Posted by My OB said WHAT?!?.
Sep
1
Posted by My OB said WHAT?!?.
“We’ll Check Her At 8 cm.”
“We’ll check her at 8cm.” – L&D Nurse when a cervical check was requested. Baby was born 10 minutes later.
There are 27 comments to this post.
I know a lot is made over how frequently and pointlessly they want to do internal exams, and how they push them or even do them without/against consent, but if the mom wants one, suddenly they don’t want to do one. I swear, apparently it doesn’t really matter what the mom wants, natural birth, interventions, overdue, induced, vaginal, c-section. Judging by the quotes on this site (and my own personal experiance) any request from a mother is too be ignored, belittled, and seen as too much work.
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Lilly Reply:
September 1st, 2010 at 5:24 pm (Quote)
It’s because we’re not qualified and pregnancy is a disease which renders us unable to make rational decisions.
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The Deranged Housewife Reply:
September 1st, 2010 at 7:34 pm (Quote)
Seriously. I was just thinking that – when you don’t want them, you get them non-stop; when you do want one, they refuse. What the heck?! Mom’s intuition: 1. Nurse: 0. 
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This was mine!
It was my second L&D and my dr had written on my hospital papers “fast second stage”. Because they apparently chose to ignore that, coupled with the fact that I wasn’t screeching for an epidural or hanging from the ceiling I guess they felt I has hanging around the 4cm mark.
So when my husband insisted that they check, the nurses eyes blew out of her head like on a cartoon, I swear I could hear the horn blow!
Yep, imagine that, I knew what was going on with my body, and the head was crowning.
Then the nurses fought about what dr to call as they were all busy, mine had gone home to eat… they opened the door and an intern walked by, jackpot!! They hooked her, but no one could get the bottom of the bed off (not the intern, neither of the nurses or 3 student nurses!), so they opened the door again and a member of the custodial stall was walking by, double jackpot!
All of this happened in under 2 hours after I walked in the door.
Third L&D, the nurse didn’t even bother to call a dr.
Fourth coming this January, new dr that I honestly don’t think understands what I mean when I say short second stage;)
I’m likely to be back here again!
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sara Reply:
September 2nd, 2010 at 5:46 am (Quote)
Yeah, the nurses were SUPER surprised to find that my daughter was just about crowning when we got to the hospital. I was really calm and they had wheeled me up to the room (otherwise she would have been born in the hallway- maybe it would have saved me some money?!) They asked me to get on the scale and I said very calmly that I had to push and they were like, “what?! Get on the bed!” Sure enough she was right there. 15 minutes later she was out. I guess like you said they just aren’t used to mothers being calm during birth and expected a lot more noise if birth was imminent.
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Amy W. Reply:
September 2nd, 2010 at 6:13 pm (Quote)
I think you’re right Sara, about the nurses not being used to mothers being calm during birth (or at least so far progressed in labor). When I arrived at the hospital in labor with my second child I knew that he was coming NOW. I had a very quick labor with my first as well. After having the slowest ever wheelchair ride up to L&D (I was about ready to get up and run up there myself!), the nurses looked at me like I was stupid when I said I did not want to be put in triage, I needed to be in a room because I am really in labor and the baby is coming. They did put me in a room but did not check me right away as they were trying to get all my info put into the computer, etc. I am pretty sure I was vocal about my need to push a few times before they did check and boy were they ever surprised! My doctor was called but didn’t make it (an ER doctor delivered my son), which was a real bummer as I really like my doctor.
Later that day one of the nurses aide’s (I’m not sure of the proper term for them) came in to see me because she heard that I delivered and she wanted to see the baby and hear about everything. I have type 1 diabetes so for the last several weeks of pregnancy I am at the hospital twice/week for non-stress tests and so she knew me pretty well. She said that they can be kind of skeptical when women come and say they are so far along in labor because they have women come in like that who are acting quite hysterical and they turn out to be only 2cm dilated or something like that. I mean, I can sort of understand that, but you think that either way they could at least say, “ok, let’s get you up into bed and we’ll do an exam and see what is going on” and then actually do it instead of turning to paperwork first and ignoring a mother’s pleas to be checked.
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CCindy Reply:
September 2nd, 2010 at 7:12 am (Quote)
Agnus, do you know the Megan Ryan scene from When Harry Met Sally where she fakes an orgasm in the middle of the dinner? When you think you are 8-10 cm just fake it so they know what to do! I mean, don’t freak yourself out, but a little extra noise could work to your advantage. 
