A sign posted at the Aspen OB/GYN Women’s Center in Provo, Utah has many women up in arms. What’s so offensive? Read for yourself.
The sign reads as follows:
Because the Physicians at Aspen Women’s Center care about the quality of their patient’s deliveries and are very concerned about the welfare and health of your unborn child, we will not participate in a “Birth Contract”, a Doulah Assisted, or a Bradley Method delivery. For those patients who are interested in such methods, please notify the nurse so we may arrange transfer of your care.
I first learned of this sign from Naomi, the Denver Doula, who posted it on Facebook. Being a doula (which is misspelled on the sign) herself, she took a particular interest in it. When she called the Center and inquired with the receptionist as to why the sign was posted she was told, “in case there is an emergency we don’t want anyone to get in the way of the doctor doing what he has to do.”
Annie from PhD in Parenting was inspired by the sign to write How Not To Have a Natural Birth and believes the center might as well have said:
Because Physicians at Aspen Women’s Center care only about doing things their own way and making as much money as possible from unnecessary birth interventions, even if it poses greater risks to the welfare and health your baby, we will not participate in a “Birth Contract”, a doula-assisted, or a Bradley Method delivery. For all patients who have done any research into having the safest birth possible, please notify the nurse so that we can transfer you to a facility that cares less about control and money.
Annie added, “I guess we can at least credit them with warning women in advance. Many hospitals with the same attitude don’t have a sign hanging out front.”
Amber responded, “I always thought the big ‘trust birth’ poster in my midwives office was a little cheesy. Now that I’ve seen the alternative, I think it’s truly marvelous. Really.”
Miriam Zoila Pérez of Radical Doula wrote a post called Signs You Don’t Want to See at Your OB-GYN’s Office. She believes the sign could be translated to say:
We don’t care at all what you want as a parent, or a person in labor. We want a patient who will sit quiet and do what we say–no matter what. Oh and if you have a partner you want involved, tough. Your desires don’t matter.
Miriam adds, “They should change the name of the center to the ‘Unborn Children Center’ since they don’t seem to care too much about the women involved.”
A commenter named Janna responded saying, “That’s what bothered me most about this hateful little sign–not once is the “welfare and health” of the MOTHER mentioned, just the “welfare and health” of the “unborn child” and the “quality” of the “deliveries.” Who would want to give birth in a place where they’re the lowest priority on their caregiver’s list? I hope women in this area have other options and the opportunity to have safe, healthy, supportive births.”
Does no doula, Bradley Method birth or birth “contract” equal no women’s rights?
Summer who writes at Wired for Noise says signs like this one and stories like the lack of choice with regard to our reproductive health and doctors’ personal “birth plans” make her sometimes think Doctors Hate Women.
What does it say when women have to escape, have to run away in order to do something as normal as give birth? What does it say when women are treated like children, talked down to, insulted, lied to, and handed letters telling them what the god-head doctor will allow or not allow. When all you want to do is give birth and you’re doctor is more concerned with telling you to sit down and shut up, what is that if not hatred?
I have to agree with Annie that at least some doctors are upfront with what they will and won’t “allow” as part of their practice. Kudos to them for being honest. Hopefully that will allow women to look for another care provider while she’s still early in her pregnancy.
Rest assured if the OB/GYN I had at my daughter’s birth would have given me a piece of paper with her “rules” or had a sign posted like that at the Aspen Women’s Clinic, I would have found another care provider pronto. Instead, however, she paid me lip service and acted like she cared about my birth plan (though she didn’t act very well and that should have been a big clue for me) and said we could “try” Hypnobirthing, etc. However, when push came to shove (no pun intended), it was her way or the highway. I had my healthy baby girl at the end of it and for that I am truly thankful, but I also got a lot more than I bargained for (and not in a good way). Then again it was that experience lead me to pursue a home birth for my second child and become a home birth advocate.
Although I admire the Aspen Women’s Center’s honesty, I find it truly offensive that they imply that if a woman wants a doula, natural birth, or has a birth plan, she is not concerned with the welfare and health of her baby (so much more personal than “unborn child” don’t you think?) or is even putting her baby’s life at risk. Studies have shown that when doulas attend birth, labors are shorter with fewer complications, babies are healthier and they breastfeed more easily. And how exactly is choosing a Bradley birth not good for the health or welfare of the baby? “Bradley® classes teach families how to have natural births. The techniques are simple and effective. They are based on information about how the human body works during labor. Couples are taught how they can work with their bodies to reduce pain and make their labors more efficient.” What about a birth plan or “contract?” Is that harmful to the “unborn child?” The American Pregnancy Association suggests, “Creating a birth plan can help you have a more positive birth experience.”
