Why I fired my doctor in the middle of labour

by Siobhan O'Neill-White ©Independent.ie
After an emergency C-section, Joanna Blakely was determined that her second child would have a natural birth, writes Siobhan O'Neill-White.
Joanna Blakely (not her real name) was in the final stages of labour and concentrating hard on the task at hand. Her husband, Tom, was by her side encouraging her, as was the midwife in the hospital delivery room with them. Joanna was calm and focused as she practised her hypnobirthing. She was managing well and, although her labour was not progressing quickly, she felt in control of the situation.
The only person unhappy with the way her labour was moving forward was her consultant. As he hovered around the room, expressing his concerns and creating a tense atmosphere, Joanna and Tom decided he was no longer being helpful, so they politely relieved him of his duties and told him to go home!
It is not common for a consultant to be sent packing in the middle of the woman's labour but the outcome of this birth was very important to Joanna and as her doctor was no longer being supportive, she and Tom decided they would be better off without him.
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