Childbirth Choices Debate

<It's just funny (scary actually) the way some people think about due dates.>

One of the many reasons we're with midwives this time. 

My OB of course gave me the line that the due date was just an estimate -- until I started getting close to it.  She did internal exams every week after 34 and put me on modified rest (I could go to work and the bathroom only) from 36 to 38 wks because I was a whopping 2 cm.  She offered to induce me at 39 wks 5 days because she was going on vacation and that was the only way I could guarantee she'd be the one to deliver.  Then she scheduled me for 40 wks 4 days (I went into labor naturally at 40w2d and delivered 40w3d) because allegedly the placenta was getting old.  DH and I still assume it was really because 41 wks was July 4th and she didn't want to work that day.  Luckily we knew we had the right to refuse.  I think a lot of women don't know or fully understand that. 

The midwives told us that if I go over, they'll do some external monitoring at 41 wks, and then discuss induction at 42.  Beautiful.

 

  

<<She did internal exams every week after 34 and put me on modified rest (I could go to work and the bathroom only) from 36 to 38 wks because I was a whopping 2 cm.>>

That's one thing I loved about my OB.  He never made internal exams mandatory.  Starting at about 36 weeks he would just say "I can check you if you want but it's not necessary."  With my 1st pg I did have him check me a few times just because I was so curious.  But with my 2nd, every time he said that I just said "No thank you" and that was that.  So with my 2nd, I was never checked until I actually went into labor.  It was really nice.

What are the odds that I'd go from reading an article about a midwife getting sued for the baby being stillborn due to cord around the neck to this:

With the first, her water broke but contractions didn't start.  So they started pitocin and kept turning it up but refused to give any pain meds until 4 cm -- which she didn't hit until about 36 hours later.  And at that point it was small doses of narcotics even though she was asking for an epidural.  I understand that general guidelines call for a c/s w/in 24 hours of water breaking, but for some reason they wouldn't do it.  Then the baby started having decels and even then they wouldn't do it.  And when she finally dilated she pushed for two hours before the baby died (cord was under his shoulder and around his neck and he apparently suffocated in the birth canal) and then she had to push another hour to get the baby out. 

Did they sue the OB?

I can't say I would have been as forgiving, but no, they didn't sue.  They said that they spent a lot of time talking it through amongst themselves and with a therapist and felt that nothing positive would come of a lawsuit.  Instead, they worked with the hospital and her OB to develop new policies and educational programs for the nurses to make sure that something like this wouldn't happen again.

  

 

 

From what I've read, sounds like they were more justified in suing the OB than the couple who is suing a midwife for a stillbirth.  I think as hard a road as they choose, it's a good choice.  Through education, the same mistakes don't happen.