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Childbirth

medical students present during labour?

106 replies

kittyt · 14/10/2006 14:44

I am almost certainly going to be having a c sec as I have twins, 1st one breech. Am booked it at a big student hospital, and wondering whether to allow medical students in to see the procedure. Has anyone else allowed students in during their labour, and if so, what was it like?

OP posts:

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lulumama · 14/10/2006 14:49

had a student midwife with me for part of my labour - she was lovely and came to see me on the post natal ward a few hours later....had a med student examine me when i went to see my consultant at 34 weeks...never had one present at a birth - but how else can they learn???!??!?!

suzywong · 14/10/2006 14:49

Yeah, go on, be a sport

Just make sure you get them to introduce themselves and be all correct and proper. Do I take it this will be an elective C?

SCARErenity · 14/10/2006 14:49

I had a student Doctor deliver DD, it was pretty fab actually. She was so concerned with getting it right that she made a real effort to tell me what was going on and explain what they were doing ( not just, oh look this is my 224th baby, ho hum let's get on with it iyswim)

She was really chuffed and pleased with it all, giving DD a cuddle afterwards, that it made it all seem really special

tribpot · 14/10/2006 14:50

I had a med student present at my labour (not a c section) - frankly I couldn't have cared less but for an elective c section you'll be a bit more compos mentis.

Blandmum · 14/10/2006 14:51

I had a med student and two midwives present when I had ds by section ....footling breach and a good teaching case!. I also had preecpampsia and had previously had a rare gynae condition called Ashermans. the consultant used to send them over to me for a five minute tutorial

They were nice and sweet and greatful and all looked about 12¬

Kidstrack · 14/10/2006 14:52

i had students present at both my labours and the first ended up an em c/s and the student just followed into theatre, but i was asked if i wanted them to be present. It didn't bother me having them present but if you feel you would rather no one else was present then its entirely up to you, and remembering there will be a lot of doctors present anyway as you will need a bigger team for both babies.

GhoulsToo · 14/10/2006 14:52

I had all 3 in a teaching hospital and had students for No's 2 and 3 - I didn't mind, they've got to learn.

With ds3 I was the only one in labour so had a semi circle of about 6 students all stood at the foot of the bed looking up

By child No 3 I just didn't care anymore!

SCARErenity · 14/10/2006 14:53

Just remembered. I had a student mw examining me when I had a sweep (day before I had DD!) The main MW started talking to her as she was feeling my cervix, but because she didn't tell her to finish, we had a 5 minute conversation with her hand up my youknowwhat She was really embarrassed when I pointed out she could probably take it out now

kittyt · 14/10/2006 14:53

I guess it is an elective c sec - I've been told I have to have it due to the breech position - is that elective? Ok, you all make a good case for allowing med students in. I agree with the fact that they have to learn somehow, and practical experience is the best kind....

OP posts:

DarrellSHivers · 14/10/2006 14:54

what's asherman's syndrome
rings a bell/think i used to know it

let the med students help, they need to learn too, no-one let my DH observe anything when he was a med student and quite frankly i'd be worried if anyone delivered near him, miracle he passed ob/gyn finals,good thing he doesn't work in the area

CarolinahowlingattheMoon · 14/10/2006 14:58

I would - they have to learn somewhere and you'd be an interesting case, with it being twins. Theatre is full of peeps anyway, you won't notice an extra student or two.

I had a student MW who was a bit irritating tbh, but I think because she was a qualified nurse retraining and thought she knew it all.

Blandmum · 14/10/2006 15:05

Interuterime adhesions following a D and C (I had a missed mc) in my case the adhesions had totaly blocked the cervical os, so I had a period every month but couldn't bleed. Left me with a very patchy enometrim, greater chance of further mc and adhesion of the placenta.

Thankfully I had two good pgs and no futher probelms.

I was quite the expert by the end ;) and could bore for britain on the subject. hellish while it was happeneing though .

