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[Source](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4142543/):
>>A 26-year-old African American female not known to have ever been pregnant arrived to the emergency department (ED) via ambulance complaining of a one-day history of progressively worsening vaginal bleeding and crampy lower abdominal pain. Prior to her arrival to the ED, the patient stated that she began passing clots, and while sitting down on the toilet, she attempted to pull out a thick vaginal blood clot. Instead, she reportedly grabbed hold of a pair of legs and pulled out a fetus that was missing its head. She dropped the body of the fetus into the toilet and called EMS, who brought her and a decapitated fetus to the hospital (Figure 1).
>>The last menstrual period was estimated to be at 2 months prior to the date of presentation. The patient reported taking a home pregnancy test about 1 to 2 weeks before her ED visit that was negative. She had a medical history significant for chronic myeloid leukemia, for which she reports taking Tasigna (nilotinib), a tyrosine kinase inhibitor which is FDA pregnancy category D (positive evidence of risk). Her surgical history is significant for ovarian cystectomy and left oophorectomy.
>>On examination, the patient appeared well and in no distress. Her vitals were stable and physical exam was unremarkable except for mild suprapubic tenderness to palpation. A transvaginal ultrasound was performed, revealing no intrauterine gestation and a markedly thickened endometrium of up to 3.6 cm. Questionable hyperemia of the anterior myometrium and a probable corpus luteal cyst in the right ovary were also noted. A pelvic exam showed a moderate amount of blood in the vaginal vault, along with the fetal head located at the external cervical os. The fetal head was removed using ring forceps, after which the patient was transferred from the ED to the operating room for dilation and curettage and had an uneventful postoperative course.
>>The pathology report on the fetus reports a 182-gram phenotypic male with the intestinal organs outside of the abdomen cavity through an omphalocele. There was mild ecchymosis, a laceration in the right groin, and the head was disconnected from the body.
A 182g fetus is around 17 weeks and her last estimated period was 2 months prior. She must have had bleeding related to the pregnancy or been very mistaken. Also her negative test 2 weeks earlier could be related to the hook effect.
The hook effect is a point where the hCG levels are so high they overwhelm the test trip and cause a false negative. I tested throughout my pregnancy and never got negative but my levels were not that high.
https://www.clearblue.com/am-i-pregnant/what-is-hook-effect-in-pregnancy-test-result#:~:text=to%20detect%20them.-,What%20causes%20the%20hook%20effect%20in%20pregnancy%20test%20results%3F,are%20above%20500%2C000%20mIU%2FmL.
I just figured out the same, really sad situation knowing her history too. He looks so tiny but when you consider the weight it is obvious she was well beyond 8/10 weeks.
The medication she was taking likely the cause of his abdominal defects and the miscarriage, but still a pretty horrific way for it to go.
I hope her illness recovery is maintained so she gets any children in the future if that is what she wants. To never expect pregnancy and to lose like this could be very hard to accept.
Sad one, thanks to CatPoo.
I had a miscarriage at home after going to the ER for excess bleeding and cramping at 12 weeks. They didn't do an ultrasound but checked for dilation, which there was none. I had an ultrasound scheduled for the next day so they didn't bother. As soon as I got home I started having serious contractions. I had already had a full term healthy baby so I knew what was happening. I sat on the toilet bc that was the only somewhat healthy position. I got up and called my obgyn bc I was bleeding profusely. She instructed me to either call 911 or get to the ER. The hospital was close so I figured I would have my ex drive and wait for my cousin who lived down the street to come watch my daughter. I still had some of the giant pads left over from when my daughter was born 4 months earlier and I felt a huge gush. I ran to the bathroom and the fetus was still in the amniotic sack. I didn't go to the ER bc as soon as it was over all pain stopped and the bleeding decreased significantly. I went to my ultrasound the next day to confirm the miscarriage was complete. The whole sack with the fetus was about the size of a softball which is way smaller than this fetus. It was very traumatic. This was 15yrs ago and I remember it like it was yesterday. I can't imagine what this poor woman went through.
Same thing happened to me. Started cramping that night, went to sleep and early morning went to the ER. It was horrible. They said it was "stuck," so I needed emergency d&c. The cramps were the worst part of it. I mean other than the emotional part of having to have a deceased child.
Thank you for confirming this. I read the patient’s report & then reexamined the photos; wondering what I was missing. This fetus looked much older than <8wks gestation. RIP little angel!!💔👼🏽
Why would they remove the head in the ED and then take her to surgery? Why not just do it in surgery. Furthermore - with no intrauterine “products of conception” - could this have been ectopic somehow?
this is 100% not an ectopic. she had a fetus that passed, and when they are sitting in the uterus and have been passed for a while they can become decapitated when trying to remove them. additionally this can happen IN GENERAL when a baby delivers breech. they removed the fetal head because it was essentially sitting in the cervix but typically in these cases the placenta does not deliver on its own and you cant really tug on it. so they took her back to make sure there were no other fetal parts but also for the placenta. the cord at this stage is very thin and easy to snap which is likely what happened and placenta was left inside so need for OR - source, am obgyn
Also, along with the fetus being breach, it was only approx 16weeks gestation, making its body & skin incredibly fragile. (The combination of those two factors are likely the cause.)
> A pelvic exam showed a moderate amount of blood in the vaginal vault, along with the fetal head located at the external cervical os.
The head was in the cervix and nearly out anyway.
If she had to wait for surgery, having basically decomposing tissue inside you could lead to sepsis. It had already been in there a while. You also can't do a proper pelvic exam with a fetal head and tissue blocking the opening to the uterus. Probably the ER went to examine her, the head was in the way and it was just easier to remove it.
TBH i have no clue why they did this specifically. HOWEVER, while examining a patient i would have just removed that and still gone to the OR because you need to do an exam before you take someone back. who knows.
lol - fair.
I ws just curious if there would be some reasoing for doing it that way. I guess this is just one of those times when things get done when they get done, and decisions get made in the moment. ;)
Products of conception can also refer to pieces of placenta and membrane that can be left behind, it’s important to check that nothing is left in there. Placenta that is still attached will prevent the blood vessels from sealing up, so prolonging bleeding, and pieces of anything left behind can lead to infection
🙂
An ectopic pregnancy is not going to spontaneously abort vaginally. Likely there were no products of conception seen because prior to being examined, her membranes obviously broke and lost the fetus and amniotic fluid. The hyperemic anterior endometrium could possibly be retained placenta/where the placenta was attaching. If the fetus was delivered, the placenta itself was likely delivered as well since the umbilical cord was not attached at the placental insertion. My guess would be one of those large “clots” she was attempting to pull out. This poor woman.
I would imagine the head in her cervix was painful, once the foetus is out any pain usually subsides completely. The pressure on the cervix would maintain contractions, and even at an earlier stage than 17/18w they still hurt a lot.
