2012 conventions 2012 election 2013 session arts arts and culture author ballot measures basketball bomb books boy scouts budget bullying business charlie hales children clackamas climate change coal college courts crime culture culture club democrats drugs economy education environment family film fluoride food gay rights guns handguns health health care health insurance high school history housing immigration internet kitzhaber law legislature lgbt literary arts living marijuana marriage media medicine mental health military minor parties mohamed mohamud movies music native americans news newspaper obama olympics oregon our town parenting pers photography police politcs politics port portland portland business journal president prevention public safety religion republicans rnc romney rural salem sam adams sandy hook schools science shooting sports suicide supreme court taxes technology terrorism theater third parties transportation union university of oregon washington wildfire women

I'm currently 16 weeks pregnant with my 3rd child. I had two hospital births that were in turns tramatic and depressing. Things were done to me without consent, no one listened to me, I was told not to make noises when I pushed, and was otherwise bullied.

This pregnancy I started seeing a nurse midwife in a doctors office. We discussed the births I'd had, the birth I want, and my personal risk factos. At the end of that discussion my nurse midwife recommended I transfer to a birthing center because she couldn't give me the birth I desired in the hospital. Not wouldn't. COULDN'T. I think that my nurse midwife refered me out speaks volumes!

The biggest issue I hear time and time again from other moms is the issue of OB's being c-section happy and hospital policy not allowing for the birth they want. You MUST follow this predetermined schedule or you get "help" whether you want it or not.

A very good friend of mine is also pregnant with her third child. Her first, she had to have a c-section because her baby was breech. Her second, she was at a hospital that would allow VBAC and she was able to successfully deliver. This time, she's in a new area where she'll be faced with driving an hour and a half to a hospital that will allow VBAC because no one in her area will. That shouldn't be the case. A woman shouldn't have to go so far in labor to avoid being cut open because it's policy.

THAT is why women chose to birth out of hospitals. It's not some hippy-dippy incense and scarf reason, it's because that's how where we HAVE to go to avoid unnessecary interventions and have a healthier delivery.

posted 2 years, 9 months ago
view in context

I think it's important to point out, many women wouldn't mind doing "riskier" deliveries in a hospital, if hospital policy allowed it. However, they don't. They have policies that force you to go else where or submit to a c-section. Hospitals are the issue. If my midwife could deliver me in a comfortable setting within a hospital so I was RIGHT THERE just in case, then I'd do it. But they can't. They can make it some what more comfortable, but nurse midwives have to conform to hospital policy, which means no breech attemps or twins. And the majority of hosptials in Oregon have a strict no VBAC policy.

Women aren't trying to endanger, midwives would likely love to have the same freedoms in a hospital setting, but they can't. It would be nice if we could adopt ALL of their policies.

posted 2 years, 9 months ago
view in context