Monday

belly update

Due to my high risk issues, I see the doctor every 2 weeks. I went today.

I have gained 15 pounds so far. Yikes!

After talking with MY PERINATOLOGIST further, I've decided I need to bite the bullet and give birth AT THIS HOSPITAL. He feels strongly that this is the safest place for me, given the various risk issues I am dealing with.

Sigh.

I told him I would like to labor and maybe birth in water. He said he's got no problem with me laboring in water, but he wouldn't want to deliver the baby in the water because, as he said honestly, he'd have "no idea what he was doing."

Unfortunately, that hospital only has two bath tubs on the maternity floor. If you don't happen to get one of those rooms, you won't have access to water for labor.

So I suggested that I get a birthing tub, like THIS ONE and set it up in my hospital room. That's what my sister did at when she had her waterbirth at St. Mary's Hospital in Knoxville. They had no problem with her doing this. My doctor said it sounded fine to him, but I would need to talk with the head nurse at his hospital, because he feels sure they have never had anyone do anything like this before. He gave me her name and number and said to give her a call.

So that's what I plan to do this week.

4 comments:

clara said...

If for some reason you can't do this, just access to a shower will be a huge help in labor. The pluses of hospital showers: the hot water never runs out & they usually have great water pressure. That can help you immensely in labor, just that counterpressure from h20 on contractions. Good luck with the tub too!

Anonymous said...

Good luck. I've not known many people who have been happy with their experience at F.S. (those who cared about their experience anyway)

Leslie said...

OF course he's going to say that you will be safer with him at his hospital. He's a high risk doc and that is his mindset. Why don't you just switch to a high risk doctor at St. Mary's? Don't they have a group there? I know it's hard to change caregivers mid-pregnancy, but you are not going to get anything close to the birth you want at Fort Sanders.

You know what else? I'll bet that when it comes right down to it, he'll want to strap monitors on you and keep you in bed and do various other things that are incompatible with laboring in water. Lots of doctors will say what you want to hear until you are in the vulnerable position of being in labor and then they will play the "safer for the baby" card.

Anonymous said...

I was about to suggest just what Leslie said.

Unless I misunderstood and the hospital you like better can't handle high-risk cases?

If it's just a matter of switching to a perinatologist who practices at the better hospital, why not do that?

I'm no fan of birthing balls - I thought using one hurt. But any nursing staff that bans them as dangerous is completely batty.