Drug testing mothers in labor

I am a lurker but I decided to come out of the shadows to ask a question
here. I am a mother of three soon to be four, I am 33 weeks pregnant now.
With my second child my water broke at 36.6 weeks and when I went in to the
hospital they asked me alot of questions several of them I felt were
inapropriate, like did I want a tubal ligation and would I consent to a drug
test. I told them "NO" I did not want a tubal ligation and "yes" I would
consent to a drug test. Although, I had never been asked that before and
felt it was somewhat of a strange question to ask a mother in labor. Well,
I could go into the whole birth story, the whole thing was a nightmare but I
am going to skip to the more important part of the story.

I was put on pitocin and it was turned up very fast, I was in bad pain and
had been requesting a epidural for over two hours and kept getting excuses
as to why it was taking so long then finally the nurse says come into the
rest room and empty your bladder so you can get your epidural, then she told
everyone that was in the room with me that they had to leave while I had my
epidural. Once in the restroom the nurse walks in with me shuts the door
and locks me in with her!! She says you tested positive for Amphetamines
and you need to tell me what you took, First, I am not a drug user and have
NEVER done drugs of any kind!! I was frightened at the way the nurse was
acting and what she was saying and I told her I had no idea what she was
talking about, I do not use drugs and I did not take anything. I was in
really bad pain and she ignored my pleas to leave the restroom and get some
pain medicine. She had a pen and a pad of paper and said I needed to tell
her about anything I could have took that would have caused a positive on
this test, I was not allowed to leave the restroom and she kept hounding me
for an answer that I could not give. She said you know you can be arrested
and your baby will be taken from you. Which had me terrified and sobbing.
Finally, I told her I could feel the baby's head coming out and she let me
out of the restroom. She also said you need to tell your family that you
tested positive for amphetamines or I will!! So I told everyone, of course
my family knows me and no believed it.

I had the baby and she was immediately whisked out of the room. I was not
allowed to see her and the nurse made a comment about whatever I took
affecting her, when in truth she was having a bit of trouble from being born
so quickly due to the pitiocin, I never did get anything for pain and after
I was tranferred to a post pardum room I was totally ignored with no one
coming in the room for hours.

Finally, about 8 hours after I delivered a man came in he was wearing
scrubs and he asked my name which was correct and said I am here to take you
for your tubal ligation. I had been balling and in emotional turmoil for
hours and then I had this slap in the face, I told him that I had not wanted
a tubal ligation and had said so earlier and he was very surprised and
apologized. That was it, I wanted to leave the hospital and was told just
before I left that the hospital had run a second test which was negative for
any kind of drugs, the first test was a false positive and that they were
very sorry I did not get the birth experience I had wanted.

I am terrified of being asked to take a drug test when I go into labor
again, I don't trust their drug tests and I will refuse to do it again but I
am also terrified that by refusing they will automatically assume I am on
drugs and treat me the same way as before and take my baby away from me. I
am tempted to not even go to the hospital this time.

My question is how many other mothers here have been asked to take a drug
test or have a tubal ligation during labor? And if you were asked to do any
of these things what was your reaction?

Thanks for any replies.

Dianah

On Thu, 25 Aug 2005 13:24:13 -0700, "Diana H." *
wrote:

My question is how many other mothers here have been asked to take a drug
test or have a tubal ligation during labor? And if you were asked to do any
of these things what was your reaction?

Thanks for any replies.

I've never been asked to consent to a drug screen for any of my 3
children. This last time the OB/surgeon asked if I wanted a tubal
during my c-section, and I consented since we decided we weren't going
to have more children.

Nan

Hi Diana,

I'm shocked and saddened by your story. It's
inconceivable to me why anyone would think that
*labor* is an appropriate time to carry out such
tests. I certainly was not asked either question
with DS (in the US in 2002), and would be shocked
to be asked this time around (due soon, still in
the US :-).

