Monday, September 10, 2007

You know you've been a doula a while when...

...you come across the last name Foley and immediately think of the catheter.

Actually, that should be appended to read, "You know you've been a doula in a hospital...." Do homebirth midwives ever use catheters?

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posted by doulicia at 11:46 AM

4 Comments:

Blogger kar said...

Yes, some homebirth midwives do use catheters. This may happen if a mom is having trouble urinating while in labor due to the baby pressing on the baldder (as if they don't do that all the time).

11:56 AM  
Blogger Masked RN said...

As well, if a mom postpartum cannot void, the midwife may have to straight cath her. I'm not sure about foley caths, though.

3:43 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm forever seeing and hearing birth language where it isn't. My friends just roll their eyes at me now.

8:45 PM  
Blogger Louisa said...

Straight caths are used very occasionally to empty a full bladder (especially after birth if a full bladder is impeding involution of the uterus. You basically run it straight in, 'tap' the urine then take it straight out. A foley is an indwelling catheter. There would be almost no need to ever leave a catheter in an unmedicated laboring mom in a home birth situation. Very uncomfortable to say the least!

10:42 AM  

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