The value of a supportive word...

This was not the topic I was intending to write about but sometimes situations arise and you can't help but voice your outrage and concern.

A friend recently came home from a VBAC birth and told me how the doctor basically told her client to stop wasting her time, it was just going to be a ceserean any way, he refused to take responsibility for her and that walking around was a complete waste of time. The client did everything she could and my friend had her doing things we never knew a labouring woman could accomplish while in active labour.

Unfortunately after more then 24 hrs it did end up in a ceserean section.

But why would a doctor come into a hopeful and happy situation and burst every balloon in the room with his words. When a woman is in labour she is so open to the connotations of words. A woman who feels supported and loved and safe will do amazing things during her labour. Her discomfort will be diminished, her labour will go faster, she will not fear the process and listen to her body, and she will preceive the birth in a much better light regardless of the outcome when her basic human needs are met.

Now I'm not saying that in the case of my friend her client would have had a vaginal birth if her doctor hadn't been such a mean guy, but perhaps she would have had a better outcome, a more pleasant experience, a shorter experience, who knows.

Kindness costs nothing, it doesn't infringe on our health care costs but the benefits are huge and it would go a long way if doctors and nurses and friends and family would remember that when talking to a pregnant or labouring woman.

That's my soap box for today, perhaps I'll get to write the next post I was planning on and chat about why you aren't too fat, short or old to have a baby.