Midwife Shares The Dark Secrets Of The Labor Ward
By Anna Collins
1 year ago
1. Information showed that safety improvements could save thousands of babies a year
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Childbirth is such a complex phenomenon in which mother and baby have to go through an extreme process and it can be super dangerous without the right care and treatment. But sometimes labor wards do not have enough funding or the right amount of provisions that you need, which can lead to more fatalities that would be preventable if the situation was safer!2. Some bereaved mothers have to be treated in the labor ward
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Midwives have revealed that because the labor ward treats all mothers, it means that those mothers who have faced tragedy and may be bereaved sometimes find themselves being treated in the labor ward next to mothers with babies, which can traumatize them. In the UK a woman has recently woman the fight to have a separate department for bereaved mothers.3. Baby mix-ups do happen!
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According to sources, baby mix-ups really do happen. It is much less common now as rules have changed about removing the baby from the mother and from the room, however, it does happen. Midwives have revealed that the numbers are unclear as it could never truly be known how many babies are mixed up. And, if a figure was to be estimated this would be kept as internal information.4. It's a completely crazy place to work
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If there was a word that midwives could use to describe their profession 'crazy' was one that fit. Because each and every day is different. Midwives are so passionate about what they do, many of them feel it's a calling. Bringing life into the world is a feeling they have described as being incomparable to anything you could ever imagine! And with the joy and the excitement, there's also a lot of chaos.5. Mothers can't really prepare
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When midwives say that mothers can't prepare, it's not to say that research and becoming knowledgeable is wasted. However, when it comes to the actual birth midwives find that mothers may have a structured birth plan that they are keen to follow, but only until a woman is in labor can they see if it is suitable. For example, you may want a water birth but there are so many circumstances in which this can't happen!6. They have to deal with very difficult situations
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Labor wards are so emotionally charged as giving birth is the most monumental thing you can do as a human. Sometimes complications happen, and sometimes people are extremely vulnerable or emotional, there are so many facets to being a midwife that cannot be comprehended until you've stepped in the shoes of someone working in the labor ward.7. Things also can end in tragedy
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In the experiences of a midwife, there are times when the labor ward feels like the happiest place on earth. But there are also the opposite times when a tragedy happens and someone's world feels like it comes crashing down. Giving birth is serious and can be very dangerous and sometimes the baby or the mother may not survive in extreme circumstances, although it is not uncommon it is something that some midwives have experienced.8. They want to reduce cesarean
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Casuarean in some instances can be more complicated because it requires surgery and there are many steps to both the before, the during, and the after in terms of recovery. Now, in some places there is a limit being put on caesareans where in the past it could be requested at the mother's choice, now cesarean in some cases is reserved for those with complications or conditions which could make it a safer option.9. They sometimes get blamed for situations
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When something tragic happens the parent's grief can turn to anger. And sometimes even if nobody is at fault, midwives find themselves being blamed by people who are grieving and finding it hard not to point their anger towards someone. Sometimes they have to deal with people blaming them, one midwife even saw a couple out in public who screamed at her across the street despite the fact she hadn't been on duty that day.10. They have to get the doctor's approval
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Although the birthing of the baby is usually in the hands of a midwife, sometimes it comes down to a doctor's approval. If things aren't going as smoothly as expected, the mother or baby isn't reacting as hoped or there is some kind of complication the midwife has to seek the approval of the doctor before acting in the way they think best. This is to ensure that they have had the go-ahead to act.11. Not everyone is treated the same!
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It's a terrible thought that all women no matter who they are are not treated the same. But it has been the case all over the world that prejudice or money can sometimes alter the treatment a woman receives. This doesn't happen in every labor ward. However, some midwives have found that it is a problem that does occur, even to this day not everybody is treated the same!12. Black women and Asian women had higher mortality rates during pregnancy
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Statistics were revealed from a collection of countries and it shockingly showed that black women and Asian women had higher mortality rates during labor and pregnancy. This fact highlights racism and prejudice which must occur in some sectors over the globe in regards to pregnancy and how this leads to unfair treatment which can result in the worst outcome!13. They don't care what medication you ask for!
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Midwives have found in so many circumstances that some women are against having medication or they want as little interference as possible as though they are ashamed of the help. Midwives do not care if you want to take the pain relief or the epidural. They think all women are amazing and however, you want to give both or whatever help you need doesn't make them think any differently of you!14. Feces are common in labor - and they don't care!