What country do you live in? If you deliver
in the hospital, are you planning on delivering
in the same one? Have you followed up to understand
what their policy is? If I were in your shoes, I
would want to discover if the people involved (esp.
the nurse) were acting according to or against policy.
If the latter, I'd want the hospital to know what's
going on. If the former, I'd be tempted to call
in the media.

My personal experience is limited, but in a few
years of reading mkp (and especially all the
birth stories, since that's the fun part :-),
I've never come across a story like yours. Which
leads me to believe it's not standard practice, and
the media should find it shocking.

All that said, nothing says you have to have a
hospital birth, assuming a healthy, normal pregnancy.
Are there birth centers in your area? Have you
looked into the possibility of a home birth with
a midwife?

Emily
--
DS 5/02
EDD Labor Day 9/5/05

"Diana H." * wrote in message
...
I am a lurker but I decided to come out of the shadows to ask a question
here. I am a mother of three soon to be four, I am 33 weeks pregnant now.
With my second child my water broke at 36.6 weeks and when I went in to the
hospital they asked me alot of questions several of them I felt were
inapropriate, like did I want a tubal ligation and would I consent to a
drug test. I told them "NO" I did not want a tubal ligation and "yes" I
would consent to a drug test. Although, I had never been asked that
before and felt it was somewhat of a strange question to ask a mother in
labor. Well, I could go into the whole birth story, the whole thing was a
nightmare but I am going to skip to the more important part of the story.

I was put on pitocin and it was turned up very fast, I was in bad pain
and had been requesting a epidural for over two hours and kept getting
excuses as to why it was taking so long then finally the nurse says come
into the rest room and empty your bladder so you can get your epidural,
then she told everyone that was in the room with me that they had to leave
while I had my epidural. Once in the restroom the nurse walks in with me
shuts the door and locks me in with her!! She says you tested positive
for Amphetamines and you need to tell me what you took, First, I am not a
drug user and have NEVER done drugs of any kind!! I was frightened at the
way the nurse was acting and what she was saying and I told her I had no
idea what she was talking about, I do not use drugs and I did not take
anything. I was in really bad pain and she ignored my pleas to leave the
restroom and get some pain medicine. She had a pen and a pad of paper and
said I needed to tell her about anything I could have took that would have
caused a positive on this test, I was not allowed to leave the restroom
and she kept hounding me for an answer that I could not give. She said you
know you can be arrested and your baby will be taken from you. Which had
me terrified and sobbing. Finally, I told her I could feel the baby's head
coming out and she let me out of the restroom. She also said you need to
tell your family that you tested positive for amphetamines or I will!! So
I told everyone, of course my family knows me and no believed it.

I had the baby and she was immediately whisked out of the room. I was not
allowed to see her and the nurse made a comment about whatever I took
affecting her, when in truth she was having a bit of trouble from being
born so quickly due to the pitiocin, I never did get anything for pain and
after I was tranferred to a post pardum room I was totally ignored with no
one coming in the room for hours.

Finally, about 8 hours after I delivered a man came in he was wearing
scrubs and he asked my name which was correct and said I am here to take
you for your tubal ligation. I had been balling and in emotional turmoil
for hours and then I had this slap in the face, I told him that I had not
wanted a tubal ligation and had said so earlier and he was very surprised
and apologized. That was it, I wanted to leave the hospital and was told
just before I left that the hospital had run a second test which was
negative for any kind of drugs, the first test was a false positive and
that they were very sorry I did not get the birth experience I had wanted.

I am terrified of being asked to take a drug test when I go into labor
again, I don't trust their drug tests and I will refuse to do it again but
I am also terrified that by refusing they will automatically assume I am
on drugs and treat me the same way as before and take my baby away from
me. I am tempted to not even go to the hospital this time.

My question is how many other mothers here have been asked to take a drug
test or have a tubal ligation during labor? And if you were asked to do
any of these things what was your reaction?

Thanks for any replies.

