Why my baby died?

Question

I started experiencing Braxton Hicks Contractions from around week 36. I ask my doc about it and she said it was nothing to worry about. In fact, she said my baby had a 10/10 score and was even almost already in position for a normal delivey. However these contractions started becoming more regular and intense over the next week. Because of these contractions, i could barely notice my baby's movements. Nearing week 38, one day i did not feel any movement at all. At the doc office, an ultrasound scan was done and we found that my baby's heart was barely beating. An emergency c-section was performed but my baby could not be saved. I want to know if these contractions could have caused any distress to my baby or had anything to do with my baby's death. Please, if anyone has any idea, kindly share with me.

Answer 1

I'm so sorry for your loss, only those of us who have lost a child can truly understand the feeling... and my OB was especially cruel.. after he induced me and I delivered my baby who was dead already.. for no apparent reason that the Doc would say.. they put me in a semi-private room and my roomie would have her beautiful baby brought in to her at regular intervals for breast feeding.

after this happened again 2 years later.. (the first.. I was 6 months pregnant.. the 2nd I was 6.5 months pregnant).. and my first pregnancy.. I was the picture of health.. my son was a healthy 11.2 at birth and I walked back to my room, I was doing so well!!

I called my friend who works for an attorney.. they got my medical records for both stillborns, or as the doctor had referred to them in his notes..... stone babies.

I had clots in the placenta in both cases that restricted the blood supply to the baby(s). He didn't think I needed to know this information. I don't think I am a vindictive person, but I also didn't want him to put another family through what he had put us through.

I saw a hematologist.. I was diagnosed with a blood disorder that can be treated very easily during pregnancy.. I just needed a doctor that was paying attention to me instead of his golf game, which is where he was when I called him the first time.. I hadn't felt the baby move all afternoon.. and that was odd.

Our attorney sued him.. wrongful death.. his insurance company settled.. But the money didn't bring my girls back. So my husband decided that after some of the money had been set aside for a college fund for our son, we donated the balance to our local hospital pediatric department. normally Neo-natal cases (pre-meeies) have to be sent to the larger hospital about 60 miles away. Now we have the facilities here. There is also an interest bearing account established for parents that have to have their babies cared for at the city hospital.. the cost of their hotel and meals is paid for out of that endowment account.

So we tried to make something good come from our losses.

So.. I guess I'm suggesting that you consult with an attorney that specializes in medical malpractice.. It's very hard to get one doctor to say that one of his buds did something wrong.. but your attorney can send your records outside your area to another area of your state for an opinion of care.

Be pro-active.. make a difference. Make sure that this doesn't happen to someone else. Make sure that you aren't answering this question for someone else. Even 9 years later, it still hurts.

BUT... we have a beautiful daughter.. born 2 years after I hung that SOB out to dry... lol.. Her big brother adores her, her dad spoils her rotten.. ok, maybe I do too. AND I have a new OBGYN who had no trouble treating the blood disorder while I was pregnant.

I read this to my almost 7 yr old daughter. She understands about her 2 sisters that are in heaven with her grandpa.. we had already decided to name them Marissa and then Alicia.

7 yrs olds have a very unique way of looking at the world.. after I told her what had happened to you.. she said.. when I say my prayers tonight, I'm going to ask God and Grandpa to help Mari and Ali find her baby so they can be together.... I really wish she would have told us if she had a boy baby or a girl baby..

So she's quite upset with you on that score.

God Bless you. and know that my girls and my darling father in law are taking care of your baby for you.

If you ever need to talk.. [e-mail]

Answer 2

I like everyone else here can't really give you a direct answer and I too am so dearly sorry for your lose.
(not that it helps) but I too have experienced something similar and I know there is nothing worse then having to deliver a silent baby.
Perhaps these "braxton" contractions were a warning sign but you could never have known and even the autopsy report I imagine won't really clarify that for you.
You'll be unfortunately left forever wondering "what if"?
Braxton Hicks contractions do normally start gaining strength at around 36 weeks and get stronger and more frequent as you progress through the pregnancy, so your doctor was probably correct with their diagnosis at that point.
I guess my advice would be for you to have a solicitor look over the autopsy report for you and if you can find the strength sit down and tell your story to them to try and determine if there was anything more that the doctors could have done to prevent this.
I hope for your sake that they can find some medical explanation for you and that in the future something can be done to prevent this re occurring for you.
My heart and thoughts are with you and I pray for your family and your little angel.

