I’m writing today about birth by caesarean . I want to try and make everyone who visits my blog arrive with an open mind and leave after reading it with a fresh perspective. 💭
“If we do what we have always done there is no change there is no development things stay the same” (by me 📝)
Operating theatres have to be sterile, organised and have processes for risk in place – safety is paramount . At the heart of the operating theatre is the patient – the staff do their job every single day it is a routine to them – running an infusion through, ensuring the sterility of instruments, making sure that the staff present are trained and that the correct checks have taken place. Al these things take place prior to the patient entering theatre.
I would like you to consider this – we come to work to do our job, we love our job and if not for the patient we would not have a job – do we see the patient as our employer ? In an indirect way the patient is our employer and yet simultaneously our customer . If our customer and employer has a good experience they will not always shout it from the rooftops as much as if they have a bad experience – so we must put this thought into our heads daily – a bad experience is more likely to be shared than a good experience.
As an independent human you access food, drink and warmth whenever you want it – you are thirsty so you get a drink you need food so you eat – if you ever become a patient the ability to do this stops or reduces – you cannot access food immediately, you have to ask for a warm drink and also you may have to ask to use the toilet 🚽. Your have to ask to satisfy your basic needs. These are some of the hard parts about becoming a patient – to access these things that you took for granted which you never considered you have to call another human by pressing a buzzer or asking permission. Add to this the fact that you may have had an operation or an illness which has compromised your ability to mobilise , access pain relief and compromised your high standards of hygiene . I’m not trying to influence your thoughts I just want you to think about these things.
Who does an NHS Women’s Unit theatre belong to ? In my eyes it belongs to Women so this means that NHS staff are the guardians of it . The theatre environment is very white bright and clinical because it’s always been that way – hang on “because it’s always been that way ?” Well let’s try to change that – why can’t we have paintings on the walls which are part of the wall ? imagine lying on a theatre bed staring into a blank void or imagine looking at a beautiful scene above you – which would you prefer?
A woman enters theatre knowing this will be the birthplace of her child. Her individuality has been removed by placing her into a generic gown removing her jewellery and make-up All the people in theatre will share the event of her child’s birth. The first thing that she sees are staff in pale blue gowns, masks and hats with only eyes peering out. The ability to communicate is lessened and there is a sense of stage and routine . Instruments on the trolley been arranged in place neatly ready for her operation to begin. If the woman is wheeled in she feels vulnerable and compliant on her hospital bed whilst others look upon her .
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“All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first, the infant
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William Shakespeare
We have one thing in common we are all born we all die . I am passionate that women who give birth in theatre either by Caesarean section or by forceps or ventouse are facilitated to feel as positive about their birth as women who give birth without intervention. I also want you to question your own units practices – do women who may require a manual removal of their placenta hold their babies routinely ? Do women who may have to have a repair of perineal trauma in theatre routinely hold their babies ?
The culture of the staff in the operating theatre is one of the largest barriers to skin to skin care taking place after a woman has undergone a Caesarean. Several clinicians have reported the implementation of immediate skin-to-skin care (within 30 minutes after birth) in their hospitals’ operating rooms (Smith, Plaat et al. 2008; Hung and Berg 2011) The authors noted that operating room staff members were initially skeptical, reluctant, and afraid to change their routine habits and behaviors. But after seeing the benefits of this family-friendly procedure, staff became supportive of the change
– read this link for further references http://evidencebasedbirth.com/the-evidence-for-skin-to-skin-care-after-a-cesarean/
If every HCP in the theatre setting considered the promotion and facilitation of skin to skin in theatre as intrinsic part of their role – rates would soar and women and babies would be shouting from the rooftops . Patchiness is no good – just the other day I asked about the “Theatre list” and was sad to hear that two women and their babies did not have skin to skin discussed with them – Jenny The M can’t be everywhere – if only I could be like a fairy and zip into theatre with my wings and dust skin to skin thoughts on everyone around – imagine 💡.Read the following about cHange by Helen Bevan and Steve Fairman
NHS Change and transformation – Helen Bevan and Steve Fairman </a.
the NHS thrives on change it’s time to lose tradition and focus on the new – this is a slide I made for a presentation about optimal and appropriate use of an area – to do with Competence and the 6cs and it applies to any area involved in Women’s Health
It can be applied to the theatre setting and also to the process of skin to skin contact – so please please if you work in theatre and come into contact with a woman who may have to have a caesarean ask her if someone has discussed skin to skin contact and if they have not make it your goal to do this
Be rebellious for women out there – we are a crucial and core part of society and humankind – being rebellious for a woman’s cause shows courage and will have a profound effect on that persons life and first experiences.be a rebel
You might fear rejection but eventually you’ll get noticed and people will start to follow your lead and do the same 💡
I know where the skin to skin fairy lives
If you think you can’t make a difference just search #skinToSkin on twitter – 💕
Skin to skin
@JennyTheM
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@JennyTheM©️ 