I’ve just been denied medical management of a failed abortion

[Tinyteatime]

I had a medical termination last Saturday, 7 weeks pregnant after my coil failed. Thought it had passed relatively easily so came away on a short holiday with my family luckily only 1.5 hours away from home. Started heavy bleeding and bad cramps yesterday, came to a&e as as advised by the BPAS clinic as I was flooding a pad and blood leaking through my trousers. Passed some very large clots. Internal scan reveals what they think is a foetal heart beat still in there. I’ve been in hospital one night and they said they would do the surgery on me this morning. I’ve just been told that all the doctors available won’t perform the procedure due to religion. This in the U.K. in 2019, in a hospital that offers abortion services. They’ve said I can stay another night and have it tomorrow, I have a breastfed baby that I’ve already been away from for one night, I’m in pain, bleeding and I’ve already had sepsis last year from a womb infection whilst giving birth so I’ve raised infection risk as a concern. I feel so angry about this. Would they deny women treatment for miscarriage? Or is it because there may still be a foetal heartbeat present? Is it simply because I’ve chosen to end the pregnancy myself? How in an nhs hospital can women be denied healthcare like this?

I've just seen this on twitter.

OP

Hop you are getting the medical treatment you need and I hope each and every one of those doctors is disciplined.

Off topic but @OffYouPopDoll

You are not actually pro-life, you're pro-choice.

Your statement below which says you wouldn't CHOOSE to have an abortion yourself but don't deny others the right to, including your besties, and non-judgement of them - show this. Pro-choice, means all women have a choice: you can choose to be anti-abortion for yourself, but happy to allow others the right to make the choice that is right for them - this is Pro-CHOICE, not "pro-life" or anti-abortion. Anti-abortioners condemn all women who have an abortion for any reason and want to remove the right for all and any women to have a TOP for any reason.

"I will hold my hands up and say I'm pro life but that is me, I would never ever judge anyone for making a choice to have an abortion for whatever reason. And definitely wouldnt refuse to treat a women because she had one.
Each women has their own circumstances and reasons for having an abortion. Which is private to them. my two closest friends have had abortions, I dont love them any less... because my view is different. "

To the OP - you're treatment has been appalling and I would ask for a review of your original scan (PP said they are saved to a hard drive) and a second opinion that there was a flicker which could reasonably be interpreted as a foetal heartbeat by an OBGYN. Because I think that Dr was lying.

why are people being allowed to enter this field if we know they won't do their job properly

Once again, if they're taking this position due to religion, they can't be refused a job on that basis … because religion's a protected characteristic, and religion shouts loudly in our society

Sorry to keep on repeating this, but it worries me to see folk unaware of the extreme privilege which religion's been allowed to grab for itself, and it seems to me that there's little chance of change until the consequences are more widely recognised

Thanks all for your kind thoughts and wishes. I’m going in for 12. I’m feeling absolutely awful this morning and my milk supply has really taken a hit. I realised that they kept me nil by mouth for a total of 9 hours yesterday, with only a 4 hour saline drip on a boiling hot ward. This alone I feel is pretty negligent, especially as I’m breastfeeding. On the plus side no extra heavy bleeding overnight. I just Hope once it all over I will be able to feed my baby again and get my supply back up. I’m going to ask for a scan report today, but I suspect there wasn’t one. My discharge letter from the hospital pretty much says what they want it to, and is a pretty creative interpretation of the truth. For instance it doesn’t even mention that I had very heavy bleeding, which would indicate that it’s a case of retained product (specifically a collapsed sack) rather than just a Failed termination. I will try to get the doctor who I see today to give me a second opinion if he can before the op, as I’m now sure I was deliberately misdiagnosed in order to block further treatment.

Good luck today, Tinyteatime. I hope it all goes well today and you'll be back breastfeeding your baby very soon, in very good health.
I suppose you could keep a record of your posts on this thread as an indication of how you were treated, if you need some sort of proof of what went on? You're hardly likely to make this up to while away the day in hospital, so you'd have a time-line of the events, in any case.

