Posted by My OB said WHAT?!?.
Aug
17
Posted by My OB said WHAT?!?.
“Quit Smiling! This Is Nothing To Smile About!”
“Quit smiling! This is nothing to smile about!” – L&D nurse to mother during pushing.
There are 38 comments to this post.
road2vba2c had this to say,
Aug 17, 2011 @ 3:21 pm (Quote)
Gah! What nerve!
[Reply]
Good grief! If you’re screaming in pain they tell you to shut up. If you tell them you can feel past the epidural, they tell you that’s impossible. And here’s a mom who’s smiling and they’re telling her to quit smiling?
Does it cost this nurse a dollar every time a woman enjoys some aspect of labor and delivery?
[Reply]
Heather Reply:
August 17th, 2011 at 4:12 pm (Quote)
I don’t know. I was laughing while pushing out my second and no one seemed upset at me!
[Reply]
Jenny Islander Reply:
August 17th, 2011 at 4:41 pm (Quote)
I remember gasping with the first one, “Ohmigod . . . ‘slike I was itching . . . all over inside . . . and I didn’t know . . . and the baby’s scratching it!!!” What would this nurs have done? Panicked and announced that I was insane and needed the heavy drugs?
This was followed by a YEEEOOWWW as her head passed the perineum, but man, those shoulders coming out were pure bliss. Same with the second (no tear). The third had to come out fast because he was having decels, so I didn’t get to enjoy the moment.
[Reply]
first time mommy had this to say,
Aug 17, 2011 @ 3:27 pm (Quote)
Geez. Get yelled at for making noises during pushes. Get yelled at for vocalizing through the pain. Get yelled at for smiling/laughing through the pain. Can’t win. Unless of course if happily agree to a 39 week c/s to make it easier on the staff.
[Reply]
Rebecca Reply:
August 17th, 2011 at 3:43 pm (Quote)
Then no doubt you’ll get harrassed by someone on staff for running up insurance rates and taking risks with your and your baby’s health so you don’t have to be bothered with labor.
Isn’t that always the response when people challenge the C/S rate? That moms are asking for them?
[Reply]
Maybe the mom gave the OB a roundhouse kick to the head or maybe she slugged the L&D Nurse for saying something else stupid. 
[Reply]
first time mommy Reply:
August 17th, 2011 at 4:35 pm (Quote)
LOL! That reminds me of my labor. I had both legs being held up out of my way (per my request) one by DH, other by a L&D nurse. My OB was helicoptering over us being nosy and pushy. After I was done pushing through a particularly painful contraction, the L&D nurse let go of my leg and my leg accidentally kicked my OB who had gotten too close! She snapped at me, “I do NOT appreciate being kicked!” Before I could open my mouth, the L&D nurse looked at her and said, “That’s what you get for getting in the way of a laboring mother!” =D
[Reply]
silverhawkwarrior Reply:
August 17th, 2011 at 10:03 pm (Quote)
Submit that line for Thoughtful Thursday. I wish to revel in its awesomeness.
[Reply]
Dee the Doula had this to say,
Aug 17, 2011 @ 4:28 pm (Quote)
Sounds like a nurse who had a sad birth experience and/or has only seen sad birth experiences. Very sorry, OP, that you were told to stop enjoying your birth.
[Reply]
I had a mother say, during pushing, “This is so much fun! I can’t wait to do it again!”
I agree – this is all about the nurse wanting to control the mom, and not being able to.
I always try to think to judge docs and nurses favorably, when possible, that they’re just trying to be efficient (when they make stupid decisions for mom) but this one is just mean.
[Reply]
I can’t believe the audacity of this woman. First of all, responsible parents schedule c-sections for the 37th week. Secondly, she should silently give birth in the lithotomy position, epidural intact, monitor on without getting in the way of, or bothering in any way, the nurses and doctor (this includes facial expressions, moving her legs and asking questions). Jerk probably asked to hold her baby too instead of her/him going to the nursery–oh I wouldn’t be surprised if her husband was rude enough to ask to cut the cord!
[Reply]
first time mommy had this to say,
Aug 17, 2011 @ 7:28 pm (Quote)
The Deranged Housewife had this to say,
Aug 17, 2011 @ 7:49 pm (Quote)
Obviously our plan to make this the most miserable pain you’ve ever experienced is failing ….. quick, someone grab the forceps and the episiotomy kit!
