Unbeleivable... How can professionals be so unprofessional! [Archive]

Fraggle

13-01-2006, 14:56

My cousin is 18 weeks pregnant with her first and today she went for her first scan. She was so looking forward to it - seeing her bubbles (it's nickname) for the first time and finding out what she was having.

Well first the Old Hag wouldn't let them look at the screen, then the stupid cow asked if my cousin was a smoker (she quit the moment she found out she was pregnant), and lastly the woman said that the fluid was too low! The woman was so rude to my cousin and my cousin was so distraught that she couldn't even hang around for the results!

My cousin's doctor is on holidays and doesn't return until next wednesday and my cousin is FREAKING OUT thinking that something is wrong with the baby!

Has anyone else been told that the fluid in the sack is too low, but still had a perfectly healthy bub? I just can't beleive that some people are so cruel - fancy not even letting her have a look!

Crazy Monkey

13-01-2006, 15:01

Don't have any advice for you but think that is just unacceptable... These people should know what a tense time it can be for parents to be and be more helpful...

I hope your cousin gets some answers soon.. Is there another doctor that can give her some answers??

littlepickle

13-01-2006, 15:03

That is so awfull!! I would have complained then and there! Is there any chance that your cousin can ring for the results for her own piece of mind? I am sorry I cant really answer your question about the fluid though, but I have read somewhere that the fluid constantly replenishes itself so if there wasnt enough surely it would replenish itself if required. I could be talking complete nonsense here but that is what I read. Did your cousin get to see the baby on screen at all?

Fraggle

13-01-2006, 15:16

My uncle is going down there later to pick up the results and give them a serve. Because of all of this my cousin thinks there is something seriously wrong with the baby. Under normal circumstances she probably would have complained then and there, but what with pregnancy hormones, she was just too upset!

The woman wouldn't let them look at the screen at all, she turned it away before she even started, and wouldn't let them see. I just can't beleive it, that professionals can be like this!

jaydensmum

13-01-2006, 15:19

Hi Fraggle, sorry i cant help you with the fluid problem. I just wanted to say that i cant believe how rude the sonographer was! Most of them are pretty good. Is your cousin going to get another scan done somewhere else? If i was her i'd make a complaint about the sonographer to the company. You pay a lot of money to get scans done and so you should be treated with some respect.

jaydensmum

Crazy Monkey

13-01-2006, 15:30

If i was her i'd make a complaint about the sonographer to the company. You pay a lot of money to get scans done and so you should be treated with some respect.

jaydensmum

I totally agree...

Fraggle

13-01-2006, 15:36

Well, my uncle is going down this afternoon, so I guess we'll just have to see what comes of it. I am just scouring the net to find out anything about it there so I can give her informed advise, rather than saying "I'm so sorry for you and I don't know what I can say, but I'm sure it will be fine"

dannii

13-01-2006, 15:56

im sorry to hear about your cousins ordeal, and i hope that it works out all ok!

i just wanted to say that i went to the private hospital for my first scan, paid alot of money and got treated like crap.
they also, didnt let me see the screen, but right at the end she showed me my baby very quickly. i was upset as she was not at all helpful nor nice!

my last 2 kids i got video's!! and apparently they stopped doing this now! i wasnt even allowed a photo like most places do.

i ended up having 3 more u/s with the public system and they were fantastic. very helpful and let me see everything. i also got about 6 pics throught all my u/s.

anyways i know this is not helping her, but i just wanted to share, i know how she feels, especially since they have not informed her if anything is wrong!

Don't they realise out pregnancy hormones!!

good luck 4 your cousin :)

Fraggle

13-01-2006, 16:03

Thanks girls for all your advice and experiences. I also had no problems with the public system, they were fantastic. I was able to see everything and I got plenty of photos. I was also able to be a "test Patient" at a clinic where they teach people to be sonographers which was fantastic, they video taped everything for us and it is a great keepsake. I am going to see if I can get my cousin to go there aswell. The best part about it was that it cost us nothing.

This is why I can't understand how they wouldn't even let them see the screen???

