Jul 12

“…There Is No Way You’re Getting This Baby Out Without An Episiotomy.”

“This baby is measuring so big that if you carry to full term I *WILL* cut you. There is no way you’re getting this baby out without an episiotomy.” – OB to mother at 30 week prenatal.

79 people dislike these words.

There are 25 comments to this post.

Nicole had this to say, Jul 12, 2011 @ 2:45 pm (Quote)

*blink-blink*
ExCuse me?!?! What the hell kind of sadist are you?!?!
I hope the OP ran out of the appointment!

[Reply]

Jessica had this to say, Jul 12, 2011 @ 2:45 pm (Quote)

Oh yeah? Watch me. Better yet, don’t watch me, because I’m switching providers!

[Reply]

alissa had this to say, Jul 12, 2011 @ 2:45 pm (Quote)

Is that a threat?

[Reply]

Sheva Reply:
July 12th, 2011 at 8:22 pm Sheva(Quote)

Sounds like it to me!

[Reply]

Allie had this to say, Jul 12, 2011 @ 2:45 pm (Quote)

NO WAY? none at all? what? does she have a vagina of steel? an iron perineum?

[Reply]

Selia Reply:
July 12th, 2011 at 7:45 pm Selia(Quote)

That is how Dr DeLee reasoned forceps use on every first time mom regardless of need. He said it prevented brain damage as a result of babies heads hitting the steel hard perineum of a first time mom. We’ve made so little progress in thinking considering how much technology has progressed! At least this was prior to labor so the mom could find another provider!

[Reply]

Kristy Reply:
July 12th, 2011 at 8:04 pm Kristy(Quote)

Sounds like that man was highly resentful of an older sibling… decided that all first born children must have some kind of brain damage.

[Reply]

Kat Reply:
July 12th, 2011 at 9:15 pm Kat(Quote)

Comments like that make you wonder whether the guy ever actually had intercourse. Or maybe he was just very poorly endowed?

Seriously, that stuff stretches. Most of the time it stretches plenty far enough for a baby’s head. Most of the time if you aren’t screaming at a woman to push before her body feels the urge, they both aren’t getting extra stressed and exhausted.

I’ve never heard of a kid coming out with major, permanent damage from the *perineum* to their cranium. From forceps? yep. Vacuum? Definitely. Brain damage due to oxygen deprivation, sure. But provable damage from the actual perineum? I’d love to see any studies indicating it exists.

[Reply]

Heather Reply:
July 13th, 2011 at 12:20 pm Heather(Quote)

And the irony? All the babies who suffered injury from the forceps–never would have happened if they’d just been left alone.

[Reply]

Dawn had this to say, Jul 12, 2011 @ 2:47 pm (Quote)

Okay, how mean is this? Punished for having a big baby and for going full term? Ugh. How bout this doc, how about I say buh bye and find myself someone who will NOT cut me unless there is really a true reason to cut…

Starting to hate the term, “I will cut you.” It sounds like a power term. How many doctors say, “if you don’t get your cholesterol down, I will have to cut you”?

[Reply]

SherryJ had this to say, Jul 12, 2011 @ 2:52 pm (Quote)

And I *WILL* persue legal action since you don’t seem to understand the term”informed consent”. And since I *WILL NOT* be giving consent for you to cut me….you do the math.

[Reply]

Samantha had this to say, Jul 12, 2011 @ 3:03 pm (Quote)

Wow you are a doctor and a psychic!!! What are the winning lotto numbers?!?

[Reply]

Details had this to say, Jul 13, 2011 @ 5:38 am (Quote)

At least he didn’t want to schedule a c-section because the baby was so darn big. Wait, it will be the first thing out of his mouth at her next appointment. Or induction next time, c-section after that.

[Reply]

Karen had this to say, Jul 13, 2011 @ 7:03 am (Quote)

I picture that doc in a back alley wielding a knife at his poor patient. Gimme your money, I WILL cut you!

Who SAYS something so violent to a patient, regardless of overt intent?

[Reply]

Cedar had this to say, Jul 13, 2011 @ 8:05 am (Quote)

30 weeks–that’s plenty of time to find a new provider!

[Reply]

Lindsey had this to say, Jul 13, 2011 @ 8:25 am (Quote)

I would bet this is his normal lead up to the c section talk “you may recall me informing you an episiotomy would be necessary due to babies size. Well the option for an episiotomy is off the table” (patient smiles, excited by this news) “instead we will just have to do a section because its *so* big”… And then I imagine mom going on to have a 7.5lbs babe.
@ Selia, a doctor at one of the local hospitals insists on vacuum deliveries for primips “they never know how to push effectively. By the time they figure it out I’ve missed dinner and they are tired so I do them the favor and use the vacuum”.

