Respect during birth

sthomas1222

So, I want to share an article that I love. That encompasses what I hope to achieve when I become a CNM. What I hope to achieve with every single doula client.

I've personally walked away from not one but THREE providers that didn't respect me, who threw the "healthy baby" line at me, who asked for non-evidence based interventions/tests/etc... I've walked away from "the best" homebirth midwife in my old town, the one all the doulas use and even the RNs and other midwives b/c she didn't respect me, she didn't have faith in my body. And I was right, she was completely wrong. She had zero faith that all my hardwork would pay off. She believed I'd have GD again like with my first. I didn't, I passed my 1 hour. I had a 2.5 hour birth, squatting at the bedside, going from 5cm at 4:55am to baby born at 5:25am. I switched providers again that pregnancy and found out that I was going to be dropped from care anyways at 32 weeks b/c I exercised my right to refuse tests that had no research or evidence based care backing it. 

I've had a client with a traumatic first birth who wanted to achieve a natural unmedicated birth for their second. When it came time she had every intervention except a c/s. For her is was healing and exactly what she needed. She was respected and involved in all choices made that day. That's all she ever wanted. To be heard, to be respected. 

"Even in the worst-case scenario (especially in the worst-case scenario!), there’s no excuse for anything less than the utmost respect for, deference to, and compassion towards the birthing woman as she is making her choices."

https://improvingbirth.org/2013/02/a-healthy-baby-isnt-enough/

nlakra

WORD, Sister! I am with you!