Sizzle Muffin
03-30-2007, 08:29 PM
omg I never noticed this before, I'm adding mine as well as my horrendous hospital experience
Now, I was scheduled to be induced at 38 weeks but I went into the hospital because I was feeling sick and had a very intense headache, at 37 1/2 weeks. My blood pressure was 156/108 and I was having symptoms of Preeclampsia. This was at about 9:30pm. They called my OBGYN at home. A nurse came back and said that they would be inducing me at 8am the following morning so I was admitted.
At 8am the following morning I was wheeled to a birthing room and an IV of Oxytocin was started. I was assured inducement would be max. 5 hours. I was induced for 19 1/2 hours until I was wheeled to the OR. I was in the OR at 9 1/2 cm dilated with just a lip of my cervix left. I was supposed to have a lot of people in the room, as can be expected with a twin delivery. Because I was only at 9 1/2cm not everyone had come to the room. There was no doctor, just 2 nurses getting things preped. Anyway, I had the urge to push and the nurse had to hit the emergency button and only half the people I was supposed to have in the room, came running down the hallway. I pushed for 10 minutes, maybe :shrug hard to remember now. Kaeden was born screaming (he hasnt stopped) weighing 5lbs 5oz and 19 inches long. His blood sugar was a bit low and he had an IV for 12 hours. Brooklyn was born 8 minutes later, weighing 6lbs 3oz and 19 inches long, she also had low blood sugar and had an IV for 12 hours. They had no NICU time. Their apgars were 9 and 9.5 i do believe. Kaeden had jaundice as well..
They were both whisked away from me (although I had asked to see them immediately after birth, prior to giving birth) cleaned up and handed to my husband. I did not get to see them until they were finished working on me (nothing serious, the standard procedure, of delivering after birth :puke) After they were finished, I had 2 mins before I was wheeled to a room, so I had 2 mins to see my babies.
I was wheeled into a room. I had received an epidural that did not work and was reinserted 3 times, the last time it was inserted, it was inserted 8cm into my spine. That also did not work. 10 mins before my delivery I was shot with a heavy narcotic (i had to have an epidural or some sort of pain management drug due to the extremely high blood pressure) The narcotic kicked in AFTER my delivery, so I had to have the catheter remain.
Because of this, I was not able to get out of bed. I was also bleeding heavily and quite weak. My babies were brought to me through out that night to breastfeed and they were always taken back to the Nursery. I thought this was normal. During the night, I felt a very bad urge to pee. I have a catheter, so this was not normal. I rang for a nurse. She came and told me I was being ridiculous, the bag was only half full and left. I rang again, as the urge to pee was starting to really hurt. A different nurse arrived and she checked the catheter tube, it was kinked inside me and was not draining the urine. She fixed it and proceeded to drain the urine. She got 2 1/2 bags full of urine. An insane amount of pee. I heard her talking quietly to the previous nurse saying "it was kinked" they both walked out without an apology.
The next afternoon I was feeling better, my catheter was removed and I wanted to go see my new babies. I asked why I couldn't have my babies room in with me and was told I was on a wait list for a private room as it is policy twin moms get private rooms (not enough space for the 3 of us in the room i was in that was a shared room with other women)
Anyway, My nurse came in and told me I could go into the Nursery and explained the rules etc. She also told me that when I went there, ask one of the nurses to show me how to do Cord Care and change a diaper. My husband had been in and out of the Nursery since they had been born but I hadnt been able to go down there cause I was stuck in bed.
So I wheeled myself to the nursery in a wheelchair and when I got into the Nursery I asked a nurse who was just sitting there if she could show me how to do Cord Care and to change a diaper. She looked at me with the most disgusted look on her face and said "Your babies were born when? .. last night! And you haven't changed a diaper yet?!?!" "Pay attention cause I'm only showing you once"
I felt horrible. I felt so guilty and awful. That it was my fault I couldnt be in the Nursery immediately and I was already a terrible mom.
