So we’re interviewing babysitters. You know, just to have on hand for those last minute date nights. Last minute is the key word with us, it’s hardly ever planned.
Well the girl we interviewed today is 21, and a pediatric nursing major who will be graduating this may. Babysitting is obviously the side gig. She came and spent a few hours with the kids while we hung around the house and just observed. Willem even warmed up to her and ended up lounging in her lap.
In the course of conversation we talked about hospital births (veering off from Trillian and her birth) and she started talking about her maternity rotation at L&M hospital.
“Yeah I saw a LOT of c-sections there.” She says… “and they like to rupture the membranes… made me wonder. Why not let it rupture spontaneously? why do they ALWAYS rupture the membranes there??”
I asked her how the nurses there seemed to act about it. Were they complacent about the maternity care standard? Did they care or was it “eh, whatever the doctor wants I’ll do.” As from experiences there, I saw nice ones, and ones who were overbearing. But I didn’t ever see one who would be outgoing about a natural – drug free birth. In fact, they’d just leave the room. No support.
Which was one thing about Yale I liked. They’d leave you to yourself, but at the same time they knew how to support someone wanting a drug free birth.
Nurses can/do advocate for their patients. But from her experience there at L&M… they didn’t seem to care. It was how things were done, and that was that.
It’s heartbreaking.
Not only that, but she told me they gave her a “run down” of how to show a new mom to breastfeed. Then later told her.. “go show that mom how to breastfeed.” She was dumbfounded.
Here’s this young 21 yr old. No kids of her own, never breastfed…only given a “description” of how to show someone else to do it. And she’s supposed to show OTHER moms how??? Sorry, but after having even my first kid I couldn’t have shown someone else to do it, or even help them around an improper latch. It’s insane that they expected her to teach someone else.
2 dirty dishes:
I was totally blessed with extraordinary nurses who were supportive of my natural birth. In fact, they were so excited that someone didn't want to have an epidural, they all wanted to do what they could to help me. Several nurses helped, encouraged, and coached me when things got intense and I was tired of my hubby's voice, lol.
And of course, there was the nurse who chewed out the OB on my behalf, telling him I did not need or want the intervention he was suggesting. I know my experience is the exception, not the rule, though, and that is so sad. My nurses helped make my natural birth possible.
I am not surprised because of their intervention rates. I am SO glad you ended up going down to Yale!
Have you seen or learned anything about the Connecticut Maternity Care Worst to First project?
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