We are taught in uni that labour and birth is normal, do not interfere and facilitate physiological processes as best as possible... Yet over the past two weeks on the labour ward I have seen very little if anything physiological. The place is heaving with intervention and medicalisation!
So much induction of labour, pushing of pethidine and epidurals (of course some of it was completely women's choice but I do not feel that midwives encourage and support women to use their bodies and avoid the meds) and complete reliance and over use of CTG's. I experienced a number of times where the phrase "Luckily you got the epidural just in time!" because when the VE was done post epidural the cervix was 8cm or even fully dilated. It just got a bee in my bonnet because the thought was in my head~ why did the midwife not engage with the women more and realise all her labours had been super quick and she actually wasn't completely gone on an epidural because she didn't like the idea of being stuck in a bed for 8 hours after baby was born? I found that out from a couple of minutes of chatting whereas the midwife was so stuck in the paper work. If she had given the time to talk to the woman, focus on her thoughts and support her through the contractions I really feel it could have been different.
I'm not blaming individual midwives. I do not feel that midwives are personally thinking they want this birth to be full of intervention. I guess it comes down to the system of birth that is in place in hospitals and the socialisation that occurs once a midwife is in that system. Yet it still irks me! Midwife= 'with woman' and yes physically the midwife is there with the woman but I feel emotionally and psychologically there is a complete lack of connection. These expectant mothers and their partners are coming into an unknown place for a very special time in their lives and are usually quite nervous and often confused yet they are being seen as just another load of necessary paperwork and another day at work...
What can we do as student midwives to change this trend? Or even affect in in an individual way?
Personally I try my best under the difficult circumstances to connect with the women and their partners, allow them the space to relax and speak their feelings. But it is difficult...especially when as a student you already feel at the bottom of the ladder. Last week I gave a woman the choice of sitting on the bed or out on the birthing ball, she chose the ball and found it very comfortable. Only problem was she had to be on the CTG... The midwife ended up getting annoyed as the CTG wasn't staying put without someone holding it and insisted the woman get into the bed. She was so uncomfortable there and I felt ridiculed for giving her a choice and causing the trouble! Regardless I will keep trying to be 'with woman' and I really hope I am part of a normal birth sometime soon!
What's your experience? What do you do to find the normality and bring it to life?
So much induction of labour, pushing of pethidine and epidurals (of course some of it was completely women's choice but I do not feel that midwives encourage and support women to use their bodies and avoid the meds) and complete reliance and over use of CTG's. I experienced a number of times where the phrase "Luckily you got the epidural just in time!" because when the VE was done post epidural the cervix was 8cm or even fully dilated. It just got a bee in my bonnet because the thought was in my head~ why did the midwife not engage with the women more and realise all her labours had been super quick and she actually wasn't completely gone on an epidural because she didn't like the idea of being stuck in a bed for 8 hours after baby was born? I found that out from a couple of minutes of chatting whereas the midwife was so stuck in the paper work. If she had given the time to talk to the woman, focus on her thoughts and support her through the contractions I really feel it could have been different.
I'm not blaming individual midwives. I do not feel that midwives are personally thinking they want this birth to be full of intervention. I guess it comes down to the system of birth that is in place in hospitals and the socialisation that occurs once a midwife is in that system. Yet it still irks me! Midwife= 'with woman' and yes physically the midwife is there with the woman but I feel emotionally and psychologically there is a complete lack of connection. These expectant mothers and their partners are coming into an unknown place for a very special time in their lives and are usually quite nervous and often confused yet they are being seen as just another load of necessary paperwork and another day at work...
What can we do as student midwives to change this trend? Or even affect in in an individual way?
Personally I try my best under the difficult circumstances to connect with the women and their partners, allow them the space to relax and speak their feelings. But it is difficult...especially when as a student you already feel at the bottom of the ladder. Last week I gave a woman the choice of sitting on the bed or out on the birthing ball, she chose the ball and found it very comfortable. Only problem was she had to be on the CTG... The midwife ended up getting annoyed as the CTG wasn't staying put without someone holding it and insisted the woman get into the bed. She was so uncomfortable there and I felt ridiculed for giving her a choice and causing the trouble! Regardless I will keep trying to be 'with woman' and I really hope I am part of a normal birth sometime soon!
What's your experience? What do you do to find the normality and bring it to life?
I love that you are writing this blog. I'm in nurse-midwifery school in the US, and have wanted to start a blog for a while...you are inspiring me!! Before going back to school, I was a doula in NYC, and watched the scenario you're describing happen over and over. Thankfully, I did work with some wonderful midwives and physicians who were exceptions to the rule, but in so many ways it felt like a huge fight not to allow the medicalization just take over completely. The continuous monitor caused so many problems because the nurses needed a "good" strip, but mama really needed to move and work with her body. I will start the midwifery part of my training in late August this year, and I am curious to see how it goes. What I know from watching various practitioners over the years is that it is possible to fight the system once you have a little more power as a midwife. As a student, I feel like I have even less power than I did as a doula, and it's an awful feeling. For the moment, I'm trying to remind myself that I am bearing witness to this crazy system and taking notes about how I can function differently when I'm a midwife. I'm looking forward to reading your future blogs. Know that there are student midwives around the world who are struggling with the same things...hopefully, we can support each other along this journey and fight to take birth back.
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