An Obstetrician Took It Upon Himself to Be a Plastic Surgeon

[L.uzzo]

My question involves medical malpractice in the state of: Pennsylvania
The following problem may make some people feel as if I'm putting them on. However, please bare with me. It's true, and I'm deeply offended by this doctor. This is the story of a horrendous birth experience leading up to what I hope,unfortunately will be a lawsuit.
We all inherit characteristics based on our ethnicity,i.e..skin color, hair texture,size and shape of features. The same holds true for genitalia. I have more than a half a dozen nationalities, one of which is a non caucasian nationality. My vagina has (had) the non caucasian heredity.
Earlier this year, I gave birth. The entire maternity staff treated me like garbage. I arrived at the hospital too late for pain medication, and requested an epidural. They said it was too late for that also. It was more than an hour before the birth at that point, plenty of time for an epidural. I did not get one. Upon arriving at the hospital, the first thing the nurse asked me to do was pee in a cup. I was in excruciating pain, with 'bloody show', and it's imperative I pee in a cup? This nurse then snapped at me because there was blood in the cup. She barked,"There's blood in your urine?How long have you had that?"
Both my husband and I repeatedly stated,"it's bloody show!" She angrily dumped it in the sink.
Moving ahead, as I lay in pain on the table, this same nurse came in with a stack of papers. For the next forty or so minutes, she asked me a barrage of questions,jotting down things that to this day, I don't know what she wrote. What I can recall is that I answered at least three questions incorrectly. Not on purpose. Just that under that kind of stress and pain, how could anyone think clearly? Also, I signed about four papers. I don't know what they were. I wasn't thinking about anything except stopping the pain. What's my husbands excuse? I never received copies, even after requesting them later.
While all of this is going on, I felt the urge to bare down severely. From prior births, I knew that the doctor should break my water for me. For almost an hour, during my 'birth inquisition', my husband and I repeatedly asked for the doctor. She was still M.I.A. Everyone in the room,including nasty nurse ignored me entirely. At certain times, there were up to six and seven different people in the room. They didn't seem to be doing anything other than socializing and occasionaly glance my way.
With the urge to push so immense, I at last had a contraction strong enough to burst my water. There was a sudden 'POP'!!! It was so loud,everyone gasped and jumped. Water flew everywhere. The nurse stopped asking questions and stated,"OK.We need to page the doctor now."
A couple of minutes later, a doctor I'd never seen before came in. When I asked where my OB was, Nurse said that he was from the same office as my doctor. I later checked,and no,he's not.
At this point,I was pushing when my contractions allowed me to do so. The doctor asked me to stop pushing for a moment as he was not yet ready. Nurse extended the table out and had me scoot down. Not a second after I scooted and the doctor snapped at Nurse,"No!" He slammed the table extension back in,leaving me to use my stomach muscles to support my lower back. In other words, there was nothing underneath me from the waist down. I remained like that for about a minute. Finally, the doctor put my feet in stirrups. Also from prior births, I know you're supposed to push with contractions, rest when you're not. The doctor and nurse instructed me to "PUSH PUSH PUSH!" whether or not I had contractions. In doing so, I managed to push out the baby,immediatedly followed by the placenta. At this point,both Nurse and Doctor jointly yell,"STOP STOP STOP!" The time between puting my feet in the stirrups and expelling my uterus was less than 15 seconds. I couldn't see what Doctor had in his hands, but he looked dumbfounded for several seconds. Then,Nurse and the Socializers whisked the baby off to be cleaned. I asked if the baby was alright at least 5 times. Nobody said a word. Neither to me, nor to each other. I finally heard the baby cry.
I requested from several nurses to get me pain relief. It took the staff 3 hours after the birth to bring me 2 lousy Tylenol. I asked for an ice pack for my bottom. Apparently,I split my right vaginal lip.
If not for the inept work of the maternity staff,I believe I could've had an epidural. The doctor should've been present to break my water. He should've forseen that being as small as I am, would most definately have realized that I needed an episiotomy. I hypothesize that I would've had the baby much sooner and wouldn't have had to suffer needlessly.
Getting to the title of this nightmare; If the doctor had been present at all..........HE WOULD'VE SEEN WHAT MY VAGINA LOOKED LIKE!
The doctor must've seen swollen, purple lips and thought,"Oh my.That's alot of damage." That's what I've always looked like.
I didn't realize how much of a difference there was until 2 months or so later. When I had healed, my husband noticed. Not only do I look like the typical caucasian womans' vagina but Doctor sewed my lips so tight, they no longer touch. This leaves me with a vulnerability to infection. I've had 2 bladder infections since.
Tell me.Do I have a case?

