Your Baby is Abnormal

[wagegoth]

My former coworker Mary got pregnant with her first child at 39 (it was a surprise and quite scary for her), and since she had never given any thought to children or anything that goes with pregnancy (not her fault at all), she was in for more surprises.

She came to work terrified one night before her amniocesis (sp? whatever that test that is they usually do on older moms or women with high risk pregnancies) because her doctor told her that older women tend to have abnormal babies. Worded as though it were a guarantee. As if she were the only woman to ever get pregnant at nearly 40.

She switched doctors, and of course, her baby was fine!

It increases the chances, but the percentage of abnormalities is still under 3%.

[blas]

My former coworker Mary got pregnant with her first child at 39 (it was a surprise and quite scary for her), and since she had never given any thought to children or anything that goes with pregnancy (not her fault at all), she was in for more surprises.

She came to work terrified one night before her amniocesis (sp? whatever that test that is they usually do on older moms or women with high risk pregnancies) because her doctor told her that older women tend to have abnormal babies. Worded as though it were a guarantee. As if she were the only woman to ever get pregnant at nearly 40.

She switched doctors, and of course, her baby was fine!

[Sparky]

Doctors use terms that have specific meanings. These may not be the same meaning that non-medical people apply to the word. Doctors tend to forget this.

Some examples of medical terms:

Abnormal = not typical
Surgery = removing a mole
Discomfort = severe pain

[NateTheChops]

God. My sister was born with a cleft pallette, so she needed surgery for that. But she was also gaining weight very slowly due to breathing problems (she couldn't suck on the bottle for very long) so she also needed a trach tube.

When she did start speaking, (at eighteen months, I should add) she was speaking in the usual baby pre-verbals. But you could understand some words like, "Matt-Matt," her cousin, "ment-ment,", which meant she wanted to go into the basement, and "Nat-Nat,", which was me, of course.

The therapist that was working with her insisted that she would have speech problems because of this. It's like...hello...she's eighteen months and you're expecting what? Shakespere? She's all ready pretty damn verbal for someone her age and can you tell me how many eighteen month olds know where the basement of their house is? (Seriously, if anyone said the word basement we had to take her down there or she'd get upset)

My mother was not at all impressed with any of the "proffessional" staff who worked with her in Mollie's first few years. By now, of course, if you just spoke to her you would wonder where said therapist ever got her degree from.

[AnaKhouri]

We had a couple (very minor, but it seemed terrifying at the time) scares with Khan, and the midwives were wonderful. I can't imagine dealing with a doctor with that, but I guess also maybe she is so far along she doesn't want to change doctors at this point.

[Seshat]

Don't get me started about the number of medical and medical-related people who have blamed my problems on me being 'fat'.

For someone with fibromyalgia (which greatly restricts my ability to exercise) and PCOS (which greatly increases a tendency to put on weight), it's amazing how little adipose tissue I have!

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


(PS: with the assistance of a good medical team, I am losing fat. Not necessarily weight - I'm gaining muscle. But I'm losing fat.)

[Captain Trips]

It's a sad statement of fact that medical schools now have to offer classes in bedside manner .

What they NEED to teach is called "The Hippocratic Oath." ("First, do no harm.") Telling someone their fetus is abnormal when it's just a bit chubby? Doesn't the doctor accept that as "emotional harm?"

[wagegoth]

I don't think those classes do any good.

There are nurses at the clinic I go to who have no qualms of putting their *unwanted* two cents into whatever response I give to their questions (for instance, asking what I eat...."Fast food is HORRIBLE!" or when I admit I tan occasionally "You WILL get cancer!" or when I say I smoke "You WILL die from smoking!").......and don't even get me started on the things that my doctor has said to me, or the doctors at urgent care, for stuff that had nothing to do with what I was there for!

I add my hate to yours. They probably aren't even RNs. And the next time they make a comment, just say, "Are you a doctor?" When they answer, say, "Then giving me a medical opinion would be illegal, wouldn't it?" If they keep it up, tell the doctor and also ask for the supervisor to file a complaint. And don't back down.

[blas]

I don't think those classes do any good.

There are nurses at the clinic I go to who have no qualms of putting their *unwanted* two cents into whatever response I give to their questions (for instance, asking what I eat...."Fast food is HORRIBLE!" or when I admit I tan occasionally "You WILL get cancer!" or when I say I smoke "You WILL die from smoking!").......and don't even get me started on the things that my doctor has said to me, or the doctors at urgent care, for stuff that had nothing to do with what I was there for!

[Squeaksmyalias]

It's a sad statement of fact that medical schools now have to offer classes in bedside manner

I hope that a former close friend who I had known since a teen gets that class.
Before I thread jack I'm thinking I should start a thread of it's own.

[Sapphire Silk]

It's a sad statement of fact that medical schools now have to offer classes in bedside manner

Nursing school, it's integrated from day one.

[Mishi]

Congratulations to your friend on her healthy bub! I hope that the labour is quick and easy with no complications.

Some people have no business being doctors

QFT! I had two such doctors. One put me on a high dose of prednisone 'to burn out the juvenile rheumatoid arthritis' that I DIDN'T have. The second told me that I'll be infertile by 25 and (paraphased): "When you're legal, go to a party and find a drunk bloke to knock you up. If you don't have kids young, you won't be having any."

[MoonCat]

"You're baby is abnormal."

"He's a little fat."

Jesus Christ they're starting when they're still in the womb now! Is that doctor taking kickbacks from Jenny Craig?

[blas]

Some people have no business being doctors.

Like the doctor that told my mother for sure that I was going to be a boy (at about 6 months gestation, didn't tell her he wasn't sure or that he guessed, said that I WAS INDEED MALE, LOOK AT THE PENIS!) and he also gave me a 7 out of 10when I was born because I was too small. Yet my brother, who was born with jaundice, was given a 9.

[Gaki]

Haha don't worry guys, it's like a women's center where there's a staff of doctors who are all in on it and up to speed so she doesn't ever have to see that one again. Like she has a single OB but any doctor in the place can take an appointment with her. So she never ever ever has to see that woman again and lately she's been having really great stories to tell from the other ones (apparently the woman today was a real sweetie.)

Oh, btw, the baby is a boy and his name is Chase. I just bought all her baby shower gifts, I'm so excited.