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April Reply:
September 2nd, 2010 at 2:22 pm (Quote)
When I read this I thought it must be something like this. My own second stage with my firstborn was rather long, but the nurse did not believe me when I told him I felt “intense pressure” and wanted to push. I tried to hold out longer, but then asked him again to check because I REALLY felt a lot of pressure! He was fairly dramatic about reluctantly checking and said, with his hand in my vagina, “Nothing on this side… nothing on this side… nothing here… Well, I guess you’re at a 10.” Gee, thanks nurse.
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When I first read this the thought that came to mind was that the nurse was telling whoever was standing over their shoulder with the chart that mom was 8cm.
Reading comments, though, I just have no clue. Really hope the OP chimes in.
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Heather Reply:
September 1st, 2010 at 10:08 pm (Quote)
She did, two comments up
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Robyn Reply:
September 2nd, 2010 at 5:22 am (Quote)
How did I miss that?! I swear, it wasn’t there when I was reading through replies! OP, I had a fast labor as well. I never had any contractions before my water broke and my son was born 5 hours after it happened. They didn’t even call the doctor until I was officially admitted. My son was born 10 minutes before the doctor got there. Planning a home birth with the next baby if I can ever get another one to stick.
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Holy Freakin’ Banana’s, lets add x-ray vision to their long list of supernatural abilities, (clairvoyance and predicting the future to name just a few).
OP, I also have short second stages. Fortunately my midwife knows my history and is ready to catch at the drop of a baby! LOL Which is just what my last 2 did. Literally, I was standing up and I relaxed my stomach muscles and they both fell out into her waiting hands.
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Heather Reply:
September 2nd, 2010 at 9:00 am (Quote)
Okay, I hope this doesn’t offend you, but you HAVE seen Monty Python’s “The Meaning of Life”, I hope? The part about Catholics, that ends with the song “Every Sperm is Sacred”? That’s the mental picture I get from your post. I envy you–so far, mine haven’t been that easy, even at home.
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Mary Reply:
September 2nd, 2010 at 1:14 pm (Quote)
I,too, have very fast second stages.
The nurse in the hospital with my 3rd, didn’t believe me when I said I was ready to push 15 minutes after I was at 7, 70% and -2 station. She got all huffy and told me she’d check me. She pulled the sheet back and there was my son’s head about to crown.
With my 4th, my midwife came and spent the 2 1/2 weeks before my birth with me and we talked for hours about how “I” labored and how my actions indicated where I was in the process.
When it came time for the real action, she was ready, and knew that when my water broke, birth was imminent. 13 minutes from the time my water broke until I held my daughter.
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cheeks023 Reply:
September 2nd, 2010 at 1:41 pm (Quote)
With #4 My Midwife ended up with an amniotic bath! LOL His head birthed, and as his body came out it was like somebody opening the flood gates! LOL Funny enough, there was no snarky comment about that being the reason they break waters early, or, this is why we prefer you lying on your back or any such nonsense, she laughed and commented that his head must have been acting like a cork!!
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Mary Reply:
September 2nd, 2010 at 3:05 pm (Quote)
Yeah, I soaked mine, too. She was sitting at the foot of the bed, and I was at the head, and when that sucker broke, it shot fluid a good 3 feet.
My midwife was howling with laughter, saying how she was so glad she finally got showered with amniotic fluid. No one had ever gotten her before.
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This is like my last daughter. My labors have always been fast in general. We left the house wround the same feelings I had had with my first 2 and headed to the hospital. Got to hospital and nurse asked what was wrong in that sugary sweet voice. Told her I was in labor and she said well let’s check you. Told the other nurses that “Well she thinks she is labor”.
Well I was trying to undress and a contraction hit so I had to just stand still while they are yelling at me to get on the bed so they could check me. They we talking out loud that I was probably 4cm or so. I got watch their eyes get as big as saucers when they realized that the baby was already coming.
My youngest was delivered 20 minutes after arriving to the hospital.
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Add Your Comment.
ROTFLOL! Am I reading this right? The mom asked for a check and the nurse refused because the mom hadn’t been checked yet? So let’s see–we’ll check you when you’re 8cm, but we won’t KNOW you’re at 8cm until we check you, but we can’t check until you’re at 8cm…
OTOH, I loved giving birth to my most recent baby without any cervical checks at all, so more power to this nurse. Maybe she’s discovered the key to refusing cervical exams during labor. “I’ll allow you to check me only when I’m at 8cm.”
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