UK mum separated by force from newborn in Spain. AIBU to be shocked this is taking so long to resolve?

[wigglylines]

Poor woman, poor baby too. I can't imagine what she's going through.

Why would they drag it out so long? How long does it take to get a DNA test FFS?

Story here www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/03/british-woman-says-she-was-separated-from-newborn-daughter-in-spain

[Petition link removed by MNHQ as we don't allow them in AIBU or anywhere other than our Petitions topic]

Did she have any medical insurance? Is it even possible to get medical insurance if you're planning a long journey home from Malaga to London by car at almost 39 weeks pregnant?

If she'd given birth and the baby wasn't well, she'd have been stuck in Spain wouldn't she?

If she'd gone into labour in France en route home, she might have ended up stuck in France.

So many ways in which things could go wrong, although I'm sure she didn't envisage this one.

How could anyone sign a petition on so littie knowledge of the case specifics.

so, having now read the story, it appears that the baby was in fact premature and had been born prior to the date the woman indicated.

A baby wouldn't be considered premature at 38 weeks, so definitely a lot more at play here than is written in the story.

Where did you read that, wannaBe? The Daily Mail says the baby was born two weeks before its due date. Although, having reread the Daily Mail story they appear to have dropped some of the earlier details about her brother planning to drive her back to London on 17 June. And they've dropped the bit about her being 36 weeks pregnant when she arrived in Spain on 1 June.

in the story linked to in the opp:

"The doctors’ doubts appear to be based on a belief that the details the woman gave do not match their examination of the baby – they believe the infant is more premature than claimed and that examination of the umbilical cord stump indicated she was born before the stated birth date."

Sorry, you're right wannaBe. I think the DM story has changed though - less details.

I'm not sure about the random picture of a dog and saying that Spain is perfection. I did not say that Spain was perfection. Nor did I say there was no racism, there is racism in every country.

What I did say is that doctors and the health service and the hospitals here are brilliant and professional. I have never, ever received care like I have here, nor my daughter, nor my husband (although they are Spanish so don't have to worry about racism, or being stolen )

There's racism in every country but unless it's a blatant case of racism people should not be so quick to jump to the conclusion that's the case in this instance.
No matter the race the medical authorities would be proceeding the same. Remember we don't know what reasons the hospital has as we are only hearing one side of the story. The paedeatrician had concerns straight away and as we don't know why that was it's knee jerk to assume racism.
I think playing the racism card is irresponsable to say the least and not helpful at all just easy cop out to get people on side.

If doctors ignored concerns because baby is not white, now that would be racist.
Many African babies are born in this part of the country, many to mothers just off the boats. Mothers and babies receive excellent care.
Spanish families in Malaga region bring over children from the Sahara into their homes every summer and while here receive medical care.
Very recently a little boy arrived from Africa at Malaga airport smuggled in a suitcase. His father was jailed while things were cleared up but meanwhile social services were brilliant with the boy and moved things along so he could stay in Spain.

jamais. I'm Spanish. Racism exists.

he's not a random dog.

Hes a sceptical dog!!

dawndonna I clearly just posted that I did not say that there was no racism, nor that Spain was perfection. I said that the health service was brilliant, which you will know, as you are Spanish.

thenumberseven has explained it better than me, but, there is racism everywhere and you should be careful playing the racism card.

I have never, ever, seen a doctor or anyone working in a hospital be racist or less than 100% professional and give the MOST amazing care. I had had the misfortune to be in hospital a lot last year and with nearly everyone NOT being Spanish, the doctors were fantastic, to everyone.

Please stop saying Spain is racist, it has nothing to do with anything.

Sadly racism exists in every country spanning all continents, however in this instance there's absolutely no reason to believe the very proffessional Spanish health carers are being motivated by anything but serious concerns.
I would think that the doctors were racists if they let the woman take the baby without investigating when things are not clear and let's remember we don't know their reasons.
People who cry racism when there is no reason to do so should look at their own belief system if they make everything about race. At this rate doctors and other care workers are going to overlook problems because of all the people crying wolf.

I'm really baffled by the response jamaisdeux has received because she said something which is true, the Spanish health care system is excellent.
That's not to say mistakes are not made but in a case such as this better to be overzealous than cavalier.
Of course when someone is neutral some people don't like it, they want everyone to jump on the bandwagon and cry racism or whatever cause happens to be on their agenda, never mind if there's reason to or not.
Don't let facts get in the way of a good story eh?

They want to make it about racism or negligence or whatever and people being reasonable and stating facts just spoils their fun.
People have been childish and rude for no reason other that the poster didn't jump on their particular bandwagon.

No crappy roads to negotiate or difficulty getting to the hospital, a taxi would have had her there in minutes.

