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Seeing red.
May. 28th, 2006 03:14 amI just read a very accurate and honest article about c-sections in Elle. That a fashion magazine is writing about cesareans because they've actually become FASHIONABLE - all the celebrities are getting them, and all the rich NYC moms request them, too - grosses me out beyond belief. But beyond that...
It was just laid out so grim, by such an unbiased source. This was not a granola online forum for birth warriors. It's freaking Elle. And still they say - you are 3 to 7 more times as likely to die in a c/s as in a vaginal birth. Your future fertility is in danger because placentas can grow into your scar, causing potentially fatal (to you and/or baby) problems as well as future stillbirths being 60% more likely, and the slight chance of rupture in future vaginal births, and - here's the kicker - your completely nonexistant chance of finding any caregiver willing to give you a shot at a future vaginal birth. And of course the risks of infection, and damage to other organs, and excess blood loss and scarring and so on and the separation from your newborn and the WHO being up in arms while these American OBs go on offering every pregnant woman the choice to elective surgical birth, and how all medicine is defensive medicine now because of this lawsuit climate we're in, and how OBs don't warn anyone of the dangers and cons when they're pushing this surgery which is against the law...
I started crying. I can't handle it that this is me. I'm like the worst kind of poster child for what they're talking about.I want more babies so much. I'm so afraid of getting pregnant again. I struggle with this as a christian who tries to have faith and on so many other levels. I was told today by two different women that I need to get a tubal just so I can "be here for my other kids", and on some levels I really believe that, too. They had both heard the much-touted medical guideline of 3 c/s being the max.
I have adhesions on my bladder.
I have back problems from the anesthesia.
I had a misdated baby taken out too soon and unable to breathe on his own. I didn't see him until he was 3 days old, or touch him until he was 6 days old, or nurse him until he was a week and a half.
I lost so much blood with Aaron that I was screwed up for weeks and was past the legal limit for needing a transfusion.
I didn't see him until he was 9 hours old and still believe it effected our relationship.
I've had a lung bruised during these procedures.
And a hematoma on my spine that terrified me as I waited to see if I'd be paralyzed.
I had a miscarriage that, being in the second trimester as it was with the baby long dead, was likely as not a placental abruption caused by scar tissue.
I am effected in my ability to carry another baby to term or birth it naturally, and am putting myself at risk to have them the only way I can with any kind of medical staff around.
I have large patches of skin on my abdomen with no feeling in them whatsoever, and atrophied lower abdominal muscles that literally hang. In a lopsided way.
I have four children, but I have never given birth. I have sweet memories that I cling to, of someone reaching inside of me and telling me that they could feel all of Jake's hair. And memories, of an enlightened pregnancy that was happy and natural and great. I have something with Jake that is missing with my others, special though they all are to me.
It's malpractice, as far as I am concerned, to schedule an 18 year old first time mom with no complications or signs of impending labor for an induction, with no explanation but your own convenience.
It's malpractice to pressure her into a surgical delivery after only 4 hours on pitocin, with no explanation of risks of c/s.
It's dirty lying to tell her that you can do it in such a way that it will be no big deal at all to have future babies naturally.
It's nasty as hell and MALPRACTICE to refuse to allow her a trial of labor in future pregnancies for no reason but your own convenience.
It's malpractice to pull a baby out when you assume it's 37 weeks, knowing dating pregnancies is shady work and for no solid reason.
It's malpractice to see in pre-op blood work that a patient has dangerously low platelets and order general anesthesia without even explaining to anyone what low platelets means, OR the risks of general anesthesia - knowing that surgical delivery averages twice the blood loss of vaginal in a healthy patient, and then just proceeding as before despite knowing you have a serious bleeder on your hands.
It's CERTAINLY malpractice to define vbac for a pregnant woman who asks you as very very dangerous, saying that uterine rupture is when your uterus bursts and you and the baby die. This is completely untrue and RIDICULOUS.
I'm seriously thinking of suing my obstetrician.
The reason that birth is as it is, is that doctors think that intervention is the way to avoid lawsuits and natural anything is asking for a courtcase. They all live in terror of malpractice suits and practice "Defensive medicine" in birth.
I'm not interested in money. I'm interested in legal precedent, and publicity. I think I have had enough physical and emotional trauma to warrant this.
I want to make people think twice about the current state of things.
I'm going to talk to an attorney. Soon.
I would rather lose but get stories in the papers and waters churning, than accept a settlement that would be "Hush money".
If I don't do this, he's going to keep doing this to every girl that walks in there.
Bobby's mother works in the hospital where he practices, and she told me I was going to have a c/s if he was my doctor. She told me all day long she files his c/s records - "Failure to progress", "Failure to progress", "Failure to progress" - all day long. Last I heard he was at 68% c/s. The World Health Organization says no place on earth is justified in having more than a 15% rate. There are countries with better maternal and infant health rates that have rated under 10%. And he is the only place in this town to go if you are on Medicaid, other than the ghetto clinic.
I am completely and totally filing a lawsuit.
