Restrictions on birth photography
Thoughts?
It's honestly not a new issue among those of us on labor and delivery. We have a set policy on videotaping at my hospital (which now includes all types of video - cell phones, video cameras, internet video cameras, and any other new video technology).
The whole thing comes down to this:
You can videotape as long as everyone in the room agrees to it, a tripod is not used (tripping hazard), if someone asks to stop the videotaping you will stop, and the mother must also agree to be taped.
There is a lengthy consent that must be signed by the mother and the person who will be doing the videotaping.
My thoughts (personally) are that it's your birth. If you want to videotape, please do! However, if the videotaping is getting in the way of me doing my job, I'm not going to be happy about it.
I had an unexpected resuscitation of a baby several years ago, and the grandma was right there videotaping everything. Usually, babies will perk right up with some tactile stimulation and a little blow by oxygen. Not with this baby. It became obvious that the baby needed more resuscitation measures.
Grandma was literally in my way of accessing the baby so that I could assess, evaluate, and implement necessary resuscitation measures. I looked right at Grandma, and said clearly "STOP TAPING & STEP BACK PLEASE." She was kind of shocked that I said that, but she did it. As I continued with resuscitation, she realized just how worrisome the situation was. Was she pissed that I told her to stop taping and back up? I don't know. All that mattered at that point in time was me getting some assistance to help with the resuscitation, and get this baby to look pink instead of gray. (Hello oxygenation! Let's look a little more perky here baby!)
Once baby was stabilized, pink & crying, I said to Grandma that she could videotape again.
I have come across people videotaping in the halls of labor and delivery. In the halls? Seriously people! There are other people out there - women in early labor who are walking around in hospital gowns, their support people, nursing and medical staff. I sincerely doubt that the other laboring women want to be on your videotape. The staff are more than likely discussing patient care or are consulting with CNMs/MDs in person or on the phone about private patient information.
Videotaping in the halls? A big no-no! Would you want to be taped while doing your job, without your consent? I somehow doubt it.
Then there are the visitors/labor partners who are videotaping interactions with nurses surreptitiously. Yep, I know what that item you're trying to hide in your hand is. Why are you being so secretive about taping? (Audio and/or video) Guess what? I will call you out on it. It's only common courtesy to ask permission of the person you're taping before doing so.
(All that person got was just some routine nursing education on their tape, by the way.)
I have been videotaped, early in my nursing career, giving a complete first baby bath with physical assessment. I think it was great for the family! I involved the older sibling in the bath and assessment as well. It was a GREAT teaching moment for everyone involved. This was back when I worked in a LDRP where mom and baby stayed together in the same room from labor to birth to postpartum to discharge.
As for still pictures........take as many as you want. Some doctors don't like the pictures done during the birth itself, but I think they're an awesome photography moment.
8 comments:
I used to work in a store where everything I said and did was videotaped. It was supposed to prevent customers from stealing but it made me really self-conscious. Even more so knowing that my boss was sitting in the back room watching and listening.
By the way, I love your blog. I'm not even a nurse or an expectant mother - just a feminist who gets outraged at some of the crap that goes on in health care and grateful to people like you who are trying to improve it.
I can see that there would be reasons why not to videotape -- as you said, if the video person is interfering in something. However, it seems that so many hospitals are wanting people not to videotape for no apparently good reason (i.e., no good reason is stated to the people not allowed to videotape), which leads people to disobey what they consider to be a stupid rule (and it very likely may be). I've heard of people faking that they're taking still pictures when they really have their camera on video, because video isn't allowed but still pix are.
It seems like in most cases, there can be a reasonably wide allowance for taking pictures and video; but to say, "No video, ever!" just makes it sound like hospitals are worried about what might be videoed and used against them, which will very likely increase the incidence of it, as people will surreptitiously video if they are already in an adverse relationship.
-Kathy
I'm one of those mama's with "birth trauma" from my first birth. It was a needless c-section. A lot went wrong and I had to have general anesthesia because of my dr NOT waiting for me to numb at all, starting anyway and sending me basically into shock. It was hellish. I missed my daughters first five hours, had horrible PPD. I was told there would be a birth video, but my dr told me at my 2 week follow up that he had the video destroyed so I couldn't use it against him.
Fast forward 8 years - better dr, better staff and a repeat c-section... they allowed a video, stills, etc. I was awake and pain free. I had a total babymoon I'm pretty much still in 2 years later. I can't remember much from that day, but seeing and hearing it is amazing. :)
I can absolutely see it being detrimental to health professionals if it interferes with their jobs - but I saw nothing and knew nothing of my oldest dot's first few seconds or even hours. I wish like hell I could at least have THAT.
My hospital had a policy against videotaping any birth. I don't have any pictures because she was crowning when we arrived and everyone was running around like crazy, lol. Also my mom missed the birth, and she was the photographer. It bothered me that videos weren't allowed, though.
The standard in our area (at least the three hospitals I have birthed in here) is no videotaping or pictures of the actual birth. There are signs up IN the labor rooms stating this policy.
You may take pictures up until someone tells you to stop and then after the baby is born.
we were not allowed to tape the delivery part or take any photos right after the baby was born. My bf took photos anyway because he was sooo proud and they just let him.
My hospital also does not allow videotaping. My hospital also does not allow pictures of the actual birth for liability reasons.
Almost everyone I knew was horrified that I wanted to vidoetape and photograph the birth of our son and I am SO glad we did. We were not allowed to video tape the actual moment of birth, but the video was turned back on in time to catch his first cry, which I don't even remember! Both the person taking the video and pictures stayed out of the way and didn't interfere, but were still able to capture many moments that I would otherwise have no memory of. I understand the liability stuff, but if a mistake is caught on film I think the hospital should be held accountable for it anyway. I would not trust or use that hospital that did not allow video/photos. I'm due in March with number 2 and we are using a different hospital, we prefer the nursing staff (more naturally minded, some used to be home birth midwives actually) and we can video the actual birth, very excited!
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