OBEM 29/02

[LetsKateWin]

Have you got your tissues ready?

I couldn't find a thread so I thought I'd start one.

If Olga didn't want Victor to be present at the birth that choice should obviously have been respected.

It isn't a spectator sport and it's not about his experience, but hers. I felt so stressed for her when he kept trying to go into the room.

I agree with MrsDeVere, how unkind to call her a drama queen - she was in labour and probably frightened. She would have coped better by herself imho.

Why do so many contributors see midwives and obstetricians as the enemy? Do you really think that we deliberately make birth difficult and more distressing for women? That if only we did nothing every thing would be fine and every birth would be lovely and straightforward? It makes no sense for us to make things more difficult for women as it then makes life harder for us as well. Nothing could be easier for a midwife than a woman who just comes in, labours and delivers with no intervention. I am not saying that birth is not sometimes over managed or that some interventions are unnecessary but this thread consistently sees every intervention, every use of pain relief, every slightly clumsy use of language as some crime against women. You are not there and do not see the full picture.

I was thinking about Victor and thinking that he needed to be there for translation of the big stuff. I think that there was alot of translating edited out, her mum spoke no english and she had almost none, but by the time the drug for speeding up contractions had gone in her mum was well informed, I believe that Victor had explained even though he was then not in the room.

This is all supposition and not knowledge but it made sense of it to me.

Well said Esmeralda. My pregnancy and birth could not have been more medicalised (is that a word).
I didn't care. I had a live child at the end of it.

I had a stargazer baby with my first too. The problem is that if it's not diagnosed til the epidural is in place, there really is no way to manouver yourself onto all fours. I pushed for more than 2 hours to get her out, had stirrups but thankfully no more intervention that that, though they did start threatening the forceps if I didn't make more effort . Ds was also back to back but staying upright helped him turn. The one I'm carrying now is also back to back and you'd have to konck me out before I agree to lie down. I know midwives aren;t superhuman but I would have thought an OP baby is pretty easy to palpate? I can clearly feel my litte one's limbs at the front.

I also wonder about informed consent that if Victor hadn't been there that proceedure would mean the hospital would have to try to find a translator to make sure she knew what she was agreeing to in the case of emcs etc?

ffff DS2 was the wrong way round and high up 1 hour before he was in my arms, in that hour, he turned then dropped and was out. I guess the medical staff sometimes wait to see if baby turns??

Esmerelda.. what proceedures are there for mothers who have no english and no partner/friend to translate?

Well that's put me right off the LGI. I really hate that blond consultant.

It said at the start that Olga had refused the offer of a translator being present (I don't know why). I guess the hospital are in a difficult position - if someone objects to a particular person being present, they can't exactly refuse to treat her can they? (a genuine question - I have no idea).

I quite like her. She is calm and appears compassionate.

The things I have noticed in this series are: nearly always on bed, lots and lots of people in room, not one person leading the management of labour (although no-one in the room for quite long periods as well), bright lights, we never seen discussion around pain relief or choices.

Perhaps it's the camera angle that means we only see beds and stirrups, but it does mean we're not seeing the whole birth experience, or perhaps we are?

Just finished watching this weeks on OD. Poor Victor i did feel sorry for him when she asked him to leave just after his DD was born.

Methe

"I agree about the forceps last night.. The lady said " I don't want forceps" and the Obs said " i'll just go and get the forceps trolly"

Yeah, and if she hadn't gone and got the trolley, and the baby had died or suffered permanent brain damage, it would have been the evil obs who didn't do their job properly, too.

I don't think they do these interventions for the fun of it because they get bored between drinking lots of cups of tea

With DS1 I was pretty much told what was going to happen. Not bothered. He is currently playing the piano and not in a box as he would have been if the midwives and doctors hadn't taken charge. It is a very hard job and a fine line to be walked.

OFP - dd wasn't back to back. I forgot I gave birth on my knees .

WidowWadman - They didn't exactly discuss any other options and seek to get her consent though did they?

The consultant inspires confidence imho. I'd feel safe with her and to me that's what matters.

Like many consultants she comes across as arrogant, but I see that as confidence in her ability.

I didn't like how last week she called the woman who lost a baby previously a "first time mum" and I guess I find her a little lacking in empathy, again with the forceps tonight it didn't seem like they got her consent or offered choices.

Might this have had to do anything with the editing Ms Weatherwax. I'm pretty sure that you have to sign a consent form for forceps

Widow I can't speak for everyone but I definitely did not sign a consent form for forceps, and at the time I was able to do so and there was time.

I wonder if Vicky had previously said (on her birth plan for example) that she would consent to forceps if she had to - consenting isn't the same as actually wanting them (I can't imagine that anyone would actively want forceps!) - she may have said "I don't want forceps", meaning "I want to avoid forceps if I can" rather than "I don't consent to forceps". It would have been clearer to everyone there what she meant.

I would say "I dont want forceps" and expect that to be accepted and for me to be offered a caesarean!

I like the consultant, I think she does come across well and inspire confidence. I'd be happy for her to be my consultant so please don't think i'm putting her down, i'm not!

This series of obem has been edited really poorly and the choice of births to show has been appalling. Why include 2 women who have had epidurals in the same episode, why the preference for showing highly medicialised birth and forceps? Vicky on wednesday was fab and her husband was lovely but I have no idea why they included Olga in the show at all.

The first 2(?) series were much better.