tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20642800.post7767071434702316945..comments2024-03-05T11:36:50.299-05:00Comments on Stand and Deliver: Upright birth in hospitalsRixahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07908864785513937876noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20642800.post-66681985778695560652008-09-27T11:42:00.000-04:002008-09-27T11:42:00.000-04:00'Just before I was ready to push out my second bab...'Just before I was ready to push out my second baby, I went to lay down on my back, which was how I gave birth the first time. My midwife, however, did that nice midwife-y talking and somehow convinced me to actually hoist myself onto my knees and lean against a chair. So I did.<BR/><BR/>A few minutes (hours? Who knows during labor ....) my second daughter slithered on out. Four words: huge baby, no tearing.<BR/><BR/>For that reason alone I'm a convert to birthing upright, what apparently is called in the biz "vertical birth." '<BR/><BR/>--MadeleineAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20642800.post-35256494419320446952008-03-23T11:48:00.000-04:002008-03-23T11:48:00.000-04:00I cant even imagine this. Dr Jen you are a rare ra...I cant even imagine this. Dr Jen you are a rare rare sensible creature and I worship you.<BR/><BR/>I have never heard of or seen any woman being "allowed" to do anything at all once hooked up, not even lay on her side. I hope to be wiggling and moving my own baby out in hospital this June, cant picture otherwise, but also cant picture it being "allowed" either. Will discuss with Dr. and midwife next visit. wonderful to hear some normalcy and some common sense being brought to the hospital wards.Housefairyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07158143680987249710noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20642800.post-10007426513346942712008-03-23T09:15:00.000-04:002008-03-23T09:15:00.000-04:00Many nurses do hands and knees pushing with epidur...Many nurses do hands and knees pushing with epidurals. I do it with most of my patients. HOwever, they do not deliver that way. <BR/><BR/>I once had a woman deliver the baby while upright without an epidural. The problem was, she started bleeding excessively and it was very hard to get her to move onto her back during her postpartum hemorrhage. I had a hard time convincing her this was an emergency and we needed her to move...Please...pinkyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00198277802918823591noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20642800.post-49129394071399334662008-03-21T21:33:00.000-04:002008-03-21T21:33:00.000-04:00Oh, forgot to mention that he was crowned and born...Oh, forgot to mention that he was crowned and born supine.CNHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17478646527089888684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20642800.post-47820913897856352132008-03-21T21:32:00.000-04:002008-03-21T21:32:00.000-04:00I had the help of an l&d nurse, my husband, and my...I had the help of an l&d nurse, my husband, and my mom to get into a squat, on the bed, with a shut-off epidural for my first birth. He was badly malpositioned, and I think it was the only thing that helped me give birth vaginally. My legs were still almost completely numb, so they held me up. I wasn't a light weight at the end of that pregnancy, either! ;)It was the nurses idea. I wish I knew who she was so I could send her flowers every year on his birthday!CNHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17478646527089888684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20642800.post-35298805791634371292008-03-21T03:48:00.000-04:002008-03-21T03:48:00.000-04:00I had assumed upright births in hospitals were rar...I had assumed upright births in hospitals were rare-- not sure if the nurses were sure how to set up the birthing bar but they did finally! I was up in a squat for my entire pushing phase, but the ultimate contraction/push was supine (hospital). My birth a few months ago was in a birth center and I delivered her head sqautting and her body standing. Both kids popped right out... 10 lbs., 3 oz. and 11 lbs., 5 oz. <BR/><BR/>Good to know that I can pass on to friends that upright birth is a possibility with an epidural, too. Could probably save a lot of moms from c-sections. Thanks.Jillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07038136422918921926noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20642800.post-53176092808241178392008-03-20T19:23:00.000-04:002008-03-20T19:23:00.000-04:00That was an amazing post. Even in Portland, Oregon...That was an amazing post. Even in Portland, Oregon, which is a pretty progressive birthing town (3 birth centers, lost of CNMs and CPMs, and 3 area in-hospital waterbirth centers) I have never seen anything like that. I have attended about 40 hospital births as a doula and I have only ever seen one upright pushing scenario where mom had an epidural. and that situation ended in the OR. Dr. Jen, you are amazing. I would love to see you teaching!randiepdxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05912465384068672179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20642800.post-30554712571324710192008-03-20T14:20:00.000-04:002008-03-20T14:20:00.000-04:00Kudos to you, Dr. Jen. You are helping to shift t...Kudos to you, Dr. Jen. You are helping to shift the tide of our birthing culture by giving freedom, space, love, and support to birthing moms. Thank you for sharing these tips and experiences with us!<BR/>Now, come on and move down to Phoenix to bring this kind of hospital sacred birthing experience to us...:)<BR/>xoxoLeigh Steelehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00928084291175385402noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20642800.post-87337920523429063132008-03-20T09:07:00.000-04:002008-03-20T09:07:00.000-04:00Laura--so in all of your births, you've only seen ...Laura--so in all of your births, you've only seen one upright one, total? Wow, I'm trying to wrap my mind around that. I've only seen one non-upright birth, and it was in a hospital birth where mom had an epidural (well, there was also one home birth where she did side-lying at the very end after her midwife urged her to get out of the tub). Granted, I've only been to three hospital births as a doula so I am sure I would have seen more reclining positions if I had continued attending births.Rixahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07908864785513937876noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20642800.post-75682527253028386952008-03-20T08:22:00.000-04:002008-03-20T08:22:00.000-04:00Thanks for this post! Even having attended births...Thanks for this post! Even having attended births at home and in a birth center, I've only seen an upright position for birth once, in a hospital, with a family doc catching! And all of my clients express a desire prenatally not to push on their backs but one has even been told by the nurses that the baby won't be able to get past the pelvis if she's not laying down. But I'm just a doula, who am I to say otherwise :)Karenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05338074295653401637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20642800.post-11129893986283090312008-03-19T21:48:00.000-04:002008-03-19T21:48:00.000-04:00I not only work as a L&D RN, but am a CNM student ...I not only work as a L&D RN, but am a CNM student and I teach labor support to all of the nurses in our single room maternity care unit. It's very frustrating for us because we put our patients in upright positions and then the docs come in and tell us to lay them down (if I could only convince them to take my classes!) <BR/>There are a couple of docs who are on board with upright but unfortunately they are few. It's good to see a doc who supports it, just tell all your cohorts!!<BR/><BR/>As far as upright pushing with epidurals you have to be careful about how long they stay upright and by this I mean truly upright, as in squatting, taylor sitting or sitting upright. Because these are getting large volumes of IV fluids for epidurals if they have been upright for a while >30 min you will see their labia and perineums really start to swell, this is basically just dependent edema from the fluids given for epidurals. This swelling can cause more severe perineal tears.<BR/><BR/>Great topic and I really enjoy your blog!RN2CNMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17544850740718541060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20642800.post-12265114995177318612008-03-19T16:39:00.000-04:002008-03-19T16:39:00.000-04:00When you said that an upright position requires th...When you said that an upright position requires the hospital attendants cooperation, that is an understatement. Epidural or not, <I>most</I> hospital personnel (including CNMs) would not dream of sacrificing their precious view.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20642800.post-29985558792163476962008-03-19T15:37:00.000-04:002008-03-19T15:37:00.000-04:00Thank you DrJen for one, putting your laboring mot...Thank you DrJen for one, putting your laboring mothers first and two for raising the awareness that getting off of your back is possible, even with an epidural! I had no idea.<BR/><BR/>And thanks to Rixa for expanding on this important topic.Genevievehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06382294344106850508noreply@blogger.com