I watched The Business of Being Born last night, and it reminded me of the bad hospital experience I had with Elizabeth.
I had contractions starting at 11 pm and spent all night rocking back and forth in my bed while Kevin timed them (half asleep). Once those suckers were 3-5 minutes apart (at 4 am) we got in the car and headed for the hospital.
I thought that I could finally just relax and focus on labor, but the night shift nurses were serious bitches. They already had 3 other women in active labor and didn't want to deal with a 4th. Since I was only dilated to a 3, they didn't admit me. They ordered me on the Dead Man Walk around the hospital and talked to each other about how they wanted to send me back home.
I was in misery, and couldn't believe that they wanted to kick me out! I could barely walk! My contractions were hard and coming closer together, and I remember telling Kevin that if they dared to send me home we were going to wait in the parking lot for 15 minutes and walk right back in.
At around 5 am I said, "The hell with this walking," and laid down in the bed. The nurses ignored me, and I turned on my side and ignored them. I was in pain, and if they wanted to send me home they'd have to drag me out of bed to do it.
Minutes later, my water broke and soaked everything. Since I was the Leper of L&D, I asked Kevin to change my pad and the papers underneath me. (By the way, you know your husband loves you when he CHANGES YOUR NASTY PAD.)
So when a nurse finally came in, we told her my water broke and the pads were in the trash. She dug out the pad, wiped it on a test stick, and then screamed to her friends at the nurses station, "Great! Her water broke! Now we have to admit her!" Then she stormed out without even looking at me.
Next thing I knew, I had an IV jammed into my hand and a cocktail of pitocin and stadol running through my veins. The pitocin cranked the contractions up to unbearable levels while the stadol did nothing by make me feel loopy and panicked. I curled up into a fetal position and went into my own little world of moaning and twisting the bed rails through the pain. I didn't want Kevin to touch me and I can't even remember if he was in the room--I retreated into myself.
Nurses came in to check on me and jack the pitocin higher and higher, and by the time I dilated to 7 I couldn't take anymore. I asked for the epidural.
After that, everything was great. I went from 7 to 10 almost instantly. Dr. Loompa was running late so I had to hold Elizabeth in (imagine "holding in" the biggest dump of your life and that's about what it felt like) until he showed up. Then? 6 pushes and it was all over at 12:30.
25 hours of labor, and only 9 of them were spent in the hospital--but damn, those nurses were pissed to have to deal with me for those 9!
Anyway...back to the documentary I watched...
I knew pitocin helped speed labor up, but I didn't realize that it makes contractions harder, longer, and worse! When the nurses crank the pain juice up, it makes women beg for the epidural. The epidural slows labor down, so more pitocin is needed. Then the uterus is contracting around the baby so hard that the baby's heart rate goes down and it goes into distress--so here come the emergency C-section.
So...why use the pitocin? Why not let a woman's labor progress naturally?
Well, look at my birth story! Either your labor is progressing quickly or the hospital wants you to get the hell out of there! They don't have the time, staff, or funding to sit around holding a laboring woman's hand for 20 hours.
After watching that, I googled "refusing pitocin" and found a few nursing boards full of L&D nurses complaining. They roll their eyes at the women who want natural birth and left comments like, "If that's what they want, then they need to go to a birthing center or do a home birth!" or "I hate it when these couples walk in with labor balls and birth plans and don't know anything!" and "If she refuses pitocin, send her home."
Wow. Just...wow.
I guess I need to write a birth plan that states NO PITOCIN, but I feel like birth plans are pointless. Who reads it? Does anyone at the hospital give a shit? Or do the nurses just roll their eyes, file the lame birth plan in your chart, and then do whatever they want/need to do anyway? I wrote one for Elizabeth, and guess what? It sat in my bags--out in the car--because we were always one step away from being kicked out! No one ever asked for my opinion or cared if I had one.
I hate that I'm ready to start my 9th month and I'm tensing up for a fight at the hospital.
What's your opinion about birth plans? Did you use one? Did it do any good?
36 comments:
I had a birth plan and my Dr. wasn't open to it at all. In fact SHE (!) wouldn't even look at it. I felt completely out of control. It was a pretty serious labor/delivery (I had a high risk pregnancy)and I felt I had no options with what happen to me. It took me 11 yrs. to agree to get pregnant again, that's how traumatized I was. This time, I'm 9 weeks along, I'm seriously considering hiring a doula to advocate for me during my labor.
You know, I didn't have one but just because my friends who did have one were upset when something wasn't going right in their plan they had.
