You're a what?

[NotSoInnocent]

So I'm a Doula and one of my clients is in very early labor. (I just woke up from a nap... I love my job.) She's still not "due", so we went to the hospital because she wanted to get checked out. (She's at 3 cm out of 10, so not a big deal yet.)

Her doctor is a military doctor and thus not too keen on "going natural"... He'd already planned to induce her labor at 38 weeks! (Two weeks early) And was making noises about a C-section! They won't stop her labor at this point, but they won't do anything to speed it up either.

So we get to the introductions...

DR: Doc
CL: My client
CLH: Client's hubby
ME: Yeppers

DR: So what seems to be the problem today?

CL: I've been having contractions about 5 minutes apart all day.

CLH: They're starting to get a little stronger, too.

*blah blah... explanations and such*

DR: *turning to me, with a snide tone of voice* And you are?

ME: I'm her Doula.

DR: Her what?

ME: Doula. Professional labor coach.

DR: *with an expression like he'd just stepped in dog crap* Oh... You're one of those "nature" people, aren't you. I hope you know that you're going to have to stay out of our way when things get started.

ME: Dr. A****... Your patient hired me so that I can help her have as natural a delivery as she can. If you're going to be calling me a "nature person"... you should think about the fact that she hired me and is, therefore, a "nature person" too.

CL &CLH: *nodding and glaring at the Doc*

DR: *as if it pained him to even have us there* Fine... *to CL* You're not progressing. Go home. Come back when your contractions get really difficult. I'll have the paperwork for your epidural ready when you get here.



So he's obviously going to try to overrule his patient's wishes. I'm so glad that I get all the patient's rights stuff from every hospital that I have to work with. At least I can keep my client informed about what she can do to keep them from doing anything she doesn't want.

And now back to helping her walk to get the contractions going stronger....

[Chanlin]

Yes because ticing off a woman who may or may not be in labor is a potentially good idea.

Honestly until I read your threads on this I had no idea such a thing existed. but then I'm a guy so I have a bit of an excuse for ignorance there. But on the same token I have enough sense not to mock or look down on someone else's profession. Especially when it deals with giving birth.

[Evil Queen]

Gee, does that "A" stand for Dr. Asshole?

[Ree]

I'm confused, who was the sucky customer here?

Then use the report button if you think the post doesn't belong here.

[videodrone]

I don't know much in the ways of childbirth, but I wouldn't be too hard on the doctor here. He should have been nicer if his tone was the way I imagined it to be, but maybe they have had problems with others getting in the way of their work. Still, could've been said nicer.

[tropicsgoddess]

What an ass. Quite a bit of doctors would compromise or go with their patients' wishes depending on the situation, but for that Dr.Asshat to completely overrule his patient when they're damn near ready to give birth, shoo her away and have her go home is incredibly stupid.

[clod75]

ass... I wish I had a doula... I had my hubby who kept asking me to "tell me when you're having a contraction! Sweetie? Can you tell me? Are you having one?...Sweetie?" lol.... *puff puff* yeeeah, I think I am, duh lol.

[AdminAssistant]

Um, when Big Sis squeezed out Monster the doctor was there 1) to induce (30 minutes) and 2) to catch (45 minutes). That's IT. The rest of the time it was just a nurse and her bemused family. The doctor wasn't really a big part of the process, IMO. Too bad your client doesn't have time to change doctors, because that guy sounds like a Grade A ASS.

Yes, epidurals can block the pain - but it's a needle going into YOUR SPINE. (correct me if I'm wrong about that) When Mom had me, her epidural slipped giving her serious back pain, and it really didn't do Big Sis much good. I can totally understand why some women wouldn't want to deal with it, especially if you have hired someone to help you through the process.

[Sliceanddice]

Yes because ticing off a woman who may or may not be in labor is a potentially good idea.

Honestly until I read your threads on this I had no idea such a thing existed. but then I'm a guy so I have a bit of an excuse for ignorance there. But on the same token I have enough sense not to mock or look down on someone else's profession. Especially when it deals with giving birth.

i knew what they where, i use to asperiactions to be a Doula, or Nurse Midwife, asperiactons crushed upon the realisation that my Dislexia and mariad of learn disorders made medical a fain dream as i cant memorise all the bones, and the their names, and the names of the things on the bones, and all the muscels and cells, and bacteria, and how to perfectly spell all of them enough to get more than 56 on a test.

butwhat is funny when i can explain nouanses of child birth a nursing teacher had no clue about and shoe video proff

[Ree]

Hmmm...odd. When my daughter was taking her prenatal classes, I went with her, and in all the movies that were shown, and the literature that was handed out, they mentioned using a doula. (It's not common practice in this area, as there aren't a lot around, so the nurse who was acting as instructor explained what a doula was for those unfamiliar with the word.) It's funny that this doctor didn't seem to realize they perform a specific function and are now recognized in hospitals as a part of the birthing team.

I always thought they performed the same services as a birth coach, or act in union with the mother's partner to make the labour as easy as possible for the mother. They don't usually kick the birth coaches out or treat them badly unless they're interfering with the process, so I really don't understand this doctor's attitude.

[daleduke17]

Then use the report button if you think the post doesn't belong here.

Isn't MC's question valid? I was confused for a couple seconds as well until I re-read the original post.

[Ree]

Isn't MC's question valid?

It may be valid, but we have been having a major problem lately with other members calling each other out in the threads and I am really growing tired of it.

This probably doesn't belong in sucky customers, but I'm really not sure where to move it, since it does involve suckiness on the part of the medical professional. Perhaps "General" since NotSoInnocent is talking about an issue with her line of work?

The thing is, as mods, if members don't report to let us know there is a problem with a thread, we don't always see it. I didn't actually pay attention to the forum it was in, as I read posts by doing a "New Posts" search, and hitting on the titles that catch my eye.

If the member had simply reported and said, "I don't see a sucky customer here," the mods would have had a chance to say, "Hmm...that's true, maybe a forum change is in order."

Does that make sense?

[ThePhoneGoddess]

It's funny that this doctor didn't seem to realize they perform a specific function and are now recognized in hospitals as a part of the birthing team.

I always thought they performed the same services as a birth coach, or act in union with the mother's partner to make the labour as easy as possible for the mother. They don't usually kick the birth coaches out or treat them badly unless they're interfering with the process, so I really don't understand this doctor's attitude.

This is a big issue in the US, Ree.

There are some doctors who will unresponsibly recommend c-sections because it gets the birth over with faster and makes more money for the hospital.

There are also some doulas who will interfere with doctors medical decisions because of their beliefs about doing things naturally.

Consequently, doulas and hospital staff are often at each other's throats. Some hospitals in the US actually forbid doulas altogether, and many medical professionals assume that all doulas are out to undermine their authority; many of them have the same attitude toward midwives as well.

http://www.gentlebirth.org/archives/...SJ2003Jan.html

[rerant]

I don't know much in the ways of childbirth, but I wouldn't be too hard on the doctor here. He should have been nicer if his tone was the way I imagined it to be, but maybe they have had problems with others getting in the way of their work. Still, could've been said nicer.

I respectfully disagree with this. Yes the doctor could have been nicer, but he was still a major ass, belittling NSI's profession and essentially his patient as well, not to mention ignoring her wishes.

[monolayth]

I think here that the key to this all was that he was a military doc.

They are not known for respecting people's wishes. Since most of the people who they treat are the military's property.

Although I thought that the military docs stopped handling births about a decade ago. Or at least they did in my neck of the woods.