OBEM USA anyone?

[sillywoman]

Sat & watched with increasing annoyance through my fingers. Made me very glad to be involved in maternity services here in the UK rather than in the very un-woman centered US.

MrS had to leave the room as my 'tutting' was diving him mad :))

[The Nappy Lady]

It was bizarre, I agree. V posh rooms though...did I really spot a vase of orchids?

I got the impression 24 hours of labour was a rare thing over there - did it seem that way to you too?

[sillywoman]

Was it just you & me watching it then Molly?

I was very envious of their rooms - seemed a lot nicer than the ones at Kings (roll on our own midwife led unit). But, I was quite horrified by the way the midwives there seemed to actively promote the epidural option to women - expressing surprise and disbelief - "are you sure" = when one of the women said she'd like to see how she managed without. This at a point when the woman was only a couple of cms dilated.

There didn't seem to be much in the way of positive affirmation or support for women who wanted to try to see whether they could get through their labour without drugs. There was a lot of negativity around the nature of labour & womens' ability to cope with it.

Also, I was ::o at the woman who was being given an epidural just as she was saying she felt that she was able to push the baby out - with the midwife saying "we'll just get this in & check you" - Eh? "CHECK HER FIRST" I was shouting at the screen. Sure enough it seemed that she was ready and some minutes later she did push her baby out (though I do understand that may have something to do with the editing).

And the lovely Tasha (was it?) who was given some kind of pethidine type of narcotic to chill her out so they could give her an epidural shortly after. No surprise that her baby wasn't at all happy then & the poor Love ended up with the Caesar that she'd been so wanting to avoid.

I didn't feel that those women were being listened to at all. Their system seems to be all geared to 'get 'em in, wire 'em up, get it out'.

Someone on Mumsnet suggested that a programme following a US midwife & a Uk midwife on a jobswap would make some interesting tv. I'd watch it for sure!

[Ruth_Baldock]

I watched it too, and my god- I have always thought that the UK maternity services were top notch but I am thanking my lucky stars I am in Blighty rather than the USA. I HATED the way the couple wishing for a natural labour were seemingly being mocked; especially by the post-production choices made (narrator sounded like they were practically smirking, lots of 'funny' music etc...)

In the USA, from what I gather from friends, a 24hr labour is SUPER long. Jesus H, what would they have made of me? A friend commented that hers was described as 'long and epic'. It was 11 hours long. I'd LOVE an 11 hour labour, tbh.

[sillywoman]

You can begin to see why your friend thought her labour was so 'long & epic' Ruth. I guess compared to what passes for normal in the US - if OBEM is any accurate indicator - 11 hours would be considered exactly that :-S.

[prdarling]

What channel was it on? Very interested to watch as had a heated discussion with a work colleague who said she'd had a fabulous experience giving birth in NYC, which transpired to be an epidural, on a bed, with legs in stirrups with everyone in masks like she was radioactive and the baby being snatched from her washed, wrapped up and with a hat on before she'd even seen him. Sounded bloody awful to me.

She looked at me like I was mental when I said that I refused to get on the bed and gave birth like I was in a rugby scrum.

They seem to go out of their way to make the procedure as medicalised and unnatural as possible. Very peculiar but nonetheless fascinating. Gutted I have missed it!

[Ruth_Baldock]

It was More4 (channel 14 in our house) at 9pm, may possibly be able to view it online?

[ladywotlunches]

I watched this too, as I wanted to see the differences between the UK and US. As with many things, we may share the same language, but not a lot else! I'm presuming that all these people had paid for their care (via insurance etc), and yet were given much less 'consumer choice' than we get from the good old NHS. The couple shown choosing the natural birth option were definitely much more on 'Ommm' side of natural birth ("Opeeennn, Opeeenn"!!??) than me, which again was probably a production choice and they probably have many more mothers (I hope) that go in and want to try as much as possible without drugs but don't show that.

And is Entonox not an option in the states? It seemed to be all or nothing there.

Don't think I can watch again though. In the UK version there's a lot more interaction with the families. This seemed much more voyeuristic.

Bless our NHS, and all who sail in her!

[sillywoman]

prdarling - but I bet the decor in your colleagues room was luuurverly.

[Ruth_Baldock]

AFAIK entenox isn't offered in most US hospitals. I really didn't like the way this was produced; UK version seemed a lot more "down to earth" and less DRAMA! If that makes sense. Also I don't think the UK version told you how long the ladies had been labouring for unlike the US version; speaks volumes I think?