There are other things I find offensive as well, like Janna mentioned above, the mother does not seem to be included in the equation at all. Is there any concern for her “welfare and health?”
Who’s time money welfare are they really concerned with? I’ll let you draw your own conclusions. I’ve obviously already drawn mine.
Cross-posted on BlogHer.
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Natalie Christie says:
Thank you for sharing this - how ridiculous to elevate the case for “intervention” to such a laughable degree…
I was fortunate enough to have my first daughter in a huge pool in a Midwife-led Birthing Center in Wales, UK, where there was not a doctor in sight. My second was a home birth which was everything I hoped it would be - except I had a massive haemorrhage afterwards that left me 2 litres of blood lighter and stuck me in hospital for two days. But despite this horribleness I would do it all again if I could. Now 8 months pregnant with number 3 - but living back here in Australia where the option to home birth is virtually non-existent. Immensely frustrating…but hospital it must be and what good is it to get myself wound up?
October 30th, 2009 at 7:00 am
kia says:
This is pretty hilarious. I have had four nieces born in that town and my sister had them as conventional as possible. It is like a baby factory out in that part of the state. The part that is hilarious to me is that DONA is doing FOUR doula workshops in SLC in the next year, so somebody must be having birth plans they want to follow away from this facility.
October 30th, 2009 at 7:38 am
suzannah says:
simply outrageous. and offensive. i just delivered my second last week and was thankful to have a midwife who cared about our birth plan. and the bradley method just plain makes sense (and makes possible!) a natural birth. i can attest to that. i had a doula the first time around, and i wish every laboring woman would–they are the best!
October 30th, 2009 at 8:32 am
Rachel says:
…wow. Just wow. Even Bradley method??? Somebody has a HUGE ego over there.
October 30th, 2009 at 8:46 am
Naomi the Denver Doula says:
Wow - this is great! Well written and expresses many excellent points. I think what grieves me the most is that the women who don’t know there is a problem with this sign miss out on things they will never even realize - and this is tragic to me.
Naomi
October 30th, 2009 at 8:51 am
Casey says:
Hmmm I think this might call for a discussion on evidence based medicine. Don’t doulas reduce a mother’s labor time? For doctors who are interested at all in their own time, a doula would seem like a good choice.
October 30th, 2009 at 8:55 am
Twitter Trackbacks for Birth plan? Doula? Natural birth? Not here you don’t. | Crunchy Domestic Goddess [crunchydomesticgoddess.com] on Topsy.com says:
[...] Birth plan? Doula? Natural birth? Not here you don’t. | Crunchy Domestic Goddess crunchydomesticgoddess.com/2009/10/30/birth-plan-doula-natural-birth-not-here-you-dont – view page – cached My name is Amy Gates. A mama of two living in Colorado, I’m passionate about home birth, natural family living, urban home- steading and other “crunchy” things. I’m trying to change the world, one… (Read more)My name is Amy Gates. A mama of two living in Colorado, I’m passionate about home birth, natural family living, urban home- steading and other “crunchy” things. I’m trying to change the world, one blog post at a time. More about me. (Read less) — From the page [...]
October 30th, 2009 at 9:05 am
Nancy says:
The only thing I found disturbing through the whole posting on facebook and throughout the internet was the harassment to the doctors office.
I had a micro preemie and my doctor didn’t listen to me at all. Because of her and her office I had a baby at 25 weeks. If I didn’t like her practices to start I would have been happy to have her help me find other care.
If I was a women in that clinic and people NOT patients were calling and calling to ask about their c section rate, or their sign and I couldn’t get through I would be LIVID because it could jeopardize mybirth and my child from people who seem to care a lot about a good birth experience.
October 30th, 2009 at 9:13 am
Christina says:
I wish I could say this shocked me, but it seems to be the way many doctors are choosing to handle the push for women to have some control over how they want to give birth.
I am thankful that I had an excellent OB who worked with me to ensure a successful VBAC. I had a doula, I had a birth plan that my OB and I went over together and she signed off on (and then faxed a copy to the nurse manager at the hospital so they were aware), and I had a nurse who was happy to accommodate my wishes. In the end, I had nearly the perfect birth experience.
I’m now an L&D nurse, and while the hospital I work at doesn’t allow VBACs, many of the doctors there try to accommodate patient wishes. (Some more than others, of course.)
