As a 2x PE survivor, that last "tip" does seem a bit offensive. I don't think that was the intent but perhaps some women out there have experienced an over eager doctor who was more concerned with his/her own convenience rather than patient need. I had 2 different doctors for each of my previous pregnancies and was (and still am) completely confident that both me & my children are alive and well today because of their excellent care. Yes both pregnancies ended in c-section for me and although I would have liked to experience a vaginal birth, my ultimate goal was to deliver healthy babies and be alive to enjoy them. So thank you to Dr. **** & Dr. **** and to all the other doctors out there who take PE & HELLP seriously, recommending the course of treatment that is right for each patient and not the 1 size fits all!

I read that one a day or two ago, too. I didn't really see his last "tip" as downplaying PE. He basically accused other doctors of not wanting to put in the time required to induce. He didn't say it wasn't a good reason for *delivery*, just not a good reason to jump straight to a c-section. I would agree with that. (Revealing my bias: The doctor who took over my care with my first PE pregnancy told me I was so sick a c-section would kill me, not could, would. Also, I'm training to be a doula, and I want to specialize in high risk pregnancies. Women like us deserve birth support, too!)

IIRC, the current research shows women with PE are at much higher risk for surgical complication, which leads to the recommendation that we should birth vaginally (via induction) when possible. Of course, it's not always possible. PE plus fetal distress/bad positioning/previous c-section making induction risky/progressing to full blown eclampsia/etc would make a vaginal birth even more dangerous than a c-section, and of course you would choose surgery as the safer option. But a c-section based *solely* on PE is not just unnecessary, it's against evidence.

But I do completely get your point that the natural birth world tends to minimize complications. The whole "trust birth" mantra really bugs me. It places blame for complications on the mother for not believing hard enough. That's one of the reasons I want to be a high-risk doula, as I said above. Good labor/c-section/breastfeeding support should not just be for the hippy-weirdos (no offense to hippy weirdos ;) ) but for all women who want it.

Long time no post! I hope all my 2010 bedrest buddies are doing well :D

I recently saw this on a moms discussion board, and thought I would get others' take on it here. I should preface by saying I've heard many comments like this before, usually in discussions among moms advocating home birth, doula or midwife- assisted birth in birth centers, avoiding hospitals and OBs, pro-VBAC discussions, and so on, articles and discussions and posts citing high C-section rates and blaming doctors for unnecessary intervention.

What struck me about this one is that it's by an OB, it is a blog post being circulated by Texas moms, where the doctor (jokingly?) list situations where moms should suspect their OB is performing an unnecessary c-section. One of the items specifically mentions preeclampsia.

http://www.friscowomenshealth.com/?option=com_wordpress&Itemid=205&lang=en&p=89

Usually when I see pro-VBAC and anti-cesarean section articles, it seems like if preeclampsia is mentioned at all, it's downplayed, and comes across sounding like some rare and unusual complication. Usually I don't think I've seen PE mentioned. I feel like at least every few months I see articles about the high C-section rates and the tragedy of premature babies born because of elective and unnecessary C-sections. Not so much information about when C-sections are really necessary, or why it is important for moms to find a doctor whose judgment they trust to make a decision when it is necessary.

Just wondering how other PE moms would react to comments like those. It doesn't seem to me like the blog post is helping to facilitate doctor-patient communication or creating an accurate representation of the risks of preeclampsia.