Everytime I Watch OBEM I Shout, 'GET UP'!

[Treadmillmom]

Oh, it so winds me up, slow labours, forceps, episiotomy...why the hell do I never hear a single MW say;
change position
get on all fours
stand up
go for a walk
Grr. I watched it last night and that 25 year old with the dyed red hair who ended up with an episiotomy and threatened forceps I just didn't understand why no one suggested she shift!

"Also, don't most women even with epidural move off their back? When I had it I was on my side, sitting up on the edge of the bed, on my back for VEs only and at the end, on all fours resting my upper half on the back of the bed. They got me to move a lot."

I think a lot depends on the type of epidural as some equidurals cause complete paralysis. Also if the hospital insists on continous monitoring through out then it becomes hard to move about. I remember being told off very sternly for figditing when I was in labour with ds.

Women's experience of labour tends to be based on TV where the norm is to lie on your back and scream. Its almost as if women are hypnotised to expect extreme pain by watching Eastenders or OBEM.

"To be fair, though, a lot of labour positions are not "natural" either.. I don't ever find myself on all fours with my head down and swaying my arse in the air in everyday life!"

But then you're not having contractions in every day life!

Me too! Dh gets very annoyed at me :). I'm surprised it's not suggested, as my understanding is that an active birth reduces the risk of intervention. I had an epidural with ds1 after induction and couldn't even shift myself up the bed. Was induced with ds2 and was continuously monitored so despite being upright until I got to hospital I was forced to lay on my back so they could get baby's heartbeat and I just wanted to get up, was more painful and didn't feel right. Was lucky that I didn't need intervention with either.

Yes, but lying on your back is what some women above have said they wanted to do. and if it's what their body is telling them to do, then.. well.. that's natural too!

Incidentally re: continuous fetal monitoring, someone told me recently that you can have scalp electrodes and remain mobile.. is this true? Are there risks?

I've been continuously monitored for 2 births. I really couldn't bear being trapped on the bed. The first time I made them stretch out the wires and sat on a ball or stood up with hands resting on the bed. The second time I had a wireless monitor so could wander around in the room. It is possible to not be trapped when you're being monitored but you have to be insistent. I didn't have epidurals but if I'd have been made to stay on my back I'd have probably needed one.

I agree with onebirthplaneveryminute. Despite reading about active births, I couldn't bare to move during labour. The pains got so intense when I stood, I stayed firmly put! I don't think it lengthened my labour or caused problems neither, it is perfectly possible to push a baby out whilst laying on a bed.

I wonder if it's oartly to do with filiming too. It must be a lot easier to get good shots of a birth where the mother stays still in one place and they can get cameras positioned.

It wasn't about the wires for me chocolatemarzipan, but when I moved they lost the baby's heartbeat. With ds1 I wanted to be on all fours and ds2 I wanted to stand and both times they lost the heartbeat until I went back to laying down :(

"me recently that you can have scalp electrodes and remain mobile.. is this true?"

A scalp electrode involes sticking a pin into your baby's head. They have to put a hand up your fango, possibly break your waters to attach the electrode. Having a scalp electrode isn't pleasent for either the mother or baby. Its another wire that inhibits movement of the mother.

My experience with the birth of ds was much like cinnamongreyhound's. I think that regular checks with a soncaid is a better way of monitoring the fetal heart beat. I feel that continous monitoring causes more problems than it prevents.

Why would the Supervisor of Midwives tell me that it would help me to move then?

Sorry I don't understand this continuos monitoring and it confused me when I saw it on obem as this never happened at my hospital birth they would just occasionally check baby's heart beat with the same thing the midwife does when your pregnant?? What is the need for it?? I had a very active labour and remember thinking the bed was my enemy! Tho I did eventually end up on the bed sitting up giving birth with my legs in the air as the modwives didn't like me squattung cos I kept pushing my bum to the floor with every push so they could not see. Anyway they only show the most extreme cases on obem cos it makes good tv and for all we know the women may have had active labours but they only show the bits where they are lying on the bed.

I had CFM and apart from examinations and the delightful experience of delivering in stirrups, spent none of the labour on my back, it hurt to much. I was either on my side, on a ball or kneeling up leaning over the back of the bed.

Of course some women want to be on their back or they don't want to move, that's fine we're all different, but it does seem odd that we rarely see women moving about or being advised that a change in position may help things along.

susiegrapevine I had CFM because I was induced, the drugs the use in the drip can lead to foetal distress so they need to make sure that the babies heart rate is ok at all times.

I was also induced later on in labour, contractions came on hard and fast right after each other once the drip was in. Baby's heartbeat was being monitored continuously due to all the bleeding (placenta started coming away). The monitoring definitely did not affect my pain threshold and my DH and I played many hours of cards between contractions in the early stages :)

I also think it can depend on how the baby is lying and where the pains are coming from, which varies so much for each woman and each pregnancy. First stages of labour my back was so painful it was the last place I wanted to be, but later on, I can't explain to you why, but it was the only place I wanted to be! I was being encouraged to role over onto my side, but communications with me at that point were rather hard...

The above being said, my bed was in an upright position so I wasn't actually flat on my back, rather sitting on the bed...

Olga was asked if she wanted to get up and walk around but said no.
I agree it would be a lot better to show more active births but also agree that for whatever reason they are not chosen by the editing team/ producers whathaveyou.
The midwives always seem to ask before examining and explain what they are doing all the time. They have the patience if not the patients of saints IMO.

I totally agree, after a forceps and epidural for my first labour, as soon as things started to happen second time I didn't stop moving and had a really short, natural water birth. Every time I have watched Obem I have been amazed at how much the women are static! But tbh I haven't watched all of the series, so maybe there are some more active births I havent seen- hope so!

I get tired by all the judginess if a woman doesn't want to move around, but prefers to have an epidural.

If you don't want to have an epidural, but move around, all the power to you. Doesn't mean that another woman's different choice is so wrong that you're in the right to shout at the TV.

And maybe intermittend sonic aid gets less in the way of moving around, but does it give the same quality of information as a trace?

Thanks Everyone now understand the continous monitoring. I don't think any way of labouring is wrong what I think people are saying is the obem does not show a balance of all different types of labour it just seems to show the non moving intervention type but I guess its cos it makes good tv tho they do say there are other birth videos online to get a more balanced view I guess never watched them myself.

wow a lot of birthing elitism going on here....well done you for being so active and fantastic and shame on all of us who listened to our bodies, made our OWN choices, and birthed how we wanted within our parameters. Get over yourselves your narrow minded views are EXACTLEY what puts the everyday woman against this birthing technique and people who judge you for not wanting to do the downward dog whilst pushing a 10lb baby out! Some woman like to birth in bed, some CHOOSE the epidural, some CHOOSE to move around. In labour you have no choice but to follow what your body wants.

And before I get the envitable flaming I did move around until the drip put me in a dark place where all I wanted to do was lie as still as possible inbetween hideously awful contractions..my body, my choices!!!! and yes I did choose the epidural..it was F**king fantastic!