Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m 26 weeks pregnant w my first and shouldn’t have been reading these - jesus. I was anxious before but now I’m just terrified. So what can we do? Should I be scheduling a follow up now? So scared.

This thread has some good advice:

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/659821.page

Thank you. I'm at GW w/ the OBs and am constantly questioning my decision.

I was with the GW Obs last year and got excellent care for my severe preeclampsia. At the time I wanted them to get off my back, and resented the way they obsessed about every BP reading and made me come in a week PP for a check up. Now I realize they were doing the exact right thing so I didn’t end up like the women in the NPR series. So, so grateful to have been there and that they put up with my annoying, ungrateful self with such grace and humanity. If you want more info I’d be happy to email you.

would love to get more info, i registered for an account here w/ email how can i send you an email or private message?

Anonymous wrote:Honestly my postpartum experience was completely worthless. I could have recovered at home, had no one look at me at home and could have gotten better sleep at home. i couldn't even figure out why moms have to stay 24 hours even. If anything, the lack of sleep I received postpartum really contributed to my PPD. WHY did they have to come in every 2 hours at night? I had a 35+ hour labor and hadn't slept for 2 nights. Surely they could have seen I was at the breaking point?

I figured we were there for the baby's benefit because I was so completely ignored and they poked and prodded the baby with tests about every few hours at night. Couldn't hearing and bloodwork tests be done at a pediatrician's office?

All of this is why I made sure my insurance covers home birth this open season. I was low-risk and my first baby came on her own. The hospital felt really unnecessary for me.

Honestly my postpartum experience was completely worthless. I could have recovered at home, had no one look at me at home and could have gotten better sleep at home. i couldn't even figure out why moms have to stay 24 hours even. If anything, the lack of sleep I received postpartum really contributed to my PPD. WHY did they have to come in every 2 hours at night? I had a 35+ hour labor and hadn't slept for 2 nights. Surely they could have seen I was at the breaking point?

I figured we were there for the baby's benefit because I was so completely ignored and they poked and prodded the baby with tests about every few hours at night. Couldn't hearing and bloodwork tests be done at a pediatrician's office?

I am a Post Partum ("mother baby") RN. In reference to the story on PP nurses failing to know the warning signs, etc.:

I am sure that there are plenty of knowledge gaps. And patient education is undervalued and under-done. I know that a LOT more can be done on our end.

BUT-- I think post partum nurses could use a bit of help from our patients in regards to education, so here's my plea of you:

When you are first admitted to your PP room, and at shift change or during a new nurse's initial assessment, ask your family (except your partner) to wait outside until the nurses have finished their hand off and the PP nurse has had a chance to assess you and your baby. Or at the very least ask them to be quiet so that you & your partner can focus on our interaction. It allows the RN the chance to provide initial education (which should be on-going and repeated during your stay) and also to complete a thorough assessment on you & your baby. It's incredibly hard to do our jobs when there are literally 8 people in the (tiny) room, taking pictures, talking to the new parents, bringing in gifts & food, etc. I know that this is such a special, miraculous time, and everyone's eager to meet the new little one. (I'm a mom, too- I really do get it!). Alternatively, by 48 hours into your stay, you start to ignore us (I'm looking at you, dad, staring at the football game on the TV and not hearing a word I'm saying!). Just give me 15-20 minutes to do my job, and the rest of my shift I'll be in and out as fast as possible.

Again, I am not defending sloppy nurses and would like for us do a much better job taking care of you. New moms & babies deserve it.

Best of luck to all of you who are pregnant, and congrats to those who are new moms!

Anonymous wrote:Two big mistakes were made during my care at GW.

During one shift change following the mistakes I was described to another nurse as having "extreme anxiety."

I had an OB miss pretty classic HELLP, only catch it eventually because I insisted on blood tests and, ultimately, almost kill me after not taking its progression seriously enough even once it was caught. INOVA Fairfax doctors were no help at all, because I was considered a private patient of my OB (who had privileges there but wasn’t otherwise associated). The L&D nurses were awesome, however, and encouraged me to speak up/call my Dr in the middle of the night because they agreed with me that something was wrong. My second pregnancy I went to the GW OB practice because I wanted MFMs on staff “in case” and I couldn’t have been happier. I didn’t love post partum at the hospital, but not for safety reasons.

Two big mistakes were made during my care at GW.

During one shift change following the mistakes I was described to another nurse as having "extreme anxiety."

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Re - patient/dr relationship above. What an infuriating comment. Why must we always blame the victim? I had a horrible birth and my sister said, you know, the friends I have who had traumatic births were generally the sort of people who didn't stick up for themselves. My sister is a good person - I'm sure you are too. But she has never had to struggle - sure, she has had to push for job promotions and opportunities like anyone - for herself the way one might in a health crisis. Or if you lost your home or had some other major trauma. Until you have had this sort of experience, please refrain from critiquing little Soleil's mother. She isn't even here to defend herself.

I also had a traumatic birth experience (my daughter had sepsis) after a healthy pregnancy. I had so many people ask me why she was sick and what had happened and what I did to cuase her to be sick. It was really awful.

I think there's some part of human nature that doesn't like to acknowledge you can do the right things and still have a bad health outcome. It makes people start creating magical thinking where if you just do X (have a birth plan, speak up, exercise and eat healthy) then nothing bad will happen. I think it's also a reflection of our puritanical culture that thinks that bad things only happen to "bad" people.

Again, this has nothing to do with the fact that he doctor in the story was extremely defensive which led to a loss of time and was probably due to the fact that he wanted to appear in control in front of his colleagues.

Anonymous wrote:Re - patient/dr relationship above. What an infuriating comment. Why must we always blame the victim? I had a horrible birth and my sister said, you know, the friends I have who had traumatic births were generally the sort of people who didn't stick up for themselves. My sister is a good person - I'm sure you are too. But she has never had to struggle - sure, she has had to push for job promotions and opportunities like anyone - for herself the way one might in a health crisis. Or if you lost your home or had some other major trauma. Until you have had this sort of experience, please refrain from critiquing little Soleil's mother. She isn't even here to defend herself.

I also had a traumatic birth experience (my daughter had sepsis) after a healthy pregnancy. I had so many people ask me why she was sick and what had happened and what I did to cuase her to be sick. It was really awful.

I think there's some part of human nature that doesn't like to acknowledge you can do the right things and still have a bad health outcome. It makes people start creating magical thinking where if you just do X (have a birth plan, speak up, exercise and eat healthy) then nothing bad will happen. I think it's also a reflection of our puritanical culture that thinks that bad things only happen to "bad" people.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m 26 weeks pregnant w my first and shouldn’t have been reading these - jesus. I was anxious before but now I’m just terrified. So what can we do? Should I be scheduling a follow up now? So scared.

This thread has some good advice:

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/659821.page

Thank you. I'm at GW w/ the OBs and am constantly questioning my decision.

I was with the GW Obs last year and got excellent care for my severe preeclampsia. At the time I wanted them to get off my back, and resented the way they obsessed about every BP reading and made me come in a week PP for a check up. Now I realize they were doing the exact right thing so I didn’t end up like the women in the NPR series. So, so grateful to have been there and that they put up with my annoying, ungrateful self with such grace and humanity. If you want more info I’d be happy to email you.

Does anyone know if VHC has a blood bank?