Would you allow a student in the delivery room?

meandtwo · October 2009

I was just lurking on 3rd tri and saw a similar post, and thought I'd ask the same over here. What are your feelings about having students (nursing, medical, etc) observe/help out with your delivery?

Being in the medical field and also the hospital my baby will be born in is teaching hospital, I have no issue with this. I do have my limits don't get me wrong. There will be some things that only a professional can do.

Share your thoughts.

FireWife2009 · October 2009

I would be totally fine with this.. The students have a passion for what they are learning and they must get hands on some how..

kwhitson · October 2009

I think I would be completely ok with them observing - since they are working towards becoming medical professionals. I would not be ok with them assisting in the delivery though.

SteelCityBride · October 2009

DH & I both don't feel comfortable with this. I think it's completely necessary & some women don't mind it, but I want as few people in the room with us as possible when we deliver. We won't be having any extra family in the room, just DH & myself, so I don't want any extra non-necessary medical staff in the room either.

Smootchy · October 2009

I'm not really hip on too many people being in the room. But if it were a teaching hospital...And the student was dressed like a dr...I probably won't even know the difference....

rachelbeth85 · October 2009

I really don't think I would have a problem it. They have to learn some how, and all I will be concerned about that day is a safe and healthy delivery.

vagirl06 · October 2009

I would be fine with it. My sister had a student in the room for the birth of her first son. It was the student's first birth ever. She was extremely grateful to my sister and would stop in to check on her while she remained in the hospital. The student was actually pregnant at that time as well.

knedell · October 2009

I am, for the most part a very private person and wish I didn't have to have the baby in the hospital, but am doing so bc it will make DH feel more comfortable with everything. I am planning to try to have as natural and unmedicated a birth as possible and my DH, doula, nurse and dr are the only people I want in the room. I know that to a med student it's no big deal, but I am specifically stating on my birth plan that I don't want ANYONE in the room that is not completely and totally necessary.

jmrussell03 · October 2009

As a former nursing student, I would have to say yes. It is such a valuable learning experience. But, I would put a limit on the number of people. 2-3 at the most. Usually, they are just there to watch or hold a leg. I never seen a nursing student check the cervix, but medical students may be different.

bonnin507 · October 2009

No issue for me. The nurses & dr's aren't going to let a student do anything that might be a potential problem/risk, and they can't learn unless they experience. And like pp said, I wouldn't know the difference anyway unless someone told me.

Puffy1913 · October 2009

Here is my reply from 3rd Tri:

I allowed students to participate in my first birth completely. Even though I had some good moments and some not so good moments I would still allow students to participate. My IV was put in by a student and I was left with a very bad bruise that lasted for a month after delivery. (I don't know if it was the student or my body). A student anesthesiologist put in my epidural and it was put in wrong, twice. The third time I requested that a seasoned anesthesiologist put it in. A doctor in residency delivered my first and she was great. I could tell she was nervous and I told her that she could do it and she did. I also had students in and out checking how far I had dilated and even just observing. Overall, It was a great learning experience for them and ok for me. This time the only thing that I would do different is the epidural because I know that some of those mistakes can be life long.

workinmomma · October 2009

I was asked this question approximately 5 minutes before I started pushing with my son. I didn't have time to think about how I felt about it, actually my reaction was "as long as I don't know them."

It was a male student about my age, so my initial thought was that was a little weird. But trust me, you are focused on other things. I barely knew they were in the room with us it was so calm. (and they have to do it in their educational training)

TXTwisterBabe · October 2009

I would not mind at all. I frequently have students sit in on my OB appointments as well as my pap-appointments. I'm not very shy lol. So long as they're not super hot girls flaunting their bodies in my face while I'm pushing a watermelon out of my straw-hole I'm fine with it

MrsWheeler · October 2009

knedell:
I am, for the most part a very private person and wish I didn't have to have the baby in the hospital, but am doing so bc it will make DH feel more comfortable with everything. I am planning to try to have as natural and unmedicated a birth as possible and my DH, doula, nurse and dr are the only people I want in the room. I know that to a med student it's no big deal, but I am specifically stating on my birth plan that I don't want ANYONE in the room that is not completely and totally necessary.