ETA: I think one thing I like about this is that regardless of outcome, as soon as papers are drawn up I can submit editorials to the local paper (where my mother in law works) and The Miami Herald, just about the fact that such a lawsuit is pending. Somebody needs to rock the boat.
It was just laid out so grim, by such an unbiased source. This was not a granola online forum for birth warriors. It's freaking Elle. And still they say - you are 3 to 7 more times as likely to die in a c/s as in a vaginal birth. Your future fertility is in danger because placentas can grow into your scar, causing potentially fatal (to you and/or baby) problems as well as future stillbirths being 60% more likely, and the slight chance of rupture in future vaginal births, and - here's the kicker - your completely nonexistant chance of finding any caregiver willing to give you a shot at a future vaginal birth. And of course the risks of infection, and damage to other organs, and excess blood loss and scarring and so on and the separation from your newborn and the WHO being up in arms while these American OBs go on offering every pregnant woman the choice to elective surgical birth, and how all medicine is defensive medicine now because of this lawsuit climate we're in, and how OBs don't warn anyone of the dangers and cons when they're pushing this surgery which is against the law...
I started crying. I can't handle it that this is me. I'm like the worst kind of poster child for what they're talking about.I want more babies so much. I'm so afraid of getting pregnant again. I struggle with this as a christian who tries to have faith and on so many other levels. I was told today by two different women that I need to get a tubal just so I can "be here for my other kids", and on some levels I really believe that, too. They had both heard the much-touted medical guideline of 3 c/s being the max.
I have adhesions on my bladder.
I have back problems from the anesthesia.
I had a misdated baby taken out too soon and unable to breathe on his own. I didn't see him until he was 3 days old, or touch him until he was 6 days old, or nurse him until he was a week and a half.
I lost so much blood with Aaron that I was screwed up for weeks and was past the legal limit for needing a transfusion.
I didn't see him until he was 9 hours old and still believe it effected our relationship.
I've had a lung bruised during these procedures.
And a hematoma on my spine that terrified me as I waited to see if I'd be paralyzed.
I had a miscarriage that, being in the second trimester as it was with the baby long dead, was likely as not a placental abruption caused by scar tissue.
I am effected in my ability to carry another baby to term or birth it naturally, and am putting myself at risk to have them the only way I can with any kind of medical staff around.
I have large patches of skin on my abdomen with no feeling in them whatsoever, and atrophied lower abdominal muscles that literally hang. In a lopsided way.
I have four children, but I have never given birth. I have sweet memories that I cling to, of someone reaching inside of me and telling me that they could feel all of Jake's hair. And memories, of an enlightened pregnancy that was happy and natural and great. I have something with Jake that is missing with my others, special though they all are to me.
It's malpractice, as far as I am concerned, to schedule an 18 year old first time mom with no complications or signs of impending labor for an induction, with no explanation but your own convenience.
It's malpractice to pressure her into a surgical delivery after only 4 hours on pitocin, with no explanation of risks of c/s.
It's dirty lying to tell her that you can do it in such a way that it will be no big deal at all to have future babies naturally.
It's nasty as hell and MALPRACTICE to refuse to allow her a trial of labor in future pregnancies for no reason but your own convenience.
It's malpractice to pull a baby out when you assume it's 37 weeks, knowing dating pregnancies is shady work and for no solid reason.
It's malpractice to see in pre-op blood work that a patient has dangerously low platelets and order general anesthesia without even explaining to anyone what low platelets means, OR the risks of general anesthesia - knowing that surgical delivery averages twice the blood loss of vaginal in a healthy patient, and then just proceeding as before despite knowing you have a serious bleeder on your hands.
It's CERTAINLY malpractice to define vbac for a pregnant woman who asks you as very very dangerous, saying that uterine rupture is when your uterus bursts and you and the baby die. This is completely untrue and RIDICULOUS.
I'm seriously thinking of suing my obstetrician.
The reason that birth is as it is, is that doctors think that intervention is the way to avoid lawsuits and natural anything is asking for a courtcase. They all live in terror of malpractice suits and practice "Defensive medicine" in birth.
I'm not interested in money. I'm interested in legal precedent, and publicity. I think I have had enough physical and emotional trauma to warrant this.
I want to make people think twice about the current state of things.
I'm going to talk to an attorney. Soon.
I would rather lose but get stories in the papers and waters churning, than accept a settlement that would be "Hush money".
If I don't do this, he's going to keep doing this to every girl that walks in there.
Bobby's mother works in the hospital where he practices, and she told me I was going to have a c/s if he was my doctor. She told me all day long she files his c/s records - "Failure to progress", "Failure to progress", "Failure to progress" - all day long. Last I heard he was at 68% c/s. The World Health Organization says no place on earth is justified in having more than a 15% rate. There are countries with better maternal and infant health rates that have rated under 10%. And he is the only place in this town to go if you are on Medicaid, other than the ghetto clinic.
I am completely and totally filing a lawsuit.
ETA: I think one thing I like about this is that regardless of outcome, as soon as papers are drawn up I can submit editorials to the local paper (where my mother in law works) and The Miami Herald, just about the fact that such a lawsuit is pending. Somebody needs to rock the boat.