October 30th, 2009 at 9:15 am
Amber says:
Hear hear, Amy!
The implication that a mother’s own feelings don’t matter is very worrisome. It’s also highly offensive to insinuate that any mother DOESN’T have her baby’s best interests at heart. Especially a mother who is taking the time to research and consider the kind of birth she wants to have.
Like I said, I’ll take the ‘trust birth’ poster any day!
October 30th, 2009 at 10:26 am
Heather @ CSAHM says:
I guess I just don’t see the same thing other’s see. I don’t see doctors as greedy people who only care about making money and doing whatever they want. At least not with my doctor.
If my OBGYN posted this I would definitely talk to her about it, if it was even a concern of mine.
I think if you feel your doctor is just in it for the money, then I would say run away FAST. But don’t just assume all doctors who don’t allow natural birthing methods are like this. Their concern may truly be genuine.
October 30th, 2009 at 11:08 am
lilbet says:
Wow. Really disgusting sign.
With that said, I will say, having worked labor and delivery at a county hospital, you honestly don’t have time to read the birth plans of all the patients you are taking care of. I routinely had 6 laboring patients, two could be delivering at once. I would walk into my 12 hour night shift and hit the ground running with very minimal time to read charts or get more than just a basic report highlighting only the life and death stuff (which, I guess is the most important). This is not to say I didn’t want to read the plans, there just wasn’t time.
The solution to this if one must deliver at this hospital is to have birth support that will stand up for your wishes and you also have to be willing to compromise some of them remembering the ultimate goal is healthy mom and baby.
This isn’t just a birth issue. This is an issue with medical care as a whole.
I’ve gotten out of the business, no longer work with mothers and newborns for many reasons. All the hoops one has to jump through to please the powers that be (administration, insurance companies, etc), not to mention the malpractice insurance one has to carry has taken away from the joy of the career.
I’ll take a Bradley trained couple or someone with a Doula (paid or not) any day–less work for me, more relaxed mom, and I can go concentrate on the 16 year old who’s alone, the woman having a crash c-section for abruption, or go help start an IV in the NICU.
“Natural Birth” is a term that should be addressed. Fully medicated and highly interventional births do happen naturally, it’s not like they come out of someone’s belly button or something. Perhaps the terms nonmedicated, minimal intervention birth or the like should be substituted. Nitpicky? Yes, but other than c-section, there are no unnatural births that occur.
October 30th, 2009 at 11:15 am
Krista says:
I don’t think any good doctor would make a blanket statement like this if they weren’t thinking of CYA or $.
No one can say natural, invervention-free births are always the best way. Conversely no one can say that natural, invervention-free births are never the best way. Every birth is different and they should all be considered individually. There can be no blanket statements made about what method is truly best. To take a natural birth option off the table seems as crazy to me as taking away a woman’s choice for an epidural.
That is what bugs me.
October 30th, 2009 at 11:19 am
mudnessa says:
I would think this sign would be troublesome to those mothers that have no desire for using any of those methods. It just shouts we don’t care what you want, our way or the highway. How can anyone feel good about any type of care they get from a facility like that?
October 30th, 2009 at 11:21 am
lilbet says:
One more thought, I wonder who is going to be the advocate for those mothers who aren’t educated about their birth options. The patients that this sign/policy will really affect are the ones that don’t know the difference. Who will be their voice?
I wonder if anyone has asked the labor and delivery nurses who work here what they think. I wonder how many staff have left.
October 30th, 2009 at 11:23 am
Nicole D says:
I had recently posted about this as well and received an interesting email from a CNM who has a practice nearby that receives regular referrals from this office. It is frustrating that doctors act like this but:
At least he is open about it
At least he DOES openly refer people out
At least he has (what the CNM states is) low cesarean rates.
From the flip of the coin, if we can’t regulate how safe their birth practices are, at least they are open with it and help women find their way out. :)
October 30th, 2009 at 11:25 am
lilbet says:
Oh, another thing, are there other signs like this say, in the cancer ward?
We’re very sorry to hear that you have cancer, but you’re going to need to go through this alone, no support people are welcome. Please don’t bring any treatment options that you prefer to our attention, we really don’t care. Please refrain from resting too long in the treatment chairs and please do not seek comfort in Asian medicine, massage, or group therapy.
October 30th, 2009 at 11:28 am
Holly says:
Whoa, that is nuts!!! I wimped out and got the epidural but am really wanting to explore natural childbirth this time around. The hospital I went to though seemed almost overly into doing it as natural as possible and I loved that!
