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my hospital all over news

omg, i couldnt belive it a few days ago, the hospital im having my baby at was plasterd over the news, a woman died after giving birth to her twin babys,
she had signed a form to make sure the hospital dont give her blood if she needed it,she hemreged 2 hours after the birth and her family wouldnt go against her wishes,she was a johova's witness and only 22 i couldnt belive it.
isnt there somethin they can use instead of blood but its more expensive,sureley they could have used that stuff on her and saved a 22yr old girl

Replies

  • hi, there isnt any thing else that they coud have given her cos jehovah witnesses dont accept any blood probduct into there bodies.
    dont worry about you giving birth, in that situation the hospital is completely tied by law and what the girls family wish.
    it doesnt reflect on the hospitals capability of delivering babies cos that woman could have been saved if it wasnt for her religion.
    hope your birth goes well, try not to worry.
  • I think it' such a tragic waste of a life - not to allow a transfusion that could save a life for the sake of religion. What god could condone that? now those twin babies will grow up without a mother and for what?!
    Don't worry about the hospital - it's nothing to do with them what happened. You'll be fine when you go in to have your lo!
  • hi

    I saw that, thought it was so sad, as donna says those babies won't have a mummy, and for what??

    don't be worried about yours though, I'm sure it will be fine
  • As a nurse, I just want to say that we HAVE to respect patients individuality, their privacy and dignity, and that includes their religious views regardless of the potential. I have looked after many JWs who have needed transfusions but have refused on religious grounds. I believe it's something to do with it being unnatural(?).
    Michelle83, I respect your opinion and your choice NOT to have a transfusion on the basis that you may catch something, but can I reassure you that it is so very rare? The screening process begins before the donor actually gives blood-their history, family history etc is checked throughly, and after the blood is donated, it is screened so throughly in the lab. When a transfusion is given, it is tracked, so can be traced back to the donor if things go wrong. In 8 years of nursing I've never heard of someone catching a disease from a transfusion, but of course there are risks of reacting to the blood and getting complications through that-it's a foreign body and you body's own natural defence system could potentially attack it.
    I personally will have everything I need to ensure a safe labour/delivery, including blood if needed.
    I don't know the full story behind this JW so can't really comment on why she wasn't given an alternative. For more info on transfusions and guidelines, the DoH website is a good source of info...
  • nikki84 please dont worry im sure that you labour and delivery will be fine.
    think michelle83 went a bit off the subject there and forgot what the topic was.
    take care nikki.
  • I think fear of catching something is a more valid reason to refuse treatment - refusing a life saving blood transfusion because of your religious beliefs is insane. Like I said, those poor babies will have to grow up without a mother and that could have been so easily avoided. I feel sorry for doctors and nurses who were aware that her life could be saved with the transfusion but were unable to administer it.
    Unfortunately labours don't always go the way we want them to and on the day most people will do whatever is necessary to ensure that both mother and baby are safe and well ( I had wanted a water birth with as little pain relief and medical intervention as possible but after a failed induction I ended up with an emergency section!).
    Nikki84 - your delivery will go well I'm sure and you'll be blessed with a lovely baby at the end of it!
    Michelle83 - I hope you get the birth experience you want and that the alternative methods you talk about are not required.
    I'm sorry if I have offended anyone but I don't understand giving your life up for the sake of religion!
  • michelle83, you should stand by what you belive,
    i think that the staff at my hospital should have atleast told her that they had no other methords avalible and that then she could have had the choice to have her babys at the larger hospital in our area,
    i just couldnt say no to blood if it meant leaving my children behind with out there mother,that is why i dont follow any relgion.
    good luck with your pregnancy and birth, x

    http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/p/dev099pr___.png

  • It just seems such a waste that 2 beautiful babies will grow up never knowing their mother for the sake of religion. I know we have to respect peoples decisions & religions but I can just think of those poor babies & wonder what their feelings will be in the future. The shame on the whole thing is that it would have been possible to save her life & respect her religious beliefs & in her position would have tried to opt to have my babies in a hospital experienced in these more alternative techniques but I suppose hindsight is a wonderful thing.

    Personally no religion or god is more important to me than my children & I will do or take whatever treatment is necessary to ensure I'll be with them while they grow up. I have to admit though I hope I dont have to have a blood transfusion coz of the whole 'its not my blood is it clean' thing so to speak worries me, but after what MrsV said on her post I feel more confident that such events are extremely rare.

    It would be so easy to condemn those who refuse blood for whatever reason but my thoughts are with the 2 babies who lost their mother, the husband who lost his wife & the parents who lost their daughter who had soo much left to live for & we must remember that the decision they made that day couldnt have been an easy one.

    Nikki84, I'm sure everything will be fine with you & you must remember that your circumstances are very different. Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy & with the birth too.

    Hilary x
  • I am a Christian which is quite different from a Jehovahs Witness- I don't know the in's and out's of their beliefs but I think this woman is incredible for what she has done.

    I don't have any issues about having blood- my religion allows it. This does make me think tho- if it WAS against my religion what would I do. My answer to that would be I would beg the docs to do anything just to save me for the sake of my babies. But this brave woman forced to make this decision put her love of God before EVERYTHING. Wow.

    I think her act was entirely selfless- she kept her morals no matter what.
  • Faith must be a wonderful thing if you have it. For once I have to disagree on this site!! I don't think her act was selfless, her fastidious morals have left 2 babies with no mother, a husband with no wife and her parents have lost a daughter. I can't understand ( and I know it's just my opinion!) how someone can love a god (any god!) more than their own flesh and blood.
    Sorry!
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