Focus on Infants During Childbirth Leaves US Moms in Danger

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is so sad. An ex-colleague of mine just passed away after having a baby too, but in her case it was sepsis (they think). She left behind a 4yo, 2yo and a newborn. Devastating.

https://www.google.com/amp/nypost.com/2017/04/22/death-of-tv-producer-five-days-after-childbirth-still-a-mystery/amp/

This is so sad.

[Anonymous]

Didn't read the entire thread. But my guess is, we have far more "at risk" pregnancies in this country than countries with socialized medicine have.

If you have a higher number of AMA, women with chronic health conditions, pregnancy complications, you will also have a higher rate of maternal death. In other words, don't think that the other countries are doing so great - you can't fail if you don't even try...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Didn't read the entire thread. But my guess is, we have far more "at risk" pregnancies in this country than countries with socialized medicine have.

If you have a higher number of AMA, women with chronic health conditions, pregnancy complications, you will also have a higher rate of maternal death. In other words, don't think that the other countries are doing so great - you can't fail if you don't even try...

Yeah, read article and the thread. That's got little to do with the problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Didn't read the entire thread. But my guess is, we have far more "at risk" pregnancies in this country than countries with socialized medicine have.

If you have a higher number of AMA, women with chronic health conditions, pregnancy complications, you will also have a higher rate of maternal death. In other words, don't think that the other countries are doing so great - you can't fail if you don't even try...

I think that contributes. My OB has worked in a few countries and one of his biggest frustrations here in the US are the complications due to our diet and sedentary lifestyle. Many of his patients don't care about their health and use pregnancy as a way to validate their choices; he can't say much about it, because it's offensive and "shaming".

Ultimately, though, I'm sure there are several factors at fault.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But the hospital in this story is not some little place in podunk. Monmouth hospital is a large teaching hospital.

Hence, the OVER-interference with normal (and boring) deliveries. Students don't want to sit quietly and wait for the baby to be born.

They want action!!

I remember this hospital from an episode of A Baby Story...yes i know its cheesy but i was on bedrest.

Anyway, the Dr pushed an induction on this woman because she was "overdue." But in the intro she said she had PCOS and was very irregular. Then the induction wasn't progressing and I heard someone say that the baby was ballotable...which means she was free floating and not engaged. The woman had had another child several years prior.

Then that jagoff Dr told the woman that "the baby is just too big." She would have to have a Csection.

Birthweight of the newborn was about 5 lbs and change. I was so glad to not be any where near that hospital if that was acceptable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Didn't read the entire thread. But my guess is, we have far more "at risk" pregnancies in this country than countries with socialized medicine have.

If you have a higher number of AMA, women with chronic health conditions, pregnancy complications, you will also have a higher rate of maternal death. In other words, don't think that the other countries are doing so great - you can't fail if you don't even try...

I think that contributes. My OB has worked in a few countries and one of his biggest frustrations here in the US are the complications due to our diet and sedentary lifestyle. Many of his patients don't care about their health and use pregnancy as a way to validate their choices; he can't say much about it, because it's offensive and "shaming".

Ultimately, though, I'm sure there are several factors at fault.

No one knows what causes PreE and HELLP. It's probably an immune rxn on the level of the vascular endothelium. I was in amazing shape with my first and got it anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Didn't read the entire thread. But my guess is, we have far more "at risk" pregnancies in this country than countries with socialized medicine have.

If you have a higher number of AMA, women with chronic health conditions, pregnancy complications, you will also have a higher rate of maternal death. In other words, don't think that the other countries are doing so great - you can't fail if you don't even try...

I think that contributes. My OB has worked in a few countries and one of his biggest frustrations here in the US are the complications due to our diet and sedentary lifestyle. Many of his patients don't care about their health and use pregnancy as a way to validate their choices; he can't say much about it, because it's offensive and "shaming".

Ultimately, though, I'm sure there are several factors at fault.

No one knows what causes PreE and HELLP. It's probably an immune rxn on the level of the vascular endothelium. I was in amazing shape with my first and got it anyway.

Who said anything about preE and HELLP?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Didn't read the entire thread. But my guess is, we have far more "at risk" pregnancies in this country than countries with socialized medicine have.

If you have a higher number of AMA, women with chronic health conditions, pregnancy complications, you will also have a higher rate of maternal death. In other words, don't think that the other countries are doing so great - you can't fail if you don't even try...