October 30th, 2009 at 11:38 am
Erin W. says:
I wanted to have a natural childbirth but was convinced (again - and HOW?? I keep asking myself) to induce. And like Holly, I wimped out and got an epidural. But the epidural didn’t kick in until after my daughter was born. There I am, pushing, and while I’m not screaming I am kind of grunting through it. My freaking doctor told me he wanted me to be as quiet as I possibly could. (He was basically telling me to STFU.) He also made a comment, when I was ready to push at 10am that he was hoping that I would have held out until lunchtime because he had a conference he wanted an excuse to miss. WTF?!
Ugh. I wish he would have given me a letter at the beginning of my pregnancy telling me that he’s not at all concerned with me or my baby, but more with his schedule and his precious freaking ears. Whatever.
October 30th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
Crunchy Domestic Goddess says:
nancy - that’s a good point. if people want to dispute the sign, perhaps they should not tie up the office’s phone lines. but also, if a mom is in labor or has an emergency, i would also think that she would go straight to the ER rather than calling the dr’s office. either way, perhaps emails or letters to the office would be a better way to go for those who want to take action.
lilbet - that’s a great point re: are there signs like this in other medical offices/wards, etc. the answer, of course, is no. also, i agree w/ you. i should have put unmedicated vs. natural. i tend to think of natural = unmedicated, but i know not all people think of it that way.
nicole d - thanks for the info f/ your cnm friend in that area. interesting.
i think this whole thing goes to show that there’s still a lot of work to be done before pregnant women are treated with respect. a lot of work.
October 30th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
Stephanie - Green SAHM says:
What a repulsive sign. But honest. Just too bad the OB isn’t willing to deal with things that have been proven to work for mothers.
October 30th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
abbie says:
Wow, truly I’m surprised that such a sign would be hanging up in this day and age.
I just started reading a Bradley Method book and LOVE it so far. Growing up on the farm, I saw a lot of animals give birth, mostly without complications. When I read that was the inspiration for Bradley’s method, I was so amazed. Throughout my 20 weeks of pregnancy so far, I’ve been focused on following my instincts and listening to my body. It seems to me that’s what Bradley suggests to do during birth, and I can’t understand how a hospital would NOT want a woman to listen to her instincts or have her husband involved in the birth.
I feel very lucky to be living in such a liberal area. I’ll be giving birth at Yale, and while they have high C-section rates, the episiotomy rates are below 5%. My mom and mother in law both gave birth there without interventions in the late 70’s and early 80’s, when everyone they knew was getting the drugs.
Overall, I have confidence in my body’s ability to deliver the baby naturally. I’m SURE it will hurt like no pain I’ve ever felt, but I know I can do it. My doctors have been supportive, and I’m trusting what my midwife has told me about how the practice handles natural births (she no longer delivers, but is still a part of the practice).
Anyway, I’m very much looking forward to learning more about Bradley and thank you for posting this!
October 30th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
Mama Bird says:
Great post, Amy! We had hoped to go as natural as possible when my daughter was born, and it didn’t end up that way at all, but if not for my doula being present, complications could’ve arisen. 14 hours after my water broke I was still not in labor, so I was pumped full of Pitocin, prompting me to request an epidural after several hours of not dilating and excruciating pain. I asked if it was normal to feel pain in my right side after having the epidural. The nurses all stared at me with blank faces. My doula instantly knew that the baby was stuck in the wrong position and had me turn on my side to re-position her. She was worth every penny at the moment, whereas my doctor didn’t show up until after my baby had crowned. He was just the “catcher.” I would definitely use a doula again and it’s a shame that doctors feel threatened by them instead of welcoming them onto their birthing teams.
October 30th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
hillary says:
When I first saw the sign on facebook I was shocked. But now that I’ve had time to muse over the whole thing I am quite happy. I think we could really move forward in women’s health care if more honesty was being used.
I see way too many mothers told sure, sure , sure to all their requests when their pregnant only to have those same requests denied during labor because of x, y or z. I think the medical community should get a lot more honest about how they feel so that women can start really thinking about whether they are okay with it (and hopefully they aren’t!)
October 30th, 2009 at 8:29 pm
Danika Carter says:
I’m fuming after reading this. Not only does the majority of evidence show that all of the things they are prohibiting actually make the births safer and more positive both for mother and child, but they are extremely behind the times. They want what’s best for the hospital & doctors, and that is rarely what’s best for mother and child.