OTC drugs like sudafed or anything with an ephedra or stimulant base can
cause a positive urine test. However, this scenario sounds so extreme and
unlikely I hardly know what to say. I can't imagine this happening in the
U.S., because laws protect people from this type of treatment by medical
providers and they face steep malpractice suits.

Did you ever press charges or file a complaint?

NURSE WRETCHED:

ALSO: DRUG ABUSE ASSAULT AND BATTERY BY OBSTETRICIANS

See below.




in article , Diana H. at
* wrote on 8/25/05 1:24 PM:

I am a lurker but I decided to come out of the shadows to ask a question
here. I am a mother of three soon to be four, I am 33 weeks pregnant now.
With my second child my water broke at 36.6 weeks and when I went in to the
hospital they asked me alot of questions several of them I felt were
inapropriate, like did I want a tubal ligation and would I consent to a drug
test. I told them "NO" I did not want a tubal ligation and "yes" I would
consent to a drug test. Although, I had never been asked that before and
felt it was somewhat of a strange question to ask a mother in labor. Well,
I could go into the whole birth story, the whole thing was a nightmare but I
am going to skip to the more important part of the story.

I was put on pitocin and it was turned up very fast, I was in bad pain and
had been requesting a epidural for over two hours and kept getting excuses
as to why it was taking so long then finally the nurse says come into the
rest room and empty your bladder so you can get your epidural, then she told
everyone that was in the room with me that they had to leave while I had my
epidural. Once in the restroom the nurse walks in with me shuts the door
and locks me in with her!! She says you tested positive for Amphetamines
and you need to tell me what you took, First, I am not a drug user and have
NEVER done drugs of any kind!! I was frightened at the way the nurse was
acting and what she was saying and I told her I had no idea what she was
talking about, I do not use drugs and I did not take anything. I was in
really bad pain and she ignored my pleas to leave the restroom and get some
pain medicine. She had a pen and a pad of paper and said I needed to tell
her about anything I could have took that would have caused a positive on
this test, I was not allowed to leave the restroom and she kept hounding me
for an answer that I could not give. She said you know you can be arrested
and your baby will be taken from you. Which had me terrified and sobbing.
Finally, I told her I could feel the baby's head coming out and she let me
out of the restroom. She also said you need to tell your family that you
tested positive for amphetamines or I will!! So I told everyone, of course
my family knows me and no believed it.

I had the baby and she was immediately whisked out of the room. I was not
allowed to see her and the nurse made a comment about whatever I took
affecting her, when in truth she was having a bit of trouble from being born
so quickly due to the pitiocin, I never did get anything for pain and after
I was tranferred to a post pardum room I was totally ignored with no one
coming in the room for hours.

Finally, about 8 hours after I delivered a man came in he was wearing
scrubs and he asked my name which was correct and said I am here to take you
for your tubal ligation. I had been balling and in emotional turmoil for
hours and then I had this slap in the face, I told him that I had not wanted
a tubal ligation and had said so earlier and he was very surprised and
apologized. That was it, I wanted to leave the hospital and was told just
before I left that the hospital had run a second test which was negative for
any kind of drugs, the first test was a false positive and that they were
very sorry I did not get the birth experience I had wanted.

I am terrified of being asked to take a drug test when I go into labor
again, I don't trust their drug tests and I will refuse to do it again but I
am also terrified that by refusing they will automatically assume I am on
drugs and treat me the same way as before and take my baby away from me. I
am tempted to not even go to the hospital this time.

My question is how many other mothers here have been asked to take a drug
test or have a tubal ligation during labor? And if you were asked to do any
of these things what was your reaction?

Thanks for any replies.

Dianah


Holy Moley!!

Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest sprang to mind while I was
reading Diana's story.

Locked in the bathroom? Isn't that false imprisonment?

If there's evidence left, a criminal attorney could have a field day, or so
it would seem.

Speaking of criminal (this is for new readers only).

Knowingly closing the birth canal up to 30% is also a form of false
imprisonment.

