“You’re too fat to give birth here!”
Imagine being told you are too fat to give birth at your chosen hospital. That’s what happened to Melbourne woman, Lisa Graves. Being 167cm tall and 100kg, she was told that she was considered a high-risk and was turned away.
The spokespeople for the hospital say that obesity makes ultrasounds difficult, leads to diabetes and high blood pressure, makes it difficult to monitor the baby during labour and made it difficult to operate if the woman needs to go to theatre. Apparently this hospital has set a BMI limit to which they transfer women to a different hospital.
I’ve been much more overweight in each of my 5 pregnancies than Lisa Graves. While our local hospital is large, never was I made to feel discriminated or put down because of my weight. No one should be made to feel like that. It was stated that Lisa broke down in tears when the midwife told her she was too fat. The midwife didn’t even console her. Lisa just walked to her car, got in and cried.
Maybe it is in Lisa Graves best interest to give birth in a larger hospital. Not because it can accommodate to her needs better, but she will probably be treated much better and with respect!
On Jan 22nd, 2008 at 1:17 am John Said:
It does not say anywhere in the source that the mother in question was called ‘too fat’ to give birth at the hospital. She herself summed the situation up using the f-word, and you parroted it in this post.
The hospital has an absolutely valid point in refusing to admit non-emergency patients that are morbidly obese.
I am so utterly and incredibly sick to hear people whine, and complain, and deflect responsibility. Nobody held a gun to her head and forced her to become obese. Now she wants to give birth in controlled surroundings that offer the best medical attention for her and her child - which this hospital cannot provide, due to her obesity. So, for f*s sake, lose weight or have your baby somewhere else , but stop being an immature, whiny brat about it.
On Jan 22nd, 2008 at 3:03 am Karen Said:
Good post Tina. It does sound like the hospital is doing her a favor by recommending she go to a high risk pregnancy hospital.
On Jan 22nd, 2008 at 7:48 am Penelope Anne Said:
OKay you have a very solid comment above that states we become obese….not necessarily.
I am sorry I think this hospital is in the wrong, unless a doctor has said she needed to be in a high risk facility then they should not have turned her away.
I am obese, have been for years, and the doctors are trying to help figure out why I cannot lose weight steadily, and why my health is declining. I do not eat myself to fat.
I have 3 children, 1 was a preemie….had nothing to do with my weight.
Yes, weight does cause concerns during pregnancy, but an OBGYN should be the one to say you need to go to this hospital…not for a hospital to turn her away.
Ugh,
Sorry love I babbled.
On Jan 22nd, 2008 at 8:14 am Lisa Said:
They are categorizing her as high risk. The hospital who has never seen her. Not the dr. Nice.
I have two kids. I am shorter than this woman and weighed more when I had both and I was not considered high risk.
On Jan 22nd, 2008 at 1:01 pm Maria Said:
Well.. I am shocked.
I would have been in tears too.
I was about 85kg’s when I had my daughter and I was constantly referred to as obese in the medical world.
In fact when the epidural (going into me) didn’t work (my heart rate went through the roof).. the doctor administering it said it was because I was too overweight.. ie. the fat on my back affected how he put the needle in or something. But in my mind I thought “surely there have been bigger women than me who have had these things administered”?
I couldn’t believe my ears because I thought I had lost heaps of weight.. I had been 120kgs a couple of years earlier. It was quite a depressing thing to be 85kg’s and to feel like my weight loss meant nothing.
I guess how you are treated also depends on who is treating you. There are ways to say things.. ways to care for patients. People who don’t really like people or their job (in hospitals) will always take the blunt avenue.. and will offend and not care what they say. I’ve experienced hospital staff like that.
Hubby is a nurse and he says the ‘attitude’ does come from folk like that.