This is what Palin drove 36 miles AWAY from.

[Nine]

http://www.providence.org/alaska/tchap/maternity/default.htm

"Every year more than 2,600 babies are delivered at Providence Maternity Center. That is three times more than any other hospital in Alaska....For example, our Newborn ICU is the only one of its kind in Alaska....Neonatologists (doctors who work with early or sick babies) are on site 24 hours a day to assist your doctor or midwife. More professionals are available at Providence than at any other hospital in the state."

This is what she drove TO.

http://www.matsuregional.com/docs/Mat-SuRegionalFactSheet_Rev8-8.pdf?sub=About%20Us

Draw your own conclusions.

[blondeatlast]

1. As one who experienced a high risk (both myself and my child) pregnancy and got the best care

ib the nation (located, fortunately, in my hometown), this APPALLS me.

This woman may hold my son's fate in her hands. If she's so cavalier with her OWN child, how in the godforsken hell can I trust her with my ONLY child? :mad:

[Barack_America]

11. I think that's the main point. If this is the regard she has for her own children...

Then how can we trust that she truly has the best interests of ours at heart?

[roguevalley]

16. Providence is a great hospital. They took care of both my parents

and Mama passed away there, surrounded by love. The nuns are awesome.

[blondeatlast]

19. She had a facility experienced in high risk pregnancy 40 miles away.

She made a bad--but very lucky--choice. I'm sure it's a great facility--but not for a VERY risky delivery of an at-risk pregnancy.

[roguevalley]

35. the providence in Anchorage that she should have gone to was

the one my family has used. :) Not Wasilla.

[texanwitch]

2. Damn.

This story smells like 7 day old fish.

Drive away from a first class hospital to a little home town hospital to have a sick baby.

Good post.

[shellgame26]

48. And not to mention no record of the baby being born

[lapfog_1]

3. Don't forget that Palin KNEW that the baby was 4 weeks premature. - n/t

[Nine]

5. and special needs

Newborns with Down Syndrome frequently have heart problems and need to be in a NICU.

[WA98296]

4. Palin once served on the board of directors for Valley Hosp. Assoc. which controlled Mat-Su

An interesting tidbit.

[Moochy]

12. I wonder if she stayed in the Palin Wing of that medical center?

[nichomachus]

6. And yet,

Trig's name and Sarah's name are mysteriously missing from the list of births on the hospital Web site for the period in question.

http://www.matsuregional.com/nursery/nursery_name.php?start=60&step=30&count=503

[Nine]

7. Gee, I wonder why? (nt)

[krkaufman]

42. It's possible that that website only includes the name of infants ...

... whose parents have paid an add'l fee. Are other infants also missing from the list?

[Window]

8. Makes no sense at all.

[sandyj999]

9. I'm going to say something bad but I'll say it anyway.

First the flight and then this. Am I the only one that thinks just maybe she was hoping the baby wouldn't survive? Just sends a red flag to me.

[blondeatlast]

21. Read post 1 and you'll get the gist of my thinking.

I don't really want to say it, but seriously...

[sandyj999]

24. I'm in Agreement. n/t

[Dem2theMax]

41. Same thought went through my mind as well. nt.

nt.

[joshcryer]

39. Yes. 100%

She attempted to kill that baby.

[eridani]

40. This may not even have been at a conscious level n/t

[NotThisTime]

10. Well, she waited, gave a speech, flew 8+ hours, why should driving 36 miles more surprise us?

horrible judgment to say the absolute least...

[Nine]

14. It shouldn't. But it does put the AK pride excuse to rest.

OK, so she really wanted the baby born in Alaska. Enough to risk his life to do this. Anchorage is in Alaska, isn't it?

Actually, the fact that she stayed to give that speech already kind of puts the Alaskan pride excuse to rest.

[Chloroplast]

13. This is disgusting.

I can't understand such a blatant disregard for not only herself and her child but for the people she was elected to govern. Had ANYTHING happened to her, what would become of her state? Her family? There's no acceptable ending to this debacle. On one hand, she's a mother with poor judgment. On the other, she's roped an entire hospital (and possibly a town) into her charade to protect her political career.

