A mother-of-three says a nurse practitioner at her OB-GYN’s office patronized her over her fourth pregnancy, saying, “You’re here again,” and “You do realize that children are a big responsibility.”
According to a story published exclusively by The Fresno Bee, Stephanie Yang, 27, a patient of OBGYN Camilla L. Marquez, MD., left a recent appointment in tears after the nurse implied she should not have gotten pregnant for the fourth time.
“A baby is a blessing no matter what, but that’s not how I felt after this recent appointment,” Yang, a teacher at Koinonia Academic Center, said in a Facebook video published by the Bee on Saturday.
In “the worst experience of my life,” Yang, whose youngest child is 2, said the nurse made her feel like a “poor minority.” Said Yang, “The first thing she said is, ‘You’re here again’ and I was embarrassed. I said, ‘Yes, I am, but this will be our last baby.'”
The nurse practitioner allegedly said, “Well, you said that last time, didn’t you?” and “You do realize that children are a big responsibility.” Yang informed her that her husband was scheduled for a vasectomy since they were finished having children and the nurse allegedly said joyfully, “Good!” while raising her fist in the air.
Stephanie Yang and other Fresno mothers are speaking out against a nurse at Dr. Camilla Marquez's office, who they say shamed them during their pregnancies. Story -> https://bit.ly/2CPNaz7
Posted by The Fresno Bee on Friday, January 4, 2019
“At that moment, the baby that felt like a blessing all of a sudden felt like a burden,” said Yang. “Like, ‘Leave it to you guys [minorities] to have children.'”
As the checkup was ending, Yang said her caregiver remarked, “Well, what can I tell you, you already know how to be pregnant, so bye.”
At home, Yang cried for a long time. “I told my husband, ‘Did we make a mistake?’ I started doubting, and I made him doubt,” she said in the video.
“Whether it’s my sixth child or my first child, I think we’re all important,” Yang said. “Every mother is important no matter how many babies she’s had before. I think that we’re meant to feel special and cared about.”
“Nobody has the right to make you feel that way,” she said. “To make you feel poor, to feel like you’re a minority. I feel privileged enough to give life.”
Yang told the Fresno Bee that she switched doctors, but when she called Marquez’s office to report the nurse, she was told that others had complained about her, too.
Some other patients told the Bee they too had poor experiences under her care.
Priscilla Hinojosa said that last week, the nurse told her she couldn’t detect her baby’s heartbeat “because of all of your layers.” The expectant mom said, “I felt horrible. This isn’t the first time she’s implied I’m fat, either. She’s mean.”
A woman named Michelle Medina who experienced two miscarriages was also treated by the nurse in question. “She made my losses feel like they were my fault for being ‘obese.’ When I was a little overweight, not obese,” said Medina.
And surrogate mother Erica Enriquez said the nurse told her that adoption was better than surrogacy. “I was extremely excited to be pregnant for the couple… and once I let [the nurse] know with smiles and excitement, she turned around and made me feel like the worst person ever,” Enriquez told the Bee. “I was extremely upset. I left crying my eyes out.”
On Yelp, Marquez’s office carries a one-star review. A reviewer called the nurse practitioner “incompetent,” writing, “This lady is so rude and knows nothing!”
When reached by Yahoo Lifestyle, a spokesperson for Marquez declined to comment. Yahoo Lifestyle could not reach Yang for comment and her husband did not return Yahoo Lifestyle’s request for an interview.
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