Kirstlea

13-01-2006, 16:40

Hi Fraggle

Just to let you know yes definetly the fluid does replenish.

I even saw it for myself

When I was 19 weeks I started losing fluid (long saga so will keep it short) a few days later the ultra sound showed everything as normal, a couple of more days after that I had major problems and lost all the fluid which they showed me on the screen for u/s. The next day we did another u/s and sure enough there was fluid back around the baby.

So proof from the horses mouth. Good luck and give that sonographer a serve.

Regards Kirsten

Fraggle

13-01-2006, 16:44

Thanks so much Kristen. I'll let her know.
:)

Fraggle

13-01-2006, 17:17

Well I just spoke to my cousin, and her, her husband and my uncle went back to the sonographer to collect the results.

Long story cut short, the doctor who ran the clinic said "I'm sick of you people coming back and having a go at my staff (like they aren't the only ones who have complained), I'm the only one who has the right to have a go at my staff"!?!?! My cousin's husband, who couldn't hurt a fly if he tried (the most docile person I have ever met) was accused of harassing the staff and the doctor then said that my cousin wasn't his patient so it wasn't his problem??? Once the doctor had walked out of the room, the receptionist quietly apologised profusely to them???

My cousin & her husband are now going to put in a formal complaint to the Australian Medical Association/Board!

Thank you girls, I have passed on all your great advice to my cousin and she was near to tears but very grateful. I told her to get her husband to go out and buy her some Gatorade right now - because I said! She admitted that she hasn't been drinking enough fluids and we have had some sweltering hot days these last few weeks. So she has promised that she is going to keep her fluids up and get plenty of rest. :)

jaydensmum

13-01-2006, 17:28

Im glad they are going to take it further. Some doctor he is for saying that about one of his PATIENTS!!! As far as im concerned when someone goes to a doctor for anything, they are their patient. He was very wrong for saying that. Hopefully he gets in big trouble from the medical board!

jaydensmum

Rockett

13-01-2006, 17:35

Good on them for taking this matter further.How very unprofessional!!:mad:

I had a low fluid volume problem,I just had to have lots of ultrasounds to check on bubs growth,and as Kirstlea says,it does replenish itself.My bub turned out just fine.:)

brooke

13-01-2006, 18:37

OMG how rude of them! I dont blame them for taking it further! I would too!
So called professional people act like they have a bee in their bonnet half the time! I just dont get why people are so rude these days! :mad:
I feel for your cousin! I hope all turns out well!

14-01-2006, 22:11

I didn't have much fluid all of the way through my pregnancy with my dd and she was born at 37 weeks by c/s weighing 8lb7oz with apgars of 9 and 10. She is incredibly bright, very active and healthy ... your cousin and her bub should have no worries!

reAllytee

14-01-2006, 22:53

Wow thats just disgusting !
Cant believe she was spoken to that way ! Hopefully making a formal complaint higher up will have more impact cause obviously the doctor in charge is also a moron ! I cant believe the hide of some people !
I was told by one of my original midwifes not to worry with what the u/s often picks up as she said they are so good nowadays they pick up the slightest thing ! For me it was extra fluid on bubs brain !!! Which i didnt know until i went to the doctors as thats the way it should be so that sonographer had no right !!!!! I had the doctor in charge brought into my room by the sonographer when i had mine which then made me realise something was wrong but again they were very professional & said they were just having a better look etc. Got to doctors with u/s to find out what had happened which in turn left me a mess for the next 2mths as i had to wait that long to wait & see what happened. I think i nearly went insane ! So i can imagine what your poor cousin is going through !
Tell her to try & relax a little for now as the stress will only be passed onto bubs & its probably not as major as this "lovely" sonographer made it out to be. Everything turned out fine for us the extra fluid was absorbed so we obviously had the u/s done at the wrong time so to speak when things were happening etc.
Wishing her all the best :)

Lisa&Davey

17-01-2006, 15:08

I feel so sorry for your cousin. All of my ultrasound experiences have been fine (apart from nearly wetting myself).