Is this really the first pregnancy of She Who Shall Not Be Named?

[thoughtcrime1984]

15. Ugh.

[KoKo]

17. Do we know for sure that Trig is really a Down's Sydrome baby?

We only have her word on that. And, given everything else that's coming out...maybe that's a shoe waiting to drop.

[CampDem]

18. Providence in Anchorage is where I delivered my son and it does have a NICU

However, Matsu is a brand new hospital, the newest and most beautiful in the area, and has fully modern equipment. The baby was not considered a preemie and was 36 weeks and able to breathe on his own. She knew that his heart was fine because she was likely having multiple sonograms. He did not need the NICU.She drove to the valley to meet the doctor there because the doctor asked her to go there, as it is where she works. I don't believe she was as far into her labor as she has said.

The real question to me is why did she lie and say that her water broke in Texas? We know that her doctor has not verified her story and instead says that she induced her at Matsu. The doctor would be the one to decide to induce and could have done this for several reasons. Palin lied about the water breaking and could be caught since her story does not match the doctor.

[MarjorieG]

22. Seeming heroic and bigger fish story, now out of control. She's caught in it.

[yardwork]

26. If the baby really is hers, this is what happened. Her water didn't really break - she exaggerated.

She may have begun to feel some contractions, so she worked her way home to have things checked out. When she got there, her doctor says, "You're in early labor, let's move this along and have this baby." Suddenly Ms. It's All About Meeeee!!!! starts telling everyone about her heroic flight home from Texas after her water broke.

Now she's trapped in a fishy story that she made up to make herself look like supermom.

Although I still think there's a 50/50 chance that Trig is really Bristol's baby.

[CampDem]

28. I also have doubts that Trig is Sarah's child

The myspace page of baby daddy's sister with the caption "mother in law" and Sarah's picture. I have nieces and nephews that went to school with the Palin girls last year. Eventually we will know one way or the other.

I am just wondering about the silence from the doctor. She would be the only one to really know and her story does not match Palin's story. People should ask her about Palin's delivery and see what she says.She has been placed in a very awkward, career damaging position.

[mhatrw]

38. That makes sense. One way or another, the story stinks. n/t

[renate]

23. if labor doesn't start naturally within some time after water breaks

... labor would have to be induced. So that isn't necessarily a lie. Emphasis on the "not necessarily"--after the past few days, I'd be surprised if it wasn't a lie after all.

[CampDem]

25. yes

The doctor has not verified Palin's story about the water breaking. If the doctor knew that the water was breaking it would be unethical for her to tell Palin to keep traveling. This is why I think Palin lied. The doctor is highly regarded here and would not want to risk the life of the governor's baby and the damage to her reputation. If Palin made the whole thing up she really put the physician in an awkward position.The doctor has received national awards and I trust her more than Palin.

More at link http://www.allbusiness.com/north-america/united-states-alaska/103983-1.html

snip~

Valley Doctor Takes National Award: Cathy Baldwin-Johnson of Wasilla Was Named The 2002 Family...
By Cutler, Debbie
Publication: Alaska Business Monthly
Date: Tuesday, January 1 2002

Cathy Baldwin-Johnson always knew she wanted to be a doctor. Even as a young girl she was interested in the biological sciences and was inspired by her aunt, who was a nurse.

"My parents always encouraged me to follow my dreams," Baldwin-Johnson said. "My father said 'You are smart enough. You can be a doctor.' I think that was unusual for dads in the 1950s. I like the idea of being in this field. I feel like I'm being useful-doing something worthwhile, helping people."

The East High School graduate went to undergraduate school at Arizona State University in Tempe, medical school at the University of Washington in Seattle and then spent three years in residency studying family medicine in Seattle. Shortly after finishing her residency, she made her way back to Alaska where she worked for a practice in Anchorage for two years. She opened her own practice in Wasilla in 1985.

On Oct. 1, 2001, Baldwin-Johnson was named the 2002 Family Physician of the Year by the American Academy of Family Physicians at an awards ceremony in Atlanta, Ga. She was the first Alaskan to ever receive this national award, sponsored by one of the largest medical specialty organizations devoted solely to primary care. The AAFP has more than 93,000 members.

snip~

[Nine]

27. You have been trying VERY hard to push that idea.

Haven't you?