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Midwives also find that some women before giving birth are really self-conscious after the fact that during labor, they may poop. But it's completely natural and there's nothing you can do about it and there's absolutely no shame in it. During the birth, it happens ALL the time and many women don't even notice. And as for whether the midwife cares, absolutely not.15. You don't get a lot of contact time with women
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Midwives are finding themselves pushed for a time more and more as resources and funding is reduced worldwide, especially during the economic dip. So they have very little time to bond with a woman. And this can be a very important process because if a mother created a bond with the midwife it has led to situations where they confide in them and may even reveal if they need help, for example, sometimes women have shared that they are scared because they are in an abusive relationship.16. They believe the woman's body gives birth naturally
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Midwives celebrate women's bodies and think they are amazing. They see women as naturally giving birth themselves, rather than their job being to birth the child. Rather, they see themselves as delivering babies into the world and assisting the process to make it happen as smoothly as it possibly can. In a midwives personal opinion - women are superheroes!17. Midwifery dates back to the 1300s
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Midwifery is by no means a modern profession and it has been found officially to date back to the 13000s where records can actually be found. However, evidence and expert opinion think that midwifery actually began way before this, possibly in the 6th century BC. Of course, what it looked like then is a long way off the trained professionals we have today.18. The US has lower rates of Midwives per country
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Each country has a massive variation in the number of midwives per country ratio. So for example the USA has 11,927 per country whilst the UK has 21,630. Canada has some of the lowest figures with 1,690 and Australia one of the highest with 33,490. Having too few midwives can be dangerous if there are not enough or their resources and capabilities are stretched too much.19. Midwives were once burned at the stake
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At one time in history around the 1500s, the Roman Catholic Church in the USA and England deemed all women healers to be 'witches'. Midwives were seen as powerful beings as they were women who brought life into the world and people were scared of this power that women held. And so in the USA and UK, they were actually punished by being burned alive!20. Man-wives do exist
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Midwifery is often seen as a female occupation because the majority of workers on the labor ward are female. This is often because women giving birth or having a gynecological appointment want to be seen by a woman. And fellow women truly understand it from their perspective. But man-wives do exist! It's not super common but in the United Kingdom especially it is becoming more so.21. Sometimes they don't get to sleep
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Being a midwife you do have a shift pattern and there is a shift changeover. But of course, if you're in the middle of labor you cannot suddenly clock off. So midwives may find that they're up all night. Night to night varies, one may be more quiet and the next may be super active. It's all a part of the job - to expect the unexpected as you have to do when it comes to childbirth.22. More babies are born morning and afternoon
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Statistically, more babies are born in the morning and the afternoon. this is because fewer births happen at night when the body is resting. And, fewer births actually happen on the weekend. These statistics of course are combined with factual reasons, situations, and environmental factors as well as some coincidences! Because neither mother nor baby can decide when it will happen!23. Birth rates are dropping
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So as we are probably aware, birth rates are dropping slightly in recent years. It is thought that this is because now people have a different way of life and people have different priorities. Women are giving birth on average, later on in life. There is also now a trend towards finding a career, traveling, and living a life without children that is becoming more and more popular.24. Boys are more likely to be born with complications
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Statistically, boys are more likely than girls to be born with complications. Also, during the first stages of pregnancy boys are more likely to have complications and face problems, This changes in the second stage of early pregnancy when it becomes more dangerous for female babies. At around 20 weeks this then balances out and the risks for boys and girls become very much equal.25. Patriarchal countries have higher female death rates
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It's a shocking realization that there are higher female death rates for mothers and babies in patriarchal countries. This isn't a coincidence by any means, it is because the priority of health and treatments is more focused on raising male children. Females may be prejudiced against which can lead to less focus on their health and as a result, there are more deaths.26. Babies have been left at the labor ward
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Midwives see a lot of amazing and shocking experiences in the labor ward. And one of these is when babies are left by their parents after birth. Sometimes mothers in vulnerable positions leave their babies at the ward. This could be because of mental health issues, feeling scared or coerced, or many other reasons. At this point, the labor ward has to contact social services.27. Males babies are more common
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So we often think that males and females are born equal. And as a whole, the rates are fairly equal. But males are more common, especially in Asian countries. Statistically around the world, there are 105 males born to every 100 females. This means that it is slightly more common that a bay will be male rather than female. However, the difference fluctuates yearly.28. Twins have their own language in the womb
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The bond between twins is something that we have not even managed to scientifically fathom yet because the connection almost seems to transcend what we know is possible. Even in the womb, twins develop their own unique language so that they can communicate with each other. Twins have an undeniable bond that is established even before they are actually born!29. The bones in the baby's skull aren't fused yet
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The bones in a baby's head are not yet fully developed or fused together. One reason for the bones not fusing is so that there is some sort of flexibility to make it easier for the mother to push the baby safely out. And another reason the bones are not fully developed is because the skull has to continue to grow to allow the brain to continue growing inside it.30. Some fathers react worse during labor!
