Women in France being forced to wear masks during labour

[Aprild25]

Just saw this. Really gave me the rage.

www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-8834045/amp/Women-France-felt-like-suffocating-forced-wear-face-masks-childbirth.html

I could barely wear clothing during labour (midwife kept covering me back up ) a mask would have been impossible!

No gas and air in Portugal either, unless you go private!!

What can they actually do?

They threatened to leave the women to labour alone. No doctor, nothing.

In Italy they don't offer gas and air and epidurals are only for an emergency in many hospitals

No gas in other countries? The poor fuckers. I love the stuff. I even make out I need it when I’m having my stitches. I don’t of course because they numb you, but any excuse .

Still though. It would be awful to wear a mask in labour and I certainly wouldn’t comply. Not with all that heavy breathing and sweaty face etc. How awful.

Is it only me that wouldn't be bothered wearing a mask? I don't find mine uncomfortable or restrictive.
Ineffective maybe but barbaric, no.

I didn't have gas and air and I survived... It's not available in many many European countries.

Also, yes wearing masks during labour is horrible but these countries are doing their best to protect their staff, patients and babies as best as they can and the public (and labouring mum's) accept they have to do what they have to do to keep everyone safe. The UK is shocking when it comes to following the rules.

@PicsInRed

What can they actually do?

They threatened to leave the women to labour alone. No doctor, nothing.

Surely they open up to be sued if anything goes wrong during labour?

It's absolutely disgraceful, a truly disgusting way to treat a woman at a time of such vulnerability and suffering. Ugh I've hit peak Rona today!!

@fewming

It's absolutely disgraceful, a truly disgusting way to treat a woman at a time of such vulnerability and suffering. Ugh I've hit peak Rona today!!

Completely agree I'm seething at this haha. It will be completely ineffective anyway because you breathe so heavily in labour there's no way a mask is containing it. One of my friends vomited the whole way through labour as well and that's quite common

This has really given me the rage. As a former midwife, as a woman and as a human being.

Why on earth wouldn't the staff wear PPE rather than the woman??

Yes vomiting!

I was lucky not to, but I know plenty of women do

Are they supposed to pull their mask down, Chuck up, pull it back up only to do the whole thing again?

How is that sanitary

Don’t be so ridiculous, it’s not “barbaric” - not everyone can have a lovely free flowing labour, try being induced and on the drip before complaining about wearing a mask!

Gas and air is not available in Germany either I don't think (or it wasn't when I had DD in 2005).

@doireallyneedaname

Don’t be so ridiculous, it’s not “barbaric” - not everyone can have a lovely free flowing labour, try being induced and on the drip before complaining about wearing a mask!

Always one person who has to one up it.

It is barbaric. Like someone upthread said, If someone came in after a car accident or something, was in complete agony, a mask wouldn’t be put on their face.

But because it’s “just” a woman giving birth, it’s seen as necessary

Astonished about the gas and air!

Why is it not available?

It’s the Daily Mail.......I’d not assume every detail is correct.

Certainly where I live drs can’t refuse to treat anyone who won’t wear a mask (in my experience it’s very common for people to refuse), most births are attended by midwives not drs, many patients coming in for other reasons (eg elective surgery) are swabbed and screened via questionnaire, and staff wear PPE to treat all patients.

Once again I can only be thankful that I’m in the apparently unusual position of being able to tolerate a mask for up to 14 hours at a time no matter how stressed or hot I am - eg running cardiac arrests - as I would be unemployable if I could not do so.

Well what I took from this thread is women are more outraged about bloody gas and air than the fact labouring women, hot, sweaty, agonised women bringing a child in to the world, are forced to cover their mouths and noses. Staggered.

It is worth bearing in mind that almost 80 percent of French women will have an epidural during childbirth.