Birth and Blogs--does this sound paranoid?

[whalemilk]

OK a while back I got really hooked on medical blogs, especially ones about childbirth and nicus. There are a few I still like to read a lot because they are done well and respectfully IMHO but on the other hand, others were like reading a trainwreck because the tone was so disrespectful and/or because the authors didn't do enough to disguise their identity and anyone who knew their city could guess where they were, etc, so the patients were exposed. One of those happens to be an OB in my city, thank you Dr. ______ I know not to hire you now! Heh.

So since I am now having to have a hospital birth and I already feel so scared and vulnerable because I wasn't expecting that, I have found myself really worried that I'm going to end up with a nurse or student or something who blogs about me. Especially because I am fat and a lot of the med bloggers hate fatties, and because I have a really unusual (these days) complication that would be notable to discuss and memorable. I'm just really afraid of having my birth and then someone goes and blogs about this whale of a woman who was a cuuuhrayzee homebirther who had this nutty disease and ZOMGZ was so fat and had a 16 ton baby!

I was thinking of putting in my birth plan "please do not write about patient even anonymized in a weblog or web forum without express written consent" but I'm afraid that would make me sound REALLY paranoid.

What do you think of this? I think the general ethics of medical blogging is an interesting topic too.

[jeninejessica]

You know... I'm honestly not sure, but now you have me wondering how I would search for these in my city.

[momto3wantingmore]

I totally get what you are talking about I have come across that too. Used a med students blog to stay away from her and her fat bias ect BUT I do want to point out that even MDC isn't safe either. Many posts have been copied and pasted to a certain home birth debate blog . Copied word for word and pretty much ripped apart. So in all reality if you don't want to be talked about on the net then don't put anything out there you don't want people to know about. I really hope this doesn't come across as rude or anything like that as this is not my intent at all but just wanted to give you the heads up.

[whalemilk]

I guess I'm more comfortable with someone cutting and pasting my words from somewhere online than I am with them actually talking about *me* in the flesh, my vagina, intimate details of my birth that I might never choose to share on MDC, etc. If that makes sense. Because I totally expect that anything I put up here is searchable, so there are some things I wouldn't spell out. It's another thing entirely to learn that the person who had her hand in your vagina is telling the whole interwebz about how grody it was, if you know what I mean.

[aileen]

Originally Posted by whalemilk

What do you think of this? I think the general ethics of medical blogging is an interesting topic too.

what do i think?
i think i'd like to read your blog.
you seem adorable; "cuuuhrayzee homebirther" with a hilarious tone.
sorry you have to go to the big house to have your babe - wishing you a peaceful birth.

so i probably should do myself a favor and NOT nose around for those blogs, right?

[momto3wantingmore]

Originally Posted by whalemilk

I guess I'm more comfortable with someone cutting and pasting my words from somewhere online than I am with them actually talking about *me* in the flesh, my vagina, intimate details of my birth that I might never choose to share on MDC, etc. If that makes sense. Because I totally expect that anything I put up here is searchable, so there are some things I wouldn't spell out. It's another thing entirely to learn that the person who had her hand in your vagina is telling the whole interwebz about how grody it was, if you know what I mean.

Oh yeah I totally get what you mean I just wanted to point that out. IMO I don't think it would be too much to demand that no doc or med student talk about you in any way in their blog or any other online venue. This kinda stuff creeps me out as well.

[MsBlack]

Maybe I'm just paranoid TOO, then, but I agree with you--I would not want my birth/med care explored on a med practitioner's blog. ESPECIALLY if their general location is made known through their blog, and especially if I was dealing with an unusual situation--when both together (location and unusual circumstance) would be all too likely to result in my identification.

People are not nearly careful enough on the net--forget Dr Hysterical and her Band of Mindless Sycophants, like you say, at least they are using one's own words to grind their merry axes and relieve the boredom of their purposeless days. (Yeah, sometimes I can be a real B!). It's the med bloggers I'd worry about in this situation. And I really don't think you'd be out of line to post some kind of Caution in your birth plan or somehow otherwise get the attention of students and staff on this issue.

In fact, I do not think it woud be at all out of line to be far more direct/threatening than the line you proposed--more like: 'The fact that I am dealing with an unusual complication means that my identity will need more than the usual amount protection than most, by all staff and students involved with my/baby's care. My discovery of any unauthorized internet or other public info source that discusses my situation including info that makes it possible to identify me, will result in a civil lawsuit against all offending parties. If you want to write or speak about my case for educational purposes only, please contact me first for permission.' Or something to that effect.

Well, I DID say I sometimes can be a real B! Can't help but think that if you present this to your Dr's ofc and maybe the ofc of the OB dept head and the hospital's chief administrator, the word of your caution will spread like wildfire. You could be doing yourself and LOTS of other patients a big favor!

good luck sorting this out--and thanks for pointing out this important issue, which I really hadn't thought about yet (don't read that many blogs myself).

[prothyraia]

Originally Posted by whalemilk

...and/or because the authors didn't do enough to disguise their identity and anyone who knew their city could guess where they were, etc, so the patients were exposed.

Holy HIPAA violation, Batman!

[Ghislaine]

Originally Posted by prothyraia

Holy HIPAA violation, Batman!

Exactly my thought! There must be some sort of reporting mechanism because I'd say these are pretty serious offenses!

[jennica]

:

Okay, one more thing to add to my hypothetical birth plan!

I too don't want anyone blogging about me, unless they ask, and I pre-read what they are going to write. I think birth blogs are good to read, but it is hard to find one anymore that shares birth stories unless they state they have direct permission. These are the midwife/doula blogs I read, but it would make sense that the docs would be a bit late in realizing this. After all, they don't have as personal of relationships with their patients.