Best wishes for to-day OP, hope all goes well with no stress or complications.

Hope all goes well for you today, then when your feeling better you will have the head space to bring these awful people to task.

My discharge letter from the hospital pretty much says what they want it to, and is a pretty creative interpretation of the truth

No surprise there I'm afraid; as I predicted, Cover Your Arse will have swung into full operation as an absolute priority

The most important thing is your health and recover and I wish you the very best for that. But about the scan report … I'm no expert, but I think a PP said the results are kept on a hard drive? If so, might that be a useful line of enquiry if you wish to query what was seen?

All the best for your operation today, Tinyteatime 💐

Absolutely shameful how some anti-choice doctors have been able to deny you prompt medical treatment

If doctors are not prepared to do their job, they should have chosen another branch of medicine

I hope that afterwards you can take legal action against the hospital, so the next woman / girl in your situation doesn't suffer the same

and best wishes and good luck. Hope your milk re-establishes ASAP.

I've skimmed the thread but still confused..

You're on holiday here from where? 1.5hrs away somewhere else in the UK or here on holiday from abroad?

I think if it were me, I would go back home rather than wait god knows how many hours not being seen.

I’m late to this thread OP, but wanted to add my support and best wishes. I’m shocked this could occur, you’ve been immensely strong

I’m in Ireland and a woman in Ireland died from this crap a few years ago. Law was changed as a result of it. X

Have been reading this thread with horror.

I’m so sorry you’ve been treated so appallingly. It’s a disgrace that women are still being treated like this in the 21st century. Im in NI and live in fear of ever needing abortion or miscarriage care.

I hope your surgery goes ahead without further obstruction and wish you a speedy recovery.

If you feel able afterwards do consider complaining officially.

I read your thread yesterday and you’ve been on my mind

Hoping today goes as it should and your back to your baby ASAP and feeling better.

I've followed this thread since last night Tiny, I'm so sorry you have been so badly treated and let down by the NHS. It is shocking and very worrying as a woman to read that this could happen in the U.K. I hope the doctor you see today treats you well and that you will soon be recovering. When you are back to full health I hope you will take your complaint all the way.

Best wishes to you OP. So sorry that you have had to go through all this just to get decent care.

its so shit that youve been put through this. I hope it all goes ok, and definitely take it further if you can

Thinking of you!

I really hope everything goes well for you today @Tinyteatime. You have been treated appallingly.

I hope the operation has gone well OP, and that you can get back to normal asap.

Re the vague paperwork from the hospital... Should you make a formal complaint, with or without legal representation, then do remember that your posts here are contemporaneous notes on the experience, which carry more weight than memory alone.

All the best

Tiny thinking of you, good luck today.

I’m feeling absolutely awful this morning and my milk supply has really taken a hit. I realised that they kept me nil by mouth for a total of 9 hours yesterday, with only a 4 hour saline drip on a boiling hot ward. This alone I feel is pretty negligent, especially as I’m breastfeeding.

I'm so sorry to hear this but not surprised your supply has taken a hit, how could it not under those conditions. The utter disregard for the breastfed baby highlights the utter misogyny driving this. Their manufactured conscience over a made up flicker led to them wasting so much of your time and harming your ability to breastfeed your baby. The hypocrisy is outrageous. Yet again we see that when the NHS supposedly promotes breastfeeding it's only lip service at best. Hoping that once you get a proper doctor (who'll do the required job) things will all be ok. Wishing you all the best.

I had an operation when DD1 was 3 months and my supply took a hit, but I basically took to the sofa and fed and fed for two days to get it back. Hopefully you can leave everything else to your DH this weekend and relax, recover and get your supply back.

also thinking of you OP.

I'm another who had an op and found the anaesthetic affected my milk supply. had to work to get it back with pumping and feeding.

9 hours must have felt like hell. i couldn't go 9 minutes without food and drink when I was BF!