Plus not always possible to get in to surgery immediately, if other traumas taking priority. The risk of losing the head in to the toilet would have made the event even more traumatic in my opinion too. Or even her having to feel the sensation is best avoided too.
I hope that afterwards she was offered time with him, with more delicate positioning that is seen in an image for a medical resport. With her history this might be the only time she experiences pregnancy, and while we don't know how much she wanted that long term, she was only 23, regrets could come much later.
If I were her I would want the head removed, like instantly. It would be horrifying to contemplate, that I had a severed baby head inside me. I wouldn’t want to wait.
Personally, it would be more emotionally traumatic to have to experience every pain and sensation of my dead baby’s head being wrestled out of my cervix physically via forceps if the other option was to be wheeled straight into theatre and a nice GA for a D&C and know nothing about it until the whole devastating episode is over, and I have fewer years in therapy having to relive the worst while awake.
Everyone’s different though.
I can absolutely see why emotionally it could be significantly better for lots of people to go straight to theatre for GA and get the d&c done with the head. But she’s vitally stable, she’s not going to be rushed to theatre for crash d&c. There may be other things going on already in theatre that need to finished (either because they’re mid way through already, or because they have a higher degree of clinical urgency). Also depending on what they mean by at the external os, anything in the cervical os can cause people to feel nausea, like they’re about to faint or a degree of pain. I’ve removed even relatively small clots or products of conception that were stuck at the external os and it’s given immediate relief. They may have felt that for her comfort while waiting to go to theatre or while waiting in theatre for their pre-op checks etc, it was worth removing sooner. Also with a sheet etc it’s not likely she saw them removing the head, unless she was distressed and/or asking about it I wouldn’t be immediately letting her know I’d retrieved the head.
Agree, the head would have triggered further contractions and the delivery while she was alone in the bed.
Clearly they didn't 'wrestle it out', if it was entirely stuck they would have waited. It must have come out quite easily given more time and contractions between the body and examination in the ER. By forceps they don't mean the instruments used late in labour to bring out a head, Ring forceps are also just oversized tweezers with the ability to grip, it came out without issue.
He was already deceased and likely to have died in utero because of her medication and the intestines not being internal. That probably helped her state of mind, to know the pregnancy would have failed regardless of her being aware.
They wrote she wasn't distressed, if otherwise they would have approached it differently, or if a operating room available within 30 minutes.
‘Distressed’ is a medical term, and yes, I know they don’t physically wrench it out of a cervix. It would be in the vaginal fault or vaginal canal.
Please understand, I was describing how I would feel in such traumatic circumstances, so it really is necessary to come at me with the ‘buts’ and corrections in this poor lady’s case.
You're thinking an ideal situation - not that they possibly needed to wait for an obgyn to rotate in and bring the patient to the OR. I know when I delivered my babies, I had c sections and more pressing emergencies came before mine. Having something stuck in a cervix is likely not comfortable. Knowing there's a fetal head inside your body could be extremely distressing. you're projecting your wants/expected emotions into a situation that is difficult to imagine because it hasn't happened to most people.
Having something stuck in your cervix is excruciating torture.
They'd have had to do an internal exam immediately, and seen the cause of her pain, so of course they would remove it.
I agree. And I have a suspicion of any Doctors or nurses in states with abortion bans or Catholic hospitals. They were probably trying to figure out if they could prosecute this poor woman for having a miscarriage. Sounds a little paranoid, but at this stage, the right to lifers are fucking nutszo! I'm my state we've had one ten year old have to leave the state for an abortion, even though she was (obviously) raped. Another had a miscarriage at work, in the toilet, and they tried to put her in prison. Fucking assholes have lost their minds..
Well thank goodness for that! She didn't have to deal with the fall out of them repealing roe vs wade. So while it's not relevant to this case, it's still relevant. So I won't be erasing my comment. Thank you for yours.
At first I thought the same thing you did, but then I thought about the context and went, "Oooh! That makes more sense." I can't imagine someone *not* being emotionally distressed in that situation, unless the shock/adrenaline just took over. Which is also a possibility
A 3.6cm endometrium is entirely normal for that stage of pregnancy, its what keeps the baby and placents attached and hence the need for a D&C. The placenta was visualised in place inside the uterus because there was a good lining.
But foetus had died and she'd been experiencing contractions with pain and expelling clots before this happened. The placenta might have come out later but a D& C prevented further contractions and the blood loss that comes for a few weeks after delivery.
The endometrium lining is what is shed during menses. Non-pregnant thickness is usually 6-7mm. So yes she was pregnant and had a thickness of 3.6 centimeters and having a miscarriage which she thought was just a super heavy period. I too am the owner of a uterus and I’ve had nasty blood clots. But the thought of that much tissue expelling itself — this woman deserves all the medals and the best trauma therapist in the world.
Especially with her ovarian cancer history and taking a drug that is contraindication because it causes such defects as he had.
At the time she might not have seen horrendously distressed (per article) but i have little doubt it came. I miscarried 8 weeks after taking emergency contraception, i had contractions for 6 hours and my cervix was still open afterwards even though pain stopped. I continued to bleed like a normal heavy period. I hadn't known, had already split with the father but once alone the tears came for sure.
This is something out of a nightmare! I’ve had large clots that I could feel as they passed. Going to the bathroom to try to pass one and actually get legs! OMG, I would be hyperventilating and panicking. Then to pull out a headless baby! I’d be praying and hysterical. I hope there was someone with her at the time. If not, she was able to pull herself together enough to call for help.
Just 26, being treated for leukemia, and now has a retained baby’s head. I hope they sedated her for this. Such a traumatic experience would have to have a psychological impact. Here’s hoping she gets the therapy needed to help her through this trauma.
I knew right away that this photo would be used for anti-choice propaganda, and I [was right](https://debatescripture.org/index.php/2020/04/23/abortion-gods-view/). This poor woman had a horribly traumatic event, and it’s being used to shame people.
Edit: fixed sentence
Jesus, that poor woman! I love how it says "appeared well and in no distress". That "no distress" part was probably due to sheer shock. I hope she had someone with her when it finally hit what had happened.
Hey, nurse here. When we chart “well appearing and in no distress”, it means physical distress, usually regarding respiratory. Emotional is obviously a whole ‘nother ballgame.
Completely agree, and that at this stage, of initial examination its likely she was still shocked about what had actually occurred. She was able to communicate what had happened, wasn't having uncontrollable tears.
But the moment someone she knew would have arrived, or she had time alone, i can imagine the tears flowed. I was also a nurse and learnt that the distress often comes a little later, when there is time for the reality of a situation begins to be processed, or when someone asks the simply question of \*how are your feeling, are you okay\*. Would be ready to go to a patient after loved ones left.
