Dr. Marjorie Greenfield
Specializing in pregnancy and birth.
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 Ask Dr. Greenfield
Losing a Full-Term Baby | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Greenfield,
My girlfriend was due with her first baby on Friday. The heartbeat was strong and the little girl was moving. She had back pain on Friday evening into Saturday. On Saturday the baby stopped moving so she called the doctor and he had her come in. There was no heartbeat. They are now letting her go through the birth process, under Morphine. Why not just do a C-section? Why make her endure this personal torture? Is there a medical reason for this?— In Mourning... in Atlanta | | | ANSWER |
August 17, 2001 | | | Dear In Mourning,
I am so sorry for what you and your girlfriend are going through. I have taken care of other parents in similar circumstances and it is one of the saddest things on earth. From your description it sounds like the placenta separated from the wall of the uterus (called abruption), which is an unpreventable cause of fetal demise.
While it does feel like torture to have to endure a labor after losing a full-term baby, it is usually the best choice. Although cesarean may seem like the simplest way to speed up the process, the recovery is much longer than after a vaginal birth, and it slightly increases the risk to mother and baby in the next pregnancy.
You and she need some time to grieve and talk to each other about your feelings right now. Going through a tragedy can test the strength of your relationship. Some people who have had tragic losses like this find solace in friends and family while others get additional help from their religious communities or support groups.
Once the two of you get through the initial shock, and she gets through the physical recovery from birth, try to sit down together with her doctor and run through all the events so you can understand what happened and what it means for the next time around. Most people who lose a baby at term like this can go on to have a future healthy pregnancy and birth, but it is often emotionally difficult to get to that point.
Take care of yourselves.— by Marjorie Greenfield, M.D. |
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