And knowingly forcing a woman to push her baby out with her birth canal
closed the "extra" up to 30% - that's assault and battery.

Knowingly forcing violent pitocin-induced contractions with the birth canal
closed the "extra" up to 30% - that's DRUG ABUSE assault and battery.

What's that you say?

The obstetrician didn't know about the "extra" up to 30%?

That's CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE - either on his/her part - or on the part of his
medical school - the info has been in the medical literature since early
last century.

I republished it in the medical literature late last century. (Gastaldo TD.
Birth. 1992;19(4):230-1)

Diana, sorry the false imprisonment happened to you.

Hope false imprisonment and drug abuse assault and battery didn't happen to
your baby.

Even if it happened...

The good news is that most babies do "fine" without the "extra" up to 30%.

(I certainly did fine, though many would dispute this : )

The bad news is that "fine" is not well defined at birth - and up to 4.6% of
"healthy" babies suffer unexplained brain bleeds.

Plus there are unexplained motor and perceptual difficulties discovered
later in life.

How many of us could have done "finer"? Impossible to tell. Those
unexplained brain bleeds in "healthy" babies - and the occasional
unexplained death or unexplained paralysis of a baby - these worry me
greatly.

Diana, you got screwed at delivery by that nurse.

But then again, I liked this part...

Finally, I told her I could feel the baby's head coming out and she let me
out of the restroom....I had the baby...

DAMN (I said to myself) - did her baby's head come OUT while in the bathroom
or en route back to bed.

No matter, most all babies do "fine" without the "extra" up to 30%....

Most all babies also do "fine" without up to 50% of their blood...

We are incredibly strong as babies.

But that does not give obstetricians the right to rob babies of the
"extras"...

For new readers interested in the massive baby blood robbery...

See Babies, the CIA and obstetric health fraud
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group...t/message/3829

One last note for Diana...

I know of a woman who transported from a homebirth only to have another
Nurse Wretched start filling out a Suspected Child Abuse Report as she
waited outside the room where her baby was being worked on.

That's what they were doing Diana - suspecting YOU of abusing a child - as
they abuse children en masse.

It's the damndest thing.

Todd

Dr. Gastaldo
Hillsboro, Oregon

Diana H. wrote:

My question is how many other mothers here have been asked to take a drug
test or have a tubal ligation during labor? And if you were asked to do any
of these things what was your reaction?


I wasn't asked to take a drug test or about a tubal ligation during
either delivery. I was 42 when #1 was born (Ohio) and 48 when #2 was
born (Georgia), so in my case, the tubal ligation question might not
have been unreasonable - but nobody asked.

Clisby

"Diana H." * wrote in message
...

My question is how many other mothers here have been asked to take a
drug
test or have a tubal ligation during labor? And if you were asked to do
any
of these things what was your reaction?

Thanks for any replies.

Oh my God. That is just horrible. I am so sorry that your birth experience
was taken from you like that.

I have to say that with either baby I wasn't asked either of those questions
and I would have been highly offended if they asked me that during labor.
I've never heard of anything like that.

JennP.

Oh geez....it's hard to verbalise my feelings on this without using
expletives. Switch hospitals? Birth in a birthing centre? Homebirth? Move to
New Zealand?
I don't really know what to suggest, but what a horrible experience.
((((hugs)))) and I hope your upcoming labour and delivery is a breeze.


--
Amy
Mum to Carlos born sleeping 20/11/02,
& Ana born screaming 30/06/04
http://www.freewebs.com/carlos2002/
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/a/ana%5Fj%5F2004/
My blog: http://spaces.msn.com/members/querer-hijo-querer-hija/


"Diana H." * wrote in message
...
I am a lurker but I decided to come out of the shadows to ask a question
here. I am a mother of three soon to be four, I am 33 weeks pregnant now.
With my second child my water broke at 36.6 weeks and when I went in to the
hospital they asked me alot of questions several of them I felt were
inapropriate, like did I want a tubal ligation and would I consent to a
drug test. I told them "NO" I did not want a tubal ligation and "yes" I
would consent to a drug test. Although, I had never been asked that
before and felt it was somewhat of a strange question to ask a mother in
labor. Well, I could go into the whole birth story, the whole thing was a
nightmare but I am going to skip to the more important part of the story.