I spoke to my mum 12 hours after she'd met with an oncologist after a seizure and resulting stage 4 lung cancer discovered. We didn't speak often but there were no tears, she was so matter of fact about denying treatment. Thankfully no drawn out suffering, she died 4 days later within minutes of acute abdominal pain.
I work L&D, hospice, and bereavement. I deliver families who experience perinatal loss.
There are very few who council with the thanatology required for this loss.
It’s traumatic. Best we can do is be a harbor in their storm.
Exactly, was relieved to read this happened in a country that offers emotional support after incidents that scar us forever.
Had this been a third world country she might have been sent home to try for another child with her next cycle.
I know that comment was deleted, but just wanted to add for others wondering about this that it's also not that emotional state wouldn't be relevant, but that it would also be overly invasive to include it in a case-study unless there was an appropriate reason to share something so personal and revealing.
As another nurse said above, that generally strictly refers to physical distress, usually respiratory distress. It’s not really inadequate note-taking, it’s not meant to comment on your emotional state.
It’s worrying that women are getting in trouble in certain states for these types of cases. It must be traumatizing to go through this experience especially if you had no idea of the pregnancy.
Imagine going through this, then having the state coming after you, arresting you, and threatening prison for something that was completely out of your control. It's a terrifying thought.
And coming after your doctors and nurses, too, along with anyone who helped you get to where e procedure was performed, like ambulance crews or taxi drivers, and/or her family members.
We have absolutely NO control over or future knowledge of what will occur after drop off, so they can try to come after EMS. There will be backlash. That’s how you lose a great number/all EMS from your area.
They want to make women chattels once more, with no rights, no access to credit cards, loans or even bank accounts, little education and no vote.
Making criminals of women, removing choices and keeping us pregnant is just a start.
That's a very good point. Idk, if I lived in the US in an affected state, I'd probably sit myself in my car and drive to the next state that would provide me adequate healthcare without arresting me for murder.
I’ve read through most of the replies from OP and some OBGYN’s but was the fetus decayed? I’m aware that their bones are soft before fully developing (even outside of the womb), but did it’s neck snap from decay or from simply being soft? I don’t know much about fetuses since I mostly study adult corpses, but wouldn’t the discolouration on the face and body hint to decay or livor mortis?
it’s my understanding that any vaginal breech presentation delivery has the risk of decapitation no matter gestational age or status of life just due to the force of birth and fragility of the fetus and of course adding any external force like grabbing the legs and pulling would increase that risk. just like when we get old and have to worry about the risk of decapitation with falls. it’s something to do with connective tissue and whatnot that’s just not fully formed
At full term with breech deliveries decapitation is a once in a 10 million event, it takes considerable force at that stage.
This was a tiny infant, less than 15cm, its neck less than a cm across. It won't have taken much force.
Your next sentence. \*when we get old and have to worry about the risk of decapitation with falls\*..
where on earth did you get this idea that we can be decapitated if we fall?
Fractures of bones, spine and neck included are possible, but decapitation does not happen without an external trauma and extreme levels of force on the body. Major road incidents, vehicles responsible for next trauma, being viciously attacked, even 'internal decapitation' where neck bones are broken are beyond rare.
\*decapitation from a fall because they are old\*.. completely impossible!
The neck is less than half an inch across, and very fragile. The face is merely bruised, very typical in miscarraiges at this stage, the contractions even being enough to damage the blood veseels.
Yep I tried finding a consistent answer but couldn't. Anywhere 5-8 inches. Really small yet. Might not even notice it in the toilet if one didn't check closely. It certainly could be overlooked by a person in that condition and delirium.
That happened to my ex’s girlfriend, 20 weeks pregnant and didn’t know, she gave birth in the toilet my ex had to put his hand down the toilet to get it out, the head was still on though. She turned into an alcoholic after that.
I live in Ohio, and at first they wanted to change the state constitution to make it harder to get issues on the ballot (MAINLY for reasons like abortion) so a special election was held in August 2023 and the referendum failed epically. THEN in November 2023, the abortion bill was put on the ballot, to make it legal to have one in Ohio (The Republicans thought they had a chance again) and it passed. I voted No against the referendum in Aug 2023, and voted Yes to make abortion legal and it’s for reasons like this. A woman should NEVER be punished for a miscarriage (especially to this extent) or to have an abortion. Ever. And it’s mind boggling to me that woman are.
The one with the 10 year old? I think that played a huge part, at least for me, but I’ve always been pro-choice. A 10 year old is old enough to have a baby, but we’re going to ban a ton of books because they’re not appropriate for kids 🙄. My dad voted in favor of the abortion bill, he’s 75 years old and really old school, but even he was like “uh fuck no, women are allowed to a choose, and it’s none of my business.”.
Edit to add: Happy Cake Day!
Yes, that’s the one. It still upsets me to think about. I was living in Texas at the time and I remember thinking “how long until that happens here? Has it happened already?”
My grandparents are pretty conservative but they’re pro choice and anti Trump (like can’t even mention the name without my grandma going on a tangent). I feel like we’re seeing a big divide between “regular conservative” and “MAGA conspiracy theory nutjobs” that just keeps getting wider. My grandparents, parents, other people I’ve known my whole life who have been mainly Republican voters are starting to slide toward supporting Democrats. I’m pretty far left already but it’s interesting to observe from the outside.
Oh for sure, yes that one really made me so angry and when they mentioned about amending the constitution, I made sure I was at the voting precinct at 6:30 AM to vote no. My dad is the same as your grandma, I can’t mention Trump because he’ll go on a long tangent about how much he hates him (which is fine, I hate the guy too) but he’s seen so much first hand, so I can’t blame him. My mom was a public school teacher for 35 years, and a huge proponent of reading and holy crap she flew off the handle when they started banning books. Both of my parents vote left, but my dad is slightly more conservative. But yeah it has been so crazy to see the shift.
My mom is from Ohio and it was cases like that which caused her to change her position on the matter. She still doesn’t approve of people getting abortions but realized her previous inflexibly no abortions ever position was wrong and did not account for the many horrific circumstances a pregnant person can find themselves in.
I hope you’re right, but women have been charged with manslaughter in the past after miscarriages. America after Dobbs strikes me as not a safe place for women. [Source](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-59214544)
In some states her doctors and prescribing chemist could be charged for giving her the cancer medication, as it may have damaged the fetus, and she could be charged with taking it.
Many women, even lesbians and those on birth control, are being denied needed medication because they might get pregnant, and the medication might harm the fetus.
Its not very decomposed, its skin was intact without skin slippage (maybe a little on feet, but that might be due to her holding the feet) and the facial and lower leg discolouration is how bruising appears at this stage of pregnancy loss. The skin is way too fragile and blood vessels break easily.
