I had an OB appointment yesterday, and everything looks fine. The head is down, and I am 1 and 1/2 cm dilated and 50% effaced. Of course, I have probably been that dilated and effaced for weeks now, LOL.
You may remember that with Anna, the OB I had then was totally obsessed with how big she might be. This doctor has said nary a word about size--her big obsession is my "risk of maternal hemorrhage". She even mentioned it at my second appointment! Now I know a lot of women who have had many more children than me, so I am really not that concerned. Also, I did some web research, and it seems like a bigger risk factor is the speed of your labors, and I have never had lightening-fast 4-10-cm-in-45-minutes type labors. Mine usually are a respectable few hours. Another big risk is a long, drawn-out pitocin-induced labor but, you guessed it, she really wants to induce. Now at this point, to be perfectly honest, I am big and uncomfortable. I doubt that even with pitocin I would have a long-drawn out labor. But still--she just wants to induce because . . . well, she hasn't dealt with many mothers of big families. That is what it boils down to! She even said that both doctors wanted to be there for the birth, and that they want to induce so that anyone else who is needed would for sure be there, since it would be during the day! Am I a circus side-show, LOL? Maybe the whole hospital would like to watch!
The first date she threw out was April 26, which would be a week and a half early. I was not at all comfortable with that and suggested May 4, which is 2 days before my due date. She kept saying that she just didn't think I would go that long, and apparently she really just doesn't want me to go into labor on my own! I told her that I might be concerned about that (well, probably not, LOL) except that I haven't gone into labor on my own with my last 2, and with Anna, I was 5 cm dilated and was not in labor yet when the pitocin was started. So, I really am not confidant that I will go into labor on my own before my due date. She went out and had a conference with the other doctor in the practice, and she came back suggesting May 1. That is somewhat better, so I agreed to that, but of course I am hoping and praying to go into labor myself. I hate getting to the hospital at 6:00 in the morning and waiting around for everything to get started. Bleh. Too early. Too much waiting around. What a hassle. On the plus side, this should be my last baby while on Tricare, so hopefully if we have any more, I'll be able to find a good midwife that more shares my views on pregnancy and birth, i.e. one who does not LOOK for things that might potentially be wrong.
Now I did ask the wise ladies on the Well-Trained Mind board about maternal hemorrhage, and several of them suggested drinking alfalfa tea, which is supposed to help cut down on bleeding. So I have been drinking that, as well as my raspberry leaf tea, which helps tone the uterus, so I think I'm doing all I can do. I am really not a fan of hot beverages at all, so this is a real sacrifice for me to be drinking all this tea!
4 comments:
Hey Claire! I totally share your induction views. I hope you go into labor on your own. Couldn't you have refused the induction? Well, it's just around the corner! Wow. Seems like this has gone by quickly! Hoping for a great birth for you! Christa
www.homeschoolblogger.com/CTdittmar
Hi! I followed Christa over from homeschoolblogger.hehe! I also hope that your birth goes well for you. I had 4 homebirths, and I can't imagine being forced to do things I am not comfortable with by a doctor. I love my midwife! We are hoping to have more children in the near future. It's in God's hands.
Ali
www.homeschoolblogger.com/aligirl
I think these days doctors are just worried about making everything easy for themselves. They arent really concerned for their patients so much anymore. Both of my grandparents come from familys of 11 or 12 children and both great-grandmothers lived through it all ( one lived to 98 yrs old ). Oh yeah, and they had all their children in some shack out in the woods with the closest hospital miles away. How did they ever do it.
*chuckle*
I'll be praying you go into labor on your own. I don't know what is up with the doctors you seem to get stuck with! In the 3 military hospitals where we've had our 4 children, we have had very good experiences. The only two odd things happened during my pregnancy with Arden.
1) My triple screen came back "abnormal," and the doctor who called me to talk about it told me I had to have an amnio. I didn't know anything about that and didn't realize I had a choice. Thank goodness the doctor I saw for my next exam talked me through it and encouraged me NOT to have one, so I didn't. Obviously there is nothing at all wrong with our dear little Arden!
2) A different doctor (I always seem to see at least 5-7 different doctors during my pregnancies!!) was extremely obsessed with the thought that I was measuring "small." Tell a 36-week-pregnant mom that she's measuring small, ha! She made me get extra ultrasounds at least twice, plus do a non-stress test once. Ridiculous. Arden was born one day after his due date and was a healthy 7 pounds, 10 ounces.
If I had had all your experiences with doctors, I'd be hunting for a midwife, too!
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