Dr. Marjorie Greenfield
Specializing in pregnancy and birth.
|
|
 Ask Dr. Greenfield
Physical Abuse in Pregnancy | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Greenfield,
I have a very bad situation. My fiancee is abusive to me and I'm only five weeks pregnant. Today was really bad. It started with pushing, then he elbowed my chest and threw me--I hit the bath tub on my side. Right now I feel very much in pain, my chest and left breast hurt and also my stomach. I didn't get hit in my stomach, but I cried a lot. Will I be heading for a miscarriage? I had a previous one in my first trimester three cycles ago. Help.— VeryScared in Las Vegas, Nv | | | ANSWER |
February 25, 2002 | | | Dear VeryScared,
You are right--you are in a very bad situation. No matter what, you don't deserve to be treated like this. Everyone has the right to be safe in her home and safe around those who claim to care about her.
There are really three issues going on here: stress, physical violence and a dangerous relationship. I am going to give you a little information on the first two areas and then some ways that you can get help for yourself and your baby-to-be.
Severe stress in pregnancy may increase the risk for miscarriage or premature birth, but many pregnancies seem to be OK even under terribly stressful circumstances. I can't tell you if your crying could hurt the baby directly--but your situation is certainly not good to bring a baby into.
Physical violence can lead to late miscarriage and premature birth. In very early pregnancy the baby is protected in your womb. But later on, as your uterus gets bigger and starts to stick out, direct trauma to it can hurt your baby and lead to a serious condition called placental abruption, where the placenta separates from its attachment to the uterus, leading to preterm labor and sometimes preventing the baby from getting oxygen. Babies can die from abruption. The chances are, your five week embryo hasn't been injured at this time, although you should see a doctor for your own injuries.
The biggest problem, as I see it, is what happens from here. Domestic violence often gets worse in pregnancy. You are at risk of severe injury and of losing this baby. Children born into a violent home are at risk for trauma from a violent father and will learn violence as a way of life. If you continue in this relationship, your son or daughter is destined to see their mother in a horrible, dangerous situation. And you are at risk of being permanently injured or even killed by your partner.
You need to get help. Start thinking about how you can get away. Save some money. Have a plan of where you can go when you decide to leave. Many women get out of violent relationships before they are killed, but some don't. You and your baby deserve a life without constant fear and recurrent injury. You can get information on community resources for victims of domestic violence from your doctor or hospital. Emergency rooms always have this sort of information available. For more information and support, you can reach the national domestic violence hotline at ndvh@ndvh.org or call them at 1(800)799-SAFE. If you use their website, they can set it up so that your computer won't show that you have been there.
Take care of yourself and your baby, and be strong. It is often hard to get out of this sort of situation, but I know many women who have managed to get away from an abusive spouse and are now living without constant fear and danger. Good luck to you.
— by Marjorie Greenfield, M.D. |
|