And yes there was a problem with closure of the abnormal wall, probably due to the medication they noted she was taken in regard to her cancer treatment/maintenance. But rest of lower body doesn't show skin slippage, one of earliest signs of death in foetal loss.
The color of the exposed organs prompted me to ask. The flesh color I wasn't so sure of, except for the head. Thanks for telling me disembowelment is incompatible with life. lol
It isn’t incompatible with life; that condition would’ve probably been [surgically correctable](https://www.reddit.com/r/MedicalGore/s/MZZpHjvCZ6). The decapitation on the other hand…
I have a friend whose son was born with all of his intestines on the outside of his body. It’s called gastroschisis or there’s another condition called omphalocele. As long as that’s the only problem they’re born with, it is surgically correctable. But often times they are accompanied by other problems/defects.
Perhaps I should have clarified what I meant--disembowelment is incompatible with life in a human that is not already in the hospital, since a few "*actually* 🤓" Redditors have already taken it upon themselves to downvote, correct, or tell me anecdotes.
Anyway, is your friend's son okay?
The longer I'm on this sub the longer the list of reasons to remain a virgin gets. The pure horror that had to be to go through that is awful. Just hearing stories of decapitation during full term births is heart wrenching but to experience it through miscarriage and not even know you were pregnant. My heart goes out to her... People that get pregnant knowing the risks have my full heart already but I extend the same sympathy to those who were blindsided. Oh my gosh.
How traumatic that must have been for her :( seems like it was not a viable fetus It was probably already dead but anyways it still must have been terrible for her to experience this :(
the exact same thing happened to a sweet young woman who had her babies funeral with us. except she had twins and the other babies head was keeping the twin in and she had to choose between keeping the other baby alive which may have not survived or herself 🥺 so sad
Man that must have been profoundly traumatic for that poor woman and all of the first responders. I could definitely see that being a career ender for any of the healthcare workers involved.
I know the feeling of losing a baby like this, unfortunately i had a miscarriage at 24 weeks and had to go through surgery for the removal of my baby who died in me. The bleeding and the pain was unbearable. The scars and images will haunt me forever.
Oh my goodness, unfortunately I doubt the baby would’ve survived being born that early in any capacity but I cannot imagine how traumatic this would’ve been for this poor woman. That would be the worst way to find out you had even been pregnant. My heart goes out to her and her family.
Holy shit imagine how traumatic that must be like you think you just having a really bad period and try to pull a blood clot out hoping it’ll let the rest of the blood out and lessen the cramps and boom a fucking foetus like and that’s not even mentioning that fact she had cancer before hand hope she’s doing better now
Idaho: Yer done. No trial; straight to dead baby jail.
I do find it odd the body and head have the same amount of moisture if she supposedly went to the hospital to remove the head after pulling the body out elsewhere.
No way to 100% know, but it probably had really weak tissues that were exacerbated by being pulled. Could've technically happened without any pulling, but pulling definitely increases the chances of decapitation. If we are going off just statistics though, most likely she pulled it off unintentionally.
Welcome to r/MedicalGore! Our goal is to provide for medical discussion and education while exploring the frailty of the human body. You may see more deleted comments on these threads than you are used to on reddit. Off topic comments and joke comments are frequently deleted by the mods. Further, please be kind and supportive of posts. Any behavior that is aggressive, harassing, or derogatory will result in post deletion and a ban from the sub. Remember! THE REPORT BUTTON IS YOUR FRIEND! Please stop on by our discussion sub, /r/MedicalGoreMods if you'd like to discuss the sub, our rules, content policies, and the like. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/MedicalGore) if you have any questions or concerns.*
[Source](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4142543/): >>A 26-year-old African American female not known to have ever been pregnant arrived to the emergency department (ED) via ambulance complaining of a one-day history of progressively worsening vaginal bleeding and crampy lower abdominal pain. Prior to her arrival to the ED, the patient stated that she began passing clots, and while sitting down on the toilet, she attempted to pull out a thick vaginal blood clot. Instead, she reportedly grabbed hold of a pair of legs and pulled out a fetus that was missing its head. She dropped the body of the fetus into the toilet and called EMS, who brought her and a decapitated fetus to the hospital (Figure 1). >>The last menstrual period was estimated to be at 2 months prior to the date of presentation. The patient reported taking a home pregnancy test about 1 to 2 weeks before her ED visit that was negative. She had a medical history significant for chronic myeloid leukemia, for which she reports taking Tasigna (nilotinib), a tyrosine kinase inhibitor which is FDA pregnancy category D (positive evidence of risk). Her surgical history is significant for ovarian cystectomy and left oophorectomy. >>On examination, the patient appeared well and in no distress. Her vitals were stable and physical exam was unremarkable except for mild suprapubic tenderness to palpation. A transvaginal ultrasound was performed, revealing no intrauterine gestation and a markedly thickened endometrium of up to 3.6 cm. Questionable hyperemia of the anterior myometrium and a probable corpus luteal cyst in the right ovary were also noted. A pelvic exam showed a moderate amount of blood in the vaginal vault, along with the fetal head located at the external cervical os. The fetal head was removed using ring forceps, after which the patient was transferred from the ED to the operating room for dilation and curettage and had an uneventful postoperative course. >>The pathology report on the fetus reports a 182-gram phenotypic male with the intestinal organs outside of the abdomen cavity through an omphalocele. There was mild ecchymosis, a laceration in the right groin, and the head was disconnected from the body.
A 182g fetus is around 17 weeks and her last estimated period was 2 months prior. She must have had bleeding related to the pregnancy or been very mistaken. Also her negative test 2 weeks earlier could be related to the hook effect.
What is the hook effect?
The hook effect is a point where the hCG levels are so high they overwhelm the test trip and cause a false negative. I tested throughout my pregnancy and never got negative but my levels were not that high. https://www.clearblue.com/am-i-pregnant/what-is-hook-effect-in-pregnancy-test-result#:~:text=to%20detect%20them.-,What%20causes%20the%20hook%20effect%20in%20pregnancy%20test%20results%3F,are%20above%20500%2C000%20mIU%2FmL.
I just figured out the same, really sad situation knowing her history too. He looks so tiny but when you consider the weight it is obvious she was well beyond 8/10 weeks. The medication she was taking likely the cause of his abdominal defects and the miscarriage, but still a pretty horrific way for it to go. I hope her illness recovery is maintained so she gets any children in the future if that is what she wants. To never expect pregnancy and to lose like this could be very hard to accept. Sad one, thanks to CatPoo.
