ARG!

DoulaMorgan · 09-17-2009, 11:27 AM

So m y 9/22 client is having her placenta encapsulated (YAY!). But, the danged hospital told her they hold placentas for 7 days. I have heard of this of course, but WHY??? Why do they do this?

And has anyone had succcess getting around this? I mean, I tend to think that waiting 8 days to get your placenta medicine is a freaking long time! I'd love for her to have it right after she gets home from the hospital. They aren't going to have any post-partum help for up to 2 weeks after the baby is born.

I'm just frustrated. I can't figure out why in the world the hospital would do this! I told them to MAKE SURE it gets frozen, but still. I can't imagine that letting it sit for a week is going to do anyone any good.

Sigh.

raeben · 09-18-2009, 02:41 AM

oh, i feel ya! over half of my placentas this summer have been from "those" hospitals - one of which holds them for 15 days instead of just 7 or 8! i have had some success getting it early depending on how much the clients want to advocate for themselves.
- one client's dr was just really nice and understanding - he advocated to the head nurse (the nurses are the ones responsible for making sure the placenta gets to pathology and their rep is on the line if it doesn't get there) and he signed off on her chart to let the placenta go when the baby was released in 2 days.
- one client refused to sign the paperwork about the handling of the afterbirth. this made the nurses freak out and there was some drama but they got to take it home since they didn't sign away their rights.
- one client's MW just had the nurse take a swab and small sample to pathology instead of the whole placenta (this seems like the most sensible route to me but is the hardest to get to happen).
- one client said they would sue the doctor if they didn't get it. the dr said "i don't want to be on 20/20 for this!" he then stuffed the placenta into the doula's bag and told her to leave before the nurses come back. the nurses were very upset when no one could find the placenta. (do we have a burning bridges icon?)

in general it seems like there is more success if the hosp doesn't know what they plan on doing with it - which is really unfortunate from an advocacy point of view. they just insist they need it for "philosophical and religious reasons" which sometimes works and sometimes doesn't.

the reason they keep it is because if the baby gets sick within the first 8 days, they can test the placenta for pathogens that would give them a clue how and with what the baby got sick with or they might need to "autopsy" the placenta. similar to many other procedures performed on mothers and babies (abx for gbs, eye ointment, etc), there seems to be some debate as to whether they should keep all placentas or just the ones of sick babies or mothers within certain criteria.
- here is a quote from brie's favorite website:

Quote:

Since some indications for placental examination are not apparent at the time of delivery, it may be wise to save the placenta (labeled and refrigerated or preserved in formalin) until the neonatal outcome is determined.

It has been suggested that all placentas should be sent for complete pathologic examination,7 but this approach may represent an overuse of resources. In any event, if placentas are sent to pathology for the indications that have been discussed in this article, few necessary examinations are likely to be missed.1 At minimum, the hospital's requirements for the handling of placentas should be followed.

a lot of people wonder why they wouldn't release the placenta if the baby is healthy enough to go home. i have heard it described as a kind of insurance so you can take the baby home - at least that's how it's sold to the parents. i seriously do wonder how much the hospital charges for that "placenta insurance"...

Brie+3 · 09-18-2009, 09:26 AM

talk to Jodi about this hospital. I know she has been working with them for sometime and this was the compromise she was able to get them to agree to. Some of the Vegas hospitals are easier to deal with than others.

mamakim · 09-18-2009, 03:47 PM

Hey Miss Morgan...
If it's St. Rose..that is their protocol already worked on with Jodi. It's not going to change, unfortunately. They will freeze it, she can pick it up 7 days later, and then it takes 24-48 hours to defrost in the fridge.

-Kim

DoulaMorgan · 09-18-2009, 04:38 PM

Yeah, it's St Rose. Jodi already talked to 'em, huh? That STINKS! Thanks, chicas!

Oh, and Kim, I looked at the screen name, the location and went, "WHO IS THIS THAT KNOWS THIS!" Then it occured to me. It's YOU. I'm slow.

raeben · 09-22-2009, 04:41 AM

ok, heres something i've been machinating for a while. you know how ican has that database where you can see at a glance what hospitals in your area are vbac friendly or ban vbacs? this way women can be informed about their care institutions and make good consumer decisions based on that information and the hospitals would know that consumers are paying attention to this policy.

so what if *someone* started a simple database that listed what hospitals hold or easily release placentas as well as how long they usually hold them and how amenable they are to early release, freezing, etc. every placenta specialist could update the list for her area and moms could fill out a forum detailing their experiences getting their placenta released from specific hospitals. it could also have more information on how to get the hospital to release placentas.

what do you ladies think about that as an advocacy tool and a realistic option?

DoulaMorgan · 09-28-2009, 01:40 PM

Well, I think since it's becoming a much more popular choice, to keep your placenta, for whatever reason, it would be well-advised to find out which hospitals do well and don't. I wonder if a database, nationally would be even possible...

BUT! PBi ladies, correct me if I'm wrong, but don't you each have your own webpage? At the very least, locally, people could find the info if it was on there, right?

Brie+3 · 09-28-2009, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DoulaMorgan

BUT! PBi ladies, correct me if I'm wrong, but don't you each have your own webpage? At the very least, locally, people could find the info if it was on there, right?

Not all of us have web pages. For some, placenta encapsulation is the only type of birth work they do so they rely on the Specialist page on PBi for their business.
I was kinda shocked to see that some of the Specialists website do little more than blurb the service, then there are others who have really long, resourceful pages dedicated to the topic. On a personal level I am very open about which hospitals have been accommodating and which have outright refused, someone just needs to ask me.