I was put on pitocin and it was turned up very fast, I was in bad pain
and had been requesting a epidural for over two hours and kept getting
excuses as to why it was taking so long then finally the nurse says come
into the rest room and empty your bladder so you can get your epidural,
then she told everyone that was in the room with me that they had to leave
while I had my epidural. Once in the restroom the nurse walks in with me
shuts the door and locks me in with her!! She says you tested positive
for Amphetamines and you need to tell me what you took, First, I am not a
drug user and have NEVER done drugs of any kind!! I was frightened at the
way the nurse was acting and what she was saying and I told her I had no
idea what she was talking about, I do not use drugs and I did not take
anything. I was in really bad pain and she ignored my pleas to leave the
restroom and get some pain medicine. She had a pen and a pad of paper and
said I needed to tell her about anything I could have took that would have
caused a positive on this test, I was not allowed to leave the restroom
and she kept hounding me for an answer that I could not give. She said you
know you can be arrested and your baby will be taken from you. Which had
me terrified and sobbing. Finally, I told her I could feel the baby's head
coming out and she let me out of the restroom. She also said you need to
tell your family that you tested positive for amphetamines or I will!! So
I told everyone, of course my family knows me and no believed it.

I had the baby and she was immediately whisked out of the room. I was not
allowed to see her and the nurse made a comment about whatever I took
affecting her, when in truth she was having a bit of trouble from being
born so quickly due to the pitiocin, I never did get anything for pain and
after I was tranferred to a post pardum room I was totally ignored with no
one coming in the room for hours.

Finally, about 8 hours after I delivered a man came in he was wearing
scrubs and he asked my name which was correct and said I am here to take
you for your tubal ligation. I had been balling and in emotional turmoil
for hours and then I had this slap in the face, I told him that I had not
wanted a tubal ligation and had said so earlier and he was very surprised
and apologized. That was it, I wanted to leave the hospital and was told
just before I left that the hospital had run a second test which was
negative for any kind of drugs, the first test was a false positive and
that they were very sorry I did not get the birth experience I had wanted.

I am terrified of being asked to take a drug test when I go into labor
again, I don't trust their drug tests and I will refuse to do it again but
I am also terrified that by refusing they will automatically assume I am
on drugs and treat me the same way as before and take my baby away from
me. I am tempted to not even go to the hospital this time.

My question is how many other mothers here have been asked to take a drug
test or have a tubal ligation during labor? And if you were asked to do
any of these things what was your reaction?

Thanks for any replies.

Dianah

Diana H. wrote:

My question is how many other mothers here have been asked to take a
drug test or have a tubal ligation during labor?

Oh, I'm so sorry for your lousy experience :-( To answer your question I
was not asked either of those things at either delivery.

And if you were
asked to do any of these things what was your reaction?

I would have probably consented to the drug test just because it would seem
easier then arguing but after reading your story I'd decline. If they asked
me about a tubal legation during a vaginal birth I'd have asked them if they
had me mixed up with some other patient because that is so bizarre.

--
Nikki
Hunter 4/99
Luke 4/01
EDD 4/06

I have yet to experience labour so I can't speak from personal
experience.

However, not a drug test but I've recently been told it is the norm to
screen for certain STDs at the time of labour which are transmissible
via the birth canal. That wouldn't involve a drug screen. That said, it
is not unusual to be asked to do one in areas where there is a high
rate of drug use amongst the typical population that hospital serves.
It becomes standard procedure to avoid selecting who should be asked
and who shouldn't.


Now, all that said, I'm really sorry you had to experience this.
Definitely choose a different hospital, or consider alternatives such
as a birthing center or homebirth.