I was induced. I was put on pitocin and when I got to a 3 and felt a contraction I got the epidural. I wasted no time waiting to get the drugs! I got the drugs, they upped the pitocin and I was in labor for about 3-4 hours, 3-4 pushes (and an episiotomy) and he was out. No biggie!
I say don't have a plan...just go with it...take it one step at a time!! You've been to this rodeo before!
Sounded like I was bragging about my WONDERFUL labor process. Sorry...mine just happened to be very easy But I think it had to do with getting on drugs super fast!
I think a birth plan is a good idea in that you should share with Dr. Loompa that you have some reservations about how things went last time. Otherwise, not to sound like a major know-it-all here, but my second labor was so different from my first that all my concerns after round one were never even an issue for round two. FWIW I had pitocin both times, but always after my epidural, and have no complaints about the drug since when used correctly it can do a nice job. Not to discredit your experience, just to provide a point of view for decision making. That is my two cents, but a birth plan that is a simple list of what you would like to try and/or hope to avoid would be a good jumping off point for a talk with the hospital staff/Dr. Loompa so you don't have a repeat of last time. Long winded answer, but there you go.
It will all be okay and hey, you get a baby at the end, what could be cooler than that?
Birth plans are okay, but no one really pays attention to them. However, as a nurse and mom of three, you ALWAYS have the right to refuse! You absolutely can say "I do not want that medication". Hopefully you wouldn't refuse anything in an emergency situation, but I totally agree with you that the use of pitocin in a normally progressing labor is ridiculous. I was induced with my last two children, and it definitely does make the contractions stronger, but I also think it depends on your pain level. I did not have epidurals with any of my babies.
If you don't want pitocin, DON'T HAVE IT! Seriously, it's your body and your baby and damnit, if there is no medical reason for you to have it (and really, there probably won't be), tell them to ef themselves and leave you be.
I didn't have a birth plan, I was induced the first time and went in to labor on my own the second. I was definitely more aware of what I did and didn't want the second time but luckily I didn't have to voice any of it b/c I was boring and had a text book labor/delivery.
I don't have any kids (I'm new to your blog by the way :) ) but your story makes me furious on your behalf. How awful to have such crappy nurses...and in labor too!!! wow...I'd be nervous too if I were you! Are you going to the same hospital?
I think it's good to have a birth plan but the hospital never even read mine. My midwife did and went over it with me so that she was clear on what I was ok with and when. I wish I had known about pitocin. I was induced twice at the end of my pregnancy. The first one didn't take. We should have known then that our daughter was a slug a bed! Pitocin made labor much harder. A week after the first induction they had to use pitocin again to get labor going. 16 hours later they were ready to do a c section but then my daughter got down to business. I was lucky that the hospital was fully staffed, they weren’t rushing me, and my midwife was very supportive.
Make sure your hubby is willing to speak up for you. If you want to labor at your body's pace, or want the pain meds right now, your hubby can be your best advocate.
you need to find a new hospital. I would also write a letter to the hospital. Those nurses were biatches. Im glad I had the most amazing L/D and Mother/Baby Nurses. I did not have a written birth plan, but I feel like my wishes were listened to and met.
That is TERRIBLE! I had a birth plan and all the nurses read it and then the doctor on call read over it. Mostly it was that I wanted a natural labor unless it was medically necessary to do something else... or if I was about to murder someone :) The nurses were actually glad that I had a birth plan, saying most people haven't thought far enough ahead to plan, and they stayed with me through my whole 7-hour labor. Yes, I had a very very easy labor but they acted like they would do absolutely anything for me. That is what a nurse SHOULD do - why would you even be a nurse if you didn't want to help those in need? I agree - you should find a different hospital (I know that's not always possible).
I totally agree with the person who commented before: have your husband be your advocate and find a new dr/hospital. I chose a group of drs who promote going into labor naturally and don't do elective c-sections. There are 4 drs and so one of them is always at the hospital. This avoids having a strange dr deliver me. Also, if you ever experience a rude nurse, your support team around you needs to make a huge deal out of it at that moment. They have bosses and their bosses probably don't want them acting like that. I specifically have chosen a baby friendly hospital bc of the wonderful compliments people have given the birthing suites.
Pitocin isn't a horrible drug by any means, when used correctly, you can avoid a c-section with it. However, I wouldn't want pitocin unless I wasn't progressing at a decent rate and that's only AFTER the epi.
