A woman is suing a California hospital after doctors performed an emergency C-section on her without anesthesia. What happened during her childbirth ordeal?

Emergency C-Section

In the morning of Nov. 15, 2017, then 25-year-old Delphina Mota went to the hospital to induce her labor. She was alert and awake and requested for epidural to manage her pain during a consultation with the doctors.

She was given the epidural at around 11 p.m., and Pitocin augmentation began less than 30 minutes later, but it caused her blood pressure to drop so it was discontinued. Hours later at around 5:20 a.m., doctors could no longer read the fetal heart rate, so they decided to perform an emergency C-section less than five minutes later.

However, the anesthesiologist allegedly did not respond even after multiple pages, so the doctors proceeded with the emergency C-section even without the anesthesia.

Strapped Down To The Table

According to the lawsuit, Mota's four extremities were strapped down onto the operating table, and the doctors proceeded with the C-section operation, which entailed cutting through her abdomen, skin layers, muscles, and lower uterine segment. Although she was given an epidural earlier to numb her from the waist down, this was a part of their original plan, which was for a natural childbirth, and had no effect whatsoever on the surgical site on her abdomen.

"All of the sudden, I felt cutting on my stomach ... a burning sensation," Mota said of the incident.
Through the process, Mota was said to be crying and screaming at the top of her lungs that she could feel everything, pleading for help, and begging the doctors to stop cutting her. She later passed out from the pain.

Her fiancé, who was in the hallway outside the operating room during the process, stated that he knew there was something wrong when he heard the screams.

Lawsuit

The couple is now suing the hospital as well as the doctors involved in the incident for medical malpractice, loss of consortium, assault and battery, and negligent infliction of emotional distress. The doctors declined to comment, and the hospital released a statement wherein they note how patient health and quality are their top priorities but also declined to comment further on the case.

"I understand why they did it," said Mota. "But this is a hospital ... There should have been measures in place."

The baby delivered that day, a girl they named Cali, is now over 7 months old and is said to be doing well.