Dr. Phil doing a show on birth options

[pinecone]

Found this on another forum that I visit. Thought I would share.

http://www.drphil.com/plugger/respond/?plugID=12471_

[AngelBee]

Just sent this:

Hello Dr Phil.

This is a subject VERY close to my heart! I am a blessed mother to four children. There births were aldifferent and have sent me on a passionate journey of empowerment.

My son, Dominick 8, was born with an OB in the hospital. I was induced 5 days "overdue" at my request. I had no clue that there was any risk involved in such interventions. I had my waters ruptured around 8-9pm. I had pit to increase contractions. I told the nurse that I thought I needed to push around 230 am and was instead offered sleeping pills. She said it was my first and I would be there quite a while. All of the sudden, I started blowing up like a balloon. They believed it was Preclampsia.

Suddenly, the nurse was kicking people out and turning the lights off. Everything was a whirlwind. My OB came in and decided to try and deliver this baby because my body had been ready (since 230am ) I gave birth at 630am after also being cut and teari g due to the hurrying to deliver me.

In 2002, I gave birth to my daughter Abigail 6. I used the same OB and hospital. Same events occurred. Induced 5 days "over". Given pit. Received an epidural....only this time they gave me TOO much. I laid there unable to move. I was having great difficulty breathingand my eyes were rolling into the back of my head. I knew if I did not push this baby out, something bad was going to happen. OB used a suction machine and got her out. She was healthy and by the grace of God...so was I. No one admitted that their was a major problem. I even questioned the medication, but no one said anything. The person who administered the epi kept checking in on me. We are talking 10-15 times during my 48 hour stay. I was encouraged to take tylonal and drink coffee to ward of th headaches I was having asa a result of the medication.

In 2004 I became pregnant with my son, Angelo now 3. I was having financial issues being self employed and having no health insurance. I ended up at Seton Center, a Catholic Charity Program for low income/uninsured mothers that offers midwife care and hospital birth at a very low cost. I explained my past 2 birth experiences to the midwife and stated taht I was comfortable with any interventions that they thoughts were necessary. To my surprise, the midwife FREAKED out on me! LOL She said you almost died TWICE due to interventions. Why would you volunteer to do that all again???

That question changed my entire life! That day I went home and started researching. I read studies, birth stories, manuals, books......anything I could get my hands on! I vowed NOT to go the route that I had. i had always looked at doctors like God. I took them for their word and NEVER questioned their opinion. Not anymore. I decided that this birth would be different.

I gave birth to Angelo 3 days befoer his due date. The birth was with a midwife in a differnt hospital and it was AMAZING! There were no interventions. As a result, there were no complications. I felt so good afterwards, my husband said to me "Wow, we could have done that at home!"

And in 2006, that is exactly what we did. Our beautiful daughter, Mylee was born in our home on Nov 21, 2006 at 415am. She was 3 1/2 weeks late! She entered the world surrounded by her siblings, grandma, aunt, uncle, grandpa, other family, and friends. Thirteen people were present for this remarkable event! We had a wonderful lay midwife and a doula that needed to attend a birth for certification. I actually was prepared to have an unassisted birth, but my husband felt more secure at this point having a midwife there. It was a beautiful and life changing experience for everyone there.

Words can not describe how gratefu lI am to the women and men who dedicate their lives to safer and healthier birth options. Educating and empowering women to make the choices that are right for them and their babies.

For me, it is not about where you birth. It is about having an EMPOWERED birth whereever you do choose to birth. Education is the key to that empowerment. So is having legislation that supports and empowers women to make that choice.

I would love to be contacted if you have any questions or would like my input. Thank you so much for considering this topic for your show.

Sincerly,
Angela

[ShwarmaQueen]

I posted!!!

I had my first daughter at a very "good" hospital with every intervention imaginable. I ended up in a c/s due to various "medical" reasons, and later felt like I should have had a vaginal delivery and that my hospital environment was what pushed me to the c/s. I'm not pregnant again yet (my daughter is 3 1/2) but next time I'm determined to get as far away from interventions as possible and have a home birth. I understand the dangers of this, but I also have to balance the dangers of putting myself at greater risk due to a forced repeat C/S. Evidence supports that VBAC's are safer, yet our current medical environment is pushing women, like myself, to birth at home due to the desire to have the healthiest birth outcome.

[Belle]

nak
There was a thread on this last night that I resonded to. I can't seem to find it today. I sent in my aplication to be on the show.

[UCmamaToMany]

I sent mine in too. I didn't save what I wrote though.