I think that contributes. My OB has worked in a few countries and one of his biggest frustrations here in the US are the complications due to our diet and sedentary lifestyle. Many of his patients don't care about their health and use pregnancy as a way to validate their choices; he can't say much about it, because it's offensive and "shaming".

Ultimately, though, I'm sure there are several factors at fault.

No one knows what causes PreE and HELLP. It's probably an immune rxn on the level of the vascular endothelium. I was in amazing shape with my first and got it anyway.

Who said anything about preE and HELLP?

Read. The. Article.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Didn't read the entire thread. But my guess is, we have far more "at risk" pregnancies in this country than countries with socialized medicine have.

If you have a higher number of AMA, women with chronic health conditions, pregnancy complications, you will also have a higher rate of maternal death. In other words, don't think that the other countries are doing so great - you can't fail if you don't even try...

I think that contributes. My OB has worked in a few countries and one of his biggest frustrations here in the US are the complications due to our diet and sedentary lifestyle. Many of his patients don't care about their health and use pregnancy as a way to validate their choices; he can't say much about it, because it's offensive and "shaming".

Ultimately, though, I'm sure there are several factors at fault.

No one knows what causes PreE and HELLP. It's probably an immune rxn on the level of the vascular endothelium. I was in amazing shape with my first and got it anyway.

Who said anything about preE and HELLP?

The article and the entire thread. Or did you not read them and just wanted to come on here and crap on fat women?

[Anonymous]

With the prevalence of "baby friendly" hospitals and according to some stats cited in this article, It does seem like there is more focus on babies than mothers in this country. However, the particular case discussed in the article didn't really prove that point. Rather, the article (which was painful to read and so very sad) makes it seem as though there were issues with the medical staff attending to the patient including lack of training which led to mistakes being made. It wasn't clear from this article that the issues w the medical staff in this case were related to focus on newborns over mothers. I understand this article is to be the first in a series so perhaps later articles on the subject will do more to prove the authors' point. And I hope future articles will also address other issues w maternal--prenatal and postpartum care in this country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Didn't read the entire thread. But my guess is, we have far more "at risk" pregnancies in this country than countries with socialized medicine have.

If you have a higher number of AMA, women with chronic health conditions, pregnancy complications, you will also have a higher rate of maternal death. In other words, don't think that the other countries are doing so great - you can't fail if you don't even try...

I think that contributes. My OB has worked in a few countries and one of his biggest frustrations here in the US are the complications due to our diet and sedentary lifestyle. Many of his patients don't care about their health and use pregnancy as a way to validate their choices; he can't say much about it, because it's offensive and "shaming".

Ultimately, though, I'm sure there are several factors at fault.

No one knows what causes PreE and HELLP. It's probably an immune rxn on the level of the vascular endothelium. I was in amazing shape with my first and got it anyway.

Who said anything about preE and HELLP?

The article and the entire thread. Or did you not read them and just wanted to come on here and crap on fat women?

I had a low end of normal BMI when I had my first (118 lbs; 5'5") and got HELLP. I was 32 and had never had a substantial health issue in my life. No HBP, no family history, no red flags. Nothing. I actually think my lack of red flags is what led my dr to blow me off. (I'm the PP whose D.C.-based Dr ignores her labs for 4 days and there were actually more errors after that that I didn't get into. DD was always fine. I am now fine (and had a second with great medical care -- yay, GW's OBGYN practice! -- and no pre-E.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The mortality/morbity is just ONE aspect of how they don't care about moms.

How about the complete lack of research/medical attention to pelvic floor issues post vaginal birth? PT could help a lot of people with these issues (like prolapse) if they caught it in the months right after giving birth, instead we just have a culture where women laugh about how we'll never sneeze without peeing again for the rest of our lives.

Oh for god sake give it a rest. Pretty sure you are the same person posting about their pelvic floor troubles on EVERY single thread here.

actually you are the troll, trolling women who have suffered childbirth injuries! what is the matter with you? why on earth would you troll this of all things?

I still don't know why you don't just start your own thread about pelvic floor issues. You obviously have a lot to say. Do you not know how or something?

This thread is about how the current medical system does not take maternal health into account. I wonder what it is about talking about childbirth injuries that makes you want to bully other women.

1) there are at least 2 people responding to you. I wonder what it is about internet discussion boards that makes you take everything personally?
2) do you enjoy gaslighting in other contexts, or is it just this particular issue?
3) are you the person who regularly chimes into all threads about birth with your concern about pelvic floor issues? If so, are you a researcher who is studying this, or a woman who experienced pelvic floor injury during pregnancy and childbirth? If not, then what is your connection to this issue? You seem very fixated on it for someone with no skin in the game.