As for that movie, I've seen it. Very very biased and filled with 'facts' that are skewed or taken out of context. The point that their selling is that hospitals are bad and midwives at a center or your house are the best way to go. They are promoting what they do because duh, its their job!! Lol This idea that our bodies know what to do isn't always true. Nature can be very very cruel. I know you can't exactly switch drs now, but if something doesn't feel right, you don't have to just lay there and take it. Since labor isn't the time for us to be fighting a battle with the hospital, your husband has to do it for you.
Birth plans are something you can do, but they rarely get followed since every birth is unique. If your family knows your opinions and wishes, it will probably be better than some 3 page plan.
That being said, I have a few friends who have had home births or gone to centers. Some loved it and others said never again. If you have a nice, quick birth of a 6lb baby who was positioned correctly, you probably would think hospitals are bogus! But if you have a 9lb baby and get stuck at 5cm regardless of all efforts with back labor.. You'd probably think ppl who go med-free are nuts.
Ok, right now I am ashamed of my profession. I just want you to know that not all L&D RN are like this. I work with some and they are pretty amazing.
Back to the plan, I think that it is good to have one. I don't think that you have to write it down and give it to ppl but just know what you want but also you have to be flexible because things can change. Know your rights as a patient, you have the right to refuse any treatment at any time and they can't make you go home. Its the law.
A plan, at least in your mind, is a great idea, but I think it is more important to talk to your doctor beforehand and get him on the same page as you! Let him know how you want the labor to progress in an ideal situation, and talk with him about what your options are if things don't go as planned. I can tell by how you write that you're not a meek soul - unless you are in an emergency situation, stick up for what you want!!
I, too, watched that movie after the birth of my first when I ended up with an unplanned C-section (after hoping for a natural birth). I know it was a biased view, but it sure is an eye-opener to the slippery slope we are on when we choose a hospital birth in a situation where doctors and nurses aren't in a position, for whatever reason, to let women labor naturally. Fight for your right to have this baby your way, whatever that is!
Wow. I would've been livid by the bitchy nurses! That's ridiculous! I honestly wish when I was pregnant with my first son (was barely 21 when I had him) that I was more educated about being induced! I definitely would've waited! They started me on pitocin and he didn't like it, his heart rate kept dropping, and I didn't progress past 3cm for 18 hours! I ended in a c-section...sad.
I'm amazed that I am saying this, but "anonymous" (btw Amanda and Jen) sounds right on track to me. you can write plans all you want but having your husband by your side in this is the most important thing of all. Talk to him. Let HIM know what you want. His job is to advocate your wishes. As for ANY medical procedure, remember, you are the customer, with (insurance) dollars to spend. You're not happy, Squawk! It's an open market out there and you have a blog with (We're not sure* ha-ha) number of readers out here. Threaten to go public if you aren't satisfied.
Power to the preggos!!!!
wow, the way you feel is just horrible. if you deliver where i work that wouldnt be the case! i am a labor and delivery nurse and i just hated reading what you had to write. it makes me so angry and sad that you felt that way and still feel that way. sounds like you need a new hospital. not all hospitals and nurses are like that. I work in a place that is not always pitocin and not always epidurals. i am really lucky to work in a place where we look at the whole picture. where labor is natural. where labor is different for each woman. where not everyone gets pitocin.....also,,,,nurses dont start pitocin unless the doctor orders it. If you are progressing at a normal rate at least 1 cm an hour and you arent in any danger of infections like if you water is broken for over 18 -24 hours then by all means you dont need pitocin.
Having a birth plan is fine. I read all of my patients birth plans and it helps me get to know my patient better....however. just keep in mind...not all plans go as PLANNED! Sometimes there are interventions that need to be done for the safety of you and baby. and each hospital has specific protocols they have to follow in case of an emergency. I wish you the best of luck. Just remember, not all nurses and doctors behave that way and order pitcin on all patients. I wish you could deliver where i work! we would take great care of you! and the second time around is usually easier! my advice is to stay home as long as you can! if you come in to the hospital at 5 cm, they wont send you home!!!!
Your labor nurses sound like they were awful! But I think you may have misrepresented the nurses on the message board. I read through their responses because I was outraged that someone would say anything like that.
What I heard when I read their responses was a disgust with the system they work in. The hospital system today doesn't allow them to give individual attention to people. I believe the suggestion that healthy low risk patients use a midwife and have a home birth or use a birthing center was meant to be helpful. If they did that they would have the ability to have one on one care without invention. With the current hospital system they are forced to rush nature because people are scared of malpractice lawsuites. That with a lack of funding for staffing makes the hospital a rough place to give birth.
