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Kate Davidson was my "Certified Nurse Midwife" for the pregnancy and birth of my daughter from February through November 9, 2004. She is such an all natural nut case that even the local hospital would not let her delivery there, so we delivered in Silverton, Oregon.
I went in to deliver my baby on the afternoon of November 9th, when my labor stopped, Kate decided to break my water to keep it moving, which I agreed to. The labor continued and I continued with no pain medication (my choice). When I hit 10 cm and it was time for me to push, I got out of the hot tub and made my way to the bed. On my back, they placed the heart monitors on me and the baby's head. at 11:00 pm I proceeded to push one time... she asked me to turn to my side, pushed again, turned to my other side, pushed again, "face the back of the bed" "push", alright, back onto your back, "push again" same scenario for half an hour.
What she didn't inform me of was that every time I pushed, my baby's heart rate would plummet because the chord was around her neck. I could NOT push her out...so when I turned around from facing behind, the room was full of Drs, nurses and teary family members.
At that point, they should have wheeled me into the OR for an emergency c-section, but instead (b/c my midwife is all natural and didn't want to ruin her natural delivery record) the Dr. applied the suction to my daughter's head and pulled...she didn't budge. Next, he applied the forceps to her head and face and in one push, pulled her out of me...resulting in an explosion of everything down below...I had no time to stretch. She was born at 11:33 pm.
Immediately after delivery, the Dr. repaired my 4th degree epesiotomy (which FYI was completely through my sphincter muscle). By about 1 AM, all was quiet... until I began to hemorrhage blood through my rectum. The nurse came in repeatedly overnight to changed my bed pads, CNM Davidson also came in several times to remove clots and check me, and by 2 pm that following afternoon, and the third time the dr. checked me, he realized that maybe something really was wrong? By then, my blood count was way down to 2-3, which is low enough to need a transfusion.
The Dr. took me back to the OR and re-repaired my 4th degree epesiotomy. They also gave me antibiotics for an infection.
The hemorrhaging stopped, my midwife was shocked they didn't give me a transfusion and sent me home from the hospital a day late on liquid iron to boost my supply.
I took home my beautiful baby girl on November 12th. Those 2 weeks at home were very very hard with very little blood and energy which caused very little milk supply, the antibiotics caused a yeast infection in my breasts which resulted in terrible pain for me and oral thrush in my baby's mouth, having to be constantly supervised so I didn't pass out from low blood pressure...and then I realized the unimaginable. When I would pass gas, it would come out my vagina! That could only mean one thing, there is a connection somewhere right?
At my 2 week post par tum visit to CNM Davidson, I told her of my symptoms, and she checked the repair...found nothing wrong with it and sent me on my way. 3 weeks, and 6 weeks out same result. She had some other dDrs check me too, but they couldn't find a hole, so I guess that meant there wasn't one there. They didn't tell me to watch for signs, they didn't even tell me there was a name for what was there or what might develop (even though apparently she had written it in my file).
For the entire first year of my daughter's life, I was very uncomfortable in my rectal/vaginal area, not able to sit on the floor and play with my daughter, have sex comfortably, let alone use the restroom without extreme pain.
At my annual check-up, I went in to see a new Dr. who found the infection and finally diagnosed me with what was called a Recto-Vaginal Fistula. In the past year and a half I've had 6 surgeries to repair what happened to me back in November 2004 including a complete overlap repair of my sphincter muscle, no thanks to CNM Kate Davidson of Salem's Women's Clinic in Salem, Oregon.
If any of this sound familiar to you, if you've gone through this before, even if it's not with the same business, feel free to email me with questions/concerns/advice. I really want to get the word out that this is a growing problem that is not well diagnosed b/s it's partly your midwives fault and they don't want to diagnose and get in trouble so they would rather let you suffer.
Salem Women's Clinic
Salem, Oregon
Kate Davidson, CNM
Medical Negligence
My experience in 2006 and 2007 is a little different. After my first child was born Kate Davidson recommended the merina IUD. When our son was 1 year old or so, we wanted to start trying for another baby. My first appointment with her she convinced me to just cut the strings down as they were very uncomfortable. Second appointment with her she wasted the entire time talking about how it was a poor decision for me based on the personal things I confided with her about during my first pregnancy as a college student. I then went to a second gynecologist in another city and asked them to remove the IUD. They disclosed to me that they could not because I had to go to the first clinic who put it in. So now my fourth appointment and third with Kate Davidson at Salem women's clinic under doctor harmons care, she finally removed the iud. This was of course with a lecture, and her unnecessary opinions. Shortly after I received a letter in the mail, stating I was discharged from their care due to missed appointments. This was a bold lie from Salem women's clinic. I suffered from severe scar tissue. It took me 11 years to finally conceive my second child. After through a research, I have seen countless lawsuits. It is a common practice for low-income women and women of color including Native American indigenous women and African-American women to suffer from forced sterilization... The practice of eugenics is still happening today. Beware of any person invading in your womb space.
Kate, and the salems womens cllinic delivered all 4 of my babies...i have been with them since i was 17..im now almost 40 and still with...they have provided excellent care...extra attention to any abnormal blood work or ultrasounds...all 4 of my kids are big and healthy..as am I.. . they all are amazing women that i have trusted for years..and now my daughter is starting to see her also..i feel nothing but the best support, advice, and wellbeing from the midwives... Kate especially!
I had her for my first and she always found something wrong with me I was 16 worst experience ever and she was ALWAYS wrong. I do not reccomend her for anyone. Back muscles splittling baby a week behind when he was a week ahead. Always something. Asked for her too never see me again. Crazyy woman... sorry if that's offensive. . But that's my experience.
Salem hospital is basically a medical monopoly and the reason they don't allow midwives to deliver there is not because they are nut cases but because when midwives start making up a certain percentage of delivering practitioners at the hospital (generally above 20%) the OB/GYN's see this as encroaching on their territory and use their political clout to get the midwives kicked out. It's all a bunch of political bull**** and really unfortunate because I believe midwives do provide quality prenatal and birthing healthcare. I am sorry to hear you had a bad experience, but I also agree with much of what CJoyus said. If other doctors were not able to diagnose your problem, why blame Kate specifically?
Kate delivered two of my children a few years ago. What happened to you was horrible and could have (should have) been caught. It's unfortunate that it was missed by more than one doctor. However, If what Kate was suggesting was unncessasary, the other doctors would not have done it. If it was in the best interests of your daughter they wouldn't have hesitated to section you. It seems they thought the fastest and best way was to continue through the vagina.
You assume her reason was to protect her record- but I do not know Kate to make flippant decisions about her patients for her own sake.
Two things stick out to me: If the baby is deep in the birth canal, it seems that they took appropriate action by trying to suction and use forcepts (a tool I loathe, but can be useful.) before heading to major surgery ~ which has it's own set of extreme side effects. Also, Kate has delivered MANY babies with cords around their necks- not uncommon. And it is normal for the babies heart rate to drop as the head is squeezed while it is deep in the birth canal. It is a sign that birth is imminent. As long as it bounces back up after the contraction is over.
It seems to me that you are blaming Kate for an unfortunate situation and that she did her best to Help you- not protect herself. Especially if other doctors were a huge part of this whole senario it is interesting to me that you do not mention the names of the other doctors who missed the diagnosis and preformed the delivery.
Oh my god i am so sorry, i hope you are feeling better now! all i can say is doctors are idiots in a major way!