A woman has called for hospitals to have separate waiting rooms for patients experiencing pregnancy loss.
In a TikTok video, India Batson spoke candidly about how she wishes there were special waiting rooms for people like her who have suffered a pregnancy loss. She reflected on her experience at a recent OB-GYN doctor's appointment, in which she noted how heartbreaking it was to be around pregnant women so soon after suffering a miscarriage.
“Sitting in that waiting room next to tons of pregnant women while you wait to come back just to get blood work done to see if your HCG [level] “Going back to zero sucks, it absolutely sucks,” Batson said in the video. “There's no other way to put it.”
She continued: “On both occasions, I felt like there were ways we could improve…an already horrible experience by adding trauma-informed care to these OB/GYN offices after women find out they've lost their baby and are grieving. process and simply be more compassionate and empathetic with these women.”
“I don't think putting us next to each other for blood tests is the best approach, being kind and empathetic,” he added.
“I can't speak for all women about what they would like. But it is clear that there are ways to overcome this,” Batson continued. “I would love nothing more than for this horrible experience to actually lead to positive changes for the women who will suffer a miscarriage after me.”
While Batson pointed out Good morning america who has heard that some OB-GYN offices have ways of accommodating grieving patients, such as staggered schedules or separate waiting rooms, she hoped her petition could lead to more comprehensive reform in the way doctors treat women. people with pregnancy loss.
Batson shared that she recently suffered a miscarriage in February and has experienced consecutive pregnancy losses in the past, including the rupture of an ectopic pregnancy. This type of pregnancy occurs when a fertilized egg implants outside the uterus, usually in the fallopian tubes. According to the Cleveland ClinicA rupture occurs when the fallopian tube ruptures, causing severe bleeding, infection, and sometimes death.
There are many other ways pregnancy loss can occur, including leading causes such as miscarriage and stillbirth. The first is defined as the sudden loss of a pregnancy before the 20th week; Reportedly, between 10 and 20 percent of pregnancies end in miscarriage.
Stillbirths, meanwhile, occur when the baby dies in the womb after the 20th week of pregnancy and often occur before the patient goes into labor. Stillbirths affect approximately one in 175 pregnancies in the U.S. each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Doctors encourage patients experiencing pregnancy loss to seek the emotional support they need, and warn them that seeing a therapist or psychiatrist could give them the tools they need to process their grief. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, joining a support group can be another way a patient can confront their complicated feelings while also finding comfort among people who have gone through similar experiences.
