rant

[Honey693]

I post on a few other boards, all of which area pretty mainstream. One mom was lamenting on how she wished she could be with her baby right after birth. At the hospital she's birthing at they take the baby, weigh, bathe, feed (even if you're breastfeeding she said they still give formula in the nursery), and won't let dad or anyone come with. I told her you don't have to do everything they say, even if it's hospital policy and you can refuse any treatment you want, plus (but I wasn't sure on this and said so) they cannot forcibly separate DH and the baby if things are ok. She replied that it's hospital policy so she HAD to, she has no choice and then continued to talk about how much it sucks. Why do people some people choose to not educate themselves on their rights as a patient? This just sounds like the most horrible thing ever and she just plans to go with it. Things like this frustrate me and I never know what to say to people to help them educate themselves. Is there anything you can do or are some people just determined that doctors always know best, even if they hate it?

[nashvillemidwife]

I've waited a lifetime for this baby. There is no way in hell I am going to ask a stranger's permission to hold her when she's finally here, and if I end up having to birth in the hospital I will say it in exactly those terms.

[avivaelona]

Remember what she responds to you on the board, maybe defensive about her choices, and what she takes in and eventually acts on might be slightly different things. I'd go ahead and tell her that no matter what the policy its her baby and she can refuse Perhaps she does just want to be a good patient and feel cared for rather than possibly being bullied and having to assert herself, but when the time comes and the baby is truly there she might remember what you said and tell them no.

[Honey693]

Originally Posted by avivaelona

when the time comes and the baby is truly there she might remember what you said and tell them no.

I hope so. It just makes me incredibly sad to hear these ppl talk about how they have to do things X way, even if they don't want to.

[Materfamilias]

Tell her to come over to MDC. It'll open her mind
It sure did mine!!!!