A Witness
Personal Story
As a non-white woman, I was appalled to see first hand the neglect and malpractice in Whittier Hospital, the week of my son's birth, September 23rd, 2020.
I had my son after being induced without an epidural. I had a vaginal birth after 24 hours of being induced. I was in transition labor for 1 hour when my son was born. After he was born and I birthed the placenta I was able to rest in my labor room for a few hours. I was so hungry my sister brought me food from Mcdonald's as it was the only restaurant nearby. I was absolutely starved. After a few hours, I was moved to my recovery room. It was there that I became the witness. I witnessed another young woman being berated, spoken to in a condescending tone by the staff. The staff who was supposed to be helpful and take care of us recovering mothers.
It has brought me nightmares and distraught to remember what happened to a young 19-year-old woman. She was healing with me in the post-birth room. She complained about pain, she wanted to have her mom in the room, she bled to the restroom and fainted when she got to the restroom, she was forced to have a catheter to relieve her urine. She was met with condescension by the female medical staff that was SUPPOSED to be looking out for her best interest. Even though I had just given birth without the epidural the day before I met her. She was in a way more pain and discomfort than I was. She was crying next to me behind the two curtains. I could not bear to hear her weeping next to me. As I was trying to heal from my own birth my heart broke for this young 19-year-old.
As I treaded lightly to speak to her she wept about her pain, how she felt alone, how she wanted her mother to be there yet I heard the staff shoo her mother away telling her to " Let her rest she needs to rest alone."
The Whittier medical staff told her to leave in order to speak to neglect and condescend her when she was alone. I felt for this young 19-year-old woman and I offered my phone and my voice I spoke on her behalf in order to have the medical staff take her cries of pain more seriously.
Finally, a doctor arrived he looked at her vaginal area for 2 seconds before letting out a loud "Ooooh. I see now what happened. You over pushed during birth we need to get you some ice to reduce the swelling and inflammation."
It made me sick to realize that's all she needed someone to look at her for 2 seconds and to confirm that her pain was legit.
It made me sick to realize that the hospitalization corporation is just that, an industry to make money. The staff during this incident were more concerned with condescending to this patient instead of listening, respecting that she was in pain, and actually checking on her.
It made me sick to realize that although I was healing from my own birth I had to advocate on her behalf. I had educated myself to prepare myself for the birthing process out of fear that something horrible would happen to me instead happened to the 19-year-old girl next to me.
This is an issue. Women are experiencing malpractice when it comes to their birth.
Here are a few lawsuits and articles on this issue.
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