Child services

[skepticalmother]

My daughter was threatened that child services would be called if she didn't submit to her OB at the hospital. In this day and age, does child services respond to calls regarding a mother who wants to gestate longer than her OB is comfortable with? In my daughters case she submitted to a NST earlier in the week and everything was fine with the baby. When she didn't want to be induced at the hospital a few days later the OB called her and threatened that child services would be called. Has anyone had child services called and what exactly could they do? Does it vary by state/region? Just wondering if this is just and idle threat or if there is some substance to it. Also, where would someone go to find out if child services would get involved or not? My daughter submitted because she didn't know what would happen if they got involved. Just want to ascertain what might have happened had she called their bluff.

[cathicog]

Sounds like she has a bully for an OB. I would get as far away from him/her as possible for the rest of the pregnancy. Those are the kinds of docs who "create" situations that c/sections are needed, as punishment for attempting to birth normally...I would go out of state, if needed! In some places, docs can pull the "welfare of the child over the welfare of the parent" card and that sounds like what this is.. the client has to have a lot of knowledge to work around that. I do know of some places that have forced c/s on mothers, and some mothers who left the state and birthed peacefully elsewhere to avoid bully docs. Average first pregancy is 41.2 weeks, so she might not even be due yet...she needs to change care providers(i.e homebirth midwife) quickly...there are some who will take on a client at this short date...

[onyxravnos]

.she needs to change care providers(i.e homebirth midwife) quickly...there are some who will take on a client at this short date...

she needs to switch ASAP!

[claddaghmom]

I agree, do not continue with this provider. In a way she's lucky. He let his real nature out of the bag before he could hurt her during labor.

[Cuddlebaby]

that just stinks. she's at the end of her pregnancy, she does NOT need this additional stress. she should be in end-pregnancy bliss waiting for baby to decide. this is absurd. I'd ignore it all and hope that I go into labor before they can get court orders.....so did she birth?

[seattlemamma]

My daughter submitted because she didn't know what would happen if they got involved. Just want to ascertain what might have happened had she called their bluff.

Did she submit to the induction? If so I hope everything turned out for the mom and babe? I am sorry that anyone has to deal with these types of Dr.'s.(the I am God type.)They are the ones that give the others a bad name.
If she hasn't already been induced I would get the heck out of dodge!!!

I would get a good lawyer if they called CPS on me. I would also report that Dr. for threatening me. This really involves constitution violations! Who is paying the Dr. anyway. We go to them not the other way around. CPS usually doesn't get involved unless there is extreme endangerment. I doubt this is the case. However, we always hear horror stories. Just be educated as PP said.
Sorry for my rant. This stuff always gets me so riled up!

[skepticalmother]

Yes, these are all just questions in retrospect. She had her baby several months ago when she submitted to the induction under pressure and then ended in a very hostile repeat cesarean. Her OB basically broke her water, stopped her labor and then she submitted to the section. Nothing else that she could have done once in the hospital. The child services threat was the straw that broke her. The thing was that there were no complications with her pregnancy other than she being a VBAC post date with a suspected large baby. Anyhow, just wanted to know whether that straw that broke her was a legitimate threat or not.

[seattlemamma]

I am so sorry! I hope the mom heals quickly and can get some emotional support and healing from this experience. The best to you, your daughter and grandchild.

Here are a couple of good websites that might help
http://www.solaceformothers.org
http://www.thebirthsurvey.comThis one helps to warn other prospective mothers.

[Cuddlebaby]

and ICAN http://www.ican-online.org/

she's got a lot to recover from (emotionally). please see if there is an ICAN chapter nearby or a great counselor.

[Cuddlebaby]

how large was the baby?

[jessica_anne010]

A friend of mine was threatened with Children Services (I think one of her family members threatened to call). My friend called them first and talked to one of the case workers explained the situation and said what would you do if this person made this report about me? The case worker was very nice and told her not to worry about anything and have a lovely home birth. Now, I do realize of course that not all case workers are that nice and they may be a little more proactive if called by a doctor, but I would have still called them first and asked.

I'm so sorry that your daughter was treated so horribly by an OB. Please go to your state's page here: http://birthaction.org/StatebyState/...2/Default.aspx and report that jerk to everyone that you can!

Much love to you all.

[Belle]

nak. My MIL is a caseworker for the state of Oregon's child services ( I can't remember what their current acronym is). She was present at her granddaughter's birth at home.

[Sharlla]

Originally Posted by onyxravnos

.she needs to change care providers(i.e homebirth midwife) quickly...there are some who will take on a client at this short date...

she needs to switch ASAP!

