Natural Birth

The Doctors - anyone watching?

I'm watching that show The Drs right now and Dr Lisa, the OB/GYN, was talking to 2 pregnant women about labor and delivery. Specifically they were talking about c-sections and epidurals. When she described a section and how "simple" it was, she made a comment like, why dont more women do it this way? Not sure if she was entirely serious here, or if it was a joke. 

And then she described how an epidural works. They were saying how the drugs don't enter the bloodstream and cross into the placenta, so an epidural isn't bad for the baby. But here's the kicker, she went on to explain how the stress hormones your body releases during labor, do cross the placenta, and THAT'S what's bad for your baby!

The only mention of doing it without pain meds was saying that "you don't get a gold star" for it.  Unreal.

But I do have a question. Does anyone know the truth to what they said about the epidural meds NOT crossing the bloodstream and affecting the baby? I had always heard otherwise. 

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Re: The Doctors - anyone watching?

  • Epidural drugs reach the baby at a rate of about 30% of what the mother receives... just a few of the studies that show that babies recieve the medications across the placenta:

    1. Thorp JA, Breedlove G (June 1996). "Epidural analgesia in labor: an evaluation of risks and benefits". Birth 23 (2): 63?83. doi:10.1111/j.1523-536X.1996.tb00833.x. PMID 8826170.
    2. Torvaldsen S, Roberts CL, Simpson JM, Thompson JF, Ellwood DA (2006). "Intrapartum epidural analgesia and breastfeeding: a prospective cohort study". Int Breastfeed J. 24. doi:10.1186/1746-4358-1-24. PMID 17134489. 
    3. Camann W (July 2007). "Labor analgesia and breast feeding: avoid parenteral narcotics and provide lactation support". Int J Obstet Anesth. (3): 199?201. doi:10.1016/j.ijoa.2007.03.008. PMID 17521903.

    They flat out tell you it does here, although they say it is in 'small doses'... the problem is that a newborn has an incomplete blood brain barrier, a meniscus between the brain and outside influences... this means that the medications (such as buvidacaine) can easily reach, and affect, baby.. including respiratory depression and early breastfeeding issues.

    Even the PDR states that these medications, when administered through an epidural, do cross the placenta and reach the neonate. 

    Hope that helps you...

    BTW, this infuriates me... what happened to informed consent?!

     

     

  • BTW2 - I think Dr. Lisa is an idiot - she thinks:

    • home births are about the rooms looking 'homey' (uh, not nearly)
    • empowering means no epidurals... (she even states med professionals will be hands off... how many have you seen that are TRULY hands off??? I haven't seen very many at all in my 10 years of doulaing)
    • doctors 'always want to empower women' even though they don't give them accurate information and try to scare them with inaccuracies in order to coerce them into consenting to interventions that they don't want.
    • Fistulas are about not following labor properly??? In fact, fistulas are common in third world countries because of female circumcision and malnutrition.
    • hospital birth ensures live moms and babies - in fact, we have one of the worst maternal mortality rates of the developed country... being in the hospital does NOT always ensure a safe birth and, many times, for a healthy low risk woman, can mean more risk.

    I could go on and on.... She talks in circles because she can't keep her inaccuracies straight... 

    I love (dripping with sarcasm) that she says, all within 30 seconds, 'we empower women'... but 'if you want to take risks with your babies life, that's your choice'.... wow, that's empowering... 

    (take a look here and here)

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  • wow! thanks so much! what you wrote in your first response is pretty much what I'd heard in my pregnancies (without the studies to back it up), so that's great to know. 

    And I agree, it is infuriating. The whole show is silly and I often question what they say.  

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  • I can't watch that show because of her.  I harbour a deep, flaming hatred for her... and I'm so not a hateful person!
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  • imagefirsttimemama:
    I can't watch that show because of her.  I harbour a deep, flaming hatred for her... and I'm so not a hateful person!
    that. lol
  • I just happened to catch that clip today by chance & ended up putting it on the DVR so I could show it to DH.  I cannot watch that show because of her. She is an idiot & a drug pusher. She makes women out to be wimps when it comes to childbirth - and her saying that delivery is so risky & such and that homebirth is for morons.

     

  • I stopped watching that show a long time ago b/c, once again, as a medical professional I find myself yelling at the TV! On a positive note, the pedi and the ER doc are nice to look at!
    The Knot won't share my Bump Siggy, so here's the low-down: 4/27/07 - Got engaged! 8/31/08 - Got married (to my best friend)! 12/30/08 - Got Pregnant! 9/3/09 - Welcome to the world, Elias Solomon! 8/16/10 - Got Pregnant, again! 5/14/11 - Welcome to the world, Talia Hadassah! 1/14/12 - Ready or not, here comes #3 (EDD 9/27/12)
  • LOL at this whole thread.... makes me glad I don't have TV!
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  • imagefirsttimemama:
    I can't watch that show because of her.  I harbour a deep, flaming hatred for her... and I'm so not a hateful person!

