Posted by My OB said WHAT?!?.
Apr
12
Posted by My OB said WHAT?!?.
“If You Want Your Baby To Die…”
“If you want your baby to die. We won’t take any responsibility for the death of your baby if you refuse.” – OB to mother who asked if there was any alternatives to internal fetal scalp electrodes when the external monitoring was not consistently reading.
There are 35 comments to this post.
I heard not one, but two recounts (here) of a baby who DID die as a result of the internal scalp monitor being screwed into the baby’s head too far. You are not screwing anything in my baby’s head.
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isnt there an alternative way to monitor internally without scalp electrodes?? have you guys ever seen those removed?? they cant feel nice when put in either!! NO YOU CANT PUT ELECTRODES IN MY CHILD’S SCALP! id almost rather have a c section and get cut open MYSELF then let you put those in my child’s scalp. (key word -almost-) how about run a quick ultrasound over the belly and see what the heart rate is?? or just let the midwife at the birth center come and catch.. she understands intermittent monitoring much better than you obviously!!
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And if you have the internal monitor, they GUARANTEE you a healthy, live baby? No, of course not. But this is another reason why malpractice insurance skyrockets.
If
no monitor = dead baby
and
doctor implies monitor = live baby
and
baby then dies
then
mom concludes doctor committed malpractice and calls the attorneys.
Quit badgering moms with inflated threats and unrealistic promises. Ugh!
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devil is in the details had this to say,
Apr 12, 2011 @ 11:38 am (Quote)
Your logic is infallable. I want my baby to die therefore I am forbidding you from screwing and electrode into her head. That couldn’t possibly be because I have her best interests at heart! Go F*ck yourself!
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So, if I do accept this internal monitor and my baby DOES die, you will then take responsibility? ‘Cause that’s what it sounds like you’re saying.
Oh, and could you please outline the risks of the monitor to my baby and to myself, such as the increased risk of infection to both me and the baby, the obvious pain my baby will feel when having a screw inserted into his scalp, and the chance that the almighty machine might not work for that monitor either, essentially causing all this mess for nothing. (I say this because a client of mine did accept an internal monitor that the staff tried to insert THREE times into the baby’s scalp, causing mechonium and therefor more risks to the baby, and then couldn’t get the damn machine to register a single heartbeat.)
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Who wants to bet that the only reason s/he wants this electrode in place is so that s/he can take LESS responsibility if the baby dies? Baby dies, no electrode, doctor is sued and may lose, being forced to take responsibility. Electrode, baby dies, doctor’s ass is covered, no responsibility need be accepted.
I don’t pretend that everything doctors do is out of self-interest, but it sure seems that way with attitudes like this. If this were REALLY about mom and baby you would take the time to explain why it needs to be done and comfort her in her grief over her lost ideal birth.
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Caryn Weber had this to say,
Apr 12, 2011 @ 12:01 pm (Quote)
It sounds like there needs to be an anti-bullying group formed for the labor and delivery room. Maybe we can get Obama in on that one too. Not only do we worry about bullies in the classroom or on the playground or even in the workplace, but this is totally uncalled for.
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road2vba2c had this to say,
Apr 12, 2011 @ 2:17 pm (Quote)
We need a “dead baby” tag. How many does this make??
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Jane Reply:
April 12th, 2011 at 2:22 pm (Quote)
Maybe “the dead baby card” tag, so people don’t think that’s about actual infant loss…but yeah. 
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Heather P Reply:
April 12th, 2011 at 3:53 pm (Quote)
I suggested this to the site too, but they didn’t take it up. I think it would be a really good idea as often as it comes up. Maybe I’ll go through and count how many there are that don’t involve actual losses.
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My OB said WHAT?!? Reply:
April 12th, 2011 at 5:24 pm (Quote)
go through, send the links of those that you think are the dead baby card tag, and send them to us. we will see if you can get it up!
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My daughter had the internal monitor screwed into her head. It was the nurse that hinted at the fact that if they couldn’t get the baby’s heart rate (which they couldn’t on the external because I felt the need to not freeze like a statue) then I would likely end up with a c-section.
So I agreed.
She is 2 and I am still pissed about it when I think about it because she had a scab and lost hair about the size of a penny around where it was in her head 
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I swear, if some doctor ties to pull a dead baby card (DBC) on me I’m going to tell them to think of it as a late abortion. Where I live (Oregon) there is no limit on gestational age for abortions.
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This was my experience. The OB was nearing the end of her shift. She had NO bedside manner. I’d been in labour for roughly 12 hours at this stage. I was trying to follow what they’d taught us in the hospital-run antenatal classes.
This woman had my husband so angry that my Mum had to put a hand on his arm to prevent him from exploding.
We managed to delay the decision until the shift change, and spoke to the next OB about it, who managed to explain it WITHOUT threatening the death of my daughter.
While I hate that I feel I was bullied into the decision, I am glad that I agreed to it as it showed that my daughter was in severe foetal distress and 1/2 an hour later I was having an emergency C-section.
Whilst prepping for the C-sect, they topped up my Epi, which wasn’t acting fast enough for them (I still had sensation in my legs, but couldn’t move them). The anaesthetist then requested that I sit up, be perfectly still and submit to a spinal tap!
I think it’ll be a couple of years before I submit myself to all of this again!!
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annie b Reply:
April 12th, 2011 at 8:06 pm (Quote)
I’m sorry this happened. Some people don’t have tact.
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Cmat Reply:
April 12th, 2011 at 8:52 pm (Quote)
I’m sorry you had a bad experience
Just so you know though.. there is hope! My first experience was bad, but I just had my second 3 weeks ago. WONDERFUL experience. Different state/hospital/OB though. The birth and recovery were totally different.
So hopefully you end up in a similar situation and your next birth will be great!
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Angela Ireland had this to say,
Nov 16, 2012 @ 1:43 pm (Quote)
I had a baby who was well down and ready to be born jump up under my ribs and stay there for 26hours after a doctor, poking what ever they use to break the water, into the womb because he couldn’t pull the membrane down down. luckily she was delivered rapidly and just in time. She was navy blue and in distress with a cut on her head.
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Add Your Comment.
Another dead baby card, huh?
At least they admit she is allowed to refuse, but what is WITH the dead baby card. That should really be saved for questions like “Do I have to give up roller derby?” and “Is it okay if I smoke PCP during pregnancy?”
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Serene Reply:
April 13th, 2011 at 12:32 am Serene(Quote)
Uhhh… I played Roller Hockey and did Karate while pregnant…
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