1) there are more than one people writing about their childbirth injuries
2) you are the one gaslighting ffs! pelvic floor damage is very common after vaginal childbirth and there is extensive research on this. do you have a response to that?
3) see #1. Personally my birth went OK but I am now several years later beginning to experience a small prolapse and urinary incontience. So yay? What's your connection? presumably you didn't experience any damage so not sure why you are so bizarrely fixated on those who care about the issue
4) getting back to the topic of the thread, the main point here is that childbirth injuries are one example of how the US gives crap care to mothers. To the extent they do focus resources on improving care it does seem to focus on either vaginal birth or the baby (reducing early term inductions, breastfeeding,)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Right, show me the well designed clinical trial showing that better POSTURE will reduce maternal mortality.

Also the second stage of labor is the stage you push, so that's where pelvic injury would happen. And obviously there can still be damage in a short labor. If you really want to avoid it, get a c section.

NP here. I actually thought it was pretty well-established that many pelvic floor issues are the result of pregnancy itself, not L&D. Given that sometimes people who have c-sections get them, there has to be ways other than vaginal delivery that cause it. FWIW, I'm 10 mos PP with my second, pushed 3+ hours with both kids, and I do not leak pee.

Yes, some weakening is caused by pregnancy alone. But there is a lot of research on pelvic damage caused specifically by vaginal delivery. Some research shows that muscle damage is as much as 80%, although that doesn't mean 80% will have a prolapse. None of this is to say that everyone should get a c section (I guess that's what the troll thinks I am saying). But the point is that avoiding serious pelvic injury and informed consent should be a goal of maternity care that cares about women. So for instance a woman would be properly advised about the risks of prolonged pushing, forceps, vacuum, and everyone would get assessed for pelvic rehab after birth.

[Anonymous]

A friend of mine got pre-e and HELLP at around 27 weeks pregnant and delivered a tiny, IUGR baby the size of an average 25 weeker ... she was 28, first pregnancy, healthy, no risk factors, very normal BMI. It definitely happens, and the risk with first pregnancies is actually higher than with subsequent pregnancies. Went on to have 2 pregnancies and full term births with no signs of pre-e at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Right, show me the well designed clinical trial showing that better POSTURE will reduce maternal mortality.

Also the second stage of labor is the stage you push, so that's where pelvic injury would happen. And obviously there can still be damage in a short labor. If you really want to avoid it, get a c section.

NP here. I actually thought it was pretty well-established that many pelvic floor issues are the result of pregnancy itself, not L&D. Given that sometimes people who have c-sections get them, there has to be ways other than vaginal delivery that cause it. FWIW, I'm 10 mos PP with my second, pushed 3+ hours with both kids, and I do not leak pee.

Yes, some weakening is caused by pregnancy alone. But there is a lot of research on pelvic damage caused specifically by vaginal delivery. Some research shows that muscle damage is as much as 80%, although that doesn't mean 80% will have a prolapse. None of this is to say that everyone should get a c section (I guess that's what the troll thinks I am saying). But the point is that avoiding serious pelvic injury and informed consent should be a goal of maternity care that cares about women. So for instance a woman would be properly advised about the risks of prolonged pushing, forceps, vacuum, and everyone would get assessed for pelvic rehab after birth.

Thanks for this. I think the bolded above would be a great, concrete change that should be made to PP care. Right now, it seems like women have to seek out help from an OB who may or may not be sympathetic to their concerns...and that's for the small fraction of women who bother to ask in the first place. Most women do not. I only asked because of posters on DCUM who suggested one should do so if you have PP incontinence. But my OB, rightly from what I can gather, said to wait until after 4mos PP...and my symptoms did resolve by that point.

I also think more education in general about pelvic floor issues would be good. It's shocking to me that it's not discussed at all. My first delivery ended up being a vacuum birth. And while the OB on call who stitched me up afterward commented on how little damage I had, no one ever told me to look out for signs of pelvic floor damage. Again, I didn't end up having any long-term problems, but it's odd that no one said anything. In my case, for very specific reasons in both of my deliveries a C-section would also have carried a fair amount of risk (particularly my second), so I do feel I received appropriate care despite my extended pushing...but obviously that's not true for everyone.