Posted by My OB said WHAT?!?.
Mar
8
Posted by My OB said WHAT?!?.
“You Wouldn’t Mind If My Colleague Assists Would You?”
“You wouldn’t mind if my colleague assists would you?” -Family Practice Doctor to mother as she is in the lithotomy position ready to push her baby out.
There are 14 comments to this post.
Michelle Potter had this to say,
Mar 8, 2010 @ 10:45 am (Quote)
I think I need to hear more context to understand why this was so upsetting. I trust the mother who submitted it that the comment was somehow worthy of submission here, but to me it just sounds like the doc felt he needed assistance for some reason, and asked the mom if it was ok. He did seem to assume that she would say yes, but at least he asked.
Pushing in the lithotomy position sucks, but has little to do with the quote. Oh, unless the problem was that, because mom was legs up, bearing all and about to push, she felt vulnerable and embarrassed having the doctor bring a stranger into the room. That would make sense.
Sorry if I am rambling. I am sick. 
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Kat Reply:
March 8th, 2010 at 1:00 pm (Quote)
Michelle Potter: unless the problem was that, because mom was legs up, bearing all and about to push, she felt vulnerable and embarrassed having the doctor bring a stranger into the room. That would make sense.
I think this is why. I can certainly understand why a mom would feel very vulnerable and not be pleased about her doctor bringing in a stranger while she was pushing, especially if there was no indication that there was any sort of emergency that made the stranger’s presence medically necessary.
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Where this would also be inappropriate would be if it was sprung on the mother as an oh-by-the-way. For some of us, it can feel really invasive when complete strangers are coming and going. I actually requested no students or residents in my birth plan. I know that they have to learn somewhere, but for whatever reason, I personally don’t want to be their demo model. Other women don’t mind, and that’s find. But this issue does need to be addressed during during prenatal appointments and ideally in the birth plan.
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Laura Reply:
March 8th, 2010 at 4:22 pm (Quote)
Yeah, that’s what I think is the big issue too, Wendy. I feel like it should be a policy NOT to ask laboring women questions at all, unless you are dealing with a 100% emergency.
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Michelle Potter Reply:
March 8th, 2010 at 5:34 pm (Quote)
That seems reasonable. It’s not obvious to me since I’m one who doesn’t mind, but I can understand the sentiment.
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MJB Reply:
March 15th, 2010 at 6:20 pm (Quote)
All students and residents (by the way, residents are doctors), or just males?
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Wendy Reply:
March 16th, 2010 at 6:08 am (Quote)
Not to worry. Having worked in a residency, I know what residents are 
I simply did not want the superfluous company. Birth is an intimate, monumental rite of passage–as much so as death–and has been grossly trivialized and dehumanized in the medical setting. Meanwhile the women having babies are objectified and everybody in their mother feels entitled to have access to her body and her baby. (For example, it was only until recently in medical history when hospital staff had the decency not to leave a woman’s bare crotch exposed to the hallway outside the door). Access to my body–especially the most intimate parts of it–is a privilege and not a right. For those high-risk women who do need to be in a hospital to give birth, these factors are worth keeping in mind.
And although there’s no research on it (to my knowledge), I’d be curious to know how often interventions are overused so that other attendants can learn on the “demo model.” I know of at least one hospital that used to advertise to its residents that it would provide them with “many opportunities” to use forceps and vacuum extraction. Um, exactly how can they guarantee “many” without coming up with reasons to use them?
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“And I wouldn’t NEED your assistance, probably, if you’d let me get out of this ‘dead bug with feet in the air’ position, thank you very much.” Ack. I want to design a t-shirt that says “The lithotomy position is SO 1950s.” LOL
I wish my family practice doctor delivered babies, though. He’s kind, warm, friendly and takes time to talk to his patients. I’ve never met an OB like that.
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Lauren Reply:
March 8th, 2010 at 5:51 am Lauren(Quote)
LOL I love the tshirt idea!!
I was blessed with my OB this time. She was warm, encouraging, respectful of my views, and was stoked I was going for a natural VBAC. It was literally night and day different from the psycho I endured with my first child.
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Mistie Reply:
March 8th, 2010 at 6:34 am Mistie(Quote)
This website, as well as others, will let you customize things: http://shop.cafepress.com/home-birth
Also, My family practitioner delivered my first and I loved her. Still a little medical, but really, pretty awesome. She did ask during pregnancy and I told her, “no males” and then she did end up bringing a lady with her to the delivery and asked me again if it was ok.
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Stephanie Reply:
March 8th, 2010 at 7:02 pm Stephanie(Quote)
I must be an unusual lady, because after 2 wonderful childbirths, my preferred position was the lithotomy position. I found it best for me to push in and it felt most natural. I’m not a fan of forcing any other labouring mother to do other than what they’re comfortable with though. And just for the record my hospital is very open to different positions, and has even set up their beds with special equipment so that mothers can still be on the bed and comfortable, but also in whatever position they want with the support of nurses, doulas, midwives, spouses, etc. They’re also great with tub (pre-labour at least, I never asked for a tub birth) and birthing balls and all that great stuff.
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