Posted by My OB said WHAT?!?.
Nov
20
Posted by My OB said WHAT?!?.
“…We Don’t Let Anyone Go Past 40 Weeks.”
“The chief obstetrician has only let someone go past 40 weeks ONCE since they have been in practice. It was the OB’s sister and her baby died. So needless to say, we don’t let anyone go past 40 weeks.” – Midwife from the midwifery/OB shared practice, at the first prenatal for a first time mother.
There are 32 comments to this post.
Shenanigans. Isn’t there a law against people practicing medicine on their own family members? I doubt that an OB would be allowed to care for (and apparently kill?) his or her own sibling.
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Dreamy Reply:
November 20th, 2012 at 11:50 am (Quote)
Uh… No, I don’t think there is such a law.
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Jane Reply:
November 20th, 2012 at 11:53 am (Quote)
That was my first thought too, that there’s no way this doctor was caring for his or her own sister, and that was the one and only time a woman went post-dates (because I guess for your own sister, you slack off and give less than your typical standard of care)?
And the doctor has never lost any *other* babies? This is the one and only death this doctor has ever seen? Or maybe because the doctor induces all patients early, when a baby dies, the doctor just doesn’t have the handy post-dates excuse?
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skeptifem Reply:
November 20th, 2012 at 12:35 pm (Quote)
if there is a law against it then it doesn’t help much. doctors have family members as patients all the time.
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Jane Reply:
November 20th, 2012 at 1:21 pm (Quote)
I looked it up, and apparently there are ethical and practical considerations, but there doesn’t appear to be a legal reason for a doctor not to treat family members:
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2009/04/13/prca0413.htm
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Let’s address the doc ‘letting’ her go past 40 weeks. It’s not his permission to give.
I explained it to my client, who is now nearly 42 weeks, that it would be like her telling me she doesn’t let me eat cookies. She’s not my boss.
Doc told her he’ll ‘let’ her go til 42 but not past, so she should schedule an induction either Wednesday or Friday morning. The baby will be magically safe through Thursday, which is Thanksgiving. He did an ultrasound today – water levels are great, baby is great.
She’s 3cm, 90% effaced, and -1 station. I suggested sex, nipple stimulation, spicy foods, and long walks. N-o-t-h-i-n-g happening…..
Any other safe suggestions?
Doc recommended that since they may not have enough beds for her on Friday morning, she should come in for cervidil on Thursday night, to guarantee her a bed on Friday morning for her induction. I advised against a ripening agent for a very ripe cervix. 
Any ideas, ladies?
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Nica Reply:
November 20th, 2012 at 2:48 pm (Quote)
Yeah, I tried all that stuff and all that “pushed me over the cliff” so to speak was cleaning my entire house from top to bottom which was brought on by my frustration of nothing else doing a darn thing to bring labor on. LOL!
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Jan Reply:
November 20th, 2012 at 3:03 pm (Quote)
What worked for me was massaging accupressure points. Both times I went into labor I had received a massage and had indicated they could massage those points, I went into labor within 12 hours both times.
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Rachel Reply:
November 20th, 2012 at 3:38 pm (Quote)
foot massage… see a massage therapist, aparently it can help to get things moving
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Jane Reply:
November 20th, 2012 at 3:40 pm (Quote)
Lots of natural induction ideas here: http://www.gentlebirth.org/archives/natinduc.html
My favorites: watch a really funny movie; dance; curb-walk; swing on those great big swings at the park.
I wouldn’t touch the herbal stuff because I’m not competent with herbs. But there’s no medical harm in watching a really funny movie, etc.
Oh, and eating fresh pineapple. She should totally do that. Again, no harm in eating fresh (not canned) pineapple.
No-side-effects interventions are lovely. Might not help but can’t hurt.
I’ve heard that rubbing castor oil on the belly also helps get labor started without the GI issues she’d have taking it internally, but since castor oil might be medical in nature, I don’t know whether it’s something she’d want to think.