Kaeden, because of his Jaundice had to go under Bili Lights for 24 hours. He was able to leave for 20 mins at a time to come to my room to be breastfed. I do believe it was Day 3 of my stay and they had a shift change in the Nursery. I was staying in a room with 6 beds, 2 of which were occupied (besides mine) with women who had just given birth, they had their babies in the room with them. I was starting to think that either my babies were sick and I wasnt being told, or something just wasnt right. When the shift changed in the Nursery, my babies were assigned a new Nursery Nurse. While I was getting ready to go down to the Nursery to pick the babies up for feeding time, a nurse came to my room.
She told me she was my babies Nursery Nurse and that I could come to the nursery to do my feedings from now on. I thought that was odd, but said "ok".
I arrived at the Nursery and I was told to do my feedings in a room that had 2 other chairs. They were occupied by 2 other women breastfeeding their babies. I was not comfortable whipping out my breast in front of strangers, female or not...but I thought that this is what all moms do so I sucked it up. I went in and realized that the other babies were sick babies. They were preemies and very tiny. I started chatting with the young girl next to me and she told me her baby had been born at 32 weeks. He had wires attached all over him and he was minscule in comaprison to my 2 healthy babies.
I felt VERY uncomfortable and when I went back to my room I wasnt sure what to do.
Day 4 arrived..and I had just about enough. I had been told to breastfeed all day in the nursery with very sick babies. I knew mine weren't sick because their peditrician had come to see me and told me they were both absolutely healthy and Kaeden's Jaundice was gone. I was starting to get weirded out. I asked everyday about the private room and everyday I was told I was on a wait list. Later that day I had a nurse come in and start talking to me very condescendingly. I said jokingly "Looks like I'm never going home" She replied VERY rudely "Nobody is letting you go anywhere until we are all sure you have a PLAN" and she left.
Well, day 4 was the day I lost it. I had watched women come and go in my room, woken up during the night to other new babies crying in the room but mine weren't with me because I was on a "wait list" and there wasnt enough room for us 3 and its against hospital policy to have 2 babies with me because it may get cramped for the other ladies with one baby, forced to breastfeed in the nursery with sick babies when mine were healthy, talked down to and told I wasnt leaving without a plan and just treated terribly.
I freaked out. I called for my OBGYN and I started crying uncontrollably, telling her everything that had been happening, she called for my day nurse and told me to tell the nurse exactly what I had told her. The day nurse, in front of the OBGYN was aghast..mouth open..a great show. I was assured the private room would be checked out, they had no explanation as to why i was being told to breastfeed in the nursery and what this business about a "plan" was.
When my OBGYN left, the nurse started to not be so sympathetic. She told me it was my hormones and that she could have someone come talk to me about "Baby Blues"
I finally said "Listen, I had a terrible pregnancy, just completely awful. I wanted my babies out long before they came out. I do not have baby blues. Yes my hormones are out whack but I am being treated AWFUL"
She came back an hour later and told me a private room had become available.
Day 5 was fine, I was left alone. In fact anytime I rang my call bell nobody came, not even once. They never even changed my bed sheets or anything.
Day 6 a nurse came, weighed the babies etc. I really just wanted to leave and go home. I said this to her and she said again said something aboutme having a plan.
I finally said "I am a 22 year old woman and my husband is 29, damn near 30 and we have a plan. Part of the plan is that I want to leave now".
I was discharged that afternoon.
It was a terrible experience for me, the nurses were very rude, talked to me with such attitude and made me feel very horrible at a time that should be wonderful and exciting. They talked to me like I was a teenager when in reality, yes I am young, I am an adult and so is my husband. Some of the nurses were MY age and still talking to me like a piece of trash. My wishes and rights as a mother were not honored nor was their policy of twin moms in a private room until I made a big scene. I still find it strange that it took me getting extremely upset to inforce my right to have my new, healthy babies with me, the same right every new mother has.
