Lawsuit against hospital? Your opinions

[littleflamingo]

Hi girls. I would like to share my experience and ask what you would do.

I'll make the long story short.

I had an emergency c-section (not big thing as I believe the best delivery option is whatever is best for me and the baby) after being in over 24 hours labour because the midwife refused to exam my cervix or call the doctor because she was waiting for me to dilate. When I was at Victoria Ward I begged and cried for her to check if I was dilated and she said that she would not exam me because my water broke and I had risk of infection if she checked. I even went back home screaming in pain because they could do nothing for me at ward (I was back there 2 hours later).

I came back to the hospital and the midwife that saw me said I was 4 cm dilated so I was admitted at the birth centre.

As soon as I lay down in the bed I start to scream as the pain was unbearable (I had opium, gas mask and nothing helped me). I asked for an epidural.

As my baby heart rate drops, finally a doctor examined me and he said "you're barely 2 cm dilated". The problem was that my baby was in the wrong position, pressing on my cervix so instead of dilating, I was "closing". I went from 4 to barely 2 cm. Notice that the same midwife that refused exam me asked if I was sure I didn't push as the labour was not progressing. Well... It would never would!

I was lucky that I had 4cm when I went back to the hospital otherwise the doctor would never see me.

At the end, my baby heart beat drops and I finally have an c-section (which should be performed hours before). I went through such unnecessary suffering and put me and my daughter at risk because of a "normal delivery at any cost" mentality. I even heard from a lady that works in the Victoria ward "this lady is not copping".

The experience ruined my life. I cannot go one day without crying remembering everything I went through. It was my first baby and will be the last. I'm 30 years old.

[littleflamingo]

So I would love to hear your thoughts. X

[Tiggeryoubastard]

Really? You had opium?

[ItsLikeRainOnYourWeddingDay]

You dont really have grounds for a lawsuit. What happened sounds awful and you need to speak to your GP it health visitor incase you have PTSD. Also I think you mean morphine, not opium!

[intheBondiBubble]

What would a lawsuit achieve aside from removing much needed funding for sick patients?
Have you considered Councelling?

[NellWilsonsWhiteHair]

Aren't pethidine and diamorphine both derived from opium?

OP, that sounds very frightening and I'm not surprised you're traumatised. I think I would probably consider working on this aspect (processing your trauma - some form of counselling maybe?) before investigating the possibility of suing the hospital. I've no idea at all what the litigation process would be like, or whether it's a viable plan for you, but my concern would be that it would require you to revisit a horrific experience in adversarial conditions, rather than helping you to heal mentally and emotionally from this.

[somekindofmother]

you should talk to your post birth midwife (if still under them) or gp, the hospital is legally obligated to see you and go through you birth and discuss what was done and why and offer you any necessary help to cope with what you went through. I had a very traumatic birth with ds1 and didn't know this at the time but was offered it before I had ds2 as I was terrified of the labour bit again, I didn't do it as I felt it was too late and it would be more traumatic to drag up the finer details so close to going through it again, but I should have at the time.
I doubt you'd have a lawsuit with out at least reviewing and discussing the strategies put in place by the hospital to deal with situations like yours

[Cliffdiver]

Agree with Bondi, you need counselling.

I had PTSD after birth of DD1, which then lead onto PND.

My local hospital did an 'afterbirth' counselling session, I had this and also CBT, which helped.

[MoreGilmoreGirls]

I do not think a lawsuit will help you. Does the hospital have a listening service? I was offered one after my first rather traumatic birth. They will talk you through what happened and why and help you understand and enable you to move on.
Also see your gp as you sound like you could have pnd.
Focus on your baby and try notto dwell on what happened

[Slacktacular]

Hi OP. I'm so sorry you had such a frightening and frustrating labour and birth. You sound like you feel like you were. It listened to, which is really tough. I can identify with your angry response to this, as you feel like you were let down at a time when you were trusting health care professionals. I would urge you to ask for an appointment with the supervisor of midwives at your hospital to have a debrief - you might find that helpful. Also whilst it is normal to cry about traumatic experiences it might be worth exploring whether this has triggered or contributed to postnatal depression - perhaps you have a trusted GP you could talk to? I would take things from there - it's time to process what happened and try and get peace about it so you can cope with the trauma and get some physical and mental healing. You don't say how old your baby is, but having a small baby is tough, so you need lots of support if you feel like this. Good luck

[Honeyandfizz]

I agree with pp i think counselling would be appropriate not a lawsuit. How would suing a hospital in this situation make you feel any better?

[milpool]

I don't see what you would expect to gain from a lawsuit tbh. But like others have said it sounds like you'd definitely benefit from counselling. I'd see your GP.

[Cliffdiver]

Also meant to add that I too considered a lawsuit against the hospital/midwife when I was feeling my darkest - which went against everything I previously thought.

It wasn't for financial gain, I just wanted someone to admit what happened to me was wrong, I wanted an apology and for someone to recognise that I was not being irrational for feeling the way I was feeling. I felt I was stupid and selfish for being so traumatised, I had a live and healthy baby, others were not so lucky.

In the end, it was my second 'birth stories' session that I had when pregnant with DD2 (huge fears about giving birth developed) with a senior midwife that helped me move on. She actually apologised about what happened and the way I had been feeling about it / myself since.

[Icantstopeatinglol]

First of all congratulations Op and I'm so sorry you had such a traumatic birth, it affects you deeply I totally understand.
I think the best thing for you would be to go back and talk through what happened (this helped me a lot) and take it from there. Counselling may help and if you still feel strongly then I'd put in a complaint. Why is everyone assuming the op is after money? She's obviously upset and should we really leave midwives to just get on with it if they're not doing their job properly? Leave it for the next person to deal with who might have a worse outcome? If you feel strongly once you've talked it through that what they did was wrong then definitely complain.
You will feel better in time xxx

[littleflamingo]

Speak to the supervisor of midwife is definitely a good idea. My baby is almost 4 months old and I'm not feeling depressed but remembering the situation I went through unnecessarily lead me to tears.

And midwifes should not carry on, performing their job, refusing care or the request of a doctor. They knowledge is very limit d compared to an obtetrician and we're not in the cave times any more. C-section is an option, and dispite all the benefits or the normal delivery, it's the only option in many cases. Why put a woman in such misery and pain?
That's why I consider a lawsuit and not vou ceiling. These atrocities need to stop.

[manhowdy]

It sounds to me like what you really want/need to get past this is for them to acknowledge what they did wrong and apologise to you. I would make a formal written complaint to the hospital if I were you so it is raised with the midwife concerned, and if fault is found something put on her record/extra training offered etc. Maybe push for a meeting so you can discuss things with a hospital representative face-to-face.

I totally get where you are coming from needing an acknowledgement when you are feeling failed, especially when your child's life was risked. A lawsuit is not necessary as your baby is fine, but do complain. It may well help you process things and could also stop someone else going through the same.

[MyEternalSunshine]

I don't want to sound insensitive but I don't think a lawsuit is relevant at all. They did their jobs to the best of their ability and you and your baby are fine. Every woman's labour is different and they have to make difficult calls on any number of ladies every shift they work.

I feel for you having a traumatic experience I really do, seek counselling as this sounds a lot more like built up resentment at not having a delivery you wanted rather than people not doing their jobs correctly.