Midwives, students this is not my thing - Page 2

[Malga]

but to me, the evidence is clear and compelling that healthy moms and babies are better served in an out of hospital setting.

I work in a labor and birth dept right now (I'm a new nurse, started in June, working my way to a nurse-midwifery degree). I agree with all the previous posts. People just have no idea what they are getting themselves in to.

I get people occassionally that want an all natural birth, unmedicated, yet they are at the hospital for an elective induction :. Highly unlikely to be successful! I wonder if the OBs ever explain that when your induced you have to be on the monitor, the contractions are going to be extra painful, etc. Its just crazy!

Or I get people that want to try having the baby without an epidural, but they are open to drugs if needed (well, in the hospital without support, they are always "needed" at some point).

In some ways, its easier for me emotionally to attend planned inductions or planned medicated births. Its not that I like them better, its just that when the mother doesn't expect a non-medicalized birth, she's not *as likely* (doesn't mean it won't happen) to be setting herself up for possible emotional trauma

I do feel like this sometimes too. But, it is really exciting to me when I very rarely get a mom dedicated to a natural birth and I can help her acheive that.

[PapayaVagina]

I'm going through a similar struggle right now. I am totally, totally spoiled by homebirths. After having dd I have started teaching some childbirth prep classes at a local hospital. Though I was told that I have no limits, I still feel this unspoken thing (maybe it's just me). I do my best to teach about options and patient right's, but really it's not like I can argue constantly about how what they're doing there is not research based and is unsafe.

It KILLS me to teach a class knowing that I am leading lambs to the slaughter and probably nearly half of each class is going to end in an unecessary cesarean.

I'm a total optimistic (off and on) though and keep thinking that maybe I'll say something and some couple will pick up on it and realize that there is something better out there, but most of them are too busy just trying to stay awake to really listen to me though *sigh*. I feel like I am a part of the lie and am contributing to the hospital's BS.

[Malga]

papaya vagine~ I'm sure your class is wonderful and at least providing some thought-provoking. I sat in on the class taught at my work and it was awful! It was the old-school lamaze "he he hoo" stuff! Not helpful.