PGP and lithotomy - I need some help

[confuddledDOTcom]

My baby is 8 days old and I am really struggling to move and in a lot of pain. I'm so angry! They put me in lithotomy with my midwife and Doula shouting no and me trying to pull my legs back out with my hands because they wouldn't respond in that position! They got my partner to hold me still (he was scared and is still beating himself up so please don't be hard on him).

I'm planning on a complaint about this and some other stuff. I never thought for one minute a dr would be stupid enough to do it! I'm only mobile at the moment as I'm still in hospital with my baby and I was wondering if anyone has any good links about why it's a bad idea that I can send my partner to print o
ff to support my complaint?

Nasty midwife on the ward told the dr who discharged me (I'm in the flat before you think I'm contradicting myself) that I'm only in mild discomfort (PGP, fibromyalgia, degenerative spine disease and scaring on the nerves supplying my right leg and that's before lithotomy! Mild discomfort?) so I was sent out with just paracetamol and have no co-dydramol here which even that barely touches the sides at the moment :(

Confuddled been wondering how you were getting on. Not so brilliant by the sounds of it

I'm happy to do a little research for you as I'm guessing if you're on your phone still you're not up for a full googling session.

Why on earth was lithotomy necessary? Or is that a conversation for another time?

openanesthesia.org/index.php?title=Lithotomy_position:_Nerve_Injury this one is not amazingly useful but connects the link between lithotomy and nerve damage

www.urology-textbook.com/lithotomy-position.html don't look at the pic - it's a fella in the litho position!

www.birthingnaturally.net/barp/lithotomy.html section entitled physiological effects seems categoric that it's a bad thing for anyone 'normal' let alone us wierdos who have dodgy joints!

www.scienceandsensibility.org/?tag=orthopedic-birth-injuries

Give that little lot a whirl. Let me know if there's any more trawling to be done. Hope you're feeling a bit better soon.

I've decided I'm going to write two versions of my birth story, the boring one where I had her about 12 hrs after asking to be put on the monitor, 15min of pushing, no help other than catching and stitching and the one with the drs fussing around trying to complicate things.

Supposedly I wasn't pushing and baby was getting tired (see above for how long I pushed and she had an APGAR of 9 at 1 min so make your own mind up!)

I'll definitely explain all later but my mobile isn't the best way to do it. Thanks for the links :)

Transition on Saturday so back to an electric bed, lying flat is torture at the moment.

You poor thing. I can't believe they only let you push for 15mins before getting involved. Makes me v angry for you. I hope the links say something helpful.

No sweat - I can wait. I can't even get internet on my phone, slow or otherwise!

Another thing from one of those links thrombosis! I'm a thrombophiliac!

I've got good connection but it's the texting that makes it hard and my touch configuration is slightly off so it can be a bit frustrating and time consuming.

Oh and the 15 mins was first push until birth. I've no idea when the stirrups came out.

I've just had an idea for future use - not for my births that's done lol - for women who suffer to have a contract ready in their bag saying "I (insert drs name" take full responsibility for any side effects from putting (mother) in lithotomy position. I accept she suffers from PGP and lithotomy is strongly advised against with this condition." Then space for dr, midwife, Doula or other witness to sign.

Back in a hospital bed and never been so glad to be in one! I'm thinking of packing this bed when I leave!

The more I think about what happened the more I'm convinced I need to do something. This was medical assault, it is contraindicated for my condition, was against my consent with another birth professional saying no whatever the reason, if it was to save both of our lives I still said no. I'm angry at them almost as much that they made OH hold me, playing on his obvious fear. I'm not angry at him but what they did to him.

I'm still interested in links if anyone else has any and if anyone has any for medical assault or knows anything about it please share.

