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!
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