The nurses were also disgusted by the lack of knowledge patients are given about the birthing process. They aren't informed of what birth is like. They also seemed disgusted by inducing to early and not letting nature do some of the work.
I don't mean any disrespect by my comment. I love reading your blog and following your story. I just felt that the nurses on the board got a raw deal. There are some bad ones out there for sure but most of the nurses on that board seem to really be against a rock and a hard place.
I had one, and though I never busted it out of my bag, I definitely used it. I had it memorized and it allowed me to be really up front about wanting natural birth (or wanting to try, at any rate). When I first went to the hospital at 4 cm, they also made me do the Dead Man Walk. 4 hours later, and still at a 4, the doctor said to me (who was clearly in pain and tired) that if they admitted me, I'd be on their schedule. And that schedule would eventually mean pitocin if I didn't catch up quick. Or, I could go home, work through the night in labor, and come back in the morning. So that's what I did. If I hadn't told them right away that I didn't want pitocin, I might not have known that by admitting me that night, I'd probably get it.
I also had a doula who REALLY advocated for me. She made sure that I knew ALL of my options all of the time, and she was a lifesaver that night at home while I labored from 4 cm to 7. In the end, I had natural childbirth in a big university hospital. Did I get a couple of eyerolls from one or two nurses? Yep. But I didn't care. The other ones were really happy that I did it naturally. I don't think they get to see it very often!
I had pitocin with both of mine (inductions) and I was fine until they broke my water, then pain was suddenly x10.
My sister went into labor naturally, HORRIBLE back labor pain finally got her to head into the hospital, and @ 4cm, they wouldn't admit her either!
Our hospitalized medicalized way of delivering babies here in the US certainly leaves plenty to be desired, but my opinion is go into labor without a plan.
Roll with the punches, baby!
Good luck.
Three kids, never had a birth plan. I delivered each one at a different hospital and each experience was totally different.
I was lucky though, none of my experiences were bad. My 3rd was the best delivery. Even though I had a difficult pregnancy, delivery was a breeze and free of complications (unlike the first 2).
I also never had a bad experience with pitocin. Induced with my first 2 (complications were due to babies getting stuck and cord around the neck of my 2nd). My labors for all 3 were fairly fast though.
Wishing you the best of luck with whatever you choose!
I think if you have a plan it has to be very simple. And you need to discuss it with your OBGYN beforehand so you are both on the same page.
This was mine:
No Pitocin
No Epidural
No Episiotomy
Deliver Kneeling or Standing
Baby on Chest after delivery
The first time I got the first three items, but I ended up delivering on my back because the old school substitute OBGYN had no idea how to birth in any other position. And preemie baby had to be whisked off for immediate nursing care - so no baby on chest.
The second time around, baby was footling breach with a foot already out the hole so I had an emergency C. The Pitocin came AFTER the C. There was a Spinal instead of an Epidural. Belly Incision instead of Episiotomy. Delivery behind the curtain. Baby zoomed to the nursery with dad. The Pitocin after the C was the WORST. I basically had one long, painful 5 hour contraction until I demanded that they stop the pitocin altogether.
Some birthing processes are smooth and go according to plan. Many do not. I hope yours DOES go smoothly and according to plan this time!
Wow. You have an icky hospital! (And the boards, remember, are always full of complainers - who really goes anywhere to spew sunshine and light?) I had a plan - not written, but in my head - and I threw it out the window. I wasn't given pitocin, and I would not have taken it knowing what I know about it. And I'm old enough and confident enough in myself that I don't care if they don't want me there or what they think of me... it's MY birth and they can deal. Figure out what you want and just remind yourself that it's for you....
I had a birth plan...I was doing it natural all the way....and 18 hours of hard labor later...screw that. The night nurses at our hospital were brunhildas and I was afraid to ask them anything. I actually changed my daughters planned name because of one of them. She was to be EmmaLeigh (after family members)...She ended up as Kathryn(Kat)...there was a nurse...Emma Lee (first and last name)...who made me cry after all night in labor...and before they gave me drugs to make it move more rapidly...yeah right....then we went from 12 hours of irregular labor....to 18 of 3-5 minutes apart...so much for plans.
Ooooo. Dangerous to watch so far into pregnancy; you are brave! I didn't watch the movie, but I read the book at 34 weeks, and got REALLY pissed at myself for not exploring midwives/birthing centers (that my insurance probably wouldn't cover) more.