I was also admitted at 33 weeks for 1 week due to a possible IUGR (turned out to not be the case, thankfully) and was also treated badly, not fed properly etc. Every day I was in the hospital during that week I was given a pee test to test things like protein in my urine, blood in my urine etc. On Day 3 of that stay the nurse said "How about I show you how to test your own urine with the test strip, how to read it and if it is abnormal, then you ring for someone. Otherwise just toss it" So I did this, which I thought was weird.
I also had to go to the hospital once a week for Non Stress Tests and I was again, treated badly everytime. My mother accompained me everytime (husband works) and she lost it on a nurse because the woman was pushing into my stomach so hard I was in tears. They forced me to wear the stretchy belts to hold the heart beat monitors on my stomach, which is fine but they made me wear the ones meant for a single baby pregnancy and by 37 weeks I was measuring 56 weeks pregnant. I told them it didnt fit and it really caused me a lot of pain (I had PUPPPS all over my belly and stretch marks so bad they bled) could they provide me with larger sized belts. I was rudely informed that they didnt have the time to go search for the oversized ones (they did exist) and basically to just deal with it. Some days I was there for 3+hours with these horrendous belts.
On my last Non Stress test, they dip my urine with the same test strip as they had used during my 33 week hospital stay after every non stress test, the last one, a week before I delivered I had my last non stress test. Nobody dipped my urine and I went pee before I left, the test strips are in the bathroom so I dipped my own urine. It said my protein was extremely high (cant remember the number offhand) I should have mentioned it, but I felt embarrassed I had dipped my own urine without asking..so I just left.
After I delievered I read my hospital report/papers and it said when I was admitted to deliver, the protein in my urine was so high it was unmeasurable by anything they had to measure it with, meaning my kidneys were failing (i didnt know what protein in the urine meant until after the fact, I googled it when I came home with the twins) and they had probably been failing for at least a week but no one knew because they didnt test my urine which they are supposed to do!
Anyway, I had a bad experience that is inexcusable and an unacceptable level of care.
But I have my babies and they are happy healthy beautiful 10 month olds :wub
Now, I was scheduled to be induced at 38 weeks but I went into the hospital because I was feeling sick and had a very intense headache, at 37 1/2 weeks. My blood pressure was 156/108 and I was having symptoms of Preeclampsia. This was at about 9:30pm. They called my OBGYN at home. A nurse came back and said that they would be inducing me at 8am the following morning so I was admitted.
At 8am the following morning I was wheeled to a birthing room and an IV of Oxytocin was started. I was assured inducement would be max. 5 hours. I was induced for 19 1/2 hours until I was wheeled to the OR. I was in the OR at 9 1/2 cm dilated with just a lip of my cervix left. I was supposed to have a lot of people in the room, as can be expected with a twin delivery. Because I was only at 9 1/2cm not everyone had come to the room. There was no doctor, just 2 nurses getting things preped. Anyway, I had the urge to push and the nurse had to hit the emergency button and only half the people I was supposed to have in the room, came running down the hallway. I pushed for 10 minutes, maybe :shrug hard to remember now. Kaeden was born screaming (he hasnt stopped) weighing 5lbs 5oz and 19 inches long. His blood sugar was a bit low and he had an IV for 12 hours. Brooklyn was born 8 minutes later, weighing 6lbs 3oz and 19 inches long, she also had low blood sugar and had an IV for 12 hours. They had no NICU time. Their apgars were 9 and 9.5 i do believe. Kaeden had jaundice as well..
They were both whisked away from me (although I had asked to see them immediately after birth, prior to giving birth) cleaned up and handed to my husband. I did not get to see them until they were finished working on me (nothing serious, the standard procedure, of delivering after birth :puke) After they were finished, I had 2 mins before I was wheeled to a room, so I had 2 mins to see my babies.