Tell your cousin that if her doctor doesn't refer her for a follow up ultrasound (i'm sure he will anyway) at her next appointment that she demand one (get someone to go with her for moral support if required). Then tell her to call around to find a place that will give her a video for the ultrasound. Definitely never go back to the awful place she went to.

I'm so glad that your uncle is lodging a formal complaint.

Tell her best of luck. I'm sure her keeping hydrated will fix the problem.

Fraggle

25-01-2006, 12:28

I just thought I'd update you all on my cousin's latest scan. She sent me this email just moments ago:

[quote=Email]
Hi Chris,

Just wanted to let you know that DH and I went to our second ultrasound on Monday! We went to the ultrasound place at Runaway Bay and a guy actually did my ultrasound and he was excellent! It was like night and day! And now I know what a real ultrasound should be like now. The guy actually explained everything to us, he showed us absolutely everything and told us that everything was fine. There is decreased fluid but he said theres still enough there so it shouldn’t be a problem. He even showed us how the blood was going through the umbilical cord and stuff it was awesome. We have to go back again on Friday coz he couldn’t finish the ultrasound due to the baby being turned the wrong way. He said that when we come back on Friday, he should be able to tell us what the sex is and also check that everything in the heart is ok. Its so exciting, I actually felt connected to my baby, and I was in there for like a � an hour, where as at the other place I was there for 10 minutes tops and she didn’t go into any of the detail that this guy went into. So yeah just wanted to let you know how everything went, and ill be sure to let you know if we find out the sex.

Well hope you guys are going well, talk to you soon
Love xxx.
[\quote]

M O P

25-01-2006, 12:39

Oh Fraggle that's excellent to hear!

With our scan there were heaps of tests and measurements to get, it took an hour, and it sounds like Mrs CrankyPants wouldn't have got them all anyway. Hope all's well for your little second cousin now!

TracieP

04-02-2006, 00:02

Fraggle sorry can't help with the fluid question but I recently experienced a similar episode. Going for an ultrasound at 28 weeks to check foetal growth ( my last baby was very small due to the placenta calcifying before his birth) On arrival we were asked why we were having another US, which I told her we also told her we would like to know the sex ( baby would'nt let us see last time) she snapped at us " I can very rarely see that" At 28 weeks I thought it would have been very obvious. ( this is baby no 6) She did'nt even tell us what we were looking at on the screen, by this stage my 3year old had well and truly lost interest. She then asked when I was seeing my doctor again which was 2 days away. then she said "well there you go" and that was the end of that. I made complaint to my doc about her and living in a small town I know she is not one of the usuals. She was a ring-in filling in while one of the locals was on hols

Heids

04-02-2006, 11:00

Hey,

I have a very healthy bub and I had very low amniotic fluid (oligohydramnios) !

At the end of my pregnancy I did have to go for scans every week but doctors are sooooooooo good now.... that they are on even the slightest little probs.

Brandon did have to come out a little early ( 3 weeks ) as he was getting squashed and they were worried about his spine BUT he was also in breach so that didn't really help ;)

How rude, the Old Batalax... I am glad they are persisting with the complaint !!!

Please tell you friend to try not to worry :)

Hugs Heids

bekkyboo

04-02-2006, 11:41

hey, Just a comment on the not seeing the screen... For my 20 week scan, i didnt see the screen till the end, but she was telling me what was going on. I figured taht it was best for me to concintrate on not peeing myself (sorry for TMI) and let the sonographer do their job. When she was finished the scan, she turned the screen around and showed me all the important bits.

As for the old cow that did your cousins... she should be doing that job...

I have had to deal with some really unprofessional professionals lately in my pregnancy - including waiting in hospital for 5 hours with low blood sugar, cause the drs forgot about me, and then they called a cardiologist (i have a heart condition) cause they wouldnt listen to what i was saying was wrong - what would i know - its only my body its happening too.

SassyMummy

07-02-2006, 00:14

I had my first (and only) ultra sound as a Public Patient. My experience has made me want to go private next time around.

