I was reading an article yesterday and stopped to read the comments. One of the comments was from a dad who mentioned that it was illegal in his state to attend his wife during the placement of the epidural. Ugh! I felt so awful for him. While there might certainly be a hospital policy or the policy of an anesthesiologist, it is certainly not a state law.
Believe it or not, I hear a lot of people think many things about birth fall into the illegal category. I've heard that it's illegal to have a water birth, it's illegal to have someone with you during a vaginal exam or a cesarean. This isn't true. Again, it's policies in place at these institutions. The good news about institutional policy is that they can be changed or even altered for one time events. When I'm serving as a doula, I'm aware of these policies. If a couple has an issue with one, I talk to them about how to advocate for themselves to see if they can get an exception or to find a compromise that satisfies both parties. Many times they are successful in their quest for an exception.
So if you hear something that doesn't sound right or appealing. Start by talking to your provider. Ask what the source and reasoning is for this policy. You may need to talk to someone at the place of birth you've chosen. It may take several conversation. Try to understand where they are coming from, it will help you address their concerns with your response. And remember, the earlier you do this the better. It is rarely successful once labor has started. Where do you learn about these situations? Childbirth class and your prenatal visits.
Have you ever had one of these conversations? What was it about and what was the outcome?
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It's really not illegal... originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Monday, July 8th, 2013 at 09:25:32.
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