[CampDem]

30. People are looking at irrelevant details

There is not a lot of difference between the 2 hospitals. The answers IMO will be found with the doctor. She should be asked why Sarah was not told to go to a hospital. The story she has told contradicts the account Palin gave. The doctor may be much more reluctant to lie because she is not a politician. She is the only person in a position to know. There is a story here IMO.

[kath]

29. Actually, doctors define labor at or before 37 weeks to be "preterm"

**all of what I say here is with the caveat "IF what she has said is actually TRUE"**


Also, by the time she arrived at the hospital, her membranes had been ruptured for nearly 24 hours (if her story is correct, she was ruptured for 29-30 hours by the time she actually delivered at 6:30 am).
Rupture of membranes for greater than 24 hours is considered "prolonged rupture of membranes" - this is a SECOND criteria (the first being preterm labor) which puts her situation into the "high-risk" labor category.

[CampDem]

31. Yes, 36 weeks is preterm

Maybe the baby was 37 weeks since he was supposedly over 6 pounds? I think Palin's story is implausible. The doctor would not do this and risk her career or the baby's health. It seems more likely to me that Palin is lying.If Trig is hers then she told the early labor lies to seem like a tough cookie. If the baby is not really hers then she of course told a lot of lies. We shall see.

[kath]

34. I've posted this on other threads -- looking at growth charts, both for Down Synd infants and for

normal infants, the alleged birthweight falls well within the normal range for 36 weeks and for full-term.

***It's important to realize that there is a BROAD range of "normal"*** - for a baby boy born at term "normal" weight (5th to 95th percentile) ranges from around 5 1/2 lbs to 9 1/4 lbs.
For a 36 weeker, (these charts aren't differentiated by sex) 10th percentile is around 1900 grams and 90th percentile is around 3300 grams (I'll let you do the conversions, since I've misplaced the calculator - one pound = 454 grams)

Don't have the Down syndrome chart in front of me, but I did look it up the other day -- his birthweight was NORMAL for a Down baby of 36 weeks, AND for 40 weeks.

Her story is EXTREMELY implausible. But trying to *precisely* pinpoint gestational age based on birthweight can't be done -- see above.

[Nine]

32. you don't think the doc verified her story?

http://www.adn.com/626/story/382864.html
Palin kept in close contact with Baldwin-Johnson. The contractions slowed to one or two an hour, "which is not active labor," the doctor said.

"Things were already settling down when she talked to me," Baldwin-Johnson said.


That sounds like Baldwin-Johnson IS confirming that Palin began labor in TX. The only part the doctor disputes is this:

Palin did not ask for a medical OK to fly, the doctor said.


Perhaps not an actual dispute. Did Palin claim the doc cleared her to fly? This is almost the most suspicious part of it. Why wouldn't Palin ask if it was OK to fly? Did Palin even tell her doctor where she was during all that phone consulting? It's crazy to think that the subject never came up. I think on the subject of a medical OK to fly, the doctor just drew a line as to how much she was willing to lie. She didn't want to make herself look completely incompetent.

If the doctor had made no comment at all, I might consider the possibility that Palin just invented a "fish story." But how and why did Palin get the doctor to go along with at least part of it? But not that she gave Palin an OK to fly? Makes no sense unless they're creating a cover story for Bristol.

[CampDem]

33. I am not aware of a claim that she was given the OK to fly

The doctor did not feel she was in active labor, which does not jive with water breaking in Texas to me. There are enough discrepancies to question this doctor or ask Palin why she didn't get permission to fly. Maybe the quotes from the doctor were referencing a discussion with Sarah about Bristol's labor? It is likely that nobody asked her directly who the mother was.

[Nine]

36. Well I do agree.

The doc needs to be questioned. No reason for Palin to hide behind HIPAA if a reporter just wants to clarify some things about the birth story Palin and the Baldwin-Johnson stated earlier.