I was wheeled into a room. I had received an epidural that did not work and was reinserted 3 times, the last time it was inserted, it was inserted 8cm into my spine. That also did not work. 10 mins before my delivery I was shot with a heavy narcotic (i had to have an epidural or some sort of pain management drug due to the extremely high blood pressure) The narcotic kicked in AFTER my delivery, so I had to have the catheter remain.
Because of this, I was not able to get out of bed. I was also bleeding heavily and quite weak. My babies were brought to me through out that night to breastfeed and they were always taken back to the Nursery. I thought this was normal. During the night, I felt a very bad urge to pee. I have a catheter, so this was not normal. I rang for a nurse. She came and told me I was being ridiculous, the bag was only half full and left. I rang again, as the urge to pee was starting to really hurt. A different nurse arrived and she checked the catheter tube, it was kinked inside me and was not draining the urine. She fixed it and proceeded to drain the urine. She got 2 1/2 bags full of urine. An insane amount of pee. I heard her talking quietly to the previous nurse saying "it was kinked" they both walked out without an apology.
The next afternoon I was feeling better, my catheter was removed and I wanted to go see my new babies. I asked why I couldn't have my babies room in with me and was told I was on a wait list for a private room as it is policy twin moms get private rooms (not enough space for the 3 of us in the room i was in that was a shared room with other women)
Anyway, My nurse came in and told me I could go into the Nursery and explained the rules etc. She also told me that when I went there, ask one of the nurses to show me how to do Cord Care and change a diaper. My husband had been in and out of the Nursery since they had been born but I hadnt been able to go down there cause I was stuck in bed.
So I wheeled myself to the nursery in a wheelchair and when I got into the Nursery I asked a nurse who was just sitting there if she could show me how to do Cord Care and to change a diaper. She looked at me with the most disgusted look on her face and said "Your babies were born when? .. last night! And you haven't changed a diaper yet?!?!" "Pay attention cause I'm only showing you once"
I felt horrible. I felt so guilty and awful. That it was my fault I couldnt be in the Nursery immediately and I was already a terrible mom.
Kaeden, because of his Jaundice had to go under Bili Lights for 24 hours. He was able to leave for 20 mins at a time to come to my room to be breastfed. I do believe it was Day 3 of my stay and they had a shift change in the Nursery. I was staying in a room with 6 beds, 2 of which were occupied (besides mine) with women who had just given birth, they had their babies in the room with them. I was starting to think that either my babies were sick and I wasnt being told, or something just wasnt right. When the shift changed in the Nursery, my babies were assigned a new Nursery Nurse. While I was getting ready to go down to the Nursery to pick the babies up for feeding time, a nurse came to my room.
She told me she was my babies Nursery Nurse and that I could come to the nursery to do my feedings from now on. I thought that was odd, but said "ok".
I arrived at the Nursery and I was told to do my feedings in a room that had 2 other chairs. They were occupied by 2 other women breastfeeding their babies. I was not comfortable whipping out my breast in front of strangers, female or not...but I thought that this is what all moms do so I sucked it up. I went in and realized that the other babies were sick babies. They were preemies and very tiny. I started chatting with the young girl next to me and she told me her baby had been born at 32 weeks. He had wires attached all over him and he was minscule in comaprison to my 2 healthy babies.
I felt VERY uncomfortable and when I went back to my room I wasnt sure what to do.
Day 4 arrived..and I had just about enough. I had been told to breastfeed all day in the nursery with very sick babies. I knew mine weren't sick because their peditrician had come to see me and told me they were both absolutely healthy and Kaeden's Jaundice was gone. I was starting to get weirded out. I asked everyday about the private room and everyday I was told I was on a wait list. Later that day I had a nurse come in and start talking to me very condescendingly. I said jokingly "Looks like I'm never going home" She replied VERY rudely "Nobody is letting you go anywhere until we are all sure you have a PLAN" and she left.
Well, day 4 was the day I lost it. I had watched women come and go in my room, woken up during the night to other new babies crying in the room but mine weren't with me because I was on a "wait list" and there wasnt enough room for us 3 and its against hospital policy to have 2 babies with me because it may get cramped for the other ladies with one baby, forced to breastfeed in the nursery with sick babies when mine were healthy, talked down to and told I wasnt leaving without a plan and just treated terribly.
