Preggers in the Hot Tub?
When I was making my way through my childbearing years, I was gifted with two beautiful, perfectly wonderful daughters. I thank God for them more times than there are numbers to count with, but sometimes I think about the two others.
I had a first miscarriage, then a live birth, a second miscarriage and a second live birth before my family was finished. I mourned both of the babies I lost and often thought that if I had only been able to identify what I might have done to cause the losses, I would never have done it again. I went to my then doctor after the first one, and tried to ask the question of him. He put his feet up on the desk. lit up a cigarette (we're talking twenty-five years ago) and then proceeded to take a personal phone call and arrange who would bring the wine with the party at the other end, while I sat there and cried. I will never forget that miseracle bastard or the helplessly sad feeling of having lost the little one I had wanted so much.
That's why I have always felt particular empathy for women going through the experience of a miscarriage; why it has remained a topic of special interest to me. With that in mind, I really took note when I learned about a 1996-1998 population-based study conducted in Oakland, California, at the Division of Research, Kaiser Foundation Research Institute. Miscarriage before 20 weeks of gestation was ascertained for all participants who gave details of hot tub and whirlpool use during personal interviews. Use of hot tubs and whirlpools was found to be associated with a twofold increased risk of miscarriage. The risk increased with increased use of the devices.
I know there are so many times when the only possible answer to the question is "we don't know what caused it". If there are identified causes, however, every woman wanting to have a baby should be informed of them. There will be more loss and the tears that go with it, but if I can forestall any of those tears for any of my sisters, I need to do so. There are still doctors out there with the same mindset as the moron who forgot his Hippocratic oath when he was dealing with me, but if I can help any of my sisters to survive them, I need to do so.
In that spirit, I write this post.
I had a first miscarriage, then a live birth, a second miscarriage and a second live birth before my family was finished. I mourned both of the babies I lost and often thought that if I had only been able to identify what I might have done to cause the losses, I would never have done it again. I went to my then doctor after the first one, and tried to ask the question of him. He put his feet up on the desk. lit up a cigarette (we're talking twenty-five years ago) and then proceeded to take a personal phone call and arrange who would bring the wine with the party at the other end, while I sat there and cried. I will never forget that miseracle bastard or the helplessly sad feeling of having lost the little one I had wanted so much.
That's why I have always felt particular empathy for women going through the experience of a miscarriage; why it has remained a topic of special interest to me. With that in mind, I really took note when I learned about a 1996-1998 population-based study conducted in Oakland, California, at the Division of Research, Kaiser Foundation Research Institute. Miscarriage before 20 weeks of gestation was ascertained for all participants who gave details of hot tub and whirlpool use during personal interviews. Use of hot tubs and whirlpools was found to be associated with a twofold increased risk of miscarriage. The risk increased with increased use of the devices.
I know there are so many times when the only possible answer to the question is "we don't know what caused it". If there are identified causes, however, every woman wanting to have a baby should be informed of them. There will be more loss and the tears that go with it, but if I can forestall any of those tears for any of my sisters, I need to do so. There are still doctors out there with the same mindset as the moron who forgot his Hippocratic oath when he was dealing with me, but if I can help any of my sisters to survive them, I need to do so.
In that spirit, I write this post.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home