What Keeps Us Going....
Those of us that support a woman's choice, informed consent and the midwifery model of care often feel we stand alone. A thank you to this lovely nurse from Washington state for sending words of encouragement. SF
Dr. Fischbein:
I just had to take the time today to say thank you for all that you are doing for women and babies in this country. I first heard of you during an interview you did for "The Other Side of the Glass". I have since searched for and found other videos of you online. I was completely taken aback that there was an outspoken OBGYN who was being vocal about support for things such as breech deliveries and delayed cord clamping. You are a real hero in the birth world. It is so difficult to find MD's who are openly supportive of such things.
I am a registered nurse and I work in a small, community hospital in Washington state. I am a nursery and postpartum RN there. While I don't do labor and delivery, I am present at deliveries to be there for the babies. Lately, I have been asking myself how much longer I can stand there and watch the things that are being done to women without full consent.
I am very passionate about women's birth rights but lately I find myself wanting to give up. I find that I am simply beating my head against the wall and making a journey upriver without any paddles for my poor, dilapidated boat. Yet it never fails... just when I am ready to throw in the towel and give up on the whole political mess, another sick (or traumatized or injured or harmed) baby is placed in my arms and it serves as the fuel to keep me going. Despite the fact that we live in the information age, it seems nearly impossible to educate. It seems so hard to get the truth out and to be heard above the throngs of other voices out there.
There is a running joke we have in the hospital where I work. If a nurse says something, it doesn't mean a darned thing. But if a physician walks in and says the exact same thing, it's taken as gospel truth. We laugh about it because the words are exactly the same, but it makes a difference to patients who it's coming from. Patients trust their physicians implicitly. This is why I am so happy you are being so outspoken about the truth. Midwives and nurses and lay people have been shouting these messages for a long time, but I believe it will make a much larger impact on people if the same messages are being delivered by obstetricians (pun totally intended!)
Thank you for taking time out of your personal life to be an advocate for women and babies. You are making a difference. It is my sincere hope and prayer that if we all just continue talking about this and continue our attempts at educating women, that somehow, some way we can afford change through the upper ranks of administration and government. It is tiring, but it is worth it.
Christina Harris, RN
Dr. Fischbein:
I just had to take the time today to say thank you for all that you are doing for women and babies in this country. I first heard of you during an interview you did for "The Other Side of the Glass". I have since searched for and found other videos of you online. I was completely taken aback that there was an outspoken OBGYN who was being vocal about support for things such as breech deliveries and delayed cord clamping. You are a real hero in the birth world. It is so difficult to find MD's who are openly supportive of such things.
I am a registered nurse and I work in a small, community hospital in Washington state. I am a nursery and postpartum RN there. While I don't do labor and delivery, I am present at deliveries to be there for the babies. Lately, I have been asking myself how much longer I can stand there and watch the things that are being done to women without full consent.
I am very passionate about women's birth rights but lately I find myself wanting to give up. I find that I am simply beating my head against the wall and making a journey upriver without any paddles for my poor, dilapidated boat. Yet it never fails... just when I am ready to throw in the towel and give up on the whole political mess, another sick (or traumatized or injured or harmed) baby is placed in my arms and it serves as the fuel to keep me going. Despite the fact that we live in the information age, it seems nearly impossible to educate. It seems so hard to get the truth out and to be heard above the throngs of other voices out there.
There is a running joke we have in the hospital where I work. If a nurse says something, it doesn't mean a darned thing. But if a physician walks in and says the exact same thing, it's taken as gospel truth. We laugh about it because the words are exactly the same, but it makes a difference to patients who it's coming from. Patients trust their physicians implicitly. This is why I am so happy you are being so outspoken about the truth. Midwives and nurses and lay people have been shouting these messages for a long time, but I believe it will make a much larger impact on people if the same messages are being delivered by obstetricians (pun totally intended!)
Thank you for taking time out of your personal life to be an advocate for women and babies. You are making a difference. It is my sincere hope and prayer that if we all just continue talking about this and continue our attempts at educating women, that somehow, some way we can afford change through the upper ranks of administration and government. It is tiring, but it is worth it.
Christina Harris, RN