Since when were Dr.'s exempt from the truth?

[itisstarry]

I have just re-discovered in the past two weeks that nothing angers me more than a Dr. assuming I am too stupid to do my own research, and will just bow down to their jargon, no matter how incompetent that jargon is. I knew when I got pregnant this third time, that my biggest challenge would be finding a Dr. willing to do a vbac after two c-sections (vba2c).  Sure, I had lovely visions that I would be lucky, and that the first Obstetrician I consulted, would pat me on the back and say "Sure we can do a Vbac, I am all about the natural birthin'" I know better. Nothing is ever that simple in my life.

 So last week, after an exhausting internet search, I found an ob office that had links to midwives and all kinds of things that made it appear that they were open minded about natural birth, and I made an appointment. I went in with high hopes, and when the nurse said they did vbacs all the time there, I was soaring, but then in comes the Dr. She is new to the practice, and relatively young, but I am hopeful that being female, she may be sypathetic to encouraging womens wishes for their birth experience. Boy was I ever wrong.

She informed me that having a vba2c was in essence deciding to kill myself and my unborn child. I asked her what evidence she had to support this and she pulls out the ACOG (american college of obstetrics and gynecologists, which happens to be a trade union, not an actual college). I of course had done my research and was familiar with their guidelines, which state that a womens chance of Uterine rupture during a vba2c is five times that of a vbac after one c-section.  What she failed to acknowledge is that acog based this rule off of one study (Caughey 1999) in which only  134 women with two previous c-sections were included. That is not a very high number. She also ignored the fact that various other studies had been done, all with anywhere from 300 to 2000 vba2c participants that all unanimously show the risk of uterine rupture in a vba2c to be less than 2%, and a majority of those that did rupture did so because induction drugs were given to them. Hmmm. Trust one tiny study, or a good sized group of large studies.Seems like common fricken sense to me. Anyway, she agreed to check with the other Dr.'s in the practice and get back to me. I think all my crying, and all the statistics I was throwing at her kinda scared her into getting a second opinion.

Lo and behold ,though, she calls today, and this is the line of drivel she gives me: Drs. in Colorado are expected to give a very high standard of care, and the practice is unanimous that allowing you a vba2c would be giving you a poor standard of care. She also informed me that she is aware of no Dr.s in Colorado who will perform a vba2c, and I should just plan for a c-section.  I am sorry, but since when is giving a patient inaccurate information, and refusing a women the right to birth the way she sees fit a frickin high standard of care?  Let's just say I won't be going back there. I will find a vba2c friendly dr. and barring complications that would make it impossible, I would love to have a midwife, but colorado law prohibits them from attending vba2cs. Have no doubt I will do everything in my power to have a vba2c. I will not allow the medical industry bully me into another c-section. I just wish it did not have to be so damn difficult!

If anyone is in colorado and has been through this, help! Do you know any Vba2c friendly Dr.'s?

[PeaceJaway]

Oct. 15, 2008 at 12:27 AM

Awesome post. Hang in there. :)

[mama4Christ361]

Oct. 15, 2008 at 9:06 AM

Look into another dr! Definitely! I went to midwives with my dd and it was great. They were attached to drs, but they were only attached in name, and the dr only were at the birth if you experienced complications. Just type in Midwives in your search engine. Then call them. i know this sucks sweetie. My friend had to have a c-section with her first. They had her push when she wa sonly eight cm dilated for five hours and now, she HAS to have a c-section every time, or her uterus will rupture. She actually had stillborn twins because of her now deformed uterus. They were only 28 weeks. They were beautiful and it kill sme that because som eidiot dr who didn't know what he was doing told her to work against her body's natural impulses she lost two beautiful little girls and now, may not be able to have more.

I will pray you find a place willing to do vba2c.

[WatchGirl29]

Oct. 15, 2008 at 11:37 AM

I will join in your loathing of the medical profession.  I pray that you find someone that will give you the birth you want.  Perhaps finding an underground midwife that will just assist you in UNassisted homebirth.  I'm not sure what the homebirthing laws are there, but that may be the way to go.  I would check out the group Birth Unhindered if you aren't already a member there and see if anyone has any ideas there for you.  Good luck mama.

[Lb128f]

Oct. 16, 2008 at 12:53 AM

Maybe one of these places can offer some ideas?

http://www.mountainmidwifery.com/blog/?page_id=5

http://cocoonenterprise.com/Home_Page.html