Here's a story - a true one to help us understand why birth is as it is.
This is the way and 18 year old saw her first birth two days ago - her
elder sister's first baby.
Due 30.12.06
Booked into a small hospital, shared care with midwives and GP.
Planned normal birth.
Good pregnancy; no problems.
Early labour; membranes ruptured or leaked - slight old mec stained
liquor (grade 1) - TRANSFER to tertiary hospital.
So no longer 'normal' in family's eyes.
3pm. Birthing now with strangers.
Hassle over number of support people - 2 sisters, mother and partner -
different policy at this hospital.
CTG applied - no ctxs registering, therefore she wasn't in labour
(machine was faulty).
Graduate midwife on - first day, nice, sweet, introduced herself.
Senior midwife 'crabby' - didn't introduce herself, constantly made
negative comments about 'young staff', undermining.
8pm Request for pain relief (plan was for none, maybe to use water -
small hospital allows water births/immersion, not this one) - pv finds
cervix at 3cm.
Staff change.
Really crabby midwife now on duty - sweet one leaves.
Morphine given about 8.30-8.45 pm
Team still hassled about numbers - taking it in turns to support.
(This hospital has the smallest waiting area and the family waiting for
this baby alone numbered 10 - includes the immediate support - only 3
chairs in waiting room ... hospital with 800 odd births per year).
Very quick labour once well established to birth at 10.30pm .
Baby OK for about 10 minutes, then went into respiratory depression,
required resuscitation, narcan, to SCN for night. Some panic and
everyone asked to leave ...
!8 year old's perspective;
The birth was sort of OK - big sister smiled a lot BUT birth is so scary
- terrified of baby needing more help. I'd be too scared to come home.
The good bit - that the partner helped to lift baby out. The staff -
apart from the new graduate, they'd all forgotten that it was my
sister's special day - they were pretty awful and tired and grumpy.
Noone explained that morphine might have that effect on the baby.
Hospital space was shocking - small, cramped, unwelcoming. She was
yelled at for using the wrong corridor by another grumpy person (she
didn't know there was another one to use - and she's not stupid!!).
and so it went on.
This is what is wrong with birth today.
Crabby, grumpy, panicky, unwelcoming, scary, lack of information...
Sue
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