To have commented in class about this bf dvd?

[mosschops30]

We had a fantastic talk today about BFI, very informative and some great info for us about weight gain in babies, supplementing feeding, attachment etc.

However at the end they showed a lovely dvd about newborns who crawl up the mother and latch on after birth, it was great to watch but ruined by the text over it showing babies from 'medicated' births not being able to do the same and saying women should be encouraged to have an unmedicated labour

it really annoyed me and i said to the lecturer that i hoped she didnt show it to pg mums as i felt it was critising those labours.
The lecturer was excellent and said its just to show how important skin to skin is and that you can still do this if not hours, even days later.

But i just thought the tone of the dvd was inappropriate. Some of my colleagues thought i was BU. challenging the dvd message

NBU at all. Neither DS would have been able to do this due them being born by ventouse. With the best will in the world I couldn't have avoided a medicalised labour. Seems like another way to make mothers feel guilty. Don't they realise that most women don't actively choose intervention?

Eh? I had epidural and DD did exactly that.

In any case, I agree with you, women have medicated births because they need it, for most part.

Doesn't it depend on the actual facts. If it is true that a medicated birth means your baby won't be able to do this, then it is not unreasonable for the dvd to say that. If it isn't true, then it is propaganda.

I think they were referring to those who had drugs that affected the baby or a CS.
Maybe i was just being sensitive, i am still very touchy about my failed 3rd labour

My DN was born by csection. When they were back in the room recovering the lovely midwife placed him on DSis' chest and he 'crawled' over to her breast and started to feed. Her birth was far from ideal (3 day labour ending in emergency section!) but she was so pleased that he did that. Just goes to show you that it is still possible even with a 'medical' birth.

It is true yes, but i think theres a far better way of saying it than 'look what these babies can do, oh and look your baby wont be able to do it'

It actually said women should be encouraged against medicalised births

bumbly thats exactly what i said, even women who have EMCS can still have skin to skin and breastfeed successfully

I had the most medically interventionist birth ever and DD managed this. I had drugs, drugs, drugs then a C-section. I was planning a home birth with a pool ha!. I had a great team, wonderful, supportive DH and a midwife who was on board with everything (and is now a good friend and neighbour). Sometimes shit just happens and DD didn't want to vacate so they had to go in and get her. However, it didn't stop her feeding (she has always been a greedy girl).

I don't understand.

i had an emcs with DD1 and elcs with dd2. In recovery room after delivery with both got DH to pop robe thing down on one side and on they went.

Where is the problem?

Because they didn't crawl up me?

Sounds like a bizarre video.

i had 2 planned sections and really looked forward to them, enjoyed them, and babies born quickly and safely and recoveries amazing. mode of delivery isn't really important to me but i am glad they went so well.

but breastfeeding is very important to us (fed first for three years, through preg and tandemed, second feeding now) and we did biological nurturing without any problems with both (first after a slower start) although i guess analgesia may affect the process to a lesser or greater degree.

but i simply have the gene missing that would put my back up about that dvd. i think an unmedicated birth gives best possible chance of successful biological nurturing but it doesn't mean its unachievable with a medicated birth.

but i'm in a minority, perhaps, being both happy to have medicated births and also being an extended bfeeder.

oh and you didn't have a failed labour (i assume the baby is out?)

I had no drugs and an easy peasy labour and dd didn't crawl! She is still a lazy bugger right enough!

what is biological nurturing?

I think it must mean birth methods that affect the baby's or mother's ability to do this immediately after delivery. E.g. pethidine administered too close to the birth potentially making the baby a bit whoozy; CS making the mother unaccessible.

I think the tone of the message is wrong and so think YANBU - I think what the mother says goes in respect to how she wants to deliver (unless MWs know it will hurt the baby) so 'encouraging' is a stupid word. Most mothers would wish for no intervention 'in an ideal world' so if they are asking for an epidural or whatever, it must mean they are in severe enough pain to have overcome any internal debate in terms of what's ideal for the baby.

It should just be a fact along the lines of 'Medicated or interventional births may interfere with this nursing instinct.' Then if it means that much to the mother she can take it into consideration when requesting medication.

I should say, some CSs making the mum inaccessible. I realise that's not the case if you have a local/epidural.

"If it isn't true, then it is propaganda."

No, propaganda can be true.

It is the context in which information is presented that makes it propaganda.

Is skin to skin contact that important though? Isn't a load of boob enough? I don't like being naked, and a naked baby seems wrong to me, so I instinctively wrap them up. None of my DC had skin to skin (full body) contact with me.

God I am so sick of seeing that video.

Lynette you can be covered and so can the baby, you just cover over the baby with the baby skin-to-skin with you. Voilà, no naked people! I was told that there was some evidence that skin to skin is great for newborns.

I had a shit load of drugs whilst giving birth including a shot of pethadine about 2 hours before DD came out (they didn't expect me to dialate 5cm in 2 hours!). DD did the little crawl up, latched on and hasn't let go in 2 years!!

I think videos like this are really unhelpful and just load the guilt onto new mums who are already feeling vulnerable.

oooo last week I wrote an essay on skin to skin, wont bore you all with it, but it has many nice benefits and no bad effects making it a win win. As Lynette says no need for nudity just cover you and baby togther.

Well, I'm not having any more babies, but what exactly are the benefits of skin to skin contact? What have my DC missed out on?

As far as I know, benefits include; regulating temperature; regulating breathing and heart rate; baby gets 'good' bacteria; cuddles are good (that is my one). If your babies are healthy, it may not make any difference. Kangaroo care started for premature babies, I think and seems to really help them.

Sorry it was Mrs Terry PPratchet.
lynetto your babies havent missed out on anything, they are happy arent they, I hate that everybody is made to feel so bad about everything they did or didnt do. Sorry if I said something that contributed to that. mums are made to feel guilty about everything.
As mrstp says the benefits are regulating breathing, heart rate and temperature and increasing security as baby gets close to your smell and heartbeat which are familiar, which can be very imprtoant with neonatal babies, it is also a nice cuddle, but I bet your babies still got plenty of nice cuddles.

Finally, I get the credit I deserve .

I'll second, third and forth your point that we need to stop telling mothers to feel guilty and start giving them information and letting them decide what is best for them and their families (I exclude men from this because I don't think they get as much guilt). It happens around so many issues that it is a miracle we are not all a bag of nerves all the time. Just this week I was given criticism advice about; vaccinations both for and against; teeth; sleep; food; speech. DD is healthy, happy and I think wise. Ignore, ignore.