Posted by My OB said WHAT?!?.
Oct
11
Posted by My OB said WHAT?!?.
“This Would Have Been A Lot Easier If You’d Just Had That Epidural.”
“This would have been A LOT easier if you’d just had that epidural.” – OB during repair of tears that from the birth.
There are 18 comments to this post.
Or I could have taken the epidural and ended up with a c-section. Then you would have been doing even more stitching. So I will tell you what they tell c-section mommies, “A healthy baby is all that matters.” That is right, if mommy’s comfort doesn’t matter then the doctor’s comfort certainly doesn’t matter. STFU and stitch. And this better not be an excuse to not use the lidocane! Doesn’t that stuff come in a cream?
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TigerlilyFP had this to say,
Oct 11, 2011 @ 10:50 am (Quote)
I still needed lidocaine for my first even with the epidural. If one chooses to get a self administered drip then it wears off during the pushing faze, because your not thinking about pushing a button, which is what happened with me.
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I have seen what some OBs do during their repairs when mom is completely numb. The perineal tissue gets pulled and tugged ruthlessly. I can’t imagine what it feels like while it is healing.
I would rather feel every stitch (and I did with my first two births!) and force them to be a little more careful with that sensitive tissue.
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It would have been even easier if you hadn’t have forced me to “purple push” and had let me blow my baby out. Then I likely wouldn’t have had such severe tearing!
In all fairness, I don’t know that this was the situation. It’s just the first thing that came to mind.
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Aron Reply:
October 11th, 2011 at 1:52 pm (Quote)
This was my first thought too. Sure it could have been the most physiologically ideal birth imaginable, but with this comment it just seems unlikely. I’m expecting, sadly, to here that this remark followed a pushing phase involving stranded-beetle positioning, people with the inexplicable inability to count higher than 10 and a fascination with screaming the count out over and over, and a doctor who insisted on injuring those tissues by “massaging” the perineum (forcefully stretching and sweeping it), and maybe even a “protective” episiotomy.
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I had a client who was told almost the same thing. The doc on call was looking over the resident’s shoulder as he did the repair and when my client commented that the repair hurt,instead of instructing the resident to give her more lidocaine, the FEMALE doctor told my client “you wouldn’t feel this if you had an epidural”. I am sad to say I was a newbie doula and didn’t help my client advocate for herself like I would now as a more experienced doula. Her doctor was actually out of town because she went into labor 4 weeks before her due date and I am clad to say that he apologized profusely to her at her postpartum visit…but this kind of thing should *never* happen! Do not punish a mother because she chose a birth that makes you work a little more…it’s your JOB!
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first time mommy had this to say,
Oct 11, 2011 @ 7:02 pm (Quote)
For who? YOU?!
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Heidi had this to say,
Oct 12, 2011 @ 7:57 pm (Quote)
I am loving this site for what I am learning from the comments. I’ve had four unmedicated births and torn four times–some worse than others. I was actually assuming that an epidural would make the repairs painless–though I am certainly not going to have one just for that reason!
This last birth (less than a week ago) I asked my doc to help me minimize tearing. He and I made a plan to have me push on my side and push slowly, if possible. No “cheerleading” by the nurses with the counting and the screaming “PUSH!” was already in the birth plan. I also acknowledged that I might not be able to stop myself from pushing, based on my previous experience.
Anyway, with the doctor’s direction to slow down and my doula’s suggestion to blow birthday candles, I pushed out a 9 lb, 13 oz baby with a nuchal hand in 30 minutes. That was as slow as I could do it, ha! And the tear was not bad. 
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Not so much.
I ended up requesting an epidural after 24 hours of labor w a mal positioned baby. Had the kid. Was so anxious to push him out I tore. 2nd degree almost 3rd. While stitching me up, my midwife offered a shot to numb my lady bits. I declined as I already felt numb still from the epidural. Or so I thought.
I felt everything. I remarked upon this 1/2 way through and she immediately stopped and again offered me a shot of lidocaine. I declined as all I wanted to do at that point was pee, nurse my baby and nap. (48 hrs w out sleep ftw!!!)
It was hard for her too as my legs were numb and it was hard for me to keep them in a position so she could stitch me up.
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Kit Reply:
October 12th, 2011 at 1:32 pm Kit(Quote)
Oh, I just heard a story a little like yours. Friend of mine delivered with an OB who is infamous in our area for being… odd. As in he will sing to pushing mothers, kick relitives out if they start upsetting the mothers, and once informed a newly born baby that she was “So beautiful, i could just slip you under my coat and run, but I won’t, because your mommy scares me.”
And these are apparantly quite normal for him, judging from the way his nurses just roll their eyes and snicker if you bring it up.
Anyway, Friend had an unmedicated birth and tore pretty badly. OB gave her lidocaine and went to stitch, she yelped. He stopped, gave her more, she yelped. He finally looked up and told her “I think this isn’t working, i could get you morphine, maybe?” She refused, worrying that it would enter her milk and decided to get sewn up meds-free. Ay which point her doctor agreed, did the repair 9and got her an ice pack for her lady bits) then commented “You are one tough (female dog). If it was me I’d have been crying and begging for the shot. Good thing I’m a man.”
And FTR, I am in awe of you, margaret. I’d probably cry my eyes out if I was being sewn on without relief. Its women like you who I aspire to be more like.
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rachel Reply:
October 13th, 2011 at 10:42 am rachel(Quote)
hahaha, I wish my ob’s were more like him. I love doctors with a sense of humor! He sounds nice to me……
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Kit Reply:
October 14th, 2011 at 2:28 pm Kit(Quote)
He’s very odd. Nice, but odd. He also advocates long gbreastfeeding (as in he told my aunt she could “nurse until kindergarden if you want… you could go long but you might have to send it in a thermos or something I guess.”
His reasoning for breastfeeding: “Free stuff is always better than the stuff you pay for. Tomatoes at the store? Eh. From the garden? Alriiight! Babies seem to agree with me.” (This is on my aunt’s birth video by the way, along with the doctor sitting on his little stool several feet from the birthing chair and just kinda watching my aunt push. A nurse tries to tell her she needs to “lay back down” and he told the nurse “Quit it! You’re ruining the mood!”) He’s also evidently afraid of epidural needles and has to leave the room when they’re being administered. (He’s admitted they “freak him out” and said to at least three women i know that “Natural birth is just better. For me. Because your brithing experience is TOTALLY about me, right?”
He’s nuts, but I hope I’m still close enough to see him when i get ready for kids. He’s at least entertaining.
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Michelle Reply:
October 14th, 2011 at 5:51 pm Michelle(Quote)
He sounds totally awesome. Where is he located? I may be forced to move there when the time comes lol.
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