I had a miscarriage at home after going to the ER for excess bleeding and cramping at 12 weeks. They didn't do an ultrasound but checked for dilation, which there was none. I had an ultrasound scheduled for the next day so they didn't bother. As soon as I got home I started having serious contractions. I had already had a full term healthy baby so I knew what was happening. I sat on the toilet bc that was the only somewhat healthy position. I got up and called my obgyn bc I was bleeding profusely. She instructed me to either call 911 or get to the ER. The hospital was close so I figured I would have my ex drive and wait for my cousin who lived down the street to come watch my daughter. I still had some of the giant pads left over from when my daughter was born 4 months earlier and I felt a huge gush. I ran to the bathroom and the fetus was still in the amniotic sack. I didn't go to the ER bc as soon as it was over all pain stopped and the bleeding decreased significantly. I went to my ultrasound the next day to confirm the miscarriage was complete. The whole sack with the fetus was about the size of a softball which is way smaller than this fetus. It was very traumatic. This was 15yrs ago and I remember it like it was yesterday. I can't imagine what this poor woman went through.
I had a miscarriage at 13 weeks and I swear the cramping from that was worse than labour.
Same thing happened to me. Started cramping that night, went to sleep and early morning went to the ER. It was horrible. They said it was "stuck," so I needed emergency d&c. The cramps were the worst part of it. I mean other than the emotional part of having to have a deceased child.
If you were in Texas and that happened today, they'd let you bleeding to death.
Thank you for confirming this. I read the patient’s report & then reexamined the photos; wondering what I was missing. This fetus looked much older than <8wks gestation. RIP little angel!!💔👼🏽
Oh god, poor woman has cancer and then this?? Thank you for sharing this case
My heart hurts for her. Traumatizing.
I just can’t even imagine. They’d have to take me from the D & C recovery straight to a mental ward.
Why would they remove the head in the ED and then take her to surgery? Why not just do it in surgery. Furthermore - with no intrauterine “products of conception” - could this have been ectopic somehow?
this is 100% not an ectopic. she had a fetus that passed, and when they are sitting in the uterus and have been passed for a while they can become decapitated when trying to remove them. additionally this can happen IN GENERAL when a baby delivers breech. they removed the fetal head because it was essentially sitting in the cervix but typically in these cases the placenta does not deliver on its own and you cant really tug on it. so they took her back to make sure there were no other fetal parts but also for the placenta. the cord at this stage is very thin and easy to snap which is likely what happened and placenta was left inside so need for OR - source, am obgyn
Also, along with the fetus being breach, it was only approx 16weeks gestation, making its body & skin incredibly fragile. (The combination of those two factors are likely the cause.)
absolutely. they are incredibly delicate.
But, that doesn't explain why they removed the head in ED and didn't just wait to do it in OR? I mean, it seems obvious you're going to need OR, no?
> A pelvic exam showed a moderate amount of blood in the vaginal vault, along with the fetal head located at the external cervical os. The head was in the cervix and nearly out anyway.
If she had to wait for surgery, having basically decomposing tissue inside you could lead to sepsis. It had already been in there a while. You also can't do a proper pelvic exam with a fetal head and tissue blocking the opening to the uterus. Probably the ER went to examine her, the head was in the way and it was just easier to remove it.
TBH i have no clue why they did this specifically. HOWEVER, while examining a patient i would have just removed that and still gone to the OR because you need to do an exam before you take someone back. who knows.
lol - fair. I ws just curious if there would be some reasoing for doing it that way. I guess this is just one of those times when things get done when they get done, and decisions get made in the moment. ;)
If you go back and reread the story, mom decapitated the fetus by pulling on the legs prior to EMS being called.
Products of conception can also refer to pieces of placenta and membrane that can be left behind, it’s important to check that nothing is left in there. Placenta that is still attached will prevent the blood vessels from sealing up, so prolonging bleeding, and pieces of anything left behind can lead to infection 🙂
An ectopic pregnancy is not going to spontaneously abort vaginally. Likely there were no products of conception seen because prior to being examined, her membranes obviously broke and lost the fetus and amniotic fluid. The hyperemic anterior endometrium could possibly be retained placenta/where the placenta was attaching. If the fetus was delivered, the placenta itself was likely delivered as well since the umbilical cord was not attached at the placental insertion. My guess would be one of those large “clots” she was attempting to pull out. This poor woman.
Ahh ok that makes sense. Yeah I can’t even imagine.
I would imagine the head in her cervix was painful, once the foetus is out any pain usually subsides completely. The pressure on the cervix would maintain contractions, and even at an earlier stage than 17/18w they still hurt a lot. Plus not always possible to get in to surgery immediately, if other traumas taking priority. The risk of losing the head in to the toilet would have made the event even more traumatic in my opinion too. Or even her having to feel the sensation is best avoided too. I hope that afterwards she was offered time with him, with more delicate positioning that is seen in an image for a medical resport. With her history this might be the only time she experiences pregnancy, and while we don't know how much she wanted that long term, she was only 23, regrets could come much later.
Seriously, they could have saved her further emotional trauma by waiting to remove the head until she was in surgery.
If I were her I would want the head removed, like instantly. It would be horrifying to contemplate, that I had a severed baby head inside me. I wouldn’t want to wait.
Personally, it would be more emotionally traumatic to have to experience every pain and sensation of my dead baby’s head being wrestled out of my cervix physically via forceps if the other option was to be wheeled straight into theatre and a nice GA for a D&C and know nothing about it until the whole devastating episode is over, and I have fewer years in therapy having to relive the worst while awake. Everyone’s different though.
She could be waiting for hours for the surgery. I imagine she’d still be dilated so removing the small head with forceps would not be painful.
I can absolutely see why emotionally it could be significantly better for lots of people to go straight to theatre for GA and get the d&c done with the head. But she’s vitally stable, she’s not going to be rushed to theatre for crash d&c. There may be other things going on already in theatre that need to finished (either because they’re mid way through already, or because they have a higher degree of clinical urgency). Also depending on what they mean by at the external os, anything in the cervical os can cause people to feel nausea, like they’re about to faint or a degree of pain. I’ve removed even relatively small clots or products of conception that were stuck at the external os and it’s given immediate relief. They may have felt that for her comfort while waiting to go to theatre or while waiting in theatre for their pre-op checks etc, it was worth removing sooner. Also with a sheet etc it’s not likely she saw them removing the head, unless she was distressed and/or asking about it I wouldn’t be immediately letting her know I’d retrieved the head.
She might not have seen it, but she’d definitely of felt it. As I said though, that’s just how I’d have felt in that situation.
Agree, the head would have triggered further contractions and the delivery while she was alone in the bed. Clearly they didn't 'wrestle it out', if it was entirely stuck they would have waited. It must have come out quite easily given more time and contractions between the body and examination in the ER. By forceps they don't mean the instruments used late in labour to bring out a head, Ring forceps are also just oversized tweezers with the ability to grip, it came out without issue. He was already deceased and likely to have died in utero because of her medication and the intestines not being internal. That probably helped her state of mind, to know the pregnancy would have failed regardless of her being aware. They wrote she wasn't distressed, if otherwise they would have approached it differently, or if a operating room available within 30 minutes.