I wanted a 'just watch and make sure we don't die' type of birth; I took a suggestion from the book and instead of spelling out everything in detail in my birth plan, I did a "We wish to include" & "...exclude" pair of lists and listed a bunch of things.
Everything didn't go according to plan (I did end up with a small dose of pitocin after they broke my water at 9cm and nothing happened for 2 hrs), but I felt my wishes were respected. I did flat-out tell the nurse "NO" several times when she wanted to do a scalp electrode (he was moving a lot -as always- so the monitor kept losing his heartbeat). Just keep repeating 'no'!
I had the same kind of reaction to birth plans as some ^ others (total disregard). I just kept referring to it in conversation (we laid it on the table next to the bed) and staring at them until they looked at it (4/5 did).
DEFINITELY: find another hospital if you can; write down some guidelines, even if you don't take it with you; and have your husband be your advocate. If you really don't want something (like stadol) and there is no medical indication for you to have it, there is no reason on the PLANET why they should force it on you. I told my husband (who's the don't-rock-the-boat type) that he had to grow a pair since I was. He made sure everyone who stepped in the room knew about my allergies. :)
Also, may I just say - I cannot recommend the squat bar enough!! I pushed for 15 min. on my back (excruciating!) until I insisted they put the bar on the bed like I had asked. After that - not so bad (really!)!
This is a giant issue for me. Since I had my first son, I am very interested in birth. I watched The Business of Being Born and it was incredible. I've watched a few other movies and read lots of books and websites, and sometimes think that being some sort of birth advocate or midwife is in my future when my kids are bigger.
I second this: you do not have to have pitocin. Yes, the doctors might want you to have it. But it's your body and your baby. I KNEW that pitocin put you into hard labor fast, and I made sure I had an epidural BEFORE they started it. But with what I know now, I'm having this baby with a midwife in a birth center, no pitocin, no nothin'.
The biggest thing I wish that most women knew before having babies is that they can say no, and they can control their own experience to a much higher degree than they may think. I think making a birth plan is worthwhile, because then you have it all out in the open ahead of time. I'd suggest giving it to your doc soon. I'd also suggest that when you get to the hopsital, give it to the nurse. If you don't like your nurse, ask for a new one. If you want to try a natural birth, request a nurse who supports that. It can make a big difference.
Like Carrie said, sometimes it doesn't go according to plan. A birth plan is more like the ideal that you want, but there should always be room for 'what ifs' or flexibility if things go differently than you expected.
My 2 cents . . . stadol is the the devil. Relieved ZERO pain but sure made me be quiet so the nurses could go through my "natural" childbirth in peace.
Next two kids - epidural. Woo Hoo!
That second one, my husband about killed the evil nurses.
That third one, he pulled the nurses aside and told them we weren't leaving there with out a baby (even though I was 15 days early).
My husband was totally my hero. Well, him and the super guy that administers the epidural!
Baby plan? No point.
I was induced with my second 9 weeks ago with pitocin, and didn't have much trouble with it. But my nurses were happy to adjust the level of pitocin that was working the most comfortably for me. A birth plan sounds like a great idea. I did not have much of one, except, yes I'll try the pitocin, and heck yes, give me an epidural for humongo baby! :)
That movie is definitely biased, but I do think it had some good points. If you're up for reading anything else, I'd recommend The Best Birth (not to be confused with YOUR Best Birth, which is by Ricki Lake). It's written by a L&D nurse who thinks natural birth is great but also points out that the ultimate goal is a healthy baby.
I was going to write a birth plan but now I have learned that I'm going to be induced at 38 weeks so I am going to go with the flow.
I say now that you've educated yourself (and have some idea what you want) you should just go in determined to roll with the punches. Births almost never go as expected and stressing out over it will just make it worse. The most important thing is a healthy baby and mom and whatever else happens in that 24-48 hours will soon fade into the recesses of your mind.
I saw that documentary and I think those women are LOONY and with the ending it made no sense.
P.S. I think you look pretty in the picture you just put up.
Dave and I wrote something out between the two of us as a reference, but never handed out copies at the hospital or anything. Our first delivery was hell on wheels (nothing to do with the nurses who were wonderful) and our plan each time is just to get the baby out as safely as possible. I did refuse Stadol at each delivery after my first (like you, I still felt everything but was too out-of-it to tell anyone I was in pain) and no one cared. I had to have some Pitocin with each delivery because much of the problem with my first delivery is that my uterus does not contract hard enough on its own to get a baby out, at least not without some pretty frightening complications. (Long story) It seems to me, though, that yours was doing fine on its own. I would say talk to Kevin and get a really firm idea between the two of you as to what your expectations are and present a united front at the hospital (knowing that Kevin may have to do a lot of the talking once you are in active labor). I have always had great nurses, so I don't know what to tell you about dealing with the hags that work at your hospital. Maybe there has been some staff turnover? (fingers crossed) Keeping in mind that the ultimate goal is always a healthy mom and baby.