[Reply]
This was my sister that was in labor. The guy was like a drill sergeant barking orders. He got close to her saying “Push, push, push, push, push, puuuuuuussssshhhh, etc.” over and over!He was obnoxiously rude. The “funny” thing is that my sister swears she wasn’t even smiling (more of a grimace…way to read your patient, nurse). We didn’t speak up to him because the hospital policy was that only two people could be in the room, but she had four people in there, and we didn’t want to be kicked out. He was very rude saying to the other nurse, “Don’t be polite! Just push them out of the way!” talking about pushing me or my mom when we were next to my sister’s bed COMFORTING HER! Now I realize we should have just had him kicked out!
I finally did say something to him, and he said “I’m here for her…not to be nice to you.” Odd then that he just made it more uncomfortable for her.
[Reply]
mommymichael Reply:
August 17th, 2011 at 9:14 pm (Quote)
For future reference, you have EVERY right to tell the nurse you do not like the way he/she is behaving and they are not allowed back in. To please send in the head nurse and a replacement! You/your sister is PAYING for this birth. Pay for someone to treat you with respect!
[Reply]
Jenny Islander Reply:
August 18th, 2011 at 1:25 am (Quote)
Is this where drill sergeant wannabes end up? Yelling at captive audiences in delivery rooms?
[Reply]
Oh, honestly, do people get their coaching inspiration from highschool football coaches on bad sit-coms??
And I distinctly remember smiling and DH between pushes-at least until crowning got painful. I smiled again between the push that got his head out and the one that got the rest of him out.
Maybe some women (mostly distressed or drugged)need forceful instructions. I still don’t think they need to be insulted.
And bringing a new life into this world IS something to smile about. Best high I’ve ever had.
[Reply]
I doula’d for my sister in law, who had the calmest, most beautiful birth ever. The best part was when she was pushing. Between contractions she said “Wow, this is the strangest thing…I am having little orgasms ever time I push!” The nurses jaw dropped, the doctor cracked up laughing, her husband said “WHAT?!!?” and I just said “Wow, bonus! High five?”
I think she would have blown this nurses mind!
[Reply]
I got a variation of this with my first – my water broke at 31 weeks so I went in to the hospital, and while I was there I was trying to make light of the situation. “Oh, I wanted a small baby, but not this small!” and “Hey, now I don’t have to wait another 2 months!” When I got my records from that visit for my midwife with my next baby, the nurse had put in a whole bunch of comments questioning my mental state. “Patient does not seem to understand the severity of the situation” and “Reinforced to patient that baby will be extremely ill at birth”, etc etc etc. Uh, no shit Sherlock, I’m not a moron, but what’s crying and sobbing going to accomplish? Bitch.
[Reply]
C.Pratt Reply:
August 18th, 2011 at 7:52 pm (Quote)
Clearly that nurse didn’t get the satire because *these are the same arguments docs use to encourage elective inductions* I’m willing to bet she actually thought you were serious. Sad huh?
[Reply]
Nessie Reply:
August 19th, 2011 at 6:46 pm (Quote)
Lisa, that reminds me of when I ordered my medical records from my prenatal appointments and follow-up visits. I was infertile and became pregnant only with the help of Clomid and an HSG. I thought I was going into early labor at 22 weeks and was terrified. Luckily, the baby was ok. She stayed in until 36 weeks, when my water broke and I had to be induced because of an infection (my pulse was 140-160 the entire time). Afterwards, there were complications and we were in the hospital for 10 days. Almost every single appointment, the stupid midwife or health visitor (this was in the UK) wrote: “Mother very nervous. Reassured mother. Mother still anxious” or something to that extent. No shit Sherlock! I didn’t think I could get pregnant, finally get pregnant, then think I’m losing the baby, have a traumatic birth, my baby is whisked away from me with no explanation, and problems continue after we get home. How the hell do you think I’m going to feel?!
[Reply]
Add Your Comment.
It’s not like having a baby is something to happy about, after all…
[Reply]
Rachel T Reply:
August 17th, 2011 at 5:03 pm Rachel T(Quote)
This – totally this!
[Reply]