Yep, how scary

[dannic]

They can and will. Unfortunately, I have been held at a hospital under duress as well. I wish in retrospect that I would have sued them after the fact. But it's a tough uphill climb. It also depends on which state you're in. Around here, it is very common for Dr.s to turn you in if you go against their protocal--and CPS does show up on your doorstep with the threat of taking all your children if you don't comply. It really sucks.
So sorry that your dd had such a hard mannered OB.

[medicinemansgirl]

My dh and I were in the same boat 5.5 years ago. Our twin boys were A vertex and B breech. I refused to give in to a mandated c/s at 37 wks. He said I was "overdue" w/ twins and that no one ever carried multiples past 36 wks. Granted...these were all issues and possible circumstances we talkeda bout when I interviewed him early on in my pregnancy. He had stated that he was "fine" with letting me go into labor naturally, not inducing and no performing a c/s if B was breech. He later went back on his word and said he had never anticipated a full term "overweight" breech baby. By my 38th wk he refused to let me leave his office without setting a c/s date. THey pysically would not let me leave and my dh had not accompanied me to that appt. I set the c/s date for the next morning just so that I could leave his office with no intention of ever showing up at the hospital the next day. When I failed to show he called and threatened us with 2 counts of child endangerment, CPS involvement and a lawsuit from his practice, saying that the placenta "could" detatch, that the cords "could" deteriorate and that both babies "could" succomb to a hostile environment. I searched an entire week for a mw or new dr that would take me that late in the game with twins. Finally found one at 39 wks that had many many years experience with natural birthing and was taught of the old school ways. I went into labor naturally at 40 wks and delivered both naturally w/ a vertex and b breech. THe old dr refused to send over any of my file to the new dr. As far as I know he never went through with any of his threats. Thankfully I was so far along that by the time he was going to take any action, if he had, it would've been too late and both babies would've already been here. It always amazes me how you go to them and they end up in complete and total control of your life and decisions...your rights as both a human for your own body and a parent. I apprenticed as a midwife for 7 yrs and was very knowledgeable about my wellbeing and status at 39 wks with twins. I think that just proved to irritate him further. We have now delivered 2 out of our last 3 babies with a mw and are moving on to our 2nd UC w/ the birth of this baby.

[DivineIZ]

In my humble opinion, that was an empty threat. My husband works for child services. He says with all the things they have to deal with, they wouldn't have even had an available worker to deal with that nonsense.

Here is where child services will step in FOR REAL: for example, a family for religious reasons may be totally against their child having an operation that could possibly save the child's life. The hospital feels that the child's life is in danger, they call child services. Child services still has to come to the hospital, evaluate the situation, then give the hospital temporary custody to perform the procedure. If the state feels the need to question the parents further, child services will do follow up work.

We as patients (pregnant or not) must go into these hospitals knowing our rights. We have a right to be informed and then give informed consent to doctors, nurses, etc. Doctors use fear to get what they want in many circumstances. But in reality, they would have had to prove to child services that the life of the child was in danger.

[jessica_anne010]

Originally Posted by DivineIZ

In my humble opinion, that was an empty threat. My husband works for child services. He says with all the things they have to deal with, they wouldn't have even had an available worker to deal with that nonsense.

What about the OBs that get court orders for cesareans? They completely bypass Children's Services and go straight to the judges.

[PreggieUBA2C]

And this was the initial impetus for me to freebirth.

I am always so curious about how someone else can take charge of my yet unborn child, as if for the sake of its safety and well-being when I live in a country that allows abortion up to birth; abortion- therapeutic/medically indicated or not- was removed from the criminal code in the late 80's.

My confusion stems from an obvious disconnect here: if I want to birth the baby, attend to its continued safety and well-being under my own care, then I am subject to threat; whereas if I wanted to abort, I'd be supported and considered to be acting in everyone's best interests and human/reproductive rights.

At least here, cps or f&cs as it's usually called, doesn't really have a place in the life of the unborn at all. They can swoop in and remove the newborn the second s/he's born and any time afterward without warrant though.

Don't these threatening obs have anything better to do with their time? I can't help but assume a severe narcissitic disturbance in a person who would schedule c/s's for convenience, a vacation, or a golf game, but then go to such trouble to 'protect' his/her pride and professional worldview such that no doubt it took up a lot of time s/he could have been vacationing, playing golf or just hanging out in the lounge- and yet, suddenly that 'precious' time wastage was worthwhile to that ob.

p.s. The golf game and vacation were not pot-shots; they were the two actual reasons I had two caesarian sections scheduled as they were, resulting in the first case, with a very premature baby and the second, a blue baby. For my second, the ob's grand-daughter was actually waiting outside the recovery room for him, behind the curtain.

We put people like this in jail when they don't have an actual licence to behave this way. Just my opinion, of course...

[skepticalmother]

Wow! There are some really incredible stories here from very brave women! I wish things had gone differently for my daughter. Probably a call to her local child services office will clear things up. Thank you everyone for sharing your stories and advice!