I had a birth plan and midwives at a birth center and it still didn't matter...for them. I still am glad I knew what I wanted.
I saw The Business of Being Born and wished I would have considered switching gears in the last part of the game. I would have preferred a home birth.
My labor story is on my blog if you want to read a positive natural child birth experience. I was in a birth center, I had as much freedom of motion I could handle, I ate and drank when and what I wanted, and I labored drug free in a warm tub for most of it.
Natural childbirth has its pros and isn't all about women trying to be superior to hospital birthing women. There are real risks to hospital birth.
It is smart to be educated about what ALL your options are and then feel good about whichever choice you make.
If you want stats about birth in the US from an independent source, Amnesty International which is a human rights organization, read: http://www.amnestyusa.org/dignity/pdf/DeadlyDelivery.pdf
I don't know much about this myself (3 c-sections, long story) but I do know that thefeministbreeder.com has a lot of great information about better birthing. And no, you don't have to have pitocin.
So I had a birth plan for the last one but then I took a Bradley class so that I would feel more prepared.
I had my water broken but was in labor already and that just made it go faster. Bradley helped me to breathe and relax or if I forgot, my husband would tell me to breathe.
There is no reason for the nurses to treat you that way. I would also write a note.
My first was delivered by a nurse/midwife. My second was delivered by a nurse. And my third, I was coached through the delivery by a nurse. Because my third had to be turned internally not feet to head but back to front. She had been through it so she helped me to understand the process.
If your nurses were the pits then definitely say something.
I'm so sorry you had to go through that.
I must have doctor wonderful in the most amazing hospital ever, because they pass out fill-in-the-blank birth plans in the 3rd trimester, and I had lunch after the doctor broke my water, and it was no big deal. (I'd discussed it with the Dr. ahead, and it was in the birthplan, which he'd approved.) They did double-check with my doctor, and let me know that if I ended up needing a C-section I'd have to be asleep... I'd rather be sleeping when someone's doing Major Surgery!!!
Seriously, consider a doula or a midwife. Let your husband know what you want. Try getting in some water - the shower, a bath, whatever you can get, even if it means staying home longer. Even just take a girlfriend, sister or Mom along - someone to ask questions for you, to remind your husband to eat (I did that for some friends and it was an AMAZING experience), to be there to hold your hand. Even in a very good hospital, there aren't enough nurses to do much in the way of holding your hand.
For "informed consent" to be meaningful, there MUST be room for "informed refusal." Tell them NO. I told them I didn't want to talk about pain (I was doing hypnobirthing & wanted a drug-free birth) and that short-circuited all the discussions about pain/drugs/other interventions.
I must say, my husband is trying to get a new job, and that will likely come with an out-of-state move, and I'm NERVOUS about how am I going to find a new doctor & hospital as good as the one I've got now??? My husband is dead set against a homebirth.
So I just watched this documentary..I am a mom that went through a vaginal birth that almost killed me & my son and am due for a c-section next week because of my first experience (which by the way was almost 12 years ago.) This will be my 2nd and last baby. I read these horror stories of women being 'forced' into pitocin or whatever (and I believe you did feel forced-don't get me wrong) and the only question that comes to mind is 'Didn't you research the hospital first?' That was all I could think of when I watched this movie..the people who want to bag on hospitals as a whole are wrong--even 12 years ago, I delivered with a midwife in the hospital which is-unfortunately-one of the reasons things went so badly. Had she swallowed her pride and called a doctor in sooner, my son & I would have done better. Now, I believe that was her, not her profession..my point is, there ARE hospitals who have midwives and doulas and alternative methods. I guess I grew up on a farm and wasn't a stranger to what birth was going to be like. I did no birth classes and had few questions except for what the hospitals rules and policies were.
Maybe the push should be for hospitals to compete for business...yes, real health care reform (not Obamacare)Hospitals with more choices and health insurance companies who cover alternative birth centers, etc will obviously come out ahead..and so will moms at that point.
Anyway, didn't like the way this movie insinuated all OB's & MD's are pitocin/c-section crazy.
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