This. Minus the unmedicated birth

Bianca42 · October 2009

I am pretty sure that there were students in the room when DS was born. For this LO, it's not a teaching hospital so I assume it won't happen.

Honestly, I wasn't really paying attention to how many people were standing down by my hooha...I just wanted the baby out. LOL

Kie310 · October 2009

As long as it's not a TEAM of students, I would be okay with 1 or 2 in the room watching/helping. They have to learn somewhere. But too many people in the room would freak me out, so I would have to cap it....

I don't even know if my hospital is a teaching hospital! hmm... i will have to ask on the tour!

Summer20 · October 2009

Maybe, just to observe. Med students all have to do a rotation through the field as part of med school, but they have basically no training at that point. DH did (I think) one month of OB in all his training and I wouldn't trust him to do much now!

gingerfamily · October 2009

I wouldn't care if the pope was in there, as long as he helps get the baby out.

Aug Bride · October 2009

I had a student in the OR when I had my DS and he was just there watching and handing instuments to the other dr's. If I knew he was going to be there, I would have said no. I am really uncomfortable with students observing even during exams and u/s.

trapani2be · October 2009

I had a student with me right up until I delivered and her shift ended but I would have allowed her to stay she was very professional and I probably wouldn't have known she was a student if they weren't explaining things to her as we went along. It was actually really good for me because I needed the explanation too, it was like we were learning together, lol.

serrill2 · October 2009

I had a male nurse student lol. He was terrific. I have no problem with students being caregivers. BTW, they asked before he was invited in, and I gave permission.

cabinwife · October 2009

I would not be ok with it, but only because this is my first baby and I've never been through labor before, so I want to both limit the number of people in the room and maximize the amount of experience/knowledge in the room...if that makes sense.

I have veerrrrry difficult veins, so I learned the hard way years ago to always politely ask for an experienced nurse rather than a student to start an IV! (I've been in the ER about four times over the years for horseback riding falls). The one time I let a student try, I could hardly even use that arm for a week.

goldenjes · October 2009

I'd be OK with it but as the PP said, I probably wouldn't want a student doing an epidural if I get one.

I know when DS1 was born there were all sorts of docs in the room so I wouldn't be surprised if some were students or interns. I didn't know the difference and didn't care by that point.

With DS3, the midwife I loved couldn't deliver him because she was already delivering a baby next door and he came out too fast. Some random doctor came in to 'catch' and that was it.

nursebride2be · October 2009

As someone who had to go through nursing school, and had to ask moms if i could be in the room for delivery I would probably allow it. But I did choose my OB partitailly due to the fact that they don't deliver at the local teaching hospital. But that is also because that is where I work (and in Peds), so the chance of running into someone I know during my delivery is pretty high. So unless there is a known problem with the baby (cause then I would deliver at the teaching hospital since it has the NICU) , I will probably not have medical feild people observing.

trapani2be · October 2009

TXTwisterBabe:
I would not mind at all. I frequently have students sit in on my OB appointments as well as my pap-appointments. I'm not very shy lol. So long as they're not super hot girls flaunting their bodies in my face while I'm pushing a watermelon out of my straw-hole I'm fine with it

My water just about came out my nose, thanks for the laugh!

Jennicap · October 2009

Well if your delivering at a teaching hospital you are SOL if you don't want a student in the room. Personally my niece is currently doing her rounds for her degree as a Physcians Assistant and she did her OB round, she loved it and personally delivered 4 babies! I would love to have a student there, they don't know anything so they are very hands on and open to all possibilities.

Mrs. GEK · October 2009

I'll be delivering in a teaching hospital so there's a very good chance that this will happen, but I don't have a problem with it. I was lucky enough to see quite a few deliveries while I was in nursing school and it was an amazing experience.