[La Limena]

Here is what I sent in...

I have strong opinions favoring homebirth for low-risk women. I am a physician, a board certified ophthalmologist and I had a traditional hospital birth with an OB/GYN with my first birth. I had some interventions (AROM, epidural) and the usual monitoring and was able to have a vaginal delivery. I sought a different experience for my second pregnancy and after determining that I could not make satisfactory birthing arrangements in a hospital setting with an OB/GYN, I began to look for alternative birthing options. With only one non-hospital birthing center available in my geographic area, I felt my best birthing experience could only take place in the comfort of my own home. As I am a physician and value quality medical care, I enlisted the services of a licensed midwife (who incidentally is also a non-practicing physician). She attended my birth at home, a waterbirth, and the experience was incomparably wonderful and empowering on so many levels. Should I ever find myself pregnant again in the future, I would choose to birth at home again without hesitation and I fully encourage pregnant mothers to educate themselves about their birthing options and consider homebirth.

[ShwarmaQueen]

La Limena...I think If they're going to pick anyone of us they'd pick you for sure...a physician must certainly stand out!!!

[CanidFL]

That makes me nervous. Do you think it will be a fair comparison or the homebirthers will be made out to be crazy hippy child abusers who can't get a word in to defend themselves?

I am always so skeptical of these things....

[ShwarmaQueen]

Well, if it were the Tyra Banks show, perhaps. But I hope Dr. Phil (from rural OK) will show homebirth in a favorable (Ok, atleast FAIR) light.

[Jojo F.]

Originally Posted by CanidFL

That makes me nervous. Do you think it will be a fair comparison or the homebirthers will be made out to be crazy hippy child abusers who can't get a word in to defend themselves?

I am always so skeptical of these things....

That's what I'm thinking. With television they can take snipits of what you say or do and make it look like something it isn't.

They are presenting this issue as a "fair and balanced" discussion BUT I am almost certain it will not be.

[ShwarmaQueen]

When will the show be on?

[lotus.blossom]

I posted!


I had my son by c-section 2 years ago. It was the very LAST thing I expected. I am very pro natural birth. I read everything I could get my hands on about. I chose a midwife and a birth center rather than an OB & L&D. The course of events that took place contributed to my need for surgery. Even though the birth center promoted itself as natural minded, I was still dissapointed in the level of intervention that was offered. My baby was posterior and they broke my water, sealing him in that position. They did not allow me to rest and let my labor progress naturally. They ultimately suggested the transfer and eventual c-section due to decels in my sons heartrate. While I am grateful that my son is here and healthy I feel that for my next baby I will be choosing a homebirth. Partly for the level of care and support a midwife provides, and partly because my local hospital has banned VBAC's. I know that I can labor more effectively at home without interventions and that birthing a baby is a lot less complicated when you take the "doctor" out of the equasion. The WOMAN is giving birth and is made to give birth. A doctor is meant to help sick people. If my next pregnancy is not considered high risk then I see no reason to see a doctor.

sincerely,
April

[2+twins]

Originally Posted by CanidFL

That makes me nervous. Do you think it will be a fair comparison or the homebirthers will be made out to be crazy hippy child abusers who can't get a word in to defend themselves?

I am always so skeptical of these things....

It would be SO great to see this topic on Oprah, but I don't trust Dr. Phil. I remember reading a thread here on MDC awhile back about how he setup his homeschool/unschooler guests leading them to think they'd be having an honest discussion about their choices but instead he basically ambushed them. It's easy through editing to make people out to be nut-jobs. One might wonder if ACOG is behind this....

[Collinsky]

Originally Posted by 2+twins

It would be SO great to see this topic on Oprah, but I don't trust Dr. Phil. I remember reading a thread here on MDC awhile back about how he setup his homeschool/unschooler guests leading them to think they'd be having an honest discussion about their choices but instead he basically ambushed them. It's easy through editing to make people out to be nut-jobs. One might wonder if ACOG is behind this....

I believe he did the same with the woman who was "extended" breastfeeding, and of the week of continual footage they had of her interacting with her children, they actually aired shots of her toddler/preschooler whining and fussing to nurse. They really try to paint a picture.

Dr Phil is going to do what he needs to do to get his point across (whatever that may be) and get the ratings. Homebirth may or may not be something he *already* agrees with, but he is NOT doing this show to open his mind or learn anything he doesn't think he already knows. That's not to say I don't sometimes enjoy his show or think he's occasionally very right - but he uses editing very carefully to get HIS point across. Which is his job, I guess.

[Arwyn]

Closed for review.