Never before have I experienced something quite like I experienced this past week... and I have a feeling that it will be a long time before I do again. Between Tuesday, March 8 and Tuesday, March 15, I had the privilege (and I mean PRIVILEGE) of supporting three beautiful, strong, inspiring women as they labored hard and birthed their babies. With their permission, I want to share some of their stories and give you a look at what this week was like for me.
3.23.2011
3.07.2011
Mama Knows Best... Thoughts on Switching Care Providers
This post has been brewing in me for some time now. Let me start with a disclaimer... as a doula, I have enormous respect for the men and women who are medically trained to provide care for pregnant women and their unborn babies. I believe that most have the best intentions in mind when it comes to caring for their patients. I know that they pay one of the highest malpractice premiums out there. I think that many are doing the very best they can do.
That being said, I've had a number of women in my life, friends and clients alike, who've shared that as they got further along in their pregnancy, they felt uneasy about their relationship with their respective OB. For some of these women, as they brought up their hopes for labor and birth during a prenatal appointment, they found their OB not all that supportive or willing to really listen. When asking to discuss their birth preferences plan, their OB snidely responding with "It's the patients who come in with a birth plan who end up with an unplanned c-section." For others, they felt like their OB had a typical way of going about things (suggesting induction at 39 weeks and/ or urging induction at 40 weeks, performing cervical checks starting at 37 weeks, etc.) and when the patient questioned if this was medically necessary or just routine, the OB growing visibly frustrated and curt with the patient.
These women who've shared with me aren't demanding or inflexible in nature. They aren't trying to be difficult or suggest that their OBs don't know what they're doing. They've simply wanted to have a two-way relationship with their doctor- one where they can ask questions and share their wishes for their prenatal care and impending birth, without feeling belittled or like what they've researched is all bunk because they're not the one who went to medical school. They are hoping that the one they've entrusted with the care of themselves and their unborn baby would be open to conversing and making the best decisions for their care based on their individual situation. Some of these women have chosen to stick it out and remain with their OB despite not seeing eye to eye and others have chosen to look elsewhere for a care provider who is more in line with what they're looking for.
That being said, I've had a number of women in my life, friends and clients alike, who've shared that as they got further along in their pregnancy, they felt uneasy about their relationship with their respective OB. For some of these women, as they brought up their hopes for labor and birth during a prenatal appointment, they found their OB not all that supportive or willing to really listen. When asking to discuss their birth preferences plan, their OB snidely responding with "It's the patients who come in with a birth plan who end up with an unplanned c-section." For others, they felt like their OB had a typical way of going about things (suggesting induction at 39 weeks and/ or urging induction at 40 weeks, performing cervical checks starting at 37 weeks, etc.) and when the patient questioned if this was medically necessary or just routine, the OB growing visibly frustrated and curt with the patient.
These women who've shared with me aren't demanding or inflexible in nature. They aren't trying to be difficult or suggest that their OBs don't know what they're doing. They've simply wanted to have a two-way relationship with their doctor- one where they can ask questions and share their wishes for their prenatal care and impending birth, without feeling belittled or like what they've researched is all bunk because they're not the one who went to medical school. They are hoping that the one they've entrusted with the care of themselves and their unborn baby would be open to conversing and making the best decisions for their care based on their individual situation. Some of these women have chosen to stick it out and remain with their OB despite not seeing eye to eye and others have chosen to look elsewhere for a care provider who is more in line with what they're looking for.
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