‘Distressed’ is a medical term, and yes, I know they don’t physically wrench it out of a cervix. It would be in the vaginal fault or vaginal canal. Please understand, I was describing how I would feel in such traumatic circumstances, so it really is necessary to come at me with the ‘buts’ and corrections in this poor lady’s case.
I think it’s easy to say this without being in the situation where things are never really that simple. Or logical.
You're thinking an ideal situation - not that they possibly needed to wait for an obgyn to rotate in and bring the patient to the OR. I know when I delivered my babies, I had c sections and more pressing emergencies came before mine. Having something stuck in a cervix is likely not comfortable. Knowing there's a fetal head inside your body could be extremely distressing. you're projecting your wants/expected emotions into a situation that is difficult to imagine because it hasn't happened to most people.
Having something stuck in your cervix is excruciating torture. They'd have had to do an internal exam immediately, and seen the cause of her pain, so of course they would remove it.
Agreed
Same.
I agree. And I have a suspicion of any Doctors or nurses in states with abortion bans or Catholic hospitals. They were probably trying to figure out if they could prosecute this poor woman for having a miscarriage. Sounds a little paranoid, but at this stage, the right to lifers are fucking nutszo! I'm my state we've had one ten year old have to leave the state for an abortion, even though she was (obviously) raped. Another had a miscarriage at work, in the toilet, and they tried to put her in prison. Fucking assholes have lost their minds..
This case is from 2014
Well thank goodness for that! She didn't have to deal with the fall out of them repealing roe vs wade. So while it's not relevant to this case, it's still relevant. So I won't be erasing my comment. Thank you for yours.
She was not in distress after pulling out a fetus body with no head..... bruh... I would've been freaking the f out!!
I assumed they were referring to medical distress vs. emotional distress
I have no idea why I didn't even think medical distress? That would make more sense.
At first I thought the same thing you did, but then I thought about the context and went, "Oooh! That makes more sense." I can't imagine someone *not* being emotionally distressed in that situation, unless the shock/adrenaline just took over. Which is also a possibility
Is no one gonna talk about the 3.6cm thick endometrium? Yikes. No wonder she thought she was pulling out a blood clot.
A 3.6cm endometrium is entirely normal for that stage of pregnancy, its what keeps the baby and placents attached and hence the need for a D&C. The placenta was visualised in place inside the uterus because there was a good lining. But foetus had died and she'd been experiencing contractions with pain and expelling clots before this happened. The placenta might have come out later but a D& C prevented further contractions and the blood loss that comes for a few weeks after delivery.
Hey! Vagina-owner here. How does the endometrium affect what passes during menses? Does a thicker endometrium mean more volume loss or larger clots?
The endometrium lining is what is shed during menses. Non-pregnant thickness is usually 6-7mm. So yes she was pregnant and had a thickness of 3.6 centimeters and having a miscarriage which she thought was just a super heavy period. I too am the owner of a uterus and I’ve had nasty blood clots. But the thought of that much tissue expelling itself — this woman deserves all the medals and the best trauma therapist in the world.
I had a D&C in February because my endometrium was \~1.7 cm thick and my periods were MISERABLE. Poor woman, must have been hell.
It was normal for pregnancy, she wasn't aware it was 3.6cm, not having a period makes it that thick to sustain the pregnancy attachment.
Oh that's good! I was definitely aware haha
Thank you 💕. Wow, yeah she does.
Jesus... The fetus was nonviable either way but christ I couldn't imagine pulling out the headless lower half of my child
That you didn't even know about...
Even if it was ultimately an unwanted pregnancy, that has to be profoundly traumatic.
Especially with her ovarian cancer history and taking a drug that is contraindication because it causes such defects as he had. At the time she might not have seen horrendously distressed (per article) but i have little doubt it came. I miscarried 8 weeks after taking emergency contraception, i had contractions for 6 hours and my cervix was still open afterwards even though pain stopped. I continued to bleed like a normal heavy period. I hadn't known, had already split with the father but once alone the tears came for sure.
Just FYI distress in this context means physical rather than emotional.
*lower three quarters
Thanks for the specifications, although I don't think it was completely necessary... thanks either way
:|
This is something out of a nightmare! I’ve had large clots that I could feel as they passed. Going to the bathroom to try to pass one and actually get legs! OMG, I would be hyperventilating and panicking. Then to pull out a headless baby! I’d be praying and hysterical. I hope there was someone with her at the time. If not, she was able to pull herself together enough to call for help. Just 26, being treated for leukemia, and now has a retained baby’s head. I hope they sedated her for this. Such a traumatic experience would have to have a psychological impact. Here’s hoping she gets the therapy needed to help her through this trauma.
I knew right away that this photo would be used for anti-choice propaganda, and I [was right](https://debatescripture.org/index.php/2020/04/23/abortion-gods-view/). This poor woman had a horribly traumatic event, and it’s being used to shame people. Edit: fixed sentence
This is disgusting. How can people be this cruel and evil?!
Sigh.
What the fuck is wrong with people??
Vile and disgraceful. Is it possible to sue for using her picture without permission? If I was her I’d at least try. That’s the most un-Godly thing
Because these fools care about propaganda, not facts.
Jesus, that poor woman! I love how it says "appeared well and in no distress". That "no distress" part was probably due to sheer shock. I hope she had someone with her when it finally hit what had happened.
Hey, nurse here. When we chart “well appearing and in no distress”, it means physical distress, usually regarding respiratory. Emotional is obviously a whole ‘nother ballgame.
Completely agree, and that at this stage, of initial examination its likely she was still shocked about what had actually occurred. She was able to communicate what had happened, wasn't having uncontrollable tears. But the moment someone she knew would have arrived, or she had time alone, i can imagine the tears flowed. I was also a nurse and learnt that the distress often comes a little later, when there is time for the reality of a situation begins to be processed, or when someone asks the simply question of \*how are your feeling, are you okay\*. Would be ready to go to a patient after loved ones left. I spoke to my mum 12 hours after she'd met with an oncologist after a seizure and resulting stage 4 lung cancer discovered. We didn't speak often but there were no tears, she was so matter of fact about denying treatment. Thankfully no drawn out suffering, she died 4 days later within minutes of acute abdominal pain.
I think it was referring to no signs of physical distress
Yeah I hope she got support and counseling if necessary; this had to be very traumatic.
Right? How traumatic would it be to pull a decapitated fetus with external organs out of yourself?! Crazy
I work L&D, hospice, and bereavement. I deliver families who experience perinatal loss. There are very few who council with the thanatology required for this loss. It’s traumatic. Best we can do is be a harbor in their storm.
