Louisiana woman whose water broke at 16 weeks was forced into 'painful, hours-long labor' because of

[In It to Win It]

Louisiana woman whose water broke at 16 weeks was forced into 'painful, hours-long labor' because of abortion ban, lawsuit says

Insider

A Louisiana woman experiencing a miscarriage at 16 weeks of pregnancy was forced to endure a painful, bloody, and traumatizing labor and delivery, according to a sworn affidavit from her OB/GYN, after she was denied a simple 15-minute procedure due to the state's abortion ban.

"She was already traumatized from her experience and felt that an induction, which would require labor and delivery of the fetus, would be too much for her," Dr. Valerie Williams said in court documents obtained by Insider.

But the hospital's lawyer immediately told Williams she couldn't perform the D&E due to Louisiana's trigger ban.

"Going back into that hospital room and telling the patient that she would have to be induced and push out the fetus was one of the hardest conversations I've ever had," Williams said.

Williams' affidavit, filed in Louisiana's 19th Judicial District Court as part of a lawsuit against the state, offered multiple examples of how Louisiana's abortion ban that automatically took effect last month when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade have already impacted reproductive health care and directly harmed her patients.

[KentuckyWoman]

1. I am confused.

Cecerean is illegal too?

[iemanja]

7. Probably because the fetus wasn't going to survive.

[ShazzieB]

12. Exactly.

The fetus was doomed, and with a d&e being an unavailable option, vaginally delivery was much lower risk than a cesarian.

I'm not sure if a c-section would have been acceptable to the state anyway, because it would have involved reaching into the woman's body, putting hands on the fetus and taking it out. The way some of these laws are written is so vague that the doctors aren't sure what's legal to do and what will send them to prison for the rest if their lives.

[Farmer-Rick]

13. That doesn't make sense

You can still do a cesarean on a nonviable fetus. My wife had an emergency C-section because of distress to the fetus. Luckily it saved both their lives.

But they were concerned because the baby was moving, she was in labor and it was difficult to cut her. She ended up with an X as a scar.

So, I would think a fetus that is not moving would make for an easier C-section.

[iemanja]

16. The new laws don't allow doctors to treat women whose fetuses might die

or have died. None of it makes sense, but they want to kill us.

[Mariana]

20. Your wife wasn't at 16 weeks gestation.

This is a completely different situation.

[thesquanderer]

26. Of course you CAN, but that's a separate question (in some states) from whether it's LEGAL.

Using cesarean to remove a non-viable fetus (which is often exactly what an abortion does) could conceivably fall under an abortion ban.

[Hekate]

14. Major surgery, lots of potential for complications. Altho one assumes anesthesia would be used...

… for a C-section, and I’m beginning to think those cruel sons of bitches don’t offer anything for the pain and trauma of the forced vaginal-birth process.

[Farmer-Rick]

19. I don't know. This sounds like a mistake

The woman was traumatized. Putting her under would have been better for her than an hour long labor, screaming throughout and excessive bleeding. Since the fetus would not be impacted by the anesthesia, it wouldn't complicate putting the woman under.

The fetus was only 16 weeks so it would have been small and the cut wouldn't have to be as large.

If you ask me, they should have done a C-section.

[Hekate]

21. Major surgery versus, a 15 minute abortion with appropriate painkillers

If you ask me, they should get the hell out of women’s medicine.

As someone pointed out about Trump’s child-separation policy as implemented by Stephen Miller: “The Cruelty is the Point”

Quote from the OP:

A Louisiana woman experiencing a miscarriage at 16 weeks of pregnancy was forced to endure a painful, bloody, and traumatizing labor and delivery, according to a sworn affidavit from her OB/GYN, after she was denied a simple 15-minute procedure due to the state's abortion ban.

Hours and hours versus 15 minutes.

[Sgent]

28. It is malpractice

to perform a C-section instead of a D&E on dead tissue. Whatever kept them from doing the D&E was equally going to keep them from doing a C-section.

[Mariana]

18. Caesarian is major surgery.

I don't even know if a Caesarian can be performed at 16 weeks.

[NJCher]

2. this is sickening

my heart goes out to her and her physician.

[TreasonousBastard]

3. Again, I would really like to see the lawsuit end up telling the state to bugger off.

[barbtries]

6. here's my fantasy:

we pack the court so it isn't totally lopsided, and the flood of these lawsuits results in the resurrection of Roe, with a different name, but restoring the rights of women to choose what happens to their bodies.

the pre-fantasy to this is Democrats win big in November.

[XanaDUer2]

4. These doctors will leave these states

Big mess

[Irish_Dem]

9. Doctors may go into other specialities. Older docs will retire.

They cannot ethically do their job if they have to let women die and suffer.

[XanaDUer2]

10. The disaster will continue to unfold nt

[Irish_Dem]

11. Yes there will be many fewer docs who specialize in women's health.

Too risky legally and in terms of malpractice.

They also could have their licenses yanked at any time by the GOP.

[wnylib]

17. Or they will relocate to blue states or

Or go abroad.

[Irish_Dem]

24. Still too risky to go to blue states.

The GOP could come to power at any time in a state. They are working on owning the voting systems every where.

The state licensing boards can be manipulated by the governor or legislature.

You are not going to spend a fortune on a medical degree and all the hard work of residencies etc., years of work, only to have some buffoon take your license away because you work in the wrong specialty.

Women are now second class citizens and helping women is not going to be a long term secure career field. The potential loss of a medical license and malpractice suits are very off putting.

Also most docs are probably not happy to have to let their patients die in front of them when they could easily save their lives. Malpractice fees are going to be sky high.

Older OB GYNs are going to retire. Younger docs will re-train and go into other specialties.
Medical students will skip OB-GYN training altogether.

Practicing any scientific based profession is going to be challenging in the new US theocracy.

[viva la]

5. I had to be induced at 34 weeks

It was excruciatingly painful, and I've never forgotten, though everything worked out. I can't imagine going through that while miscarrying.

[tulipsandroses]

8. They will be busy with a whole lot of law suits

At tax payers’ expense.

[dalton99a]

15. Kick

[TNNurse]

22. Those assholes in government are practicing medicine without a license

and they need to be stopped. Blocking a legitimate medical procedure should not be decided by them.

[BOSSHOG]

23. Catholics are as pro-life as nazis

I was born and raised Catholic. I was an altar boy. I was being groomed from birth. But I fled.

The Catholic Church and the Republican Party are domestic enemies of our constitution. Veterans should take it personal.

[Celerity]

25. not pro-life, it is forced birth

[BOSSHOG]

27. Incredibly sad

And they do their horrible work in a tax exempt status.

400,000 children awaiting adoption and Catholics wallow in their tax exempt self righteousness. Half a million Kansans have no health insurance because the arch bishop and republicans in the state have dragged their feet on medicaid expansion for years, while telling one and all they are pro life. 100,000 plus children go to bed hungry in Kansas every night and Catholics wallow.