If she had a 40 minute labour it is entirely possible that it was so intense that she would have had trouble getting to the front door to take a taxi. As it was during the night if her baby appeared healthy she was probably exhausted and spent and wanted to sleep.

They probably both figured that it could wait until day.

Frankly after I gave birth I wanted everyone to go away and leave us alone. If I didn't see an urgent need I would leave it until the next day.

'carppy roads', 'no phone reception', 'racist doctors', 'babies being stolen', 'have to pay for ambulances'

Give me a break. The above is utter tosh. This is Spain, a leading country in Europe with an exemplary health care service, not the third world.

If someone arrived in the UK in A&E with a baby, couldn't speak English and the doctors thought it was a little out of the ordinary (which it really, really is) would you find them racist for letting the mother breastfeed, see the child, look after her and the child, while they sorted out and verified what had happened because they needed to put the babies best interests first?

The mother will be getting a menu, by the way, a three course menu to choose from, breast feeding advice and someone to wash and clean her baby for her and bring her to the mother to feed.

I have no doubt that the Spanish health system is generally good. But I'm sure there are times it isn't. I have 2 English friends who both gave birth in Spain, whilst living and working in Spain and they had terrible birth experiences. It does happen.
It would be naieve to think that either a) mistakes or negligence doesn't occur , or b) there are some either nasty health professionals, or some with archaic ideas, or maybe even over cautious.
Of course there are people like that, everywhere.

All the midwives I met have been nice, but I did meet a health visitor who was actually really rather nasty.
Many mn'ers have said they met nasty mw's and hv's, for example. It is not that uncommon.
Not every Health professional is mother Teresa!

Jamais, did the Los Ninos robados not happen then?
We're the babies not stolen?

how many people would know how to clamp and cut an umbilical chord safely? deliver a placenta?

All these cries of racism while the mother is still being allowed to breastfeed the baby. surely if she was the victim of racism the baby would simply have been removed into the care system?

the fact the baby appears to still be in hospital two weeks later, with the doctors having said the baby was born prematurely would indicate that in fact there are issues wrt its health.

in this country the baby would not have been kept in hospital but would have been removed to the care system. only reason to keep the baby in hospital would be because of concerns for its health.

Perhaps the baby is still the woman's, but, due to the fact she gave birth alone without seeking medical help, and prematurely, more prematurely than the article states gave good reason for the medics to be concerned for the wellbeing of the baby.

Did Jimmy Saville not patrol the NHs wards in the 80's abusing children.

FFS.
Shut up with the ninos robados. Honestly. This is pathetic. I am not even Spanish but I find this unbelievable, talk about racism, it is right here, alive and well, on this bloody thread.

300,000 babies stolen apparently. That is an estimate.
Or did it not really happen?

Sorry fur bringing something up. It's just that you seemed a bit evangelical, as if nothing bad ever happened in Spain.
I am the polar opposite. I believe bad stuff goes on all the time. All over the place.

Leaving the thread.
I don't particularly like Spain, I have lived all over the world and this is my least favourite place, however, it it the best healthcare I have ever received.

I really can't be arsed to argue about stolen babies, it is totally irrelevant.

I would imagine the stolen babies scandal is exactly why they are now so quick to act if their are suspicions about the birth of a baby.

jamaisdeux stop it now!
You are being a spoil sport. Trying to be reasonable is boring, you are spoiling the fun for all the people who want to be outraged by racist doctors,(plus nurses, police, social services etc) crappy roads, bad phone lines.....you name it.
The racist Spanish health professionals must be getting a kick out of having this lady, her mother and children at the hospital and of course all the other departments involved must be also racist as they are allowing it to go on.

Return the baby to Stacey until she is "found guilty" in order to respect the biological and emotional needs of mother and baby.

Never administer the baby formula milk unless with maternal consent.

Hospital professionals must adhere to the established guidelines of support and respect of breastfeeding on demand.

Since I know nothing about the case other than what was published in the Daily Mail I wouldn't sign a petition asking for these things. Translator, yes. Legal assistance-that's down to the British Consulate at this stage. The mother will get the kind of legal aid a Spanish citizen would get, if she were ever charged.

My PIL moved to Spain and have always found the Spanish health care excellent, as have their friends. Even in their nondescript province, there were new hospitals and they got very good, speedy access to specialist care. Not that this is wholly relevant-there are always pockets of poor practice-look at the NHS.

There is just no way to know the full background. Like when the DM does stories about children being taken into care in this country. The parents give anguished interviews setting out a tale of woe, none of the professionals involved can speak out to give the other side. Occasionally you get the full story and it's a shocker one way or the other, mostly you don't.

Two weeks for a DNA test does not surprise me.