So many questions

Here is a list of some of the questions I want to ask the obstetrician tomorrow:

Questions about the future

• If I get pregnant again could I return to the Royal Women’s Hospital even though I now live out of its catchment area?


• Could you still be my obstetrician at this hospital or could I see you privately?


• In a future pregnancy would there be any benefit to having a private obstetrician for more frequent monitoring?


• I have heard of women at risk of premature labour being given progesterone injections throughout the pregnancy with good results. Would this be appropriate for me?


• I have also heard of women being recommended bed rest at 20 weeks. What about this?


• What about a cervical stitch?


• What are the chances of having a full term baby in the future after a premature birth?


• How do you manage anxiety in the weeks of a new pregnancy knowing that nothing is ever really safe anymore? 


• How long do I have to wait before getting pregnant again? Is there an optimum gap?


• Do I have to worry about my increasing age causing more potential problems?


• Is there anything I can do to better prepare my body for next time? Eg. get fitter, eat different things, etc.


• What monitoring would you do next time? Extra visits? More scans? More bloods or swabs? 

Questions about causes

• In your opinion, what are the chances that my antidepressant caused this? Would you agree with my psychiatrist on maintaining this treatment in a future pregnancy?


• Could it have been the drug I took for hyperemesis (severe morning sickness). How could hyperemesis be treated differently in a future pregnancy as this also caused significant depression that could have been avoided


• I heard of a condition called an incompetent cervix. Could it be this?


• Was there any evidence of an infection that could have caused it?

Questions about our experience

• What did our baby experience during labour and at what point did he actually die? What is his official cause of death?


• Do you know any other babies that have had better outcomes at 23 weeks. Do most people choose not to resuscitate? What would you have done?


• How many babies are born at 23 weeks?


• If I’d recognised signs of labour earlier would this have made a difference to the outcome?


• When do you think my labour would have started?  Did I mistake the signs for normal pregnancy aches and pains?


• Why was Max so much bigger than expected? Did this mean he was older than we thought, and that therefore he should have been resuscitated? Could I have had gestational diabetes that made him bigger than his actual age?


• Why did no one ask me if I wanted to bath him? I did not realise this was an option but have since found out from others that I should have had the option.


• Why was I not put in touch with any of the support organisations or given one of their bereavement packs before I left hospital? I left with empty arms.


• Why was the social worker so inept and why did she give us no information apart from a list of funeral homes we could ring?