Hospital turns woman away for birth . . .

Slingnmom · #1 (**permalink**) 06-14-2005, 09:18 AM

Grrr!!! Remind me NEVER to birth in Australia!

http://dailytelegraph.news.com.au/st...toryid=3280948

'Too fat' for kids

By SHELLEY MARKHAM

June 14, 2005

A PREGNANT woman says she was told she couldn't have her baby in a hospital because she was too fat.

The woman, only identified as Lisa, was told she would not be admitted to Werribee Mercy Hospital, in Melbourne, because her body mass index was 41.

A healthy BMI is under 40 in pregnant women. A figure above that indicates a person may be overweight.

Lisa, who is 31 weeks into her third pregnancy, weighs 110kg.

She said yesterday a hospital staff member weighed her and measured her, "then sat down with her calculator and worked it out and just told me, sorry you're 41".

She said she was told she would have to lose 8kg if she wanted to have her baby in the hospital.

"I've only got nine or 10 weeks left in my pregnancy, basically that's drop a kilo a week."

Lisa told the staff member she could not do it and asked what would happen as she had already filled out the paperwork. She said the staff member then told her they would tear it up.

Director of medical services at Werribee Mercy Hospital, Dr Peter Longmore, confirmed the hospital did have a policy of not accepting pregnant women who had a BMI over 40.

He said the risks during delivery were significantly higher for women who were overweight.

He said the hospital did not have intensive care or neo-natal facilities if the baby or mother needed emergency treatment

He said pregnant women with a BMI over 40 also had an increased risk of developing high blood pressure, diabetes and heart problems.

Lisa said no one had explained the risks to her.

"Had I been sat down and said, 'look Lisa you've got high blood pressure' or 'you've had an emergency cesarean before' or 'you're overweight, we don't want to risk you, let's send you to the women's [Royal Women's] hospital' that's fair enough . . . instead of turning me away."

Dr Longmore said he was not personally involved in Lisa's case so he could not comment on why she was turned away.

"It is important patients know about the risks," he said.

Do you agree with the hospital's decision?

Click on the "Have your Say" button below and let us know:

I could see if her BMI pre-
pregnancy was over the 41 but come on! during pregnancy these idiot
dctors KNEW she was going to gain some weight! Even fat chicks gain
weight in pregnancy!

How absurd can you get?! She doesn't look that big in the picture
either.

America doesn't have these kinds of laws or restrictions do they?!

Even still doesn't every woman who is pregnant have the potentials
of having high BP, and emergency c/s, etc etc. Sure it's increased
with the larger woman, but it could be increased in a smaller woman
as well.

Maybe the ploy is to just reject all potentially risky pregnancies,
which by most OB standards are all pregnancies. One OB was quoted to
say that no birth can be deemed normal or uncomplicated until AFTER
delivery!

Never mind the fact that it's dangerous to lose weight while pregnant!

Burns my hide!

novadele · #2 (**permalink**) 06-14-2005, 02:44 PM

That makes me really angry! What is this woman supposed to do then? Have a home birth and hope for the best? If the reason they've turned her away is because they fear complications due to her weight, wouldn't the safest place for her (and her baby) to deliver be in the hospital? Poor thing! I wish her and her baby all the best!

kallie · #3 (**permalink**) 06-14-2005, 04:17 PM

That is the most craziest thing i have EVER heard of!!!!! They are a fricken hospital, and they say that is too big of a risk? what kind of hospital is that??? I hope she finds a better hospital to give birth -- since that is already a hospital policy, she cant sue can she? Crazieness i tell you!!

BABYHOPEFUL · #4 (**permalink**) 06-16-2005, 07:53 AM

Wow this is just insane!!!! I agree isn't the hospital the safest place for her!! How much is 110kg?? I don't know the conversion? I would say a hospital here would never do that, at least not that way, they would get sued and they would never take the chance.

kallie · #5 (**permalink**) 06-16-2005, 09:21 AM

u multiply 110kg by 2.2 -- so she weighs 242 lbs -- i still think that hospital is crazy, ans i hope she finds a better qualified one before the baby makes his/her apperance!

Slingnmom · #6 (**permalink**) 06-16-2005, 01:44 PM

Wow even I wouldn't be able to birth in their hospitals! LOL

Good thing I birth UC then!

SumWhrOvrThRanBo · #7 (**permalink**) 06-17-2005, 07:01 PM

Wow!! What a crazy story!! I weigh quite a bit more than this woman- I have had to deal with a lot of nasty nurses and outlandish comments from my OB when I asked for a VBAC- but I couldn't imagine not being able to give birth in a specific hospital!! What a sad world we live in!

Mom2Eliz · #8 (**permalink**) 06-21-2005, 07:22 AM

I weighed 270 when I gave birth to my DD. The OB was actually afraid I *may* need a C/S because she said my pelvic area was small (I had to laugh at that..I'm not a small person..5'10" and medium frame). She thought I may not get her over the pubic bone. I was not concerned at all and attempted and was very successful with delivering DD with no intervention needed (I did have an epidural and had to have Pitocin about 5 hours into my labor). I went in at 11p with contractions and had DD at 9:10 am the next day.

Anyway, when *I* mentioned my weight to the OB, she said "Oh, there are much bigger women who deliver here" like it was nothing. Plus-sized women giving birth isn't as rare as some would like you to think.

The OB's (2 in the practice) NEVER mentioned my weight when pregnant with DD and didn't say a word about it when I told the OB I wanted to get pregnant again. Wish all OB's were like that.