A shocking number of women are harassed, ignored, or mistreated during childbirth

[Anonymous]

Thinking of the hospital “professional” who knew nothing about what can happen to women after an epidural and kept my NEWBORN from me for something like two hours presuming I was a drug addict. What has she done to less privileged women?! Necessary reading...

https://www.vox.com/2019/6/10/18628073/maternal-mistreatment-women-of-color

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thinking of the hospital “professional” who knew nothing about what can happen to women after an epidural and kept my NEWBORN from me for something like two hours presuming I was a drug addict. What has she done to less privileged women?! Necessary reading...

https://www.vox.com/2019/6/10/18628073/maternal-mistreatment-women-of-color

I’m AA and know a lot of women of color who have been mistreated. It doesn’t matter if you are educated, married, a professional... some doctors and nurses see a black belly and think you are just breeding on the public dime. A relative was mistreated in very hospital where she worked.

[Anonymous]

This is a huge problem.

I think the root of it is the attitude that having a child is a “choice” so if you’re not 100% financially, emotionally and physically prepared - you deserve whatever horribleness comes your way. And even if you were 100% prepared and something completely unforeseen happened? Well, it’s a CHOICE so you still deserve whatever horribleness comes your way. And there’s usually some mention of personal responsibility too.

This is why I’m 100% jealous of friends who live in just about any other developed country. The US is a race to the bottom.

[Anonymous]

I’m white. Happened to me. I was ignored, belittled, and physically abused. Part of the issue was that we were so unprepared for it to happen, none of us knew what to do at 2 am on the graveyard shift when the hospital was badly understaffed. And of course I was in labor and terrified for the baby because I had complications. I will never forget contemplating if I could physically remove my IVs and the fetal heart rate monitor, get dressed, and attempt to leave the hospital so I could get to another one nearby during the pushing stage of labor, or contemplating if I could just escape the hospital through the stairwell and deliver outside somewhere on the ground without being arrested or committed, and realizing that I was completely and utterly stuck and had to stay there or I would jeopardize my child’s life.

I will never be alone in a hospital ever again. I will also never hesitate to aggressively advocate for myself or for anyone else ever again. When you are in the hospital, you are on their turf and you are vulnerable. For the rest of my life I will have a hard time ever feeling safe in a medical environment. For anyone who is pregnant, and about to deliver, make sure you have adequate support in the hospital and do not let your support people leave you alone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m white. Happened to me. I was ignored, belittled, and physically abused. Part of the issue was that we were so unprepared for it to happen, none of us knew what to do at 2 am on the graveyard shift when the hospital was badly understaffed. And of course I was in labor and terrified for the baby because I had complications. I will never forget contemplating if I could physically remove my IVs and the fetal heart rate monitor, get dressed, and attempt to leave the hospital so I could get to another one nearby during the pushing stage of labor, or contemplating if I could just escape the hospital through the stairwell and deliver outside somewhere on the ground without being arrested or committed, and realizing that I was completely and utterly stuck and had to stay there or I would jeopardize my child’s life.

I will never be alone in a hospital ever again. I will also never hesitate to aggressively advocate for myself or for anyone else ever again. When you are in the hospital, you are on their turf and you are vulnerable. For the rest of my life I will have a hard time ever feeling safe in a medical environment. For anyone who is pregnant, and about to deliver, make sure you have adequate support in the hospital and do not let your support people leave you alone.

I agree that it is a must to have a support person who can advocate for you and document inappropriate treatment. However, many hospitals will say only one support person and so at some point the person will need to leave your side of only to go to the bathroom. Hospitals need to improve how they treat patients.

[Anonymous]

I wonder how long until someone comes in here and says either this is rare or women shouldn't worried about being treated this way as long as they get a healthy baby

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is a huge problem.

I think the root of it is the attitude that having a child is a “choice” so if you’re not 100% financially, emotionally and physically prepared - you deserve whatever horribleness comes your way. And even if you were 100% prepared and something completely unforeseen happened? Well, it’s a CHOICE so you still deserve whatever horribleness comes your way. And there’s usually some mention of personal responsibility too.

This is why I’m 100% jealous of friends who live in just about any other developed country. The US is a race to the bottom.

That’s pretty much true of every thing parents face. Daycare is expensive although daycare workers earn pennies , well you should have thought of that. Boss mommy tracked you as soon as you disclosed pregnancy, that was your choice to work and have kids.

[Anonymous]

It happened to Serena Williams when she gave birth. Just awful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wonder how long until someone comes in here and says either this is rare or women shouldn't worried about being treated this way as long as they get a healthy baby

Or "any healthcare provider is insane to be alone with you crazy feminazis because look what you accuse them of!" Instead of acknowledging that women actually have these experiences.

[Anonymous]

How exactly are these woman being treated horribly? I had Medicaid while I was pregnant in grad school. It was fairly common in the city I lived in at the time. I was treated relatively well.i wonder if people are treated better in low income cities where free healthcare is common? I now have employer insurance and my doctors are recommending all sorts of tests I don't think I really need. I will easily spend 10k or more on my second pregnancy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How exactly are these woman being treated horribly? I had Medicaid while I was pregnant in grad school. It was fairly common in the city I lived in at the time. I was treated relatively well.i wonder if people are treated better in low income cities where free healthcare is common? I now have employer insurance and my doctors are recommending all sorts of tests I don't think I really need. I will easily spend 10k or more on my second pregnancy.

https://www.vox.com/2019/6/10/18628073/maternal-mistreatment-women-of-color

[Anonymous]

Something like 50% of women having kids in America are on Medicaid.

If you think moms are being treated badly now, wait until Medicaid cuts happen and moms start having kids on the street.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How exactly are these woman being treated horribly? I had Medicaid while I was pregnant in grad school. It was fairly common in the city I lived in at the time. I was treated relatively well.i wonder if people are treated better in low income cities where free healthcare is common? I now have employer insurance and my doctors are recommending all sorts of tests I don't think I really need. I will easily spend 10k or more on my second pregnancy.

https://www.vox.com/2019/6/10/18628073/maternal-mistreatment-women-of-color

Aha. I read the article. I now recall being dismissed by a few of the midwives during my first pregnancy. This was during prenatal and postpartum care. I had an infection after my c section and the midwife dismissed it over the phone. I ended up getting treated in the ER later that evening. What was holding the lady back from going to the hospital anyway? They have to admit you.

[Anonymous]

The "god" complex at work.

+1 on trying always to have an advocate.

[Anonymous]

And people wonder why there has been a resurgence in planned home births! I'm ashamed for my own country when it comes to maternity care.