Also, from a financial standpoint, I’d think they’d want to appeal to the broadest possible customer base. And, while yes, they make more money (considerably more money) from interventions, those interventions also increase their chances of being sued for malpractice…which in the end could cost them more money.
I think part of this is coming because natural & home births are becoming more and more popular, which is terrifying to hospitals and (mostly male) doctors.
I’m glad I don’t live in Aspen. I’d do like that mother in New Mexico (I think that’s where she is) and leave town in my 8th month to be near a hospital that has greater respect for me and my baby. Better yet, I’d have my baby at home.
My birth was in a hospital with a Certified Nurse Midwife who also happened to work for the best & most respectful Dr in town. We specifically switched to them from another Dr because this gave us the best of both worlds…the midwife model of care and an awesome OBGYN if we needed it…which we did. Who’d a thought I’d be happier having my baby in Colorado Springs than in Aspen?
I hope the publicity makes them change their tune…or that they lose money, patients, prestige, & respect for their stupid & disrespectful decision.
October 30th, 2009 at 9:10 pm
Danika Carter says:
Heather - their concern might be genuine, but it’s uninformed - and for a Dr, that’s not good. The mother shouldn’t have to be the expert on what constitutes a safe birth. The evidence is clear that natural birth, doulas, etc. improve the birth experience, decrease labor, decrease interventions, etc. The list goes on. Even if the Dr’s concerns are genuine, the fact that they are that behind the times is reason enough not to use them. This hospital is creating a hostile, disrespectful environment before the mother even gets in the delivery room. That’s not good for anyone.
October 30th, 2009 at 9:23 pm
Donna ~Blessed Nest says:
Again Amy, I just want to thank you for such great info. You have a way of reporting “news” like no one else, really. I love reading you blog! Be encouraged. I had two c-sections. The first emergency. I had a helpful OBGYN but she didn’t offer anything other then answering the questions I asked. When I asked about a Doula she told me that they knew of one…this was 8 years ago. I am so impressed with the info out there now. Thanks to advocates such as yourself!
October 30th, 2009 at 9:31 pm
A Mama's Blog- Heather says:
I see this sign, as another “sign” that women who care about preserving birthing options for themselves and for our children don’t accept this as a “normal” policy.
I have writen before regarding C-sections mainly, when is enough enough? When will we finally say it is not acceptable for women to keep handing their birthing power and choices over to their doctors? I think these questions apply to this case as well.
This can’t become the norm. Great post!
October 30th, 2009 at 11:28 pm
lilbet says:
After doing some digging and finding out that this man is being bashed from one end of the net to the other, his ratings before said sign were very high. His patients, in fact, rave about him. His c-section rates are low (not necessarily a sign of a good doctor, however, it could mean he doesn’t do them well or farms them out to a med student or the like).
I did look more into the text of the sign and I’m finding that it’s looking like a requirement of malpractice insurance as I suspected.
We have to continually be reminded that we are Health Care CONSUMERS with a capital C! And to make choices and decisions accordingly. We don’t patronize car dealerships or the like where we are not treated well, or if we get a bad first impression at a restaurant, we don’t go back. Unfortunately, this sign will affect his “business”.
But, it’s the business of insurance that is probably generating the placement of the sign in the first place.
Health Care reform–can we get any clearer picture of why we need it than this instance?
Oh and ladies–you didn’t wimp out and get an epidural. You did what you needed to do with the information and the situation you were in at the time. EVERY mother deserves a comfortable birth experience. This feeling that you were less of a woman because you had an epidural has simply got to stop. Would any one ask someone passing a kidney stone to simply breath through it? I think not. Our Grandmothers prayed for such technology. Let it go.
October 31st, 2009 at 7:27 am
Elizabeth says:
As a fellow home birth advocate, this absolutely enrages me. I had to endure three hospital births that never went according to “plan” even with our Bradley teacher in attendance. Thank god she later went on to be a home birth midwife and delivered our fourth at home.
You hit the nail on the proverbial head.
October 31st, 2009 at 8:48 am
Crunchy Domestic Goddess says:
Danika - Please note (despite the name) that this center is in Provo, Utah, NOT in Aspen, CO.
:)
Amy
October 31st, 2009 at 4:05 pm
Adventures In Babywearing says:
This is sad, but it is good to know up front. And I’m hoping that by seeing that right away that it would raise questions and concerns a woman might not have thought of early on.
I had three pretty good hospital birth experiences and at my third, the nurse THANKED me for my birth plan and wishes- saying it helped HER. Maybe she was just being nice? Whatever.
