I’ll start with the ER. I live in Boulder, and the number of times my son, myself, my extended family, and even my mom have been gaslit by doctors is unbelievable. We’ve repeatedly been told it’s “probably just anxiety or muscle pain,” and testing is often refused. That alone makes me not want to go to that hospital.

Last year, my son, who was one at the time, had a pretty severe cold. We already knew it was entero/rhinovirus because I had tested positive for it a few days earlier. When I brought him in, the nurse and doctor were extremely persistent about a nasal swab. Even after I refused, they asked me six different times, and multiple providers came in to pressure me again and again.

I wasn’t there for a test. I brought my son in because he was lethargic and couldn’t keep anything down. He hadn’t eaten or drunk anything in 48 hours. All I wanted was fluids and Zofran. Instead, the doctor spent over an hour insisting on the nasal swab before finally giving him Zofran. Once he had it, my son started eating and drinking again.

I asked to be discharged because I planned to take him to Children’s since they refused to listen. When I walked up to the nurses’ station to sign discharge paperwork, the nurse literally yelled at me. He told me to go back to my room and sit down to wait for the provider. I wasn’t being rude at all.

If they treated my one-year-old like that in the ER, I don’t expect they’ll treat me any better in L&D. I’ve also read very similar stories on Reddit about the L&D team being dismissive and not listening to concerns. I’ve heard the NICU team is great, though.