I was about 17 weeks pregnant when I had it...and so had to drink the 2L of water. As soon as he started poking around on my belly, he said to me, "The uterus is too low. This is why we tell you to drink the water!" in a very mean way. I HAD drunk the 2L of water (much to my bladder's dismay)...and was a bit taken aback by his accusations. I'm a young mother, and so early in the pregnancy I was feeling very unsure about where I stood with everything - I was very sensitive to criticism as I was only 18 years old.

Instead of re-scheduling for another time, he just pressed REALLY HARD. Not only did I feel the INCREDIBLE urge to pee all over the table, but I felt pain. I was frightened he'd hurt the baby. (I later had bruising on my stomach because of it).

I got to see the screen for a little of my time in there, but only for a few minutes when he pointed out different body parts. From the side-on angle, I could see that there was a baby. But from a different angle, I couldn't make out a single thing. So I asked, "So...is THAT the head?" and just glared at me and growled "NO! THIS is the head. THIS is the spine" etc etc. It looked like tv static...I don't see how I was expected to understand. He could have simply laughed it off and said something like, "Yeah...it's hard to see from this angle isn;t it?"

The whole experience lasted about 1.5hours. I didn't get a photo. I would have paid for one...but I wasn't even offered. I was going to ask...but I was feeling really weird. Again, I was unsure of how I should be acting, and was feeling judged for being a young mother...and so didn't ask for one. So now scan photo of my DD.

I'm not sure what should be done when people make you feel that crap...

Katie333

07-01-2011, 17:27

I know exactly what you mean about professionals that aren't so professional.
I too was very excited to see my little bub and booked in for a 3d/4d ultrasound at Precious Previews thinking that they would be good considering they're prices are quite high.
Firstly the sonographer seemed like she didn't know what she was doing. Also I had to sit at the back of the ultrasound room while the rest of my family were sitting up in front watching it on a poor quality screen. The pictures that were printed out were on pixilated and were printed on low quality card. It was all very cheap and tacky looking not worth the money at all. I left very dissapointed.
I almost gave up on 3d/4d Ultrasounds when a doctor refferred me to another place called Miracle Me.
They're prices were very reasonable especially for the quality. The staff were so friendly. They have a cinema room that looks luxurious and my pictures came out crystal clear on proper photo paper. The sonographer was so friendly.. It was just a fantastic experience and am so glad I went there

WorkingClassMum

07-01-2011, 21:35

this thread is 5 years old

HaileesMummy

14-01-2011, 09:51

Hi! I had a similar situation with a sonographer the other day! He didn't turn on the screen for me to see until I demanded it. Then wouldn't tell me what anything was, etc etc! My gp rang and complained to them about it!
Amniotic fluid definitely replaces itself!!! If anything major was wrong they would not have let her leave!! I

HaileesMummy

14-01-2011, 09:53

2006!!! Lol that'll teach me not to read all the posts!!! I hope everything worked out for her!

BlissedOut

14-01-2011, 10:46

BlissedOut

14-01-2011, 10:50

Re: The original topic and following posts. The 18 week doctor referred USs aren't for the parents amusement, they are for the detection of medical complications. If you want a US for the parents interest, photos etc... then book into a place like Precious Previews or Miracle Me and get the 3D/4D scan, photos etc...

As for low fluid, I had low fluid the whole way through, it can become a complication, but you do need to hydrate.

scout02

14-01-2011, 15:38

this thread is 5 years old

hahha

When i went for my 18 week u/s the lady doing the u/s told me that they do the u/s at 20 weeks and what was i doing here??????? She had a quick look to check that I was really 18 weeks then told me to come back in 2 weeks! (She was very rude about it)

With my other 3 pregnancys i had the u/s at 18 weeks with no problems!!!!!

So I don't know why it was this time.

and Sorensmum - I think everybody knows what the purpose of the u/s is, but they still would like to have a look at the scan, that's why a lot of places have tv screens up for easier viewing. I don't think people are having scans for their amusements they are just excited to see their baby.