    This! She's such a feminist, yet she believes in intervening in the most empowering act of feminism there is, like we can't do it!!! I remember one episode, she got soooo offended that the guys were eating sushi off a beautiful woman's body, yet she thinks nothing of slicing a woman open a and yanking her baby out! Another thing that just bugs the crap out of me is that she refuses to take her ridiculous heals off at all costs, even when they do an exercise segment, there she is looking like an idiot exercising in her heals!

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  • imageJoelsGirl07:
    I stopped watching that show a long time ago b/c, once again, as a medical professional I find myself yelling at the TV! On a positive note, the pedi and the ER doc are nice to look at!

    Aaaahhhhhh Travis, he's on my "list":)

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  • I don't watch that show, but if that lady is like what the pps are saying, I don't think I want to watch the show.  UGH.  Such misinformation.
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  • You guys will enjoy this post: https://www.theunnecesarean.com/blog/2009/8/13/the-fallacies-and-falsehoods-of-dr-lisa-masterson.html

    I haven't ever watched the show (also don't have a tv), but she sounds horrific. 

    DS1 - Feb 2008

    DS2 - Oct 2010 (my VBAC baby!)

  • imageSawyerplus1:

    I'm watching that show The Drs right now and Dr Lisa, the OB/GYN, was talking to 2 pregnant women about labor and delivery. Specifically they were talking about c-sections and epidurals. When she described a section and how "simple" it was, she made a comment like, why dont more women do it this way? Not sure if she was entirely serious here, or if it was a joke. 

    And then she described how an epidural works. They were saying how the drugs don't enter the bloodstream and cross into the placenta, so an epidural isn't bad for the baby. But here's the kicker, she went on to explain how the stress hormones your body releases during labor, do cross the placenta, and THAT'S what's bad for your baby!

    The only mention of doing it without pain meds was saying that "you don't get a gold star" for it.  Unreal.

    But I do have a question. Does anyone know the truth to what they said about the epidural meds NOT crossing the bloodstream and affecting the baby? I had always heard otherwise. 

    Vomit.  Stuff like this makes me so mad.

    Traveling the world with my girls - born 12 months and 18 days apart.
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  • I HATE THIS SHOW!!!  I have always refused to watch it because I dont want to give them the ratings.  It makes me so mad the way doctors are worshiped. (I have seen a couple episodes and that is how I came to my opinion)
  • imagenosoup4u:

    You guys will enjoy this post: https://www.theunnecesarean.com/blog/2009/8/13/the-fallacies-and-falsehoods-of-dr-lisa-masterson.html

    I haven't ever watched the show (also don't have a tv), but she sounds horrific. 

    wow....

    I usually just have the tv on while I do some housecleaning, and I only have 2 channels so it's often on The Drs, but maybe I'll have to put on some music instead. I never realized Dr Lisa was that bad.  

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  • Yeeeeeah, I stopped watching that show last year when they talked about "stupid and dangerous" homebirth was and then interviewed ONE PERSON who had a bad experience with it. They ended with a "See?!?! Don't let this happen to you" type attitude.(And I didn't even have homebirths!)

    You know, it's one thing to spew negativity about something that they don't agree with, but quite another to blatantly give false information, such as saying that the epidural does not cross the placenta or enter the bloodstream. I mean, if a doctor told a patient that and then the baby had a bad reaction, couldn't they sue for it??

    I hope no one actually watching that show takes it seriously...

    "Get your facts first. Then you can distort them as you please." ~ Mark Twain
  • imagepinkeggs:

    Yeeeeeah, I stopped watching that show last year when they talked about "stupid and dangerous" homebirth was and then interviewed ONE PERSON who had a bad experience with it. They ended with a "See?!?! Don't let this happen to you" type attitude.(And I didn't even have homebirths!)

     

    Yeah, I don't watch it anymore either. The crazy thing is, Dr. Sears DOES support home birth, his siblings were home births and his wife had home births. He DOES support alternative, natural treatments... but the rest of them don't, He was supposed to be the balance in the group, but they always misconstrue his words or drowned him out. It is frustrating. His dad is the famous Dr. Sears of The Birth Book, The Baby Book, The Vaccination Book, and more...

  • Ugghhh..... Dr. Lisa.  I hope she trips on her stupid high heels.  
  • imageJoelsGirl07:
    I stopped watching that show a long time ago b/c, once again, as a medical professional I find myself yelling at the TV! On a positive note, the pedi and the ER doc are nice to look at!

    I stopped watching last year because of Dr. Lisa.  but for some reason I turned on the TV and watched that episode. it was terrible.

    I did like Dr Jim's segments though, i remember him arguing with her about the risks to babies and how c-sections can interfere with BFing. He's also one of the Dr. Sears family and co wrote The Baby Book with his dad, mum, and brother.

    Maybe Dr.Lisa feels the need to justify her c-section, she bring is up enough.

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