Incompetent Cervix and 2 Second Trimester Losses | Improving Maternal and Fetal Outcomes

Today, we talk with Vu-An Foster, an MPH (Master of Public Health) candidate and founder of Life After 2 Losses, an organization and blog in which she shares her story of the preventable losses of her two daughters, and which aims to “support, inform, and empower other women and moms to prevent them from suffering similar losses by providing advocacy through education” (https://www.lifeafter2losses.com/). We begin our discussion with Vu-An sharing her experiences with two preventable losses in the second trimester because of inadequate treatment and medical neglect. We discuss what you can say to your medical professionals to advocate for yourself in any situation. Vu-An emphasizes the mission of her organization and shares what her professional aspirations and goals are. She talks about her experiences as a patient representative, listening to and addressing patient complaints, and how this fuels her to instigate change through policy to address these complaints. We have a candid talk about hospital policy and discrimination, and Vu-An shares what she has seen working in an inner-city hospital. Vu-An then talks about the new procedure -- a trans-abdominal cerclage -- that significantly improves her chances of a successful pregnancy and delivery (more details on the procedure can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/lifeafter2losses). We finish by discussing Vu-An’s goals for her organization, including an upcoming website and fundraisers, providing a safe space in which women who have suffered loss can get help getting their life back. Vu-An’s Story 1:02 What to Tell Medical Professionals to Advocate For Yourself 12:23 Vu-An’s Career Trajectory; Hospital Policy 22:01 The Procedure That Worked for Vu-An; How To Connect with Vu-An 30:24 “With my second pregnancy, I showed up to labor and delivery, and I had told them, ‘I think my water broke.’ They checked me out and they discharged me. I got to the parking lot, and the rest of my water fell onto the floor. When I went back inside, they told me, ‘Well, if it was going to happen anyway, what does it matter if it happened outside or in here?’ So, I feel like, they cannot kick you out of a hospital facility. If you feel like something is wrong with you, you need to let them know, ‘I’m not leaving until you further check me out.’” 15:00 birthcircle.com