Consenting to medical care

[oomaumau04]

The thread debating the latest technology has really got me thinking. I had a c-section. I went into the hospital because my baby wasn't moving, and after one look at the monitor, my doctor told me we were going to do a c-section. All he really told me was that the baby was no longer "happy in there" and we needed to get her out. When he did so, he found the cord wrapped around her body 3 times (hence the not moving). There was also meconium in the fluid, which she had swallowed. Her situation was such that she didn't breathe for a few minutes after birth. I did not see my baby for 5 long hours after she was born, because they were putting antibiotics in her just in case the meconium had caused an infection (which, thankfully, it hadn't). My question is, was all of this truly necessary? I do think that in my case, it was, but I really don't know. And how am I supposed to know in the future, whether what the doctor is telling me I need IS actually needed? It isn't as if you have time in the middle of your labor to go do some in-depth research. How will I know?

[Rieckah]

Get a doula?
It might help you to feel more secure in your informed choices to have an impartial person that you can trust there to help you.

[TexasMama]

Maybe request copies of your hospital records and ask for a second opinion from another doctor? They won't have a vested interest in the outcome, since it already happened. You could also ask about the odds of the same situation happening again (rare I would bet).

[samiam]

Food for thought. I have heard over the years that some dr's perform sections rather quickly due to being afraid of something happening to mom or fetus and then being liable for 'not performing a surgery that would have prevented it in the first place'. If my baby was not moving and I knew that I would definately have gone your route. My SIL went into labor at 34 weeks with her third dd, they stopped it. She stopped feeling movement at 39 weeks, baby died in utero. After an autopsy they said it was a cord incident.

I was in labor for 9 hours and was completely dialated to 10. I pushed for another 2.5 hours with my dd. It hurt like hell, they did not up my epidural as they wanted to make sure I was pushing (let me tell you, I was). My blood pressure then spiked. In hindsight I would have probably rather them try and give me something for it but it happened so quickly and I was terrified. I was especially terrified of then going into seizures and something happening to my dd.

My dr waited it out through my whole labor. He stayed around and kept checking in with me. Things just weren't progressing anymore and my body couldn't take it. In hindsight, my dd had a very bruised head as well. I think what was happening is everytime I pushed her little head was getting shoved into my pelvis or something. She just wasn't going to come down on her own. It was so bruised you could not touch her head for 2 days after birth.

[KerryS]

My question is, was all of this truly necessary?

Based on what you've described, IMO yes, it was necessary.

[Indigo]

In an emergent situation you basically put your faith in the doctor. There isn't always time to question and research. You do that ahead of time and go with your gut.

[nicurn]

I agree with Kerry. If your baby had stopped moving and pooped prenatally, then she was in some real distress. I'm glad to know that she recovered so quickly, though.

[AlrightyRoo]

Researching interventions beforehand, hiring a doula, and choosing a good provider that you trust are the most important things in my opinion. When something comes up in labor, ask what the risks of the procedure, the benefits, and what would happen if you do nothing. Then you try to make the best decision you can.

[cream_city]

For me, what I'm trying to do this time, is find a doctor that I really trust. It's taken a lot of research, but I'm really happy with the doctor I've found -- he is vehemently low intervention. So I feel like if a situation comes up where we need to make a quick decision, I will be able to trust that yes, this is necessary. The biggest thing for me is that I need to be able to trust the person advising me on these issues. My original obstetrician gave me some bad information, and I am so glad I have switched doctors.

I want childbirth to be positive, and not get caught up in a power struggle with my doctor. I think the biggest problem with women having to refuse/decide about routine interventions in a hospital is just that -- who wants to be arguing when they're giving birth???

ETA: I am also hiring a doula -- I think that can make a huge difference.

By the way, in your situation, it sounds like the doctor did exactly what was needed and I would feel good about the decisions that were made.

[xobehs]

I wouldn't question it, not in that situation. EVERY situation was different, but you had some solid evidence that not all was well in there.
Educate yourself, get a doula and know your rights.

[oomaumau04]

thanks...I LOVED my doctor, but unfortunately, he has moved to the other side of the country. :( dh suggested we follow him until we're done having kids. lol

[NickNAK]

In your situation it was absolutely necessary.

[Prisca]

I agree, I think c-section is absolutely the right thing in that situation. I do wonder if the baby was away for 5 hours for some reason besides just antibiotics though. DD2 was in the hospital for 3 days on antibiotics and she was in the room with me the whole time, except for when the inserted the IV, that they did in another room with DH watching.

[nicurn]

Prisca, many hospitals send infants to the NICU for any kind of monitoring, including IVs and heparin locks.

[Prisca]

Oh ok. I only gave birth in one hospital, so I can't say I'm at all familiar with protocol in other hopsitals. I had my baby in a small hospital and the common practice was for the babies to room with the mother outside of medical necessity or if the mother requested it. They rarely had any babies in the nursery, and I know nothing about the NICU.

[KerryS]

It could be that the baby had something called TTN, which can be common with meconium aspiration, and they had her on a pulse ox while they waited for the baby to "declare herself."

[xobehs]

waited for the baby to "declare herself."
Kerry, what does that mean?