I'm also having the struggle that I've had at this point in a pregnancy before and that is, "Boy, I wish I could just go to a midwife and a birthing center and skip all this medicalized doctor stuff" the trouble is, insurance pays 100% for the medicalized doctor stuff and 0% for the personal, humanized, holistic, hands-on care. It's a big difference between $0.00 and $3400.00 or so. Sigh. I guess I just go over my birth plan again and remind myself why I decline all the different testings and typical protocol and get ready to stand my ground. I do have to say, though, that my doctor last time didn't give me too hard a time about rejecting a lot of the typical medical protocol. In case you wonder what I mean specifically, I decline things like:
- most cervical exams
- genetic testing
- glucose tolerance testing
- group b strep testing
- 20-week ultrasound (and any other u/s except the one at the start to date the pregnancy)
- labor induction or augmentation
- IV use
- eye antibiotics for baby
- assisted delivery of the placenta
Another thing is that I wish I could labor in the water as long as I wanted to and even deliver there. I'm pretty sure that's not okay at 'my' hospital and with my doctor although I will be verifying that to be sure.
Okay. That's out of my system. Now what I wish was out of my system is this nasty cold that I have. I cough so hard that I end up vomiting (nice), which is also hard on my umbilical hernia (ouch). Once the baby has grown enough that my uterus is blocking the hernia site it won't be so much of a problem. As it is, I have some excruciating belly button pain some days (even without the cough) and I have to press on my belly button to reduce the hernia and, um, well, push that little bit of intestine back through. Imagine that with a wicked cough.
Tomorrow is the halfway point in this pregnancy and I'm really looking forward to adding this new one to our home. (Even though I sound like I'm doing a lot of complaining in the above paragraphs!) I got to see Abby with my sister's new little baby girl and Abby LOVES her. It's so sweet! When I was holding Elizabeth, Abby would climb up on my lap and lay on my chest beside the baby and pat her back and tell her "you okay". Oh my goodness, she loves that little girl. It just make me anxious to bring home a little baby of our own to Abby. Anyhow, I'll end with a picture of the little sweetie born in the water at a birthing center and caught by her mama! Isn't that just great!?!?
7 comments:
I know what you mean about doctors and hospitals. I have had 3 children in the hospital (the first 3) and the last 3 at home. I much prefer the homebirths. They do tend to stress hubs out though.
If we get pregnant again I am unsure of what I am going to do. I really detest the idea of birthing in a hospital and dealing with all of the "interventions" and poking and proding.
Stand your ground hon. Even though you have to give birth in a hospital doesn't mean you have to be a pushover!!
My sister says I'm a good self-advocate and I've never felt I was much of a pushover, i just wish I could relax and enjoy rather than feel like I need to stand my ground. That said, I really haven't had a horrible experience in the hospital, I just think it could be oh so much better.
I did the glucose tolerance testing, but I am glad because we found that I almost failed. Which we suspected because I felt nauseous major if/when I had sugar foods. I started balancing them with protiens and it was better.
I didn't know you could refuse IV use. Why do you not want an IV just out of curiousity? Just curious! :P You can email me.
I refuse IV use because:
a. Mentally it's really hard for me to handle. It just wigs me out and then it makes handling labor more difficult.
b. It's invasive and I try to avoid invasive.
c. It makes it too easy for them to administer a drug that I may not want.
d. Pain meds are way too strong if administered that way and I'd prefer an IM (shot) administration if I end up choosing meds. (Which I did the first two times and not the last two.)
e. It involves a needle in my vein. ugh.
You can refuse a lot of stuff. I saw AMA (against medical advice)on my chart in a few places during my last visit! :-)
Hi Cindee:)
I have been readiong your blog for months but never commented till now *waves*
I had my first baby in the hospital ( I was 21, and oh so neive) I let them talk me into so many interventions I am ashamed to admit to them all now :( After 13 hours of their "help" I was wheeled in to the OR for a c-section.
I am pregnant again ,I am 22 weeks along and I have already made it very clear to my midwife that I am having a VBAC. I had a list of things I wanted and didn't want. But unfortunatly at "my" hospital, with a VBAC they require IV and I will be in a bed on a monitor the second I get to the hospital, ugh! I hate that idea! I will probably have AMA all over my chart, lol.
Stand your groud. I hope I can stand mine, I am refusing the eye treatment, the Vitamin K and the Heb B for the baby, and I am already expecting trouble from the pediatric team.
Good luck!
Hi Cindee!
Wow! 100% coverage, that's quite a blessing to have such great insurance.
You might already know this but St. Al's has midwives.
Your niece is beautiful, congratulations to your sister.
How sweet Abby will get her own baby soon!
I hate to sound so ignorant...but in my defense...my son is almost 23.. what are eye antibiotics?
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