[gigirle]

Please next time, use more paragraphs. My eyeballs are still twitching.

Okay, not to come across as rude or anything, but did you miss childbirth classes? Were you advised as to what to expect? Take a tour of the hospital?

Your story is not far off from mine (all 3) with #2 being delivered by the nurse herself, my OBGYN walked in at the last minute for the first 2. I had all 3 in different hospitals in different states so I'd say it's common everywhere.

Speaking legally, the use of drugs during childbirth is outlined. If your within the last hour you don't get much, if anything. Epidurals are out of the question unless you are looking at a csection. There are guidelines to follow, if you don't meet them, you don't get the drugs. The use of this should have also been discussed with your OBGYN prior to labor.

If not for the inept work of the maternity staff,I believe I could've had an epidural.

You can blame it on the nurses and the staff, but the only one allowed to put the epidural in is an anestheiologist.

The doctor should've been present to break my water.

This is your opinion, and not common. Most LD nurses do this. It could be hours before labor starts.

He should've forseen that being as small as I am, would most definately have realized that I needed an episiotomy. I hypothesize that I would've had the baby much sooner and wouldn't have had to suffer needlessly.

Did you discuss this with them during the prior 39 weeks of being pregnant? If your that small, you should have also discussed c-section. Suffer needlessly? It's childbirth! What in God's earth do you think they did before modern medicine? It wasn't needlessly, it so you can have the privilage of being a mom and celebrating mothers day. I also need to brace you and give some personal words to remember...it really is the easy part! You can hypothesize all you want, but it's not likely you will find a legal leg to stand on. Epidurals typically slow down the birthing process, not speed it up.

Then,Nurse and the Socializers whisked the baby off to be cleaned. I asked if the baby was alright at least 5 times. Nobody said a word. Neither to me, nor to each other. I finally heard the baby cry.
I requested from several nurses to get me pain relief. It took the staff 3 hours after the birth to bring me 2 lousy Tylenol.

Once the baby is born, the main focus is the baby, not you. They have to be sure that the mucus and merconium is out of the baby's mouth prior to giving a good cry. They would have pneumonia (huge risk) if they didn't. They also do an apgar score and clean and warm the baby, it's vital. It is done at 1 and 5 minutes. The nurse is focused on the baby an not you and most likely didn't answer bc they didn't know. I don't know what you expected to have after childbirth, but 2 tylenol is about par for the course, espically if your breast feeding. This is up to the OBGYN to order..the staff can't even give the tylenol without an order.

but Doctor sewed my lips so tight, they no longer touch. This leaves me with a vulnerability to infection

This is also what can happen during childbirth. Some physicians prefer to do episiotomies and some prefer to allow you to tear. This again should have been discussed. It is common these days to allow a woman to tear on her own, less risk involved to the baby and the mom. To say that you are now getting bladder infections is a HUGE JUMP. You will also have a problem proving this legally. The bladder opening is located north of the vagina, allowing gravity to go downward. Gravity allows urine to go downward and unless your urinating upside down, your gonna have a hard time proving that one is causing the other. Your need to readjust the way you wipe after urinating should be looked at, espically with the discomfort involved with the healing process. Your not going to be the same down there after childbirth, it just doesn't work that way.
Those papers that you signed, were the papers giving them permission to treat you.
I do however recommend that you convey your concerns and experience with your next OBGYN in the event that you have a second or subsequent child.
Also, you can go to the hospital and request a copy of your record. You can see what they signed there. I would also write a letter to the President of the hospital and Patient relations regarding the way you felt you were treated.