Pregnancy should be a time when you feel supported and heard by your Ohio healthcare team. However, some phrases from your doctor may signal more than just a difference in communication styles. They could indicate inadequate care that puts you and your baby at risk.
Medical gaslighting happens when a healthcare provider brushes off real physical concerns as psychological, normal or your fault. Recognizing these warning signs in a doctor’s words can help you advocate for the quality care you deserve.
1: It is just standard pregnancy discomfort.
Your doctor may be overlooking signs of preeclampsia or gestational diabetes (GD) complications by labeling them as typical aches and pains. By gaslighting you, they may fail to properly diagnose your condition or monitor your high-risk pregnancy.
2: You are likely just stressed or anxious about the baby.
Attributing physical symptoms to maternal anxiety can be dangerous. These could indicate serious medical problems that your doctor may not catch until it is too late.
3: If you had just managed your diet better, you would not be here.
Instead of providing medical solutions, your doctor may shift the blame onto you. Ignoring symptoms that a reasonable doctor would check and address can be negligent behavior.
4: You do not need that test, your case is similar to the others.
Ohio medical law generally requires doctors to provide the level of care a capable doctor would give in similar situations. Your doctor still needs to perform the necessary diagnostics to fully understand and properly treat your condition.
5: Stay off the internet, you are overreacting.
If your doctor dismisses your informed questions and requests, they may be discouraging you from seeking specialized care or maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) elsewhere. This can be risky because they could miss warning signs that a specialist might catch, which can increase the risk of birth injuries or maternal complications.
What you can do next
If your doctor refuses an important medical test, you can ask them to note the refusal in your medical chart and explain why to create a paper trail. You can also get a second opinion from another provider if your current one is not listening to you. Lastly, you can bring a patient advocate to your appointments so someone else can witness your conversations and reinforce your concerns to your doctor.
Enforcing better patient care
If a healthcare provider dismissed your concerns and it resulted in harm to you or your newborn, you may have an Ohio medical malpractice claim. An experienced lawyer can review your medical records and help protect your family’s future when they represent you in court.