Also hated the way that the l&d nurse was discussing poor Tasha's situation with her family over her head! And all that "is the doctor happy that you can give birth naturally?" way to empower thpoor lady!

*written on my iPhone in suite 8 at Kings. My life truely revolves around babies and pregnancy...

[Otta]

Watch it here

[prdarling]

sillywoman flat on her back with legs akimbo I bet she could only see the ceiling :)

I'd want to see the Sistine Chapel for the money it probably costs for the ahem, privilege

[ladywotlunches]

PR Darling - I can see a business opportunity here. Beautiful artworks painted on the ceiling of US labour (sorry, LABOR) rooms to keep mum amused and quiet whilst in labo(u)r, so that those trained professionals can get on and do their jobs in peace ;-)

[chantelle]

ok, the US system has lots of issues and for sure is not so-woman centred. However, there are more and more places that offer midwife care and natural birth options so please don't think one hospital is representative of every American woman's birth experience! Many of my friends there have had 100 percent natural births, water births, etc. Meanwhile, I was ignored by midwives here for five hours, was never offered gas and air, had to beg for the epidural and only got it when my son was found to be in distress and I needed to be rushed to operating theatre. And I'd personally give a lot for that posh room after the horrendous ward at St Thomas'.

Nearly everyone I know in the UK has a horror story about birth - mine finally involved episiotomy and forceps and I was prepped for a C section. Also worth noting that the UK and US have similar rates of C sections - only thing is they plan more while ours are done in emergency = riskier.

Just saying.

[sillywoman]

The US caesarean rate is around 32.9% (2009 http://www.theunnecesarean.com/blog/2010/12/21/us-cesarean-rate-reaches-record-high-rises-for-13th-consecut.html) Chantelle, compared to the UK rate of 24.8%(2010 http://www.birthchoiceuk.com/BirthChoiceUKFrame.htm?http://www.birthchoiceuk.com/England.htm) A significant difference I would say - couldn't really be classed as 'similar'. And I can't find any studies to prove your contention that "they plan more while ours are done in emergency = riskier" - I'd be really interested to know where you got that information from, or whether it's just based on your personal observations.

I agree that the rooms were lovely, and that - just as with OBEM here- we shouldn't jump to the conclusion that all birth in the US is as it was in that one hospital, on that one day. However I have a sneaky feeling that it is fairly representative on the whole. But it's just a feeling - I've nothing to back it up with.

[helena handbasket]

In all fairness, to assume that one show represents the entire American birth experience would be like watching an episode from a hospital in the Orkney's and pretending that it represented care in the UK.

I know it's fun to generalize about the American system but it's not real. High production American shows about real life........ are not real life. I have to laugh about what I sometimes hear about "Americans" based on television and the media.

[Ruth_Baldock]

Helena, wait, are you telling me that not ALL american's are Soccer Mom's with massive SUVs ala Lynette Scavo? I have been lied to by the telly once again.

[helena handbasket]

You only get to see west coast/ east coast/ southerners on British tv. The Kardashians are NOT average Americans.

There is a huge big middle, that's mostly where the normal people are.:))

Too boring for telly, though.

Although I think there are desperate housewives everywhere, judging by this family room!;-)

[Ruth_Baldock]

"There is a huge big middle, that's mostly where the normal people are"

That's what my MA tutor said to me, she was from CO. Is that in the middle? I think it is, sort of.

IA though, it's kind of like only London/Scotland/Wales being shown on US tv to represent the UK. No on ever talks about Eccles or Swindon or Norwich, do they?!

Still love the NHS Maternity services. Or rather, King

[helena handbasket]

Except nobody actually knows where Wales is outside of the UK. ::o

Honestly, if you go by television then the UK is London(Mayfair)/some village where Miss Marple lives/ and a massive generic country house with girls in frocks. Maybe Mr. Bean. Oh and Austin Powers. A bit of Braveheart and Trainspotting for Scotland.

Don't forget the Victorian dentistry, that's a popular one.

[Smiler]

CO is middle of nowhere. Think "Southpark". Was there when Princess Di died and was frequently approached by consoling strangers expressing their sorrow about my loss!

Not going to watch the American obem, will stick to trashy un-real-life like Grey's Anatomy.

[The Nappy Lady]

helena handbasket Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

Although I think there are desperate housewives

> everywhere, judging by this family room!;-)

>:D:D<