Disappointed, but at least she was honest
I had my annual GYN visit today and we talked about the potential for baby #2. I was really honest with her about how disappointed I was with the outcome of my last birth (proud of myself for finally speaking up) and that I really want to try for a VBAC. She listened and said she completely understood my sadness and my desire for a different outcome.
Then she proceeded to say that I was not likely to get a VBAC in the hospital where I had DD#1 or with her practice. They don't allow VBACers to go past due and they won't use any induction at all - not even a whiff. I guess there was woman with a prior c-section who came into the emergency room a few years back (not even one of their patients) and the baby was already dead. She said that single prior experience set the policy and that I won't find anyone who will go against it.
So, I'm really disappointed because I've been seeing her for 12 years, but I'm really glad she was honest with me. She even said unfortunately with a litigious society, the practice has to do what is right for the practice, and that doesn't always match up with the patient's best interests or desires. She also said that in this region, there have been several enormous malpractice cases and it is really changing the tone of OB in Philly. Don't know if that's true, but again, glad for the honesty.
Anyway, on to find a new Dr and hospital before #2. I guess there will be a few ICAN meetings in my near future.
Thanks for listening. No one IRL will really understand my disappointment.
Re: Disappointed, but at least she was honest
I'm going to Lankenau Hospital this time. My doc is vbamc friendly and is even a back up to homebirth midwives.
We like to say I'm hospital hopping. My first was at Montgomery (horrible experience) and my second was at Bryn Mawr (good experience but strict vbac rules that resulted in my RCS). Let's hope Lankenau is better!
I am seeing the same CNM as MAPrincess and I love her, but I haven't been in the hospital yet.
I delivered my first at HRH and I already knew that they had changed their VBAC policy a year or so before she was born. Technically, you can still attempt a VBAC there if your Ob/Gyn pleads your case to the department chair and he approves you for it, but I had a shitty experience there all around and wouldn't want to deliver there again anyway.
Out of curiosity, who is the Ob/Gyn that welcomes VBA2C? Is it Dr. Bailey at Lankenau?
Sarah - 12/23/2008
Alex - 9/30/2011
"I say embrace the total geek in yourself and just enjoy it. Life is too short to be cool." - Shirley Manson, Garbage
Yes, Dr. Bailey... heard anything about him?
I work in medical malpractice firm in Philly. Your doctor is probably under the wrong impression about the way that works. This is a common misconception due to high malpractice insurance rates that haven't gone down. To start, the laws have changed drastically since the medical malpractice heyday, which has been over for at least a decade, if not longer. This has not reflected in insurance rates at all. There may be some huge cases but they are valid cases as far as malpractice is concerned. Basically, in those cases, there's really no question that medical personnel did major wrong. The laws are set in place now so it is a difficult process to get a malpractice suit filed, let alone win. This is to insure that the frivolous lawsuits don't get very far.
All that aside, the decision to VBAC is your choice for the most part and not necessarily the doctors' decision. Any doctor should weigh the risks involved as opposed to flat out refusing to do it. Some take the better safe than sorry approach. The doctors cannot be considered totally at fault if its at your insistence as far as malpractice is concerned. A defense attorney would have a field day with contributory negligence if you opted for a VBAC and something went wrong. Liability on the doctors' part would come more from their direct actions or failure to act if there is a complication than the decision to VBAC.
Having abdominal surgery is a much higher risk than going for a vaginal birth, even if its a VBAC. My doctor said its better to avoid a RCS if its not medically necessary. I was originally under the impression that I would most likely have to RCS as opposed to VBAC. I am probably going to end up with a RCS, but there are other complications involved in this.
I am delivering at Jefferson and their OB/GYN practice is fully supportive of VBAC. If you wanted to give them a try.
Lissie- thank you for this information! Any chance your firm can send out a memo to all the providers in PA? :-)