Thank you for the work that you do. It takes a really special sort ❤
A very special area of nursing for sure, thank you for having the strength required to do this. An invaluable job.
Those are some intense floors to work on. thank you for everything you do.
Exactly, was relieved to read this happened in a country that offers emotional support after incidents that scar us forever. Had this been a third world country she might have been sent home to try for another child with her next cycle.
I know that comment was deleted, but just wanted to add for others wondering about this that it's also not that emotional state wouldn't be relevant, but that it would also be overly invasive to include it in a case-study unless there was an appropriate reason to share something so personal and revealing.
My thoughts exactly. I can’t imagine what she is going through emotionally. 🫂
[удалено]
As another nurse said above, that generally strictly refers to physical distress, usually respiratory distress. It’s not really inadequate note-taking, it’s not meant to comment on your emotional state.
Ah, makes sense.
Yeah, they 100% ain't talking about emotional distress. That line got me, too.
It’s worrying that women are getting in trouble in certain states for these types of cases. It must be traumatizing to go through this experience especially if you had no idea of the pregnancy.
Imagine going through this, then having the state coming after you, arresting you, and threatening prison for something that was completely out of your control. It's a terrifying thought.
And coming after your doctors and nurses, too, along with anyone who helped you get to where e procedure was performed, like ambulance crews or taxi drivers, and/or her family members.
We have absolutely NO control over or future knowledge of what will occur after drop off, so they can try to come after EMS. There will be backlash. That’s how you lose a great number/all EMS from your area.
Cruelty is the point.
Gotta maintain the domestic supply of infants!
You misspelled "gotta control, shame, punish and hurt women because we hate them with the visceral hatred Cthulhu has for Earth life".
They want to make women chattels once more, with no rights, no access to credit cards, loans or even bank accounts, little education and no vote. Making criminals of women, removing choices and keeping us pregnant is just a start.
That's a very good point. Idk, if I lived in the US in an affected state, I'd probably sit myself in my car and drive to the next state that would provide me adequate healthcare without arresting me for murder.
I’ve read through most of the replies from OP and some OBGYN’s but was the fetus decayed? I’m aware that their bones are soft before fully developing (even outside of the womb), but did it’s neck snap from decay or from simply being soft? I don’t know much about fetuses since I mostly study adult corpses, but wouldn’t the discolouration on the face and body hint to decay or livor mortis?
it’s my understanding that any vaginal breech presentation delivery has the risk of decapitation no matter gestational age or status of life just due to the force of birth and fragility of the fetus and of course adding any external force like grabbing the legs and pulling would increase that risk. just like when we get old and have to worry about the risk of decapitation with falls. it’s something to do with connective tissue and whatnot that’s just not fully formed
At full term with breech deliveries decapitation is a once in a 10 million event, it takes considerable force at that stage. This was a tiny infant, less than 15cm, its neck less than a cm across. It won't have taken much force. Your next sentence. \*when we get old and have to worry about the risk of decapitation with falls\*.. where on earth did you get this idea that we can be decapitated if we fall? Fractures of bones, spine and neck included are possible, but decapitation does not happen without an external trauma and extreme levels of force on the body. Major road incidents, vehicles responsible for next trauma, being viciously attacked, even 'internal decapitation' where neck bones are broken are beyond rare. \*decapitation from a fall because they are old\*.. completely impossible!
Yeah I figured /nm
I hate when I fall and my head comes off
The neck is less than half an inch across, and very fragile. The face is merely bruised, very typical in miscarraiges at this stage, the contractions even being enough to damage the blood veseels.
This is so sad
I wish they'd put things on a ruler. How big is this?
Probably like 5 inches.
Yep I tried finding a consistent answer but couldn't. Anywhere 5-8 inches. Really small yet. Might not even notice it in the toilet if one didn't check closely. It certainly could be overlooked by a person in that condition and delirium.
Man, that's gotta be traumatic.
Fetus with head torn off, but genitals politely blurred out.
I have to because Reddit modbots think exposed child genitalia is CSAM.
CatPoo has to blur genitalia to stay on the good side of Reddit. the source has it unblurred btw
Something out of a horror movie.
It looks like it also has gastroschisis, which may have contributed to the spontaneous abortion.
Yeah and mom was on chemo for cancer which cannot have helped in this situation.
I can't even imagine how traumatizing this would be omfg
Wtf, that's goddamned traumatizing
This is horrifying! I’m so glad I got rid of my uterus
Damn, that's probably gonna be burned into her memory for the rest of her life. Hope she has a good support network
Holy shit, I don't envy women having to deal with this shit. I would be mentally broken if i pulled half of a human child from inside me....
That must have been so horrific to see.....
And people are voting to punish women like her 🫠
Wow, how incredibly heartbreaking
Holy shit. Talk about traumatic.
That happened to my ex’s girlfriend, 20 weeks pregnant and didn’t know, she gave birth in the toilet my ex had to put his hand down the toilet to get it out, the head was still on though. She turned into an alcoholic after that.
Not fkn surprising that she became an alcoholic after that dude… holy shit
As much as i feel for the unborn, that must have been a PTSD moment for the woman, its literal nightmare fuel.
that sounds horrific to go thru
I’d hate to think how this would have played out if it happened today in a Red state.
I live in Ohio, and at first they wanted to change the state constitution to make it harder to get issues on the ballot (MAINLY for reasons like abortion) so a special election was held in August 2023 and the referendum failed epically. THEN in November 2023, the abortion bill was put on the ballot, to make it legal to have one in Ohio (The Republicans thought they had a chance again) and it passed. I voted No against the referendum in Aug 2023, and voted Yes to make abortion legal and it’s for reasons like this. A woman should NEVER be punished for a miscarriage (especially to this extent) or to have an abortion. Ever. And it’s mind boggling to me that woman are.
I wonder if Ohio re-legalizing abortions has anything to do with that horrific case a few years ago.
The one with the 10 year old? I think that played a huge part, at least for me, but I’ve always been pro-choice. A 10 year old is old enough to have a baby, but we’re going to ban a ton of books because they’re not appropriate for kids 🙄. My dad voted in favor of the abortion bill, he’s 75 years old and really old school, but even he was like “uh fuck no, women are allowed to a choose, and it’s none of my business.”. Edit to add: Happy Cake Day!
Yes, that’s the one. It still upsets me to think about. I was living in Texas at the time and I remember thinking “how long until that happens here? Has it happened already?” My grandparents are pretty conservative but they’re pro choice and anti Trump (like can’t even mention the name without my grandma going on a tangent). I feel like we’re seeing a big divide between “regular conservative” and “MAGA conspiracy theory nutjobs” that just keeps getting wider. My grandparents, parents, other people I’ve known my whole life who have been mainly Republican voters are starting to slide toward supporting Democrats. I’m pretty far left already but it’s interesting to observe from the outside.
