Family Planning Fellowships today's NYT

[Guest guest]

Today's NYT (link below) reveals Warren Buffett's financial support of new "contraception/abortion mainstreaming" postgraduate training programs for doctors. This and other similar efforts will grow the next generation of contraception/abortion providers so that abortion (but also contraception) acquires the highest levels of respectability among doctors, something heretofore not enjoyed as few OB/GYNs really want to do them. From here on, what is required from the "NFP" movement is not merely a promotion of, and attempts to better educate the public about, NFP. We need a fuller education in the evils, errors, and inherent irrationality of contraception and sterilization, and probably we need dedicated "family planning fellowships" -- call them what you like -- or we will soon get to a place where in our society abortion and contraception will become permanent realities we will never be able to eradicate.

With due respect to the "NFP movement" it is highly probable that this movement alone cannot accomplish an adequate response to these threats, let alone even accomplish the much less ambitious task of apprehending the full dimensions of the threat. to do these things will likely require the full moral clarity of the Church, in its pastoral and moral vision. Let us pray an work for the day when those capable of this will have the courage and vision to go forward adequately.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/18/magazine/18abortion-t.html?_r=4 & pagewanted=1 & hp

Sincerely yours,

Dominic M. Pedulla MD, FACC, CNFPMC, ABVM, ACPh

Interventional Cardiologist, Endovascular Diplomate, Varicose Vein Specialist, Noncontraceptive Family Planning Consultant, Family Planning Researcher

Medical Director, The Oklahoma Vein and Endovascular Center (www.noveinok.com, veininfo@...)

Executive Director, The Edith Stein Foundation (www.theedithsteinfoundation.com)

(office)

(cell)

(FAX)

pedullad@...

"And he departed from our sight that we might return to our heart, and there find Him. For He departed, and behold, He is here."

- St. Augustine

birth anecdote

My daughter gave birth last week in local hospital. It is

her second child in as many years, and I am appalled at the current state of

affairs for childbirth, at least in my local area. My experience there will

make me much more empathetic to those desiring home birth in our area. I

actually felt BEING in the hospital, and their mismanagement of her labor, put

her in danger.

Both times, they were discussing pitocin to augment

her labor literally before she was even settled into the bed, the bed they kept

her flat on her back in. There was NO coaching from the nurses re: positioning,

breathing, etc. Most of the conversations with nurses they were not even

looking at the patient, but glued to their computer to enter in information.

They were unsupportive, and uninvolved. They were irritated and befuddled by

the refusal of pitocin (first baby delivered within 10 hours of admission,

second within 5 hours----pitocin was being offered as routine course, not

because labor was not progressing). Pain meds were pushed heavily, with

coercion. Support family were sent out of room, husband treated like

intruder, in what seemed like attempt to isolate and medicate patient. Clearly

they prefer medicated patients that need no coaching or support. There was no

sensitivity re: ability to communicate during height of contraction---in fact

patient was chastised for not responding and cooperating when she did not

respond immediately to their inquiry re: if drugs were desired as she coped

with a contraction. They just did not listen to the patient (5th

child…..but they gave her no credibility for any understanding of her own

body.) They emphasized she needed multiple courses of penicillin for beta

strep, but took about 60-90 minutes to hang the first bag, and we pushed for second

bag to be hung 4 hours later, but they thought they had plenty of time and said

they would do it at midnight instead---but she never got it. It was very

frustrating when they would not release her from the hospital the next day, precisely

because she had only received one bag of antibiotics---due to their

mismanagement.

I actually believe she, and her baby, were put at risk

by a mismanaged labor. An example? This one still very fresh in my mind, from

last Friday. It was CLEAR to me birth was imminent, and I assured her it was,

and tried to convince the nurse it was, having been present at the birth of all

5 of her children, and familiar with her patterns and behavior. But the nurse

was angry with my participation, and the barrier I presented for administering

drugs, and told her it could be a long time yet, and pushed pain relief.

Fearful the nurse was right it would be a lot longer, she agreed to the recommendation

of an intrathecal with morphine. The nurse would not respond to questions re: if

it was wise to give that so close to delivery, or specific questions about just

how soon before delivery it was appropriate to administer, dismissing with

vague assurances there was plenty of time, she was not that close. Efforts to understand

likelihood of side effects etc were swept away with assurances he had done 8

that day on the OB floor alone. They put my daughter in sitting position and anesthesiologist

had needles in place in her back to administer the drugs (a man who, by the

way, who may be fine with patients in surgery but had NO business working on an

OB floor) when my daughter shouted out the baby was out. The nurses first

response was just to dismiss her, and tell her it was just pressure. Her

husband, standing in front of her and embracing her during the administration

of the drugs, said he felt the baby’s head pushing against his leg.

Sure enough, the baby’s head was delivered--- as she sat on the side of

the bed with her feet hanging over the edge, trying to oblige the anesthesiologists

angry demands to round her shoulders and “make like a shrimp.†They

whipped her into bed, the “nurse from hell†as we came to refer to

her during the labor, held the baby’s head and received the rest of the

torso in two short pushes.

The doctor was then called, and the placenta was delivered

when he finally arrived.

This should not have happened---the signs were all there,

the nurse would just not see them. I also have no doubt whatsoever she was on

the verge of hemhorraging, post delivery, also from having been at her side at

4 other deliveries, one of which she hemhorraged at, and seeing the same signs.

They dismissed my concerns, and just told my daughter, crying and writhing in

pain on the bed for about an hour after delivering the placenta, that it was

after birth pain, gave her oxytocin IM, vicodin for pain, and walked out of the

room and left her like that. They later commented she had passed some very

large clots prior to delivering the placenta. I do not know what was wrong, but

I DO know something was wrong, and it resolved, thankfully. But it was

very frustrating to watch them just dismiss her, after just seeing them dismiss

her throughout labor. Not only did they not acknowledge their bad call, they continued

their same attitude and dismissal post delivery.

I had my babies during the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s,

in the same facility. In the 70’s, we had to fight to change the climate

of labor and delivery. We had to fight for less intervention and natural

progression of labor, with non-drug management of pain, and support for

breastfeeding. In the 80’s, I saw much improvement. With my last, in the

90’s, I was dismayed to see things reversing, and fought not to labor

flat on my back in a hospital bed, among other things. But with my daughter, in

2009 and 2010, I wonder what happened! Now it seems labor and delivery nursing

has very little to do with patient care, but with managing drugs. It is not

just about natural vs. drugs---I understand pain relief can have a place, and a

woman should have access to it if she desires it. It is the attitude about

it---the fear tactics used to pressure the woman into taking, and the total

lack of any other methods to manage pain---position, coaching, breathing,

walking etc etc.

It makes me very sad to see. Labor should not have to be a

battlefield, to protect the patient and baby from the onslaught of unnecessary intervention.

I see why people hire doulas for hospital births---they need a paid advocate

and coach.

I know it is not like this everywhere, but I do suspect what

I have seen here from my personal experience over the last 40 years, represents

a trend . And I do realize that in part it is because women want different

things now, then we fought for in the 70’s. Now, I suspect most WANT

epidurals, and the current climate in L and D is in part a response to what

women want. I also understand there are some wonderful L and D nurses out there.

Sheila St.

Executive Director

California Asocciation of Natural Family Planning

www.canfp.org

1-877-33-CANFP