Answer 3

The baby could have just gotten so fatigued and had heart failure or something from the nonstop contractions. Maybe if they didn't stop or slow down after a couple of days you should have consulted your doctor again? I don't know I 'm greatly sorry for your loss. I think doctors should spend more time with patiences instead of paperwork and insurance companies. Did you also know that when you go to the doctor for a problem you're suppose to come back usually with in a week (give or take) for a follow up visit? I don't know what happened because I'm not a doctor or the person who did the autopsy but seeing your child was so close to the due date I would diffidently contact a lawyer to help you with closure and peace about what happened. Please don't take it that anything was your fault and you could have done better because that's not true, I think you did the best you could and the doctor should have taken better care of you and your baby.

Answer 4

I am so sorry for your loss. My very first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage and I was devastated. I doubt it was Braxton Hicks contractions that caused your baby's death. Did the doctor's not tell you anything about the cord if there was a knot in it or if it were wrapped around the baby's neck? A knot in the cord could have caused a problem with the baby's oxygen and blood level. If the cord was fine, then the only other way to know for sure would have been to have an autopsy done. That could have revealed if anything was wrong with the way an organ had developed and contributed to the death.

Answer 5

When any sort of tragedy happens, the first thing we want to do, the first thing we _have_ to do, is to find out why. We tell ourselves that this is to keep it from happening again, but what's really happening is that the human mind demands to know causes and effects for everything, especially things as horrible as this. It is our nature.

Often, though, there isn't an explanation, or if there is, it's inadequate. Perhaps it was the contractions, or the umbilical cord, but then we're left asking ourselves why it happened just like this, why we or the doctor didn't notice something. The doctor goes through precisely the same agonies, but is trained to appear unemotional, which can enrage us.

In any case, it always comes down to random misfortune, which is of no solace at all. Tragedies often have no meaning, and it is up to us, as adults, to find other ways to heal.

I am a man, and have no children. But I do know that the anger from the death of a child, understandable as it is, can tear apart a person's marriage, family, and life. To preserve these, it may be best to look for peace, instead of answers.

Please accept my sympathy.

Answer 6

First thing, i want to say how sorry i am. I had a miscarriage and it was hard to take, i cant even imagine how you do it. As far as your contractions, honey, i'm not a doctor, but i would bet that those contractions did cause distress. Did they say if the cord was around the babys neck?? that could have had a hand in it. I would ask to see the delivery notes and nurses notes. maybe contact a lawyer and let them look. maybe there was something that could have been done sooner. again i want to say how sorry i am for you and your loss. if you could please keep me posted on what you find out.

Answer 7

First off i just want you to know that i terribly sorry for your lost.

The same thing happen to me with my first born. your baby didn't die due to the contractions he probably was ready to be delivered just like mine was. at the hospital a much more skilled ob/gyn realized that my uterus was to small and i could not have babies naturally and that's why i never dilated I only felt cont rations so the doctor thought it was false labor
You might want to try and find out if Ur situation is like mine and if it is. in the future you will only be able to have c-section deliveries

Answer 8

It is possible that something was wrong with your baby and that is why you started having the contractions. I am very sorry that this happened to you, I had an aunt that lost 2 babies in her fifth month. She had an infection that caused contractions both times.

Answer 9

First of all I just want to say I am terribly sorry to hear that.It must be awful.I know a lot of people whom have had Braxton Hicks,But not of anyone {so far} to lose a child because of it.Just remember that everything happens for a reason.Good or bad you learn and grow stronger.The best of luck to you.

Answer 10

I don't have any ideas on whether the contractions had anything to do with your baby dying or not. I just wanted to offer my condolences on the lose of your child. It is not an easy thing to go through.