I'm not sue-happy. When my first daughter died there was a dr I blamed, I still do, she misdiagnosed labour as a UTI and didn't call an obstetrician which she should have as she had a pregnant woman with a UTI. I decided not to do anything because she was young and I didn't want to put a death on her - IYSWIM - even if it didn't affect her career I didn't think she should have to live with it. I might if it hadn't have been A&E and a dr who should know better. That's the difference here. A dr who should know better without out me refusing consent or the midwife and Doula telling her no!

confuddled you poor poor women i really do feel for you my silly obstetrician wanted to do this to me due to having spd an having had a hip problem from childbirth though luckily the argument in my case was during the pregnancy and not during labour. It took a letter from my doctor one from a physio and one from my orthopaedic consultant just to get her to listen to me an even then she insisted it would be best! the link that buttonmoon has sent you from the site birthing naturally is a very good one i printed this out and kept it in my notes incase i went into labour so i had my argument in writing!. Its an absolute disgrace what they have done to you and your partener an you should absolutely take action against it, I know I was furious enough just at the suggestion. At the end of the day all it boils down to is that position being easier for them and NOT for the poor women giving birth I dont think i will ever understand why these medical staff cant get their heads round the basic laws of gravity!. Best of luck with your complaint I hope you are feeling better soon an a big Congrats as well! x

Thanks misshey. Glad you managed to make them see sense in advance.

They totally tramped over my choices and consent, then when Mum turned up as I'd called for her they told her I didn't want her and it was my decision! She'd have stopped OH holding me and made sure they didn't put my legs up - she kicked the midwife over who did it to her! Not sure whether what they said is irony or just in keeping!

I was a VBA2C with an inverse T scar. My own consultant was happy to support me in it but the team on the day werent. They made it quite clear they were going to convert me so it felt like when I was too far gone they'd punish me instead. From my birth plan the only thing achieved was I pushed her out. No delayed clamping - done between birth and whilst I was pulling her up to me. I didn't get the 3rd stage injection they put me on the drip instead! My cons wanted me mobile on the telemetric monitor so it wasn't the focus - I was wired and on the bed.

I could go on lol but I'm one handed and mobile and I'll post my story soon.

Thanks herbie, it's good to know the effects weren't permanent. I'm just glad I had my Doula because I'm on sure I'd believe it all otherwise!

OH said I wasn't pushing and kept crying out half way through a push (12mins pushing though!) but I was in lithotomy, sat upright and had someone keep pushing my head forward so my body was virtually in a ball not including my legs. I'd like to see him or her not cry out!

I'm hoping that I can get my dr to start taking me seriously. This pregnancy has thrown up a few potential other issues which I'd like looking into rather than just referred to the practice physio.

I'm enjoying the good bed at the moment but it's frustrating to have to press my buzzer when my baby cries!

They tried to get me on my side - before the drs got involved - but the back was up and I can't lie on my side unless the bed is completely flat with just a pillow for my head. I couldn't explain why though so was getting a little frustrated.

If I won the lottery I'd buy myself a bed. Not looking forward to going home. I slept on a double divan in the hospital flat and could barely sleep, took over an hour to get the energy to get up each morning.

One of the hardest things at the moment is going to the loo. The pain reminds me of an egg being cracked. It's like because I'm not supported underneath my SP is pulling apart. I have constant pain at the moment about where the two sides of my labia meet - IYSWIM. Occasionally I get pulses up my spine around the point that's damaged (I don't know the technical name but it's where an epidural would go) I'm far more reliant on my crutches now, even when I was in the flat I was using them which I wouldn't normally have to do.

Your not alone with the difficulty in getting up and the going to the loo either an i promise i did get better after a few weeks so hopefully you will be feeling better soon, i found the only way i could sleep in my own bed for the first few weeks was to be proped up with loads of cushions as laying on my back was agony an for some reason laying on my side made me short of breathe .

I haven't been around since I came out of hospital, things got quite silly there which I can't really talk about because of some massive complaints, but I thought I'd come and say I have put a complaint in about this and some other things with the birth. My PGP is getting better than it was immediately afterwards although I'm having a lot of bad days and it still hurts to go to the loo (not quite so bad though).

OH keeps complaining, we have 6 pillows, plus a sausage and a few cushions. He tends to get 2 pillows and is being pushed onto the floor by my pile