No option for natural delivery of placenta?

[KirstenFleur]

Hi all,
I'm booked into Mitcham Private, about whom I haven't really heard anything but good from people who have been there. DH and I have been attending our ante-natal classes (the third one was last night) and I was a bit surprised to find out that MP apparently WILL NOT let you deliver the placenta in your own time- you have to have a syntocycin (sp?) injection. Is this generally the go? Does the synto stuff make things work better? Surely the placenta will turn up at some point anyway?
Can you tell this is my first baby?
Any advice would be hugely appreciated...
Kirsten

[Pandora]

You can't be forced to have an injection, if you refuse and they give it to you they can be charged with assault.

Because its a private hospital, I don't know whether they can use this as grounds not to take you though, as I assume they can pick and choose who they accept?

Also, FYI with the exception of 1 midwife, and I don't know her name, Ive only heard good things about MP too from firends who have given birth there.

ETA: I wanted a physiological third stage too, in a public hospital though. This was ok with them, but there were no staff at all who had any experience with it, and at the first sign of blood they decided I was haemmoraging (I wasn't) and jabbed me anyway. So if you do want this, research it as much as you can, and provide the information to the hospital as well, or request a midwife who is experienced in a physiological third stage.

[smiley10P]

Hi kirstenfleur,
I would definately be asking more questions and jumping up and down on this one. It is your choice whether to have the injection or not. The hospital may have it's own policies but you still should have a choice. If they wont budge you could look for another place to deliver. I am booked in to public hopital and put that I didn't want the injection on my birth plan and said I wanted a physiological third stage and it was no problem at all. I know that my hospital routinely gives the injection unless you specify that you dont want it. Hope I have been helpful.

[BellyBelly]

There is no way that they can force you to do anything against your request, its grounds to sue. there are so many good reasons to allow the cord to pulsate and placenta to come away in it's own time.

You could always try negotiating with the Ob or changing Obs if it means that much to you. Find out why she/he doesn't allow it and if she's/he's worried about bleeding, then ask if you can have the injection if you do seem to be losing alot of blood. Obviously you would be wanting to avoid induction or augmentation with synto which makes it more likely to bleed and need a managed third stage. But you have the power, you are the 'customer' and you should get the service you have paid for. I think some Obs forget you are the customer.

[amberdee]

Kirsten, I was told the same thing at the (public) hospital I'm booked into - ie. that it is hospital policy to administer Syntocinin. However, when I persisted they told me that I could actually sign a form in advance saying that I am choosing to reject medical treatment (or something to that effect - I haven't actually seen the form yet).

An option I've also discussed with my doctor, is that of allowing the cord to stop pulsing first, and THEN having the Syntocinin injection (as apparently if the baby is breathing ok the cord usually only pulses for a few minutes anyway - can anyone confirm if this actually the case??). Mind you, apparently if bub isn't breathing well, the first thing they will do is cut the cord and whisk bub to the respirator or whatever... Isn't that when you ideally want the cord to keep doing its job??

[KirstenFleur]

Thanks for your help everyone!
I'll definitely be discussing it with my doctor at the next appointment- it just seemed a bit unnecessary. Not to mention that it's my body and I'd prefer to decide if a needle full of stuff gets whacked into it.
It's my strong preference that things be allowed to happen in their own time, and that intervention should come only when NEEDED- eg, if I'm about to bleed to death, stick me with as many needles as necessary to stop it!- so I shall write that down on my birth plan and make sure everyone has read it, including DH.
Thanks again!
Kirsten

[becmc]

A bit off topic, but I have read that if you get the injection to make the placenta come out that the babies cord needs to be cut straight away?? Not sure if you were planning on doing that or not. This time I am not getting the cord cut until after the placenta has stopped pulsing(or however it works) and that was a big factor in me deciding about the injection because I want things to be as natural as possible(which is why I am having a homebirth this time). My independant midwife has actually said that she wouldn't give the injection unless something was happening, e.g. bleeding. I wonder why they are so quick to do it in hospital, maybe it is a time factor thing for the doctors and they like to know it is all over with or something.

[KirstenFleur]

becmc, I got the strong impression from the midwife educator taking the class that the injection was a matter of convenience for the doctor- her exact words were "sometimes it takes up to 12 hours for the placenta, and you can hardly expect them to hang around all day!"
She's a bit of a stand-up comic, which certainly keeps the blokes in the class paying attention, but that bit jarred with me. Anyone who's had a natural 3rd stage- does it really take 12 hours? I'd read somewhere it was more in the realm of 1 or two. And if it's really needed, the midwives can give it to me. I want the cord not to be cut until it stops pulsing as well- the baby can have all the cord blood it wants.
(Remind me to stress this point when next talking to my doctor.)
Thanks again, everyone!
Kirsten

[becmc]

I also thought it was around one hour, not twelve! Surely if it took that long there would be something wrong.
Maybe you can tell them if takes more than two hours, then and only then can they give you the injection.
I agree with the other posters that they cannot do something you refuse. They don't always ask permission, but if you explicitly state they are not to do something then they are not allowed to.
Do you have someone to be your advocate in hospital, to say what you do/don't want??? I would imagine it would sometimes be quite difficult when you are actually in labour to get your point across, hopefully there is someone that will do that for you(your husband??).
Though I know mine would be easily swayed by nurses/obs saying things. That was the original reason we hired a private midwife, to take to hospital and be our advocate, but then I decided I wanted a hb anyway.