alwsys grinns when he was right about the head, the spine, and all that ... kinda cute actually. i think he gets a kick out of doing it.

he is old school -- very natrual birth minded, as was his dad also an OB .. so maybe it a differnce in the natraul vs not natural minded? or maybe he picked it up from his dad more than med school? or maybe it is differnt med schools?

AImee

[onlyboys]

IME, OBs I've encountered here just don't do leopolds at all. I find it strange since the MWs do it at every appt (in later pregnancy).

A doula client wanted to know where her baby was, how she was laying, etc. He did a VAGINAL EXAM and told her the baby was head down. :

[SublimeBirthGirl]

Originally Posted by onlyboys

A doula client wanted to know where her baby was, how she was laying, etc. He did a VAGINAL EXAM and told her the baby was head down. :

I'm always suspicious that they're pervs when they do stuff like that.