Well, life has been busy as usual. The L&D unit has been absolutely hopping with activity. We recently had a discussion on the unit about this new fangled device that has been FDA approved for use on laboring women to help prevent hemorrhoids. I'm sure you've all seen it:
First: what about cleanliness? This device just gets in the way when a woman pushes stool out during birth. Cause listen up: poop happens! A lot!
Second: look at how tiny that baby's head it. Seriously. That's like a 3 or 4 lb baby. Less likely to get hemorrhoids pushing out a baby that tiny.
Third: hello? TAPE!!! It's taped on. Talk about irritating to the skin. How would you like that sucker being yanked off after you have your baby? Yeah, I didn't think so.
Fourth: lithotomy position. Pish posh. Yep, you're confined to lithotomy position with this device in place. Can you even imagine trying to turn with this thing stuck on your ass and thighs?
Fifth: who in their right mind would want this stuck to their bum if they didn't have an epidural? Really??
13 comments:
a man must have invented that. It looks likes something that belongs in the S&M section of a sex store, not in L&D. How much you wanna bet they find that it causes worse lacerations d/t inability to give proper perineal support with it in place? Ew. No thank you.
Definitely designed by a man. Let's stick tape on the hairy testicles of some constipated guys with hemorrhoids and see how that goes.
Good grief! Who lays awake at night thinking about these things?
Would not want to be there when you poor Nurses have to pull it off!
Can I kick someone when they try to put that stupid thing on me? That's the dumbest thing I've ever seen. Having that thing "stuck" to me would be ever more mortifying than pooping or having hemorrhoids.
Once again, the invention of another unnecessary device to facilitate the MD in his/her preference of a lithotomy-position delivery. Nuts.
The first thing i notices was the teensy little head, never mind it isn't looking the way it *actually* does when it does come out...
And tape??? I have never seen tape stick on sweaty/wet-with-fluid skin.
Even if it was a good idea, which it isn't - in all practicality - it doesn't work.
It looks like it is giving "the finger" to the anus! Yep, developed by a man, I am sure!!
This is yet another woman unfriendly device that will make it all so much easier and better to birth naturally *rolls eyes*
i have seen several other people post and comment on this device, but yours is my favorite!! hilarious. that head IS tiny. glad to stumble upon your blog :)
Hope you don't have hair on your butt - imagine pulling it off....
It's like getting a wax job without asking for it! This looks awful!
I'm planning to try the Hem-Avert with the birth of my second son, because after the birth of my first son - who was born in a hospital birth center with a nursing staff who fully support and advocate for natural birth, and with a doctor who also fully supports and advocates natural birth - I ended up with chronic hemorrhoids.
The instructions do show a woman in the reclined/semi-reclined position for attaching the device. However, there is absolutely no mention made of being required to stay in that position. Birthing is painful... and my butt-hole was the MOST painful part of my birth experience, so I don't imagine a little wedge up my crack will prevent me from moving into the most advantageous position.
Also, the device is taped on, but it is with "velcro" tape, so the device can be removed immediately and the tape itself removed later if one preferred. I don't think I will care if I have to pull a little tape of my butt cheeks if it can prevent worsening my painful and chronic hemorrhoids.
I am so glad I discovered the Hem-Avert and I only wish I could find real user comments on their experience (as opposed to people who just want to make fun of the device, but who have never actually used it and probably don't suffer from chronic, labor and birth induced hemorrhoids). If any actual users are out there, please comment on your experience - I'd love to read about it.
And I have to say that *I* lay awake at night wondering about these things... further worsening my hemorrhoids is my number one fear for my second childbirth.
As an update, I gave birth to my son without the hem-avert device. Unfortunately I did not realize that this device is designed to function with mother in a semi reclined position; I read the directions and while they indicate that position for applying the device, they did not indicate that mother should remain in that position. However, my doctor advised that the device would probably not stay in place if I moved to an alternate position, so I decided not to use it at all.
The good news is my hemorrhoids were not made worse from this second birth (which was much faster all around), and they seem to be reduced to their pre-second-pregnancy (post-first-pregnancy) state.
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