At the very least, I'd like someone to ask the doc what she advises *generally* to patients who call and report their water has broken.

[knitter4democracy]

43. 36 weeks is preemie.

Ultrasounds aren't perfect (studies show it depends on the tech). A 44 y.o. multiparous woman delivering a known special needs child (DS kids are at higher risk for many, many problems during birth and right afterwards) should've had a high-risk OB, not an FP, and a NICU standing by, not an hour away.

Doctors do induce after water breaks if labor's not progressing, the baby's in distress, or the mother's too close to the 24 hour mark. Just because her water broke, considering how early it was, doesn't mean that the doctor wouldn't induce. If the contractions weren't strong enough or the right kind, her doctor would give her Pitocin, which is often called inducing.

[PaulaFarrell]

44. She had an amniotic leak

I had the same thing with my second child. It's not associated with actual labour. I had a small tear and the water just slowly began to drip out. It was several hours before I was really sure I wasn't just peeing myself, and got hold of a doctor. After being examined they let me go home for the night, and then I went back to the hospital to be induced the next day. So her story is entirely plausible, but having said that, getting on a plane for several hours was pretty stupid, as she would have had no access to medical care while in the air. As for driving the extra 35 miles, I don't know, but it's possible she just wanted to use her own doctor.

[Nine]

46. An amniotic leak is your water breaking.

We've had a lot of medical people discuss this and they all agree that amniotic fluid leaking = water has broken = membrane has ruptured. It doesn't seem to matter whether it's a fast leak or a slow leak, the important thing is that the membrane has ruptured and is now susceptible to infection. Labor is not the point. They may have let you go home, but they induced the next day didn't they? And they had you come in to begin with, right? They didn't just monitor you over the phone. Palin's story is simply not believable. It's not believable that her doctor wouldn't have her go to the nearest hospital, at least to be examined. It's not believable that Palin would not have asked her doctor whether it was OK to fly, which is what the doctor herself has said. And it's not believable that she could have even lasted that long - 29 hours for her fifth kid.

[Matariki]

20. I HOPE some journalist ASKS her about this. To her face.

I want to hear how she can possibly spin it. It's stinky.

[mhatrw]

37. I just read that she is on the Board of Directors at Mat-Su hospital. n/t

[LeftishBrit]

45. I think either of two things happened...

(1) she recklessly endangered herself and her baby's lives; (2) she told the story with embellishments to make herself 'macho' in endangering herself and her baby, even if she didn't.

Either way, it looks as though she thinks endangering oneself and others is a positively *good thing* and means that one is really macho. And that's not someone who should be running foreign policy if anything happens to McNut. Her personal decisions are her business; her positive approval of recklessness as a virtue is everyone's business.

[Nine]

47. update - Palin's doctor fired?

Palin's doctor, Cathy Baldwin-Johnson, is no longer listed at the hospital where Palin supposedly gave birth 4 months ago.

http://web.archive.org/web/20061104152526/http://www.matsuregional.com/staff/show_speciality.php?speciality=Family/General+Practice
http://www.matsuregional.com/staff/show_speciality.php?speciality=Family/General+Practice

[shellgame26]

49. the plot thickens

sorry MSM. This story is not going away.

[Nine]

51. You know, I started out assuming that Sarah and Bristol would have to be at same hospital

Why couldn't Bristol have gone to another hospital under a false name and delivered there while Sarah "delivered" at Mat-Su? People have been saying too many people would be involved in the coverup if they pulled a switcheroo, but if no one recognized Bristol (and I'd be hard pressed to recognize my governor's children), they wouldn't even have to know. HIPAA would prevent anyone from saying anything anyway. And if you worked at Mat-Su and weren't in on the "delivery" you might just assume someone else covered it or she was isolated because of privacy concerns, being the governor and all.

[CampDem]

50. this is odd!

[Nine]

52. Also, as pointed out in the link above...

"As a reasonable person, if there are rumors on the net about me being my son's grandmother, my go-to move would be to produce the medical records, the birth certificate, and that unfortunate photo everyone...seems to have of the mom and baby, right after delivery, in the hospital bed, NOT out my daughter's pregnancy."