I admit, I went into the tour of Overlake with a significant bias – they don’t have CNM’s, they don’t always get the best reviews, and they just seemed unfriendly to a non-allopathic approach. I further admit, however, that my biases were not entirely met.
We got to see a labor room, and then a mom&baby room, though in the middle of our discussion in the labor room, a nurse came in to say they needed the room asap. 🙂 It was reasonably nice – the lights were adjustable (presumably during stage 1 labor, not so up-to-your-control during stage 2), the bed had lots of configurations (including being able to add a squat bar), they had birthing balls, and had telemetry on monitoring if necessary (but they do an awful lot of monitoring). But it was most definitely a hospital, with rooms that weren’t cramped but were definitely not spacious, a door in front of the tub (which was in the bathroom), and a bunch of machinery to watch you. I have to admit, the stack of twenty widescreens mounted to the wall displaying fetal monitors with two nurses behind the desk there to watch them… a little impersonal, and a little “metrics” heavy.
But they seemed open to all kinds of delivery choices (even non-medically necessary elective cesarean, which I might be of the opinion is a little too open minded), roomed mom and baby together, tried starting nursing immediately after birth, and other friendly options. They don’t limit both food and liquid after starting active labor, but do generally limit to liquids only, and definitely do limit to liquids only if induced.
So, all in all, not the place I would choose to deliver off hand, but I don’t feel worried about ending up there in an emergency transfer either.
Though, I have to admit, I felt really strange being the only woman not showing. I’m at seven weeks, and … well… don’t really look pregnant. Everyone else was at least 32 weeks. Weird!
Did they have the machine that goes “bing”?
April begged to eat during her induction, to keep her strength up for the task at hand, only to throw it up a few hours later almost completely undigested. Her stomach had clearly shut down to divert all energy to birth.
Were they willing to share their Cesarean and episiotomy rate?
Oh, can the windows be darkened? We were trying to sleep but couldn’t because the sun was streaming in through the non-existant curtains. Would have brought some kind of shade if we had known.
LOL, they all had the machine that goes “bing”! Of course, in one of the books that I recently read (which, granted, is rather heavy-handed in it’s anti-not-absolutely-necessary-interventionist bias), they refer to the electronic fetal monitor as “the machine that goes ‘bing'”. (Turns out, even the ACOG had to recently change it’s recommendations on the use of the EFM, and studies show that continuous EFM does NOT improve outcomes, and increases the rate of intervention, when compared to intermittent (even just using a doppler) monitoring.)
Anywho… I’m good with throwing up during labor. It’s just part of the process (along with other things that come out 😉 ) to get everything else out of the way. Of course, I mostly care about being able to consume something besides ice chips. If I compare the effort to the 12-hour hike up Mt. St. Helens (which, granted, isn’t the best comparison, but it’s probably one of the best ones I’ve got when it comes to steady, continuous work), I cannot even begin to see how I would avoid passing out without having *some* variety of sustenance, even if it’s liquid. Of course, I hope to avoid an induction, since that would generally produce stronger contractions..
The cesarean and episiotomy rate vary so much provider to provider, that the tour couldn’t really help with that information. We’re checking out facilities for giving birth before deciding on a provider, so I have to ask that one separately. I forget the exact percentages for cesarean/episiotomy for the birth center, but it was something on the order of <5%/<10%. (Clearly, cesarean's being transfers! And the midwifery model encourages positions and patience to reduce the rates of tearing, and preferring tearing over episiotomies, as studies show that they tend to be less severe, less painful afterwards and heal better.
I have to admit, after talking a little written tour through the research that is available on various approaches to birth... I cannot fathom how Ob's can continue to support the practices they do in direct contradiction to controlled evidence to the contrary. RAWR! Then again, we always knew I was a crazy hippy. 😛