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Rachel Reply:
November 20th, 2012 at 4:15 pm (Quote)
my midwife did the castor oil on my belly and it did work great… it sped up contractions nicely… you are supposed to rub it on then use warm towels over top although, the midwife also said that if it is going to work it normally works fast so be prepared also it is much better than ingesting it(IMO)…
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mm Reply:
November 20th, 2012 at 5:41 pm (Quote)
keep trying with sex too. sex put me into labour…baby born (without induction) at 41weeks 6days. (sorry if TMI but hope it helps!)
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Does anyone else find it weird that a women was comfortable with her sibling being her ob/gyn? Even if it was a female sibling, I just wouldn’t let my siblings and what’s going on in my vagina cross paths. I think it’s more likely the nurse added this detail for effect.
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Suzanne Reply:
November 21st, 2012 at 2:25 am (Quote)
One of my college roommates had her father-in-law deliver her babies.
So, while I would never, not in a million years, want anyone I know outside of medical setting examining me, some people are comfortable with it.
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amanda Reply:
November 21st, 2012 at 5:14 am (Quote)
just had a mental flash of my FIL standing at the end of the bed… might need therapy to get rid of that image. *SHUDDER*
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Suzanne Reply:
November 21st, 2012 at 5:38 am (Quote)
Yeah, me too! Of course, I think I couldn’t have paid my FIL enough money to get him to come into the delivery room. Thankfully, my inlaws do not feel the need to have anything to do with birth until after the baby is out!
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Carrie Reply:
November 21st, 2012 at 6:30 am (Quote)
Lol, my FIL is the same! BUT, I’d love having my MIL there, she is really awesome (I just can’t figure out how to ask her to attend without hurting my mom’s feelings, because Mom is definitely NOT invited!).
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Heather P Reply:
November 21st, 2012 at 7:35 am (Quote)
My Mom was at my first birth but was not invited to the second. She stunk at labor support. My mother in law was at the second one. I told Mom, “I love you, Mom, but you are so worried about me while I’m in labor that your fear in contagious. Try looking in the mirror and practice looking calm” That didn’t work when she came over when I was in prodromal labor. She stressed me out. I sent her home and “forgot” to call her because my labor went so “fast”. I think she was relived that she didn’t have to see me give birth again. All she cared about was that I made through okay and her granddaughter was born healthy.
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shawn joy had this to say,
Nov 21, 2012 @ 8:44 am (Quote)
It was definitely just to put it in my mind that their timeline would be “in the best interest of the baby.” This phrase stuck out like crazy after I watched Business of Being Born. I switched to a midwife after seeing the documentary and realising that none of my questions were going to be accepted as valid. Still had a bad birth experience, but greatful I wasn’t at a hospital because it could have been worse.
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Jense Reply:
November 21st, 2012 at 2:50 pm (Quote)
That documentary is fabulous. I wish there were more like it.
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Carrie Reply:
November 21st, 2012 at 2:57 pm (Quote)
They’ve done two additional “Business of Being Born”s, which I’ve heard are good, but haven’t been able to see yet.
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Ms. Jack Reply:
November 21st, 2012 at 5:05 pm (Quote)
They’ve done four direct-to-television movies called More Business of Being Born. I watched the first two and didn’t think they were anywhere near as good as the film. They’re not as well organized and they tend to let their interview subjects ramble.
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It is SO HARD to lose a baby, and when you’re a midwife or OB, it WILL happen to you at some point. And for awhile afterward, you are scared about every decision you make. So I can empathize with that. BUT it’s not an excuse to stop practicing evidence-based care. That baby didn’t die BECAUSE it was past it’s due date. Maybe they never found out why it died, sometimes we don’t. And sure, if we induced everyone at 36 weeks there would be a tiny few less stillborn babies But it would be at the expense of thousands of “late preemies,” some of whom would also die. You can’t practice midwifery or obstetrics without emotion, but don’t let emotion rule over all else.
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