[Reply]

Robyn Reply:
July 14th, 2011 at 7:29 am Robyn(Quote)

Wow! I pushed so effectively with my son that the on-call docter missed the birth! He got there about 10 minutes later.

[Reply]

Tee Reply:
July 14th, 2011 at 11:53 pm Tee(Quote)

Holy freaking cow! All women can push well if they are taught how! Give me a break. And who the heck cares if you miss dinner? That’s your job! This is why I hate OB’s. I know it’s not fair of me to lump them all together, it really isn’t. But dang, it’s hard to seperate them when I hear so many stories like this!

[Reply]

Kristin had this to say, Jul 13, 2011 @ 11:08 am (Quote)

Wait, wait. You mean instead of a C section you prefer a wickedly huge episiotomy that will make it painful to walk or sit for months?

Excuse me, I have to go find another OB….

[Reply]

Mindie had this to say, Jul 13, 2011 @ 2:27 pm (Quote)

Hey, at least he didn’t try to convince her to induce at 30 weeks.

[Reply]

Becky Reply:
July 14th, 2011 at 10:29 pm Becky(Quote)

small comfort, though. I hope the OP was able to find another provider!

[Reply]

Tee had this to say, Jul 14, 2011 @ 11:54 pm (Quote)

Doctor- “I will cut you.”

Patient- “I will kick you!”

[Reply]

Becca had this to say, Jul 15, 2011 @ 7:36 am (Quote)

I haven’t blogged about our birth story yet, but I’ll update y’all. Basically, I feel like it got hijacked. We were talked into an induction because of the size of the baby and I was 4 cm dilated and fully effaced 3 days late. My doc wanted to do it before the due date and I fought back. I gave in to induction at 3 days late because this was my first baby and it is hard to fight (and I was miserable). The induction went well for 10 hours and then I started pushing. Because of the pain of pitocin induced contractions I had to get an epidural, which I hadn’t planned on. Then my baby was face up, and my OB tried to turn him twice. SO PAINFUL, even with the epi. He wouldn’t turn. I pushed for 2 hours, and my OB was actually really great during this time. She was there most of the time and helped me try different positions (even with the epi) and was super encouraging. After 2 hours she checked me and he had only moved from a -2 to -1. She knew I wanted to birth vaginally, so she encouraged me to keep trying for another half hour. I gave it all I had, but there was no movement. At that point she checked again and told me he was stuck behind my pelvic bone. She told me that she could use forceps, but that she was concerned about the damage it would do to me and to my son. She suggested a c-section and we agreed. During the c-section my son was so stuck that a nurse had to push him back up so they could get him out. I can’t help but think that if we had just waited until he was ready he would have moved into the correct position and birthed vaginally. I hate that I’ll never know. My OB isn’t evil, she is just set in her ways. She was incredibly encouraging throughout the birth and was there far more than I expected. I just wish she had let me wait, and I think everything would have been very different. I’ve talked to friends who’ve had episiotomies and c-sections, and I think I may have received the lesser of the 2 evils, but I guess I’ll never know. Thanks for letting me tell my story. Fight for what you want. I wish I had.

[Reply]

Tee Reply:
July 15th, 2011 at 8:20 am Tee(Quote)

Oh man! I am so sorry that you had such a bad experience. You’re right, it’s very hard to stand up for yourself when you’re pregnant and miserable. Doctors can be bullies, plain and simple, and it certainly sounds like there was a bit of bullying going on here!

I’ll tell you this in the hopes that it will encourage you should you have another child… my sister has five chidren. The first was born via c-section. Similar story, pushed into early induction, “failure to progress,” baby in distress which was a big, giant lie, and c-section. It was such a bad experience that my sister went on to birth the other four kids at home. The youngest one was incredibly overdue. When she finally decided to grace us with her presence, she was 11 pounds. Born at home, sunny side up, a water birth. I tell you all this just to let you know that it is possible to have a V-BAC, even if you have a big baby and you’re overdue. Of course, it doesn’t always work out that way but don’t dismiss the idea out of hand, you know?

[Reply]

Becca had this to say, Jul 15, 2011 @ 7:38 am (Quote)

Also, my son was 8 pounds 10 oz at 3 days past his due date, still within the big side of normal range. His head did measure in the 90% percentile.