Kim just sent me (LINK!) THIS article and it of course has me thinking back to Mac’s birth where we had gotten permission from Sharon’s OB and her high-risk OB to be in the delivery but then at the very last second as I was suiting up in scrubs we got word the anethesiologist said no. Sadly (and in tears actually) I took off my scrubs. Photos I’d dreamed of capturing for MONTHS flew out the window as I desperately taught another doctor how to use my camera so I could at least get video (and he did do a good job considering).
But it had us wondering. What IS the big deal? If the parents want a professional photographer in the delivery room, if it’s THEIR desire, should doctors be allowed to say no? It seems like doctors are scared there could be a lawsuit based on the footage a photographer or even dad might capture but even then, seriously? If a doctor does something really wrong and it’s caught on tape shouldn’t parents be able to seek action?
I don’t know. I understand both sides I guess. However, I still feel strongly it should be up to the parents and not the doctors. If these restrictions continue to grow in hospitals I wonder if it will cause a bigger movement to deliver in birthing centers with midwives?
Photographers… what do you think? Do we have any doctors out there that want to chime in? I’d love to hear your opinion!
I wish this wasn’t such and issue. Unfortunately, here in Southern California the doctors dont want us in there. Which is such a shame. It’s a disservice to our clients! The most spectacular day and we cant document it!!
I guess I’m not understanding the problem why NOT, so hearing the hospital perspective would be enlightening… The NILMDTS sessions are considered ‘requested’ by the parents, so for the other {happier} end of the spectrum, this should be allowed, too. Especially if you’re all suited up in scrubs?!? Just tell them that it’s a love triangle and you need to be there too… Sick, I know, sorry… 😛 LOL!
No, I don’t think they should have a right to tell patients they cannot have their births photographed. It won’t be us, the birth photographers, who get this changed though. Our clients are going to be the ones to do it by flexing their consumer muscles. And that IS what they are- though in the arena of birth it’s often overlooked. When enough patients tell the hospital “We chose to go over there to have our baby instead of using your facility because they allow child birth photography” then the rules get changed pretty quickly.
It’s amazing how much this varies by local. Here in Dallas, we have all had pretty good experiences in the local hospitals. There are several that are PITA about it but the vast majority see us often and welcome us with open arms. Most understand the value, ESPECIALLY to a mother having surgery. However, I also shot in the small town of Wichita, Kansas for a couple years and had the exact opposite experience. Most hospital staff were taken aback or even downright suspicious of my presence. Several even made fun of me (to my face!!!)
Overall, I think what I do has value (obviously). I do understand the concerns of the hospitals and doctors. Their objective is not to make sure their patient has an experience that benefits them emotionally. Their objective is to make money. Lawsuits threaten that ability so they try to limit their liability every way they can. The only way we get back into the delivery rooms is by hitting them where they take notice- in the wallet.
On a side note, I’m moving back into the Metro East area very soon and glad to be in the company of such wonderful cohorts as yourselves. 🙂
What is interesting to me is once upon a time I worked in the medical field. I DO understand their end of it. However, I also understand a patient’s end being a mother of three and having been there. I imagine that so many complications can occur at a birth and many of those can be fixed immediately but I wonder if some of the “chances” physicians take – testing a new technique/procedure, etc. in order to save a life are what make them afraid of being caught on film. If a doc drops a baby, but catches it mid fall…yes, the baby is fine, but what parent would not take the opportunity to use that against a practice, etc? Its definitely a very interesting topic to explore because while I would kill to have my children’s births on tape or film, I can’t help but feel a little bit right in the middle of patient rights and physician rights. Ok…did I make any sense whatsoever?
For a non-complicated delivery, I think it should be completely up to the mom, assuming dad or the photographer or whoever has the camera, stays out of the medical staff’s way. I think Chantel is totally right in that the only way you’ll see hospitals change is if patients start delivering elsewhere – money talks after all! That’s why some local hospitals were quick to come out and say ‘you CAN take pictures HERE!’ They wanted everyone to know!
