On March 2nd 2018, my scheduled home birth had to be moved to OSMH due to low amniotic fluid. I was still fully in the care of my midwife but needed a consult with an obstetrician to clarify my options and see what our next steps would be. My midwives fully explained two options that were possible and I felt well informed as to the two possible treatments I could receive. The physician we met with was Dr. Bremer. She “checked me” and found that I was too dilated for either treatment we had discussed and without explanation of any risks or reasons, she announced that she was going to break my water and proceeded to aggressively enter my vagina with an amnio hook. This was not a treatment I had been previously informed about or had given consent to. With much force, she repeatedly hooked and pulled, saying that it was very hard to break my amniotic sac. At one point, she pulled the hook out, said she wasn’t sure she had broken my water and I braced as she went back in to keep trying. She was aggressive, determined and didn’t care that I was extremely uncomfortable and confused. After she was finished I had a lot of bleeding. I was then given a pad to wear for that bleeding and was left with my midwife for further care. After giving birth to my daughter, we saw that she had three deep gouges out of her scalp. One of the gouges was right on the edge of her soft spot. It became clear that the bleeding I was having prior was not my own blood but was from the head of my unborn child. When these injuries were reported to Dr. Bremer through a letter with photos to her clinic, she responded with medical terms and coldness to explain that I should be happy I have a baby who is alive, without any ownership of wrong doing. When this complaint was taken to the Chief of Staff at OSMH, a meeting was held with Dr. Bremer in which she lied about having given me all of the information needed, saying that she gave me a “stretch and sweep” that would account for the bleeding, which did not happen as I was already 4 cm dilated. Dr. Bremer is aggressive, fast and dangerous. She has no respect for consent or informing her patients. My daughter is a year old and she has permanent scars on her head. This has been extremely difficult for our family to see the lasting affects of this split second decision made abruptly when there was no emergency and plenty of time for informed consent. Our daughter was hurt and in pain. We have since learned that there is a way to perform this procedure when amniotic fluid is low to avoid harming the child, but it takes time. Dr. Bremer did not want to take that time. An official complaint has been made to the College of Surgeons and Physicians, but because of Dr. Bremer’s continuous lies, I do not expect that the proper measures will be taken. She repeatedly said that she would do it the same if it happened again and I cringe to think of the other women and families she will and has so deeply damaged.
