Your Baby is Abnormal

[ShadowBall]

Oh blah. I was born about six weeks premature, and weighed about four pounds. Cue now - probably 230 pounds. Obviously pre-natal size will not reflect upon post-natal size. Even if the fetus/baby was fat, that's not abnormal. If it's got a dead twin attached to its chest or its organs on the outside of it's body or is a bird with teeth, then it would be abnormal.

I don't know, I think some doctors just have their heads up their asses in general. Like my old GP who gave me a month's worth of strong antibiotics for the presence of harmless bacteria.

[wagegoth]

My chronic pain was a major contributing factor to my weight gain. The assumption is backwards. I think the biggest problem is that assumptions are being made without the knowledge. My medical chart with my current doctor is going on three inches thick.

And, frankly, if it's obvious, it's obvious, and not worth repeating.

[blas]

My mom told me today that I was called "abnormal" because I was at a premie size and weight when I was born, even though I was born after 9 months.

[fireheart]

Apparaently my sister was BIG for her size when she was born compared to me. Nowadays I'm taller than her by about an inch or so.

[georgie]

i do actually have a disabled child and can still remember the feelings i had when my family doctor told me the results of the amnio i had. child with brain damage might not survive birth and if it did then it wouldnt live long (16 in 4 months !!! ner ner)

i wouldnt wish those feelings on the most horrible person in the world. theyre devistating. it actually does feel like the world is ending.


the special school bub goes to has visiting 3rd year (studying) doctors. theyre learning to look at disabled children as children first not just as a disability.

the school headmistress was telling me that everytime one of my daughters classmates goes to hospital her parents are asked if they want to put a DNR in action. Even if the classmate is in for something minor.

I think its a fabulous idea to give doctors classes in bedside manners. Over the years we've had some wonderful doctors and some doctors who i'd like to poke the eyes out of.

[Cat]

One of my younger cousins was premature (I forget my how much) but I truly believe he had to be...he is now a gentle giant (he hands his clothes down to his father....his father is 6') Nature knew what she was doing there!

Doctors, like most professions, have the good ones and the asshats. Sorry to those here who have gotten the latter.

[HappyFun Ball]

You gotta hate doctors that are insensitive. Me, I prefer a female, female doctor because she at least knows what being pregnant is like (And I do know that not all women have had babies).

With my first son, I got big really really fast, I thought I was going to have twins, but the ultrasound showed only one baby. It got to where I could not walk, could not get comfortable, could not sleep and this was at 8 months along. I begged the doctors to induce at 8-1/2 months.. I was miserable! I already had two kids and I had never experienced this amount of pain or immobility. I knew that the last month of pregnancy is mainly for the baby to gain weight. I kept getting the asshat doctor on call, he would just tell me to "get some rest" and he was the doctor I saw for the every 2 weeks and half of the weekly visit.. I pleaded with him to induce, but he insisted that they did not induce until I was 2 weeks late. I hit 40 weeks and I get everyone giving me "How to go into labor" advice, jumping jacks, sex.. Everything I could not do because it was excruciating to just sit still, let along have sex or do jumping jacks. I get to 9-1/2 months and lo and behold! I see a different doctor in the same office and he tells me that magical word "Induce". Anyways, when my son was born I found out why I was so miserable... He weighed 13 pounds and 6 ounces. Now he's a bit small for his age.

[georgie]

13 and a half pounds !!!!

i think my womb just snapped in fright

[Sapphire Silk]

i do actually have a disabled child and can still remember the feelings i had when my family doctor told me the results of the amnio i had. child with brain damage might not survive birth and if it did then it wouldnt live long (16 in 4 months !!! ner ner)

the special school bub goes to has visiting 3rd year (studying) doctors. theyre learning to look at disabled children as children first not just as a disability.

the school headmistress was telling me that everytime one of my daughters classmates goes to hospital her parents are asked if they want to put a DNR in action. Even if the classmate is in for something minor.

I think its a fabulous idea to give doctors classes in bedside manners. Over the years we've had some wonderful doctors and some doctors who i'd like to poke the eyes out of.

The decision as to whether continue a pregnancy like that is a deeply personal one. The role of health care providers is to give information, and support whatever decision the patient makes. Learning something about that patient's values and desires for their care is a good starting place a lot of doctors miss out on.

All hospitals are required to ask every patient if they have advanced directives (of which a DNR is one form) or if they want advanced directives. Even minor procedures have risks, and providers should know what families want in those cases. A lot of heartache has resulted from providers not knowing the patient's feelings on advanced directives and get care they wouldn't have wanted had the frank discussion taken place.

13 and a half pounds !!!!

i think my womb just snapped in fright

Mine too. That's a big baby. Some babies are Large for Gestational Age . . . they hit the big side of the developmental charts. Sometimes it means a problem. Some times not. Macrosomia occurs in cases of Gestational Diabetes. Low blood sugars in baby is usually the worst of the problem and is easily identified and corrected.

[Gizmo]

But nooooo. I'm 'fat'. And that is the cause, not symptom, of my problems. According to them. (I call bullshit.)

Its standard response around here no matter what the problem. Yet when you ask for help from a dietician/exercise specialist you get stone silence or the referals go missing.

We also have the doctors who use "you're too young to have {x} whenever I report a problem to them. Well that doesn't help me when I'm suffering from {x} does it?

As for the original OP and doctor, he probably wouldn't have got out of there without a large rant from me if he tried that. At least back it up with "because your baby looks fatter than normal I just want to check for {y}." or something! Otherwise leave me/my baby the hell alone!

[wagegoth]

the school headmistress was telling me that everytime one of my daughters classmates goes to hospital her parents are asked if they want to put a DNR in action. Even if the classmate is in for something minor.

That is one of the most evil things I have ever heard. I'm sitting here fighting back the tears.

[Seshat]

Its standard response around here no matter what the problem. Yet when you ask for help from a dietician/exercise specialist you get stone silence or the referals go missing.

(This was re 'you're too fat' from doctors)

Gizmo, that's just disgusting. If they honestly believe excess adipose tissue is your problem, they should be giving you dietician/nutritionist access, and access to a physiotherapist or other exercise specialist.

AND they should be monitoring the results. If simple diet and exercise changes don't work, they should be doing the testing to determine whether to refer you to an endocrinologist or gastroenterologist; and send you to a behavioural specialist of some sort.

The endocrinologist and gastroenterologist can help you if there's a physical problem.
The behavioural specialist can help you if you have a psychological issue around eating or exercising.

And let's face it, in modern western society, almost everyone has a psych issue about food and/or exercise. Either that, or they're (a) very lucky, or (b) have already worked on it.

[Becks]

i think my womb just snapped in fright

Mine ran away screaming into the windy, rainy day.

Wait, I think the wind blew it back and it just hit the window.

[Little Retail Rabbit]

Mine ran away screaming into the windy, rainy day.

Wait, I think the wind blew it back and it just hit the window.

Mine is just hunkering down and crying like a little girl.

But then again, I have tokophobia. It's always doing that

[Trjgul]

When I was little, about two I think, I ran into the coffee table in the living room and had to be rushed to the hospital to get stitches above my right eye. It was terrible- I still remember having to be strapped down (they didn't give me anesthesia and I don't remember why) and screaming for my dad.

My mom told me that she was standing in the waiting room when she heard on of the doctors talking to someone else about me and said "Geez, what a brat, she won't stop screaming."

NO SHIT SHERLOCK!! My mom almost punched him in the face.