January 2018 - I came into the ER with extreme morning sickness and very concerned as I knew something was wrong. I had one previously healthy pregnancy before this one. We were constantly dismissed as “just morning sickness” and on my medical records it was marked that I was obese and not active but no one ever weighed me or asked what my activity level was.
Every nurse and doctor I spoke to assumed I'd had a C-section and high blood pressure issues which I’ve never had. I was incorrectly diagnosed with HELLP syndrome and had to deliver my baby without my husband as he was removed from the hospital after expressing concerns with my care.
There’s way more to the story but there were a lot of assumptions, no one ever heard our concerns, and basically nurses were telling me my baby was probably already going to die. I delivered him at 19 weeks but he passed 30 minutes after he was born.
I dropped out of school. My anxiety came back. My whole life has been turned upside down.
We were told by many professionals that it sounds like my husband was discriminated against because he is a large man with a beard and people assumed he was a scary person. I also have a history of abuse with my last relationship and they just assumed without asking. They also made a lot of assumptions about me based on my weight.
I’m currently working with the hospital to change policies because they’ve admitted they were wrong.
Submitted by Jen B
