My friend's pregnancy

A good friend of mine is right now in the hospital and will likely have a baby tonight. This is her second baby and she's had an awful, awful pregnancy. She had awful, awful morning sickness that kept her basically in bed for months. She had bleeding from a low-lying placenta, then anemia, then possible pre-eclampsia, then dehydration so bad they had to hospitalize her, then migrains and sciatica which they wouldn't treat for weeks (kept telling her that pregnancy wasn't supposed to be comfortable).

She wrote about all her frustration and worries on facebook. She was a professional blogger for a while and she felt comfortable going to her online friends to say how bad she felt. She talked about her frustration with the midwives she was seeing when they wouldn't treat her pain, but she never named the practice and never really blamed them, just said she was hurting so bad and couldn't understand why they weren't helping her more.

Then the other day she went to her appointment and the staff were really rude. She didn't know why. Turns out, someone she went to school with was reading along, and was related to one of the doctors in the office. She told them she'd read online how my friend was hurting (she was hoping to get my friend some help, not cause trouble). But the staff all talked it over between themselves and were pissed at her when she came in. They thought she'd been saying bad things about the office and using the office's name. None of them had bothered to read what she'd written before taking it out on her. She was half-naked on the exam table when the midwife told her that she didn't appreciate it.

So she cried at the office and all the way home and finally decided that with only two weeks left in the pregnancy she shouldn't switch offices, but she did want to deliver at a hospital in Lexington because the Dr. she saw will deliver there but the midwives can't. So she went to Lexington with her husband over the weekend thinking they'd do the pre-registration and then get a hotel and relax and let her soak in the pool to maybe get some relief from her pain.

Her mom just called me and she said that my friend had started bleeding and it was bad enough that they called an ambulance-- which took them to a different hospital from where they'd pre-registered because it was closer and they felt it was an emergency. So she'll be delivered by a stranger after all that mess.

Anyhow, if you read this, could you please say a prayer for her. She's just had an awful time and I'm worried because she wasn't getting proper medical care towards the end because she couldn't get them to take her seriously. Her name is Rebecca Patrick-Howard.

I sure will...sounds to me like ending up in a strange hospital will probably be better for her than the midwife she was going to. I wouldn't want anyone who had a grudge against me (whether it was unfounded or not) deliver my child.

Oh Karen, how sad- definatly praying for her- Poor thing!!

wow! I just said a prayer for her.I think she will be ok.let us know! with this many complications she's better off with a doctor rather than a midwife

Thanks so much. I know you guys don't know her, but it comforts me to know that people are thinking of her and praying for her. I'll post as soon as I hear some news.

P&PT headed her way., I have BTDT with rude dr's and having to change late in pregnancy...at 38 weeks. Keep us posted, I hope everything goes ok.

I hope all will be better soon.

How awful!
Any word yet?

I do have to say though,with pregnancy doctors are very careful,and hey would not give narcotics because whatever the mother takes goes to the baby also.That exlains why they wouldn't give her anything.The only real option is plain tylenol which does nothing for real pain

I haven't heard anything yet, but it sounded last night like it wouldn't be long.

Thanks for the info, Athena. I thought the same thing. She knew they wouldn't likely give her narcotics. She mostly posted online about how bad she felt and unsympathetic they were, not how they should have done something different. My concern was that in the last few weeks she had awful swelling and went in to the midwives and they gave her a list of symptoms of pre-eclampsia to look out for. Well, she already had every symptom on the list and told them so. But they didn't treat her or even have the OB/GYN that they work with take a look at her. That's what I was thinking about when I said that I didn't feel like she was getting proper medical care towards the end, although I realize now that I left that part of the story out. But you're right in that they really couldn't give her narcotics without it also going in the baby's bloodstream.

Thanks so much for the prayers everyone. I'll post an update when I know anything.

I just got off the phone with her. She had her baby at 12:30 this morning. He's a boy and his name is Toby. He weighed 6 lbs despite being about 3 weeks early.

She said that her bleeding had been really, really heavy and turned out to be a placental abruption. She also had pre-eclampsia.

Thankfully, she's OK and so is Toby. Her blood pressure is still high and she can't have visitors today, but she's going to be fine.

Thank you SO much for praying. I really believe it helped her through this ordeal.

Happy to hear things went well. Now that the baby has been delivered, her blood pressure should get much better quickly. Sounds like even though baby was born a little early that he was ready.. It's always nice to hear good news like that..

Glad they are doing okay :O)

Thank God.

it's always great to "hear" good news in the morning

Glad to hear all is well now!

Excellent news! Welcome to the world, Toby.

I am so glad everything turned out OK!

OH THank God!! thats wonderful!! I always lovd my Dr and his staff, but I had a few hospital nurses who I could have killed.

They can RX some narcotics. I had to have tyolonal 3 and 4 during some of my preg. for miagraines.

And although syatica (sp) is not really treatable (its from the weight of the baby, carrying low and it pinching the nerve, or thats what mine was from) they CAN find you a special belt to be worn, to lift up the baby- I had to have one for Brett- mine was so bad my entire leg would just 'die' and I'd have no feeling- making me fall-.

I never chose a midwife, and I'm very glad I didnt- All of my deliveries ended up with some sort of medical problems. Brett had to be suctioned out, Matt had the cord wrapped around his neck 3 or 4 times and he had to be bagged, Rayley was an emergancy C section and 5 weeks early, and Bow had to be a C too- which the stupid ass nurse gave me pennicillian before the C section and I swole up like a freakin toad frog.. I'm alergic.

Wow Chelle! horrible experiences! When the nurses give you meds,always ask what they are,especially if you're allergic to some meds!and tell them you're allergic!I always want to know what I'm given and why,even though I'm NOT allergic to anything as far as I know.Mistakes are made all the time!

Athena, I sent her out of the room 3 times to make sure that it was NOT penn. I threw a FIT. Not a hysterical fit, but a nice calm rational - 'if I suffer from this I'll kill you' type of fit. she kept saying that it was NOT- well it wasnt- it was a durivitive of.. but I had refused all those too- hence the 3 times she was sent out of the room witht he bags of meds.

She refused to call my DR to confirm that I was alergic- the orders didnt say on HER page- but did on other pages.

She was just a bitch. and was treating me like a first time mother- even though as a first time I wasnt nervous or freaking out. I just dont do that. I am a very calm and rational person- even in an emergancy- Like with Bretts bite- BR and I are BOTH very calm. sometimes to the point that it freaks other people out. LOL

glad she is OK and everything turned out alright. I was thinking Abruption, but didn't want to jinx her.

I can honestly say, if I had another( crossing myself and spinning in circles 3 times to avoid it) that I would absolutely do it unnassisted. No Dr, no hospital. I have a friend who just had an unnassisted pg and birth, and it was great.

OH hell no Erin- I want my epi! LOL of course, I'd never be able to have another without a C section, so I'm praying, crossing fingers, the whole nine yards. LOL

Karen, glad your friend had a happy delivery and she and Toby are doing well... all the rest of you... my gosh, what you've gone thru... if I was young again, I'd be thinking having a baby is not for me !

Bless you all for what you did to bring your kids into this world!