DarrellSHivers · 14/10/2006 15:07

thanks for that, it was driving me a litle mad not knowing
yep, pretty rare, i bet your consultant loved you

kittyt · 14/10/2006 15:09

ok, you've helped me make up my mind. I'll def let the students in to come and watch.

OP posts:

expatinscotland · 14/10/2006 15:10

I had a student midwife helping to deliver DD2. Was a super fast labour!

W/DD1, had a lovely student doctor. When the consultant was called in, she asked if she (the student) could observe.

As someone said, 'How else will they learn?'

She got to observe the forceps delivery and stitching. She was fab and came to see us everyday afterwards.

She came a few times when the midwives were examining my stitches and I wanted her to be present to see that, too.

hoxtonchick · 14/10/2006 15:13

had loads of students around when i had ds. one medical student in particular was fab. she stayed waqy beyond the end of her shift so she could see him being born, & had had a baby the year before so was the most empathetic in the room!

Blandmum · 14/10/2006 15:14

Darrell, he did....particularly as he had sorted out the probelms for me, so go to see the product of his handy work! It took a year to get it all sorted, and we had a good working relationship by the end! I'm a biology teacher so he literaly used to send the students over for a 5 minute tutorial! He used to tell me not to give too much away re ds's position as well...footling breech. they used to poak about and eventually say 'Oh upside down' and then go to walk away, I used to cough and say 'Might be something else?'

They were so sweet bless them.

MarsLady · 14/10/2006 15:16

Ooh I had 2 students in when I had the DTs. They were lovely. They had been shadowing me for a while and I asked them if they wanted to watch. They were the first in their group to see a birth, and twins as well. Made their term I think!

expatinscotland · 14/10/2006 15:17

I was born by elective csections w/a bunch of students in the room.

jabberwocky · 14/10/2006 15:17

I had ds at a teaching hospital. It was an emergency section so I'm a bit fuzzy on the details, but I believe they did ask if it was ok to have students present. However, I made it clear that only the OB could cut and stitch!

kittyt · 14/10/2006 15:21

oooh, that's a good point jabberwocky! I might put a "look but don't touch clause in my birth plan"! Don't really want anyone practising their sewing skills on my c section scar.

OP posts:

YeahBat · 14/10/2006 15:24

I had a student present when dd1 was born. She stayed for the whole thing and she was so sweet. She got to cuddle dd1 when she was 5 minutes old and then left to phone her mum to tell her she'd seen a baby born!

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DumbledoresGirl · 14/10/2006 15:25

I have 2 differing experiences of having students present.

My third child was delivered by a young student midwife and she was the best woman I could imagine to be with me, delivering my baby. She still had another 2 years training to do, but I cannot imagine what she still needed to learn. She was completely calm and reassuring and had just the right way of encouraging me when I reached the "I can't do this anymore" stage.

On the other hand, I had a medical student observe my fourth birth and I have to say she did make me feel a bit uncomfortable. Maybe it was because she was merely observing rather than actively participating. I was naked shifting positions about the room in the last stage of labour (the only part she observed) and I think, tbh, she was a bit embarrassed by my nakedness and that transferred itself to me a bit. After the birth, she was talking to me a bit and I was asking all about her training and whether she wanted to specialise in obstetrics. I don't think she did, so perhaps that contributed to the rather awkward nature of the experience.

expatinscotland · 14/10/2006 15:30

A doctor embarrassed by nudity . . .

I'd say she needs to find a new profession.

Never met a one who was embarrassed by nudity, and I've known several. Quite intimately, in fact . Many couldn't get out of their clothes fast enough .

DumbledoresGirl · 14/10/2006 15:33

PMSL Expat.

Well, I don't know, but she did seem embarrassed by something and it kind of transferred itself to me, so that although I wsn't embarrassed by my nakedness, I was made more aware of it IYSWIM?

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