My thanks to M for finding out what Dr. Holland meant by "boggy" and writing in. Whatever Dr. Holland meant by the umbilical cord being "too boggy," it's always been clear that the reason she failed to extract cord blood after my c-section is that she forgot. It's difficult to say, of course, whether she willfully forgot because she had so little regard for me, her patient, or whether she forgot because she was in such a state of agitation and anger. (There were other oversights: she also forgot to introduce me to her partners as promised at our first meeting, forgot that I didn't want to be induced after my contractions started, forgot that she never came to see me in recovery after the c-section, and the day after, forgot to return for a follow-up checkup after saying, "I'll be back later." And she forgot--or chose not to--stitch a double layer, as I requested, jeopardizing any future VBAC.)

My complaint against her to the NYS Office of Professional Medical Conduct is still in progress. The investigator, John Lanza, originally interviewed me in February and said the investigation would take about six months. So I rang him at the beginning of October for an update, and he said that the investigation is still in progress.

Most doctors I have met consider Cesarean sections to be almost routine. That is, it's no big deal to have the surgery. Your obstetrician talks about your recovery time in terms of days or weeks. But the truth is, you never recover. You have been sliced through by a knife. I still have minor pain in my incision area when I exercise. But that's not what I'm talking about.

This summer, my mother underwent surgery for peritoneal dialysis (inserting a tube in the stomach for dialysis) and the surgeon was worried the surgery would fail because there were so many adhesions, or scarring, from her cesareans and subsequent hysterectomy.

A cesarean also increases your chances of having to have a hysterectomy (which can lead to further complications and hormonal imbalance). It increases your chances of having placenta accreta in future pregnancies, in which the placenta adheres to the scar tissue.

Obstetricians won't take into account or discuss the long-term repercussions of the surgery because it is likely (s)he won't be dealing with the problems that may happen down the line.

But a cesarean is major surgery and don't let your doctor act like it isn't. You should be afraid.

Furthermore, your fears should be taken seriously. Your future reproductive and overall health should be factored into your care. You shouldn't be treated as if you are irrational or mentally ill, as Dr. Claudia Holland kept saying I was, because you disagree with an unnecessary cesarean. (I don't think an obstetrician should be commenting on your mental health, in the first place. Better to leave that to a psychiatrist.) You shouldn't be induced without your consent as I was by Dr. Holland. Dr. Holland said that I had to have a cesarean right that minute because the operating room might not be available at night, which is when I wanted to wait until. Is that a good reason for a cesarean?

My friend just gave birth and she said on e-mail, "They wanted to induce me on my due date, but I went early. I showed them!" She showed them. Her words reveal what she felt: that her doctor was an antagonist and not someone interested in her optimal care. It is really sad that pregnant women have to defend themselves from their own doctors. I wonder if the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists is aware of this or if they care.