natnrick -Ontario,Canada

Hello - my name is Natalie and like most of you I was pregnant with triplets. It was my first pregnancy and everything was going along fine. I never spotted and nothing unusual happened. I was transferred from my fertility clinic to MacMaster Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario.

Before going on I must explain that I read this forum on a regular basis and I learned a lot from everyone. What stuck in my mind was the message that I need to be aware of my body and if something does not feel right then go to the doctors and be persistent. Well, I listened to everyone and I went.

I went and complained of having back pains. They said nothing was wrong. I went and complained of lower abdominal pain and they said nothing was wrong. I went and complained of lower abdominal pain, lower back pain and brought in a specimen in a zip lock bag that I thought was my mucus plug that had been dislodge that morning...but they said nothing was wrong. The third-year resident that I saw stated that a mucus plug is the size of a small orange and it would be reddish brown. Both my husband and I told her that I was still having very strong pains that prevented me from walking when they came. She checked the external of my vagina and said my cervix was closed. She then sent me home. I was given the same explanation as before, I am having triplets and my body is expanding.

I went home and I continued to have pains. My husband, who was great during this ordeal, told me to lay on the ground with my butt up against the couch and my legs up on the it and a pillow under my butt. I don't know how he came up with that idea but it helped with the pain. Anyway, I went to the hospital for a regular ultrasound two days later and my cervix had begun to dilate and one of my baby’s sacs had squeezed through into my vagina. This is called a prolapsed sac.

I just got the hospital discharge report after three months and the doctor wrote, "She was seen in assessment on January 25th complaining of some cramping and a speculum exam was done which showed the external os to be closed and the cervix apparently normal because she had a follow up ultrasound booked in the clinic for January 29th. That was the next time that she was seen and at that time on ultrasound there was hourglassing of her membranes and speculum exam showed the amniotic sac to be almost down to the introitus." Would you call what I described above, "some cramping?"

Let me add more to the story, I found out from one of the nurses that there were three other mothers with triplets in the hospital who had also lost their babies. Later, when I was discharged, by coincidence I saw one of them in the elevator. She and I have been talking and guess what . . . she had the same experience. She had back pains that were brushed aside. She had mucus discharge that was downplayed. She went to the hospital after her water broke. Even then, while in the hospital she told them that she felt like she needed to go to the bathroom and push, which we now know means she was in labor and her baby wanted to come out, but they told her she was constipated and they gave her a stool softener.

I am hurting and I am angry. Rick and I had no one to turn to who could have told us “stay in the hospital” on that Sunday when I brought in my mucus plug. We did not know because we were first time parents. Now, we have no babies and the doctors,the “professionals”, have told us that I have an incompetent cervix and I cannot carry my babies. Furthermore, she has indicated that I must be considered "very high risk" for future pregnancies. What was I before, low risk?

I wish I knew the other two mothers who lost their babies during the same timeframe. I would love to hear their stories and see if they had the same experience.

I believe that the approach used by McMaster Hospital in dealing with my pregnancy is negligent. I believe that the third-year resident will destroy other mother's lives. I believe all this based on my experience and what I have heard from the other triplet mother who was there at the same time.

I wish I had gone to another hospital. I wish I had seen someone else. I want to do something but I don't know what to do. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Natalie

natnrick -Ontario,Canada

Natalie, I am so sorry that you lost your triplets. How far along were you when this happened? It does seem like their was some negligence by the doctors that were involved. I am not a doctor but I can't believe that they didn't put you in the hospital and put you on mag sulfate. It just doesn't make sense. Have you talked to a lawyer about what happened to you? We are currently in the process of talking to a lawyer to see if we have a case. I am so sorry but that is the only advice that I have for you.

Again, I am so sorry for the loss of your triplets.

Engrid
Jackson 4# 2oz
Ruark 3# 11oz
Ethan 2# 15oz our angel in heaven
All born on 12/23/02

Liam Ethan 8# 7oz born on 5/11/05

Natalie-

I am so sorry about your triplets. I can not imagine the rage, frustration, sadness, anger, etc. that you must feel. As I said in my post on the main forum board, I got so angry reading your posts.

I know I already mentioned these things on the main board, but want to make sure you see them-

I don't have any magical answers on what you could do, but in reading your post, I think it would be helpful for you to find the other triplet moms from your hospital to see if they did, indeed, expereince the same things you did. You might be able to track them down through CLIMB (Center for Loss in Multiple Births at www.climb-support.org) and/or through their email lists, LAMB (Loss of ALl in Multiple Births, which you can learn more about through CLIMB). It is possible that you might "meet" other moms who have lost triplets, twins, quads, etc. from your hospital (although I hope this isn't the case) and perhaps you can get together and figure out what do to from here.

Again, I am so sorry for your loss. It is so unfair.
Sending you thoughts for peace-

April
Mom to ^i^ Hannah, ^i^ Ryan and ^i^ Abby. My 3 little birds in Heaven.

Joey, born 5/8/05 (Mother's Day!)
Laura, born 5/26/07
^I^, ^i^

A butterfly lights beside us, like a sunbeam
And for a brief moment, It's glory and beauty belong to our world..

Natalie,
I just also wanted to say I am sorry you lost your babies. I know that no one can say anything to make it better, and I won't try. Please, take care of yourself and your husband...

Mom to:
Matt (1991) Megan (1994) and ^Eric Jr^ Levi and Vivian (2003) at 26 weeks