Summer20 · October 2009

Just an FYI on how to tell who's a student (if you care). At most hospital students wear short white coats - about waist-length. While doctors (including residents, who are doctors, but still in training) wear longer ones - usually more like knee-length.

beanie00914 · October 2009

mrsh0606:
I wouldn't care if the pope was in there, as long as he helps get the baby out.

This , plus they wont let someone who doesnt know what they are doing be left alone in the room...

Brewtowngrl · October 2009

I had a student in the room with DS. She held a leg. She came the next day to interview me for her paper. It was kind of cute how she thanked me. She said it was the coolest thing she ever witnessed and it was her first delivery. It was kind of nice since my delivery was a bit scary with DS being a preemie and all.

mjm123 · October 2009

I always select doctors who are affiliated with teaching hospitals because I feel like I am more likely to get better, up to date care. I realize that students helping with my care comes along with that and I am completely okay with it. They need to learn and if no one lets them help, they'll never become good doctors.

*budge* · October 2009

There were students present at my c-section. I didn't even know they were there until my OB started talking to them about the placenta. A student nurse took DS and DH to the nursery for bath, measurements, ect.

ditzydi_2000 · October 2009

I think I'd feel okay with them helping do the after delivery parts, like weighing and stitching me back up if need be but not during the delivery process and definately only IF they are supervised by a tenured doctor. They have to learn how to do this stuff somehow right? If they only observe how are they supposed to learn?

TXTwisterBabe · October 2009

Now that I think about it, I think the science field must love me. I've had a student in the room for just about everything that I've ever had done. Different doctors even, and I've never even been to a teaching hospital. Weird! I even had like 5 or 6 students sit in on my boob job. Granted it's different since you're not awake or in pain, I just thought it was weird. I guess I should expect the student thing for delivery too, with my track record lol.

scubaspot · October 2009

I have no problems with students. My OB often has a student with him for my monthly appointments and for my last D&C (I was also having a large cyst removed) a student assisted.

cajungirl0717 · October 2009

LOL well I am glad that my hospital is NOT the teaching hospital in the area. It would be my luck that if I did go to LSUHSC hospital, one of my fiance's friends would be the med student doing rotations that day. Not that they wouldn't do their job or whatever or that they don't see plenty, but knowing that his best friend saw my va-jay-jay would not be comforting!

melissabshelton · October 2009

DD was born with an entire nursing class watching. The dr and nurses did all the work, the students observed. I had no problem with it. They acted professionally, respectfully, and stayed out of the way. I think they did help weigh, measure, and clean her up.

LindseyCaye · October 2009

I'm a nursing student and I did my OB rotation 6 months ago. It was amazing. My thanks goes out to everyone who lets students in the room because thats the way you learn. You can only learn so much from a text book. There are limits to what we can do, so don't worry that the student will be doing something you don't want to. Your nurse, you, and the student have to feel comfortable about doing something before its done. And everything is supervised. The women I was with actually liked having a student as well, mainly because when the nurse is teaching the student, you get to listen to everything the nurse is teaching. So you get to learn alot more, and why certain things are done a certain way.

Thanks again!

m_n_mwedding · October 2009

Yes I would. I work at a children's hospital that is a teaching hospital. I see the benefit of learning from real life situations. I have my boundaries though. I don't want a student checking me and I would draw the line at the epidural. I do understand the benefits of being there during labor and delivery so I don't have a problem. I think that most students won't get the opportunity to be in the delivery room with twins, so I get the importance of them being there.

homebird · October 2009

No, I don't care. They have to learn somewhere, right? It's not like they're going to be performing surgery on me or anything, and they have someone closely observing everything they do.

EvilBunny17 · October 2009

I would be completly fine with it, in fact I had an intern do my anual exam last year. They are going to be medical professionals one day and how are they ever going to be good at what they do if they don't see it done in person first.

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