Do you realize that a lawyer, hairdresser, or even the guy who washes your car is the same as the doctor you go to for your healthcare needs?
They are all paid professions. YOU pay them to provide you a service! Meaning that they work for you and that YOU are the ultimate decision maker in everything.
Yes, doctors are the ones that go to school for years and have the degrees, I’m not denying that.
That does not, however, give them authority over your body.
Your doctor can’t tell you what to do, and yet, that is happening every day in Obstetrics and many other areas.
Your doctor sees you, collects data, and gives you his/her opinion, then it is up to you to go over the opinion, with information they provide you, and decide what the best next step is for you and your family.
It is also wise to see multiple doctors and get several OPINIONS before making a decision so that you have more information and a better understanding in making that decision.
I interviewed a friend recently where she shared part of other a story from a friend's hospital birth experience.
This story was from a mom who was a homebirth transfer to the hospital do to some health reasons. Upon arrival she was adamant that she didn’t want any interventions and let them know exactly what she wanted, advocating for her desires. The L&D staff convinced her to allow a saline drip line which they then used to add pitocin into after the delivery of her baby “to speed up the delivery of the placenta”.
They didn’t ask her if they could do this or even inform her they were doing it. Could you imagine having worse contractions after your baby was already delivered?
Does that sound like they had her best interest in mind or that they took what she asked into consideration?
No! That is failure to give information and allow for informed consent.
This was about controlling the time in which her labor was complete instead of allowing her body to continue in that process naturally.
How many women don’t even know that they administer other things through that saline drip/IV line? I, for one, wasn't aware of this when I was pregnant with our first child.
This is also why having a birth doula to support you is also important. You can’t possibly pay attention to all the things that are going on around you while you are birthing your precious baby. Having someone there who knows what you want and that can advocate for you allows you and your spouse to focus on the important things, which in my opinion is you staying relaxed and in a state of calm, breathing easily, without tension allowing your body to progress through the natural stages of childbirth.
This is why we speak out, encouraging families to start learning what to expect and decide what you want through your care, and how to navigate your care so that you are able to advocate for the pregnancy care and childbirth experience you want.
With knowledge you have the power in your corner to stand firm in your decisions and to seek the care that fits your needs and your vision.
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