319. Abusive Hospitals

The anger I feel is large. The physical therapist does not work on Sunday, so they want Andrew to stay in the hospital another day. Because of this, without consulting us, Andrew's circumcision is delayed another day as well. Diana can come home today, but she doesn't want to. She wants to spend the time with Andrew. Her breasts have begun to produce milk.

They tell us. They don't give us options. They don't say, "If you take your child, then it will be complicated to get an appointment and follow through, we would just like you to stay another day. And if you take your child home, it makes it more difficult for us to see the baby when it's convenient for us. Plus it might be harder to bill for us." I am considering just taking him out of the hospital.

I find hospitals abuse the trust that we give them. From the nurses who kept opening Diana's labor room door when she wished otherwise, to the doctors who did not wish to discuss the procedures. One doctor said to me, "You want to have the baby in a hospital? This is what we do." Which is counter to the patients rights posted on a wall, where doctors must give complete disclosure. Also, an aspect of the patient's bill of rights is not to fear reprisals for being assertive. Ah, but I do. When Diana refused to take antibiotics before her water was broken, they woke her up to get her to sign a sheet. And then they stayed away from her. Later when we wanted the antibiotics, they were nowhere to be found. Once the sheet was signed, they washed their hands, as if that was it.

And in the end it's all about inconvenience. It's Sunday. Of course we can't take our baby home. I feel so angry.