Abuse - A Childbirth Rant

So today I was watching an ultra strong, beautiful mom labor to birth her child. Everything was going beautifully. She was so strong and beautiful as she got ready to push.

Then the nurse came in.

Things kept going fine as the mom was cleared to push. She "got permission" from the nurse to labor on her hands and knees.

Then the nurse noticed that the mom was crowning. "Quick! I need you to get on your back!" she demanded.

So the mom was forced onto her back, although she really wanted to push on her hands and knees.

Why? Because it's so much more convenient to catch a baby when the mom's on her back than when the mom's on her hands and knees. That's abuse. Abuse of power. And it made me so mad since there was nothing I could do.

Then the baby was born and the doctor instantly cut the cord and the baby was whisked to the far corner for nurses to clean her up and give her the eye goop and who-knows-what else before the parents could see her. And no matter how much the parents begged, they didn't bring her back over - or allow the mom out of bed - until they were finished with whatever they were doing. The baby was at least 30 minutes old before her mom finally got to hold her And it was not an emergency!

So now I'm mad. Mad at the abuse of power. Mad at how the hospital prefers to be "convenient" for the doctor instead of doing what's best for mom and baby.

I've never been mad during a birth before, but today I was fuming.