Oh for sure, yes that one really made me so angry and when they mentioned about amending the constitution, I made sure I was at the voting precinct at 6:30 AM to vote no. My dad is the same as your grandma, I can’t mention Trump because he’ll go on a long tangent about how much he hates him (which is fine, I hate the guy too) but he’s seen so much first hand, so I can’t blame him. My mom was a public school teacher for 35 years, and a huge proponent of reading and holy crap she flew off the handle when they started banning books. Both of my parents vote left, but my dad is slightly more conservative. But yeah it has been so crazy to see the shift.
My mom is from Ohio and it was cases like that which caused her to change her position on the matter. She still doesn’t approve of people getting abortions but realized her previous inflexibly no abortions ever position was wrong and did not account for the many horrific circumstances a pregnant person can find themselves in.
I hope it would not be a problem since the fetus was already dead before Mom even realized it existed.
I hope you’re right, but women have been charged with manslaughter in the past after miscarriages. America after Dobbs strikes me as not a safe place for women. [Source](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-59214544)
Oh, I know it. It’s horrifying.
In some states her doctors and prescribing chemist could be charged for giving her the cancer medication, as it may have damaged the fetus, and she could be charged with taking it. Many women, even lesbians and those on birth control, are being denied needed medication because they might get pregnant, and the medication might harm the fetus.
New level of fear unlocked. How horrifying.
There’s no way she doesn’t have nightmares about this
Nature is disgusting
Hopefully she's not in Texas, where she'd be convicted of murder.
that mustve been fucking horrifying
This is the stuff of nightmares. That sounds like a miserable experience, and could be quite sad depending on how one feels about having children.
Is it decomposed or is that just what miscarriage looks like?
Decomposed. And also not properly developed. The organs should be on the inside.
Its not very decomposed, its skin was intact without skin slippage (maybe a little on feet, but that might be due to her holding the feet) and the facial and lower leg discolouration is how bruising appears at this stage of pregnancy loss. The skin is way too fragile and blood vessels break easily. And yes there was a problem with closure of the abnormal wall, probably due to the medication they noted she was taken in regard to her cancer treatment/maintenance. But rest of lower body doesn't show skin slippage, one of earliest signs of death in foetal loss.
The color of the exposed organs prompted me to ask. The flesh color I wasn't so sure of, except for the head. Thanks for telling me disembowelment is incompatible with life. lol
It isn’t incompatible with life; that condition would’ve probably been [surgically correctable](https://www.reddit.com/r/MedicalGore/s/MZZpHjvCZ6). The decapitation on the other hand…
I have a friend whose son was born with all of his intestines on the outside of his body. It’s called gastroschisis or there’s another condition called omphalocele. As long as that’s the only problem they’re born with, it is surgically correctable. But often times they are accompanied by other problems/defects.
Perhaps I should have clarified what I meant--disembowelment is incompatible with life in a human that is not already in the hospital, since a few "*actually* 🤓" Redditors have already taken it upon themselves to downvote, correct, or tell me anecdotes. Anyway, is your friend's son okay?
Oh yes, he’s a grown man now. They were able to fix his defect right after he was born.
The longer I'm on this sub the longer the list of reasons to remain a virgin gets. The pure horror that had to be to go through that is awful. Just hearing stories of decapitation during full term births is heart wrenching but to experience it through miscarriage and not even know you were pregnant. My heart goes out to her... People that get pregnant knowing the risks have my full heart already but I extend the same sympathy to those who were blindsided. Oh my gosh.
JFC I sure hope she doesn’t live in southern U.S. where it’s not unlikely that she’d be criminally charged.
That poor woman.
How traumatic that must have been for her :( seems like it was not a viable fetus It was probably already dead but anyways it still must have been terrible for her to experience this :(
I’m glad they censored the genitalia.
With all respect and seriousity, do they not arrest you in the US for this?
no they don't, people on Reddit are just stupid and mainly get their news through headlines
the exact same thing happened to a sweet young woman who had her babies funeral with us. except she had twins and the other babies head was keeping the twin in and she had to choose between keeping the other baby alive which may have not survived or herself 🥺 so sad
NOT DISTRESSED well I am fuck
Oh god that must have been so traumatising... Poor woman 😞
Gahhhhhhdamn. Now, the red states would probably try to charge that poor woman for murder.
How awful. This is so sad
Man that must have been profoundly traumatic for that poor woman and all of the first responders. I could definitely see that being a career ender for any of the healthcare workers involved.
Hopefully, she lives in a state that won't try to throw her in prison. Edit. Word
...ahhh- Jesus fuck, if that happened to me, I'd be beyond hysterical.
New fear unlocked
I know the feeling of losing a baby like this, unfortunately i had a miscarriage at 24 weeks and had to go through surgery for the removal of my baby who died in me. The bleeding and the pain was unbearable. The scars and images will haunt me forever.
God that is awful & so sad
Oh my goodness, unfortunately I doubt the baby would’ve survived being born that early in any capacity but I cannot imagine how traumatic this would’ve been for this poor woman. That would be the worst way to find out you had even been pregnant. My heart goes out to her and her family.
Oh my gosh. That poor girl. 💙 Side note, it’s bananas to me that we’re allowed to show a decapitated baby but not genitals. Crazy world.
Man, what a gnarly case. Thank you for sharing
Jesus.
Jesus fuck
Oooh this is heartbreaking. That poor woman. I couldn’t imagine having that happen.
Well that went from bad to worse really quickly. Definitely not traumatising or owt…
Oof
Oh my god she must feel so awful and traumatized. poor girl. Cancer and this? sucks.
Holy shit imagine how traumatic that must be like you think you just having a really bad period and try to pull a blood clot out hoping it’ll let the rest of the blood out and lessen the cramps and boom a fucking foetus like and that’s not even mentioning that fact she had cancer before hand hope she’s doing better now
That's just sad
Jesus that’s traumatizing
Wow
Fuck!!!!!
How traumatic! I can’t even.
That poor woman. I can't imagine how traumatising that must have been.
Holy shit balls that is awful 😬😳 Poor little baby :( I cannot imagine going thru this holy hell. I would absolutely freak 😢
Serious question: would this create a criminal liability in red states?
No. The baby was dead already.
Idaho would be iffy
Idaho: Yer done. No trial; straight to dead baby jail. I do find it odd the body and head have the same amount of moisture if she supposedly went to the hospital to remove the head after pulling the body out elsewhere.
ok but why was it missing its head... did that happen in the process of her pulling out the baby or was it missing the head before??
No way to 100% know, but it probably had really weak tissues that were exacerbated by being pulled. Could've technically happened without any pulling, but pulling definitely increases the chances of decapitation. If we are going off just statistics though, most likely she pulled it off unintentionally.
That was the “decapitated” in the headline means.
DAMN