Comments on: Messy birth http://www.bellytales.com/2007/03/04/messy-birth/ The Diary of a Midwife Mon, 21 Nov 2011 13:33:05 +0000 hourly 1 By: The Student http://www.bellytales.com/2007/03/04/messy-birth/comment-page-1/#comment-6228 The Student Fri, 09 Mar 2007 00:30:58 +0000 http://www.studentmidwife.org/2007/03/04/messy-birth/#comment-6228 Sure, it's dirty, but at least all of the dirt is more or less clean, healthy dirt, if that makes any sense. I'd much rather deliver babies than be a garbage collector, or a sewer pipe inspector. ;-) I like that "birth stool" pun. I'm going to have to start using that. Sure, it’s dirty, but at least all of the dirt is more or less clean, healthy dirt, if that makes any sense. I’d much rather deliver babies than be a garbage collector, or a sewer pipe inspector. ;-)

I like that “birth stool” pun. I’m going to have to start using that.

]]> By: Hilary http://www.bellytales.com/2007/03/04/messy-birth/comment-page-1/#comment-6146 Hilary Tue, 06 Mar 2007 16:37:50 +0000 http://www.studentmidwife.org/2007/03/04/messy-birth/#comment-6146 Have you ever seen the television show "Dirty Jobs"? it is one of my husband's favorites. The host performs various dirty jobs - septic tank work, plumbing, mining, etc. I have always thought none of these hold a candle to midwifery, having spent two years training as a midwife. They encourage people to send in videos of their own dirty jobs, but I think it would be difficult to film the dirty aspects in a humorous light without a very agreeable consenting mother. And, it's hard to predict which births will be the messiest, like yours just was. There is almost always "birth stool" (defecation upon pushing ...my friendly term for it, I know it is one of those seats for pushing but humor me here) a placenta, some sort of amniotic fluid, blood and urine. If you're lucky, you get vomit and meconium. Seems like a pretty dirty job to me! Have you ever seen the television show “Dirty Jobs”? it is one of my husband’s favorites. The host performs various dirty jobs – septic tank work, plumbing, mining, etc.

I have always thought none of these hold a candle to midwifery, having spent two years training as a midwife. They encourage people to send in videos of their own dirty jobs, but I think it would be difficult to film the dirty aspects in a humorous light without a very agreeable consenting mother. And, it’s hard to predict which births will be the messiest, like yours just was. There is almost always “birth stool” (defecation upon pushing …my friendly term for it, I know it is one of those seats for pushing but humor me here) a placenta, some sort of amniotic fluid, blood and urine. If you’re lucky, you get vomit and meconium. Seems like a pretty dirty job to me!

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