Blood issue is becoming unavoidable for me since she wants another child

Check_Your_Premises

Does anybody have info, or know where to find the following info

1. What % childbirths require blood transfusions for mother? 2. What % childbirths require blood for child? 3. What blood components would be likely to be required? 4. What % of transfusions of those components result in complications?

5. What % of placental abruptions require the mother to have a transfusion?

This is my lead in info/questions. I will use this as the starting point to build my case both biblically (from ISOCF) and medically (I think all components are transferred between mother and child!!! God doesn't seem to mind blood transfusions!!!), eventually showing her the silly changes in organ transplants and vaccinations. I will let her know that current policy has changed, that blood transfusions are da, which means no investigation. I am sure there are some HIPPA issues with them asking you about it. Finally if she refuses to take blood under any circumstances during birth, I will likley be forced to refuse to have another child based on the above statistics.

I have been praying on this one alot.

rebel8

I work at a medical school. Looking some stuff up for you now.

jgnat

First question, what is her RH factor/blood type? If yours and hers are compatible, your risk is greatly reduced. If yours and hers are not compatible, find out what her conscience is on the use of RhoGAM. Many JW wives have chosen to allow this treatment.

http://www.americanpregnancy.org/prenataltesting/rhfactor.html

If RH factor is not a problem, the second most risky time is after delivery from hemorrhage. The incidence rate in the US is somewhere from 2% to 4% of pregnancies.

http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/topic481.htm

I find that most JW's are afraid to look at the possibility of death too closely. It is safer to stay in the cotton-wool assurances of the society that most times the skillfull doctors can find an alternative. I've had a fair bit of success peppering my JW husband with these types of specific questions to make him really think about the consequences of abstension from blood. I'd get her to read the articles and ask for a reasoned response. I'd think that for most women the practical considerations of survival and motherhood would help them make a reasoned decision.

Unfortunately, many JW's set aside such deep thoughts until they are in the middle of a crisis, and the HLC representative is right there guiding their decision.

There are not any empirical studies on the survival rate for patients who refuse a blood transfusion after catastrophic blood loss. Such a study would be unethical because the test subjects would die.

avishai

Sorry to sound like a jerk, but why would you risk having another child brought up as a JW? Why would you risk being away on a business trip, having that child be in an accident and have HER decide not to give that child a transfusion sometime in the future? It's not just at birth that this kinda stuff can happen. Things to think about, and these things DO happen, we've seen it here on this very board.

Check_Your_Premises

Not at all Avashi. That is a fair question.

I don't, to tell you the truth. That one is a little hard to say, and still keep her trust.

The blood issue is VERY relevant to our situation, and very touchy. We lost our son during delivery due to a placental abruption. It was almost a year ago, and I am still sad most of the time. I am not looking forward to another pregnancy at all. On the other hand in a strange sort of way I feel I owe it to my son to not be a pussy. I don't know if that makes sense.

The sad fact is that having an abruption makes it more likely to have another (17% more likely). Placental abruptions are as I understand it, a major cause of blood loss during pregnancy.

She is ready to go, we talked in the past about starting now. I have found other reasons to put it off, but it is becoming more difficult to explain.

rebel8

Afraid I didn’t find much in the library or in databases.

What % childbirths require blood transfusions for mother?

1-6% of women who get c-sections require transfusions: http://www.attachmentparenting.org/acogcims.shtml

4% of those who deliver vaginally hemmorhage: http://www.obfocus.com/high-risk/bleeding/hemorrhagepa.htm 2. What % childbirths require blood for child?

general article that doesn’t mention %: http://www.pediatrix.com/body.cfm?id=7&action=detail&AEProductID=Client_PDX52475423&AEarticleiD=58

3. What blood components would be likely to be required? I’ll defer that one to a clinical person on the board. Scully? 4. What % of transfusions of those components result in complications?

1-2% experience side effects: http://www.marrow.org/PATIENT/blood_transfusions.html

What % of placental abruptions require the mother to have a transfusion? http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic6.htm

Blood issue is becoming unavoidable for me since she wants another child

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