There's a time and a place for everything, especially when it comes to taking selfies. It was bad enough when a bunch of world leaders snapped pics of themselves here, but a Venezuelan doctor-in-training has taken the craze to a new low.
"Lady I can deliver your baby but first let me take a selfie," captioned student obstetrician Daniel Sanchez on Instagram.
It's not clear whether Sanchez had the birthing woman's permission to take or post the photo, in which her genitals are pixellated out.
Still, a petition with thousands of signatures is rightly urging the hospital to investigate his actions:
"It is absolutely unacceptable and illegal to take pictures of the women or babies admitted to the Maternity Services without their knowledge and without their consent," reads the petition.
"It is just simply inappropriate in the professional interaction. And to them (sic) publish it on social media with sexually discriminatory comments it is extremely worrying and an embarrassment to any hospital."
Sanchez's Instagram account is no longer public. However, he's not the only one into taking labour selfies. How anyone can think this is a good idea is beyond me.
And the captions on images of doctors posing between various women's open legs range are enough are stomach churning.
"My favourite place in the world <3" wrote one doctor, while another accompanied the hashtags "#fourthdegree #episiotomy #episiorrhapy" with the words "a rockstar is born."
Labour is an intensely private and intimate event. Even if a woman consents - and consent she must - and even if her lady bits aren't visible, selfies are just not cool.
I get that obstetricians, like any other skilled professional, are proud of what they do. So why not pose with the baby or the happy mom afterward?
Grinning like a fool with your head at the business end of birth - as the doctor in the equation - shows a lack of fundamental discretion and professional integrity.
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