*I am SO THANKFUL that I had a homebirth with my fourth…
These days, it would be a SHAME if a woman isn’t informed about her birth choices. It seems it’s all people talk about anymore. And is obvious with a sign like that.
Steph
November 1st, 2009 at 8:34 am
beth@thenaturalmommy says:
I cannot believe they wouldn’t allow the Bradley method! I HEART BRADLEY! As nice as it is to have this information up front, I really, truly hope there are other alternatives for the poor mommas who live in this area! I hope they have a great selection of home-birth mid-wives, birth centers, and natural-birth-friendly hospitals at their disposal. If I were stranded in this town with only this hospital, I’d simply go mad! (Not to mention BE mad…)
November 1st, 2009 at 8:06 pm
Azucar says:
So I live in Provo and my babies were born here.
Utah has the highest birth rate in the nation, a slightly lower than average c-section rate (although still appallingly high,) and some of the best scores nationwide on nursing initiation and duration of nursing.
I went to this office with my first pregnancy when I was shopping providers. It was a MADHOUSE. It felt like a factory. I didn’t like the facilities, the office help, the brochures, the set-up, or anything about the place. I left and never went back.
Thankfully, because we have such a high birth rate, there are a ton of birthing options available. There are several noted certified nurse-midwife practices and plenty of lay midwives as well. There is a large unassisted birth community and general support for birth plans. It feels like Bradley instructors are a dime-a-dozen there are so many of them (you find signs for classes at every grocery store, library, and public forum.)
A sign like this is less of a concern because there are so many other places that are willing to work with women to have the births that they want. Don’t get me wrong, the sign is obnoxious, but we have plenty of other options and don’t need this place in the least.
November 2nd, 2009 at 3:13 am
Azucar says:
Oh, and Beth, we really do have a huge birthing community in Provo and the rest of the county (with a population of 530,000, we’d better!) There are seven hospitals to choose from, some really fantastic birthing centers, and unassisted birth supplies are readily available. I delivered my second baby at American Fork Hospital with midwives and it was transcendent. Babies are a big deal in our corner of the world.
November 2nd, 2009 at 3:20 am
lynn @ human, being says:
I had unmedicated childbirth with a doula and a midwife and a perinatalogist by my side because of some complications my daughter developed. Before I met my midwife, I tried 3 ob/gyn offices that had midwives on staff, and all of them pushed me instantly toward epidural, one going so far as to tell me I was stupid to think I could handle labor without medication.
I wish the first three practices would have posted this very sign, because I would have saved time and money by walking out the door upon reading it. Not everyone is interested in unmedicated childbirth, and practices like this guy’s are probably right for them.
My birth experience pretty much went as I hoped it would, although I was induced 3 weeks early. Why? Because I had read the books, done the research, talked to people, and been my own advocate to figure out what sat well with me, and what didn’t. I also had a long convo with my midwife and doula who told me to write my plan with the caveat “this or something better,” because in the end, the something better might look like you and/or your baby surviving because of a c-section or other medical intervention. And that’s what I got–medical intervention after the birth to stop me from bleeding to death. I didn’t get to hold Lauren while the cord was still attached or even for about three hours after her birth, but I get to hold her today because I am still alive.
Regardless of what kind of medical practitioner I’m hiring–and that’s what I’m doing, hiring someone–I ask questions and I am not afraid to say I’m sorry, you’re not right for me.
November 2nd, 2009 at 5:28 pm
Courteney Miller says:
WOW! I cannot believe this! Definitely takes a way women’s right! I was wondering, what is the best way to go about finding an OBGYN that is “up for” natural births, doulas, etc. I have to find a new OBGYN for my next pregnancy (whenever that may be) because my old doc went into wellness. I had my first at the hospital but they really didn’t have time to push anything on me because I went from 1 cm dialated to 9 in a matter of a couple hours and labored and delivered all within 4 hours total! Lucky me! Although I don’t think I am brave enough to have a home birth, I would be willing to learn about a birthing center or doula assistance at a hospital. Any advice on finding a good OBGYN in Houston, Texas?
November 12th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
Jen says:
Danika,
When you say interventions are more likely to get them sued, that’s not exactly right. Often interventions are used as a way to avoid being sued. If you use a number of interventions, especially ending in a C-section, you can easily stand up in court and say you did everything possible for mother and baby. Letting a mother birth naturally runs the risk of having it painted as you standing back and doing nothing while something bad happened in the case of a malpractice suit. It’s not a good thing, but it is a powerful motivator for doctors to intervene wherever possible.
November 15th, 2009 at 7:53 am