So i have been battling with myself on weather to write my Midwife a letter or not to. I feel like i SHOULD and that she NEEDS to hear what i have to say about her lack or professionalism in our situation. I am so extremely disappointed in how she just dropped us like we never existed after Stella died. She didn't follow through with anything she said she would either. AND she didn't even have the decency to write us a note or card of sympathy. I was SO EXCITED to have a MW and chance to have a home birth, with much disapproval of my husband too (which is also a bad spot in this mess) I felt SO close to her and trusted her with the life of me and my daughter, just to have Stella die and her bail on me. I think i will write the letter, and i may or may not send it to her. I know this has to be something i have to do to keep moving towards healing on this road of grief.
OK, so i wrote the letter. Is it sufecient enough? Too harsh? Should i send it?
Rosemary,
I wanted to write you and get a few things off of my chest. I have been having a really hard time coping with this loss and i feel the way you handled our situation was completely unacceptable and unprofessional. I had so much trust in you and felt very close friendship with you as well. I had always dreamed of having a home birth and a close friend like relationship with the care provider that would accompany us at our home durring the birth of our child. I expected if things were to go awry, that you would be there for me. You told my husband and I, that in care of transfer or emergency, that you would be there for us. You were not. I also expected, with you being a mother of 9 children yourself, that you would have the compassion to send at least a note of sympathy. When i received the check back just wrapped in a piece of paper tore from a notebook with not even a single word written on it, my heart, or what was left of it at the time, shattered along with all of my dreams and expectations of this entire experience. I begged and pleaded with Matt to have this home birthing experience, and the turn out was even WORSE that i could have EVER IMAGINED and how you "handled" the situation, made it all that much harder on us both. I would expect a professional midwife to take the initiative to be there for her patients in the good times and the bad. You could have also joined us for the service or sent a card of sympathy. When you didn't do a single thing i felt that you had lied to me the entire time i was entrusting you with our family. Like we didn't matter at all. I felt completely abandoned and still do. You could have also sent some bereavement information to let us know you care, and what we could expect from this disaster that has become our life. If you expect to carry on as a professional certified nurse midwife, i suggest you become more empathetic and follow through with all of your expectations. I am not sure if i was the first experience of stillbirth you have encountered in your career, but i know i will surely NOT be the last with the rates of this occurring in WI even in modern times. & i surely HOPE you wouldn't blow off another family having to endure such a tragedy. You should really think about how to handle situations like this better if you plan on continuing in this profession, to keep other from feeling the emotions i have been left, alone to deal with. I am hoping this letter may have opened your eyes to this tragedy and how it truely effected me and my family and that you learn to deal with this kind of situation in a more professional manner. I also hope in getting this out, that i may be able to cope and grieve a little better.
Hope all is well.
~Krystal
ten years
6 years ago



2 comments:
I think that this letter should be sent. It may be harsh, yet will never compare with what she did. As a professional, she NEEDS to know how to handle such a situation. What she did was in no way professional. I hope that this opens her eyes. I love you, Krystal. And I miss and love you Stella Grace.
Exactly what karie said!! Although the letter may seem harsh, its the truth, and regardless of whether she likes it or not, she needs to know!! Because she is still a midwife, and this could potentially happen to another mother, and they way she handled the whole situation was absolutely unacceptable!!! Definately mail that shit!!! <3 love you sis!!
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