I'm not obessed with birth and pregnant women...really, I'm not...

[mahogany]

This came up in a conversation that I was having a with an acquaintance of mine. Apparently one of his friends, whom I’ve never met is 36 weeks pregnant, and they estimate the child to be around eight pounds, and growing at a rate of half a pound per week. Her doctors told her that once the child is over nine and a half pounds they’re going to do a c-section.

Once I picked the pieces of my shattered jaw off of the floor, I became completely unglued and uttered a stream of obscentities that were most unbecoming. Now that I’ve calmed down somewhat I must say that I honestly feel that any doctor that would suggest such an assinine thing, much less act on it should have his/her license revoked. Isn’t there something in the hippocratic oath that says, “First, do no harm?” Am I just confused? This seems like a whole lot of harm to me.

Both of my kids were big. One was nine pounds nine ounces, and the other was ten pounds one ounce. Had I been under the care of this moron I would have ended up with two c-sections. And this doctor as obviously also ignored the fact that you can’t accurately tell the size of a child until AFTER he/she is born


I asked my friend several times to give her my number, and have her give me a call. I don’t know why, I have no idea what I would even say to her if she did call, I just feel so powerless when I hear stuff like this, I want to do something. I want to end this madness. Oh, and the kicker? Apparently, she was eleven pounds at birth - born without a c-section, and without complications. Her father was apparently over twelve pounds, born without a c-section and without complications. She does not have gestational diabetes (not that that’s even relevant). Why, why, WHY would a doctor put the suggestion in her head that her baby might be too big?!!

Comments

[freakykitten.livejournal.com]

Oh man. That is horrible. The level of miseducation that's going on out there... and the people who don't want to take responsibility for themselves - that will actually GIVE AWAY their power to doctors like him! *Sigh*

This sort of thing really frustrates me.

[zaftigvegan.livejournal.com]

...I have no idea what I would even say to her if she did call...

i would expect you'd tell her that she doesn't need to have a c-section just because she is carrying an allegedly big baby, and list all the reasons why like you did here.

cuz you're all smart and stuff.
:)

[tarapaul.livejournal.com]

Obstetricians have one thing in mind, in my opinion, and that is convenience. It is not the well being of the baby, although they remind you of this every chance they get, that if you don't do what they say, you are compromising the life of your child. What a wonderful way to start your new life with your baby, but through an experience that was guided by guilt.
Don't get me started on this..

[abigailvr.livejournal.com]

This drives me nuts too. The worst is when someone says they had an induction that ended in c-section for a big baby and then the baby was like 7 or 8 lbs! GAH!

I know a woman who had a scheduled c-section for her second child because she ended up having one after not progressing during an induction with her first child. She said, "my body just can't birth babies." Way to convince women that their bodies are defective, doctors! I just want to scream.

[gentlemaitresse.livejournal.com]

Why?

Well, maybe because they fear lawsuits. Maybe because they were taught to do so in medical school. Maybe because they know that women fear birth already, and especially big babies.

It's very frustrating to hear stories like this all the time. I have to say that with the number of cesarean stories I hear I'm beginning to believe that the cesarean rate is much higher than officially reported. And the official report of twenty-something percent is too high as it is!

how 'bout some more fuel for the fire?

[mahogany.livejournal.com]

Actually in BC, it's around 27%, and in August of last year, the C-Section rates at St. Paul's, a prominent Vancouver hospital soared to 40%.

[spellboy.livejournal.com]

It probably fits in the physician's schedule. Babies have this unfortunate tendency to be born at 2am in the morning.

[tarapaul.livejournal.com]

Oh, and after my c-section, the obstetrician told me to hold up my hand. He placed his palm against mine and said ahh see, your pelvis is too small. You will never be able to have a vaginal delivery and as soon as he left the room, my midwife made me hold up my hand, put hers to mine and said, "Nonsense!"
I think it's an obstetrician's job to scare women out of vaginal deliveries, but I am bitter and jaded :P

[mahogany.livejournal.com]

What an asshole! I'm so sorry to hear that you had to deal with a character like that, but I'm also glad to hear that you had someone there that was more supportive.

[tracied.livejournal.com]

Oh don't even get me started!!!!! AHHHHHHH. I am SO GLAD it was not ME your friend spoke to! I don't know why I continue to be amazed at just how stupid these supposedly intelligent no, brilliant, medical doctors can be. Hmmmm....if all you have to do to be a doctor is do everything you are told or led to believe is the "right way", then it is kind of like training monkeys isn't it....If you do get a chance to talk to this person, YES do remind her of the fact that she comes from big baby stock, and that maybe she wants to find a new doctor, or tell him under no circumstances will she allow him to cut her open, just because he suspects her baby is big...How the HELL does he know exactly how big this baby is. I have an idea, get him to GUARANTEE that the baby is over 9 lbs, and ask him to put it in writing, so that if the baby is not that big, she can sue his ass!

[schneckerock.livejournal.com]

I have an idea, get him to GUARANTEE that the baby is over 9 lbs, and ask him to put it in writing, so that if the baby is not that big, she can sue his ass!

this would be a good idea, except that 9 lbs is no reason to c-sec.

[tracied.livejournal.com]

well I know that! ;) I was half joking....but, imagine if she said something like that to the doc...I wonder what his response would be! Both my babies were 9lbs and nearly 9 lbs, and with my first, the doc said, big baby, no worries, you can do it, and with the second the midwife said pretty much the same thing!

[schneckerock.livejournal.com]

because, like many other things about birth, women are afraid of big babies. the fear is being bred into them more and more in each consecutive generation. by the time I have granddaughters, they'll be told by doctors (except MY grandchildren won't GO to doctors for births!) that 7 lbs is too big, and if they go past 37 weeks they'll need a c-section.