I freaked out. I called for my OBGYN and I started crying uncontrollably, telling her everything that had been happening, she called for my day nurse and told me to tell the nurse exactly what I had told her. The day nurse, in front of the OBGYN was aghast..mouth open..a great show. I was assured the private room would be checked out, they had no explanation as to why i was being told to breastfeed in the nursery and what this business about a "plan" was.
When my OBGYN left, the nurse started to not be so sympathetic. She told me it was my hormones and that she could have someone come talk to me about "Baby Blues"
I finally said "Listen, I had a terrible pregnancy, just completely awful. I wanted my babies out long before they came out. I do not have baby blues. Yes my hormones are out whack but I am being treated AWFUL"
She came back an hour later and told me a private room had become available.
Day 5 was fine, I was left alone. In fact anytime I rang my call bell nobody came, not even once. They never even changed my bed sheets or anything.
Day 6 a nurse came, weighed the babies etc. I really just wanted to leave and go home. I said this to her and she said again said something aboutme having a plan.
I finally said "I am a 22 year old woman and my husband is 29, damn near 30 and we have a plan. Part of the plan is that I want to leave now".
I was discharged that afternoon.
It was a terrible experience for me, the nurses were very rude, talked to me with such attitude and made me feel very horrible at a time that should be wonderful and exciting. They talked to me like I was a teenager when in reality, yes I am young, I am an adult and so is my husband. Some of the nurses were MY age and still talking to me like a piece of trash. My wishes and rights as a mother were not honored nor was their policy of twin moms in a private room until I made a big scene. I still find it strange that it took me getting extremely upset to inforce my right to have my new, healthy babies with me, the same right every new mother has.
I was also admitted at 33 weeks for 1 week due to a possible IUGR (turned out to not be the case, thankfully) and was also treated badly, not fed properly etc. Every day I was in the hospital during that week I was given a pee test to test things like protein in my urine, blood in my urine etc. On Day 3 of that stay the nurse said "How about I show you how to test your own urine with the test strip, how to read it and if it is abnormal, then you ring for someone. Otherwise just toss it" So I did this, which I thought was weird.
I also had to go to the hospital once a week for Non Stress Tests and I was again, treated badly everytime. My mother accompained me everytime (husband works) and she lost it on a nurse because the woman was pushing into my stomach so hard I was in tears. They forced me to wear the stretchy belts to hold the heart beat monitors on my stomach, which is fine but they made me wear the ones meant for a single baby pregnancy and by 37 weeks I was measuring 56 weeks pregnant. I told them it didnt fit and it really caused me a lot of pain (I had PUPPPS all over my belly and stretch marks so bad they bled) could they provide me with larger sized belts. I was rudely informed that they didnt have the time to go search for the oversized ones (they did exist) and basically to just deal with it. Some days I was there for 3+hours with these horrendous belts.
On my last Non Stress test, they dip my urine with the same test strip as they had used during my 33 week hospital stay after every non stress test, the last one, a week before I delivered I had my last non stress test. Nobody dipped my urine and I went pee before I left, the test strips are in the bathroom so I dipped my own urine. It said my protein was extremely high (cant remember the number offhand) I should have mentioned it, but I felt embarrassed I had dipped my own urine without asking..so I just left.
After I delievered I read my hospital report/papers and it said when I was admitted to deliver, the protein in my urine was so high it was unmeasurable by anything they had to measure it with, meaning my kidneys were failing (i didnt know what protein in the urine meant until after the fact, I googled it when I came home with the twins) and they had probably been failing for at least a week but no one knew because they didnt test my urine which they are supposed to do!
Anyway, I had a bad experience that is inexcusable and an unacceptable level of care.
But I have my babies and they are happy healthy beautiful 10 month olds :wub