Hospital regulation<\/p>\n
I recently came back from the Philippines and upon my regular
\nreview of back issues of The Jakarta Post, found a Sept. 5, 1994
\nletter to the editor by Ms. Saifuddin targeting the Pondok Indah
\nHospital.<\/p>\n
This was about their regulation that only one person can
\nattend a patient's birthing, apart from the regular hospital
\nstaff. I would like to share my harrowing birth experience that
\nresulted due to this regulation.<\/p>\n
Last March 19, 1994, I gave birth to a baby girl, 3,888 kilos
\n(too big for my petite frame) after a 30-hour labor steeped with
\npainful and regular contractions every 15 minutes. Due to this
\nregulation, I was unable to avail myself of the badly needed
\nassistance of my private midwife, since I wanted to be with my
\nhusband in the delivery room.<\/p>\n
As a foreigner, then only five months in Jakarta, I did not
\nknow the language enough to communicate how I felt to the midwife
\non duty. To illustrate, during labor I forced myself to stand up
\nafter the epidural (a spinal anesthesia), something one should
\nnever do, not getting any direct briefing from the midwife on
\nduty. I threw up incessantly as a result.<\/p>\n
When I asked for a second half dose injection (since the first
\none was wearing out and I was two centimeters short), she
\nadministered it without informing me that she gave a full dose
\nand started blaming me for asking for it when I had a difficult
\ntime pushing. I would not have agreed to another full dose.
\nDuring the 29th hour of labor, she could not relate to the fact
\nthat I was still suffering excruciating pain even after receiving
\ntwo doses of the epidural. My baby, then 51 cm long was pushing
\nher way out by kicking directly at the area around my lungs which
\nthe epidural did not cover.<\/p>\n
If my private midwife was allowed in, I would have had a
\nbetter birthing experience.<\/p>\n
I am lucky my baby, who came out by way of suction procedure,
\nis so far very healthy. Further, that I lived through the
\nexperience. I think that the midwife on duty that night was very
\nefficient, but the sympathy and understanding I needed was
\ncertainly lacking. Perhaps what we had was plain
\nmiscommunication. I however feel that Pondok Indah Hospital
\nshould look into this rule very closely so as not to lose a lot
\nof their pregnant women patients.<\/p>\n
MS. NONETTE ROYO<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/hospital-regulation-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }