Here we are again, medical professionals arrogance on steroids. The gestation period is 40 weeks, and normally if your baby is late it is not allowed to go past 42 weeks because it is dangerous for your baby. Twins usually arrive early anything from 36 weeks, but 38 weeks was the ball park week back when I was young.
This poor woman put through this awful treatment and her baby suffering dangerous medical conditions. This is absolutely horrific and a classic example of negligence by health professionals. How dare they tell her to hold on and calm down. No effort made to check the baby’s vitals or the mother’s by the sound of the news article. Surely these would have been done especially given the heart conditions running in the family.
If you feel that you are not being listened to or you believe your baby is in danger then stand your ground and ask for the medical advocate or what ever name they are known as in your state or Territory. That is your right and don’t forget that please.
Do not let anyone intimidate you or insult your intelligence when you are obviously concerned. You have every right to be concerned. Medical professionals can make mistakes and I am speaking from experience. If you read my blog you will see what my husband has gone through over the past few years and especially this year prior to life saving surgery. The treatment of women has never changed since I was young in the 1980’s. In fact it has gotten worse over time and now people are fearful of hospitals with the stuff that is in the public domain and on top of that the changes that have transpired since COVID.
It is up to the public to demand the change happens and not leave it to politicians to use as an election platform tool and then buck-pass when elected.
I can tell you when I had my children there were horror stories about the hospitals in western Sydney, and the treatment of women when the AIDS epidemic started through sheer ignorance women were traumatised. When I fell pregnant I was somewhat nervous about what sort of treatment I would receive as the two local public hospitals had a reputation for the way they treated women in the maternity ward. I made enquiries about what was the best place to go and was told to try the country hospital near where I lived. I am so glad that I did because the staff there treated women much better and were very supportive of women’s rights. Not so with the partnering hospital nearby.
I discovered that I couldn’t go into labour at all, my body just didn’t work. So both of my children were induced and instrument delivery. My first baby was born at 41.5 weeks and was still sitting too high up. I had a fantastic doctor, but my baby did have foetal distress at birth and pooped everywhere. He was 8 lbs, red and puffy or cooked (what they called a post term baby at the time) looking but very bright eyed.
The second baby was a different story, as I was ill all the way through and under weight because I couldn’t stop vomiting until the day before my baby was born. But what angered me was when I asked for an epidural the arrogant misogynist told me, I shouldn’t be having a baby if I can’t handle the pain. My husband and I just looked at each other in shock. This from a supposedly educated man, he is lucky that I was not in a physical condition to bitch slap him. I was almost 30 and having some misogynistic pig speaking to me like that left me flabbergasted. My baby was born one day short of the EDC, which I had calculated as it was part of my day job anyway. The doctors kept saying that I was wrong. Bull shit, if you know the exact date of the LMP then count 40 weeks that gives you the exact EDC. That is a fact that I have always known and always kept a diary on from the age of 15.
My second child did have problems and wasn’t moving at the end of the pregnancy. The doctor told me that is normal because there isn’t a lot of room for him to move, which is true. Now this was a female doctor that I did my antenatal care with, and she kept saying that I was further along than I thought. She wouldn’t listen when I told her I have big babies, my husband’s side of the family are big solid people. She was otherwise a good doctor, but she also didn’t listen when I told her my EDC was correct. Arrogance must be included in the medical degree! I ended up having to go on maternity leave earlier because my health was suffering as was the baby, there was already a threatened miscarriage at the start of my pregnancy too which required bed rest, and the same at the end of my pregnancy. The birth was an induction yet again and another 8lb baby.
Geez what would a stupid woman know about having big babies and knowing how to calculate the EDC. I already had experience in babies by the second birth and surrounded by 10 other women in my office who were pregnant and experienced parents.
On the day of the birth I was apprehensive about the outcome, the baby’s face was blue at birth and not breathing so he had to be put on oxygen. The misogynistic doctor admitted that the boy’s EDC was right as I had said. I replied, yes I know I am right.
So ladies stand your ground be empowered but be polite too. Manners cost nothing and you will look competent and confident in your actions and decisions. First up is learning your rights as a patient and a woman. Never let anyone undermine you or disrespect you, remember respect is a two way street.
Best of luck to all the parents that have been through this trauma I hope you heal and have beautiful children and boundless happiness and joy in your lives.
Thank you to all of the good medical professionals out there who know how tough it is in the medical profession, it is no walk in the park but with the public and the medical community surely we can band together and make the changes that we all need.