For a c-section, premature, or other complicated/emergency delivery, I understand why they restrict the people in the room to mom and dad only. We had 9+ medical staff in the room for a premature delivery of twins and those ORs are only so big. I respect that in those situations the safe delivery of the baby(ies) is most important and when someone is slicing open my abdomen, I want them to be totally comfortable in their surroundings and not distracted, so if the doctor said ‘no photos’, we would have abstained. Saying that, St John’s and my OB were awesome about pictures in the OR and the anesthesiologist was actually the one telling my husband to look over the curtain and KEEP. TAKING. PICTURES. because she knew I’d want to see them someday (and he would have frozen and stopped snapping otherwise)!
I guess it ultimately depends on how interested in photos the parents are. Some women can’t imagine a delivery without photos and some would never dream of photos in that intimate moment. Those who really care could look at birth center options more, I suppose, but I’m not sure that pictures alone would cause many people to leave the hospital setting. My guess is that this debate and these policies are only just beginning!
I’m not a photographer, or a doctor, but I have spent my fair share of time in hospitals…it took a long time, but I realized that most of our doctors had to treat us as if we were crazy and likely to sue them at any given moment. It’s really sad, actually. Because I am sure that there are people out there who will sue over any little thing.
Here’s the thing: NONE of us does our job perfectly. I’m certainly not a perfect mother, and I’m far from a perfect wife. I am human. Doctors are EXACTLY the same. Mistakes happen. They go with instinct sometimes, and that can turn out to be wrong. They do not have an explanation for everything that happens or goes wrong. Test results get mixed or read incorrectly. But here’s the other thing I realized, after spending 6 months in a NICU–every single one of our doctors and nurses was WELL INTENTIONED (I’m sure there are doctors out there that are complete a-holes, this is not who I am refering to!). They didn’t want to do harm. In fact, they were pouring hours into saving my kid’s life. Their instincts and their hearts saved my kids. And they tried some freaky, experimental things–and I thank the LORD weren’t afraid to try.
The alternative to all the lawsuits is that good doctors will stop practicing. They’ll stop trying to be better. And that will be an infinitely worse scenario!! However, if you can fix “crazy” then I bet this won’t be an issue at all!!
I definately think it should be okay. You will never get those moments back. I had a different experience at St. John’s. My friend was being induced and at the last second the anethesiologist said no. She was not high risk, she had already had a previous c-section and it was fine with the OB and then it turned out it couldn’t happen. My friend was crying, her husband was pissed and it was just a mess.
If a photographer stays out of the way it shouldn’t be a problem. I had a someone with me and I treasure those pictures so much! I would have died if I would have had a c-section and paid all that money and then had someone tell me no!
I definitely can see both sides of this. I work as an ultrasound tech for a large ob/gyn group, and I’m also a part-time photographer, so I have a little perspective in each of these. On the one hand, a birth is one of the most important days in one’s life…if the wedding is documented it only makes sense that the birth should be documented as well. I am a huge fan of birth photography and definitely plan on having a birth photographer of my own. However, I also definitely see the point of view from the medical side of things. I’m not trying to get on a soapbox here, but one of the main reasons healthcare is so expensive is because of malpractice lawsuits. Imagine if the parents catch something on film that they view as wrong…even if nothing bad happened to them or the baby…they could turn around so easily and sue when there was actually no damage done. And they could very well win. If the lady that got burned from hot coffee at McDonalds can win a lawsuit…well you know…anyone could. The doctors have to protect themselves in every way possible, so I definitely see it from their side also. But what’s interesting if you notice, most of the time it’s not the ob/gyn that doesn’t allow cameras…it’s anesthesiologists for some reason.
This is a great topic and lots of super good comments. I really don’t understand why the OR is so different than the delivery room. Things can certainly go wrong unexpectedly in a routine delivery, too. That happened once and I had to toss my camera on the floor and grab mom’s leg because things got crazy in an instant and there weren’t enough hands available. But what about those mistakes or “drops” (God forbid) in the delivery room that could be caught on camera? Why is the OR so off limits? The dad is allowed to take photos, so what’s the big difference? Ours will be more mega pixels???
We are on one side of this as photographers, and of course we want to see change. I definitely agree that it will have to come from the patient (consumer). In a small rural area like ours, there just aren’t any other choices, so people feel stuck. That’s why home birth rocks – you can do whatever you want.
Ok, stepping down from my soap box…