Hospital Bans Fat Pregnant Women
Pregnancy is the one time overweight women can get a break from society. Unless they’re planning at one English hospital.
The Weston General Hospital has announced it will turn away obese women who want to give birth there - for fear that their weight is going to kill them.
Hold on there, isn’t that the point of giving birth in a hospital with medical practitioners at hand?
A spokesman for hospital told the Daily Mail: “Our foremost concern is for the safety of mothers who deliver here and their babies. ‘Mothers with a high BMI are at increased risk in labour of bleeding, needing an instrumental delivery or complications, such as the baby’s shoulder becoming trapped behind the pubic bone.”
Again, the reason these women would opt for a hospital birth instead of going it alone. To be fair, the hospital announces any woman who goes into distress will be moved to St. Michael’s, the hospital where the obese women are currently being directed from the get go.
But the hospital also promises “You will be given the freedom, choice and confidence in your ability to give birth naturally in a relaxed and safe environment.” Where’s the freedom of choice for women with a bit of girth? A high BMI doesn’t mean she doesn’t want a midwife and a “relaxed and safe” environment.
Should the women get a choice?
More by this author:
-
Mom Uses Her Own Breastmilk to Make Soap
-
Pregnant Woman Requests All White Delivery Staff
-
Would You Eat Your Placenta In Pill Form?
-
Overweight Parents Lose Kids For Being Fat
Related Posts:- Brits Seek Home Birth—Even When They Shouldn’t
- Should Obese Moms Gain Nothing During Pregnancy?
- Obesity Versus Puberty
- Hospital Staff Too Busy So Dad Delivers Baby
- Hospital Rejects Birth Plans
Tags: healthcare, Jeanne Sager, midwife, obesity, pregnancy, pregnant
6 Comments
Ali commented on Nov 13 09 at 12:57 pmThis is a joke post right? The obese women due to higher rate of complications are sent to the hospital better able to deal with emergencies where they still have the freedom to go drugless or have a doula. They just dont want them at the under staffed, less equipped hospital in case there is an emergency. So they are offering better care for obese women and their babies.
jenny tries too hard commented on Nov 13 09 at 2:46 pmoh my gosh. People are never happy. If the hospital says, “hey we don’t have what you need here, but St. Michael’s is happy to help, and in fact St. Michael’s is where we send all our distress/high needs patients” why would you not go along with that? Do people seriously want to be in the hospital that is LESS equipped to deal with an emergency? When you want a wisdom tooth pulled, and the general dentist says, “hey it looks complicated, I’m not sure I can handle it, why not go see Dr. X at the oral surgery center instead?” do people flip out, too? It is ridiculous to put your and your baby’s health in the hands of people who don’t feel equipped to handle it.
Mistress_Scorpio commented on Nov 13 09 at 2:57 pmTo be honest, none of those complications are *exclusive* to obese women. I think if the hospital is not equipped to handle those basic complications, every woman would be better off heading to the better equipped hospital.
Em commented on Nov 13 09 at 4:13 pm“Pregnancy is the one time overweight women can get a break from society.” No, not really.
coolteamblt commented on Nov 13 09 at 5:03 pmI’m obese, and I gave birth in a hospital with a midwife. If St. Michael’s doesn’t offer access to midwives or other drug-free labor support, it seems unfair to turn away women because of their weight. If they are considered high risk for other reasons, sure, send them away. But if their pregnancy has been uneventful and normal to that point, with no placental or positional issues or whathaveyou, why force women away?
Jennifer commented on Nov 13 09 at 7:35 pmThis line says it all: “Surely the hospital should upgrade their facilities to take in every pregnant woman.” Good freaking Lord. Does every facility where a woman may give birth have an obligation to be all things to all people? It’s a birthing center with midwives, for the love of Pete - it’s meant for low-risk women who want few interventions. I feel for women who are better off in hospitals but wish for the friendlier approach of a birthing center - hell, I AM one of those women - but the answer is to change hospitals for the better, not to turn birthing centers into hospitals.
